The Shipping Industry Embraces Battery Power
The past decade has seen tight restrictions on emissions from vessels, notably with a 2015 move to a .10% sulfur maximum in Emission Control Areas (ECA) in North America and in northern Europe. As the International Maritime Organization (IMO) now shapes shippingâs decarbonization future, shipowners are looking at transitions away from fossil fuels. Among the myriad of alternatives are lithium ion batteries and some early forays into hydrogen fuel cells.To dateâŠ
Fincantieri Marinette Marine Awarded Second Constellation-class Frigate
The Department of Defense announced Thursday that the Navy is exercising a $553.8 million option to have Fincantieri Marinette Marine build the second Constellation-class frigate.The Wisconsin shipyard is currently working with the Navy on the detailed design phase of building the first-in-class USS Constellation (FFG-62), a modern guided-missile frigate based partially on the Italian FREMM. Fabrication is planned to start at the end of this yearâŠ
Suez Canal Revenues Reach $552 Million in April
Egypt's Suez Canal Authority said on Thursday its revenues in April were $552 million compared with $476 million in the same month last year.The canal's authority said 1,814 ships transited in April, up from 1,731 ships in the same month last year.A massive container ship blocked the waterway in late March causing a huge backlog of vessels waiting for passage in what is the fastest shipping route between Europe and Asia.(Reporting by Yusri Mohamed; Writing by Nadine Awadalla; Editing by Chris Re
US Coast Guard Academy Graduates 240 Officers
The U.S. Coast Guard Academy graduated 240 new officers along with seven international students with keynote speaker President Joseph R, Biden Jr. in attendance, Wednesday.The Class of 2021 consists of 34% women and 34% from underrepresented minority groups. The class includes 22 African Americans who walked the stage, which marks the largest number of African American graduates to do so in Academy history.
Indian Rescuers Searching for 26 Still Missing from Sunken Barge
India's army and navy deployed ships and aircraft as they searched for 26 people still missing more than three days after a powerful cyclone sank a barge off the country's west coast, killing 49 people on board.Cyclone Tauktae, the most powerful storm to barrel into the west coast in two decades, has killed at least 46 others after wreaking havoc in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala."Ships and aircraft continue to search for the remaining crewâŠ
Interferry Conference Greenlighted Following COVID Review
Trade group Interferry said its directors have given the green light for the global trade associationâs 2021 annual conference to go ahead as planned in Santander, Spain, this October.The decision came at a virtual board meeting held May 20 after detailed consideration of current and forecast advances in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. The outcome was fully supported by Interferry chairman and president Christophe MathieuâŠ
Essberger Orders Four Ice-class Chemical Tankers from China Merchants
The John T. Essberger Group said it has signed final agreements with China Merchants Jinling Shipyard Dingheng Co. Ltd to build four 6,600 DWT stainless steel parcel chemical tankers with options for an additional four vessels.The IMO Type II chemical tankers will be Finnish/Swedish 1A ice class certified with dual-fuel liquefied natural gas (LNG) propulsion and the ability of using shore power connection during cargo operations.
Keel Laid for UECCâs Third LNG Battery Hybrid PCTC
As the maritime industry debates the "future fuel", one carrier, United European Car Carriers (UECC), plows forward, celebrating today the keel-laying of its third in a series of PCTCs powered by a liquefied natural gas (LNG) battery hybrid arrangement.The ceremony at China's Shanghai Jiangnan Shipyard saw the laying of the keel for the hull designated H2665 as part of an ambitious newbuild programâŠ
Argentine Port Workers Plan Another Strike for Next Week
Argentina's grains exports remained paralyzed on Thursday due to a strike by port workers demanding to be vaccinated against COVID-19, with the labor groups threatening another 48-hour work stoppage next week.Argentina's Port and Maritime Activities chamber told Reuters the strike on Wednesday and Thursday had halted port activity. Industry leaders agree port workers should be protected from COVID-19âŠ
First Ships Dock at Kenya's Lamu Deep Water Port
The first ships docked at Kenya's deep water Lamu Port on Thursday as the country looks to open a new transport corridor linking its vast northern region and neighboring nations to the sea.Kenyan officials hope that the Indian Ocean port, the country's second deep water facility, will attract cargo destined for neighboring landlocked nations Ethiopia and South Sudan, and offer transhipment services where large vessels bring in cargo for onward distribution by smaller ships.The Lamu PortâŠ
