Exhaust-sucking Barges Slash Ship Emissions in Port
STAX Engineering, based in Long Beach, California, has experienced significant growth since launching its innovative emissions capture and control technology earlier this year.Available as a land- or barge-based solution, the company’s mobile, flexible exhaust capture system is designed to fit all ships without modification, removing 99% of particulate matter (PM) and 95% of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from…
‘It’s in Our Blood!’ Blount Boats Celebrates 75 Years
Seventy-five years in business is no small feat, especially in an industry that is tougher than most: shipbuilding. Blount Boats is celebrating the impressive milestone this year.Established in 1949, the Warren, R.I. shipbuilder is led today by founder Luther H. Blount’s daughters: president and CFO Marcia Blount and executive vice president / human resources Julie Blount, who see their roles as more than a career. “It’s our vocation,” Julie said.
Insights: Peter Duclos, Co-president, Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation
To start, will you please share your personal journey in the shipbuilding industry and what led you to your current role?Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding Inc. was started by Preston Gladding and Richard Hearn in mid-1955. My father, George Duclos, joined them as a minority partner in late 1955, and for $900 owned 20% of the company. Fast forward to 1984, my parents bought out the Gladding and Hearn families and formed Duclos Corporation. Gladding-Hearn was kept as a d/b/a trade name.
US Shippers Avoid East Coast Ports on Risk of Second Strike
U.S. shippers are steering clear of East and Gulf Coast ports amid worries the 45,000 dockworkers at those trade hubs will go on strike again if their union leader does not land a new contract with employers by a Jan. 15 deadline.The International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) labor union and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) employer group had ended a three-day strike in October with a tentative agreement on wages…
Zero-carbon Ammonia for Shipping Faces Cost, Safety Challenges
At one of the world's biggest bulk export ports in Western Australia, shippers safely completed the first transfer of ammonia from one vessel to another last month, a key test for its adoption as a marine fuel in the push for cleaner energy.The first cargo ships powered by ammonia are set to enter service in 2026, one of several alternatives the industry is tapping to shrink a carbon footprint that…
Meyer Turku Celebrates 10 Years, Targets Carbon-neutral Shipbuilding
It has been 10 years since the Meyer family's shipbuilding company became the host of the Turku shipyard in Finland. In the anniversary year, the shipbuilder said its direction remains clear: Both the world's most advanced cruise ships and the shipyard's own operations aim for carbon neutrality.Meyer Turk CEO Tim Meyer said, "We are proud to continue Turku's shipbuilding tradition dating back to 1737.
Did You Know? Most Detected Cybersecurity Threats in First Half of 2024
In the first six months, Initial Access tactics were the most prevalent cyber security threat in maritime domain, accounting for 48% of the 204,763 incidents, primarily involving phishing fraud and spam abusive content.According to Marlink’s Security Operations Center (SOC) on cyber security threats report, the Command & Control (C2) followed closely at 36%, driven largely by the execution of malicious files and links.Execution and Defence Evasion tactics…
DNV Issues AiP for HD HHI’s Dual-Fuel Ammonia Container Ship
DNV has awarded an Approval in Principle (AiP) to HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) for its 15K TEU ammonia dual-fuelled container vessel design.This award follows the successful completion of a joint development project aimed at addressing the challenges associated with using ammonia as a marine fuel.The project focused on developing cutting-edge designs to enhance safety, including an optimized ammonia tank design…
Marlink to Equip Transpetro’s Tanker Fleet with Sealink NextGen Solution
Marlink, the managed services provider of business-critical ICT solutions, has secured a deal to supply its Sealink NextGen network solution for Brazil’s biggest crude and product tanker operator Transpetro.The hybrid solution includes Marlink’s global VSAT integrated to the high throughput, low latency Starlink solution together with MSS as back-up, to be installed on 26 Transpetro’s tankers.The installation…
ClassNK Greenlights SHI’s Autonomous Navigation Assistance System
ClassNK has issued an Approval in Principle (AiP) for Autonomous Navigation Assistance System ‘SAS’ developed by Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI).Samsung Autonomous Navigation Assistance System (SAS) is partially Autonomous Navigation System (ANS) including the functions of situational awareness through sensor fusion and electronic navigational chart information, collision and grounding risk assessment…
