Maritime Industry Top News
Austal USA Launches USS Canberra
Mobile, Ala. shipbuilder Austal USA launched the future USS Canberra (LCS 30) into the Mobile River on March 30.USS Canberra is one of 19 Independence-variant littoral combat ships (LCS) that the U.S. Navy has contracted Austal to build. Twelve have been delivered to date.The 418-foot vessel is the first Navy ship that Austal has launched in 2021, and it is the first to launch from Austal's recently…
Minerva Gas Inks Maintenance Deal with Wärtsilä
The technology group Wärtsilä said it has signed long-term maintenance agreements covering five liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers owned and operated by Greece-based Minerva Gas Inc.Included in the scope of the agreements is Wärtsilä’s Expert Insight, a service that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced diagnostics to monitor equipment and systems in real-time, spot anomalies, foresee potential problems…
New Guidance Published on Marine Transport of Ores and Concentrates
Updated guidance from the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) outlines the techniques required for accurate hazard assessment of ores and concentratesAiming to help minimize the risk of accidents in maritime transportation, the Hazard Assessment of Ores and Concentrates for Marine Transport: Guidance 2021 brings the previous guidance issued in 2014 in line with recent regulatory updates…
Suez Canal Must Upgrade Quickly to Avoid Future Shipping Disruption
Egypt's Suez Canal must move quickly to upgrade its technical infrastructure if it is to avoid future shipping disruption, shipping industry sources said, as the major trade route tries to bounce back from a costly six-day closure.International supply chains were thrown into disarray on March 23 when the 400-meter-long (430-yard) container ship Ever Given ran aground in the canal, with specialist rescue…
Mozambique: Ferry Carrying Survivors from Deadly Militant Attack on Gas Town Arrives in Pemba
A boat carrying more than 1,000 survivors of a highly organized, deadly attack by Islamic State-linked insurgents in northern Mozambique arrived in the port of Pemba on Thursday, a Reuters reporter and a diplomatic source said.Aid workers were at the crowded port to give food to those disembarking from the green and white ferry, while police and soldiers kept control of crowds of people excited to see their relatives rescued after the attack that began last week in Palma…
The Value of Friends in “High-Latitude” Places
Who do you call when you need a job done on short notice, in total darkness, under 100-percent ice cover, thousands of meters at the bottom of the sea? In the case of the U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR), you call your friends in Norway.That is exactly what the Chief of Naval Research Rear Admiral Lorin C. Selby did when he enlisted the help of the Norwegian Coast Guard icebreaker and offshore patrol vessel, the CGV Svalbard, to retrieve oceanographic moorings containing irreplaceable data.
Italy Approves Decree to Keep Ships Out of Venice Lagoon
Italy’s government has ruled that large cruise ships and container vessels must not pass close to Venice’s historic center and should instead dock in a different location to preserve the famed lagoon.A decree approved late on Wednesday called for public consultations on building a terminal outside the lagoon where passenger vessels over 40,000 tons and container ships can berth without passing in front of Saint Mark’s square.In the meantime…
Van Oord Confirms 1.4 GW Sofia Offshore Wind Farm Installation Deal
Dutch offshore installation company Van Oord on Thursday confirmed it had secured a contract to deliver and install monopile foundations and array cables for RWE's 1.4 GW Sofia offshore wind farm in the UK.The contract comes a little over a week after RWE made a financial investment decision for the Sofia offshore wind farm, located the Dogger Bank in the central North Sea, 195 kilometers from the North East coast of the UK.
Maritime Safety: POB Tracking Will Become Essential Offshore, Says Olympic Subsea
Keeping track of personnel on board (POB) “will be a requirement on all contracts” with offshore energy companies, predicted Tonny Sørdal, vice-president for quality, safety, health and environment of support vessel operator Olympic Subsea ASA.He was speaking just a year after one of its customers first asked for that capability and now, seven of the company’s 10 vessels have been fitted with a system that not only tracks crew and contractors while they are on board…
Riding the Tides: Interview with Jason Hayman, CEO, Sustainable Marine Energy
Harnessing the power of the tides is not for the squeamish, with the roster of trials and failures long and distinguished. Jason Hayman and his Sustainable Marine Energy crew are putting their tech to the test in one of the harshest spots on the planet, the Bay of Fundy, as his discussed with Marine Technology TV.Jason, to start, how did you come to a career in the offshore renewable energy field?I suppose my interest got piqued back in about 2003.
