Iran to Unload Crude from Seized Tanker Advantage Sweet
Iran will unload about $50 million worth of crude from a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker seized last year, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Wednesday, in a tit-for-tat action against the United States.Advantage Sweet is a Suezmax crude tanker that had been chartered by U.S. firm Chevron and was seized in April 2023 by Iran's army following an alleged collision with an Iranian boat.The…
Fincantieri in Talks to Buy Leonardo's Submarine Unit Wass
Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri is in talks with Leonardo to buy the defense group's submarine unit Whitehead Alenia Sistemi Subacquei (Wass), several newspapers reported on Wednesday.Spokespersons for Fincantieri and Leonardo both declined to comment.The acquisition would have a value of between 200 and 300 million euros ($217-$326 million), Corriere della Sera and financial daily Il Sole 24 Ore reported.The…
Safe Bulkers Sells Two Vessels
Dry bulk shipowner Safe Bulkers on Wednesday announced it has reached deals to sell two of its vessels to undisclosed buyers.Through separate agreements, the Monaco-headquartered company will sell the 2010-built 92,000 dwt Post-Panamax Panayiota K at a gross sale price of $20.45 million and 2011-built 75,000 dwt Panamax Paraskevi 2 at a gross sale price of $20.3 million.The ships are scheduled to be delivered to their new owners in April and July 2024 respectively.Dr.
Hanwha Ocean Lays Keel for Cadeler WTIV Wind Maker
South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean has laid the keel for Cadeler’s newbuild wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV), Wind Maker.The vessel was ordered in 2021 by Eneti, which was acquired by Denmark-based Cadeler in 2023. The vessel was to be named Nessie under previous ownership.The Gusto MSC NG16000X self-propelled jack up will be fitted with a Huisman 2600t at 31m radius leg encircling crane, allowing the installation of 14MW+ offshore wind turbines.
Bulk Carrier Hit by Missile Off Yemen, Sailors Missing or Wounded
The Greek-owned cargo ship True Confidence was hit by a missile about 50 nautical miles southwest of the Yemeni port of Aden on Wednesday in an attack presumed to come from Houthi forces, the ship's owner and operator said.The bulk carrier was drifting with a fire continuing onboard, their statement said, adding that no information was available on the status of 20 crew members and three armed guards…
Rubymar Sinking Puts Coral Reefs At Risk
When the Rubymar sank in the Red Sea after a Houthi attack, the ship went down carrying 21,000-tonnes of fertiliser which could trigger massive algal blooms that could create "dead zones" for marine life and starve coral reefs of light.Alongside a slick of leaking fuel, the ammonium phosphate sulphate fertilisers could deliver an extreme pulse of nutrients into waters harbouring rare corals, marine mammals and reef fish…
Explosion Reported Near US-Owned Cargo Ship Off Yemen
An explosion in the vicinity of a Barbados-flagged, U.S.-owned cargo ship off the port of Aden in southern Yemen was reported by a nearby vessel, British security firm Ambrey said on Wednesday.The ship, located approximately 57 nautical miles southwest of Aden, was hailed by an entity declaring itself to be the "Yemeni Navy" and ordered to alter course, Ambrey said.Vessels in the vicinity reported a loud bang and a large plume of smoke…
Hanwha Launches New Affiliate Rounding Off Its Total Shipbuilding Solutions Capabilities
With the launch of Hanwha Engine, South Korea’s shipbuilder Hanwha has become fully equipped to provide total shipbuilding solutions, including engine production with in-house manufacturing and technology capabilities.Hanwha has officially launched its new affiliate, Hanwha Engine, after successfully acquiring HSD Engine, the world’s second-largest marine engine company in terms of market share.According to the company…
ABB to Deliver Integrated Propulsion System for CCG’s Next-Gen Polar Icebreaker
Seaspan Shipyards, Canada’s long-term shipbuilding partner for the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) and Royal Canadian Navy, has awarded ABB a contract to deliver an integrated propulsion system for the first of the CCG’s new-generation polar class icebreakers.The vessel is expected to be one of the world’s largest and most powerful diesel-electric icebreaker when it enters service in 2030, with ABB supplying…
MOL and Petrobras Sign Cargo Transfer Vessels Deals
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and Brazil’s state-owned energy giant Petrobras have signed a charter contract for cargo transfer vessel (CTV) SeaLoader 2, and agreed to start negotiations for a new CTV shipbuilding contract by the end of 2024.MOL signed the deal through its wholly owned subsidiary, SeaLoading Holding, which owns and operates CTVs.SeaLoading started a CTV agreement with Petrobras for SeaLoader 2 on a trial period in January 2022…
MAN Expands Dual-fuel Methanol Agreement with CCS
MAN Energy Solutions and China Classification Society (CCS) signed a sub-agreement in line with the Strategic Framework Agreement (SFA) the two parties previously agreed in September 2023 in Beijing. The SFA, on ‘Decarbonization and Digitalization in the maritime industry’, is scheduled to last for five years.The new sub-agreement – the third such between the companies – covers MAN Energy Solutions’ new MAN L21/31DF-M (Dual-Fuel Methanol) GenSet designed at the company’s Danish site in Holeby.
