Wärtsilä Scrubbers for RoPax Newbuilds

Wärtsilä won a new agreement for its exhaust gas cleaning systems to be installed on two newbuild 218m RoRo passenger vessels (RoPax) at Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) in China.Signed in February 2022, the contract calls for Wärtsilä to fit and commission two 25-MWV-SOx hybrid scrubber systems, which can run in both open and closed loop configurations, on each vessel. With the systems, RoPax…
Tech File: Alfa Laval E-PowerPack

In step with the maritime industry's mandate to decarbonize, Alfa Laval introduces its E-PowerPack. Able to convert waste heat directly into electrical power, the E-PowerPack reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions – creating a simple, cost-saving tool for complying with new sustainability requirements.“Alfa Laval is pursuing a wide range of technologies to support decarbonization, both independently and with partners…
Tech File: Study Suggests Pre-insulated Plastic Piping Aids Passenger Ships Efficiency

A new study by GF Piping Systems and Foreship shows HVAC applications on passenger ships offer significant potential for improvement. The study, comparing a baseline steel piping system with pre-insulated polyethylene pipes in an air conditioning chilled water system revealed that plastic is more efficient in four areas: It decreases fuel consumption, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, lowers costs…
MEO Group Wins Contract to Supply Five Anchor Handling Tug Supply Vessels

MEO Group and its local joint venture partner, Uniwise Offshore Ltd, won a three-year contract for five Anchor Handling Tug Supply vessels (AHTS) by an E&P company in Thailand. The five vessels -- MEO Monarch 1, MEO Monarch 2, Uniwise Advantage, Uniwise Adventure, and Miclyn Emperor -- will support the oil & gas company's exploration or production programs starting Q1 2022.Photo courtesy MEO Group
Ørsted, Maersk in 'Record-breaking' Green Fuels Deal, with US Power-to-X Plant Planned

Wind power giant Ørsted said Thursday it had signed an agreement with shipping giant Maersk to develop Power-to-X-facility on the US Gulf Coast to fuel Maersk’s newly ordered fleet of 12 methanol-powered vessels.As part of the agreement, Ørsted said that two companies have signed a letter of intent (LOI) on "record-breaking" offtake agreement for green fuels in the maritime industry."Over the past two decades…
James Fisher Charters 'Go Electra' for North Sea UXO, IMR Work

Subsea services provider James Fisher has chartered Go Marine Group's multi-purpose service vessel Go Electra for UXO identification services and IMR projects in the North Sea.The vessel will be used by James Fisher group companies James Fisher Renewables (JF Renewables) and James Fisher Subtech (JF Subtech) for the rest of 2022."The long-standing agreement will see quicker response times and tailored health and safety standards implemented…
HAL Plans to Make Takeover Offer for Boskalis and Take It Private

HAL Holding said Thursday it intended to launch an offer for the Dutch marine services and dredging giant Boskalis' all issued and outstanding ordinary shares of Boskalis, at €32.50 per share.HAL, which currently holds 46.2% of the issued Boskalis shares, said it supported Boskalis’ current strategy, and that it has no intention to change its management or governance, "and is committed to the long-term interests of Boskalis and its stakeholders…
Fincantieri Marinette Marine Dedicates New Construction Facility

Leaders from Fincantieri Marinette Marine, the U.S. Navy, and Wisconsin-based Miron Construction dedicated a new facility at the Marinette shipyard with a small ceremony Mar. 8, 2022.Employees and guests gathered to open the newest building at the Marinette shipyard, Building 35, where giant plates of raw steel begin the journey to become a U.S. warship. The 32,000 sq. ft. building is connected to a new panel line where steel is prepared…
Neptune to Deliver Spreader Pontoon for Femern

The Netherlands-based Neptune Marine said it has been contracted to delivery a new spreader pontoon for Femern Link Contractors (FLC). Delivery is scheduled the second quarter of 2023.FLC, a joint venture in charge of the design and construction of a new immersed tunnel between Denmark and Germany, will use the vessel for the tunnel construction. Its main function will be back fulling of the tunnel elements with sand.
Beale Named VP of Human Resources & Trades at Newport News Shipbuilding

Global engineering and defense technologies provider Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced that Xavier Beale has been appointed vice president of human resources and trades (HR&T) at the company’s Newport News Shipbuilding division, effective April 1. Beale succeeds Susan Jacobs, who was appointed vice president, human resources and administration at HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division.In this new role at Newport News…
Master Boat Builders Delivers LNG ATB Tug Polaris

