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Wednesday, March 26, 2025
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Northeast News

23 Mar 2025

Lack of Oversight Impacts U.S. Fishing Industry

© Gema / Adobe Stock

U.S. President Donald Trump’s regulatory freeze has injected chaos and uncertainty into a number of lucrative American fisheries, raising the risk of a delayed start to the fishing season for some East Coast cod and haddock fleets and leading to overfishing of Atlantic bluefin tuna, according to Reuters interviews with industry groups and federal government employees.America’s $320 billion fishing industry relies on a branch of the federal government, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to manage coastal fisheries.

20 Mar 2025

Wood Mackenzie: LNG for Power Generation Emits 'Significantly' Less Than Coal

Wood Mackenzie’s new report reveals the lifecycle emissions of U.S. LNG are typically around 48% of the coal equivalent. Credit: Wood Mackenzie

Wood Mackenzie has published a new report comparing the life cycle emissions of LNG with those of coal for power generation, finding the combustion of coal is related to significantly higher emissions.Wood Mackenzie’s analysis in the report titled 'Shining a light on the ‘coal versus LNG emissions’ debate' reveals the lifecycle emissions of U.S. LNG are typically around 48% of the coal equivalent. This difference is not just related to the significantly higher emissions related…

13 Mar 2025

Environmental Disaster Most Likely Avoided After North Sea Ships Collision

(Credit: Video Screenshot/X.com)

Fears of an environmental disaster eased on Wednesday, two days after a container ship ploughed into a stationary U.S. fuel tanker off northeast England, as the vessel's owner said the detained captain was a Russian national.The Portuguese-flagged Solong had crashed with no obvious explanation into the larger Stena Immaculate, a tanker carrying jet fuel for the U.S. military.Huge fires and explosions charred the Solong and left the Immaculate with a gaping hole, but owner Stena…

11 Mar 2025

Arrest Made Over UK Tanker Collision

British police arrested a man on Tuesday on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter after an unexplained collision at sea left a tanker carrying U.S. army jet fuel with a gaping hole in its side and a charred container ship adrift.The tanker, Stena Immaculate, which carries jet fuel for the U.S. military, was at anchor on Monday when it was struck by the smaller Solong, causing huge fires and explosions, releasing fuel into the sea, and potentially posing a danger to wildlife.Neither vessel is now expected to sink, transport minister Heidi Alexander said in a statement after an earlier assessment had said the Solong was unlikely to remain afloat.One crew member from the Portuguese-flagged Solong is assumed dead maritime minister Mike Kane told parliament earlier.

11 Mar 2025

Boskalis to Salvage Stena Immaculate Tanker Following Collision

(Credit: Stena Bulk)

Dutch marine provider Boskalis will salvage the U.S.-flagged tanker Stena Immaculate, which was struck by a container ship off northeast England on Monday, a spokesperson said on Tuesday, confirming earlier Dutch media reports.He could not give a time frame for the salvaging but added that four ships carrying foam and extinguishing agents were already en route to put out the fire caused by the collision.Another company would salvage Solong, the other container ship involved in the collision, Boskalis' spokesperson said without specifying which company.The Stena Immaculate was anchored when it

11 Mar 2025

Update: Stena Immaculate, U.S. Military Jet Fuel Cargo Continues to Burn

Credit: Stena Bulk

A tanker carrying jet fuel for the U.S. military was hit by a container ship off northeast England on Monday, with the collision igniting a blaze on both vessels, causing multiple explosions and forcing both crews to abandon ship.The tanker, which can carry tens of thousands of tons of jet fuel, was at anchor when the smaller container ship struck it, rupturing its cargo tank and releasing fuel into the sea, its operator said. Its owner Stena Bulk gave the same details.Two maritime…

11 Mar 2025

Update: Casualties Brought Ashore After Cargo Ship, Oil Tanker Collide Off UK

(Credit: Stena Bulk)

Stena Immaculate and the Portuguese-flagged container ship Solong Tanker, cargo ship collide off UK coast causing blaze and casualties.A chemical tanker and container ship collided off the northeastern coast of England on Monday causing a huge fire on at least one of the vessels and leading to numerous casualties.Authorities mounted an emergency response, and the coastguard agency said a helicopter, fixed-wing aircraft, lifeboats and nearby vessels with fire-fighting capability…

10 Mar 2025

Breaking: Fire Breaks Out as Oil Tanker and Cargo Vessel Ship in North Sea

Illustration © Lubo Ivanko / Adobe Stock

An oil tanker and a cargo ship a collided off the northeastern coast of England on Monday causing a huge fire, with authorities mounting an emergency response involving aircraft and lifeboats.Shipping industry sources told Reuters the two vessels involved were the chemical tanker Stena Immaculate and container ship Solong.Television images from the BBC showed at least one vessel ablaze with clouds of black smoke billowing into the air.The coastguard agency said a helicopter, fixed-wing aircraft, lifeboats and nearby vessels with fire-fighting capability were called to the incident.The Royal Na

