Onshore Funding for US Offshore Wind
Most of the media coverage of offshore wind development in the United States focuses on the leases of the offshore areas where the wind turbines will be located. However, equally important is the landside dimension of these projects, including the manufacture, installation, maintenance and operation of the turbines. Several awards made in the last two rounds of funding under the Port Infrastructure…
Cromarty Firth Port Wins Monopile Marshalling Deal for Moray West Offshore Wind Farm
Developers of the Moray West offshore wind farm in the UK have selected Invergordon port in the Cromarty Firth, Scotland, as the location for marshalling all 62 monopiles prior to installation as part of the Moray West offshore wind farm. The wind farm is being developed by Ocean Winds, a 50-50 joint venture owned by EDP Renewables and ENGIE."Moray West has signed a multi-million pound contract with…
Container Shipping Giants Maersk, MSC to End Alliance from 2025
Container shipping firms MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Maersk have mutually agreed to terminate, effective in January 2025, their 2M alliance.2M is a container shipping line vessel sharing agreement (VSA) introduced in 2015 " with the aim of ensuring competitive and cost-efficient operations on the Asia-Europe, Transatlantic and Transpacific trades."In a joint statement on Wednesday, CEO Vincent Clerc of A.
Iron Ore Shipments Drop 13.1% to Start 2023
2023 has so far been a disappointment for the dry bulk shipping sector, despite hopes that a quick economic recovery in China would boost iron ore demand,. During the first three weeks of the year, iron ore shipments fell 13.1% year on year, the lowest volume since at least 2019, worsening conditions for capesizes. In this period, the Baltic Dry Index (BDI) declined by almost 500 points to 763 on 20 January…
Norwegian Marine Seismic Player Enters Offshore Wind Market
Norwegian company PGS, best known for its seismic survey services in the offshore oil and gas sector, said Wednesday it had scored its first offshore wind contract. The company said it had secured its first ultra-high resolution offshore wind farm site characterization project, marking its debut in "a strategically important new energy market.""PGS New Energy offers solutions to the ongoing energy…
Investment Firm Arroyo Buys Into LNG Bunkering
Houston-based investment manager Arroyo Investors announced it has closed an investment in Seaside LNG and its affiliated entities, an integrated shore-side liquefied natural gas (LNG) liquefaction and bunkering platform in the U.S. Financial details were not disclosed.Seaside LNG owns interests in two separate operating businesses, including a 50% ownership interest in JAX LNG, a small-scale (360…
FMD Wins Support Contract for US Navy's Freedom-class LCS Engines
Power and propulsion systems provider Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD) announced it has been awarded a five-year indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) requirements contract by the U.S. Navy that makes the Beloit, Wis.-based company the sole source for engineering and technical support of the main propulsion diesel engines on the Navy’s Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program.FMD said…
Subsea Mining Plans Pit Renewable Energy Demand Against Ocean Life
As companies race to expand renewable energy and the batteries to store it, finding sufficient amounts of rare earth metals to build the technology is no easy feat. That’s leading mining companies to take a closer look at a largely unexplored frontier – the deep ocean seabed.A wealth of these metals can be found in manganese nodules that look like cobblestones scattered across wide areas of deep ocean seabed.
