Maritime Industry Top News
NTSB Continues to Push for Safety Management System Mandate
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is once again calling for safety management systems (SMS) to be required for all U.S.-flagged passenger vessels.On the fifth anniversary of the 2019 Conception dive boat fire that killed 34 people, Jennifer Homendy, chair of the federal safety watchdog, held a media availability with the families of the victims and again called on the U.S. Coast Guard to mandate SMS on passenger vessels such as ferriesâŠ
Fierce Competition Drives Down the Cost of US Dredging Projects
Heavy competition within the U.S. dredging sector helps to save American taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars each year, as highlighted by a recent industry report.According to the "U.S. Dredging Report: An Analysis of the FY23 U.S. Federal Dredging Market", compiled by dredging industry insider Michael Gerhardt, highly competitive U.S. dredging companies saved taxpayers $707 million for contracts awarded by the U.S.
BRIX Marine Delivers Whale Watching Vessel for Allen Marine Tours in Alaska
Aluminum boatbuilder BRIX Marine announced it has launched a new custom-built whale watching vessel for Allen Marine Tours, in Alaska.The new vessel, Raven, a 4818-HTC passenger catamaran, is the second vessel BRIX Marine has developed for Allen Marine, following the launch of the Eagle in September 2023.According to the builder, Raven is designed to enhance the whale-watching experience in Alaskaâs waters, focusing on passenger comfort, safety, and sustainability.
KNOT Makes Tanker Swap
KNOT Offshore Partners announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, KNOT Shuttle Tankers, has entered into agreements with parent ocompany Knutsen NYK Offshore Tankers AS (KNOT), to simultaneously acquire from KNOT the 2021-built, industry-standard Suezmax shuttle tanker Tuva Knutsen and sell to KNOT the smaller-scale, 2011-built shuttle tanker Dan Cisne.These transactions will be effected by the purchase and sale of the entities which own the respective vessels.
Scorpio Sells Two Tankers
Shipowner Scorpio Tankers on Tuesday announced it has entered into agreements to sell two vessels and a new time charter-out agreement.The company said it recently entered into agreements to sell two 2014 built scrubber fitted MR product tankers, STI San Antonio and STI Texas City, for $42.5 million per vessel. These sales are expected to close within the fourth quarter of 2024.The New York-listedâŠ
Salvors Say It's Unsafe to Tow Tanker Sounion Hit by Houthis in the Red Sea
Private companies involved in salvaging the Sounion tanker, which was attacked by Yemen's Houthis in the Red Sea, are exploring other options after the towing operation was deemed unsafe, the European Union's naval mission said on Tuesday.The Sounion, which was struck on Aug. 21 and which the Houthis and maritime sources have said has been rigged with explosives, is laden with about one million barrelsâŠ
Stretched US Navy Eyes Risky New Waters in South China Sea
As two U.S. aircraft carrier battle groups patrolled the Indian Ocean this week in an explicit effort to deter Iran from striking Israel and sparking a major regional conflict, a very different military messaging effort was underway in a luxury conference centre in Manila.The 35th annual Military Law and Operations Conference organised by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command â running from Aug. 27-30 â isâŠ
Power Outage Hits Port of Rotterdam; Issue Resolved
A power outage in the Rotterdam port area in the Netherlands briefly interrupted operations at one of Europe's biggest oil refineries on Tuesday, the plant's operator BP said.Electricity grid operator TenneT said the problem was solved shortly after 1000 GMT.
Russian 'Spy Whale' Hvaldimir Found Dead Near Norway
A beluga whale that was suspected of spying for Russia after being discovered in Norwegian waters five years ago has been found dead, according to the non-profit organization that had been monitoring the whale.The body of Hvaldimir - a combination of the Norwegian word for whale and the first name of Russian President Vladimir Putin - was spotted floating in the sea by a father and son fishing in southern Norway over the weekendâŠ
Houthis Attack More Oil Tankers in the Red Sea, US Military Says
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels attacked two crude oil tankers - the Saudi-flagged Amjad and the Panama-flagged Blue Lagoon I - in the Red Sea on Monday, the U.S. military said, calling the assaults "reckless acts of terrorism".The Houthis late on Monday claimed responsibility for targeting the Blue Lagoon with multiple missiles and drones but did not make any mention of the Saudi tanker.The U.S.
