Equinor to Supply Fuel for Maersk's Methanol-powered Containership
Danish shipping company A.P. Moller - Maersk announced it has signed an agreement with Norwegian energy company Equinor to secure supply of methanol for its new methanol-enabled feeder vessel during its initial months of operation from September 2023 and into the first half of 2024.The agreement ensures methanol supply for the ship from its entry into operation on a loop from Northern Europe into the Baltic Sea after the name giving ceremony later this month in Copenhagen.
Failure to Maintain Crane Barge Led to $6 Million Loss
A barge owner’s lack of inspection and maintenance led to the capsizing and sinking of a crane barge last year in the Gulf of Mexico, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said.The crane barge Ambition was being towed when it capsized and sank on June 15, 2022, releasing an estimated 1,980 gallons of oil. No injuries were reported. The Ambition, owned by Rigid Constructors, and its crane were a total loss estimated at $6.3 million.Due to the height of the crane…
First NSMV Empire State Delivered
Philly Shipyard on Friday delivered Empire State, the lead vessel in a series of five new training ships being built to serve America's state maritime academies. Delivered to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD) under its National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) program, Empire State will serve SUNY Maritime College.Scheduled to be delivered through 2026, each of the five purpose-built NSMVs will feature instructional spaces…
Glamox to Install LED Lighting on Eight PGS Seismic Vessels
Lighting solutions specialist Glamox has won a contract from the Norwegian marine seismic survey firm PGS to provide marine LED lighting for eight of its seismic data acquisition vessels.This first phase of the retrofit project will involve replacing fluorescent tube lighting with around 2,500 marine-certified LED luminaires fitted on the exterior and interior of the eight vessels. PGS’s switch to…
North Korea Is Growing Its Navy with Submarines and Nuclear Drones. But Why?
Over the past year North Korea has moved to boost its navy with new nuclear weapons, including an underwater drone, warships, and its first operational missile submarine, unveiled on Friday.North Korea's navy has historically been dwarfed by the country's land forces, and overshadowed by its rapidly advancing ballistic missile program.Now, leader Kim Jong Un has said the navy will play a key role in the country's nuclear deterrence…
Virgin Voyages Raises $550 Million in Ares Management-led Fundraise
Virgin Voyages, the cruise brand from Richard Branson's Virgin Group, said on Friday it has raised $550 million in fresh capital to expand into new international markets.The funding was led by Ares Management with participation from existing investors, including British conglomerate Virgin Group and venture capital firm Bain Capital.Launched at the end of 2021, Virgin Voyages operates three ships servicing the Caribbean and the Mediterranean.
Philippines Condemns Chinese Harassment of Supply Boats to Disputed Atoll
The Philippines condemned China's coast guard and "maritime militia" on Friday for what it described as "illegal, aggressive and destabilising" behaviour towards its boats during a routine rotation and resupply mission in the South China Sea.Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos said that despite the Chinese actions supplies were delivered on Friday to Philippine troops stationed on a warship that had been deliberately…
US Says it Disrupts Illicit Oil Shipment by Iran's IRGC
The U.S. on Friday divulged it disrupted in April a multimillion-dollar shipment of crude oil by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, seizing more than 980,000 barrels of contraband crude oil that violated U.S. sanctions.In April, Reuters reported that the U.S. confiscated cargo onboard tanker Suez Rajan, which was carrying Iranian oil at sea. The U.S. statement on Friday confirmed and fleshed…
New LCO2 Cargo Tank Design Gets KR Approval
KR (Korean Register) has granted an approval in principle (AIP) for a liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO2) cargo tank design, developed by Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD) and HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE), during this weeks Gastech conference in Singapore.This AIP is the result of a joint project involving the three companies: HMD designed the cargo tank, HD KSOE conducted an engineering critical assessment (ECA)…
Sierra Leone Hit by Power Cuts after Turkish Power Ship Switches Off Supply over Unpaid Debt
Sierra Leone's capital Freetown has been hit by power cuts after Turkey's Karpowership switched off the electricity supply due to an unpaid debt of around $40 million, the energy minister said on Friday.Minister Kanja Sesay told Reuters that the outstanding amount "was accrued over time because the government subsidizes more than half the cost the ship charges per kilowatt hour".He said the government had to spend more on the subsidy because it charges consumers in the weak local Leone currency…
ABS Grants AiP for World’s First Carbon Emission-free LNG Carrier Design
Maritime classification society ABS has issued an approval in principle (AIP) to Hanwha Ocean for its design of a liquified natural gas (LNG) carrier equipped with an ammonia-fueled gas turbine.ABS also issued an AIP to Hanwha Power Systems for its supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) power system. Efficiency improvements are reported as a result of using sCO2 as a working fluid in the turbine.The 174,000 cbm vessel would be the world’s first carbon emission-free LNG carrier.