07 Mar 2025

Allman Named CEO at Fincantieri Marinette Marine

Fincantieri Marinette Marine’s Board of Directors approved Jan Allman to assume the duties as FMM’s CEO beginning this week. Image courtesy Fincantieri/LinkedIN

Fincantieri Marinette Marine’s Board of Directors approved Jan Allman to assume the duties as FMM’s CEO beginning this week. Current FMM CEO Mark Vandroff is returning to Fincantieri Marine Group in a new role as the Senior Vice President of Government Relations in Washington D.C.Allman is quite familiar with Fincantieri operations in Northeast Wisconsin, as she has served as the VP and General Manager of Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding since April 2023, and previously served as…

27 Feb 2025

Port of Tyne, Artemis Launch Fully Electric Foiling Pilot Boat

A render of the Port of Tyne x Artemis EF-12 Pilot boat Image: Port of Tyne, Artemis Technologies

The Port of Tyne has purchased the UK’s first fully electric foiling pilot vessel, a significant milestone for the Port and the UK’s maritime sector. The vessel, scheduled to be delivered before the end of the year, will be used to transfer pilots onto the ships, delivering essential goods and cargo to the northeast of England.This investment by the Port of Tyne is aimint to further enhance both the safety and efficiency of the Port’s operations. It is also another major step…

02 Feb 2025

Trump's Tariffs a Boost for European and Asian Refiners

© photollurg / Adobe Stock

U.S. President Donald Trump's trade tariffs on Canadian and Mexican oil imports will offer European and Asian refineries a competitive advantage against their U.S. rivals, analysts and market participants told Reuters.Trump on Saturday ordered 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports and 10% on goods from China starting on Tuesday to address a national emergency over fentanyl and illegal aliens entering the U.S., White House officials said. Energy products from Canada will have only a 10% duty…

24 Jan 2025

Iranian Military Exercise Causes Commercial Vessel VHF Challenges, says UKMTO

Copyright Grispb/AdobeStock

Vessels in the northern Gulf have received multiple VHF radio challenges, including demands to alter course, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said on Friday, adding they could be part of an Iranian military exercise.The UKMTO, which monitors marine security in the region, advised seafarers that vessels near Iranian waters may experience such VHF hailing during the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' exercise.Naval units from the Revolutionary Guards were conducting operations in the Gulf's Strait of Hormuz on Friday as part of the exercise…

21 Jan 2025

European firms exposed as Trump targets US offshore wind

(c) maximages / Adobestock

U.S. President Donald Trump in his first day of office on Monday suspended new federal offshore wind leasing pending an environmental and economic review, saying wind mills are ugly, expensive and harm wildlife.Former President Joe Biden supported the offshore wind industry, setting a target for 30 gigawatts (GW) of projects by 2030, up from 42 megawatts at the end of 2023, prompting many European project developers to acquire leases and plan wind farms in the United States.Trump's executive order is not expected to stop existing U.S.

21 Jan 2025

US NatGas Demand Could Hit Record High

(c) Mike Mareen / Adobestock

U.S. spot natural gas and power prices soared to multi-year highs in several parts of the country with extreme cold expected to boost gas demand to a daily record high on Tuesday.Extreme weather has created havoc for power and gas markets in recent years as demand has come close to outpacing supply.In February 2021, a freeze in Texas killed more than 200 people and left millions without power, water and heat for days after extreme cold caused gas supplies to drop by freezing oil and gas infrastructure…

29 Dec 2024

War Games: Taiwan's Presidential Office Runs Tabletop Sim on a China Emergency

The Chinese Navy amphibious transport ship Changbai Shan (989) leaving the Port of Rotterdam after the first visit ever of the Chinese Navy to The Netherlands.
Copyright VanderWolf Images/AdobeStock

Taiwan's Presidential Office held its first "tabletop" exercise involving government agencies beyond the armed forces on Thursday, simulating a military escalation with China amid renewed threats from Beijing, officials said.Dozens of central and local government agencies as well as civil groups participated in the three-hour exercise, the sources said, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.China has in recent years stepped up military threats, including the large massing of naval forces this month and daily military activities close to democratically governed Taiwan, wh

27 Dec 2024

SubChapter M Towboat Rules Six Years Later: "Scorecard is a Mixed Bag"

Image courtesy Pat Folan

The more than half decade that has passed since the inception of the subchapter M towboat rule affords an up-close-and-personal look at how it is going. The scorecard is a mixed bag.More than six years ago, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) began inspecting towing vessels for compliance with the new towboat rules; specifically, 46 CFR Subchapter M. It has been a long road to compliance with many starts and stops, and much learning on both sides of the law.Has it been a success? If success is measured by Certificates of Inspection, then yes.

