US Gulf Coast Energy Facilities Brace for Storm Francine
Energy facilities along the U.S. Gulf Coast have begun scaling back operations and evacuating some production sites as Tropical Storm Francine swept through the energy-rich region, and was poised to strengthen into a hurricane later Tuesday.Francine was advancing toward the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, set to become the fourth hurricane of the Atlantic season, which concludes on November 30. Francine could intensify into a Category 2 hurricane…
Washington State Ferries Cancels Sale of Retired Vessels
Washington State Ferries announced it has canceled the sale of two retired vessels after the buyer failed to meet its contractual obligations and left a tugboat crew abandoned in Puget Sound.Sold in August for $100,000 apiece, the decommissioned WSF ferries Elwha and Klahowya had been sold to Nelson Armas, who has gained approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration…
Vessel Ballast Water Management: Getting the Numbers Right
It was never going to be realistic to expect treated ballast water to have zero viable organisms on discharge.The G8 guidelines that define the type approval process for ballast water treatment systems were initially agreed at the IMO before any systems had actually been developed.The IMO had already been working on the issue of invasive species being transferred around the world in ballast water for a couple of decades. It was on the radar back in the 1970s.
Shipbuilding and the the Brain-drain Conundrum
How do you balance the fact that your skilled workforce will get older and retire and leave you with a group of younger individuals that will not have the "experience" that your more tenured employees have? Back in the day individuals would not pass down knowledge to younger workers in fear of being replaced. The days of reckoning are upon us. An older workforce is leaving with years of knowledge bottled up in their heads with no way to capture the information. What is the solution?
Anemoi Secures DNV’s Approval for Wind-Assisted Rotor Sail Design
Wind-assisted propulsion systems developer Anemoi Marine Technologies has secured a Type Approval Design Certificate from classification society DNV for its Rotor Sail design.The Type Approval Design Certificate (TADC) validates that Anemoi's 5x35m Rotor Sail design complies with DNV's technical standard (ST-0511) for Wind Assisted Propulsion Systems (WAPS).In May 2024, Anemoi's 5x35m Rotor Sail was installed on the DNV-classed bulk carrier Berge Neblina…
QatarEnergy Inaugurates LNG Vessel Rex Tillerson
QatarEnergy has inaugurated the Rex Tillerson vessel, marking the delivery of the first LNG vessel under its historic shipbuilding program.Rex Tillerson vessel was named after the former Chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil as a tribute to his life-long accomplishments in the energy sector.The traditional naming ceremony was held at the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard in the Chinese city of Shanghai.“As the first ship in our new LNG fleet…
Emergency Planning Boosted After Tanker Breakaway and Grounding
The breakaway and grounding of an oil tanker in the Brisbane River, Australia, in February 2022 illustrates the importance of clearly defined emergency and risk management arrangements, according to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation report.On February 27, 2022, during a period of heavy, sustained rainfall and flooding in south-east Queensland, the 185-meter Hong Kong-flagged…
Industry Unites on Enclosed Space Deaths
Appalled that deaths in enclosed spaces continue to be all too frequent occurrences in the shipping industry, the Maritime Professional Council of the United Kingdom (MPC) has announced its support for fundamental changes to ship operation and design.MPC member InterManager has been at the forefront of raising this issue where, it says, seemingly innocuous compartments, cargo holds and fuel tanks, vital for storage and operation on board any vessel…
Giles Candy Responds to “Getting the Numbers Right”
Wendy Laursen’s article Getting the Numbers Right, published in the August issue of Maritime Reporter, sparked debate from ballast water management experts. Here Giles Candy of Giles Environmental LLC – Independent Ballast Water Consultant, provides his feedback on the article which outlines the challenges the industry has faced trying to reduce the occurrence of invasive marine species transferred…
Austal USA Lays Keel for Final Expeditionary Fast Transport Vessel USNS Lansing
Austal USA has officially launched the construction of the U.S. Navy’s final Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF), the future USNS Lansing (EPF 16), with a keel laying ceremony at its Mobile, Ala. shipyard. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who is serving as the ship’s sponsor, and Emija Coleman, a seasoned welder with nine years of experience at Austal USA, played key roles in the ceremony. Governor Whitmer…
JonRie Escort Winches Ordered for Two McAllister Tugs
McAllister Towing recently placed an order for series 240 JonRie Escort Winches to be installed aboard the tugs Vicki M. McAllister and Janet M. McAllister. The company is undertaking modifications of both tugs, and replacement of the hydraulic winches aboard was seen as the wisest decision.“Brandon has done well with everything he’s undertaken,” said Martin “Marty” Costa, veteran engineering manager at McAllister Towing…
Gulf of Mexico Offshore Platforms Evacuated Ahead of Storm Francine
U.S. Gulf of Mexico oil and gas producers were evacuating staff and curbing drilling to prepare for Tropical Storm Francine on Monday as it churned through the energy region on a path to bring high winds and drenching rains to the U.S. mid-South.Francine is likely to bring life-threatening storm surge to the upper Texas and Louisiana coasts and hurricane-force winds to Southern Louisiana this week.
