Migrant Boats Capsize, at least 22 Dead
At least 22 Somali citizens died when two migrant boats capsized off the coast of Madagascar over the weekend, Somalia's Information Minister Daud Aweis said.Madagascar's Port, Maritime, and River Authority (APMF) said the boats had set sail from Somalia for the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte on Nov. 2, a journey of several hundred kilometres.On Saturday, the port authority reported that local fishermen discovered the first boat drifting on Friday near Nosy Iranja.
Singapore, Rotterdam: No Reports (yet) of Cashew Nutshell Fuel Issues
Port authorities in Singapore and Rotterdam said they have not received reports of vessels experiencing problems related to the use of cashew nutshell liquid biofuel - an issue highlighted by fuel testing agency CTI-Maritec last week.Several ships using the two ports reported operational problems in recent months after using marine fuel blended with cashew nutshell liquid, the Singapore-based agency said on Thursday…
UK Slaps Russian 'Shadow Fleet' with Sanctions
Britain is imposing the biggest sanctions package against Russia's shadow fleet, targeting 30 vessels, foreign minister David Lammy said on Monday, urging G7 allies to stand with, and equip Ukraine for as long as it needs.Britain and other Western nations are keen to make sure Ukraine is in the strongest possible position to defend itself this winter.Lammy said before a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in Italy he was sure Kyiv would get "the funds and the military equipment and kit to get throug
Subsea Global Robotic Hull Cleaning gets the Green Light in Singapore
Subsea Global Solutions reports that authorities in Singapore have granted approval of its hull cleaning services for vessels, allowing underwater cleaning to take place while vessels are engaged in cargo work at the terminal. The approved cleaning procedure requires the use of a Cleaning Remotely Operated Vehicle (C-ROV) equipped with an integrated filtration plant, designed to capture and reclaim materials, ensuring compliance with Singapore’s stringent environmental regulations.
BAR Technologies, Mitsubishi Corporation, Nihon Shipyard ink MOU
BAR Technologies, a wind propulsion leader and innovative simulation-driven marine engineering consultancy, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mitsubishi Corporation, and Nihon Shipyard which will set a framework for collaborations between the three businesses following the successful installation of BAR Technologies’ patented wind propulsion system WindWings onto Mitsubishi Corporation’s vessel Pyxis Ocean.
HJSC Christens Pair of 7,700 TEU LNG Container Vessels
HJ Shipbuilding & Construction (HJSC) held a christening ceremony for two 7,700 TEU LNG dual-fuel (DF) container ships at its Yeongdo Shipyard in Busan last week, marking the company’s first LNG DF container ship construction.The event was attended by more than 100 guests, including Angeliki Frangou, Chairwoman of Navios Maritime Partners LP, Shunji Sasada, President of Navios, Kim Kyung-bae, President of HMM, Yoo Sang-cheol, CEO of HJSC, along with other officials.
ADNOC L&S Takes Delivery of First New-Build LNG Vessel
ADNOC Logistics and Services plc has taken delivery of Al Shelila, the first of six newbuild liquified natural gas (LNG) carriers from Jiangnan Shipyard in China. The vessel has been delivered two months ahead of schedule, with the remaining five expected to be delivered in 2025 and 2026. Immediately after delivery Al Shelila will go on hire with a top-tier, global energy trader.Al Shelila’s naming and delivery ceremony will be attended by His Excellency Muhannad Sulaiman Al Naqbi…
European LNG Imports, Prices Soar
Concerns that Europe is facing a natural gas supply crunch this winter are overblown, with the liquefied natural gas (LNG) market already stepping up to avoid any shortfall, albeit at higher prices.European natural gas prices climbed to the highest level in two years last week, with the benchmark front-month contract at the Dutch TTF hub reaching 49.03 euros per megawatt hour on Nov. 22, equivalent…
Oil and Gas Output Trended High Before and After Trump
President-elect Donald Trump's support for the fossil fuel sector and climate scepticism have sparked dismay throughout the global climate tracking community, and fears that his policies may reverse global energy transition momentum.His campaign speeches included pledges to boost domestic oil and natural gas output and to remove mandates on electric vehicle production, but he has yet to publish many…
GMS Predicts Difficult 2025 for Ship Recyclers
As global ship recycling markets head into the final month of the year on a comparatively firmer footing and a 2024 full of minimal sales and activity wraps up, cash buyer GMS says that noteworthy declines in prices have seen nearly USD 150/LDT wiped from sub-continent ship recycling levels.“Q1 2025 doesn’t seem as though it is ready to greet the ship recycling industry with its customary January / Q1 vigor,” says GMS.