Slipping Rates Drag Baltic Dry Index to Fresh 2.5-year Low
The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index extended losses to a sixth straight session on Tuesday to touch a fresh 2-1/2-year low, dragged down by a dip in capesize and panamax rates.The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax and supramax shipping vessels, fell 19 points, or about 2.6%, to 721, its lowest since early-June 2020.The capesize index lost 50 points, or 6.8%, to 685, its lowest since mid-September 2022.Average daily earnings for capesizes, which typically transp
NY Waterway to Upgrade Ferries with Hybrid Propulsion
NY Waterway announced plans to repower four more of its older ferries, transitioning from traditionally diesel driven units to hybrid technology before eventually operating on pure electric.The private company, which runs ferry and bus service in the Port of New York and New Jersey and in the Hudson Valley, was awarded $7.298 million in grant funding for the project through the Federal Transit Administration…
Damen, BV Pilot 3D Model-based Class Approval
Classification society Bureau Veritas has successfully reviewed a 3D design of a 2500 m³ hopper dredger from Damen Shipyards, being a step to granting it approval in principle. The pilot project for 3D model-based class approval is meant to pave the way toward using three dimensional computer designs as standard procedure to achieve class notation for seagoing vessels.Vessel steel hull Design evaluation…
Montrose Port Takes Delivery of its First Newbuild Pilot Boat
Montrose Port Authority at the end of 2022 welcomed into service its first ever purpose-built pilot boat, South Esk.The new £800,000 vessel was constructed by Safehaven Marine, in Youghal, Ireland and completed its sea trials at the Port of Cork before making its way to Montrose by traveling across the Irish Sea to Oban, around the top of Scotland and down the East coast.The Interceptor 48 model launch is the first newbuild pilot boat in Montrose’s 200-year trust port history…
Atlantica Shipping Adds Fourth PSV to Fleet
Oslo-based offshore vessel owner Atlantica Shipping has taken delivery of its fourth platform supply vessel.The company said in a social media post that it had expanded its fleet with the 2005 built U
Jørgen Wisborg Named Blue Water Chairman
Jørgen Wisborg has been named chairman at Danish-headquartered transport and logistics group Blue Water, taking over from the company's founder and longtime head Kurt Skov.In September last year, Skov announced plans to find his successor, making it possible for him to slow down his work activities.Wisborg joins Blue Water after 17 years as managing director for the Danish energy company OK, where he stepped down last year to focus entirely on board positions.
In Memoriam: E. John Michel, MRCM (DV) USN (Ret), Chief-of-the-Boat, Bathyscaph Trieste
REMEMBERING MY SHIPMATE JOHN MICHELWe met in January 1959 when I became the first Officer in Charge of the Navy’s newly acquired Bathyscaph Trieste and John was the first USN enlisted man to be assigned to the project. We were based at the Naval Electronics Laboratory in San Diego. Trieste was unique as there were only two deep diving manned submersibles in the world. The French Navy had the other.
Alfa Laval Debuts Biofuel-ready Separator
Biofuels are a current and accessible fuel option that can help maritime decarbonize, and Alfa Laval becomes the first to offer biofuel-optimized separators and separator upgrades.Biofuels like HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) and FAME (fatty acid methyl ester) can be used by diesel engines without major engine modifications. They can be a carbon-neutral alternative if produced from the right biomass…
Rovco Expands Offshore Capabilities with Glomar Supporter Charter
Rovco, a UK-based subsea robotics and survey firm, has signed a three-year charter with Glomar Offshoreof the multipurpose support vessel, Glomar Supporter.The company said the charter was part of its growth strategy within its site characterizing business unit, and market a significant expansion of the company’s offshore hydrographic, geophysical, and shallow geotechnical survey capabilities."Responding to high client demand amid a rapidly growing offshore wind market…
Norway's Supreme Court to Hear Arctic Snow Crab Case Affecting Oil
Norway's Supreme Court will on Tuesday hear arguments on whether EU ships can fish for snow crab off the Arctic islands north of Norway, in a case that could decide who has the right to explore for oil and minerals in the region.At stake is whether EU vessels have the right to catch snow crab, whose meat is considered a delicacy by gourmets in Japan and South Korea, in the same way than Norwegian vessels…
Samson to Acquire Folch Ropes
Samson, a Wind River Holdings company, entered into a purchase agreement with Folch Ropes, S.A. For 144 years, Samson has been a leader in the development and manufacture of high-performance ropes.
Freeport LNG Says Texas Plant Repairs Completed
Freeport LNG, the second-largest U.S. liquefied natural gas exporter, on Monday said it had completed repairs to its Texas plant and asked U.S. regulators for permission to take early steps to restart the fire-idled facility.The closely-held liquified natural gas (LNG) company's export facility was knocked offline by a fiery blast on June 8 and barred from resuming production until federal regulators…