Plaquemines LNG Export Plant Gets Key Regulatory Approval
Federal regulators on Friday gave Venture Global LNG permission to begin preparations for the start-up of liquefied natural gas equipment at its Plaquemines export plant in Louisiana, taking a step closer to first LNG production for the facility, about 20 miles south of New Orleans.A tanker containing LNG has been docked at Plaquemines with a cargo of chilled gas since late August, according to Venture Global LNG and data from financial firm LSEG.
Star Bulk Sells Its Oldest Vessel
Dry bulk shipowner Star Bulk on Monday announced it has reached a deal to sell the oldest vessel in its fleet for $20 million.The sale of the 2004-built Capesize vessel Star Triumph will generate net proceeds of approximately $13 million after repayment of associated debt, Star Bulk said, noting it expects to record a gain of approximately $7.7 million during the third quarter of 2024.Star Bulk did not disclose the buyer.
LR Partners with Amogy and RotoBoost to Slash Maritime Emissions
Classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR) is collaborating with Amogy and RotoBoost in a study aimed at reducing emissions in the maritime industry. The joint development project (JDP) will assess the potential of advanced technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells, ammonia-to-power systems, and pre-combustion Carbon Dioxide Capture Storage (CCS) systems from technical, financial, and regulatory perspectives.This…
Scania Unveils New 13-liter Marine Engine
Scania has unveiled its new 13-liter DI13 marine engine for propulsion and auxiliary use."This is our most advanced marine engine so far, contributing to a better operating economy and sustainability at sea. We want to meet our customers' needs and positively impact fuel efficiency and product performance for demanding conditions within all operations," said Fredrik Järild, Head of Sales Power Solutions. With an improved fuel efficiency, this 13-liter engine has a major CO2-emission reduction.
North Korean Seeks to Build Up Its Naval Power
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un underscored the importance of strengthening naval power as he toured a naval base construction site, state media KCNA reported on Sunday."Now that we are soon to possess large surface warships and submarines which cannot be anchored by the existing facilities for mooring warships, the construction of a naval base for running the latest large warships has become a pressing task…
Green Marine Helps Maritime Blaze an Environmental Path
Green Marine is an environmental certification program for North America’s maritime industry, a voluntary initiative that helps its participants to improve their environmental performance beyond regulations. But participation in the Green Marine program requires rigor in planning, executing, measuring and reporting an organization’s performance across 14 indicators, an investment in time and resources…
Four Seafarers Abandoned on Tugboat in the US
Four seafarers have been abandoned without pay on a 60-year-old tugboat in Washington State.The vessel, Wycliffe, recently changed its flag to Vanuatu, and was scheduled to help tow two retired Washington State Ferries vessels for a 34-day transit to Ecuador – where the new owner is based – for scrap, but the contract was canceled after the tug experienced technical issues.The four crew members on board from Colombia…
Rand Logistics CEO Dave Foster to Retire, Greg Binion Named Interim CEO
Rand Logistics, Inc., a provider of bulk freight shipping in the Great Lakes region, announced that Dave Foster has informed the Board of his decision to retire from his role as Chief Executive Officer, following a nearly 40 year career in the maritime industry, including the past four as CEO of Rand.Greg Binion, a seasoned transportation and logistics executive and most recently a Board Member of Rand…
