Ørsted Advances Green Fuel Transition with Second Methanol-Powered SOV
Denmark-based offshore wind developer Ørsted and offshore vessel owner ESVAGT have signed a second contract for a methanol-powered vessel.Ørsted and ESVAGT have signed an agreement for a sister vessel to the world’s first methanol-powered service operation vessel (SOV), which was announced in 2022.The SOV will be ready for launch in 2026, operating out of Ørsted’s UK East Coast Hub on a 10-year contract.
UN Secretary-General Encourages MEPC 80 to Aim for Net-Zero
UN Secretary-General António Guterres sent a video message to MEPC 80 saying: “Humanity is in dangerous waters on climate, but the decisions you take over the coming days could help us chart a safer course."Science tells us it is still possible to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C. But, it requires an immense and immediate global effort. And shipping, which accounts for almost 3% of global emissions…
Volvo Cars Switches to Biofuels for Ocean Freight
Volvo Cars has announced that it is switching delivery of its production material to container ships using renewable biofuel.The company will use renewable fuel for inbound ocean container transport of production material destined for manufacturing plants based in Europe and the Americas, as well as all spare parts distribution made globally by ocean container transport.Volvo Cars says that it is the…
Cold Water Can Kill in Minutes
The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has highlighted that, on average, crew have under 11 minutes to recover someone who has fallen overboard into cold water before they become unresponsive.An analysis of 20 accidents that occurred between 2017 and 2021 shows that the time decreases as the water becomes colder or the sea state rougher. In some cases, crew had just four or five minutes to coordinate a complex recovery.When examining the rate of successful recoveries…
UK Includes Domestic Shipping in ETS
The UK Emissions Trading Scheme Authority (UK ETS) – has announced that the scheme will be expanded to include domestic maritime transport from 2026.The scheme will be applicable to vessels of 5,000 gross tons or higher.The UK ETS is run by a joint body comprising the UK Government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland.The UK ETS was launched in 2021 to replace the UK’s participation in the EU ETS.
AI-Based Semi-Autonomous Voyage Planning System Tested
Yara Marine Technologies, artificial intelligence (AI) application developers Molflow, Chalmers University of Technology and social science specialists from Halmstad University and Gothenburg University have collaborated over three years to develop and trial an AI-based semi-autonomous voyage planning system.Initiated in August 2020, the Via Kaizen project explores how AI and machine learning can enable more energy-efficient voyage planning for ship operators.
MPA Singapore and LR Sign ‘Silk Alliance’ MoU
Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at collaborating on a fleet-specific decarbonisation strategy for ‘The Silk Alliance’ cross-industry initiative to enable zero-emission shipping across the Indian and Pacific Oceans.The collaboration includes driving investments into scalable fuel…
WinGD CEO to Step Down
The current CEO of WinGD, Klaus Heim, will step down from his role effective July 31, 2023.The Board of Directors has appointed Dominik Schneiter as the Acting CEO, effective July 1, 2023. Schneiter brings over three decades of industry experience to the role, having served as WinGD's VP of Research and Development for the last seven years.“I am honoured to be entrusted with the responsibility of leading WinGD as we navigate the evolving landscape of the shipping industry,” said Schneiter.
Methanol Beats LNG in June Newbuilding Orders
According to the latest figures from DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight (AFI) platform, 55 vessels with alternative fuel propulsion were ordered in June.Of these 26 were orders for LNG fuelled vessels and 29 for methanol powered vessels (including retrofits). So far this year the total order figure for alternative fuel vessels stands at 128. The container segment continues to be the main driver of growth…
HD Hyundai Begins Construction of Engine Factory in Saudi Arabia
A joint venture between HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, Saudi Arabian Development and Saudi Arabian Industrial Investments has held a groundbreaking ceremony for an engine factory in Saudi Arabia.The engine plant will be built in an area of 150,000 square meters in the King Salman Global Maritime Industries Complex in Ras Al-Khair near Jubail, a city in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia.
