Canadian Coast Guard Set to Kick Off St. Lawrence River Icebreaking
The Canadian Coast Guard announced it plans to commence spring icebreaking operations on the St. Lawrence River between Montréal and Québec on the morning of February 20, or sooner if the weather conditions were to create an increased risk of the stalling of coastal pack ice.Icebreaking will continue thereafter on several streams, rivers, and river mouths in Quebec.Annual operations on the St. Lawrence River…
Combustible Materials Near Hot Work Sparked Passenger Vessel Fire -NTSB
A fire that broke out aboard a Mississippi River cruise vessel was found to be caused by combustible materials left unprotected near hot work, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Tuesday.The passenger vessel Natchez, used by the New Orleans Steamboat Company for daytime and dinner jazz cruises daily from the French Quarter in New Orleans, was moored and out of service when it went up in flames on May 3, 2022.
Adding a Flap Improves Flettner Performance -Study
Adding a flap to a Flettner rotor can lead to improved performance and significant reductions in both emissions and fuel consumption, according to a recent assessment.The study, conducted by wind-assisted ship propulsion specialist Blue Wasp Marine on behalf of the Technical University Delft (TU Delft) and the Sea Axe Fund, leveraged in-house developed Pelican software to assess the potential of a straightforward adjustment to a Flettner rotor…
RINA and ABB to Cooperate in Shipping Decarbonization
Classification society RINA announced it is partnering with ABB to develop new concepts to reduce emissions in shipping for various vessel types.Under a recently signed memorandum of understanding (MOU), the partners will aim to develop commercially viable solutions, including fuel cell systems with carbon capture, to move the shipping industry forward with decarbonization. The agreement also focuses on promoting the use of hydrogen…
Danish-operated Tanker Banned from Spanish Ports Over Oil Transfer
A ship operated by Denmark’s Maersk Tankers has been banned from Spanish ports, Spanish officials said, after its cargo of oil products was found to have previously…
Guercio Joins NASH Maritime’s Technology Team
NASH Maritime, a specialist in shipping, navigation and maritime risk, has recently appointed John Guercio to help develop, build and deliver its marine technology offer.Guercio, a U.S. Navy veteran, has more than 25 years of experience in marine electronics including field support, technical specification, systems integration design, installation, commissioning and acceptance trials.He has worked for global marine electronic system providers including Navico and Leonardo…
New Autonomous Ferry to Launch in Stockholm
A new electrically powered, autonomously operated ferry service is slated to launch in the Stockholm city center this spring.Norwegian shipping company Torghatten plans to have services in place this spring in Riddarfjärden, between two inner-city quays. The ferry that will operate on the crossing is an autonomously operated electric vessel that runs on batteries. It has been designed and built by the Bröderna Aa shipyard in Hyen…
Meyer Turku Cuts Steel for Royal Caribbean's Second Icon Class Ship
Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku on Wednesday held a steel cutting ceremony signaling the start of production on the Royal Caribbean Group's second Icon Class cruise ship.Scheduled for delivery in 2025, the vessel will be named at a later date."Icon ships will be unprecedented both from the point of view of passenger experience and sustainable development. The construction of the second ship in the series…
CMA CGM in Exclusive Talks to Buy Ropax Firm La Méridionale
CMA CGM Group has entered into exclusive talks with STEF Group to buy La Méridionale, a mixed freight and passenger shipping company based in Marseille, France."The completion of this transaction is conditional upon the signature of the share transfer agreements, after information and consultation of the employee representative bodies, and authorizations from the various competition authorities," CMA CGM said."With this acquisition…
Kongsberg Maritime to Deliver Hybrid Propulsion Tech for Grimaldi Group Ro-Ro Vessels
Norwegian maritime technology and equipment provider Kongsberg Maritime has secured an order from Grimaldi Group to supply engineering and technology for two new Roll-on/Roll-off(Ro-Ro) vessels. The vessels, which will be built at China Merchant Jinling Shipyard, are scheduled for delivery in 2025.Kongsberg Maritime will supply marine automation system and Auto Chief 600 propulsion control systems…
Aberdeen's James Hutton Institute Hosts Green Hydrogen Tech Start-Up sHYp
Green hydrogen technology start-up sHYp has moved into offices and laboratory space at The James Hutton Institute in Aberdeen with plans to expand to five staff on site by summer.The move gives sHYp access to the institute’s specialist analytical equipment and expertise. This will help it develop what could be the first electrolyzer able to produce hydrogen from sea water without the need for desalination, which traditional electrolysis techniques need.
