Barges News

Marine energy transportation company Centerline Logistics has formed an exclusive partnership with naval architecture and engineering firm Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) to construct and deploy a series of barge-based clean power solutions for ports lacking conventional shore power infrastructure.EBDG's patent-pending Clean Harbor Alternative Mobile Power (CHAMP) barge is an innovative floating platform, capable of reducing ship emissions by up to 93% while they are idling 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 all exhaust funneled into its system before the exhaust is released as purified gas.The idea for the solution comes from seasoned inventor and engineer Bob Sharp…

U.S. soybean export premiums are at their highest in 14 months, as grain merchants race to ship out a record-large U.S. harvest ahead of the U.S. presidential election and fears of renewed trade tensions with top importer China, traders and analysts said.Nearly 2.5 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans were inspected for export last week, including almost 1.7 million tons bound for China, the most in a year, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data released on Monday.But while this export flurry is a bright spot for U.S.

Conrad Shipyard announced it has delivered the first Yard, Repair, Berthing, Messing (YRBM) vessel to the U.S. Navy. The delivery took place at Conrad’s shipyard in Amelia, La., where the final inspection by key Navy officials took place.This YRBM vessel, the first in its class, was designed and constructed by Conrad Shipyard, featuring a new and innovative design tailored to meet the U.S. Navy’s operational needs. The vessel recently completed its acceptance trials during the…

With clean energy projects maturing in U.S. waters, the nation’s offshore wind industry is poised to grow substantially, requiring a robust industrial base. A feedering model using domestic tugs and barges to transport turbines to offshore wind sites, is positioned at the heart of this emerging growth.Currently, the entire global fleet of wind turbine installation vessels (WTIV)—except for Dominion Energy’s Charybdis currently under construction at the Seatrium AmFELS yard in Brownsville, Texas—is flagged, owned and operated outside of the U.S.

Palatka, Fla. shipbuilder St. Johns Ship Building announced it has signed a contract to construct a pair of 80 x 54 x 12 spud barges for marine equipment company Mobro Marine, based in Green Cove Springs, Fla.The spud barges, built to support various marine construction and operations, will join Mobro Marine's fleet serving across the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.“Having St. Johns Ship Building partner with us to build these barges was only natural. We preferred…

Ports of Indiana has introduced a new venture called Indiana River & Rail Terminals, creating the largest general cargo operation along the Ohio River. This initiative will oversee all general cargo facilities at the Jeffersonville and Mount Vernon ports, encompassing six docks, six warehouses, and several rail transload facilities. It will also provide logistics services to over 40 clients across the extensive 2,200 acres of port land.Positioned within the greater Louisville and Evansville metropolitan areas…

The Holt Lock on the Black Warrior River in Holt, Ala., has reopened after being closed earlier this year due to concerns about its structural stability.The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers closed the lock on June 22 after the Mobile District engineering team conducted an initial stability analysis that identified cracks and leaks in the lock's infrastructure."The analysis, which utilized known data and certain assumptions, revealed critical stability issues with the monolith structure of the Holt Lock," the Corps said at the time of the closure.

Bollinger Shipyards has been awarded a contract to build the U.S. Navy’s seventh Auxiliary Personnel Lighter–Small (APL 73) Class berthing and messing barge. The contract award is for a fixed-price option for the detail design and construction of the vessel. "We’re honored to be entrusted by the U.S. Navy to continue building these critical vessels that improve the quality of life for our sailors,” said Ben Bordelon, President and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards. “We take great pride in every single vessel we build and deliver to the U.S. Navy.

A barge that broke free on the Tennessee River near Loudon, Tenn. has been recovered and secured, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.The breakaway was caused by high water stemming from Hurricane Helene.The Coast Guard said it is cautioning mariners to monitor river levels and proceed with caution when transiting the Tennessee River as the high water situation persists.Helene slammed into the Florida Panhandle as a major hurricane on September. 26, and its winds, rain and storm surge killed over 100 people across the U.S. Southeast and Midwest.

At least four people have been reported dead following the sinking of an oil barge operated by a contractor of Venezuela's state-run energy company PDVSA at the country's Lake Maracaibo, according to a report of the accident on Thursday and sources.Another 19 people had been successfully rescued by Thursday morning at the accident site, the report added.Incidents involving barges that carry Venezuelan oil and fuel between domestic ports and to the Caribbean have become frequent.

