ABS and Texas A&M University Partner on Fuel and AI Research
ABS and Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) have signed a research agreement to investigated ammonia as fuel, ship electrification, carbon capture and sequestration, trusted artificial intelligence (AI), and safety of industrial wearable visualization technologies, among other topics.The research agreement is part of the continuing collaboration between ABS and Texas A&M which includes a recent endowment establishing the ABS Ocean Engineering Department Chair.
Voyage Planning Tool Errors Contributed to Grounding
The use of a draft voyage planning tool which included waypoint data errors plus an ongoing technical fault with the vessel monitoring and surveillance system for the Great Barrier Reef contributed to a cargo ship’s grounding on a shoal, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has concluded.The 81-meter general cargo ship Trinity Bay grounded on Harrington Shoal, a charted feature with a depth of 0.9 metres north-west of Harrington Reef…
USCG Commandant Visits Austal USA
Admiral Linda Fagan, U.S. Coast Guard Commandant, visited Austal USA Thursday to tour the Mobile, Ala. shipyard's manufacturing facilities and discuss the company’s contract for the service’s Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC).Austal USA said in a press release its leadership briefed the Commandant on the company’s steel shipbuilding production line. The 117,000 square foot steel panel line…
Titanic Sub Pieces Found on Ocean Floor; No Survivors
The five people aboard a missing submersible are thought to be dead, according to the company that owns the vessel, bringing a grim end on Thursday to the massive search for the vessel that was lost during a voyage to the Titanic."These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans," OceanGate Expeditions said in a statement.
Corps Launches Lower Miss 'Mega-study'
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is kicking off a five-year, $25 million "mega-study" with the goal to help guide effective and practical management of the Lower Mississippi River.The Corps said the the study will help it to identify recommendations for the comprehensive management of the region across multiple purposes, including hurricane and storm damage reduction, flood risk management, structure and nonstructural flood control…
US Navy Orders Another YRBM Barge from Conrad
The U.S. Navy has exercised an option to order an additional Yard, Repair, Berthing, and Messing (YRBM) barge from Morgan City, La. based Conrad Shipyard. Work will be performed in Amelia, La. and is expected to be completed by March 2025. The $18,293,952 firm-fixed-price modification follows a previously-awarded contract for the detail design and construction of up to eight YRBM barges.The YRBM barge is an ABS A1 Accommodation Barge with a 151’-4” x 49’-4” x 14’ footprint.
Kongsberg Maritime Boosts US Waterjet Manufacturing
Kongsberg Maritime announced it has established a dedicated manufacturing facility and service team to provide in-country support for its waterjet customers in the United States.Kongsberg Maritime has been manufacturing Kamewa waterjets for over 40 years, delivering more than 10,000 units globally. The company will now offer a step-change in support for its North American customers, including local manufacturing of waterjets…
Titanic Sub Search: Debris Field Found, Oxygen Feared to Have Run Out
The desperate search for a missing submersible near the wreck of the Titanic entered a critical juncture on Thursday when air was expected to run out for the five people aboard, but officials vowed to continue scouring the remote North Atlantic.A remotely operated vehicle deployed from a Canadian vessel to the ocean floor discovered a "debris field" near the Titanic, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Thursday morning on Twitter…
Greece Boat Tragedy: At Least 209 Pakistanis Were on Board, Data Suggests
At least 209 Pakistanis were on an overloaded boat that capsized and sank in open seas off Greece last week, according to data shared with Reuters on Thursday by a Pakistani investigative agency.The figure of 209 is based on information provided by families who came forward to say a relative of theirs had boarded the boat heading from Libya towards Greece and were still missing, the Federal Investigation…
Shipbuilders Council of America Announces Safety Award Winners
The Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), the national association representing the U.S. shipbuilding, maintenance and repair industry, announced its yearly member safety awards for 2023.“Workforce health and safety is embedded into the fabric of our industry because the teams that work in our shipyards and throughout the industrial base are the most important asset we have in building and repairing the U.S.
NORDEN Orders Six Supramax Bulkers
Danish shipowner NORDEN has recently placed a newbuilding order for six dry cargo vessels from Dalian COSCO KHI Ship Engineering Co., Ltd. (DACKS), a joint venture between COSCO Shipping and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, for delivery in the next two to three years. All six orders are for Supramax vessels with a capacity of 64,000 deadweight tonnes.NORDEN's Head of Asset Management, Henrik Lykkegaard Madsen…
As the Clock Ticks on the Titan Sub, an Expert Explains What Safety Features a Submersible Should Have
The oxygen supply of the missing Titan submersible is expected to run out today around 10am GMT, or 8pm AEST.A frantic search continues for the Titan and its five occupants, with sonar buoys having recorded “banging” noises in the search area on Tuesday and Wednesday.With the vessel’s fate yet to be determined, the general public is asking questions about the safety of such touristic endeavours.The contextThe context in which the Titan has disappeared is disturbing.
VLGC Lucky Gas Delivered to Al Seer Marine
Al Seer Marine has taken delivery of its first very large gas carrier (VLGC) from South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries.The 84,300-cubic-meter-capacity Lucky Gas is employed on a 10-year charter with UAE-based BGN International DMCC.The VLGC forms part of an AED 495 million transaction signed in 2021 by ABGC DMCC, the joint venture between Al Seer Marine and BGN International.Al Seer Marine…
Drought-hit Panama Canal Further Restricts Maximum Ship Depth
The Panama Canal will expand restrictions on the largest ships crossing the waterway, one of the world's busiest trade passages, the canal authority's administrator said on Wednesday, citing shallower waters due to drought.The measure follows a series of depth restrictions in the 50-mile (80 km) canal since the beginning of the year due to a drought, which authorities had hoped would ease by the start of the Central American country's rainy season.Ship traffic, including container ships and oil
Saudi Arabian Crude Oil Exports Fall 12%
“By agreeing to an additional voluntary production cut within OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) of 500,000 barrels per day in May and announcing a further independent production cut of 1,000,000 barrels per day in July, Saudi Arabia is aiming to reduce excess supply and support prices,” says Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.According to the EIA (U.S. Energy Information Administration)…
Northern Lights CCS: Trailblazing the Path to Europe’s Net Zero Emissions
In the global quest for achieving net zero emissions and slowing down global warming, carbon capture and storage (CCUS) technology has emerged as an important solution. Among the notable projects being developed in the field is the Northern Lights offshore carbon capture and storage project in Norway, a country with long experience with offshore CO2 storage.The transition to a sustainable energy future requires innovative solutions that go beyond simply halting fossil fuel projects.
SSI: Green Steel Could Be Added to Decarbonization Targets
The Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI) has published a green steel and shipping report calling for circularity in shipbuilding. Steel is the primary shipbuilding material, making over 75% of a vessel by weight, and the steel industry is responsible for 7-9% of global GHG emissions. Addressing steel emissions is critical to decarbonizing across the ship lifecycle, says SSI, and provides opportunities for collaboration with the steel sector and other steel demand sectors.
