BEMAC, Mitsui Ink Deal to Acquire The Switch
BEMAC, as majority shareholder, together with Mitsui have entered into a share purchase agreement to acquire 100% of the shares of The Switch from Yaskawa Europe Holding AB (a wholly owned subsidiary of YASKAWA Electric Corporation).The Switch Engineering Oy and its group companies are manufacturers of permanent magnet machines (PMM), DC distribution solutions (DC-Hub), high-power AC drives (single drives) and high-speed induction motors.The Switch possesses technology in MW-class PMMs…
US Gulf Coast Oil Patch Gets Lucky, So Far, in Busy Hurricane Season
A very active Atlantic hurricane season so far this year has not sent storms across U.S. oil and natural gas fields in the northern Gulf of Mexico, sparing energy companies billions of dollars of losses and consumers higher fuel costs.The 2023 Atlantic hurricane season has been another in a string with above average activity producing three major hurricanes with winds above 111 mph (179 kph) out of six hurricanes among 20 named tropical storms.So far this year…
US Senators Ready Bill to Fund Office Helping Iran Oil Seizures
U.S. senators from both parties are readying legislation to help the federal government enforce oil sanctions on Iran, the office of Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican, told Reuters on Thursday.Ernst is spear-heading the bill slated for release on Monday to create a $150 million Iranian sanctions enforcement fund for the Department of Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) office, with a priority on Iranian petroleum sanctions.
Singapore Calls for Financiers and Insurers to Support Adoption of Electric Harbor Craft
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has launched an Expression of Interest (EOI) inviting financial institutions and intermediaries, as well as marine insurance providers and brokers, to submit proposals to accelerate the adoption of electric harbor craft in Singapore.The EOI aims to help drive the adoption of electric harbor craft among owners and operators of harbor craft in Singapore.EOI…
BIMCO Approves Revised SYNACOMEX Grain Carter
BIMCO’s Documentary Committee has approved a revised version of the Continent Grain Charter Party, SYNACOMEX, to reflect changes in the geopolitical landscape following events including the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. The revised charter party now includes BIMCO’s anti-corruption clause and updated versions of the war risks and sanctions clauses.The charter party is developed by joint copyright holders SYNACOMEX and Armateurs de France…
COLI Transports Shiploader and Related Project Cargo to Rotterdam
After 2.5 months of engineering and logistics preparation, COLI Shipping & Transport successfully delivered a second hand shiploader and related project cargo from Hamriyah, UAE, to Rotterdam, the Netherlands.The project was handled by COLI’s Istanbul Team.The main unit, a 15.5 x 8 x 8.4 meter shiploader, was initially surveyed by a local team of engineers that the company deployed in the UAE to make sure all hydraulics and steering gear were in order.In two days…
Offshore Wind Developers Likely to Cancel Some Contracts After NY Decision
Developers in the U.S. offshore wind industry will likely cancel some power sales contracts in New York after the state last week denied passing on more of the costs to consumers, but major projects off Massachusetts and Rhode Island are set to start up later this year.Several states and U.S. President Joe Biden's administration consider offshore wind to be a key part of their plans to transition away from fossil fuels for energy…
Estonia to Probe Sweden Cable Damage as Part of Baltic Sea Incident Investigation
Estonia said on Thursday it would probe the damage on a Baltic Sea telecoms cable connecting the country to Sweden as part of its ongoing investigation about the rupture caused on another telecoms cable, connecting Tallinn with Helsinki.On Oct.8 a gas pipeline and telecoms cable connecting Finland and Estonia were broken, in what Finnish investigators believe may have been deliberate sabotage. Helsinki is investigating the pipeline incident…
Choose the Right Software for Every Maritime Project
Michiel de Vliegher, Damen: "Choose the right software for every maritime project"Since the beginning of his career, Michiel de Vliegher has been involved with data. One moment, he’s working on making ships more sustainable, and the next, he’s focused on improving shipbuilding processes. Since April of this year, he has been the Director of Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen. Together, we explore his experience…
US EPA Proposes Changes to Ballast Water Regs
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing a supplemental proposed rule to reduce the spread of invasive species though ballast water that occurs with normal operation of large marine vessels.Following public input on EPA’s 2020 proposed rule—including meetings with states, tribes and other stakeholders—the agency is now issuing a Supplemental Notice to share new data and control options raised by stakeholders.
