Rapid Charging Systems: Current Technology for the Future of Ferries
As the devotion to more sustainable shipping expands and regulations become more stringent, the demand for lower emissions operations continues to increase. As a result, the marine industry is confronted with the challenge of large-scale electrification as an alternative energy solution.For electric ferries, one developing technology is Rapid Charging Systems (RCS), which transfer electrical power from the shore to a vessel at a high rate.
Drought-hit Panama Canal Lets More Unbooked Ships Pass in bid to Ease Queue
The drought-hit Panama Canal has temporarily limited the number of new reserved passage slots to help ease a bottleneck of ships that are waiting to transit without reservations, the waterway's authority said on Thursday.A logjam of commercial vessels seeking to pass through the canal, one of the world's busiest trade passages, has sent companies that typically use the waterway chasing alternative routes, according to executives and data.Any delay or disruption can put shippers on edge.
Panama-flagged Tanker Catches Fire Near Iranian Coast
A Panama-flagged tanker called White Pearl has caught fire near Assaluyeh on Iran's Gulf coast, Iranian state media reported on Thursday, adding that all crew members were safe."Twenty-two of the ship's crew have been rescued by Iranian rescue teams after the ship's captain requested assistance from the port authorities," state TV quoted a local ports official as saying. The official said that the tanker…
Three Bulk Carriers Robbed in Singapore Strait
Three bulk carriers were robbed in the Singapore Strait earlier this week, a Singapore-based regional maritime security centre on Friday. One of the busiest commercial waterways in the world has seen a spike in piracy in recent years. The incidents of "petty crime" happened between Aug 8-9, when the ships were in the Phillip Channel in the Singapore Strait, said the Information Fusion Centre, which is a regional facility hosted by the Singapore navy.
Malaysia Concerned About Disease in Australian Cattle
Malaysia has paused the import of all live cattle and buffalo from Australia citing concern about lumpy skin disease (LSD).The move follows a decision last month by Indonesia to halt live cattle imports from four locations in Australia after 13 cattle were found to have the disease.Australia’s Chief Veterinary Officer Mark Schipp has released a statement saying that Australia is urgently engaging with…
First Chinese Hull Monitoring System Gains Type Approval
China Classification Society (CCS) has awarded type approval to the nation’s first domestic hull monitoring system.The approval was issued to the China Ship Scientific Research Center located in Wuxi. CCS says the system is of great significance in improving safety performance, extending the service life, reducing operating costs, and improving the efficiency of ships.“The China Ship Scientific Research Center has successfully developed the hull monitoring system…
Towing Vessel Sinks Off South Carolina
A towing vessel sank Tuesday night approximately 3 miles off North Myrtle Beach, S.C.Horry County Fire Rescue personnel rescued the three crew members aboard the vessel, identified as the 59-foot-long Jacqueline A—a U.S.-registered pusher tug built in 1981. No injuries have been reported.The vessel is currently in 30 feet of water, and has approximately 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel on board, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
Crowley Breaks Ground in San Diego for All-electric Tugboat Charging Station
Crowley and the Port of San Diego broke ground for the shoreside charging station designed to provide clean energy for the company’s forth-coming zero-emissions tugboat, eWolf.The charging station is a microgrid charging facility that will allow vessels to recharge quickly while reducing peak loads on the community energy grid. It is equipped with two containerized energy storage systems provided by Corvus Energy.
