LNG Dual-fuel VLCC Design Gets AIP from Bureau Veritas
French engineering firm GTT said it has obtained an approval in principle (AIP) from Bureau Veritas (BV) for the design of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel very large crude carrier (VLCC). This approval is part of a joint development project (JDP), started in May 2022, and carried out by Shanghai Waigaiqiao Shipyard (SWS) and BV.The SWS-designed vessel features optimized hull lines and is equipped with GTT’s high-tech system for LNG cargo containment…
Colonna’s Promotes Three Execs
Tom Godfrey, President & CEO of Colonna’s Shipyard, Incorporated (CSI), today announced the promotions of three executives from the company’s leadership team to new positions. Randall Crutchfield has been promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Jordan Webb, becomes the Executive Vice President of Shipyard Operations. Chris Hartwig has been promoted to Senior Director of Steel America. All three appointments are effective immediately.
Lifeboats Need to be Reinvented, Industry Group Says
A maritime industry safety group is calling for the total reinvention of lifeboats on board cargo vessels amid frequent injuries among seafarers.“Lifeboats are an essential part of crew safety onboard every vessel, but seafarers are way too often getting injured when launching the lifeboat,” the Container Ship Safety Forum e.V. (CSSF) said. “Over the years, many seafarers have been injured – some of them fatally – while launching the lifeboat during evacuations or evacuation drills.
Bad Fuel Caused Washington State Ferry Grounding
A fuel contamination issue led to the grounding of a Washington State Ferries (WSF) vessel in April, the operator said in a recent update.The 440-foot double-ended Jumbo Class ferry Walla Walla was traveling from Bremerton, Wash. to Seattle with 596 passengers and 15 crew members on board when it ran aground in Rich Passage, just off Bainbridge Island, Wash., at approximately 4:30 p.m. on April 15.
Thousands Rally in Australia Against Potential Submarine Base
Thousands of people rallied on Saturday against a future nuclear-powered submarine base at Port Kembla in eastern Australia as part of the A$368 billion ($244.1 billion) AUKUS defense pact with the United States and Britain.The second-largest coal export port in New South Wales state is the Defense Department’s preferred site for a new east-coast submarine base, according to state broadcaster ABC.Protesters…
Tanker Crew Members Rescued More Than Five weeks After Gulf of Guinea Pirate Attack
Six crew members who were kidnapped by pirates from a Danish-owned ship in the Gulf of Guinea in late March have been rescued from an undisclosed location in Nigeria…
MODEC Confirms Its First FPSO Order in Guyana
Japan's MODEC said Monday it would proceed with engineering, procurement, and construction on the Uaru FPSO vessel following a final investment decision on the Uaru offshore oil project by ExxonMobil in Guyana last month.The Uaru FPSO is named ‘Errea Wittu’, which means ‘abundance,’ and will be the fifth offshore FPSO in Guyana and the first to be supplied by MODEC. The first four, two of which are now in production in the Stabroek block off Guyana…
Italy New LNG Terminal to be Operational at End-month
The new floating terminal for liquefied natural gas (LNG) set up in the Tuscan port of Piombino will start its commercial operations at the end of this month, the CEO of Italy's gas grid operator Snam said on Friday.The terminal will make available around 2 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas this year and around 5 bcm next year said Snam's Stefano Venier at a press conference to mark the arrival of the first LNG tanker in Piombino."This ship is a great service to the country," Environment Ministe
US Launches $4 Billion Effort to Electrify US Ports, Cut Emissions
The Biden administration on Friday launched a $4 billion effort to electrify U.S. ports and cut heavy duty truck emissions as the government looks to address disproportionate impacts on nearby communities.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it was seeking input in its $3 billion Clean Ports Program to reduce pollutants at U.S. ports and its $1 billion Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicle Program to reduce vehicle emissions near ports and other truck routes.
Poland to Allow Military to Sink Enemy Ships Targeting Baltic Energy Infrastructure
The Polish government has approved draft legislation that would allow the military to sink an enemy ship targeting a key gas pipeline from Norway via the Baltic Sea following NATO's warning that Russia might sabotage undersea energy infrastructure. In "exceptional situations", and when other options had been exhausted, the military would be allowed to foil a terrorist attack by sinking an enemy ship or airship, the government said on Thursday.
