Maritime Industry Top News
Conrad to Build New Spud Barge
Gulf Coast shipbuilder Conrad Shipyard was awarded a contract to build a new steel spud barge for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.Conrad was the sole bidder for the contract, which was awarded by the Corps' Philadelphia district. Under the $9,106,800 firm-fixed-price award, Conrad will design, construct, test, and deliver the new barge.Work will be performed in Morgan City, La., with an estimated completion date of April 14, 2025.
Captain McManus Preps to Take the Helm of Empire State VII
Captain Morgan McManus will serve as the Shipās Master on the Empire State VII, the first in a series of five National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV), which at press time was getting its post-sea trial finishing touches at Philly Shipyard. The project to design, build and deliver the NSMV series is one of the most exciting shipbuilding programs in the U.S. ā a government shipbuilding project leveraging commercial shipbuilding efficiencies.
Ports of Indiana Names Operations Managers at Ohio River Ports
Ports of Indiana has filled two key leadership roles at its Ohio River ports, naming Ashley Blocker and Michael Graves as Operations Managers in Mount Vernon and Jeffersonville, respectively.Blocker, a southwest Indiana native, was promoted to the new role after serving as Operations Analyst for Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon since 2022. She previously worked in multiple roles with Squaw Creek Southern Railroad and has more than 15 yearsā experience in port and rail operationsā¦
Hurtigruten Expeditions Rebrands as HX
Hurtigruten Group's expedition cruise line Hurtigruten Expeditions is rebranding with a new name, HX.The new HX brand and logo will be fully implemented starting in December, and repainting of the fleetās six ships will commence over the next 18 months.Hurtigruten Norway will continue with the name simplified to just Hurtigruten.Both Hurtigruten Expeditions and Hurtigruten Norway are 100% owned byā¦
Maritime Industry Explores Nuclear Power for Ships as Technology Opens Up
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.
MISC Sells LNG Carriers to Japanese Owner
MISC Berhad (MISC) entered into an agreement with Japanese ship owner, Nissen Kaiun Co., Ltd. (Nissen Kaiun) for the sale and charter of two of its existing LNG carriers.MISC will transfer ownership of the LNG carriers to Nissen Kaiun, and simultaneously enter into a charter agreement with Eaglestar and Synergy Marine as the shipmanagers.The first of the two vessels is expected to be delivered to Nissen Kaiun in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Shipping Rivals CMA CGM, Maersk to Collaborate on Green Fuels
Container shipping giants CMA CGM and Maersk said on Tuesday they will cooperate in efforts to reduce emissions in the sector, including by supporting the use of methanol and aiding research into potential fuels like ammonia. The shipping industry is grappling with which fuels and vessel technology to adopt on a large scale to meet an objective of net zero emissions by around the middle of the century.
Japan Responds to Fresh Sanctions on Arctic LNG 2
Japan will ensure stable and steady energy supply to the country even after the U.S. imposed fresh sanctions related to Russia's Arctic LNG 2 project, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on Tuesday.The Arctic LNG 2 project is operated by Russia's Novatek while Japanese trading company Mitsui & Co and state-owned Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) hold a combinedā¦
NAMEPA Announces Winners of its Marine Environment Protection Awards
The North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) has announced the winners of the Marine Environment Protection Awards for 2023.Winners include MSC Cruises for Sustainability, Tote Services for the Industry Award, Captain Bridget Cooney as an Individual, Dr. Jason Zuidema for Seafarers, New York Harbor Middle School led by example this year for Maritime Academies, Port XChange for Innovationā¦
Marine Insurance Market is āStrength and Stability in Turbulent Seasā
Opening this weekās International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) annual conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, President Frédéric Denèfle explained the conference theme of āstrength and stability in turbulent seasā saying it is essentially ābusiness as usualā for marine underwriters.āAs marine underwriters, we are used to managing an array of casualties and losses onboard a variety of vessels and in ports and other shoreside facilities.
