Hijacked Ship Off Somalia Fuels Fears Pirates Back in Red Sea Waters
A merchant ship sailing off Somalia has been hijacked by unknown raiders, Spain's defence ministry said on Tuesday, fuelling fears pirates are returning to the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea waters already plagued by a surge in attacks on shipping.A Spanish warship rushed to check on the Maltese-flagged vessel Ruen on Friday after reports it had been hijacked. It "has been under piracy (control) since the morning of Dec.
NTSB Recommends Pipeline Operators Implement Safety Management Systems
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is recommending new notification alarms and procedures for potential incursions on pipelines and a change to an anchorage off the California coast following a crude oil release in 2021 caused by ship anchors damaging an underwater pipeline.NTSB investigators determined that the oil leak, which began on October 1, 2021, in San Pedro Bay, resulted from an anchor strike on the pipeline that occurred eight months earlier…
Croatian Ferry Refit for Operations on New Route
Sometimes, a change in a vessel's operational profile requires considerable modernization or retrofitting of its propulsion system in order for the vessel to remain fit for purpose. And in some cases, newly required thruster performance features can be achieved with the help of modifications that preserve most of the existing units.Earlier this year, the Croatian ferry Krk operated by the national Jadrolinija shipping company…
New Tugs Delivered to Ghana Ports and Harbors Authority
Two next-generation Damen ASD Tugs 2813 have been delivered to the Ghana Ports and Harbors Authority (GPHA).Commissioned during a ceremony on December 14, the newbuilds Capt. Edward A. A. Awuviri and Nestor Percy Galley—named after two former Director Generals—were built at Damen Shipyards’ dedicated tug building facility Damen Song Cam Shipyard in Vietnam.The vessels each deliver 83 tonnes bollard pull ahead and up to 77 tonnes astern…
Shippers Mask Positions, Weigh Options Amid Red Sea Attacks
A number of container ships are anchored in the Red Sea and others have turned off tracking systems as traders adjust routes and prices in response to maritime attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis on the world's main East-West trade route.Attacks in recent days on ships in the major Red Sea shipping route have raised the spectre of another bout of disruption to international commerce following the upheaval of the COVID pandemic…
Hercules Supply Orders MPSV from China's Fujian Mawei
Norwegian-registered Hercules Supply has placed an order for a new multipurpose offshore support vessel (MPSV) from Chinese shipyard Fujian Mawei.Slated for delivery on in the fourth quarter of 2025, the newbuild—a Z 4423 MPSV design from Norwegian naval architecture firm Breeze Ship Design—will be 88 meters long and fitted with battery hybrid propulsion, moonpoool and accommodation for 60 people."With a focus on functionality and efficiency…
Anschütz Advances the Autonomous Bridge System
As part of the Clean Autonomous Public Transportation Network (CAPTN) initiative, Anschütz' research into autonomous systems and assistance systems onboard ships that support navigators has made progress in 2023. In the Remote Operating Centre (ROC) which is set up on land at Anschütz, the MV Wavelab -- a research catamaran that is operating on a maritime test field on the Kiel Fjord in Germany -- is monitored.
Bloem Appointed Group Director Corporate Affairs at Damen
Martin Bloem will start as Group Director Corporate Affairs at Damen Shipyards Group effective January 1, 2024 a new position at the largest shipbuilding concern in the Netherlands.Bloem was involved with the shipbuilding sector when working for the Ministry of Economic Affairs and he was later the general director of the industry association Netherlands Maritime Technology. After that, he took up…
Höegh Autoliners to Deploy Marlink Hybrid Network
Marlink said it will deploy its guaranteed bandwidth hybrid network solutions to the Höegh Autoliners fleet. Already a customer using remote IT service, support and maintenance from Marlink, Höegh Autoliners will adopt Marlink’s hybrid network solutions, blending high throughput VSAT with L-band backup and 4G/5G services. The managed network solution also includes Marlink’s Unified Threat Management (UTM) cyber security service.
Uzmar Delivers Svitzer Estelle
Svitzer announced the delivery of Svitzer Estelle, the second tug built as part of the company’s ongoing partnership with Uzmar Shipyards, based in Turkey.Svitzer Estelle is a Robert Allan Ltd. designed RAstar 3200W that will be deployed by Svitzer on the River Thames and the River Medway,bolstering the company’s operations in the busy Port of London. The first tug delivered by Uzmar Shipyards in May 2023, Svitzer Elizabeth, is currently in service in the Port of Liverpool.
