Tech File: Repower After Layup at the Thai Marine Department
A well-built, modern vessel can be expected to outlive her original engines. The challenge for those representing the owners, is to choose new engines that match or exceed the capabilities of the original power. Consideration will be given to replicas of the original engines. However, availability and suitability may limit this.These were some of the considerations confronting the Thai Marine Department when they decided to put their 41.85 by 3.9-meter oil response vessel back into service.
Oil Tanker Groups Frontline and Euronav Scrap $4.2 Billion Merger
Oil tanker company Frontline said on Monday a $4.2 billion deal to merge with rival Euronav NV was terminated, a combination which would have created the world's…
New Rules Will Improve Duck Boat Safety
New U.S. legislation included in the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 signed into law by President Biden in December aims to improve safety of amphibious vessels known as DUKW boats.The legislation advances NTSB recommendations for amphibious vessels known as DUKW boats and requires the U.S. Coast Guard to provide an initial response to new NTSB recommendations within 90 days.“We applaud lawmakers for their bold action to improve DUKW boat safety…
Kiewit Corporation Acquires Weeks Marine
Omaha-headquartered construction company Kiewit Corporation on January 1, 2023 completed its acquisition of Cranford, N.J.-based marine construction and dredging contractor Weeks Marine and its subsidiaries for an undisclosed amount.Weeks Marine and its subsidiaries Healy Tibbitts Builders, McNally International and North American Aggregates will be independently branded subsidiaries of Kiewit.“This acquisition offers substantial opportunities for both companies,” said Kiewit CEO Rick Lanoha.
EU Regulators to Rule on Viasat's Inmarsat Takeover by Feb. 13
EU antitrust regulators will decide by Feb. 13 whether to clear U.S.
Some Ocean Shipping Rates Collapsing, but Real Price Relief is Months Away
Prices in the most volatile segment of ocean shipping are collapsing, but top retailers like Walmart and Home Depot should not expect relief until the spring contract renegotiation season, industry experts said.Spot rates, which cover anywhere from 10% to 40% of ocean container shipments and are considered a key indicator of the industry's health, are in free fall as recession looms and the pandemic-fueled U.S.
ABS and HD Hyundai to Continue Work on Autonomous Projects
ABS and HD Hyundai signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to continue working together on marine autonomy projects. Building on shared efforts to expand the development of autonomous navigation technology into critical vessel machinery and safety systems, the organizations met again at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas to finalize the agreement covering four areas:Artificial Intelligence…
Ingalls Awarded Advanced Planning Contract for Zumwalt-Class Ships
HII announced its Ingalls Shipbuilding division was awarded a $10.5 million contract for the modernization period planning of Zumwalt-class guided missile destroyers, USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) and USS Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001).Zumwalt-class destroyers feature a state-of-the-art electric propulsion system, wave-piercing tumblehome hull, stealth design and are equipped with advanced warfighting technology and weaponry.
Fairbanks Morse Defense Launches Its First High-speed Engine
Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD) is expanding its naval defense capabilities by offering the nForcer FM 175D engine, the defense contractor's first engine designed for high-speed applications. With more power density than competing high-speed engines in the maritime defense marketplace, the nForcer FM 175D is best suited to support the substantial power and propulsion needs of the Navy's unmanned programs."The Navy's future fleet will be electric…
Baltic Dry Index Snaps Six-session Losing Streak
The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, ended a six-session losing streak on Monday, as an uptick in capesize rates outweighed losses in panamax and supramax segments.The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax, and supramax shipping vessels, edged up nine points, or 0.8%, to 1,139.The capesize index gained 84 points, or 5.56%, to 1,596.Average daily earnings for capesizes, which typically transport 150,000-tonne c
UNI-TANKERS' Fleet Transition to Marlink's Hybrid Network Complete
Maritime satellite communications company Marlink has completed the migration of UNI-TANKERS’ owned fleet to its global hybrid network solution.The Danish shipping company UNI-TANKERS selected Marlink as an expert partner to support its digital transformation, combining hybrid high-throughput connectivity with cloud-data access, remote IT support, and proactive cyber security to improve performance and operational safety.