NZ Union Opposes Resumption of Live Export
New Zealand’s Maritime Union, representing both seafarers and stevedores, has voted to oppose the proposed resumption of live animal exports.A ban was implemented by the previous government after the Gulf Livestock 1 capsized in 2020 leaving 41 crew and 6,000 cattle missing.Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Carl Findlay says the Union confirmed its opposition to live animal exports at its National Conference in November 2024.He said the world is moving away from live exports…
INTERTANKO Elects New Managing Director
INTERTANKO’s Council of Members has confirmed that Tim Wilkins is to succeed Katharina Stanzel as Managing Director from January 1, 2025.Stanzel has served as Managing Director since 2012, representing the interests of independent tanker owners worldwide and championing the role and reputation of the tanker industry as a vital and responsible partner in the global energy supply chain. She has been driving collaboration and partnerships between industry stakeholders…
IACS Withdraws UR H1: Control of Ammonia Releases
In light of the evolving regulatory landscape for ammonia as a maritime fuel, and the recent finalization of the IMO’s draft interim guidelines on ammonia, the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) has withdrawn Unified Requirement UR H1, “Control of Ammonia Releases in Ammonia Fuelled Vessels.”The news comes ahead of its scheduled implementation date of January 1, 2025. IACS…
Officer’s Death Highlights Dangers of Vertical Recoil of Mooring Lines
The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch has published its investigation report into the mooring deck accident on the bulk carrier Mona Manx that resulted in one death.The incident occurred on August 26, 2021. The second officer (2/O) of the Isle of Man registered bulk carrier Mona Manx was fatally injured when he was struck by a recoiling mooring line while the vessel was berthing at Puerto Ventanas, Chile.
Hundreds of Ukraine Port Facilities Now Damaged
Russian drone and missile attacks have damaged 321 Ukrainian port infrastructure facilities since July last year, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday.Twenty merchant ships belonging to other countries were also damaged by Russian strikes, he added."Overall, Ukrainian food exports provide food for 400 million people in 100 countries around the world," Zelenskiy said. "Food prices in Egypt…
170 Arrested in Coal Ship Blockade
A climate change protest off the coast of Australia's New South Wales State forced an inbound ship to turn back from the country's largest terminal for coal exports on Sunday, the port operator said.New South Wales police said 170 protesters were arrested on Sunday for refusing to move from the shipping channel near the Port of Newcastle.The port, some 170 km (105 miles) from the state capital Sydney…
ENTEK wins $1.3 billion US Loan for EV Battery Plant
The U.S. Department of Energy's loans office said on Friday it has finalized a loan of $1.3 billion to ENTEK Lithium Separators to finance a plant in Indiana for making lithium-ion battery separators used mostly in electric vehicles.WHY IT'S IMPORTANTThe Loan Programs Office is racing to finalize billions of dollars in loans to companies developing cutting-edge technologies expected to help speed an…
As Subsea Comms Cable Security Comes to the Fore, FCC Mulls New Rules
The Federal Communications Commission voted 5-0 to propose new rules governing undersea internet cables in the face of growing security concerns in the wake of two fiber-optic undersea telecommunication cables being severed in the Baltic Sea this week, which is suspected to be sabotage.The FCC eyes new rules to address the national security concerns over the global network of more than 400 subsea cables…
Pyongyang Skirts UN Limits on Russian Oil Imports
North Korea has likely received more than 1 million barrels of oil from Russia over an eight-month period this year in breach of U.N. sanctions, according to an analysis of satellite imagery published on Friday by the British-based Open Source Centre and the BBC.North Korean oil tankers have made more than 40 visits to Russia's Far Eastern port of Vostochny since March, the report on the research group Open Source Centre's website said."Dozens of high-resolution satellite images…
Driving You Nuts: Warning Issued on Biofuel with Cashew Nutshell Blend
Several ships in Singapore and Rotterdam reported operational problems in recent months after using marine fuel blended with cashew nutshell liquid biofuel, fuel testing agency CTI-Maritec said in an advisory on Thursday.Singapore-based CTI-Maritec said it tested samples from the affected ships and found the marine fuel was blended with cashew nutshell liquid that came from undeclared source materials or production processes.The ships had reported operational problems including fuel sludging…
