US DOD Awards Contract for At-sea Space Launch Infrastructure
The Spaceport Company (TSC) has been awarded a contract by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), an office within the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), to deliver cargo and enable greater access to space by leveraging a unique, seagoing mobile space launch complex. This prototype is intended to demonstrate delivery to a mission-designed orbit and test autonomy-like features of the sea launch vessel.The…
Estonia Says China Has Not Responded to Subsea Cables Probe Request
Estonia's state prosecutor said China has not responded to a six-month-old request for help with an investigation into a Chinese ship which Estonia suspects cut two of its subsea telecoms cables.The two cables connecting Estonia to Finland and Sweden were damaged on Oct 7-8, and an Estonia-Finland gas pipeline was broken the same night, hurting energy security and raising alarm bells in the wider region.Both Estonia…
Maine Maritime Academy President Jerry Paul Steps Down
Maine Maritime Academy (MMA) President Jerry Paul announced his intent to retire this summer due to extenuating family circumstances, the public maritime training college announced.An engineer, attorney and former government official, Paul (class of ’89) has served as president of the Castine, Maine academy since April 2022.Following a special meeting on May 22 to finalize a transition plan for presidential leadership at the academy…
Vessels Carrying US Aid to Gaza Run Aground in Heavy Seas
Heavy seas battered the U.S. maritime humanitarian mission to Gaza on Saturday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said, with four vessels serving a floating aid delivery pier breaking free from their moorings.No injuries were reported and the aid pier remains fully functional, CENTCOM said in a statement, adding that no U.S.
Greece Finds 109 Kilos of Cocaine in Ship Container with Frozen Squid
Greek authorities confiscated more than 109 kg (240 pounds) of cocaine hidden in a container with frozen squid aboard a vessel inspected at the port of Piraeus, police sources said on Tuesday.The container was shipped from Peru and its destination was Croatia, one of the officials said.South American production of cocaine has surged over the past decade and Balkan traffickers have helped turn Europe into the world’s No.
Red Sea Dissruptions Are Driving Up Carbon Emissions
A surge of attacks on ships traveling the waters of the Red Sea is forcing shippers to reroute their vessels, sending them on longer journeys that drive up their carbon dioxide emissions.For companies struggling to account for – and lower – the climate-warming emissions associated with their businesses, these rerouted journeys add to the challenge. Many companies had already revamped their supply chains as they navigated COVID-19 disruptions…
Brittany Ferries Taps Wärtsilä and Incat to Develop Zero-emissions Ferry
Brittany Ferries announced it is working with Wärtsilä and Incat to explore design and technical requirements for a 137-meter zero-emissions ferry.“This is an important project as we look at different ways to reach net zero by 2050,” said Christophe Mathieu, CEO of Brittany Ferries. “All-electric power is a potential solution, best suited to shorter ferry routes. At this stage we don’t know what is feasible…
Baby Found Dead in Stricken Migrant Boat
The body of a five-month-old baby was found on Tuesday when some 85 migrants heading for Italy from Tunisia were rescued from distress at sea, according to a Reuters witness.The infant girl, her mother and 4-year-old sister were in an unseaworthy boat laden with migrants that had set off from Sfax in Tunisia two days earlier bound for Italy, according to charity group SOS Humanity.SOS Humanity workers…
Embracing Human and Organizational Performance: A Paradigm Shift to Address Safety and Workforce Challenges
In the ever-evolving landscape of workplace safety, a paradigm shift is underway. Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) represents a natural progression of the safety management system model and its emphasis on continuous improvement. At its core, HOP acknowledges that errors will happen, and when they do, the reaction of management is vitally important: Managers can either seek to assign blame for the error or learn from the mistake, but not both.