Baltic Index Marks First Weekly Fall in Three
The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, edged up on Friday on stronger demand in the capesize segment, but marked its first weekly decline in three.The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax and supramax shipping vessels, added 13 points, or 0.8%, to 1,558, but was down 1.1% this week.The capesize index rose 59 points, or 2.5%, to 2,384.
Singapore: Ferry Engine Room Catches Fire. All 62 Passengers Transferred to Another Vessel
Singapore-registered passenger ferry 'QUEEN STAR 2' caught fire on Friday while en route from Singapore to Batam, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA)…
Equinor's Hammerfest LNG Plant Offline after Outage
Equinor's Hammerfest LNG plant in Arctic Norway suffered a compressor failure on Thursday and is expected to remain offline until May 19, Norwegian gas system company Gassco said in a regulatory note on Friday. The outage was caused by a technical problem with a heat exchanger that occurred during a restart of the plant following a one-day maintenance outage, an Equinor spokesperson said. The plant will remain offline until repairs have been carried out, the spokesperson added.
Shipments from Ukraine Slowing as Black Sea Grain Deal Deadline Nears
The pace of shipments from Ukraine under a U.N.-backed initiative has slowed as concerns grow over ships getting stuck if a deal is not renewed later this month, according to sources and data. Russia, which is one of the key parties involved, said it will keep talking, although Moscow has threatened to quit on May 18, which has created more uncertainty for traders and shipping companies trying to plan ahead.
HGK Shipping and Hydrogenious to Design Inland Waterway Vessel with Hydrogen Carrier Tech
Germany-based inland waterway shipping firm HGK Shipping has signed a memorandum of understanding with Hydrogenious LOHC Maritime and Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies to work on developing a scalable solution to make hydrogen available as a source of energy on a large scale. The technology is based on hydrogen, which is bound in a liquid carrier (LOHC, liquid organic hydrogen carrier). The partners are planning to develop a demonstration vessel by 2028 and then put it into service…
OSIL Vibrocorer Plays Role in £600M River Thames Flood Defense Scheme
The OSIL Vibrocorer has been in use on the early works for the River Thames Scheme, a £600 million project to develop two new flood channel sections for the River Thames.The River Thames Scheme aims to reduce the risk of flooding for approximately 15,000 homes and businesses along the River Thames involving a series of measures, including new flood walls and embankments, improvements to existing flood defenses…
HGK Shipping Holds Double Naming Ceremony for Chemical Tanker Duo
German company HGK Shipping on Thursday held a naming ceremony for two chemical tankers “Courage” and “Curiosity” on 4 May 2023.The chemical tankers have already been in service for the materials manufacturer, Covestro, on the river Rhine and its tributaries for several weeks. The hulls of the shallow-water vessels are 93 metres long and 10.5 meters wide. The two sister vessels are able to carry a…
China's Aircraft Carriers Play 'theatrical' Role But Pose Little Threat Yet
When China sailed one of its two active aircraft carriers, the Shandong, east of Taiwan last month as part of military drills surrounding the island, it was showcasing a capability that it has yet to master and could take years to perfect.As Beijing modernizes its military, its formidable missile forces and other naval vessels, such as cutting-edge cruisers, are posing a concern for the U.S. and its allies.
UN Fails to Raise Funds to Remove Oil from Decaying Tanker Off Yemen's Coast
The United Nations on Thursday fell far short of raising the money it needs for an operation to salvage 1.1 million barrels of oil from a decaying vessel moored off Yemen's coast and avert an environmental disaster.U.N. officials have been warning for years that the Red Sea and Yemen's coastline was at risk as the Safer tanker could spill four times as much oil as the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster off Alaska.The war in Yemen suspended maintenance operations on the Safer in 2015. The U.N.
NOV Wins New Contract to Supply Wind Turbine Installation Vessel Design to Havfram
NOV has signed a new contract with China's CIMC Raffles to supply another GustoMSC™ NG-20000X self-propelled wind turbine installation jack-up vessel design for Havfram, an offshore wind services company based in Norway, which recently ordered its second wind turbine installation vessel from CIMC.According to NOV, the NG-20000X-HF vessels are among the largest wind installation jack-ups in the industry.
