VETUS NAVIDURIN Blend Receives LR Approval
VETUS said its proprietary polymer blend, NAVIDURIN, has been awarded Lloyd’s Register Certification.Incorporated in multiple VETUS products around the engine, NAVIDURIN is optimized for use in marine systems and, according to the manufacturer, offers many benefits spanning the recreational, commercial, and military sectors.According to VETUS, NAVIDURIN features a combination of additives to deliver a unique set of properties…
Wärtsilä Acquires PortLink Global
Wärtsilä Voyage acquired PortLink Global, a global port solutions company headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. The move is intended to speed Wärtsilä Voyage along its path towards creating an end-to-end connected maritime ecosystem.The transaction was signed and closed in June 2022.PortLink and Wärtsilä Voyage have partnered in the past – collaborating on projects including the co-development of a Port Management Information System (PMIS) for the largest Mediterranean and African port…
IEA Says World Oil Demand to Rise 2% in '23
World oil demand will rise more than 2% to a record high of 101.6 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2023, the International Energy Agency said on Wednesday, although sky-high oil prices and weakening economic forecasts dimmed the future outlook.The Paris-based IEA also said in its monthly report supply was being constrained because of sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine."Economic fears persist…
SpaceX, ABS Ink JDP on Remotely Controlled Rocket Recovery Droneships
SpaceX and ABS signed a joint development project (JDP) to review the remotely controlled functions of autonomous rocket recovery droneships used for booster rocket recovery at sea.The rocket recovery droneships are modified to include an expanded deck to increase the size of the landing platform, four thruster engines for propulsion and to hold on station, and blast shielding to protect electrical and engine equipment on deck.
Saipem Confirms Shell's Gato do Mato FPSO LNTP
Italian oilfield services firm Saipem has confirmed it has recently been awarded a limited notice to proceed (LNTP) by BW Offshore, for the early-stage engineering services for the supply of an FPSO unit to be supplied to Shell for the development of the Gato do Mato field offshore Brazil.The oil and gas field is located around 200 km offshore Brazil in the Santos Basin, in water depths of around 2,000 meters.The LNTP is valued at up to $50 million.
US West Coast Port Union, Employers Say No Plan for Strike or Lockout
The union and employers negotiating the contract for more than 22,000 port laborers on the U.S. West Coast on Tuesday said they are committed to reaching a deal and are not planning any work stoppages or lockouts that would worsen supply chain logjams.The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) employer group have been in negotiations since May.They said they do not expect to reach a deal before the high-stakes labor agreement…
Great Lakes Iron Ore Trade Down 20.4% in May
Shipments of iron ore from U.S. Great Lakes ports totaled 4.4 million tons in May, a decrease of 20.4% compared to a year ago and 21.9% below the month’s five-year average, the Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA) reported.Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 9.9 million tons, a decrease of 33.9% compared to the same point in 2021, LCA said. Iron ore shipments were also 31.4 % below their five-year average for five months of the year.