Gulf Marine Services Strikes New Debt Deal with Banks
Gulf Marine Services, a UAE-based provider of self-propelled, self-elevating support vessels serving the offshore oil, gas, and renewables industries, has struck a deal with banks to reduce the interest rate on its loan."Under the revised agreement the rate of interest payable by the Company on its borrowings will decrease from LIBOR +5% to LIBOR +3%, retrospectively from the beginning of this year.
Coatings Giant Hempel Buys Wattyl Australia and New Zealand
Coatings manufacturer Hempel has completed the acquisition of Wattyl Australia and New Zealand, increasing its footprint in Australia and New Zealand.On 18 February 2021, Hempel A/S signed an agreement to acquire leading paint and coatings manufacturer Wattyl Australia and New Zealand from The Sherwin-Williams Company, the world’s largest paint and coatings company and headquartered in the United States.Hempel…
Merkel Ally Calls for Moratorium on Nord Stream 2 Construction
Germany's coordinator for transatlantic relations called on Wednesday for a moratorium on the construction of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline from Russia to Europe, breaking ranks with many in Chancellor Angela Merkel's government.The United States is opposed to the project, saying it increases Europe's reliance on Russian energy and U.S. President Joe Biden is dangling the threat of sanctions."The project is a serious obstacle for a new start in transatlantic relations…
NOAA Launches West Coast, Gulf of Mexico Coastal Models
NOAA on Wednesday announced two new coastal condition forecast models intended to help enhance decision making for mariners along the West Coast and Northern Gulf of Mexico. The models provide continuous quality-controlled data on water levels, currents, water temperature and salinity out to 72 hours.Forecasts from both models are used by commercial and recreational mariners, fisherman, emergency managers…
Biden Administration Aims for US Leadership in Offshore Wind -Official
The Biden administration aims to transform the United States into the world’s leading producer of energy from offshore wind after years of lagging behind Europe, a senior official said on Wednesday.President Joe Biden’s cabinet earlier this week unveiled a plan to boost the industry that promised new acreage, faster permitting, and billions of dollars in financing - part of his sweeping plan to fight…
Canada Steamship Lines to Test Biodiesel
Montreal-based shipping company Canada Steamship Lines (CSL) said it will test second generation biodiesel on half of its fleet over the course of the 2021 navigation season—a first for the Great Lakes shipping industry.These tests, which follow the trials of B100 biodiesel fuel on the main engines of two CSL ships last year, come as CSL explores the use of green fuels and technologies to reduce its vessel emissions and overall environmental footprint.Elsewhere…
Chinese State Shipping Giant COSCO Holds Stake in Bank of Kunlun
Chinese state-run shipping giant COSCO Shipping Development Co said on Tuesday that it holds a 3.74% stake in Bank of Kunlun, which has acted as a key official channel for money flows between China and Iran.The statement was made by the shipping firm on the e-interview platform of the Shanghai Stock Exchange, in response to an investor question on whether it held a stake in the bank.COSCO did not elaborate on when it acquired its holding…
Pakistan's Port Qasim Orders Four Tugs and Two Pilot Boats
Turkey's Sanmar Shipyards said it has won contracts worth $33.46 million to supply four new tugs and two new pilot boats for the Port Qasim Authority (PQA) in Pakistan. The tugs are scheduled to be delivered in 12 months and the pilot boats in 10.The contracts were awarded following an international tendering process during which Sanmar championed its new Kocacay range of escort and harbor tugs, based…
Investigator Boards Ever Given in Suez Canal Blockage Probe
Divers inspected the hull of the Ever Given on Wednesday as the man tasked with investigating how the giant container ship ran aground, choking off international trade through the Suez Canal for almost a week, boarded the vessel.Lead investigator Captain Sayed Sheasha, who boarded the Ever Given on Wednesday afternoon, told Reuters that the investigation would include examining the seaworthiness of…
Lloyd's of London Sees 'Large Loss' Due to Suez Canal Blockage
The blockage of the Suez Canal for nearly a week will result in a “large loss” for Lloyd’s of London, its chairman said on Wednesday, as the insurance market recorded a 900 million pound ($1.2 billion) pretax loss in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.The Canal is working to clear the backlog after the refloating this week of a stranded giant container ship. The blockage threw global supply chains into disarray.Bruce Carnegie-Brown told Reuters it was too early to estimate the exact loss…