Middle East Ship Repair Yards Remain Center Stage
In the 45 years since the Arab Shipbuilding & Repair Yard (ASRY) opened on reclaimed land in Bahrain, the Middle East has become one of the world’s ship repair hotspots. A broad range of shipyards now service both regional and global markets.Regional yards have a ready market, with hundreds of offshore rigs working across the region together with the service ships that support them. Then there are…
Traffic in Suez Canal Normal After Ship Breakdown Dealt With
Shipping traffic in the Suez Canal was proceeding normally on Monday after tugs towed a cargo vessel that broke down during its passage through the waterway, the Canal Authority said.The breakdown was expected to cause only minor delays, with convoys of ships resuming regular transit by 11:00 local time (09:00 GMT), shipping agent Leth said.The M/V Glory, which was sailing to China, suffered a technical fault when it was 38km into its passage southward through the canal…
Aker Solutions, Drydocks to Upgrade Petrojarl Knarr FPSO for Deployment at Equinor's Rosebank Field
Norway's Aker Solutions will upgrade Altera Infrastructure's Petrojarl Knarr floating production storage and offloading vessel (FPSO) to be redeployed at Equinor's Rosebank field development, offshore the UK. Petrojarl Knarr was built by Samsung Heavy Industries in South Korea and delivered in 2014. It was operating on the Knarr field offshore Norway from 2015 until May 2022.The development concept…
Italy Rejects NGO Ship's Request for Closer Safe Port
The Italian government has rejected a request from a ship run by Doctors Without Borders non-governmental organisation (NGO) to assign a safe port closer to the place where it rescued 73 migrants…
C&C Marine to Build Four Damen Multi Cat Workboats
Belle Chasse, La. shipbuilder C&C Marine and Repair will build four new Damen Multi Cat 3013 workboats to be delivered over the course of 2023.The first two vessels will be delivered to Galveston, Texas based dredging contractor Callan Marine, and the second two vessels will be built on spec for sale or lease to the U.S. market.The Multi Cat 3013 design comes from the Netherlands-based shipbuilding conglomerate Damen Shipyards Group, which licenses its designs to U.S.
China's COVID Woes Are Pressuring Supply Chains
Declining world supply chain pressures are being challenged by new disruptions in China tied to the coronavirus pandemic, the New York Federal Reserve reported on Friday.The regional Fed bank's December Global Supply Chain Pressure Index ticked down to 1.18 from November's revised 1.23 reading. According to the report, supply chain pressures have been easing notably since the spring of last year and bottomed in September…
$3 Billion Forecast to be Invested in New Anchor Handlers to Meet Floating Wind Demand
Floating wind is an emerging technology. Currently being tested in small scale demonstration and pilot projects, global floating wind commissioned capacity at the end of 2022 was less than 200 megawatts (MW). By 2030, close to 11 gigawatts (GW) of commercial scale wind farms are planned to be commissioned in Europe and the Asia Pacific Region. Then, 2030-2035 will see a period a high commissioning activity as the U.S. joins established European and Asia Pacific markets.
The Top 10 Offshore Wind Energy Trends to Watch in 2023
The drivers for global offshore wind growth look good for 2023. Global offshore wind is forecast to grow from over 60 GW at the end of 2022 to 240 GW by 2030 and over 410 GW by 2035. But the sunny outlook must be balanced with some building dark clouds. As we prepare for the new year, let us look at ten factors that will shape the offshore wind sector in 2023.1. Solid foundations: Optimism for the…
Black Sea Shipping Rates Soar 20% as Reinsurers Cut Cover
Costs for hiring ships to transport commodities from the Black Sea have risen by more than a fifth since the start of the year, reflecting higher war risk insurance rates, industry sources said.The Black Sea is crucial for the shipment of grain, oil and oil products. Its waters are shared by Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania and Turkey, as well as Russia and Ukraine. Since Jan. 1, when policies are renewed…
