Torm Buys Eight LR2 Tankers
Danish shipping company Torm announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire eight secondhand LR2 vessels from an undisclosed seller.The $399 million deal includes a cash consideration of $239 million and the issuance of approximately 5.5 million shares, Torm said, noting the purchase price is subject to certain adjustments that will be impacted by its share price development and the vessels’…
Cyprus Outlines Plan for Maritime Corridor to Get Aid to Gaza
The president of Cyprus outlined a proposal on Thursday to open a maritime corridor to help deliver more aid to Gaza, a plan which he said could be operational quickly but which diplomats said faced challenges.Under the plan presented by President Nikos Christodoulides at a humanitarian conference in Paris, aid would be sent by sea to Gaza from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, the closet European Union member state about 370 km (230 miles) away."We hope immediately to implement it…
Barossa Project: BW Offshore's Massive FPSO Hull Sets Sail for Singapore
FPSO leasing company BW Offshore said Thursday that the hull of BW Opal, one of the largest FPSO hulls ever built and destined for Santos' Barossa gas project in Australia, had set sail from a yard in South Korea and was en route to Singapore for topside integration."On October 28, 2023, at 11:30 local time, the newbuild hull for the BW Opal FPSO, which is based on BW Offshore’s RapidFramework concept…
World's First: Japanese Firms to Looking to Build Sustainable Bulk Carriers for Copper Transport from Chile
Japan's NYK Line said Thursday its NYK Bulk & Project Carriers Ltd. (NBP), Oshima Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (OSHIMA), and Sumitomo Corporation (SUMITOMO) had signed a memorandum of understanding to study, design, and construct the world’s first Handymax bulk carrier (ammonia dual fuel type) dedicated to the transport of copper products, that will reduce CO2 emissions to zero.The MoU signing comes just a year after Corporación Nacional del Cobre de Chile (CODELCO)…
Mideast Conflict Dims Prospect of More Egyptian LNG Exports to Europe
The prospect of the EU receiving more liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Egypt in the short and medium term looks unachievable due to tight gas balances and reduced imports from Israel, Oxford Institute of Energy Studies (OIES) said.Egypt shipped 80% of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports to Europe last year as the continent sought to replace Russian pipeline gas after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
Maritime Technology Firms NAVTOR and Voyager Worldwide Set to Merge
NAVTOR, an e-Navigation and performance technology provider to the maritime industry, and Voyager Worldwide, a provider of maritime technology solutions, have agreed to merge.The combined company will deliver products and solutions to approximately 18,000 vessels globally. The transaction is expected to close by December 2023.Both companies provide maritime technology solutions that enable shipping companies to improve safety…
MMA Offshore Expands Fleet with 2016-Built Vessel "Offshore Solution"
Australian offshore vessel operator MMA Offshore has acquired the vessel “Offshore Solution” to supplement its multi-purpose support vessel fleet. The Offshore Solution is a 2016 European-built, 54-meter, DP-2 multi-purpose support vessel fitted with two deck cranes, dual moon pools, and accommodation for 42 people. According to MMA Offshore, the vessel is suitable for operations globally and can undertake a wide range of offshore services…
Shell Sues Greenpeace for Boarding Penguins FPSO While in Transit
Shell is suing Greenpeace for $2.1 million in damages after the environmental group's activists boarded the company's oil production vessel in transit at sea this year, according to Greenpeace and a document seen by Reuters.The British oil and gas major filed the claim in London's High Court. Greenpeace activists boarded the vessel in January near the Canary Islands off the Atlantic coast of northern Africa to protest oil drilling and traveled on it as far as Norway.In an email to Reuters…
Australian Government Supportive of Strategic Fleet Development Proposals
The Australian Government has released the report of the Independent Taskforce on the Strategic Fleet, along with its official response to the report, confirming a commitment to delivering a Strategic Fleet of up to 12 vessels that will help Australia build resilience to freight disruptions while supporting our maritime workforce and sovereign capability.Australia’s maritime sector has long been neglected with a shortage of Australian flagged ships and a skilled workforce…
Van Oord Awarded Offshore Wind Contracts in Baltic Sea and Taiwan
Van Oord has been awarded two new offshore wind projects: Baltic Power in the Baltic Sea and Greater Changhua 2b and 4 in Taiwan. The contracts have a combined value of more than EUR 500 million. Once operational, the two offshore wind farms will deliver renewable energy to approximately 2.5 million households.The Baltic Power offshore wind farm is being developed by a joint venture between ORLEN (Poland) and Northland Power (Canada).