At least two people died and four were declared missing following the sinking of an oil barge operated by a contractor of Venezuelan state-run energy company PDVSA at Lake Maracaibo, PDVSA said on Thursday.Sources and an internal report from the company had indicated four fatalities from the accident earlier on Thursday. But PDVSA said rescue work to find the four missing people has not finished."PDVSA reports the unfortunate sinking of barge Chantase G of company SOSCA, provider of oil well maintenance services…

The initial design for a new ammonia bunkering articulated tug-barge (ATB) has been granted approval in principle (AIP) from classification society the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).The partners behind the project, including ABS, A.P. Moller – Maersk A/S, Fleet Management Limited, Georgia Ports Authority, Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping (MMMCZCS), Sumitomo Corporation and TOTE Services, came together in March 2023 and have been conducting a feasibility study on ship-to-ship bunkering of reduced emission ammonia along the U.S.

The Danube River was closed to all shipping traffic in Austria on Tuesday due to severe flooding, according to APA news agency, citing the Austrian transport ministry.Central Europe is grappling with widespread flooding that has disrupted shipping and resulted in at least 21 fatalities. Rivers continued to overflow in the Czech Republic, while the Danube’s water levels were rising in Hungary. Floodwaters have also affected parts of Austria and Romania.In Hungary, mobile dams have been deployed in the historic towns of Visegrad and Szentendre…

Jeffersonville, Ind. based marine transportation company American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL) announced it has promoted George Piccioni to vice president of business development.As ACBL's senior director of business development since 2016, Piccioni has helped to maximize the company's land holdings and assets, including leading the $1 billion transformation project at the site of its former Jeffboat shipyard.In his new VP role, Piccioni will continue these functions while also assuming an expanded leadership position, with Michael Shea, market analyst, reporting to him.

STAX Engineering announced it has secured a five-year contract to deploy its cutting-edge emissions capture services at Shell’s Mormon Island Terminal in the Port of Los Angeles, coinciding with new California Air Resources Board (CARB) emissions regulations. STAX’s emission capture and control solution offers an alternative to shore power for emissions reduction for tankers. Available as a land- or barge-based solution, the mobile, flexible exhaust capture system is designed to fit all ships without modification…

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District opened a 100-foot-wide navigation channel for commercial vessels through the center of the dam at Monongahela River Locks and Dam 3 near Elizabeth, Pa. The first commercial navigation vessel passed through the channel on Thursday, September 5.“Opening the navigation channel ahead of schedule was a significant achievement,” said Col. Nicholas Melin, commander of the Pittsburgh District.The Monongahela River Locks and Dam 3 has been operating since 1907…

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, effort and collaboration over the last two years to make this deal a reality,” said Derrick Good, President of the JCPA Board of Directors.

Conrad Shipyard held a ceremony at its shipyard in Amelia, La. recognizing the first-of-class yard, repair, berthing, messing vessel (YRBM) it is building for the U.S. Navy.Scheduled for delivery to the Navy in San Diego later this year, YRBM-57 will serve as pierside living accommodations for U.S. Navy sailors. It is capable of berthing 199 mixed gender personnel, messing for 300 personnel and includes spaces for medical offices, classrooms, workspaces, laundry rooms, storerooms and lounge areas.Conrad senior vice president and Director Dan Conrad said…

NASA has transported a critical component for the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, designed for the Artemis II mission, from Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, to Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The cone-shaped launch vehicle stage adapter, which connects the rocket’s core stage to the upper stage, was moved on August 21.This adapter plays a crucial role in protecting the upper stage’s engine, which will be used to propel the Artemis II mission around the Moon, scheduled for 2025.

Salvors are sending a crane barge to lift a yacht that ran aground on a coral reef just off Puerto Rico's Flamenco Beach.The 72-foot sailing catamaran Obsession was reportedly traveling with four people on board from Puerto Rico to the British Virgin Islands when it struck a reef during a stop in Culebra on July 21. No injuries were reported.To remove the vessel, salvage and marine services contractor Resolve Marine has deployed its 400-ton shear-leg barge. The 164-foot-long, 54-foot-wide barge is being towed by tugboat from Baltimore and is expected to arrive to Culebra…

A barge wreck found in September last year has been confirmed as the earliest known shipwreck discovered to date in Western Australia's Swan River, the WA Museum said. The barge was identified as one that lost in 1882 while carrying limestone from Fremantle to Perth.The State Government's release of detailed 3D multibeam surveys of the Swan River riverbed played a crucial role in the initial discovery of the wreck, which was first identified by Maritime Archaeology Association WA President Patrick Morrison and his colleagues Jess Green and Ian McCann.Following this discovery in 2023…

Low water conditions have led to several barges running aground along a key stretch of the lower Mississippi River, the U.S. Coast Guard told Reuters on Wednesday, just as the busiest U.S. grain export season gets underway.Low water levels are slowing export-bound barge shipments of grain and oilseeds from the Midwest farm belt for a third straight year, making U.S. exports less competitive in a world market awash in supplies - just as farmers are set to harvest a record soy and large corn crop and as prices hover near four-year lows.The U.S.