Iceland Suspends Whaling Ship over Animal Welfare Violation
Iceland has suspended the operations of one of its two whaling vessels for taking too long to kill a fin whale, the authorities and the boat's owner said on Friday.The…
Port of Los Angeles Says Cargo Lost During West Coast Talks is Returning
Cargo volume at the Port of Los Angeles jumped from July to August after business lost during the now-finished West Coast labor talks began returning, the top executive at the nation's busiest ocean trade gateway said on Thursday.That data comes as seaports on the U.S. West Coast are battling to regain market share lost to rivals on the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico during the 13-month union negotiations…
Baltic Dry Index Logs Best Week in Over Six Months
The Baltic Exchange's main dry bulk sea freight index rose on Friday, clocking its biggest weekly percentage gain since March as demand across all vessel segments remained strong.The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax and supramax shipping vessels, rose for the eighth straight session by 41 points, or 3.1%, to 1,381.The main index posted a 16.4% gain for the week.The capesize index, added 90 points, or about 6%, to 1,602, hitting its highest level in a month.
Shaft Power Monitoring Solution Earns BV Type Approval
Ascenz Marorka, a GTT Group company, announced that it has been granted a Type Approval certification for its ShaPoLi solution by the classification society Bureau Veritas.Designed to help shipowners and operators comply with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions and reducing ship carbon intensity by 40% by 2030, the solution monitors propeller…
Biden’s Offshore Wind Target Slipping Out of Reach as Projects Struggle
President Joe Biden’s goal to deploy 30,000 megawatts of offshore wind along U.S. coastlines this decade to fight climate change may be unattainable due to soaring costs and supply chain delays, according to forecasters and industry insiders.The 2030 target, unveiled shortly after Biden took office, is central to Biden's broader plan to decarbonize the U.S. economy by 2050. It is also crucial to targets…
Boskalis Water Box Design nabs IADC Safety Award
During the IADC Annual General Meeting in Barcelona, IADC President Frank Verhoeven revealed the winner of the Safety Award 2023: Boskalis for its improved safety design of the water box.Boskalis introduced new water boxes for sand fill areas, a design which is touted as greatly improving safety for its employees. The water boxes have been designed, calculated and constructed in such a way that the…
US Navy-owned FLIP Research Platform Retired from Service
A dynamic era in naval oceanography recently ended as the iconic Floating Instrument Platform — popularly known as FLIP — was officially retired from service.Built in 1962 with funding from the Office of Naval Research (ONR), FLIP helped generations of scientists and oceanographers better understand the mysteries of the sea, including internal waves, air-sea interaction and long-range sound propagation.
Iran Seizes Two Ships
Naval forces of Iran's Revolutionary Guards have in recent days seized two Panama-flagged ships smuggling a total of 1.5 million liters of fuel, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Thursday.The two ships had 37 crew members in all from various countries, and were seized on their way out of Iran, it added.(Reuters - Reporting by Elwely Elwelly; editing by Mark Heinrich)
Babcock and HII Team to Support AUKUS Nuclear Submarine Program in Australia
Babcock International Group and HII have combined forces in Australia, working together to support critical capability requirements for the AUKUS nuclear submarine program.The partnership builds on the existing agreement between both companies to partner in the UK and US on nuclear decommissioning, disposal and national security opportunities.Babcock and HII will collaborate to develop the optimal models for nuclear-powered submarine capability…
Wicker Urges Navy Nominee to Focus on Shipbuilding
Roger Wicker, a U.S. Senator from Mississippi, urged Acting Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa M. Franchetti to focus on shipbuilding and the expansion of the nation's naval forces.Wicker, the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, on Thursday led a full committee hearing examining the nomination of Franchetti to become the next Chief of Naval Operations.In his remarks, Wicker observed…
USACE Awards Contract for Monongahela River Locks and Dam 3 Removal
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District awards a nearly $30 million contract to remove the Monongahela River Locks and Dam 3 in Elizabeth, Pa.The district awarded the dam removal contract to the Pittsburgh-based Joseph B. Fay Company.The work is part of the Lower Monongahela River project, which includes the construction of the larger lock chamber at Locks and Dam 4 at river mile 41.5…
Cruise Ship Pulled Free After Running Aground in Greenland
A luxury cruise ship that ran aground this week in a remote part of Greenland with 206 people on board was pulled free by a fishing trawler on Thursday.The Ocean Explorer cruise vessel had been stuck since Monday in mud and silt in the Alpefjord national park, some 1,400 km (870 miles) northeast of Greenland's capital Nuuk."We have just successfully become free now. ...