Greek Owners Top Global Cargo Carrying Capacity
BIMCO’s Chief Shipping Analyst, Niels Rasmussen, has revealed that Greek and Chinese shipping companies now own 34% of the global fleet’s cargo capacity, with Greek owners leading on cargo capacity.“The global fleet of cargo carrying ships consists of around 61,000 ships with a deadweight capacity of about 2,200 million tonnes. The ships owned by Greek and Chinese shipping companies contribute 34% of the total fleet’s deadweight tonne capacity…
UK Report: More Collaboration Needed on Migrant Crossings
The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch has published its accident investigation report on the loss of at least 27 lives when an inflatable boat carrying around 33 people became flooded and partially sank during an attempt to cross from France to the UK on November 24, 2021.The events were complex with multiple inflatable boats that were unsuitable and ill-equipped for the journey attempting to cross the Dover Strait to England.
ABS Approves New FPSO Newbuild Hull Design Concept
Classification society ABS announced it has granted approval in principle (AIP) for a the Sterling Streamline, a next generation concept design for large floating production storage and offloading unit (FPSO) newbuild hulls from India's Shapoorji Pallonji Energy (SPE).The design features flexible mooring configurations, 60 risers and an umbilical slots riser balcony, with an oil processing capacity of up to 250,000 barrels per day and storage capacity of minimum 2.2 million barrels of crude oil.
Celebrity Ascent Delivered to Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises announced it has taken delivery of its latest newbuild, the 141,420 GT Celebrity Ascent, built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, France. The fourth cruise ship in the line's Edge Series, Celebrity Ascent is 1,073 feet long with a 128-foot beam, 27-foot draft and capacity for up to 3,260 passengers. Equipped with Wärtsilä engines and ABB Azipod propulsion, the vessel…
US Working with Allies Over Sanctions on Russian Arctic LNG Project
The Biden administration is working closely with partner countries over sanctions on a Russian liquefied natural gas project in the Arctic as a January deadline looms on a wind down of transactions with the plant, a State Department spokesperson said on Wednesday.The U.S. imposed sanctions last week on the Arctic LNG-2 project in Russia as part of wide-ranging measures to punish Moscow for the war in Ukraine.
Gladding-Hearn Delivers New Pilot Boat to Bermuda
Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation, has delivered a Chesapeake Class pilot boat to the Bermuda Government, Department of Marine and Port Services. It follows delivery of a 61’ pilot/rescue vessel to the port services in 2011.The new all-aluminum launch is certified to Lloyd’s Register class and replaces a 10-knot steel pilot boat built by the Somerset, Mass. shipyard in 1980. With a deep-V hull designed by Ray Hunt Design…
Stolt Tankers, NYK and ENEOS Ocean launch New Tanker Pool
Stolt Tankers, NYK and ENEOS Ocean have launched the Stolt NYK Asia Pacific Services (SNAPS) tanker pool.Lucas Vos, president of Stolt Tankers said, “By adding tonnage from Eneos Ocean’s top-tier platform, Stolt Tankers and NYK have demonstrated their ability to generate value in a highly competitive market. We expect these two ships to enhance our overall service offering across Asia by increasing…
Putin Approves Transfer of State-owned Shares in Shipping Company to Rosatom
President Vladimir Putin signed on Wednesday a decree transferring to Russia's state nuclear power company Rosatom state-owned shares of the Far Eastern Shipping Company, parent company of transportation group Fesco.Fesco was formerly controlled by Ziyavudin Magomedov, who was convicted last year on organized crime and embezzlement charges and is serving a 19-year jail sentence following one of the…
Finland Says China Promised Full Cooperation in Pipeline Probe
Finland on Wednesday said China had promised to fully cooperate in the investigation of the destruction last month of the Balticconnector gas pipeline, which happened on the same night that three subsea telecoms cables in the area were also damaged.Finnish police have said they are investigating whether a Hong Kong registered container vessel, the NewNew Polar Bear, damaged the pipeline by dragging its anchor over the sea bed…
Manson Construction Launches Online Vendor Portal
Seattle-based marine construction and dredging company Manson Construction Co. announced the launch of its new Manson Vendor Portal (MVP), a secure web portal where current vendors and businesses interested in working with Manson as subcontractors and suppliers provide information about their businesses.The MVP is designed to serve as a convenient and efficient way for vendors to share information to support Manson’s procurement efforts…