Italian Forces Board Turkish Cargo Ship to 'Liberate' Crew
Italian special forces boarded a Turkish cargo vessel on Friday after the crew detected a group of unidentified people onboard, some of them armed, Rome's defence ministry said on Friday, adding the o
First Zero-emission Electric Pusher Tug & Barge Enters Service for Cargill

Cargill will charter the worldâs first fully electric pusher boat and barges to transport cocoa beans in the Netherlands.The company will use Kotug Internationalâs zero emission E-Pusher and E-Barges to transport cocoa beans from the Port of Amsterdam, the largest cocoa import port in the world, to its cocoa factory in Zaandam. The fully electrified pusher and barges eliminate both emissions and noise pollution for inland shipping.The E-Pusher 1 was christened this weekâŠ
Davie Completes Félix-Antoine-Savard Ferry Repairs

Canadian shipyard Davie reports it has completed repair of the ferry MV FĂ©lix-Antoine-Savard for the SociĂ©tĂ© des traversiers du QuĂ©bec (STQ).The car and passenger ferry, originally built in 1997, operates between LâIsle-aux-Coudres and Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive in the St. Lawrence River.Repairs on the vessel required over 30,000 hours of work, and the replacement of 28 tons of steel.Davie crews workedâŠ
Maritime Partners Announces $235.3 Million Securitization

Maritime Partners, a provider of maritime financing solutions primarily focused on Jones Act vessels, has announced the successful completion of the inaugural capital markets issuance of vessel asset-backed securities (ABS) by MP 2023 LLC, its controlled affiliate. This transaction was the first ABS issuance composed entirely of inland marine vessels.MP 2023 LLC issued an aggregate principal amount of $235.3 million of its MP 2023-1âŠ
Business Group Urges Biden to Intervene in West Coast Ports Labor Dispute

The largest U.S. business group on Friday urged President Joe Biden him to intervene immediately and appoint an independent mediator to address a West Coast ports labor dispute.More than 22,000 dockworkers at ports from California to Washington state have been working without a contract since July. U.S. Chamber of Commerce CEO Suzanne Clark in a letter to Biden cited "continued and potentially expandedâŠ
Kymeta Launches Flat Panel Antenna on OneWebâs LEO Network

Flat panel satellite antenna company Kymeta and low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications company OneWeb announced that Kymetaâs electronically steered Peregrine u8 LEO terminal is now commercially available, becoming the first flat panel antenna to serve the maritime market on OneWebâs LEO network.Kymeta launched its maritime product line in 2017, and its streamlined Peregrine u8 LEO terminal is purpose-built for maritime applications.
North American Lobster Industry Confronts 'Ropeless' Traps After Whale Entanglements

An emerging technology to fish for lobsters virtually ropeless to prevent whale entanglements is exciting conservationists, but getting a frigid reception from harvesters worried it will drive them out of business and upend their way of life.Injuries to endangered North Atlantic Right Whales ensnared in fishing gear have fueled a prominent campaign by environmental groups to pressure the industry toâŠ
Larger Vessel Gains Lift Baltic Dry Index to Best Week in Three Months

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, rose on Friday and marked its best week since mid-March, supported by a rebound in the capesize and panamax vessel segments.The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax and supramax shipping vessels, rose 15 points, or 1.4%, to 1,055, its highest level since May 30.The index wasâŠ
LR Grants AIP for Samsung Heavy Industriesâ Advanced Systems

Lloydâs Register (LR) has awarded approval in principle (AIP) to Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) for its Samsung Autonomous Ship (SAS) Autonomous Navigation System and SVESSEL Communication System, a key result of a joint development project formed in early 2023. The autonomous software for Autonomous Navigation System features an Integrated Bridge System, situational awareness tools and SHIâs Anti-Collision Decision-Making System.
Partners Developing Solution for CTV Electrification Refits

Shift Clean Energy (Shift), Ecomar Propulsion and Aluminium Marine Consultants have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate and develop a retrofit package to electrify and transform existing crew transfer vessels (CTVs) and workboats into environmentally friendly marine vessels.With the use of Shiftâs energy storage systems (ESS), Aluminium Marine Consultants' shipyard capabilities and Ecomar Propulsion's propulsion systemsâŠ
China's Largest Naval Training Ship Heads for Philippines in 'Friendly' Tour