Private Investment Needed to Scale Up Low-carbon Hydrogen Power - Wood Mackenzie
Considerable private investment is required to scale up the low-carbon hydrogen economy in the United States by 2030, a report by consultancy Wood Mackenzie said on Tuesday, adding that the $7 billion allotted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) to regional hubs was a significant step.Last week, the Biden administration announced seven proposed "hydrogen hubs" over 16 states would share $7 billion in federal grants.
It's Crunch Time for Brazilian Ports
Brazil’s commodities export hubs are strained with record volumes of soy, corn and sugar to be moved at a time of the year when rains start to increase in southern ports, according to traders, analysts and shipping data.Exporters are reporting delays in coffee shipments due to a tight availability of trucks and containers, while loading waiting times for vessels have jumped, resulting in additional…
Shell Supplying LNG Fuel for MSC Cruise Ships
Shell LNG has completed the first bunkering of MSC Euribia in Rotterdam, under the agreement with MSC Cruises S.A for Shell Western LNG B.V. (Shell) to provide marine fuels for the line’s second LNG powered newbuild. MSC Euribia is currently operating in northern Europe.This new agreement is in addition to the ongoing cooperation between MSC Cruises and Shell toward achieving broader shared decarbonization objectives…
Mississippi River Lowered Near Minneapolis for Dam Maintenance
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, have lowered the Mississippi River water elevations between Lower St. Anthony Falls and Lock and Dam 1, both in Minneapolis, from October 13.Corps officials plan to maintain the lower river elevations through October 30, to allow Twin Cities Hydro, LLC, to inspect and repair the rubber dam atop the spillway at Lock and Dam 1…
New York State Canal Corporation Donates Retired Workboat
New York State Canal Corporation has donated one of its retired workboats to be displayed as part of a new educational exhibit set to open in Amsterdam, N.Y. in spring 2024.The vessel, Tender 4, was built in 1926 by American Boiler Works in Erie, Pa., and went on to serve nearly a century for the Canal Corporation, a New York State public-benefit corporation responsible for the oversight, administration…
LNG Tanker Diverts from Egypt Terminal as Gas Flows from Israel Ebb
A tanker seeking to fill up liquefied natural gas (LNG) at a terminal in Egypt left empty and diverted to another port, after an Israeli pipeline supplying gas was halted due to Israel-Hamas conflict…
Lies, Damn Lies, and Inextinguishable Lore – EV Fires
A few weeks ago I was talking to some professional fire fighters and was regaled with EV fire fighting disasters. They told me that EV caught fire all the time, that EV fires were much more dangerous than gasoline fires, and that fire trucks could not carry enough water to put out an EV fire. When I asked if they had fought any EV fires, they told me their information came from reliable sources and then asked me if I would park my Chevy Bolt in my garage.
NAT Buys Secondhand Suezmax Tanker
Shipowner Nordic American Tankers (NAT) on Thursday said it has entered an agreement to purchase a secondhand suezmax tanker.The South Korean built vessel has been "operated and well maintained by a top shipowner the last 6 to 7 years", Herbjorn Hansson, NAT founder, chairman and CEO, wrote in a letter to shareholders and investors."The vessel is purchased on a charter free basis and we intend to finance…
Deutsche Bank Sets Emissions Targets for Shipping Clients
Deutsche Bank has set emissions reduction targets for loans to clients in the coal mining, cement and shipping sectors and now has a net-zero plan for 55% of its financed emissions, its chief sustainability officer told Reuters.A key funder to polluting sectors, Germany's biggest lender, like many of its peers, is under increasing pressure from policymakers and investors to push clients to curb climate…
Inmarsat Maritime Safety Team Wins IMRF Award
Inmarsat Maritime, a Viasat business, won the 2023 International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF) Award for Innovation and Technology in Maritime Search and Rescue after a highly respected judging panel led by former IMRF Chair Michael Vlasto selected its entry from a shortlist of 10 individuals and organisations.Acknowledging “volunteer and professional search-and-rescue (SAR) personnel from around the world”…
