US Reviewing Possible 'Terrorist' Designations for Houthis Following Ship Seizure
The United States is reviewing "potential terrorist designations" for Yemen's Houthi rebel group in response to its seizure of a cargo ship, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Tuesday.Kirby's comment was significant because one of the Biden administration's first acts after taking office in January 2021 was revoking terrorist designations of the Houthis over fears the sanctions they carried could worsen Yemen's humanitarian crisis.The Iran-backed Houthis…
BMT and Strategic Marine Partner on Crew Vessel Sustainability
U.K. headquartered naval architecture and marine engineering firm BMT is teaming up with Singapore-based shipbuilder Strategic Marine to drive the offshore wind crew vessel industry toward a more sustainable future.Under a new Long-Term Agreement (LTA), the partners will introduce emissions-reducing design solutions, specifically focusing on advancing the StratCat range of crew transfer cessel (CTV) designs.Martin Bissuel…
Maersk Enters Deal for Half a Million Tonnes of Green Methanol Annually
Maersk on Wednesday announced it had entered into the shipping industry's first large-scale agreement for green methanol from China's Goldwind, and said production of green methanol was high on the political agenda in China.Shipping industry leader Maersk is investing in green fuels to power its fleet as it strives to reach net-zero emissions by 2040, while the shipping industry, responsible for 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions…
MAN Engine Ordered for World's First Methanol-fueled VLCC
China Merchants Energy Shipping (CMES), the Shanghai-listed shipping giant and daughter company of China Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI), has ordered an MAN B&W 7G80ME-LGIM (-Liquid Gas Injection Methanol) main engine in connection with the construction of a very large crude carrier (VLCC). The first such dual-fuel methanol order for the ship type, Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co (DSIC) will construct…
Austal Delivers Samoa-bound Patrol Boat
Shipbuilding group Austal announced its Austal Australia division has delivered the 18th Guardian-class Patrol Boat (GCPB) to the Australian Department of Defense. The vessel, Nafanua III, was accepted by representatives from the Department of Defense and then gifted by the Australian Government, to the Samoa Police Service at a handover ceremony held at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia on Wednesday.Austal…
Meyer Werft Bags Its First Offshore Order
German shipbuilder Meyer Werft reports it has secured its first order within the growing offshore converter platform business.The Papenburg shipyard—part of the Meyer Group, known primarily for building cruise ships—will carry out the majority of the steel work for converter platforms for the DolWin4 and BorWin4 offshore connections as well as BalWin1 and BalWin2, all destined for the North Sea."This order is a milestone for us in our entry into the construction of converter platforms…
Offshore Wind: Marco Polo Marine, Vestas Pen Deal for Newbuild CSOV
SGX-listed Marco Polo Marine has signed a framework agreement with wind turbine maker Vestas, which finalizes the previous Memorandum of Understanding signed in December 2022 between its Taiwan-based subsidiary, PKR Offshore Co., Ltd and Vestas Taiwan Co., Ltd for the maiden deployment of its new Commissioning Service Operations Vessel (CSOV). According to Marco Polo Marine, the new CSOV, which can accommodate up to 110 people…
Finland-Estonia Gas Pipeline System to Get Bigger Capacity after Repair
The Balticconnector gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia, which was damaged last month, will get a bigger northbound transmission capacity next year following repairs, Finnish operator Gasgrid said in a statement on Wednesday.The increase will come from an enhancement of the Latvia-Lithuania interconnection, which allows for higher gas volumes to be transported around the Finnish-Baltic region…
NAVTOR Releases NavFleet Emissions Simulator
NAVTOR, an e-Navigation and performance technology provider to the maritime industry, said Wednesday it was aiming to simplify CII compliance with the latest release of its NavFleet ship operations platform. Featuring an advanced Emissions Simulator, designed to help shipping companies predict and optimize environmental impact and performance across entire fleets, NavFleet 1.8 delivers operational insights built on high-quality…
VIKING Launches Innovative Space-saving Lifeboats
VIKING Life-Saving Equipment, said Wednesday it was launching an innovative range of lifeboats and davits which set new standards for compact and lightweight lifeboat-based evacuation solutions. "By challenging traditional lifeboat design, the 40- and 52-person VIKING Norsafe Totally Enclosed Lifeboats (TELB) respond to a rising tide of industry demand for space- and weight-saving boats for typical crew capacities…
Shipbuilder Diverse Marine Launches Client Finance and Lease Program
U.K. shipbuilder Diverse Marine has introduced its own finance and lease program designed initially for the financed construction of offshore wind crew transfer vessels (CTV).Funding for offshore wind CTVs has been challenging, and the company said it has observed over the last 24 months pressures felt by clients and vessel owners trying to justify builds in the U.K., with conventional vessel procurement methods uncompetitive against yards in Europe…
Committed Owners Supporting Green Financing Landscape
Hamburg-based ship finance platform oceanis’s Q4 State of Ship Finance Report comes with a thank-you to shipping companies that are committed to the green transition.Over the past decade, oceanis has seen large changes to the ship financing landscape towards greener projects. The most obvious green financiers are the Poseidon Principles banks, the initiative launched in 2019 whose signatories manage 70% of the world’s shipping loans.