Philippines Summons China Diplomat Over 'Aggressive' Actions in South China Sea
The Philippines summoned China's deputy chief of mission in Manila on Tuesday to protest what it called "aggressive actions" by Chinese naval forces against a resupply mission for Filipino troops stationed on a South China Sea shoal.Manila's South China Sea task force said Philippine vessels carrying out the routine mission to the Second Thomas Shoal were "harassed (and) blocked" by Chinese maritime militia and coast guard ships on Tuesday.Chinese coast guard ships fired water cannon…
Italy Impounds Charity Ship Involved in Dispute with Libya
A German charity vessel was on Tuesday impounded by Italian authorities after it ran into a dispute with the Libyan coast guard over the rescue of as many as 100 migrants in international waters.Italy often temporarily blocks the operations of charity-operated rescue vessels on the basis of a migration decree introduced last year by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's rightist government.The Humanity 1…
Egypt's Non-oil Business Sector Hurt by Suez Canal Disruption
A downturn in Egypt's private sector activity deepened in February as a drop in Suez Canal freight due to attacks on shipping in the Red Sea worsened a long-running foreign currency shortage, a survey showed on Tuesday.The S&P Global Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for Egypt slipped to 47.1 in February from 48.1 in January, remaining below the 50.0 threshold that separates growth from contraction for a 39th consecutive month.The overall index reading was the lowest for 11 months…
Singapore and Australia Formalize Corridor Collaboration
Singapore and Australia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formally collaborate on establishing the Singapore-Australia green and digital shipping corridor.The MoU was signed by Chee Hong Tat, Singapore’s Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Finance, and Catherine King, Australian Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government.Both countries…
Singapore Highlights its Maritime Achievements for 2023
The Singapore government has recounted the achievements of Maritime Singapore to date to highlight the nation’s successes as a maritime hub in 2023:Total business spending by key maritime companies overseen by MPA exceeded S$4.8 billion, up from S$4.3 billion in 2022. Twenty-five maritime companies established or expanded their operations in Singapore last year. These included maritime services companies…
Vuyk Engineering Rotterdam: Three Years of Independence
Three years ago in March, Vuyk Engineering Rotterdam gained full independence, and since then, the company has taken strategic steps to chart its own course and strengthen its independent position within the maritime sector.After the closure of the Vuyk shipyard in Capelle aan den IJssel in 1979, marking the end of all shipbuilding activities, former employees established a new company: Vuyk Engineering and Trading.
Ukraine Says it Sunk a Russian Patrol Ship Near Crimea
Ukrainian sea drones hit and sank a Russian Black Sea Fleet patrol ship off occupied Crimea in an overnight attack, the Ukrainian military said on Tuesday.Ukraine's GUR military intelligence agency said a special unit called Group 13 had fired Magura V5 maritime drones at the Sergey Kotov near the Kerch Strait, which connects the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea.It said on the Telegram messaging app that the vessel had sustained damage to the stern…
Fire Breaks Out On Containership Off Canada
A fire has broken out on board a Liberian-registered containership off Canada's East Coast, the Canadian Coast Guard said.At around 11 p.m. on Sunday, the MSC Sao Paulo V issued a call for help after a blaze erupted in the engine room of the 294-meter-long vessel. The ship had left Montréal in the morning and was approaching the Les Escoumins pilot station while en route to Portugal when the incident occurred.By Monday afternoon…
ABS Awards AIP for OceanSTAR’s FSO Design
Classification society ABS said it has granted an approval in principle (AIP) to OceanSTAR Marine & Offshore Investment Pte. Ltd., for its newbuild floating storage and offloading (FSO) design.The OceanSTAR FSO-01 is a shipshape hull design specifically developed to cater to midsize FSOs with a storage capacity to scale up to 750,000 barrels of oil for operational demands in Asia Pacific and African coastal offshore fields.