Radiation News

The maritime industry is exploring whether nuclear fuel can be used to power commercial ships as advancements in technology open up such options, industry officials said. Nevertheless, any possible nuclear fuel solutions for ships are at least 10 years away, they added.Shipping accounts for nearly 3% of global CO2 emissions and the industry is under pressure from investors and environmentalists to find cleaner fuel solutions, which include ammonia, methanol, and wind. Nuclear energy has been used in the past to power military submarines and icebreakers…

Fincantieri, reactor developer newcleo and class society RINA have agreed to carry out a feasibility study for nuclear applications to the shipping industry, including newcleo’s lead-cooled small modular reactors (SMRs) technology.The deployment of newcleo’s lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR) for naval propulsion would involve placing a closed mini reactor on vessels as a small nuclear battery producing a 30MW electric output. This would require infrequent refuelling (only once every 10-15 years)…

Explosive charges aboard the ship enabled battle damage assessment (BDA) teams to respond to actual damageThe former Austin-class amphibious transport dock USS Denver (LPD 9) was sunk in a blaze of glory as a target ship during the recent Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise 2022. The 9,600-ton, 561-foot Denver, which was commissioned in 1968 and served until being retired in 2014, had been stored with other inactive ships at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, before being sunk about 50 miles north of Kauai in about 15…

Japan's health ministry said on Tuesday it had ordered the suspension of shipments of black rockfish caught off Fukushima prefecture after radiation exceeding an upper limit was detected in a catch late last month.The development comes on the heels of an announcement by Taiwan that it would relax a ban on food imports from Japan put in place after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.The suspension means the targetted fish would not be shipped, regardless of the destination, a ministry official said. (Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

The research vessel Sikuliaq navigated among and around the chunks and slabs of Arctic sea ice above Alaska for several weeks on two voyages this fall, breaking through frozen slabs when it had to, just as its sturdy hull is designed to do. It's now on a third trip.The Sikuliaq, a 261-ft. ice-capable research vessel operated by UAF, pauses in the Arctic Ocean in June 2021 during its fifth year of operation. A few months later, it traveled farther north than ever before — almost 500 miles beyond Point Barrow.Satellite imagery produced at the Geographic Information Network of Alaska…

For those operating equipment on, under or near the water for commercial or recreational purposes, the corrosive effects of saltwater can be costly. For the U.S. Navy, the ramifications could be much more severe.As a doctoral student in mechanical engineering and applied mechanics at the University of Rhode Island, Irine Neba Mforsoh studied the long-term effects seawater and ultraviolet radiation have on the materials used to coat marine structures.After earning her doctorate in spring 2021…

ONEX Peace, an Aframax tanker built by Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries and delivered to its owner ONEX, has become the world’s first merchant ship to receive DNV’s SILENT-E notation. The SILENT-E notation ensures ships do not exceed average-to-moderate Underwater Radiation Noise (URN) levels. Vessels with this notation can minimize their impact on marine life and document noise performance for authorities, or those requiring proof of noise emissions for transit through vulnerable…

While the maritime industry steams toward alternative and dual fuel solutions, much of the focus, rightfully so, remains on the main movers as well as the overall vessel design and logistics considerations. Here we look at the SERO PumpSystems’ SHPmarine side channel pump, a pump integrated into the “Secondary Fuel Supply Systems” (SFSS) of hybrid ship propulsion units pumping LPG (propane) to the main shipboard engine. According to the manufacturer, it is the first pump of its kind to be both Lloyd's Register accepted and DNV GL type approved for maritime dual fuel propulsion systems.

Most people these days are aware of risks inherent in our increasingly electronic maritime industry. There is malware, ransomware, and spear phishing to name a few. But a new one has been recently identified – cosmic rays.Cosmic rays are high-energy protons and atomic nuclei which move through space at nearly the speed of light. They originate from the sun, from stars outside of the solar system, and from distant galaxies. They are capable of penetrating and passing through almost any material.

Marell Boats of Sweden launched the M15 Quad outboard open high-speed interceptor that includes fine tuning of the M15 hull and the addition of four Mercury 450HP Outboard engines on an extended platform.The M15 is designed for high speed interception and boarding, with a center steering position for a helmsman to optimize control and allow for full view of the surroundings during boarding maneuvers and high speed turns. Ullman shock absorbing seats level out the impact from the…

Nearly a decade after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japan's government has decided to release over one million tonnes of contaminated water into the sea, media reports said on Friday, with a formal announcement expected to be made later this month.The decision is expected to rankle neighboring countries like South Korea, which has already stepped up radiation tests of food from Japan, and further devastate the fishing industry in Fukushima that has battled against such a move…

At the edge of the ice blanketing part of the Arctic Ocean, the ice looked sickly. Where thick sheets of ice once sat atop the water, now a layer of soft, spongey slush slid and bobbed atop the waves.From the deck of a research ship under a bright, clear sky, “ice pilot” Paul Ruzycki mused over how quickly the region was changing since he began helping ships spot and navigate between icebergs in 1996.“Not so long ago, I heard that we had 100 years before the Arctic would be ice free in the summer,” he said. “Then I heard 75 years, 25 years, and just recently I heard 15 years.

