U.S. House Committee Green-Lights Strong Funding - WCI
The House Committee on Appropriations approved by a vote of 34-24 the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Energy and Water Development (E&W) Appropriations Bill. Included in the bill are Community Project Funding (CPF) requests for Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF) construction projects.Overall proposed funding for Corps’ Civil Works is $9.57 billion, an increase of $910 million above FY23’s appropriated level…
Maritime Safety - Enclosed Space Safety
It's nearly 45 years since the tragedy on the ANCO Duke where seven crew died at the bottom of the tank they were cleaning. “I was working on chemical tankers then. All the crew felt this terrible loss of life and took on tank entries with a heightened safety focus,” says Captain Dave Watkins, Deputy Director of the confidential near-miss reporting service CHIRP Maritime. Since then, enclosed space deaths still occur…
Subsea Cable Laying, Protection Innovation Funded in Japan
NYK, as a member of a consortium of four companies (also including: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.; Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.; and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.) has been selected by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) in an open call for applications related to the "Development of basic technologies for a multi-purpose and multi-terminal high voltage direct current transmission system…
After Titanic Sub Disaster, Industry Faces Scrutiny
The first fatal accident aboard a deep-sea tourist submersible is certain to raise calls for additional safety regulations, but industry experts say any new measures may be impossible to enforce given the international nature of the business.Moreover, they say the tragedy of the Titan submersible that imploded during its expedition to the wreckage of the Titanic was an outlier, given that the maker of the vessel opted against certifying the vessel…
Yara Clean Ammonia, Bunker Holding Team on Ammonia
Yara Clean Ammonia (YCA) and Bunker Holding Group signed an MoU establishing the intention to collaborate to accelerate the development of the market for ammonia as a shipping fuel. This agreement connects two key elements of the supply chain needed to achieve the use of clean ammonia as a shipping fuel, namely a global supplier of clean ammonia and the largest bunker supplier today in terms of end…
Siemens Energy Shares Tumble 31% as Wind Turbine Troubles Exposed
Siemens Energy saw $6.3 billion wiped off its market capitalization on Friday after warning that the impact of quality problems at its Siemens Gamesa wind turbine business would be felt for years.The group scrapped its 2023 profit outlook late on Thursday after a review of its wind turbine division exposed deeper-than-expected problems that could cost more than 1 billion euros."This is a disappointing and severe setback…
Marubeni and bound4blue Agree Wind Propulsion Sales Partnership
Japan-based Marubeni Corporation and bound4blue, a Spanish engineering company which manufactures and sells a wind propulsion system, have concluded entered a sales partnership.Marubeni will promote retail activities for bound4blue’s suction-type eSAILs both domestically and internationally and will act as the exclusive business partner in the Japanese market.The basic principles of eSAIL are similar to those underlying the generation of lifting power by airplane wings.
Mixed Fortunes on Far East to Europe Trades
With the peak ocean freight cargo season approaching, the latest data from Oslo-based Xeneta shows mixed fortunes, and outlooks, for the two main Far East to Europe trade corridors.Xeneta’s analysis reveals that shippers opting for the Far East – Mediterranean route are currently paying a spot rate premium compared to those choosing a North European option. There are also clear implications for long-term contracts…
Retrofit Package Designed to Include Solar, Wind and Storage
RINA has awarded an Approval in Principle (AiP) for a green retrofit package designed by naval architect Aurelia in partnership with Econowind, Wattlab and Vertom.The solution incorporates rigid sails, solar panels, batteries, optimised weather-routing, and a smart decision support system developed by Hydrographic and Marine Consultants (HMC) to dramatically reduce emissions on an existing 203,000dwt Newcastlemax bulk carrier.For the Newcastlemax bulk carrier…