Bollinger Cuts Steel on Prototype Module for First Polar Security Cutter
Bollinger Shipyards this week announced it has begun cutting steel at Bollinger Mississippi Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss. on the first of eight prototype modules that will become the foundation of the first U.S. Coast Guard Polar Security Cutter (PSC), USCGC Polar Sentinel (PSC-1)—the first heavy icebreaker to be built in the United States in 50 years. "Today marks a significant step for both Bollinger Shipyards and the United States…
Maritime Careers: How to Get Ahead in Shipbroking
Want to set yourself apart from the crowd? Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers Chairman Glenn Murphy offers this advice to young shipbrokers In the bustling world of global trade, shipbrokers play a crucial role in facilitating seamless transactions and ensuring the smooth movement of goods across vast oceans. As a shipbroker, you are at the heart of this dynamic industry, and staying ahead of the competition…
TDI-Brooks Adds 75m DP2 Ship to its Fleet
TDI-Brooks increases its vessel capacity by adding a 75-meter DP2 vessel, R/V NAUTILUS to its fleet, a ship that can offer a variety of offshore assistance with subsea services, construction aid, exploration, production, ROV and diving support, and scientific marine research and survey mapping, along with military support.This vessel is currently about 60% through its retrofit period in Las Palmas…
Fire Hits Grain Silos at French Atlantic Port
More than 100 firefighters fought a huge blaze at grain silos in the French Atlantic port of La Rochelle on Thursday, disrupting shipping activity at one of France's biggest grain export terminals.The fire started on a conveyor belt at around 8:00 a.m. (0600 GMT) in a grain silo complex operated by SICA Atlantique, the local prefecture said.Some 120 firefighters brought the blaze under control, helped…
Jadestone Energy Working to Address Tank Defect on Montara Venture FPSO
Asia Pacific-focused Jadestone Energy, which last month shut down production from its Montara Venture FPSO off Western Australia due to an issue with the FPSO's 4S ballast water tank,is still working to address the defect in the tank.Jadestone Energy said Thursday that since the shutdown, tank 4S has been emptied and cleaned, with an inspection starting on August 8, 2023."The initial inspection has identified the location of a small defect between tank 4S and oil cargo tank 5C…
Baltic Index Falls on Weakness in Capesize Rates
The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index edged lower on Thursday as a decline in capesize rates overshadowed advances in the panamax segment.The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax, and supramax shipping vessels carrying dry bulk commodities, ticked down by 7 points, or 0.6%, to 1,137.The capesize index fell 78 points, or 4.5%, to 1,674, declining for the third straight session.Average daily earnings for capesizes .BATCA, which typically transport 150,000-ton cargoes
Putin Says State-owned VTB Bank to Manage Russia's Main Shipbuilder
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday asked the state-owned VTB bank to manage the state's 100% stake in United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), Russia's largest shipbuilder, to solve financial problems at the firm.Putin's decision effectively transfers control of Russia's premier shipbuilding assets to Moscow-based VTB, which has been run by Andrei Kostin, one of Russia's most influential bankers…
Mark's Epic Journey: 268 Days 1643 Hours, 6,800 Miles in a Kayak
After 268 days in his kayak, 1643 hours of paddling and a journey of almost 6,800 miles, 65-year-old Mark Fuhrmann has completed his epic “Reverse the Bad” charity expedition across Canada and the United States.In doing so, he becomes the first person to solo kayak the ‘Greater Loop’ circuit, beginning (and ending) in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and traversing the Great Lakes, the Illinois, the Mississippi…
Cuban Oil Tankers Becoming Regular Visitors to Mexican Ports
Cuba has begun using its own tankers to ramp up crude imports from Mexico, which in the second quarter surpassed Russia as a key oil provider to the fuel-thirsty island…
As Container Fleet Grows (4.3%), So too do Sectors Woes
“Deliveries of new container ships during the first seven months of the year reached a new record high of 1.2 million TEU in 2023, beating the previous record by 0.2 million TEU. As recycling of ships has remained low, the fleet capacity has grown 4.3% since January,” says Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.The contracting of new ships has slowed since its record in 2021 but has year-to-date remained twice as high as during the 2010s.
Hapag-Lloyd Net Profit Dives 67% in H1
German container shipper Hapag-Lloyd HLAG.DE on Thursday posted net profit of 2.9 billion euros ($3.18 billion) for the first half of 2023, down by 67% from a year earlier, but maintained its full year earnings forecast.The net profit compared with 8.7 billion euros in 2022 when shipping, a proxy for global trade, enjoyed a boom as economic growth rebounded following the end of pandemic lockdowns and as logistics disruptions raised freight rates for customers.
Pavilion Energy, CNOOC Complete First Bunker Delivery to LNG-powered VLCC
Singapore's Pavilion Energy and China's CNOOC Gas and Power Group completed their first liquefied natural gas (LNG) ship-to-ship bunker operation for a very large crude carrier (VLCC) at China's Guangzhou port, the companies said on Thursday.A total of 2,800 metric tons of LNG was delivered from CNOOC's LNG bunker vessel Hai Yang Shi You 301 to the VLCC Maran Dione, owned by Angelicoussis Group's Maran Tankers Management (MTM)…
