EPA Fines PR Company $80K for Polluting Cañas River
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has fined Transporte Rodríguez Asfalto, Inc. (TRA) in $80,000 for violations of the Clean Water Act after discharging stormwater pollutants into the Cañas River during construction activities in Aguada, Puerto Rico.“We are holding TRA accountable under the Clean Water Act which is designed to protect waterways like the Cañas River and prevent pollution that threatens public health and the environment,” said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia.
NSRP Invests in Shipbuilding Tech Projects
The Executive Control Board of the National Shipbuilding Research Program (NSRP) selected 13 panel projects for award as part of the program's mission to reduce costs and expand capability for U.S. shipbuilding and ship repair. These new projects, valued at over $2.55M in government funding, were among those proposed in response to the Panel Project Solicitation issued in June 2024. Abbreviated descriptions follow…
Sallaum Lines Orders Six PCTC Vessels
Sallaum Lines has ordered six additional Pure Car and Truck Carrier (PCTC) vessels from China, two with Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding Co Ltd. (2 x 7,500 RT SDARI design) and four with China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Nanjing) Co. Ltd. (4 x 7,400 RT Deltamarin design). Each vessel has a capacity ranging from 7,400 to 7,500 Car Equivalent Unit (CEU) Pure Car and Truck Carrier (PCTC) design. By incorporating dual-fuel LNG technology…
VLSFO Oil Spill Remnants Haunt Mauritius Mangroves Three Years Later
Three years after bulk carrier MV Wakashio ran aground on a coral reef off Mauritius, spilling 1000 tons of a new type of marine fuel oil, Curtin University-led research has confirmed the oil is still present in an environmentally sensitive mangrove forest close to Ramsar conservation sites.Lead researcher Dr. Alan Scarlett, from Curtin’s WA Organic and Isotope Geochemistry Center in the School of Earth and Planetary Sciences…
USCG Icebreaking Vessel Polar Star Sets Sail for Antarctica
As the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10) and crew departed Seattle recently for its deployment to Antarctica in support of Operation Deep Freeze, all eyes come back around to the U.S. icebreaking fleet, or lack thereof, as the nation and its allies work to help build the fleet to be larger and stronger than ever, facing potential national security threats that come with a strong Russian and Chinese presence in the polar regions.Click here to read about "U.S.
Panama, Japan Sign Pact on Maritime Education
The Panama Maritime Authority (PMA) celebrated the signing of a historic agreement between Columbus University and Kobe University, marking a pivotal step toward strengthening maritime education and research in the country.“We are witnessing a strategic alliance that will not only facilitate the training of highly skilled professionals but also promote research on key maritime topics, solidifying Panama’s position as a global leader in this sector…
Woodside: LNG Market to Grow by 50% in Next Decade
Australia's Woodside Energy WDS.AX expects the global market for liquefied natural gas (LNG) to grow by 50% in the coming decade, its CEO said on Tuesday."Over the last decade the LNG market grew by 50%. We anticipate it will grow by another 50% in the coming decade," Meg O’Neill told the Energy Intelligence Forum in London.O'Neill said the company had received interest from a lot of onshore gas players…
Four Bodies Recovered from Red Sea Tourist Boat
Four bodies were recovered on Tuesday from a tourist boat which capsized off Egypt’s Red Sea coast, and rescue teams were still searching for seven missing people, the Red Sea Governorate said in a statement.Provincial governor Amr Hanafi said rescue teams had found five people alive on Tuesday, two Belgian tourists, one Swiss, one Finn and an Egyptian, bringing the total number of survivors to 33.The boat…
US Navy Aircraft Transits Taiwan Strait, China Responds
The U.S. Navy's 7th fleet said a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft transited the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday."By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations," the U.S. 7th Fleet said in a statement.Separately, China's military said on Tuesday it deployed naval and air forces to monitor and warn a U.S.
