Venezuela to Ship Fuel to Cuba on US-blacklisted Supertanker
Venezuela's state-run oil company PDVSA on Monday was loading a supertanker with crude and fuel for Cuba, maritime documents showed, an unusually large volume to help its political ally overcome an energy crisis with repeated blackouts.Several big electrical outages this year have left many in Cuba concerned about power supplies this summer, when residents crank up air conditioning to stay cool in…
FID Reached for Second Phase of Plaquemines LNG Export Project
U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) company Venture Global LNG said on Monday that it will go forward with the second phase of its Plaquemines LNG export plant in Louisiana after securing $7.8 billion of financing.Phase two's final investment decision (FID) comes after the first phase was sanctioned in May.Venture Global said that completes about $21 billion in total for Plaquemines, the largest project financing ever done in the space…
AAM Delivers Survey Vessel for NV5-Geodynamics
Bellingham, Wash. shipbuilder All American Marine (AAM) announced it has delivered a new research and hydrographic survey vessel for NV5-Geodynamics. The vessel was sea-trialed on Bellingham Bay, prior to shipping via cargo ship to its homeport of Beaufort, N.C.Built to service the growing offshore wind market as well as accomplish many other scientific survey missions, Shackleford is a 73- by 26.7…
Offshore Wind Hub Planned at Avondale Global Gateway in Louisiana
An offshore wind hub is coming to the site of the former Avondale Shipyard in Louisiana as the region ramps up to service the growing renewable energy industry in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.New Orleans-based Gulf Wind Technology (GWT) announced Monday it is collaborating with energy supermajor Shell to establish a research, training and technology demonstration program at GWT’s facility within the Avondale…
Eastern Hosts Keel Authentication for New Bridgeport-Port Jefferson Ferry
Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. (ESG) on March 9 hosted a keel authentication ceremony at its Allanton Shipyard in Panama City, Fla. for a new 302-foot auto and passenger ferry for the Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company.Steel cutting for ESG Hull 228 commenced in January 2023 and a delivery is scheduled for 2024. The ferry will operate between Bridgeport, Conn. and Port Jefferson, N.Y.The ferry is based on the P.T.
Scorpio Exercises Purchase Options on Six Tankers
Scorpio Tankers announced Monday it has exercised the purchase options on six ships.The company said it has given notice to exercise its purchase options on 2016…
Construction Begins for American Cruise Lines' Fourth New Coastal Cat
American Cruise Lines on Monday announced construction has begun on American Legend, the fourth new Coastal Cat in the company’s Project Blue series.Described by American Cruise Lines as a "nimble go-anywhere ship", the 100-guest American Legend is being built for coastal operation and features a new hull design that is a hallmark of the series. All American’s new Coastal Cats are being built by Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury…
London to Trial Shipping Light Freight on the River Thames
A group of partners aiming to boost efficiency and sustainability for transporting goods in and around London has come together to trial shipping light freight on the River Thames.The non-profit Cross River Partnership (CRP) recently launched the London Light Freight River Trial, London’s first daily, multi-supplier, river freight trial, as part of the Defra-funded Clean Air Logistics for London project.
Talks Underway on Black Sea Grain Deal Extension in Geneva
Negotiations began on Monday between U.N. officials and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin on a possible extension to a deal allowing the safe export of grain from Ukraine's Black Sea ports, the Russian diplomatic mission in Geneva said.The Black Sea grain initiative, brokered between Russia and Ukraine by the United Nations and Turkey last July, aimed to prevent a global food crisis…
Baltic Dry Index Rises Above 11-week High
The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, rose to an over 11-week high on Monday, propelled by stronger rates across all vessel segments.The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax and supramax shipping vessels, was up 41 points, or about 2.9%, at 1,465 - its highest since Dec.
