Feasibility of Remote Pilotage Under International Review
The International Maritime Pilots’ Association (IMPA), which represents over 50 member countries, is partnering with the Canadian National Centre of Expertise on Maritime Pilotage (NCEMP) and the Canadian Coast Guard to evaluate the feasibility of remote pilotage.The work aims to provide authoritative insights into the current and potential use of remote pilotage on conventional ships and those that…
ClassNK Publishes Onboard Ammonia Leak Estimates
ClassNK has published industry-first estimated leak frequencies for ammonia fuel from onboard components for ammonia-fueled ships. For new ammonia-fueled ship designs, risk assessments involve the consideration of the probability of ammonia leak from each component. However, statistical data of onboard ammonia leak have been extremely limited, making probability estimation difficult.ClassNK, in collaboration with the Research Institute of Science for Safety and Sustainability (RISS)…
Philippines Accuses China of Another Ramming
The Philippines and China exchanged accusations of intentionally ramming coast guard vessels in disputed waters of the South China Sea on Saturday, the latest in an escalating series of clashes in the vital waterway.The collision near the Sabina Shoal was their fifth maritime confrontation in a month in a longstanding rivalry.Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Another Chinese Naval Vessel Enters Japanese Waters
Japan lodged a protest with China after one of its naval survey vessels entered Japanese waters on Saturday, the second incursion into its territory by the Chinese military in less than a week.An uptick in Chinese military activity near Japan and around Taiwan in recent years has stoked concerns in Tokyo. Japan has responded with a defence buildup that it says aims to deter Beijing from using military…
Bayesian Crew Member Recounts Rescue Efforts
Crew members on Mike Lynch's yacht have spoken of the moments when a storm sank the vessel off Sicily and their efforts to help save passengers, after a disaster that killed the British tech tycoon and six other people.Matthew Griffiths, who was on watch duty on the night of the disaster two weeks ago, told investigators that the crew members did everything they could to save those on board the Bayesian…
Houthis Attack Same Container Ship Twice
Yemen's Houthi militants said on Saturday that they attacked a Liberia-flagged container vessel for a second time in the latest action against commercial shipping in the Gulf of Aden.Yemeni military spokesperson Yahya Saree's televised statement did not specify when the latest attack on the MV Groton took place.The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said in an advisory note that two missiles exploded on Friday in close proximity to the vessel, 130 nautical miles east of Yemen's Aden.
Containership Strikes Tall Ship at Berth in Australia
A Singapore-registered containership allided with an iconic training tall ship at berth in Australia's Port of Fremantle on Friday, causing damage to both vessels.The 332-meter box ship Maersk Shekou was proceeding into the harbor under pilotage, assisted by four tugs when it struck the STS Leeuwin II, which was at berth.Two night watch crew members on board the 55-meter tall ship were taken to a nearby hospital for non-life-threatening injuries…
DOF Subsea Grows Its APAC Backlog
DOF Subsea (DOF) on Friday announced a contract extension and a contract award securing further backlog for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.A contract extension has been secured for dive support vessel Skandi Singapore with the vessel fully committed through Q4 2024 with further options available into Q1 2025.In addition, the latest contract secured for the region will utilise Skandi Singapore and see the vessel deployed off the Australian coast during Q1 2024.