Mintra Launches Learning Solution with Kongsberg Digital Simulators
Mintra have unveiled a new model of immersive digital learning course which includes Kongsberg Digital cloud-based simulations.The new course model weaves together a comprehensive learning framework that merges interactive digital learning and assessment with practical skills through simulation. The outcome is a technically accurate, high-quality, cloud-based, immersive learning experience that enables…
Project Validates Benefits of 3D Model-Based Classification Approvals
Bureau Veritas (BV), the Shanghai Merchant Ship Design & Research Institute (SDARI) and NAPA have completed the first phase of a Joint Development Project (JDP) to enable 3D model-based approvals for the classification of ships. The project validated the feasibility of 3D model-based approvals where classification reviews are directly based on the 3D model provided by the designer, rather than requiring multiple conversions to 2D drawings, which is the traditional process.
Equinor’s Economic Boost to Local Industry Increases
A new report shows that deliveries to exploration, operation and modification of Equinor-operated fields and onshore plants in Norway exceeded 93 billion NOK in 2022, an increase of approximately 13% from the previous year.The report was presented at Equinor’s autumn conference by the company’s executive vice president for Exploration and Production Norway (EPN), Kjetil Hove, together with the five trade unions in Equinor: Industri Energi…
US Approves Equinor and BP's Empire Wind Offshore Project
The U.S. Department of the Interior on Thursday approved the Empire Wind offshore project, owned by Equinor and BP, the sixth commercial-scale wind farm to be greenlit under President Joe Biden's administration.Empire Wind is among several offshore wind projects facing construction and financing cost blowouts that the troubled industry says would not be covered by existing power sales contracts, but…
Accelerating US CTV Market Development with Hybrid Solutions
As the world looks to renewable energy sources to combat climate change and reduce reliance on fossil fuels, offshore wind has emerged as a promising frontier in the United States. A report by the University of California Berkeley released in August concluded that due to the nation’s long coastlines with sustained winds in many areas and falling turbine costs, offshore wind could feasibly supply between…
Great Lakes Towing Buys Historic Fireboat
The Great Lakes Towing Company (GLT) announced it has acquired a 62-year-old fireboat from the city of Cleveland, Ohio.The vessel, Anthony J. Celebrezze, was constructed in 1961 by Paach Marine in Erie, Pa. and was used by the Cleveland Fire Department until it was replaced with a new vessel, Garret A. Morgan, in June 2023 and put up for auction.Auction data shows the vessel was sold on November 14 for just over $41…
New USCG Cutter Departs Ingalls
The U.S. Coast Guard’s newest Legend-class national security cutter, Calhoun (WMSL 759), departed from HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division on Sunday, November 19.“We congratulate the NSC team of shipbuilders on a job well done,” said Ingalls Shipbuilding NSC Program Manager Amanda Whitaker. “Watching Calhoun sail away is a proud moment for us all and we look forward to watching this highly capable…
River Rhine in South Germany Closed to Shipping, May Reopen Soon
Parts of the river Rhine in south Germany remained closed to shipping on Tuesday after heavy rain this month but falling water levels could lead to a reopening later on Tuesday, navigation authorities said.Rhine river shipping remains stopped around the chokepoint of Maxau in south Germany, the German inland waterways navigation agency WSA said.
