Maritime Industry Top News
Salvage of Stricken Oil Tanker Sounion Expected in Coming Days
![Satellite image of the Greek-flagged crude oil tanker Sounion that was recently attacked by Yemen’s Houthis in the Red Sea. [Satellite image © 2024 Maxar Technologies]](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/satellite-image-of-the-greekflagged-152807.jpg)
A salvage operation to recover a Greek registered oil tanker stranded in the Red Sea after an attack by Houthi militants is expected to start in the coming days, two sources with knowledge of the matter said on Friday.What was decided yesterday is an initial gameplan, of the operation starting in 48 hours," one of the sources said. A second source said the operation was likely to be complex, since…
China Says No Basis for Philippines' Damage Claims at Sabina Shoal
China released on Friday its first survey report of the South China Sea's disputed Sabina Shoal, saying there was no scientific or factual basis for reef damage claims made by the Philippines.In the report by the natural resource ministry conducted from May to July, it found that key habitat index values in the reef area were within the suitable growth range of the coral reef system."As for the claim…
Samskip Joins Fuel Cell Retrofit Project
Samskip has joined the EU HyEkoTank project and its LNG-fueled vessel Kvitnos will be retrofitted with TECO 2030’s zero-emission technology.Samskip Kvitnos, built in 2015, is a cargo ship which operates in a fixed route on a weekly multipurpose service from Rotterdam, along the Norwegian west coast, to Hammerfest. The project also aims to facilitate long-term hydrogen fuel supply contracts due to the…
China’s New Installation Vessel Capable of Installing 20MW Turbines
The mobile wind power installation platform Hengtong Haiyue has been delivered to the Hengtong Group by Jiangsu Dajin Heavy Industry in China.The mobile platform is equipped with a 1,600t leg encircling full-circle slewing crane as well as a 4,000m2 deck with a variable load of over 8,500t, and is capable of installing 20MW offshore wind turbines.The DP2 vessel is also equipped with four truss pile legs and an automatic lifting system and a fully electric propulsion system.
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 – running from Aug. 27-30 – is…
Incat Tasmania to Double Shipbuilding Capacity
Incat Tasmania has acquired a 12-hectare site in the Derwent Valley, located north-west of Hobart, Australia, to double its current shipbuilding capacity and workforce.The expansion plan for the site includes the construction of a 240 x 120meter production facility, with capacity to construct three large ships at one time.Incat CEO Stephen Casey said: “Incat is leading the industry by building the world’s largest electric ferry…
Muted Tanker Fleet Growth Boosts 2024 Market Outlook
Niels Rasmussen, BIMCO’s Chief Shipping Analyst, predicts a stronger 2024 than 2023 for crude and product tankers.This is despite weaker cargo volumes during the first half of the year.The BIMCO Tanker Shipping Market Overview & Outlook August 2024 states that muted fleet and supply growth in both markets during 2024 is a key enabler for the relatively significant strengthening of the supply/demand…
Grimaldi Takes Delivery of Fifth Energy-Efficient Con-Ro
The Grimaldi Group took delivery of the fifth G5-class multipurpose con-ro from Hyundai Mipo Dockyard.Named Great Casablanca, this vessel will operate between Northern Europe and West Africa, like all six sister ships in the series.With length of 250 metres, beam of 38 metres and deadweight of 45,684 tonnes, the design of the G5 vessels has a completely customized internal configuration enabling them to transport 4…
First Oregon Offshore Wind Lease Sale Announced
The US Department of the Interior will hold an offshore wind energy lease sale off southern Oregon on October 15, 2024.The auction will be conducted by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and could generate more than 3.1 gigawatts of renewable energy if fully developed, enough to power approximately one million homes.Lease Area P-OCS 0566 (Coos Bay) consists of 61,203 acres and is approximately 32 miles from shore.
Oceaneering Reports Multiple UK North Sea Contract Wins
Oceaneering International, Inc. announced that its UK subsidiary, Oceaneering International Services Limited, has secured multiple contracts for decommissioning, inspection, subsea preparation, and installation support services in the U.K. sector of the North Sea. The contracts were awarded by multiple operators in the region and, when combined, total an estimated 65 days with options to extend the contract durations.