Vitol Completes Biofuel Delivery in the UAE
Vitol says it successfully completed its first biofuel deliveries in Fujairah.Through its wholly-owned bunker arm, Vitol Bunkers, two vessels received B24 VLSFO on December 8 and 14. The fuel was sourced from its Fujairah-based refinery FRL and blended with regionally-sourced biofuel at VTTI storage facilities.
Louis Dreyfus Opts for eSAILs on Juice Ship
bound4blue and Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) announced today a commercial agreement for the manufacture and installation of four eSAILs on LDC’s chartered juice vessel, MV Atlantic Orchard, in collaboration with Wisby Tankers AB, Sweden (Wisby Tankers).Chartered by LDC and owned by Wisby Tankers, MV Atlantic Orchard will be retrofitted with four 26-meter-high eSAILs. The installation of the eSAILs is planned for 2024 and…
DOF Set to Bring in $30M From Two New Projects
Norwegian offshore vessel operator DOF Group has secured two new projects – one in the North Sea and the other in Asia Pacific region – whose combined revenue is expected to bring in $30 million to the company. The first contract for DOF covers engineering, procurement, removal and disposal (EPRD) for a North Sea operator, including the project management, engineering, logistics and execution of an FPSO cessation project.
BP Pauses All Shipments Through Red Sea Amid Houthi Attacks
Oil prices were little changed on Tuesday as investors eyed the impact on oil supply after attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi militants on ships in the Red Sea disrupted maritime trade and forced companies to reroute vessels.Brent crude futures rose 6 cents to $78.01 a barrel at 0726 GMT. The front-month U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures contract , which expires on Tuesday, fell 18 cents to $72.29 a barrel.
MOL to Expand Fleet With 5 New LNG-fueled Capesize Bulkers
Japanese shipping major Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has decided to expand its fleet with the additional five newbuilding dual-fueled Capesize bulkers, which can burn either LNG or conventional marine fuel oil.Two of the vessels will be ordered to Nihon Shipyard and built by Imabari Shipbuilding, while there remaining three will be built by Chinese CSSC Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding.The vessels are slated for delivery from 2026 to 2027, according to MOL.
Disruptions in Red Sea Unlikely to Have Large Effects on Oil, LNG, Goldman says
The disruption to energy flows in the Red Sea is unlikely to have large effects on crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices as vessel redirection opportunities imply that production should not be directly affected, Goldman Sachs said.Oil prices advanced on Tuesday, extending gains from the previous session, as attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi militants on ships in the Red Sea disrupted maritime trade and forced companies to reroute vessels.Oil major BP temporarily paused all transi
Maersk Reroutes Vessels Around Africa from Red Sea
Denmark's Maersk said on Tuesday its vessels previously paused and due to sail through the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden would be rerouted around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope due to attacks on vessels in the area. As of Monday, December 18, Maersk had paused around 20 vessels, of which half were waiting east of the Gulf of Aden and the rest were waiting south of the Suez canal in the Red Sea or north of it in the Mediterranean Sea, the company said in a statement.
New General Manager Appointed for Taylor Smith Shipyard
Taylor Smith Shipyard (TSS), the oldest ship repair yard on Mauritius, has appointed Willy van Niekerk as new General Manager.van Niekerk knows the yard well and was Assistant General Manager since 2022. He has broad experience in the maritime and offshore industries, taking to sea at 14 as a school holiday job on a converted fishing vessel and deciding to study marine engineering as a result.Throughout the years…
Harim Preferred Buyer of HMM
Harim Holdings on Tuesday said it has been chosen as the preferred bidder to buy control of South Korea's biggest container shipping company HMM in what people with knowledge of the matter said was a 6.4 trillion won ($4.92 billion) deal.Harim and HMM creditors Korea Development Bank and Korea Ocean Business will negotiate a final deal by the first half of 2024 for 58% of the shipper, said the people…
US Launches Multi-National Operation to Safeguard Red Sea Commerce
The United States on Tuesday launched a multinational operation to safeguard commerce in the Red Sea as attacks by Iran-backed Yemeni militants forced major shipping companies to reroute, stoking fears of sustained disruptions to global trade.The Houthi militant group, which controls vast amounts of territory in Yemen after years of war, has since last month fired drones and missiles at international…