Vestdavit Establishes Dutch Subsidiary
Vestdavit has bolstered its presence in the European market with the launch of a new subsidiary in the Netherlands that positions it for business growth in one of the worldâs major maritime hubs. The Norwegian davit supplier is now able to provide readily available resources and expertise for new and existing clients from its Vestdavit BV office located in Maastricht that opened on May 1.Headed by managing director Kai GjerdeâŠ
Huntington Ingalls Industries Debuts Proteus USV
Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE: HII) debuted the 27-foot Proteus unmanned surface vessel (USV) for testing and development of autonomy capabilities. Proteus, outfitted with Sea Machines Roboticsâ SM300 autonomy system, completed a successful demonstration off the coast of Panama City, Fla., on May 14.âWe are thrilled to launch our Proteus USV. The vessel performed exactly as expected with the SM300 systemâs proven and safe autonomous capabilityâŠ
Shipping to Miss 2050 Net Zero Emissions Target -IEA
The maritime shipping industry will fall short of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions (NZE) by 2050, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in a report.The shipping industry is expected to miss its net zero carbon dioxide (CO2) target "due to a lack of available low-carbon options on the market and the long lifetime of vessels (typically 25 to 35 years)", the IEA in a report on Tuesday.This comes despite a growing stream of pledges and commitments from policymakers and industry stake
National Maritime Day
âI hold no branch in higher esteem, than the Merchant MarineâŠâThat is a quote from General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Allied Commander of the Pacific in WWII. That one sentence sums up National Maritime Day. Inasmuch if it were not for our glorious Merchant Marine and maritime industry, we may not even have been a nation at all.National Maritime Day is the day we honor our American Merchant MarinersâŠ
ATSB Calls Out Inadequate Fire Safety Standards
Australia's national transport safety investigator is calling out inadequate international vessel fire safety standards and regulations in the wake of a 2018 bulk carrier fire that took five days to contain and extinguish.The 202 meter, Australian flagged self-unloading bulk carrier Iron Chieftain was discharging its cargo of dolomite at Port Kembla, New South Wales in the early hours of June 18, 2018 when frictionâŠ
Royal IHC: 'Recovery in Sight' After Challenging 2020
As many maritime markets were challenged by COVID-19, Royal IHC, a Dutch maritime conglomerate and bellwether for the industry, reported its annual numbers indicated the smoke is clearing and a recovery is in sight.2020 will surely go down as a year many inside and out of the maritime industry will want to soon forget, and in releasing its annual figures Royal IHC noted that the first half of 2020 was dominated by refinancing and recapitalizationâŠ
Sovcomflot, Shell âGreen Funnelâ Project Hits LNG Fueling Milestone
Sovcomflot (SCF Group) and Shell performed a landmark 150th marine LNG fuelling operation for SCFâs âGreen Funnelâ Aframax tankers.Since operations began in 2018, SCFâs âGreen Funnelâ Aframaxes have taken more than 62,000 tonnes of marine LNG fuel from Shell and all 150 operations were reportedly performed safely without incident, injury or loss of fuel.The 150th operation was performed by Korolev ProspectâŠ
UTM Offshore Taps KBR for Support at Nigeria's First FLNG Project
Engineering and construction services giant KBR has won a contract with Nigeria's UTM Offshore to support the development of Nigeria's first Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) facility.Acting as Owner's Engineers, KBR will be responsible for a multi-disciplined due diligence review of the Pre-Front End Engineering Design, being completed by Japanese engineering company JGC.UTM Offshore is leadingâŠ
Survey Works Start at North Falls Offshore Wind Farm Site
For the next three months, three wind farm survey vessels will be busy in the Southern North Sea at the North Falls offshore wind farm site in the UK.North Falls, a proposed extension to the existing Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm, is located approximately 20 kilometres from the East Anglia coast on a site covering a total of 150 km2. North Falls is jointly owned by SSE Renewables and RWE Renewables.The surveysâŠ
Rescuers Searching for 49 Missing after Cyclone Sinks Oilfield Barge Offshore India
Naval vessels and aircraft scoured the waters off India's west coast late on Wednesday after the most powerful cyclone in more than two decades battered the region, sinking an oilfield accommodation barge and killing 26 aboard, authorities said.Cyclone Tauktae unleashed waves of up to 25 feet (7.6 meters) offshore before it hit the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat over the past two days, leaving a trail of destruction that killed 62 othersâŠ