Jet Fuel Was Stored on Ships During July's Global IT Outage
Last month's CrowdStrike IT outage that grounded scores of flights created new problems for California's fuel market, forcing U.S. traders to store jet fuel destined for the state on waterborne tankers, storage broker The Tank Tiger told Reuters this week.The outage exacerbated existing constraints on petroleum storage in California, where policies aimed at ending fossil fuel usage have made it harder…
Senesco Launches Fifth CTV for WindServe Marine
Senesco Marine recently held a launch and christening ceremony for WindServe Marine's new Jones-Act-compliant crew transfer vessel (CTV), WindServe Frontier.WindServe Marine, a sister company to the North Kingstown, R.I. shipbuilder—both part of the Reinauer Group—will operate the CTV to serve the emerging offshore wind industry on the U.S. East Coast.The BMT-designed aluminum catamaran is 29 meters long with a 9-meter beam and 1.7-meter draft.
New Deepwater Berth Opens to Accommodate Offshore Wind Vessels in New Bedford
The New Bedford Foss Marine Terminal (NBFMT) this month opened its first deepwater berth to accommodate vessels serving North America’s emerging offshore wind sector.This milestone, reached after two years of demolition and construction, marks a crucial step in Phase II of the terminal's development. The newly opened berth, designed specifically for offshore wind service vessels, features a 300-foot bulkhead and has been enhanced by extensive dredging.
Freeport LNG Plant in Texas to Return to Service
U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) company Freeport LNG's export plant in Texas was on track to return to service on Thursday after shutting on Wednesday, LSEG data showed.Freeport is one of the most-watched U.S. LNG export plants in the world because it has a history of swaying global gas prices when it shuts and restarts.Energy traders, however, noted that gas prices around the world were little changed…
Video: USMMA Cadet Medevaced from Maersk Box Ship off Texas
A U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) cadet was airlifted to safety after suffering an injury on board a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Mexico.The U.S. Coast Guard said it medevaced the a 20-year-old female cadet who sustained an arm injury aboard the U.S. registered Maersk Ohio. USMMA cadets sail aboard commercial vessels as part of their training to gain practical, hands-on experience in the maritime…
Towboat Sank Due to Hull Deterioration -NTSB
A towing vessel that flooded and partially sank last year on the Lower Mississippi River near Ascension Paris, La. was found to have holes in its hull, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said in a report this week.The 1964-built towboat Uncle Blue, owned and operated by Alexis Marine, was towing one empty barge on March 26, 2023, when the vessel began flooding and partially sank. There were no injuries…
Still No Oil Spill from Tanker Sounion Attacked by Houthis
As salvage operations began on an abandoned Greek-flagged oil tanker with deck fires still burning from Houthi rebel attacks, the EU's Red Sea naval mission Aspides said on Thursday that no oil spill has been detected.Yemen's Houthi militants carried out multiple assaults, including planting bombs on the already disabled 900-foot (274.2-meter) Sounion that is laden with about 1 million barrels of oil.
OOCL to Reduce Emissions with Biofuel
Hong Kong headquartered ocean carrier Orient Overseas Container Line Ltd. (OOCL) said it is running its ships biofuel as a means to reduce emissions from its operations.The company, which has been using biofuel on some of its vessels since 2023, said it has partnered with customers IKEA and Kyocera for the most recent trial voyage, which commenced in early August. The fuel used on the voyage is a B24 biofuel blend…
Environmental Approval Granted for Floating Wind Project in South Korea
Mainstream Renewable Power, the pureplay global wind and solar company majority-owned by Aker Horizons, has announced that KF Wind, a 1,125MW floating offshore wind project being developed off the coast of Ulsan, South Korea, has secured the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval from the Ministry of Environment for the totality of the two-phase project. The Award of the EIA is a key milestone for the development of the two-phase floating offshore wind project…
Floating Offshore Wind Pilot Project will Provide Power to Gas Platform
TotalEnergies has launched a pilot project consisting of a floating wind turbine to supply renewable power to the Culzean offshore platform in the UK North Sea.Culzean is a high-pressure, high-temperature gas condensate field located in Block 22/25a in the East Central Graben area.The 3MW floating wind turbine will be located 2km west of the Culzean platform, 220km off the eastern coast of Scotland.
