Shanghai Braces for Typhoon Bebinca
Shanghai halted transportation links, recalled ships and shut tourism spots including Shanghai Disney Resort on Sunday as it braced for Typhoon Bebinca, in what could be the strongest tropical cyclone to hit the Chinese financial hub since 1949.The Category 1 typhoon, packing maximum sustained wind speeds near its centre of around 144 kph (89 mph), was about 400 km southeast of Shanghai as of 5:00 p.m. (0900 GMT).
Salvors Begin Towing Stricken Tanker Sounion in Race to Avert Catastrophic Oil Spill
The operation has started to tow a Greek-registered oil tanker stranded in the Red Sea after an attack by Houthi militants last month, a shipping source told Reuters on Saturday.Towing the 900-foot (274.2-metre) MV Sounion to safety is the first step in a risky operation to salvage the vessel that caught fire after it was repeatedly attacked on Aug. 21.The second step is the transfer of its cargo of about 1 million barrels of crude oil.
US Navy Awards $6.75 Billion Contract for Eight New John Lewis Class Oilers
The U.S. Navy on Friday announced it has placed a $6.75 billion order with San Diego shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO for up to eight John Lewis Class (TAO-205) Fleet Replenishment Oilers. The ships are scheduled for delivery through January 2035.The Navy, which has been looking for ways to reduce costs and increase efficiency across its shipbuilding and repair programs, said it expects the "block…
Video: Crewmember Medevaced from Oil Tanker Off Texas
Am ailing mariner was medevaced from an oil tanker 9 miles off Freeport, Texas, Tuesday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.The agency said its watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston received a medevac request at 3:50 p.m. from a crew member aboard the tanker stating a 21-year-old male reportedly sustained injuries. Watchstanders consulted with the duty flight surgeon, who recommended the medevac.The…
US Offshore Oil Production Reawakens in Wake of Hurricane Francine
U.S. Gulf of Mexico energy firms on Friday were lumbering back from hurricane disruptions as offshore oil and gas producers ramped up operations after halving the key energy region's output, ports reopened, and onshore terminals accepted oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers.Hurricane Francine shut in up to 42% of the region's offshore oil and 53% of its natural gas production. The storm missed Texas and came ashore in Louisiana late on Tuesday…
Ocean Group Switching to HVO Fuel for Port Towing Operations
Ocean Group announced it is adopting HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) renewable diesel fuel for all of its port towing operations.Made from renewable sources, including vegetable oils, residues of plant or animal origin, and used oils such as those derived from frying, HVO fuel reduces CO2 emissions by around 80% compared with traditional fossil fuels.Since 2023, Group Ocean has been testing the efficiency of HVO at its Delta Port and Fraser River sites.
Crew Rescued from OSV That Caught Fire Off South Africa
Fifteen crew members have been rescued from an offshore supply vessel (OSV) that went up in flames off the coast of South Africa.The fire reportedly broke out and grew out of control in the messroom aboard the Marshall Islands registered vessel AM Pride on Thursday, in an ocean area approximately 48.5 nautical miles south of Mossel Bay in South Africa's Western Cape province, the South African Maritime…
Divers Recover Video Equipment from Mike Lynch’s Sunken Yacht
Italian Navy divers have recovered video surveillance equipment from the superyacht that sank off Sicily last month, killing British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and six other people, a source close to the matter said on Friday.The recovery of the equipment could help explain why the British-flagged Bayesian went down during a severe and sudden storm off the port of Porticello, near Palermo, on Aug. 19 - an event that has puzzled naval experts.Lynch's 18-year-old daughter…
Gas Supply Deal Signed for Galveston LNG Bunker Port
Galveston LNG Bunker Port (GLBP) announced a gas supply agreement (GSA) with Energy Transfer’s Houston Pipeline Company (HPL), in a new milestone for the development of the region’s first dedicated liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunker terminal.The newly signed agreement outlines the terms for the supply of natural gas and the construction of additional pipeline facilities needed for efficient delivery to the GLBP facility on Shoal Point in Texas City, Texas.