Biden Administration to Designate 2.8 Million Acres in Arctic Ocean off-limits for Oil and Gas Leasing
The U.S. Department of the Interior said Monday that President Biden would take action to designate about 2.8 million acres in the Arctic Ocean nearshore the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A) as indefinitely off-limits for future oil and gas leasing. This action will complete protections for the entire Beaufort Sea Planning Area, building upon President Obama’s 2016 withdrawal under the Outer…
MAN's Methanol-ready 32/44CR Engine Earns RINA Approval
MAN Energy Solutions announced it has received an approval in principle (AIP) certificate from classification society RINA for its methanol-ready MAN L/V 32/44CR engine. The AIP covers an upgrade concept for the four-stroke engine for conversion to dual-fuel running on methanol.The maritime industry is currently exploring the use of methanol as marine fuel as it seeks to minimize its environmental impacts.Methanol has several physical advantages as a fuel…
Tom Cruise Visits Aircraft Carrier USS George H.W. Bush
One of Hollywood's biggest stars recently paid a visit to U.S. Navy sailors aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77).Top Gun: Maverick producer and star Tom Cruise was joined by writer and producer Christopher McQuarrie, and editor Eddie Hamilton, along with Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham, for the stop. The team led a Top Gun: Maverick viewing in the ship’s hangar bay and took time to visit with sailors aboard the ship…
$2.8 Billion Contract Awarded for New Concrete Dry Dock at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard
The U.S. Navy's engineering systems command has awarded a $2.8 billion contract for the construction of a new concrete dry dock at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY & IMF).The $2,839,880,250 firm-fixed-price task order, which falls under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract, was awarded by Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Pacific to a joint venture between Dragados, Hawaiian Dredging and Orion.
Ship Recycling Market Remains Strong
Recycling markets remain firmly poised for another week, following a stunning resurgence by the Bangladeshi market (in particular) that leaves them atop the price rankings board.Levels close to and even over $600/LDT are now being regularly presented on various vessels and this is inducing more Ship Owners to sell their vessels, especially as freight rates in the dry bulk and container sectors are…
Eight Dead as Fishing Boats Capsize off San Diego in Apparent Smuggling Attempt
At least eight people have died after two fishing boats capsized off the coast of San Diego, California, in an apparent migrant smuggling operation, emergency officials said on Sunday.San Diego emergency crews began a search and recovery operation late Saturday night, after receiving a 911 call from a Spanish-speaker about fishing boats in distress off the coast of San Diego's Black's Beach. Crews arrived to find two fishing boats capsized in a 400-foot (366 m) area…
S&P Global Buys Firm to Bolster Capability to Track Commodity Shipments
S&P Global Commodity Insights said on Monday it had acquired UK-based technology firm Tradenet and its live vessel-tracking platform Market Intelligence Network (MINT) to bolster its capability to track and analyze commodity shipments. Demand for ship-tracking data has grown in the commodities sector in recent years, leading to the creation of new data analytics businesses such as Kpler, Vortexa and Refinitiv that compete with S&P Global.
Dredge Firms Focus on Sustainability as ESG Issues Climb Agenda
Climate change, rising sea levels, land reclamation and offshore energy are all factors underpinning business models at Europe’s dredge and marine engineering majors. They are adopting strong sustainability credentials as their operations come under closer environmental, social, governance (ESG) scrutiny and new opportunities open up in the US offshore wind sectorThe relatively small number of global…
Thirty Migrants Missing in Shipwreck off Libya. Charity Blames Italy
Thirty people are missing and 17 were rescued in the central Mediterranean on Sunday after the boat in which they were travelling from Libya capsized in bad weather, Italy's coastguard said.The tragedy comes just weeks after a Feb. 26 shipwreck near the southern region of Calabria, in which at least 79 died. Alarm Phone, a charity that picks up calls from migrant vessels in distress, assumed the 30…
Traing Tips for Ships - Tip #45: Is it ‘Real’ or is it … (Part II)
Is the “old” way of generating maritime training content about to be disrupted? Are we witnessing the beginning of a sea change in the creation of training content and potentially in how trainees interact with that content?In the previous edition of Training Tips for Ships, we introduced ChatGPT and discussed its potential uses and limitations in a maritime training capacity. In fact, as was revealed near the end…
