Subsea Cable Laying, Protection Innovation Funded in Japan
NYK, as a member of a consortium of four companies (also including: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.; Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.; and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.) has been selected by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) in an open call for applications related to the "Development of basic technologies for a multi-purpose and multi-terminal high voltage direct current transmission system…
After Titanic Sub Disaster, Industry Faces Scrutiny
The first fatal accident aboard a deep-sea tourist submersible is certain to raise calls for additional safety regulations, but industry experts say any new measures may be impossible to enforce given the international nature of the business.Moreover, they say the tragedy of the Titan submersible that imploded during its expedition to the wreckage of the Titanic was an outlier, given that the maker of the vessel opted against certifying the vessel…
Yara Clean Ammonia, Bunker Holding Team on Ammonia
Yara Clean Ammonia (YCA) and Bunker Holding Group signed an MoU establishing the intention to collaborate to accelerate the development of the market for ammonia as a shipping fuel. This agreement connects two key elements of the supply chain needed to achieve the use of clean ammonia as a shipping fuel, namely a global supplier of clean ammonia and the largest bunker supplier today in terms of end…
Siemens Energy Shares Tumble 31% as Wind Turbine Troubles Exposed
Siemens Energy saw $6.3 billion wiped off its market capitalization on Friday after warning that the impact of quality problems at its Siemens Gamesa wind turbine business would be felt for years.The group scrapped its 2023 profit outlook late on Thursday after a review of its wind turbine division exposed deeper-than-expected problems that could cost more than 1 billion euros."This is a disappointing and severe setback…
Marubeni and bound4blue Agree Wind Propulsion Sales Partnership
Japan-based Marubeni Corporation and bound4blue, a Spanish engineering company which manufactures and sells a wind propulsion system, have concluded entered a sales partnership.Marubeni will promote retail activities for bound4blue’s suction-type eSAILs both domestically and internationally and will act as the exclusive business partner in the Japanese market.The basic principles of eSAIL are similar to those underlying the generation of lifting power by airplane wings.
Mixed Fortunes on Far East to Europe Trades
With the peak ocean freight cargo season approaching, the latest data from Oslo-based Xeneta shows mixed fortunes, and outlooks, for the two main Far East to Europe trade corridors.Xeneta’s analysis reveals that shippers opting for the Far East – Mediterranean route are currently paying a spot rate premium compared to those choosing a North European option. There are also clear implications for long-term contracts…
Retrofit Package Designed to Include Solar, Wind and Storage
RINA has awarded an Approval in Principle (AiP) for a green retrofit package designed by naval architect Aurelia in partnership with Econowind, Wattlab and Vertom.The solution incorporates rigid sails, solar panels, batteries, optimised weather-routing, and a smart decision support system developed by Hydrographic and Marine Consultants (HMC) to dramatically reduce emissions on an existing 203,000dwt Newcastlemax bulk carrier.For the Newcastlemax bulk carrier…
ABS and Texas A&M University Partner on Fuel and AI Research
ABS and Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) have signed a research agreement to investigated ammonia as fuel, ship electrification, carbon capture and sequestration, trusted artificial intelligence (AI), and safety of industrial wearable visualization technologies, among other topics.The research agreement is part of the continuing collaboration between ABS and Texas A&M which includes a recent endowment establishing the ABS Ocean Engineering Department Chair.
Voyage Planning Tool Errors Contributed to Grounding
The use of a draft voyage planning tool which included waypoint data errors plus an ongoing technical fault with the vessel monitoring and surveillance system for the Great Barrier Reef contributed to a cargo ship’s grounding on a shoal, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has concluded.The 81-meter general cargo ship Trinity Bay grounded on Harrington Shoal, a charted feature with a depth of 0.9 metres north-west of Harrington Reef…
USCG Commandant Visits Austal USA
Admiral Linda Fagan, U.S. Coast Guard Commandant, visited Austal USA Thursday to tour the Mobile, Ala. shipyard's manufacturing facilities and discuss the company’s contract for the service’s Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC).Austal USA said in a press release its leadership briefed the Commandant on the company’s steel shipbuilding production line. The 117,000 square foot steel panel line…
Titanic Sub Pieces Found on Ocean Floor; No Survivors
The five people aboard a missing submersible are thought to be dead, according to the company that owns the vessel, bringing a grim end on Thursday to the massive search for the vessel that was lost during a voyage to the Titanic."These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans," OceanGate Expeditions said in a statement.