Jefferson County Port Authority Buys Land for New Mississippi River Terminal
The Jefferson County Port Authority (JCPA) has finalized the purchase of approximately 18 acres along the Mississippi River in Herculaneum, Missouri, in a $20 million deal with Riverview Commerce Park, LLC (RCP). This acquisition marks the establishment of the first publicly owned terminal facility in Jefferson County and is set to drive substantial infrastructure advancements and port development in the region.“It has taken significant time…
US National Lab Takes Delivery of First Hybrid Research Vessel
RV Resilience, a new hybrid research vessel designed by Incat Crowther and built by Snow & Company in Seattle, has been delivered to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).RV Resilience is the Department of Energy’s first hybrid electric-diesel research vessel. The 15-meter aluminum catamaran will help PNNL sustainably expand its research activities in the Sequim Bay region of Washington state.RV Resilience’s 28 m2 main deck is equipped with an A-Frame…
KOTUG Gets New Order for Fully Electric Pusher Tug
Dutch firm KOTUG has received an order from Rotterdam-based sand handling and transport specialist, ROS, for the delivery of a fully electric pusher tug, the E-Pusher.The E-Pusher, model M, will be deployed in combination with barges provided by Jansma Shipping to establish an emission-free sand transport chain between the Maasvlakte and Rotterdam.The fully electric E-Pusher, developed by KOTUG, is…
MOL and Chevron to Install Wind-Assisted Propulsion System on LNG Carrier
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and Chevron Shipping Company, a subsidiary of oil and gas giant Chevron, have signed an agreement to install Wind Challenger to a newbuild LNG carrier, which will become world’s first LNG carrier equipped with wind-assisted propulsions system.The is under long term charter from MOL Encean to Chevron Asia Pacific Shipping, and is currently under construction at the Geoje Shipyard of Hanwha Ocean…
Fincantieri Delivers Second Cruise Ship for MSC Group's Explora Journeys Fleet
Fincantieri and MSC Group have celebrated the progress on the construction of cruise ships for the Explora Journeys fleet, marking the delivery of Explora II, the coin ceremony for Explora III, and the steel cutting for Explora IV cruise ships.The cruise ships are part of the fleet of six ships belonging to Explora Journeys, the luxury brand recently launched by the MSC Group.The first cruise ship was delivered in July 2023…
CLIA Wants New Greek Tourism Fee to Fund Local Development
The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has responded to plans by the Greek government to impose a 20-euro levy on cruise ship visitors to the islands of Santorini and Mykonos during the peak summer season.The move is a bid to avert over-tourism, said Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, announcing the fee earlier this month.CLIA has responded with a statement: “The cruise sector is a success story for Greece contributing 1.4 billion euros to the economy in 2022.
New LOF Clause Boosts Transparency Around Tug Services
The outcome of over a year’s consultation with underwriters, owners, Lloyd’s and other interested parties including P&I Clubs, brokers and salvors is a new clause for incorporation in marine hull policies. The shipping community has recognized the necessity of maintaining Lloyd’s Open Form (LOF) as a contract with pre-agreed terms that can be easily used in the event of an emergency, said the Lloyd’s Market Association (LMA) and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS).
New CO2 Liquefaction Method will be “Game Changer”
JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration Corporation, NYK and NYK affiliate Knutsen NYK Carbon Carriers (KNCC) have demonstrated a new CO2 liquefaction method that the partners say is a breakthrough for the carbon capture and storage (CCS) industry.The three companies have devised the CO2 liquefaction process based on the isenthalpic expansion cooling and liquefaction process which takes advantage of the temperature…
Gangway Safety Highlighted After Fatal Fall
The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has published its report on a fall overboard from the sail training vessel Pelican of London.The incident occurred at 2308 on October 2, 2023 when the volunteer relief cook on Pelican of London fell from the top of the vessel’s gangway into the flooded drydock while under the influence of alcohol. His absence was not noted until the next morning and a search was started.
European Shipowners and Fuel Producers Unite on New Fuels Availability
The recently published Draghi report on the Future of European Competitiveness identifies shipping as one of the most difficult sectors to decarbonise, requiring around 40 billion in annual investments between 2031 and 2050.The report highlights that the EU has limited installed capacity and planned production. The EU needs to start building a supply chain for clean fuels, or the costs of meeting its targets will be significant…
Philippines Fishermen Call for Justice After Oil Tanker Sinks
Efren Dominico has been a fisherman in the Bay of Manila in the Philippines for 43 years and survived countless storms, but nothing prepared him for the day when an oil tanker sank off the coast in July and cut him off from his livelihood.The motor tanker Terranova capsized and sank off the tow of Limay, on the western side of Manila Bay, carrying 1.4 million litres of oil, the largest oil spill in the country since 2006.Days later…
