Mississippi River Near Historic Lows, Grain Exports at Risk
A key stretch of the lower Mississippi River dropped this week to within inches of its lowest-ever level and is expected to remain near historic lows just as the busiest U.S. grain export season gets underway, according to the National Weather Service.Low water has slowed hauling of export-bound corn and soybean barges over recent weeks as shippers lightened loads to prevent vessels from running aground…
Very Large LPG/Ammonia Carrier Phoenix Harmonia Enters Service
The Phoenix Harmonia, a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) powered very large LPG/ammonia carrier, has been constructed by Namura Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. and delivered to MOL Energia Pte. Ltd., a Singapore-based company of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Group, on September 29.Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, supported Namura and contributed to the delivery of the vessel…
IWS Fleet Strikes Deal to Put Off Yard Payments for Offshore Wind Service Vessels
Integrated Wind Solutions' subsidiary, IWS Fleet AS, has agreed with the shipyard China Merchants Industry Holdings to postpone equity yard installments of a total of 36 million euros on IWS Seawalker, IWS Starwalker, IWS Moonwalker, and IWS Sunwalker offshore wind service vessels up to one year, to strengthen the company’s liquidity position. The delivery schedules for IWS Windwalker, IWS Seawalker…
Sustainable Shipping: Alma Clean Power, Odfjell, and DNV to Deploy Innovative Solid Oxide Fuel Cell on Chemical Tanker
Alma Clean Power, Odfjell, and DNV have this week announced a new milestone in the development of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system.The fuel cell system will be installed on a chemical tanker by the end of 2024, aiming to demonstrate the potential for significantly lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions for deep-sea shipping, the trio said at an event in Singapore."As the maritime industry faces major challenges adjusting to zero emissions over the next decades…
US Plans Sharp Reduction in Offshore Oil and Gas Lease Sales
The Biden administration on Friday unveiled a plan to phase down oil and gas auctions in federal waters with the release of a long-awaited leasing schedule that includes a maximum of three sales in the Gulf of Mexico through 2029.The Interior Department's plan includes by far the lowest number of sales since the agency began producing Congressionally-mandated five-year oil and gas leasing schedules in 1980. Previous programs have ranged between 11 and 41 sales, according to Interior's U.S.
MacGregor to Deliver RoRo Equipment for Methanol-Fueled PCTCs in China
MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has been chosen to deliver RoRo equipment for two of the world's first methanol-fueled Pure Car and Truck Carriers (PCTC) for China Merchant Energy Shipping to be built at China Merchants Heavy Industry (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd. in China.The vessels are to be delivered to the owner between the third and fourth quarters of 2025.MacGregor´s scope of supply is to design and deliver the key components consisting of external and internal ramps…
Praxis Automation to Equip 59 RVOS Offshore Vessels with DP-2 Systems
Praxis Automation, a company specializing in ship automation, electrical propulsion, and dynamic positioning systems, will outfit 59 vessels of Saudi-based Rawabi Vallianz Offshore Services's (RVOS) with Praxis DP-2 systems.Under this RVOS fleet-wide contract, new build and existing offshore support vessels will be equipped with Praxis dynamic positioning systems, as well as customised equipment and software for digitization of the fleet in phases agreed with RVOS…
Vroon Offloads 30 Offshore Service Vessels to Britoil
Britoil Offshore Services said this week it had acquired 30 offshore service vessels and supporting offices in Singapore from Dutch shipping firm Vroon."The acquisition will see an expansion of Britoil’s operating footprint into the Mediterranean, the North Sea and Asia Pacific. The operations will also synergise in the Middle East and Africa," Britoil said.The 30 vessels and supporting offices were part of Vroon’s offshore services business.
