Bureau Veritas Unveils Rules for Hydrogen-fueled Ships
Bureau Veritas (BV) has launched its first classification Rules for hydrogen-fueled ships (NR678) to support the safe development of hydrogen propulsion in the maritime sector.The rules outline technical requirements for the safe bunkering, storage, preparation, distribution, and use of hydrogen as fuel for power generation on board. Monitoring and control systems are also covered, addressing specific safety challenges relating to the transport and use of hydrogen on ships…
FINLAND: ‘A Birthplace for Icebreakers’
Finnish companies have designed about 80 percent of the world’s icebreakers, and about 60 percent of them have been built by Finnish shipyards.Finland is home to a strong and vibrant maritime cluster, with a mix of large, medium and small shipyards, as well as a deep pool of marine engineering expertise and a broad network of vessel equipment suppliers.As one of the world’s northernmost countries,…
Back to the Drawing Board: Max Planck’s Maxim
The physicist Max Planck (actually born as Marx Planck) is best known for the development of his universal constant that defines physics at the most basic level. It is an important number, and today it even defines the kilogram and therefore most engineering units. Regardless, in my daily life I have little use for it.Max Planks is less known for his Principle, which, to me, is much more useful and I encounter it almost on a daily basis.
Xeneta Data Points to "Brutal" 2024 for Ocean Freight Carriers
Latest data from Xeneta suggests 2024 could be even more brutal than expected for carriers in the ocean freight shipping market, as the Xeneta Shipping Index (XSI), which tracks real-time developments in global long-term contracted rates, today stands at 158.5 points, which is 62.3% lower than November 2022.“The XSI is an average of all long term contracts on the market – so in essence the global index…
Ørsted Secures Korean Offshore Wind License
Ørsted has secured approval for a 1.6 GW Electricity Business License from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of the Republic of Korea.The license grants Ørsted exclusive development rights for a gigawatt-scale offshore wind project 70 kilometers off the coast of Incheon City, Korea. The project has the potential to support Incheon City’s net-zero target with a capacity to provide renewable…
Bay-Houston Towing Orders New Tugs from Sterling Shipyard
Bay-Houston Towing has inked a deal with Port Neches, Texas shipbuilder Sterling Shipyard to build multiple new tugs to serve the Texas Gulf Coast region.The new vessels will be Robert Allan Ltd. designed RAstar 3200-W ASD ship handling and escort tugs for berthing/unberthing large ships and providing escort and emergency response in exposed coastal areas with demanding sea states.“The addition of…
Partners Collaborate on Ammonia Bunker Vessel Technology
Azane Fuel Solutions and ammonia-to-power provider Amogy have signed an MoU to explore the feasibility of using Amogy’s technology on board an Azane bunker vessel concept.The collaboration will explore the technical and commercial feasibility of the bunker vessel and also of an Azane ammonia fuel feeder solution integrated into the Amogy power system.Azane is a Norway based company developing the world’s first ammonia bunkering terminal.
Boeckmans to Build Four Hydrogen-Powered General Cargo Vessels
CMB.TECH and Antwerp-based shipowner Boeckmans have announced plans to build four hydrogen-powered 5,000dwt general cargo vessels.The first vessel is expected to be delivered in the second half of 2025. The vessels will be built at the Dung Quat shipyard in Vietnam and will be deployed on major sea routes, including northern Europe, the Mediterranean, North Africa and West Africa.The general cargo vessel…
HamiltonJet Launches HJ215 Waterjet
New Zealand-based HamiltonJet has launched its HJ215 waterjet, an ideal propulsion solution for a wide range of boats, says the company.It is compact and lightweight and it is built for greater efficiency at high speeds, making it an excellent waterjet for thrill-seeking tourist crafts, search and rescue vessels and other marine sectors.The new factory-made TURBO II impeller option offers superior performance where acceleration and high thrust in aerated water are important.
SAR Officer Caleb Halle Receives 2023 IMO Bravery Award
The 2023 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea has been presented to Caleb Halle, Aviation Survival Technician Second Class (AST2) of the United States Coast Guard (USCG). He was recognized for the outstanding courage, endurance and determination he showed during the rescue of the seven-strong crew of the tugboat Legacy in January 2023.AST2 Halle, based at the Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, received the award at the annual IMO Awards Ceremony in London.