Maersk Inks Methanol Supply Deal with LONGi for its Dual-Fuel Container Ships
Danish shipping group A.P. Moller - Maersk has entered into a long-term bio-methanol offtake agreement with LONGi Green Energy Technology for its dual-fuel methanol vessels.The agreement will contribute to lowering GHG emissions from Maersk’s growing fleet of dual-fuel methanol container vessels. LONGi will deliver bio-methanol produced at a facility in Xu Chang, Central China.With the addition of the LONGi volumes…
HHI-EMD to Deliver Methanol Engines for Evergreen Newbuilds
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Engine & Machinery (HHI-EMD) has signed a contract with China Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Company and Taiwan’s Evergreen Line to supply 18 methanol dual-fuel HiMSEN engines (7H22CDF-LM) for six 2,400 TEU container ships.HHI-EMD has successfully introduced the eco-friendly methanol HiMSEN engine H32DF-LM (3,000~4,500kW) for ultra-large container ships, with a total of 352 engines ordered and manufactured to date.Following this…
AI Assistant Scans Data Streams and Social Media to Identify Maritime Risks
Maritime AI company Windward has launched Early Detection, an AI-based solution that identifies anomalies that could impact maritime operations.Early Detection analyzes vast amounts of maritime data to spot irregular activities, thus enabling organizations to passively uncover anomalies or new trends automatically with no required user input. The capability alerts stakeholders to global events that would otherwise remain hidden…
Royal Caribbean Boosts Annual Profit Forecast
Royal Caribbean lifted its annual profit forecast on Tuesday for the fourth time this year, driven by strong demand at higher prices for its voyages to private destinations, as well as its European and Alaskan vacations.Cruise operators have signaled that revenge travel - which boosted bookings following the pandemic lockdowns - has now been replaced by a growing shift among travelers to seek sea-based vacations.The company's shares rose about 1.3% in choppy morning trade…
US Awards Nearly $3 Billion for Clean Port Projects
U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced a $3 billion investment from his Inflation Reduction Act to improve the country's port infrastructure.The investment includes $147 million in awards for the Maryland Port Administration, which owns the Port of Baltimore, the White House said in a statement.The funding will be used to create union jobs and upgrade port infrastructure to cleaner equipment, the statement added.The announcement comes after the three day port strike on the U.S.
Cruise Operators Reap Benefits of Their Own Private Islands
Major cruise operators are steering their ships - and millions of dollars in investments - into their own private destinations packed with excursions, beaches, bars and restaurants.The phenomenon appears to have started with Royal Caribbean Group, which in 2019 opened "Perfect Day at CocoCay," an amusement park-like private destination in The Bahamas that has caught the eye of Wall Street.By operating their own private destinations on small Caribbean islands…
AYK Energy to Supply Batteries for Mureloil's New Diesel Electric Tanker
Marine battery manufacturer AYK Energy reports it has secured a contract to build a new 4,200 KWh battery for Spanish ship owner Mureloil. The agreement will see AYK’s Aries + battery supplied on a new 7999 DWT diesel-electric product tanker being built for Mureloil at Astilleros Murueta shipyard near Bilbao.AYK founder Chris Kruger said the vessel will be able to operate on zero emission battery power…
US Gulf of Maine Offshore Wind Auction Draws Just $22 Million in Bids
A Biden administration auction of offshore wind development rights in the Gulf of Maine drew $21.9 million in high bids for half of the eight areas offered, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said on Tuesday.Offshore wind developers Avangrid AGR.N and Invenergy each walked away with two leases following one round of bidding. They were among 14 companies that had been qualified to bid at the sale.Once developed…
GIT Coatings Earns 'Industry-first' LR Type Approval
Lloyd’s Register (LR) has granted the maritime industry’s first Enhanced Antifouling Type Approval to GIT Coatings.This new approval establishes a benchmark for antifouling coatings, responding to the increasing demand for effective biofouling management. Such advancements are crucial for decarbonization initiatives and for the protection of marine ecosystems.As the first classification society to offer this service…
Underwater Radiated Noise and Ocean Health
The maritime industry's push toward decarbonization brings an unexpected benefit: the reduction of underwater radiated noise (URN). While the sector focuses intensively on emissions reduction and fuel efficiency, these same measures are quietly contributing to a healthier acoustic environment in our oceans. For ship owners and operators already investing in green technologies, addressing URN can be a natural extension of existing environmental initiatives…