Strategic Marine Teams Up with Caterpillar to Slash Emissions
Caterpillar Marine announced it has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Singapore-headquartered shipbuilder Strategic Marine to support emissions-reduction goals for future vessel designs.“Our collaboration with Strategic Marine brings together immense expertise that allows Caterpillar Marine to innovate and support the ongoing energy transition. This is an exciting challenge to tackle…
WinGD Wins First AiP for Ammonia Two-Stroke Engine
WinGD has secured the first ever approval in principle (AiP) for two‑stroke engines fuelled with ammonia.Lloyd’s Register awarded the AiP to WinGD’s X-DF-A dual-fuel range, and WinGD says this gives shipowners the assurances they need to realise vessel designs using ammonia-fuelled main engines. The first engine to be developed, the 52-bore X52DF-A, will be available for delivery from Q4 2024 and is…
New Car Carriers to Include Methanol Gensets
China Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI) has ordered six small-bore, seven-cylinder 21/31DF-M, methanol-burning gensets in connection with the construction of 2 × 9,300 ceu (car equivalent units) PCTCs for China Merchants Energy Shipping (CMES).The business represents the very first order for the new methanol-powered, MAN four-stroke genset. MAN Energy Solutions’ licensee, CMP, will build the engines in China with first delivery due in Q1…
Biden's Five-year Offshore Oil Plan to Have Historically Few Lease Sales
The Biden administration's five-year plan for offshore oil and gas leasing will not include any sales in 2024 and will feature the lowest number of auctions in the history of the program in the four years to follow, according to three sources familiar with the matter.The schedule for leasing in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska for 2024-2028 is due on Friday following several delays and months of battling…
OSG Pledges $30,000 for Women Offshore Scholarships
Tampa, Fla. based shipping company Overseas Shipholding Group, Inc. (OSG) continues its efforts to remove financial barriers for women entering the maritime industry with a scholarship pledge in the amount of $30,000. The scholarship funds will be used to support the Women Offshore Foundation’s 2024 Summer Sea Term Scholarship Program that is designed to help women+ enrolled at a U.S. maritime academy with financial support while they pursue a career on the water.
Joint Venture to Develop First LNG Ship Bunkering Hub in US Gulf
A joint venture is developing the first dedicated liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering facility for ships in the U.S. Gulf amid efforts by the maritime industry to find cleaner fuel solutions, executives said on Thursday.Shipping, which accounts for nearly 3% of global CO2 emissions and is under pressure from investors and environmental groups to accelerate decarbonisation, is exploring a number of other technologies including ammonia…
VIDEO: Taiwan Reveals First Domestically Made Submarine in Defense Milestone
Taiwan unveiled its first domestically developed submarine on Thursday, a major step in a project aimed at strengthening the island's defense and deterrence against the Chinese navy, though it won't enter service for another two years.Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has made the indigenous submarine program a key part of an ambitious project to modernize its armed forces as Beijing stages almost daily military exercises to assert its sovereignty.President Tsai Ing-wen…
Offshore Wind Vessels: Fixed vs Floating
How will vessel requirements in the emerging floating offshore wind industry differ from those in the existing fixed-bottom segment? Philip Lewis, director of research at Intelatus Global Partners, weighs in.See the full interview here.
No Restart for ExxonMobil's California Offshore Platforms as Judge Upholds Tanker Trucks Ban
A U.S. judge on Wednesday refused to overturn a California county's decision to block Exxon Mobil Corp from using tanker trucks to ship crude oil from coastal facilities to inland refineries while a ruptured pipeline is fixed.U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee in Los Angeles denied Exxon's bid to reverse the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors' denial of a trucking permit in early 2022, saying the…
Tugdock and Salamander Offshore Wind Team Up to Accelerate Floating Wind Energy Development
UK-based company Tugdock has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Salamander floating offshore wind farm to collaborate on innovation for floating offshore wind energy in Scotland.Tugdock, based in Cornwall, UK, has patented marine buoyancy technology that enables heavy marine structures to be built or assembled and loaded-out in ports with water depth or space restrictions.Salamander Offshore Wind is a joint venture development project between Simply Blue Group…
Nokian Tyres Commits to Wastewater Project in Baltic Sea
Nokian Tyres has made a commitment to the not-for-profit Baltic Sea Action Group (BSAG) covering, 2023–2026, to cooperate on BSAG's Ship Waste Action initiative.The goal of the initiative is to establish an operating model in which wastewater from cargo ships is discharged on shore in the harbor and the utilization of nutrients is enabled by circular economy solutions."The discharge of wastewater from cargo ships into the sea is still legal…
Pyxis Ocean Makes First Docking with Metal Sails
The Pyxis Ocean has made its first docking in Brazil with its new metal sails installed.The bulk carrier docked at the Port of Paranaguá in Brazil on Sunday, September 24. It has metal sails 37.5 meters high and is chartered by Cargill. After loading, it will transport its cargo of 63,000 tons of soybean meal to Poland.The sail technology, BAR Tech WindWings, was developed by BAR Technologies, in partnership with Yara Marine Technologies and Mitsubishi…