Equinor Names California Floating Wind Project
Equinor has announced the name of its floating offshore wind project off the coast of California, Atlas Wind. The lease area, which lies 60 miles from Morro Bay, has the capacity to provide over 2GW of reliable, renewable power, enough to power 1.7 million California homes once complete.California is poised to become a growing force in the US energy transition with a nation-leading target of 25GW of offshore wind energy by 2045.
Equinor Sells Nigerian Business to Chappal Energies
Equinor and Chappal Energies have entered into an agreement for the sale of Equinor Nigeria Energy Company (ENEC), which holds a 53.85% ownership in oil and gas lease OML 128, including the unitised 20.21% stake in the Agbami oil field, operated by Chevron.Equinor has been present in Nigeria since 1992 and has played a significant role in developing Nigeria’s largest deep-water field, Agbami. Since production started in 2008…
Gazelle Wind Power Appoints U.S. Wind Finance Pioneer as CFO
Floating platform developer Gazelle Wind Power has appointed clean energy finance industry expert Álvaro Ortega as Chief Financial Officer (CFO).Ortega is the former Vice President of Finance at Avangrid Inc., a publicly traded company on the NY Stock Exchange and the U.S. subsidiary of global energy leader Iberdrola.“Finding someone with a track record like Álvaro’s is rare. Due to his financial expertise and passion for renewable energy…
Gulf Island Receives Multiple Subsea Fabrication Awards
Gulf Island Fabrication, Inc. has been awarded multiple subsea fabrication projects from a leading integrated subsea engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) company.The projects consist of procurement, fabrication, coating and testing of subsea structures for multiple developments located in the Gulf of Mexico. The fabricated components include pipeline end terminations (PLETs)…
Guvnor Ulstein Re-Appointed CEO of Ulstein Group
Ulstein Group CEO, Cathrine Kristiseter Marti, has decided to take on a new opportunity outside the Group, and former CEO, Gunvor Ulstein, has been appointed CEO from November 29, 2023.Ulstein had previously been CEO of Ulstein Group for nearly 22 years and represents the third generation of the family-owned group. When stepping down in 2020, she did so to continue her engagement through Ulstein Group…
Royal Canadian Navy Deploys SkillGrader by Marine Learning Systems
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) has implemented SkillGrader for simulation assessment in the Naval Officer Training Centre’s Navigation and Bridge Simulator (NABS) environment.Developed by Marine Learning Systems (MLS), SkillGrader will gather, store and report training metrics from student assessments. The project supports the RCN’s efforts to continuously enhance the quality of professional development…
Oil Loadings from Black Sea Ports Remain Suspended
Oil loadings from the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk and the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal have not resumed due to an ongoing storm forcing exporters to look for alternative routes, three sources familiar with exports told Reuters on Wednesday.Novorossiysk and the CPC terminal account for about 2 million barrels of oil per day (bpd) from Russia and Kazakhstan."A storm warning is in effect in Novorossiysk.
Four Migrants Die After Being Thrown from Speedboat
Four migrants died after being thrown from a speedboat yards from a beach in Cadiz in southern Spain, Guardia Civil police and rescue service said on Wednesday.The boat was carrying a total of 27 immigrants, 23 of whom arrived alive.Images published on social media and carried by local media, whose authenticity has not yet been confirmed by Reuters, show a black inflatable speedboat circling in heavy tides off the beach and people onboard pushing others off the side…
Red Sea Attacks Spark Safety Concerns for Seafarers
Commercial ships face increasing dangers at sea after armed groups have attacked and seized vessels in waters around the Red Sea and off the coast of Yemen, adding to perils for seafarers, shipping officials said on Wednesday.An attempted hijacking of a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Aden on Sunday appears to have been carried out by armed Somali pirates and not Yemeni Houthis, despite the firing of missiles from Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen afterwards…
Royal Navy to Help Defend Undersea Cables
A Royal Navy task force of seven ships will deploy with allies early next month to jointly patrol areas with vulnerable undersea critical infrastructure, following an unprecedented agreement by ministers of the 10 Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) nations.The UK contribution to the deployment will include two Royal Navy frigates, two offshore patrol vessels and mine countermeasures vessels, as well as…