Maritime and Mastering a Zero-Carbon World
Managing risk to embrace enabling technologies can build resilience amid volatility, says OrbitMIEmbracing enabling technologies necessary to navigate greener seas can be a market differentiator for maritime leaders as adopting data-driven business processes can build resilience amid increasing volatility - but this also means managing innovation risk, according to OrbitMI CEO Ali Riaz.Shipping faces an increasingly complex and rapidly changing environment…
Taking the Long Route: Panama Canal Logjam Slams Bulk Carriers
Capacity reduction on the Panama Canal have hurt dry bulk market, with dry bulk carrier transits down significantly (down 74% in the Q1 '24 vs. '23, with sailing distances up 31% and cargo volume down 25% year on year, according to BIMCO shipping analyst Filipe Gouveia.Low water levels in lake Gatun have caused restrictions in the number of transits through the Panama Canal at a maximum draft level of 13.4m (44 ft).
Van Oord’s Boreas Set for First Job at German Offshore Wind Project
Dutch offshore installation firm Van Oord has secured a contract from RWE for the transport and installation of monopile foundations for the Nordseecluster offshore wind project in Germany.This project will be the first project for the Van Oord’s brand-new offshore installation vessel Boreas, which is currently under construction.Van Oord’s scope includes the installation of 104 extended monopiles as well as the installation of the scour protection.
Metis Revamps Its Maritime Analytics Platform
Maritime data analytics company Metis has unveiled a revised version of its analytics platform, aimed to help clients better manage their ship and fleet performance.Fresh developments cover additional fleet- and vessel-level summary dashboards, as well as key performance indicators (KPIs) that provide improved overviews in specific domains of focus, including ship emissions, vessel performance, optimized…
New Petrobras CEO Says Oil Prospect is of “National Interest”
Petrobras' new chief executive said a basin in Brazil's Equatorial Margin, an environmentally sensitive offshore prospect seen as the country's most promising frontier for oil exploration, was a matter of "national interest."Magda Chambriard, who took over as the state-controlled oil company's chief executive after President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva fired its former CEO this month, said on Monday…
Methanol Institute Appoints Alexander Döll as COO
The Methanol Institute (MI) has appointed Alexander Döll as its new Chief Operating Officer, effective immediately.He will take on his global position from MI’s Brussels office, with his onboarding commencing in Washington DC. Döll will draw on his extensive background experience in the chemical industry and the energy transition, having previously held leadership positions at OCI Global, Dow and Hill & Knowlton.Originally from the Netherlands…
Houthis Say They Attack Three Ships, Two US Destroyers
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis said on Monday they launched attacks on three ships in the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, and two U.S. destroyers in the Red Sea.The group, which describes its attacks as acts of solidarity with Palestinians in Israel's war in Gaza, said the ships were the Larego Desert and the MSC Mechela in the Indian Ocean, and the Minerva Lisa in the Red Sea. It did not name the destroyers.There was no immediate confirmation from shipping companies or the U.S.
Container Vessel Bunkered with Methanol During Cargo Operations
X-Press Feeders, Global Energy Trading Pte Ltd (GET), and PSA Singapore (PSA) have successfully completed the first simultaneous methanol bunkering and cargo operation (SIMOPS) in Singapore on May 27, 2024.The SIMOPS was conducted at the new Tuas Port with the support of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), together with various government agencies and local research institutions. The use of the mass flow metering (MFM) system for methanol…
Greek shipping Getting to Grips with EU ETS Compliance Issues
Validation of voyage emissions data and contractual arrangements for allocation of EU ETS costs remain key challenges for Greek shipowners as they face an estimated total €335 million bill this year, potentially rising to €1bn once the regulation is fully implemented, according to OceanScore.Some 2,135 vessels owned or operated by around 400 Greek shipping companies are presently racking up liabilities…
Portugal's New Government Committed to Developing Offshore Wind
Portugal's new government is committed to developing offshore wind energy and also sees "repowering" onshore wind farms and promoting solar projects, including small-scale ones, as a priority, the environment minister said on Monday.Maria da Graca Carvalho said the government would announce some details of its offshore wind energy policy in July as investors await guidelines on a planned key licensing…
MOL to Install Wind Powered Propulsion Systems on Seven New Vessels
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and its company MOL Drybulk have announced plans to install wind propulsion systems, including Wind Challenger, on a total of seven newbuilding bulk carriers and multi-purpose vessels.The vessels will be operated by MOL Drybulk. With the latest commitment, MOL Group will have a total of nine Wind Challenger-equipped vessels, bringing the total number of vessels equipped with…