The Bering Sea ice cover during the winters of 2018 and 2019 hit new lows not seen in thousands of years, scientists reported on Wednesday, adding to concerns about the accelerating impact of climate change in the Arctic.Satellite data provides a clear picture of how sea ice has changed over the last four decades in the region between the Arctic and northern Pacific oceans. Beyond that, the only ice records available were those recorded in ship logs and other observations.So scientists turned to peat land, which holds organic compounds from plants dating back millennia, on the remote St.

MetalCraft Marine has delivered a new patrol boat to the Port of Los Angeles. The new vessel is one of a new breed of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) detection patrol boats.According to the builder, the bow entry is the critical design feature of all Interceptor models. Its high-speed rough water performance allows the operators to go offshore to inspect incoming ships before they enter the port for nuclear and chemical hazardous contaminants.The boat is designed for rough water with structure design to ISO 12215 and stability to ISO 12217 Category B…

A panel of experts advising Japan's government on a disposal method for radioactive water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant on Friday recommended releasing it into the ocean, a move likely to alarm neighboring countries.The panel under the industry ministry came to the conclusion after narrowing the choice to either releasing the contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean or letting it evaporate - and opted for the former. Based on past practice it is likely the government…

The High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh declared the import, beaching and breaking of the infamous FPSO North Sea Producer illegal.The judgment was issued in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by NGO Shipbreaking Platform member organization Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA).The Court further noted with dismay the incessant violations of national and international laws by the shipbreaking industry, and passed several directions upon the government to regulate the sector in line with earlier rulings.Already in August 2017, the Bangladesh Court had issued an injunction on the ongoing breaking…

The InvaSave mobile ballast water treatment system from Damen Green Solutions has demonstrated beyond doubt its capability to help ships meet the incoming D2 standard. All vessels will be required to comply with the standard which came into force on September 8th this year.This summer the InvaSave crew teamed up with local service provider Tradebe Santander  (Tradebe Company) to receive ballast water from a tanker in Gijon. What appears to be a simple exercise has significant…

The world's largest silent research vessel built by China was officially put into use, which will pave the way for the cultivation of innovative deep-sea talent and ocean science study.Built by Shanghai-based Jiangnan Shipyard (Group) Co., Ltd, the Dong Fang Hong 3 is the first Chinese research vessel and the world' fourth to have obtained a Silent-R certificate, the highest standard for underwater noise control issued by Norwegian international certification body, DNV GL, according to Xie Jun, chief builder of the vessel.The ship is the first one in China and fourth in the world to receive the certification, positioning the vessel at the highest international standard in terms of the underwater radiation noise control in the world.

Norway is growing its arsenal of military grade drones for missions that’ll take them into the exhaust streams of ship’s funnels. With the IMO now supporting the 0.1 percent sulfur cap on marine fuel from Jan. 2020, and with southern Norway below the 62nd parallel officially a European Emissions Control Area, or ECA, the Norwegian Maritime Authority, the NMA, is cracking down on illegal sulfur emissions.Oslo’s NMA and its domestic enforcement allies — the Norwegian Coast Guard (Kystvakten)…

In less than five months, the IMO’s Ballast Water Convention will be extended to cover existing vessels as well as new builds. As of September 8, all will be required to comply by the time of their first IOPP certificate renewal following that date.To assist vessel owners in meeting their obligations under the convention while at the same time offering port and harbor authorities a value-added service that they can offer to their clients, Damen Green Solutions will be taking its InvaSave 300 mobile ballast water treatment system on tour to demonstrate its convenience…

Marine organisms such as barnacles and zebra mussels have been a long-standing nuisance to ship hulls, causing exterior damage, increased power and fuel consumption and environmental concerns. While anti-fouling coatings help to prevent biofouling,  a new research study suggests that an innovative approach to marine coatings may solve the problem of barnacle and zebra mussel fouling, an approach stems from the MOSI (Marine Organism Sensory Interference) concept. MOSI uses a unique coating tech to interfere with the sensory ability of juvenile barnacles…

In a new report, marine and social scientists are urging a precautionary approach towards these techniques which involve deliberate large-scale manipulation of the environment.Adding iron or other nutrients into the oceans to enhance natural processes to draw carbon from the atmosphere and creating foams which float on the surface of the sea to reflect sunlight back into the atmosphere are among a wide range of geoengineering practices which have been put forward as potential tools for countering climate change.But the report, published by the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP)…

MarineNews showcases the ten best of North America’s 2018 workboat deliveries. Domestic shipyard production is robust, innovative and getting greener. And, that translates into two kinds of ‘green.’As the domestic offshore energy support sector slowly awakens, other sectors have been happy to take the spotlight in its absence. As always, and if a hull was delivered in 2018, we took a look at it, with several areas as a focus for inclusion into this edition. For my part, I’m always excited when the U.S. boatbuilding sector can deliver for a foreign buyer. We’ve checked that box here. And, that’s because we can compete on price, quality and when we do…