Why Are Pirates Attacking Ships in the Gulf of Guinea?
Pirates are stepping up attacks on ships in West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea, defying regional navies. On Saturday, pirates off Nigeria kidnapped 15 sailors from a Turkish container ship and killed one.Pirates in the Gulf of Guinea kidnapped 130 seafarers in 22 separate incidents last year, accounting for all but five of those seized at sea worldwide.Who are the pirates and why are the attacking?The pirates come from Nigeria’s turbulent Niger Delta, experts say.
Holland Pump Acquires Complete Dewatering Pumps & Wellpoints
Holland Pump continues expansion with acquisition of Complete Dewatering Pumps & Wellpoints and expands its footprint in the pump rental marketHolland Pump Company…
COVID-19’s Impacts on American Maritime Infrastructure
It goes without saying that America’s vast network of ports and inland waterways are crucial to the flow of maritime commerce, but these vital parts of U.S. infrastructure also play a big role in driving the greater national economy, support quality of life and ensure public health and safety. Still, no matter how clear and obvious the benefits, U.S. infrastructure as a whole (including roads, energy grids and, yes, ports and waterways among others) has fallen victim to underinvestment.
OXE 125-200 2021 Models Granted EPA Approval
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted approval for OXE Marine's OXE125, OXE150, OXE175 and OXE200 2021 diesel outboard models.In line with OXE Marine's ambition to transform the outboard motor; impacting the journey toward a more sustainable and ecologically positive marine environment, OXE Marine said it is pleased to achieve the certificate of conformity with the clean air act from EPA.According to the manufacturer…
Interview: Joe Hudspeth, BAE Systems
Joe Hudspeth is the Director of Business Development for Global Marine at BAE Systems in Endicott, N.Y. BAE Systems offers complete, efficient propulsion and auxiliary power systems utilizing electric technology. Hudspeth has been involved with maritime sales, marketing and product development since 2000. He currently serves as a regional co-chairman for the Passenger Vessel Association, is a judge for the Worldwide Ferry Safety Association student design competition…
Siem Car Carriers Adds LNG-fueled RoRo
The newly commissioned Siem Aristotle joins sister ship Siem Confucius as the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered pure car/truck carrier (PCTC) vessels.Operating exclusively for Volkswagen Group, the Siem Aristotle is the second in a series of two Super-Eco ships for the Siem Car Carriers fleet that run on cleaner burning LNG fuel to help reduce vessel emissions.The vessel's carbon dioxide emissions are slashed by up to 25%…
Unmanned Vessel Launched to Survey Western Galveston Bay
An unmanned vessel is now surveying more than 3,500 nautical miles of the Western Galveston Bay, near the Houston Ship Channel.DEA Marine Services, a division of David Evans and Associates, Inc. (DEA), in Vancouver, Wash., equipped its survey boat Sigsbee with a Sea Machines Robotics SM300 autonomous-command and remote-helm control system to fulfill a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) contract.Sigsbee…
Havyard Developing Emissions-free, Hydrogen-powered Vessel
Havyard said Monday it has been contracted to develop a new emissions-free ship concept for transporting cargo between European ports.The contracting partner, an unnamed European company, was first introduced to Havyard by Invest in Norway, who has been working with this company for the last two years in supporting their entry to the Norwegian maritime industry, Havyard said.Lars Conradi Andersen…
Guyana Says Venezuela Detained Two Fishing Vessels In Its Waters
Guyana said late on Saturday that a Venezuelan navy vessel detained two vessels that were fishing in Guyana’s exclusive economic zone, the latest dispute in a long-running border conflict between the two South American nations.Caracas says much of eastern Guyana is its own territory, a claim that is rejected by Georgetown. The conflict has flared up in recent years as Guyana has started developing…
China Says US Military in South China Sea Not Good for Peace
The United States often sends ships and aircraft into the South China Sea to “flex its muscles” and this is not good for peace, China’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday, after a U.S. aircraft carrier group sailed into the disputed waterway.The strategic South China Sea, through which trillions of dollars in trade flows each year, has long been a focus of contention between Beijing and Washington, with China particularly angered by U.S. military activity there.The U.S.
