Two Binding Bids for Greek Port
Greece received two binding bids for a majority stake in its northern port of Alexandroupolis, the country's privatizations agency HRADF said.The bidders for a 67% stake in the port were Quintana Infrastructure and Development through Liberty Port Holdings Single Member, and International Port Investments Alexandroupolis, a joint venture of Black Summit Financial Group, Euroports, EFA Group and GEK Terna, the agency said in a statement.The deadline for the bids expired earlier on Thursday.
Venezuela Arrests 'Fat Leonard' Contractor in US Navy Bribery Case
Venezuelan police have arrested a fugitive Malaysian businessman nicknamed 'Fat Leonard' who is at the center of a major U.S. Navy bribery scandal, as he prepared to leave the country for Russia, Venezuelan Interpol said.Leonard Glenn Francis was detained at the country's main international airport on Wednesday under a red notification requested by the United States for crimes of corruption and bribery…
Holy Land Shipwreck Reveals Tenacity of Ancient Traders as Empires Shifted
An ancient shipwreck found off the shore of Israel and loaded with cargo from all over the Mediterranean shows that traders from the West still came to port even after the Islamic conquest of the Holy Land, researchers say.A surprise storm? An inexperienced captain? Whatever the reason, the merchant ship made from fir and walnut trees and carrying containers with delights from far-off lands sank in the shallow waters off what is today the Israeli coastal community of Ma'agan Michael more than 1…
Scorpio Tankers Buys LR2 Product Tanker
Shipowner Scorpio Tankers announced this week that it has exercised a purchase option for an LR2 product tanker that is currently leased.The 2016-built, 109,999…
At Least Two Investors to Submit Binding Bids for Alexandroupolis Port
At least two investors are expected to submit binding bids on Thursday for a majority stake in Greece's northern port of Alexandroupolis, sources close to the process told Reuters.Near the borders with Bulgaria and Turkey, and with rail links and a floating gas regasification unit in the pipeline, Alexandroupolis has potential as a transport and energy hub for central Europe.Four investors were shortlisted last year for a 67% stake in the port: Quintana Infrastructure and Development…
Hurtigruten Norway Upgrades Its First Ship to Battery-hybrid Power
Hurtigruten Norway announced it has launched its first environmentally-upgraded battery-hybrid powered ship as part of a €100 million seven vessel refit program aimed at significantly reducing both CO2 and NOx emissions.MS Richard With has gone through extensive upgrades, having been retrofitted with two large battery packs (1,120kWh each) and new, more efficient Norwegian-made engines and new propulsion systems at Myklebust Yard in northwestern Norway.
Collapsing Spot Rates, Falling Capacity define Far East to U.S. Container Trade
In its latest Container Freight Rate Update note, Xeneta covers the average capacity and blank sailings on the Far East to the US West Coast while we head into the not-so-traditional peak season.The average capacity offered from the Far East to the US West Coast has fallen to its lowest since February in the past four weeks. Over this period, an average of 275,000 TEU has left the Far East heading for the US West Coast…
Steerprop, Med Marine Ink Deal for New "T Propulsion" Units
Steerprop signed a contract with Turkish Med Marine shipyard to deliver the propulsion units for two RAscal 2100 harbour tugs designed by Robert Allan. The contract is the first for the new Steerprop T product line.The growth of global trade and marine transport has brought about larger vessels and a need of more powerful and manoeuvrable tugs, with increased bollard pull for ship assistance and harbor operations.