Perkins Marine Unveils Two New Auxiliary Engines
Perkins marine is set to launch its new Perkins E44 and E70B auxiliary engines for use on inland waterways, tugs, governmental, fishing and ferry services.The new Perkins E44, an electronic 4.4 liter, 4-cylinder engine and the evolved E70B offer a broad range of power ratings and factory configurable power solutions to meet boat operators auxiliary power needs, the manufacturer said.“Our customers require more…
Hapag-Lloyd CEO: Counter Offer for HHLA Would Not Be In Our Interest
Hapag-Lloyd CEO Rolf Habben Jansen said on Thursday that it would not be in the container shipper's interest to make a counter offer for HHLA, the main operator of Hamburg port, and may instead cut its traffic through the hub.On Wednesday, Switzerland-based MSC, the world's biggest container shipping company, offered to buy almost half of the port operator in a deal that could be worth nearly 1.3 billion euros ($1.4 billion).Speaking to Reuters in an interview…
Bidding Opens to Build Electric Ferry for Service to Guemes Island
Washington's Skagit County is inviting U.S. shipyards to bid for a contract to construct a new all‐electric car and passenger ferry.In 2017, Skagit County Public Works enlisted Glosten to design an environmentally friendly all‐electric replacement for the diesel‐powered ferry Guemes, which has serviced the half-mile route between Anacortes and Guemes Island since 1979.After some funding-related delays…
Philippines Coast Guard Orders 80 OXE Marine Diesel Outboards
The Philippines Coast Guard has awarded a contract to OXE Marine’s exclusive distributor in the Philippines, Dynamic Power Marine and Industrial Hardware in partnership with DM8 Composites, to procure 40 high-speed vessels equipped with twin OXE300 outboards. As a result of the awarded contract, Dynamic Power will supply 80 engines to equip the high-speed vessels to support operations all over the Philippines.The vessels will be built by DM8 Composites, a FRP boat builder in the Philippines.
Contract Extension Keeps Siem Dorado Vessel Busy Until Late Q2 of 2024
Norwegian offshore vessel owner Siem Offshore has been awarded a contract extension for the multi-purpose support vessel Siem Dorado.The contract extension secures utilization for a period reaching towards the end of Q2 2024.The contract is expected to start in direct continuation of the current contract with continued operations expected outside the North Sea.Built in 2009, the Siem Dorado is a diesel electric-driven vessel.
Furetank and Algoma JV Orders Two More Vessels
Furetank and Algoma Central Corporation announced further expansion of their FureBear joint venture with orders for two additional vessels. The two ships will be constructed at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Yangzhou, China, with delivery expected in second and third quarters of 2026.The new order for Vinga series vessels grows the FureBear joint venture to a total of 10 intermediate product tankers under construction, with the first vessel slated for delivery in the first quarter of 2024.
China's 'Teapot' Refiners Mop Up Swelling Iranian Crude, Defying US Curbs
Appetite for Iranian crude is growing in China, the world's biggest oil importer, after the extension of supply cuts by Saudi Arabia and Russia boosted global prices, while Tehran is stepping up output and exports despite U.S. sanctions.Although China's "teapots", or small independent refiners, are stocking up on Iran's discounted oil as they exploit robust margins to fill strong seasonal demand, big…
Maersk Sets Up Green Methanol Company
Maersk has teamed up with its majority owner to form a new company to produce "green methanol", the shipping company said on Thursday, as it held a naming ceremony for the world's first container vessel powered by the low-carbon fuel.Green methanol, produced either from biomass or captured carbon and hydrogen from renewable power, can reduce carbon dioxide emissions from container ships by 60% to 95%…