Ørsted CEO Says US Offshore Wind Targets Still Possible But Not Easy
U.S. President Joe Biden's plan to deploy 30,000 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind by 2030 is still possible, although not easy, the CEO of Ørsted, the world's largest offshore wind developer, said on Monday at the Climate Week NYC event in New York.The remarks by Ørsted CEO Mads Nipper come as soaring costs and supply chain delays have increasingly cast doubt on the Biden administration's goal, a cornerstone of its plan to fight climate change.
Ukraine Asks Romanian Port to Allow Ship-to-ship Grain Transfers
Ukraineās Danube Shipping Company (DSC) has asked Romaniaās Constanta Black Sea port to allow ship-to-ship grain transfers which would almost double its barge export capacity, the company said on Monday.A major grower and exporter, Ukraineās 2023 grain output is seen at up to 56 million metric tons but a blockade of its major Black Sea ports since Russiaās invasion in February 2022 has constrained shipments.Ukraineās Danube river ports, which previously accounted for around a quarter of grain ex
OpEd: EPA Must Stop Unsafe and Costly California Maritime Mandate
Californiaās maritime sector is essential to Americaās role in the global economy and to the supply chain. Yet, a mandate from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has cast a shadow over the safety and efficiency of this sector, which will have far-reaching effects on the nation.While CARBās intentions to bolster air quality are commendable, and Californiaās maritime industry has a proven track record of working to lower emissionsā¦
US Government Boosts Oil Tanker Fleet in National Shipping Overhaul
The United States is boosting access to commercial products tankers as part of a security drive to safeguard oil shipping for its armed forces in times of crisisā¦
Shanghai Electric's Service Operation Vessel Duo Launched
Two Ulstein-designed Service Operation Vessels (SOV) for Shanghai Electric were launched at the ZPMC construction yard in China on Saturday, September 16.The two vessels are of the ULSTEIN SX195 and SX197 design, carrying 100 POB and 60 POB, respectively. According to Ulstein, these SOVs are the first purpose-made SOVs for China's offshore wind farms and are scheduled to enter service in 2024."The two vessels have Ulstein's iconic design featuresā¦
Fowler Appointed to Lead Crowley Shipping
Crowley has appointed James Fowler as senior vice president and general manager of its Crowley Shipping business unit that serves U.S. and international maritime and logistics sectors.Fowler most recently served as managing director of marine and stevedoring operations for Cooper Marine and executive vice president for Blakeley BoatWorks, both headquartered in Mobile, Ala.āAs Crowley advances its next generation of maritime servicesā¦
Shallow Water, No Problem: HGK Orders Gas Tanker with "Special Dimensions"
Optimized to deal with shallow water levels, a diesel-electric drive system and an extra-wide design for the vessel are the main features of a gas tanker that HGK Shipping ordered from the Dutch shipyard, De Gerlien Van Tiem, on September 15, 2023. The latest addition to the fleet will enable the Duisburg, Germany inland shipping company to maximize cargo carriage even if water levels are low. āGASā¦
Using AI To Advance Engineering Analysis: Not More Data, More Physics
The goal of engineering analysis is to use models of the real world to simulate and predict the performance of a design with confidence, explore design modifications, and inform downstream stakeholdersāthe owners, builders, operators, and passengersāwith knowledge that the design works as intended before it is built. To do so, we need models that characterize the physical world. That is easier said than done, but it underpins much of what we do as engineers.
Capital Construction Funds: A New Opportunity For Vessel Financing On The Inland Waterways
Recent changes have opened up the Capital Construction Fund program to owners and operators of vessels on the U.S. inland waterways.Among the programs offered by the U.S. Department of Transportation through the Maritime Administration (MARAD) to promote the growth and modernization of the U.S. maritime industry, the Capital Construction Fund (CCF) program is one that has remained largely unavailableā¦
New FSRU Arrives in France as Greenpeace Blocks Port
A new LNG floating storage regasification unit (FSRU) arrived in western France on Monday morning, a TotalEnergies' spokesperson said, as activist group Greenpeace tried to prevent it from entering port.Demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Europe has grown in the wake of the war in Ukraine, with France relying on its four LNG terminals to replace Russian gas imports and help supply neighbors like Germany.The Cape Ann FSRU arrived at Le Havre port on Monday morning, LSEG ship tracking data s