Baltic Index Hits Multi-week Low on Retreat for Larger Vessels
The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index on Tuesday fell to its lowest level in nearly four weeks, pressured by a dip in the larger capesize and panamax vessel segments. The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax and supramax shipping vessels carrying dry bulk commodities, fell 24 points, or 2.3%, to 1,044 - its lowest level since June 8. The capesize index dipped 50 points, or 3%, to 1,601, declining for the seventh straight session.
RH Marine to Provide Technology for New ASW Frigate Quartet Destined for Dutch, Belgian Navies
Damen Naval, a naval shipbuilding division of the Dutch Damen Shipyards Group, has signed a contract with the first Dutch supplier for the four new Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Frigates to be built for the Dutch and Belgian Navies. Netherlands-based RH Marine will supply the Integrated Mission Management System (IMMS), the Integrated Navigation Bridge System (INBS), and the Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS) for each of the four frigates for the Dutch and Belgian Navies.
Russia's Seaborne Diesel Exports Rise in June as Maintenance Eases
Russia's seaborne diesel and gasoil exports in June rose by 13% from a month earlier to about 3.6 million tonnes as seasonal refineries maintenance eased, data from traders and Refinitiv Eikon showed.
NYK Joins Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonization
The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) have announced the signing of a five-year Strategic Partnership agreement.The partnership boosts the center's efforts to conduct pilots and trials of low-carbon solutions for the global shipping industry.Japan is one of the top three shipowning countries in the world, and Japanese merchant vessels account for around 11% of world tonnage.
DNV Releases Shore Power Class Rules for Tankers
DNV has introduced new class rules for electrical shore connections specifically tailored for tankers.The need for new rules emerged following amendments to the California Air Resources Board's (CARB) Ocean-Going Vessels At-Berth Regulation, requiring tankers to have emission control strategies in place at specific ports from January 2025. As a response to these regulatory changes, DNV, on behalf of the Western States Petroleum Association…
Podcast on Maritime Safety Launched
To mark the start of Maritime Safety Week in the UK starting July 3, The Seafarers’ Charity has funded five episodes of a new maritime safety podcast “Sea Views” in collaboration with The CHIRP Charitable Trust.The podcast is hosted by Julia Gosling, who brings her extensive 20-year experience in maritime safety and search and rescue. She is joined by co-host Adam Parnell, Director of the CHIRP Maritime Programme.“CHIRP's mission is to share insights, raise awareness, and save more lives at sea.
IACS Council Elects new Chair
The IACS Council met in Gdansk, Poland, last week for its 87th session (C87) and elected Roberto Cazzulo of RINA as the incoming Chair of IACS as from 1 Jan 2024.C87 IACS Chair, Nick Brown of Lloyd’s Register, congratulated Cazzulo on his election, and responding, Cazzulo said “It is an honour for me to be elected, and I look forward to building on the excellent work done by Nick Brown in ensuring…
UMAS: IMO Intersessional Working Group Made Little Headway on GHG strategy
The fifteenth Intersessional Working Group on Greenhouse Gases (ISWG GHG 15) that concluded last week left key details undecided, says advisory service company UMAS.The meeting was the final working group meeting before the 80th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) this week. MEPC 80 is a critical moment for the IMO because it coincides both with the adoption of a Revised GHG Reduction Strategy (Revised Strategy)…
IMO Launches Galapagos-Based Video on Biofouling
The IMO has launched a video about the work of the GloFouling Partnerships project. Filmed amongst the stunning wildlife of the Galapagos, it illustrates the urgent need to tackle the threat of biofouling to vulnerable marine ecosystems and shows the work that IMO and its partners are doing to protect the precious biodiversity of the world’s oceans. The IMO's Glofouling Partnerships project team recently travelled to the Galapagos Islands…
Nine Organisations Commit to Book and Claim Systems
Nine companies across the maritime value chain have issued a joint statement expressing their commitment to developing and implementing robust book and claim chain of custody systems to accelerate the early phases of shipping’s decarbonisation. The signatories of the joint statement – Aspen Shipping Decarbonization Initiative, DHL Global Forwarding, Hapag Lloyd, Kuehne + Nagel, Norden, Oldendorff Carriers…