LNG Carriers Line Up At Malaysia's Bintulu Complex After Maintenance
A backlog of liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers is waiting to load at Malaysia's Bintulu terminal this week after outages and maintenance work disrupted production, according to industry sources and shiptracking data.The Bintulu facility in Sarawak, controlled by state-owned Petronas, consists of nine LNG production trains run by four different operators with total capacity of nearly 30 million metric tons per yearâŠ
Norden Completes Norlat Shipping Acquisition
Danish shipping company Norden said on Tuesday that it has closed its acquisition of Nordic dry bulk operator Norlat Shipping.The deal was announced in July but remained subject to regulatory approvals. Financial terms were not disclosed. âWe are delighted to have received the green light for the acquisition last week and with the closing of the acquisition today we look forward to welcoming the Norlat Shipping team and customers,â said Norden CEO Jan Rindbo.
Sealutionâs Gateway Secures Lloydâs Register Approval
Maritime connectivity technology provider Sealution has secured a Type Approval from Lloyd's Register for its plug & play Gateway solution.Sealutionâs Gateway is designed to unlock and transport critical data below deck on board merchant vessels. The hybrid solution combines the reliability of a cabled connection with the flexibility of wireless technology.With Type Approval from Lloyd's Register, the Gateway now officially meets the standards for safetyâŠ
Zelim Launches âWorldâs Firstâ Unmanned Overboard Rescue Vessel
Zelim, an Edinburgh based sea survival innovator, has unveiled the world's first unmanned/manned remotely controlled person-in-water rescue vessel.The vessel, dubbed GUARDIAN, is 8.4 meters long, 2.5 meters wide aluminium hulled Next Generation Fast Rescue Craft (FRC), presented to the international maritime industry for the first time at the SMM Trade Fair, which is taking place in Hamburg, Germany.SpecificallyâŠ
DOF Secures Another Job in Asia Pacific
Norwegian offshore vessel operator DOF Group has secured a contract for subsea decommissioning services in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.The contract award includes project management, engineering, logistics support and execution of decommissioning activities utilizing Skandi Hercules vessel.The value of the contract has not been disclosed, but it is under $15 million, according to DOF.The offshore campaign will be conducted in Western Australian waters and is expected to commence in the fourth
NKT Wraps Up Work on Shetland Renewables Interconnector
Danish subsea cable and services firm NKT, in close collaboration with SSEN Transmission, has completed the turnkey project of connecting the Shetland Islands to the main grid in Scotland with the Shetland HVDC Link.The 320 kV HVDC interconnector is now a key contributor to the integration of renewable energy in Great Britain.Interconnected power grids are essential to the green transition and with the completion of the Shetland HVDC LinkâŠ
Mammoet Launches Worldâs Strongest Land-Based Crane for Energy Sector
Heavy lift and transport services firm Mammoet has launched the SK6000 land-based crane, said to be the worldâs strongest, capable of handling large offshore wind components and delivering reduced integration times to offshore oil and gas projects.The 6,000t capacity of the SK6000 crane enables faster construction methodologies across the energy sector, according to Mammoet.The SK6000 is expected to have a major role in offshore windâŠ
MOL PLUS to Invest in Deep Tech Startup Fund
MOL PLUS intends to invest in deep tech through the âGlobal Fund 2â managed by UntroD Capital Asia.Deep tech is technology solutions based on substantial scientific or engineering challenges.Global Fund 2 aims to solve social issues by investing in deep tech startups, mainly in the seed stage through Series B. The investment area will focus on startups based in Southeast Asia, but will also cover startupsâŠ
MSC Container Ship Sets Panama Canal Record
The MSC Marie transited through the Panama Canal on August 30, setting a new record for the largest-capacity container ship to sail the route.The 366-meter (1,200 feet) Neopanamax ship has a width of 51 meters (167.4 feet) and a maximum capacity of 17,640 TEUs.The record was previously held by the Ever Max which made the transit at a capacity of 17,312 TEUs in August 2023.The MSC Marie sailed from the port of Manzanillo in Mexico.
MSI: Iron Ore Market is Flashing Warning Signs
In its August HORIZON Dry Bulk month report, Maritime Strategies International states that against potential optimism from lower interest rates to come, price action in the iron ore market has been flashing warning signs. Prices have dropped about 10% since the start of the month and are now 30% lower than at the start of the year.With the freight market highly leveraged to iron ore flows (the largest dry bulk commodity), the response by suppliers will be critical.