Marlink Adds SpaceX's Starlink to its Services
Marlink has added SpaceX’s Starlink service to its offerings, a move aimed at strengthening its connectivity solutions portfolio.Marlink and OmniAccess will leverage Starlink – a high-speed, low-latency broadband internet service enabled by a constellation of satellites in Low Earth Orbit – to complement its portfolio of smart network solutions and services globally. Under the agreement, Marlink and…
KDI Delivers DP Simulators to MOL in Tokyo
Kongsberg Digital (KDI) has delivered a full mission K-Sim Dynamic Positioning (DP) Simulator to MOL Marine & Engineering (MOLMEC) for the new MOL Dynamic Positioning Training Centre (MOL DPTC) in Tokyo, Japan. MOL DPTC is the first DP training center in Japan to be accredited by the Nautical Institute (NI) to provide NI-approved dynamic positioning training courses.“We Installed Kongsberg DP simulator and were able to open a quality DP training center in Tokyo…
Glosten, ABB Debut Methanol-Hybrid Tug Design
Glosten and ABB have teamed to develop a methanol-hybrid ship assist tug design. The "SA-100" is a 100-ft. ASD harbor tug—designed to measure under 100 grt—is propelled by two methanol compatible CAT 3512E gensets powering electrically driven L-drives. The gensets are complemented by battery banks for zero-emission operation when transiting, peak shaving during general operation, and as boost for achieving…
St. Johns Begins Building CTVs for Atlantic Wind Transfers
St. Johns Ship Building earlier this month began building the first in a series of new crew transfer vessels (CTV) for Rhode Island-based Atlantic Wind Transfers (AWT).The Palatka, Fla. shipbuilder held a keel laying ceremony on September 8, marking the start of construction for the first of six new 24m aluminum catamarans that will AWT will use to service the U.S. offshore wind industry.AWT announced the orders with St.
Thai Navy Buys Aerial Drones to Patrol Its Seas
Thailand has signed a contract to buy Hermes 900 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) made by Israeli defense electronics company Elbit Systems for 4 billion baht ($107.67 million), the Thai navy said on Wednesday.The navy did not say in its statement how many drones it would buy, but said a budget had been set to procure the system over four years, between 2022 to 2025.The Thai navy said the drones would be used to patrol the sea to protect the country’s maritime sovereignty, shipping routes and assi
NAT Suexmax Starts Time Charter
Nordic American Tankers Ltd (NAT) announced on Wednesday that one of its Suexmax tankers commenced a one-year time charter contract.The 2010-built tanker has gone…
Partners Plan Cargo Ship That Runs on Green Ammonia
A team of Finnish maritime industry partners are developing plans to build a cargo vessel that runs on green ammonia.Shipping company Meriaura, technology company Wärtsilä and green energy project development company Green NortH2 Energy signed a letter of intent (LOI) to develop the cleaner-burning vessel, which will be ordered and operated by Meriaura and equipped with Wärtsilä’s modular multifuel main engines.
US Plans to Hold Cook Inlet Drilling Auction in December
The Biden administration on Wednesday revealed plans to hold an auction of oil and gas drilling rights for up to 1 million acres in the Cook Inlet off the coast of Alaska in December.The sale is among the concessions to the oil and gas sector included in U.S. President Joe Biden's new climate change law, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).Biden paused drilling auctions on federal lands and waters shortly after taking office as part of an agenda to fight climate change.
ACBL Planning to Repurpose Jeffboat Site
The city of Jeffersonville, Ind. announced plans are underway to redevelop the shuttered site of one of the nation’s oldest, largest and best-known inland shipbuilders.The city said it is working with the property's owner American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL) to develop a master plan for the 80-acre site along the Ohio Riverfront that was once home to Jeffboat. The southern Indiana shipyard was founded…
BC Ferries Trials SkillGrader for Improved Crew Skills Assessment
BC Ferries is trialing Marine Learning Systems' SkillGrader mariner skills assessment application as part of ongoing efforts to advance passenger and crew safety. Developed by Vancouver software company Marine Learning Systems, SkillGrader is an enterprise solution that helps vessel operators quickly and objectively assess the skills of officers and crew, both in teams and individually. It replaces…
Grace Hopper Subsea Cable ups Capacity
One year after Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN) established a new subsea fiber route between the U.S. and France, the company is increasing network capacity and diversity, investing in a fiber pair on Grace Hopper, a subsea cable system spearheaded by Google, between New York and Bude, Cornwall in the U.K. The Grace Hopper system will use Lumen landing station and infrastructure services at both locations."Data flow and capacity demands don't know boundaries.
US, Canadian Warships Sail Through Taiwan Strait
A U.S. Navy warship and a Canadian frigate made a routine transit through the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday, the militaries of both nations said, at a time of heightened military tension between Beijing and Taipei.The transit was the second in a month by a U.S. Navy ship, and the second jointly by the United States and Canada in less than a year, since October 2021.While China condemned the mission, saying its forces "warned" the ships, recent years have seen U.S.