China's largest naval training ship sailed for the Philippines on Friday, its last stop of a regional "friendly" tour, amid growing unease over Chinese maritime activities in the South China Sea.The giant training vessel, Qijiguang, bigger than a typical destroyer, left Brunei on Thursday for the Philippines as part of an around 40-day trip which has included stops in Vietnam and Thailand before Brunei.At the end of its tripâŠ
Enterprise Products Partners' Offshore Oil Export Terminal to Open by Early 2027

Enterprise Products Partners' Sea Port crude oil export terminal off the coast of Texas could begin operations between the second half of 2026 and early 2027, the pipeline operator's co-CEO said on Thursday. The terminal, planned for about 30 miles (48 km) off the coast of Texas, is one of several deepwater projects proposed at the height of the U.S. shale oil production boom. Enterprise Co-CEO JimâŠ
Steel in the Water: Foundation Installation Kicks Off for First Commercial-scale U.S. Offshore Wind Farm

The installation of the first monopiles and transition pieces has kicked off for the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in the United States - the Vineyard Wind 1.âWe can finally say it â as of today, there is âsteel in the water,ââ said Klaus S. Moeller, CEO of Vineyard Wind, the company developing the Vineyard Wind 1 offshore wind farm, located in a federal wind energy area 15 miles south of Martha's Vineyard and NantucketâŠ
America's Sea Services Building Large Fleet of Small Ships and Craft

Not every vessel in the U.S. Navy is built for major combat operations on the high seas. There are large numbers of boats and service craft that provide essential services to the sea services, the nation and its partners.The U.S. Navy procures about 100 small boats per year. Some of these boats are based on commercial designs, procured to a Navy developed specification that tailors the requirements to the end user needs.
Seafarer Labor Market Tightest on Record -Drewry

Officer supply shortfall has reached a record high and is not expected to improve, leading to manning cost inflation, according to the latest Manning Annual Review and Forecast report published by global shipping consultancy Drewry.The 2023 officer availability gap has widened to a deficit equating to about 9% of the global pool, which represents a marked rise from last yearâs 5% shortfall and the highest level since Drewry first started analysing the seafarer market 17 years ago.
KR Grants AIP for HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' New Tank Design

Korean Register (KR) has awarded an Approval in Principle (AIP) to HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) for a new type of tank shape designed for various liquefied gases and fuels. The announcement was made during Nor-Shipping 2023 in Oslo, Norway. The new tank shape, developed by HD HHI, is designed to improve safety and productivity.The new tank shape aims to address the challenge of sloshing that impacts the transportation of liquefied gases, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Capesize Spot Rates Hesitant Despite 5% Rise in Demand -BIMCO

âDuring the first five months of 2023, demand for Capesize ships increased 5% y/y while supply increased 3% y/y. Nonetheless, spot rate increases remain hesitant, largely due to concerns over Chinaâs fragile economic recovery,â says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.Demand growth was supported by a 4% increase in average haul while cargo volumes increased only marginally. Average haul increasedâŠ
Jobs at Stake as California Port Terminal Upgrades to Green Technology

Unions hope a $30 million grant to electrify tractors in a Long Beach, California, port terminal's final push to become the world's first zero-emissions facility will serve as a bulwark against lost jobs in an era of energy transition and increasing automation. The money from U.S. President Joe Biden's administration for Long Beach Container Terminal's purchase of 60 electric yard tractors that haulâŠ
OOCL Adds Third 24,188 TEU Containership

Hong Kong-based Orient Overseas Container Line Ltd. (OOCL) announced it has taken delivery of another 24,188 TEU mega ship.The OOCL Turkiye, recently named during a ceremony at Nantong COSCO KHI Ship Engineering Co., Ltd. (NACKS) shipyard, is the third 24,188TEU vessel to be received by OOCL in a series of12.Being a part of OOCLâs strategic plan for further growth in Asia -Europe trade, OOCL TurkiyeâŠ
Kakhovka Dam Collapse Blocks Gateway for Ukrainian Exports

The destruction of the Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine has made it impossible to navigate parts of the Dnipro River and deprived Kyiv of an important agricultural export route, shipping authorities said.The loss of the route is another problem for Ukraine as uncertainty hangs over the future of a U.N.-brokered deal allowing the safe export of grain from three Ukrainian ports.Ukraine is an important global grain and oilseeds producerâŠ