Meyer Turku Begins Building TUI Cruises' Methanol-ready Cruise Ship
Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku announced it has cut first steel for Mein Schiff 7, the latest new cruise ship for Germany's TUI Cruises. Notably, the 111,500 GT cruise ship will be able to run on methanol fuel.“After two years of pandemics, we have returned to our course and will continue to grow as planned,” said TUI Cruises CEO Wybcke Meier, during an official steel cutting ceremony held at the…
'Midshipman-X' Revealed, Files Suit Against Maersk
A U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) midshipman who shook the maritime industry last year when, under the moniker "Midshipman-X," publicly described how she was raped by her superior officer while serving as an engine cadet aboard a Maersk cargo ship, has been revealed as Hope Hicks.Hicks is one of two USMMA students being represented by Sanford Heisler Sharp and Maritime Legal Solutions, who said Tuesday they filed two related complaints in New York state court against Maersk Line…
Washington State to Rebid Hybrid-electric Ferries Contract
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will launch a competitive bid process for the construction of its next five hybrid-electric ferries after negotiations stalled with shipbuilder Vigor.Vigor, which has built a number of existing vessels for WSDOT's Washington State Ferries (WSF), is currently finalizing designs for the new ferry class and was also lined up to build the vessels…
Keystone Charters Jones Act Tanker Pair from AMSC
American Shipping Company ASA (AMSC), A Norwegian-based ship finance company focused on the intercoastal U.S. Jones Act shipping market, announced it has entered…
LNG Carrier Spot Charter Rates Hit Record Highs
Spot-market rates for liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers this week set annual records as traders bid up available vessels to meet rising global demand for the chilled gas, according to brokers.Soaring demand for LNG and buyers shunning Russian cargoes and vessels over its invasion of Ukraine have led to more long-term charters, limiting the supply of vessels to the spot market, said shipbroker and…
Bourbon Extends Support for Construction at BP's GTA Hub
Bourbon Mobility said it has been tapped to provide additional support Saipem for the construction of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal on BP’s Greater Tortue…
Saipem 7000 Returns to Work at Scottish Wind Farm after April Tilting Incident. Full Lifting Capacity to be Restored in 2023
Italian offshore energy services company Saipem has confirmed the return to action of its giant crane vessel Saipem 7000, following a tilting incident in Norway in mid-April.Offshore Engineer reported back in May that the 197.95 meters long Saipem 7000 would return to work at the Seagreen wind farm site offshore Scotland on or around May 31.Two weeks later, the confirmation came from Saipem. The company said Monday: “Following the incident [that] occurred on April 14…
Freeport LNG Targets Year End for Full Operations After Fire
Freeport LNG, one of the largest operators of liquefied natural gas export plants in the United States,on Tuesday said last week's fire damage to its Texas plant would keep it fully offline until September with only partial operation through to the year end.Natural gas prices slumped in the United States and soared in Europe on the lengthier shutdown as the Quintana, Texas, facility produces roughly 20% of U.S.
New Hydrogen-powered Tanker Concept Unveiled
A newly unveiled hydrogen-powered tanker concept aims to allow zero emission at berth, and up to 100% reduction of GHG emissions during voyage.The Hy-Ekotank concept, launched by TECO 2030 and partners Ektank AB, Shell Shipping and Maritime and DNV, would see fuel cells with compressed or liquid hydrogen storage retrofitted on existing Ektank vessels.The solution comes as the maritime industry continues to explore alternatives traditional petroleum-based marine fuels…
WinGD and Hyundai Heavy Industries Developing Ammonia Two-stroke Engine
WinGD and Hyundai Heavy Industries’ Engine Machinery Division (EMD) are working together to deliver the first WinGD engine capable of running on ammonia, as the shipping industry continues to progress toward decarbonization.Under an memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed during the Posidonia exhibition on June 7, the partners will aim to deliver a first engine by 2025, in line with WinGD’s previously announced timeframe for bringing ammonia engines to market.
Iranian Tanker Seized By Greece Has Been Released
Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) said on Tuesday the Iranian-flagged Lana tanker ship seized in April by Greece is no longer impounded and its oil cargo will be returned to its owner…
USCG Report: Small Cutters Prove They Can Patrol a Big Ocean
The Coast Guard’s 353-ton, 154-foot fast response cutter (WPC) is capable of deploying independently to conduct missions that include port, waterways and coastal security; fishery patrols; search and rescue; and national defense. The service plans to build 64 of them to replace the 110-foot Island class patrol boats. The FRC has a range of 2,500 miles, but the endurance of the 24 crewmembers is normally limited to about five days based on the quantity of provisions carried.
Solstad Sells PSV Normand Corona
Solstad Rederi AS, a wholly owned subsidiary of Norwegian-based offshore shipowner Solstad Offshore ASA, has sold the platform supply vessel (PSV) Normand Corona.The 85.65-meter-long Normand Corona was built at Kleven Verft in 2006.The vessel was handed over to its new owner on June 14, 2022.Solstad said the sale will result in a "minor positive accounting effect" to be reflected in the second quarter of 2022.