Corps Launches Lower Miss 'Mega-study'
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is kicking off a five-year, $25 million "mega-study" with the goal to help guide effective and practical management of the Lower Mississippi River.The Corps said the the study will help it to identify recommendations for the comprehensive management of the region across multiple purposes, including hurricane and storm damage reduction, flood risk management, structure and nonstructural flood control…
US Navy Orders Another YRBM Barge from Conrad
The U.S. Navy has exercised an option to order an additional Yard, Repair, Berthing, and Messing (YRBM) barge from Morgan City, La. based Conrad Shipyard. Work will be performed in Amelia, La. and is expected to be completed by March 2025. The $18,293,952 firm-fixed-price modification follows a previously-awarded contract for the detail design and construction of up to eight YRBM barges.The YRBM barge is an ABS A1 Accommodation Barge with a 151’-4” x 49’-4” x 14’ footprint.
Kongsberg Maritime Boosts US Waterjet Manufacturing
Kongsberg Maritime announced it has established a dedicated manufacturing facility and service team to provide in-country support for its waterjet customers in the United States.Kongsberg Maritime has been manufacturing Kamewa waterjets for over 40 years, delivering more than 10,000 units globally. The company will now offer a step-change in support for its North American customers, including local manufacturing of waterjets…
Titanic Sub Search: Debris Field Found, Oxygen Feared to Have Run Out
The desperate search for a missing submersible near the wreck of the Titanic entered a critical juncture on Thursday when air was expected to run out for the five people aboard, but officials vowed to continue scouring the remote North Atlantic.A remotely operated vehicle deployed from a Canadian vessel to the ocean floor discovered a "debris field" near the Titanic, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Thursday morning on Twitter…
Greece Boat Tragedy: At Least 209 Pakistanis Were on Board, Data Suggests
At least 209 Pakistanis were on an overloaded boat that capsized and sank in open seas off Greece last week, according to data shared with Reuters on Thursday by a Pakistani investigative agency.The figure of 209 is based on information provided by families who came forward to say a relative of theirs had boarded the boat heading from Libya towards Greece and were still missing, the Federal Investigation…
Shipbuilders Council of America Announces Safety Award Winners
The Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), the national association representing the U.S. shipbuilding, maintenance and repair industry, announced its yearly member safety awards for 2023.“Workforce health and safety is embedded into the fabric of our industry because the teams that work in our shipyards and throughout the industrial base are the most important asset we have in building and repairing the U.S.
NORDEN Orders Six Supramax Bulkers
Danish shipowner NORDEN has recently placed a newbuilding order for six dry cargo vessels from Dalian COSCO KHI Ship Engineering Co., Ltd. (DACKS), a joint venture between COSCO Shipping and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, for delivery in the next two to three years. All six orders are for Supramax vessels with a capacity of 64,000 deadweight tonnes.NORDEN's Head of Asset Management, Henrik Lykkegaard Madsen…
VLGC Lucky Gas Delivered to Al Seer Marine
Al Seer Marine has taken delivery of its first very large gas carrier (VLGC) from South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries.The 84,300-cubic-meter-capacity Lucky Gas is employed on a 10-year charter with UAE-based BGN International DMCC.The VLGC forms part of an AED 495 million transaction signed in 2021 by ABGC DMCC, the joint venture between Al Seer Marine and BGN International.Al Seer Marine…
As the Clock Ticks on the Titan Sub, an Expert Explains What Safety Features a Submersible Should Have
The oxygen supply of the missing Titan submersible is expected to run out today around 10am GMT, or 8pm AEST.A frantic search continues for the Titan and its five occupants, with sonar buoys having recorded “banging” noises in the search area on Tuesday and Wednesday.With the vessel’s fate yet to be determined, the general public is asking questions about the safety of such touristic endeavours.The contextThe context in which the Titan has disappeared is disturbing.
