Maritime Industry Top News
Washington State Ferries Crew Rescues Boaters in Distress
Crewmembers aboard a Washington State Ferries vessel helped to rescue three boaters and a dog after their small vessel capsized near Bremerton, Wash.The crew aboard Jumbo-class ferry Walla Walla rescued a person and a dog near the Bremerton terminal Tuesday evening, according to WSF.The ferry crew treated the victim for hypothermia and chest pains before transferring care to emergency medical technicians on shore, the operator said.Two additional victims were saved by the U.S.
Sanmar to Build Two Tugs for Turkiye's Directorate General of Coastal Safety
Turkish shipbuilder Sanmar announced it has secured contract to construct two powerful ASD tugboats for Turkiye's Directorate General of Coastal Safety.Sanmar, which has previously delivered four tugs to the directorateâs fleet, said the new BoÄaçay class tugboats are based on the exclusive-to-Sanmar RAmparts 2400 SX MKII design from Canadian naval architects Robert Allan Ltd. The vessels will measure 24mâŠ
Austal Delivers Latest Australian Navy Patrol Vessel
Australian shipbuilding group Austal announced it has delivered the seventh of 10 Evolved Cape-class Patrol Boats (ECCPBâs) it is building under contract to the Royal Australian Navy.Officially handed over at Austalâs Henderson, Western Australia shipyard, ADV Cape Solander is the first of two Evolved Cape-class Patrol Boats scheduled for delivery to the Royal Australian Navy in CY2024.âThe Austal Australia team are continuing to demonstrate outstanding capabilityâŠ
CalMac to Retire 40-year-old Ferry in Fleet Modernization Push
One of the oldest ferries in the CalMac fleet will be retired later this year after almost four decades of operation, as the Scottish operator phases out older tonnage and modernizes its service with new vessels.The Hebridean Isles, built by Cochrane Shipbuilders in the mid-1980s, will retire in November, having served Scotland's west coast communities since her maiden voyage in December 1985. Affectionally known as the Heb IslesâŠ
Australia Busts Indonesian Fishermen for Shark-finning
Australian authorities last month located, intercepted and apprehended an Indonesian vessel illegally fishing and shark finning inside the Australian Territorial Sea near New Year Island, approximately 294 kilometers north-east of Darwin.Australian authorities seized the vessel along with 50 kilograms of shark fin, 80 kilograms of bait fish and a substantial quantity of fishing equipment. The crew was detained and transported to DarwinâŠ
Worldâs Largest Car Carrier Höegh Aurora Set for Maiden Voyage
Höegh Autoliners' Höegh Aurora, the world's largest pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) vessel, will soon embark on its maiden voyage and commence commercial operations following delivery at a naming ceremony next week.The newbuild is the first of 12 Aurora Class vessels being built by China Merchants Heavy Industry, in China. Featuring 14 decksâincluding five liftable decksâthe ship can carry up to 9,100 CEU.
Vard to Build Energy Construction Vessel for Norwegian Firm
Norwegian shipbuilder Vard has signed a contract with Wind Energy Construction for the design and construction of a new energy construction vessel (ECV), securing also an option for one additional vessel.Wind Energy Construction is a Norwegian company partly owned by the founders and owners of Norwind Offshore. The most recent order marks the sixth vessel the owners of Norwind Offshore have contracted with Vard since October 2021.
Iranian Oil Link Could Complicate Insurance Claims After Tankers Collide off Singapore
A collision between two tankers off Singapore in July raises questions over insurance claims, as one of the vessels previously shipped Iranian oil, potentially complicating payments due to Western sanctions, ship-trackers and industry sources say.What happened?The Singapore-flagged Hafnia Nile and the Sao Tome and Principe-flagged Ceres I collided and caught fire about 55 km (35 miles) northeast of the Singaporean island of Pedra Branca on July 19.No oil spill has been detectedâŠ
$540 Million Worth of Meth Seized in Port Botany
Australian authorities have made a major drug bust in Port Botany, uncovering a large shipment of methamphetamine in an inbound shipping container arriving from the United States.The discovery was made on July 22 when Australian Border Force (ABF) examining the container discovered about 896kg of the illicit powdered substance hidden inside packages tucked away in two separate computer numerical control (CNC) machines.The drugs were removedâŠ
MOL Secures âWorldâs Firstâ AiP for LNG Carrier with Wind-Assisted Propulsion
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has been awarded an approval in principle (AiP) by ClassNK for the design of a membrane LNG Carrier with Wind Challenger wind-assisted propulsion system.The AiP marks the world's first approval for an LNG carrier with a wind-assisted propulsion system, according to MOL, which developed the design of the system together with Hanwha Ocean.The LNG carrier that has obtained this AiP is capable of entering LNG terminals worldwide.