Coden, Ala. shipbuilder Master Boat Builders, Inc. (MBB) announced it has delivered a new 4,000-hp tug to Polaris New Energy.Named Polaris, this tug will be coupled with the recently delivered barge Clean Canaveral, built by Sturgeon Bay, Wis. shipyard Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, forming the largest Jones Act compliant articulated tug barge (ATB) providing liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunker fuel…
US Sanctions on Russian Oil to Leave More Cargoes at Sea with No Buyers

The U.S. ban on Russian oil and gas imports is likely to leave more cargoes at sea with no buyers, and the European Union's decision to continue imports was unlikely to make much difference to disarray in Russian oil trade, analysts said on Tuesday.U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday imposed an immediate ban on Russian oil and other energy imports in retaliation for the invasion of Ukraine and Britain…
Baltic Dry Index Scales Near 3-month Peak

The Baltic Exchange's dry bulk sea freight index .BADI hit its highest in nearly three months on Wednesday, helped by a jump in rates across its vessel segments.The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax, supramax and handysize shipping vessels, rose 206 points to 2,558 points, its highest since Dec. 15.The capesize index .BACI gained 386 points, or 20.4% to 2,282 points, its highest since Jan.
Newark Bay Maintenance Dredging Planned for August

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ New York District seeks a contractor for maintenance dredging of portions of the Newark Bay, New Jersey, Federal Navigation Project.Plans and specifications are expected to be available in April, bid opening in May and a contract award in July. The proposed work is anticipated to take place between August 2022 and March 2023. Estimated cost is between $25 million and $100 million.Check SAM.gov for details. Use Notice ID W912DS22B0010 to search.
High Powered Networking: AAPA Legislative Summit

If you’re interested in the inside track in the federal infrastructure world, check out the upcoming Legislative Summit being planned by AAPA – the American Association of Port Authorities, scheduled for March 29-31 at the Washington Marriott at Metro Center.A draft agenda is available and it’s a who’s who of heavy hitters, starting with DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg, whose remarks precede a roundtable…
RMC Begins Building Spirit of Tasmania RoPax

Finnish shipbuilder Rauma Marine Constructions said it has started building the first of two new car and passenger ferries for Spirit of Tasmania (TT-Line Company). The construction of the Spirit of Tasmania IV, set to operate between mainland Australia and Tasmania, kicked off with a traditional steel cutting ceremony.“Although the actual construction of the first ferry started today, RMC and Spirit of Tasmania already have a long history.
Shackleton's Ship Endurance Found Beneath Antarctic Ice

The wreckage of polar explorer Ernest Shackleton’s ship Endurance, which was crushed by Antarctic ice and sank some 10,000 feet (3,000 m) to the ocean floor more than a century ago, has been found, a team searching for it said on Wednesday.The three-masted sailing ship was lost in November 1915 during Shackleton’s failed attempt to make the first land crossing of Antarctica.Previous attempts to locate the 144-foot-long wooden wreck…
Missouri River Projects Being Developed

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers published a “sources sought” notice on March 2. As it implies, “sources sought” is an effort by the Corps to get a big picture of companies available to undertake certain projects. A top concern is to ensure adequate competition among the potential pool of contractors. This is upfront work. The replies then influence the type of solicitation issued in the future. The Corps explicitly states that a “sources sought” notice is “NOT a Request for Proposal (RFP)…
ZIM Announces Record Financial Year in 2021

Net Income of $4.65 Billion, Adjusted EBITDA of $6.60 billion, and Adjusted EBIT of $5.82 billionAs the containershipping industry enjoys its greatest boom of a generation, ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. (NYSE: ZIM) announced its consolidated results for the three and 12 months ended December 31, 2021.Net income for the fourth quarter was $1.71 billion (compared to $366 million in the fourth quarter of 2020)…
Barring Russian Ships from Rotterdam Port 'Not on Table' for now, Dutch PM Says

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said that barring Russian ships from the port of Rotterdam was "not on the table" for now, since any such move would have to be decided at a European level.Rutte made the comments to reporters, while on a visit to Paris, where he will meet French President Emmanuel Macron.Oil prices rose towards $130 a barrel on Wednesday, supported by concern of a potential supply shock…