16 Jan 2025

For Those with Saltwater in Their Veins

Source: Friends of Nella Dan

The Scythian philosopher Anacharsis (6th century B.C.) said: “There are three sorts of people: those who are alive, those who are dead and those who are at sea.”Many of those onboard the Nella Dan when she grounded in December 1987 never went to sea again. Such was their passion for the ship.At that time, most of the crew were single, a wild bunch with saltwater in their veins, likely to be found partying together during their time ashore and likely to be telling everyone how Nella Dan was always the first to get to Antarctica at the start of the season despite her newer…

19 Dec 2024

SHIPS for America Act rolled out on the Hill

The bipartisan, bicameral bill will fuel U.S. economy, strengthen national security by responding to China’s threat over the oceans. Currently, the number of U.S.-flagged vessels in international commerce is 80; China has 5,500.Today, Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Senator Todd Young (R-IN), Representative John Garamendi (D-CA-8), and Representative Trent Kelly (R-MS-1) introduced the Shipbuilding and Harbor Infrastructure for Prosperity and Security (SHIPS) for America Act, comprehensive legislation to revitalize the United States shipbuilding and commercial maritime industries. After decades of neglect, the United States has a weakened shipbuilding capacity, a declining commercial shipping fleet that is dwarfed by China, and a diminished ability to supply the U.S. military during wartime.

13 Dec 2024

Maersk says Global Trade could rise 7% in 2025

Maersk expects global trade growth rising as much as 7% next year, bolstered by strong demand from the United States where a potential port strike and tariffs on foreign-made goods loom, an executive at the global carrier said on Wednesday."We predict anywhere between 5 and 7% (growth) overall," Charles van der Steene, regional president for North America at Maersk, told Reuters. "And at this stage, there's nothing that would indicate that it could not be the case," he said on the sidelines of the Reuters NEXT conference.Houthi attacks on vessels in the Red Sea and "resilient" demand from U.S. companies will continue to spur consumption, he said. The United States is Maersk's largest market by sales.

17 Nov 2024

Bosphorus Traffic Paused After Tanker Suffers Rudder Failure

© Resul / Adobe Stock

Turkey suspended shipping traffic in Istanbul's Bosphorus Strait in both directions on Sunday due to a rudder failure on a 114-metre tanker, the Nazann, the Transportation Ministry said.The vessel, en route from Russia to Kocaeli in Turkey, had mechanical problems in the strait and the coast guard deployed tugboats, the ministry said. The Bosphorus connects the Black Sea in the northeast to the Sea of Marmara to the southwest, and beyond to the Mediterranean.(Reuters - Reporting by Jonathan Spicer and Canan Sevgili; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

14 Nov 2024

Singapore Bunker Sales Hit Nine-Month High

© vladsv / Adobe Stock

Sales of marine fuel at Singapore rose to a nine-month high in October, led by an increase in container throughput and vessel calls for bunkering, data from Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore showed on Thursday.Bunker sales at the world's largest vessel refueling hub totaled 4.88 million metric tons in October, up 11% both month-on-month and year-on-year, the data showed.Total vessel calls for bunkering rose 5.7% from September to 3,452 in October, while container throughput firmed 6.5% to 3.51 million TEUs.Volumes for the mainstay low-sulfur fuel grade totaled 2.51 million tons in Octob

10 Dec 2024

JAXPORT Enhances Global Reach with New Partnerships

With the upcoming dissolution of the 2M Alliance in early 2025, JAXPORT is maintaining and growing its global container services through strategic partnerships with the world's top ocean carriers. New and modified service routes through JAXPORT will provide expanded global connectivity and access to new and emerging markets.Three primary changes are taking place beginning in February 2025.The Gemini Cooperation – an alliance between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd – has added JAXPORT to a new, direct service calling Cartagena, Colombia, opening doors not only to South American markets but also to the global Gemini network, including ports in Asia…

09 Dec 2024

APAC Presents Unique Opportunities for CO2 Shipping

Source: Bernhard Schulte

Shipping is poised to play a vital role in APAC cross-border CCUS initiatives, with annual CO2 shipping volumes projected to reach 100 MtPA by 2050, according to a joint study by the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) and Boston Consulting Group (BCG).The study has identified that shipping will play a key role in enabling CCUS initiatives, particularly when there is a large geographical mismatch between potential captured CO2 sources and sequestration hubs.The report…