UAE's ADNOC Delivers First LNG to German Floating LNG Terminal
German utility RWE's trading arm received its first cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) at Brunsbuettel port from Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) on Wednesday, saying the gas will be fed into to onshore pipelines from the end of this month.The cargo was delivered on the vessel ISH to the floating LNG terminal "Hoegh Gannet" at Brunsbuettel. The terminal was chartered by RWE on behalf of the…
Kpler Buys Ship Tracking Firms MarineTraffic and FleetMon
Brussels-headquartered data and analytics group Kpler has bolstered its presence in the maritime space with the acquisition of ship tracking companies MarineTraffic and FleetMon, the company said on Wednesday. Tracking the movement of ships has become an integral part of trading strategies, together with the need for more corporate compliance due to a raft of Western sanctions imposed on oil exporting countries including Russia…
Solstad Offshore Delivers Normand Jarl Vessel to New Owner
Solstad Offshore's subsidiary, Normand Ships, has completed the sale and delivery of the construction support vessel Normand Jarl to its new owner.Solstad Offshore first announced it had agreed to sell its 2013-built construction support vessel Normand Jarl in December 2022. It did not say who the buyer was.It was said at the time that the vessel would be sold to a buyer outside of the offshore industry.
South Korean Partners to Develop Nuclear-powered Ships
A group of partners in South Korea has set out to develop, demonstrate and commercialize vessels powered by small modular reactors (SMR).Nuclear power for ships has been gaining interest amid stricter greenhouse gas emissions regulations in the international shipping sector.Nine participating institutions, including KAERI, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Gyeongju-si, Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering (KRISO)…
Harbor Pilot Dies After Falling from a Tug in Singapore
A PSA Marine harbor pilot died after falling from a vessel off Singapore's Southern Islands, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said.MPA said its Marine Safety Control Center received notification at about 2:50 a.m. on February 11 that a pilot had fallen overboard while disembarking from a tugboat to board a PSA Marine launch boat. The pilot was said to be wearing a lifejacket at the time of the incident.Search and rescue operations commenced immediately…
Voyage Optimization Can Slash Emissions by 7.3% -Study
A vessel’s fuel consumption and CO2 emissions can be reduced by up to 7.3% by using voyage optimization software, a recent study shows. Moreover, the analysis shows that voyage optimization can improve a vessel’s CII by an average of 5-6%, enabling ships to maintain their ratings for an additional two to three years.NAPA, a maritime software and data analysis expert, and classification society Nippon…
HMM Orders Nine Methanol-fueled Containerships
South Korean shipping company HMM announced it has ordered nine 9,000 TEU containerships capable of running on cleaner burning methanol.The $1.12 billion newbuild contracts were signed with South Korean shipyards Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries (HSHI) and HJ Shipbuilding and Construction (HJSC), HMM said. HSHI and HJSC will build seven and two vessels, respectively, for expected delivery from 2025 to 2026.Upon delivery…
Port of Gothenburg Inspection Vessel Set for All-electric Conversion
The Port of Gothenburg announced its inspection vessel Hamnen is set to be converted to run on electrical power as part of the port's wider plan to slash operational emissions.In service since 1979, the 20.3-meter-long Hamnen is owned and operated by the Gothenburg Port Authority, through the Harbor Master’s Office and Harbor Master Åsa Kärnebro who is responsible for the vessel."[Hamnen] has many different duties", said the vessel's skipper, David Falk.
Methanol Expanding in Bulker Segment
Long-term MAN Energy Solutions licensee Mitsui E&S Machinery has won another contract to supply the individual MAN B&W 6G50ME-LGIM (-Liquid Gas Injection Methanol) engine for a 65,700 dwt bulk carrier slated for construction at Tsuneishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. The vessel represents the latest methanol-fueled engine ordered by the bulk carrier segment in recent weeks.Sachio Okumura, Representative Director and President & Executive Officer of Tsuneishi Shipbuilding…