Maersk Sells Tanker Equipped with Rotor Sails
Maersk Pelican, the world’s first product tanker testing the use of wind propulsion technology, has been sold and delivered to its new owner, Maersk Tankers confirmed without revealing the name of the ship's new owner.Norsepower rotor sails were installed on board the 245-meter, 109,647 dwt Maersk Pelican in 2018 and over a one-year test period, it showcased an 8.2% drop in fuel consumption and emissions…
ICCB Orders Landing Craft for Offshore Energy Projects
Dublin-based Irish Commercial Charter Boats (ICCB) has ordered a bespoke 12-meter landing craft to support a wave of offshore energy projects on the horizon. The Chartwell Marine-designed vessel will be built at the Arklow Marine shipyard starting this month for schedule delivery in summer 2021.With a number of large-scale energy projects coming to Irish waters, the aluminum vessel has been developed to meet ICCB’s expanding operational requirements…
Metal Shark Developing Autonomous Vessel for US Marine Corps
Autonomous vessels are quickly gaining acceptance across the maritime sector, but especially in government and military applications where the technological and safety advantages are most pronounced.On Monday, Louisiana-based shipbuilder Metal Shark said it has been selected by the U.S. Marine Corps to develop and implement the Long Range Unmanned Surface Vessel (LRUSV) System, a network of unmanned…
Iran Asks Indonesia to Explain Tanker Seizures
Iran has asked Indonesia to provide details about the seizure of an Iranian-flagged vessel, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Monday,…
Nigeria: Pirates Kill One, Kidnap 15 Sailors from Turkish Cargo Ship
Pirates off Nigeria's coast kidnapped 15 sailors from a Turkish container ship in the Gulf of Guinea on Saturday in a brazen and violent attack that was farther from shore than usual.One sailor was killed in the raid, an Azerbaijani citizen, while those kidnapped are from Turkey, according to the respective governments and a crew list seen by Reuters.Accounts from crew, family members and security…
Kongsberg Tech for China-built Offshore Wind Turbine Installation Unit
Norway's Kongsberg Maritime has signed a Letter of Intent with Chinese shipbuilder Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore to deliver a large technology package for the BT-220IU Wind Turbine Installation Unit.The offshore installation vessel BT-220IU is to be constructed for the Norway-based company OIM Wind, with an option for another vessel of identical design. The vessel, expected to be delivered in 2022,…
ABS Grants AIP for CMI's Deepsea Mining System
In what has been described as an industry first, maritime and offshore classification society American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has awarded China Merchants Industry (CMI) Approval in Principle (AIP) for its deep-sea mining system design.The AIP follows the publication of the ABS Guide for Subsea Mining in October 2020 and is the first to be issued that conforms to the new Guide, ABS said.CMI’s design focuses on retrieving cobalt-rich ferromanganese crust deposits attached to seamounts.
Indonesia Seizes Iran, Panama-flagged Vessels Citing Illegal Oil Transfer
Indonesia said its coast guard seized the Iranian-flagged MT Horse and the Panamanian-flagged MT Freya vessels over suspected illegal oil transfer in the country's waters on Sunday.Coast guard spokesman Wisnu Pramandita said the tankers, seized in waters off Kalimantan province, will be escorted to Batam island in Riau Island Province for further investigation."The tankers, first detected at 5:30 a.m. local time (2130 GMT on Jan.
Inmarsat Milestones: 10k Ships with Fleet Express Installed, 'Fleet Data Academy' Launched
Ship data consumption is booming, and as digitalization and data trends increasingly drive the maritime world, Inmarsat celebrated a pair of milestones, hitting the 10,000 vessel mark on Fleet Xpress installations and launching its "Fleet Data Academy."Traffic DoublesAccording to Inmarsat, the growth in Fleet Xpress now includes the world’s leading container ship and tanker owners, such as MOL, K-Line and Hapag-Lloyd…
DNV GL Awards AIP to KSOE for Wing Sail Propulsion
Classification society DNV GL said it has granted Approval in Principle (AIP) to Korea Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering (KSOE) for a new wing-sail auxiliary propulsion system for ships designed to help reduce shipping emissions and fuel burn.The wind-powered auxiliary propulsion system, designed for installation aboard many vessel types, is the result of a joint research project from KSOE, the shipbuilding holding company of Hyundai Heavy Industries Group…