Report Predicts Need for Over 400 Hydrogen Carriers
The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has launched a new report identifying that heavy Industry sector are expected to dominate global hydrogen demand to 2050, with South Korea, Japan and Europe being the first markets for hydrogen.The report titled âTurning hydrogen demand into reality: Which sectors come first?â highlights that to meet just 30 million tonnes of annual global green hydrogen demandâŠ
Paris and Tokyo MoUs to Commence Crew Wages CIC
The Member Authorities of the Tokyo and the Paris Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) on Port State Control will launch a joint Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Crew Wages and Seafarer Employment Agreements (MLC, 2006) from September 1.The purpose of the campaign is to:âą create awareness within the shipping industry about the requirements on crew wages and seafarer employment agreements (MLCâŠ
Seatrium is Back in the Black
Seatrium Limited returned to profitability in the half year ended 2024, the first time since its formation in 2023.Seatrium recorded a revenue of S$4.0 billion for 1H2024, a notable 39% growth from S$2.9 billion for 1H2023, mainly due to progressive revenue recognition from newbuild projects and increased repairs and upgrades activities.The Groupâs underlying performance also improved. Seatriumâs underlying EBITDA was S$390 million for 1H2024âŠ
BIMCO: Strong Bulk Market May Cool as 2025 Nears
The BIMCO Dry Bulk Shipping Market Overview & Outlook July 2024 by Niels Rasmussen, BIMCOâs Chief Shipping Analyst, anticipates that the supply/demand balance will strengthen in 2024 but weaken in 2025.Supply is estimated to grow by 3-4% in 2024 and 1.5-2.5% in 2025, while demand is projected to grow by 4.5-5.5% in 2024 and weaken by 1-2% in 2025.Freight rates are expected to stay strong during the rest of 2024, but demand could ease amid high inventories among importers.
Snow & Company Delivers Hybrid Research Vessel Resilience to PNNL
Seattle shipbuilder Snow & Company announced it has delivered the newly built plug-in hybrid research vessel Resilience for the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.The first and only hybrid vessel in the Department of Energy's (DOE) fleet, the 50-foot aluminum catamaran was designed by Incat Crowther with propulsion integration provided by Pacific Power. Hybrid propulsion is accomplished by joining twin Volvo Penta marine engines, and two Danfoss motor-generators.
Eying US Growth, Echandia to Produce Marine Batteries in Washington State
Sweden-based marine batteries manufacturer Echandia announced it will open a production facility in Washington State in response to quickly-growing demand for maritime electrification products in the United States.Designed and certified for maritime use, Echandia's lithium-ion based battery systems are currently in use aboard tugs and ferries as commercial vessel owners and operators increasingly turn to hybrid and full electric vessels to reduce emissions.âThe U.S.
Crowley and SEACOR Launch Fairwater Joint Venture
U.S. maritime companies Crowley and SEACOR Holdings on Thursday announced the formal launch of their joint venture Fairwater Holdings LLC, an independent U.S. company integrating the firmsâ petroleum and chemical transportation vessels, capabilities and personnel.Active in all major Jones Act coastwise tank vessel trades, Fairwater supports the transportation of petroleum products, chemical and specialty parcels, as well as Alaskan crude oil.
Old Hickory Lock Drained for Maintenance; More Than 50 Cracks Found
The Old Hickory Lock on the Cumberland River is scheduled to reopen to commercial marine navigational the coming days after being drained for inspection and maintenance.Workers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District recently closed and dewatered the 70-year-old lock to examine the condition of its components under the river's surface.Joe Adawag, civil engineer technician with the Nashville District Navigation Branch Lock SectionâŠ
Senate Confirms Graham as Next USACE Chief
The U.S. Senate on Wednesday confirmed Major General William H. âButchâ Graham Jr. as the 56th chief of engineers and commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Graham is currently serving as the deputy chief of engineers and deputy commanding general for civil works and emergency operations. His long Army career includes leadership positions supporting both civil works and military construction.He will succeed Lt. Gen. Scott A.
Rayha to Succeed Graney as President of General Dynamics Electric Boat
Mark Rayha has been selected to become the next president of Electric Boat, the submarine builder's parent company General Dynamics announced on Thursday.Rayha, who serves as the yard's current senior vice president and chief operating officer, will succeed Kevin Graney, who will retire at the end of this year. Rayha's appointment becomes effective December 1.Rayha joined General Dynamics in 1989 at Land Systems. He became CFO of General Dynamics Mission Systems in 2015.