Trinidad and Venezuela Set to Launch Seismic Survey at Joint Gas Fields
Seismic work at offshore gas fields shared by Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago is expected to start in the coming days, the Caribbean country's energy minister Stuart Young said on Friday on social media.Venezuela in July issued a 20-year license allowing the development of its side of the reservoir, the Cocuina field. The U.S. earlier this year also authorized the project, to be developed by Britain's BP and Trinidad's National Gas Company.The Cocuina and Manakin fields…
Tech Advancement is Key to Slashing Maritime Sector Emissions -DNV Report
Reaching the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) target of a 20% reduction in shipping emissions by 2030 will hinge on significant advancements in energy efficiency, according to DNV's latest Maritime Forecast to 2050. The report underscores the need for immediate action to enhance energy savings, especially as carbon-neutral fuels remain limited and costly.To meet the IMO’s decarbonization goal…
GE Vernova Says Offshore Wind Turbine Blade Failures Are Unrelated
GE Vernova on Friday said recent turbine blade failures at two offshore wind farms in the United States and the United Kingdom are unrelated.The statement comes as the company has been grappling with fallout from three separate blade accidents in four months.The most recent occurred on Aug. 22 at the Dogger Bank wind farm off the coast of Yorkshire in the North Sea, a little over a month after a blade…
Austal USA Begins Building Its First Offshore Patrol Cutter for the US Coast Guard
Austal USA held a ceremony marking the official start of construction on the first U.S. Coast Guard Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) to be built at its Mobile, Ala., shipyard. The vessel, named Pickering (WSMM 919), is the lead vessel in a series potentially comprising up to 11 cutters under a contract valued at $3.3 billion.Designed at 360 feet in length, the OPC program is set to replace the Coast Guard's aging medium endurance cutters…
Russia's Seaborne Diesel Exports Fall to One-year Low
Russia's seaborne diesel and gasoil exports are expected to fall in August to the lowest since September 2023 at 2.7 million-2.8 million metric tons due to refinery maintenance and domestic fuel demand, LSEG and market sources data show.Russia's refinery runs in August were steady or slightly higher than in July, but diesel production is seen declining due to the overhaul of secondary refining units at several refineries…
Bath Iron Works Lays Keel for US Navy Warship USS William Charette
The keel for the future USS William Charette (DDG 130), an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, was ceremoniously laid on August 29 at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works (BIW) in Bath, Maine. The warship is scheduled for delivery to the U.S. Navy in 2026.Named after Medal of Honor recipient Master Chief Hospital Corpsman William R. Charette, the ship honors his valorous service during the Korean War with Company F…
Adani Ports to Buy $185 Million Stake in Astro Offshore
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone said on Friday it will buy a majority stake in an offshore support vessel operator for $185 million, expanding its fleet and diversifying beyond port operations.Astro Offshore, in which Adani Ports will buy an 80% stake, owns a fleet of 26 vessels including barges and workboats, counting miner NMDC and construction bellwether Larsen and Toubro as its customers."Astro will add... to our current fleet of 142 tugs and dredgers...
Salvage of Stricken Oil Tanker Sounion Expected in Coming Days
![Satellite image of the Greek-flagged crude oil tanker Sounion that was recently attacked by Yemen’s Houthis in the Red Sea. [Satellite image © 2024 Maxar Technologies]](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/satellite-image-of-the-greekflagged-152807.jpg)
A salvage operation to recover a Greek registered oil tanker stranded in the Red Sea after an attack by Houthi militants is expected to start in the coming days, two sources with knowledge of the matter said on Friday.What was decided yesterday is an initial gameplan, of the operation starting in 48 hours," one of the sources said. A second source said the operation was likely to be complex, since…
China Says No Basis for Philippines' Damage Claims at Sabina Shoal
China released on Friday its first survey report of the South China Sea's disputed Sabina Shoal, saying there was no scientific or factual basis for reef damage claims made by the Philippines.In the report by the natural resource ministry conducted from May to July, it found that key habitat index values in the reef area were within the suitable growth range of the coral reef system."As for the claim…
Samskip Joins Fuel Cell Retrofit Project
Samskip has joined the EU HyEkoTank project and its LNG-fueled vessel Kvitnos will be retrofitted with TECO 2030’s zero-emission technology.Samskip Kvitnos, built in 2015, is a cargo ship which operates in a fixed route on a weekly multipurpose service from Rotterdam, along the Norwegian west coast, to Hammerfest. The project also aims to facilitate long-term hydrogen fuel supply contracts due to the…
China’s New Installation Vessel Capable of Installing 20MW Turbines
The mobile wind power installation platform Hengtong Haiyue has been delivered to the Hengtong Group by Jiangsu Dajin Heavy Industry in China.The mobile platform is equipped with a 1,600t leg encircling full-circle slewing crane as well as a 4,000m2 deck with a variable load of over 8,500t, and is capable of installing 20MW offshore wind turbines.The DP2 vessel is also equipped with four truss pile legs and an automatic lifting system and a fully electric propulsion system.
US Navy Eyes Risky New Waters in South China Sea
As two U.S. aircraft carrier battle groups patrolled the Indian Ocean this week in an explicit effort to deter Iran from striking Israel and sparking a major regional conflict, a very different military messaging effort was underway in a luxury conference centre in Manila.The 35th annual Military Law and Operations Conference organised by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command – running from Aug. 27-30 – is…