Damen, Herman Sr. ink Multi-Purpose Vessel LOI
New MPV brings increased versatility to workboat sector.Damen Shipyards Group and Herman Sr. have signed a letter of intent (LOI) for the construction of a new Multi-Purpose Vessel (MPV) 4916. The LOI was signed during the Offshore Energy exhibition in Amsterdam on 26 November by Jeroen van Woerkum on behalf of Damen and Chris and Erwin van Dodewaard of behalf of Herman Sr.Next level versatilityThe…
PSA Singapore, Evergreen Marine ink Box Terminal Ops JV
PSA Singapore (PSA) and Evergreen Marine Corporation (EMC) have established a joint venture in Singapore, aiming to enhance operational excellence and achieve greater synergies in container operations.The joint venture terminal is expected to commence operations by the end of 2024. This strategic partnership will offer long-term terminal capacity assurance to EMC’s fast expanding global vessel fleet…
Azolla Unveils Enhanced Platform to Simplify EU Fuel Compliance
Azolla, a decarbonization solution provider for the maritime industry, announces the launch of its upgraded CASPER platform.Designed to empower shipowners and fleet operators…
MOL Fortifies Decarbonization Ties with Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has signed a comprehensive memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) to deepen cooperation in the fields of decarbonization, digitalization, and human resources development.MOL and MPA have been cooperating in various initiatives to decarbonize the maritime industry, the new agreement will further promote these initiatives in a wide range of fields.Specifically…
Electrostatic Attraction: Milestone Order for Unique Coating Application
PPG announced its 50th order for the electrostatic application of marine fouling control coatings, to be carried out on the VLCC SIDR, a 336-m oil tanker operated by Bahri Ship Management at the Asyad Drydock Company shipyard in Oman, using PPG NEXEON 810 antifouling coating on the hull.PPG introduced electrostatic coating application to the shipping industry just over a year ago, and the technique is designed to provide an increased transfer efficiency compared to airless spraying…
Sweden Seeks Return of Chinese Ship Linked to Baltic Sea Subsea Cable Sabotage
Sweden is asking a Chinese vessel to return to Swedish waters to help facilitate the Nordic country's investigation into recent breaches of undersea fibre-optic cables in the Baltic Sea, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Tuesday.Two subsea cables, one linking Finland and Germany and the other connecting Sweden to Lithuania, were damaged in less than 24 hours on Nov. 17-18, raising suspicions of sabotage…
US Oil Focused on Economics, not 'Drill, Baby, Drill' - Exxon Mobil Exec
U.S. oil and gas producers are unlikely to radically increase production under president-elect Donald Trump as companies remain focused on capital discipline, a senior executive at Exxon Mobil said."We're not going to see anybody in 'drill, baby, drill' mode," Liam Mallon, head of Exxon's upstream division, told the Energy Intelligence Forum conference in London."A radical change (in production) is unlikely because the vast majority…
Steelpaint Logs First Job with Chinese Shipowner
Xiamen Minhua Shipping has specified a Steelpaint corrosion protection system for a trio of newbuild multi-purpose cargo ships building at Fujian Shipbuilding’s yards in China. The order marks the Germany-based coatings specialist’s first newbuilding contract with a Chinese shipowner.The first vessel in the series, the 12,000dwt Min Hua 9 delivered from the Fujian Hengsheng shipyard in June, is now operating with a Stelpant-PU-Zinc universal primer protecting steel cargo holds…
Mann Tapped to Drive bound4blue eSAIL Growth
bound4blue, a leader in maritime’s Wind Assisted Propulsion Systems (WAPS) segment, appointed Daniel Mann as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). He joins the team after four years as VP Business Development at Silverstream Technologies, and more than 25 years supporting and growing various maritime and energy businesses worldwide, which includes a decade at Rolls-Royce Marine, plus five years at Siemens…
Google to Build Subsea Cable for Christmas Island
Australia's Indian Ocean territory of Christmas Island will be connected by subsea cable to the northern garrison city of Darwin, a project backed by Alphabet's Google that Australia says will boost its digital resilience.Christmas Island is 1,500 km (930 miles) west of the Australian mainland, with a small population of 1,250, but strategically located in the Indian Ocean, 350 km (215 miles) from Jakarta.The cable announcement comes as the Australian and U.S.
Makin' a List ... Trump Prioritizes Energy Exploration, Production, Export
Donald Trump's transition team is putting together a wide-ranging energy package to roll out within days of his taking office that would approve export permits for new liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects and increase oil drilling off the U.S. coast and on federal lands, according to two sources familiar with the plans.The energy checklist largely reflects promises Trump made on the campaign trail…