Maritime Industry Top News
Ukraine Wants One-year Grain Deal Extension to Include New Ports
Ukraine will ask Turkey and the United Nations this week to start talks to roll over the Black Sea grain deal, seeking an extension of at least one year that would include the ports of Mykolaiv, a senior Ukrainian official said on Wednesday.The Black Sea Grain Initiative brokered by the UN and Turkey last July allowed grain to be exported from three Ukrainian ports. The agreement was extended in November…
Albania Seizes Tanker Carrying Oil Suspected of Coming from Russia
Albania has seized an oil tanker carrying 22,500 tonnes of oil suspected of coming from Russia and arrested the crew for breaching a Western embargo, Albanian police said on Monday. The Liberian-registered oil and chemical tanker was seized in the coastal town of Durres. "From the first steps of investigation it is suspected that this oil shipment is coming from countries under an oil embargo, especially from Russia," police said in the statement.
Belgium on High Alert as Russian 'Spy Ship' Detected in North Sea
Belgium said it is investigating the presence of a Russian "spy ship" in the North Sea, a day after its neighbor the Netherlands reported that Russia was targeting North Sea infrastructure.The ship was detected in the Belgian North Sea around mid-November last year, Vincent Van Quickenborne, the Justice and North Sea minister, said in a statement headlined "Russian spy ship off our coast in November".While the presence of Russian ships in the North Sea is not forbidden…
A Toll of War: Ukraine’s Dry Bulk Exports Plunge 77.8%
“On Friday February 24, 2023, one year has passed since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. During that year, dry bulk exports from Ukraine have dropped 77.8% compared to the same period a year earlier, causing a decline in global dry bulk volumes. Seaborne exports have been restricted to agricultural goods and even those have been limited,” says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.Ukraine’s sea ports…
RWE, CapeOmega, Neptune Energy to Explore Shipping CO2 to Offshore Storage
CapeOmega and Neptune Energy on Wednesday announced NoordKaap, a project concept for a cross-border CO₂ storage solution for industrial emitters across Europe. According to Neptune Energy, NoordKaap would involve transporting CO2 via vessels suitable for directly injecting the CO₂ at offshore locations and for terminal offloading. The two companies have signed a letter of intent with RWE to assess…
19th Century Anchor Recovered from the Thames to Go on Public Display
An anchor, believed to date back to the late 1800s, recovered from the Thames riverbed near Gravesend is being prepped to go on public display.In February 2022, Port of London Authority (PLA) divers hauled the anchor from the river at Northfleet after a hydrographic survey identified it as a risk to navigation.The PLA’s head of marine services, Jim Denby said, “We were surprised by the size of the anchor and the fact that it was still in one piece…
Shipping Industry Grapples with Ways to Cut Cargo Fires at Sea
Global shipping companies are exploring ways to boost safety in transporting cargoes as risks grow from fires erupting inside containers or in cars at sea, officials said on Wednesday.Shipping transports around 90% of world trade onboard different vessels including container and Ro-Ro ships with trade routes getting busier.In a new initiative, leading carriers Evergreen Line of Taiwan, South Korea's HMM…
TDI-Brooks Awarded Contract to Study Seabed Conditions for US Offshore Wind
U.S.-based marine services company TDI-Brooks announced it was awarded geophysical, geotechnical and benthic sampling survey campaigns to study seabed conditions within the project lease area and potential export cable corridors for offshore wind farms off the U.S. East Coast. TDI-Brooks said it expects to begin the program in April and will continue through summer 2023 with two to three vessels in operations.
Equinor Sells Its Oil Terminal in the Bahamas
Norwegian energy company Equinor announced it has entered into an agreement to sell its oil terminal in the Bahamas to Estonian logistics and investment business Liwathon. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.The South Riding Point oil terminal at the Grand Bahama Island, commissioned in 1973 was purchased by Equinor in 2009 to enable the company to trade oil primarily originating from the American markets.
Fire-damaged Freeport LNG Receives Approval for Partial Restart
Freeport LNG, the second largest U.S. liquefied natural gas exporter, said on Tuesday it had received regulatory approval to restart commercial operations at its Texas processing plant.The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved the partial restart of two liquefaction trains, two tanks, and one loop and dock each, a filing showed on Tuesday. Restart of a third train, along with a tank…
Safe Bulkers Acquires Kamsarmax Newbuild
Dry bulk shipping company Safe Bulkers announced it has reached a deal to acquire a 81,800 dwt, dry-bulk, Kamsarmax class vessel at an attractive price with a scheduled to be delivered from a Japanese shipyard in the second quarter of 2025.This vessel, a sister to a number of newbuilds in Safe Bulkers' orderbook, features advanced energy efficiency characteristics and lower fuel consumption, the company said.
Spain Detains Oil Tanker Over Mediterranean Fuel Spill
Spain has detained and fined a Maltese-flagged oil tanker it says discharged oil in open waters near the northeastern port city of Tarragona, a transport ministry department said.Spain's Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines have become hubs for shipping activity including the transfer of oil known as ship-to-ship (STS) operations, which industry sources say are becoming an increasing safety concern.Spanish…
BAE Systems Delivers Fifth Astute Submarine to UK Royal Navy
HMS Anson, the fifth Astute class submarine, which BAE Systems has designed and built for the Royal Navy, has departed the company's shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, and headed out to open sea for the first time.After being guided through the shipyard's dock system and rounding the tip of Walney Island, HMS Anson began her maiden journey to His Majesty's Naval Base Clyde, home of the UK's Submarine Service.
Russia Summons Bangladesh Envoy Over Sanctioned Ships Dispute
Russia summoned the ambassador of Bangladesh on Tuesday to protest over Dhaka's decision to block the entry of Russian ships into Bangladeshi ports.Bangladesh earlier this month banned dozens of Russian ships that have fallen under Western sanctions from entering its territorial waters, citing the need to comply with the restrictions.Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement it had told Bangladesh's…
China Boosts Australian Coal Imports
Chinese utilities and traders have stepped up purchases of Australian coal in February, encouraged by signs of further policy relaxation after trade partially resumed last month following a two-year hiatus.In early January, Beijing gave permission to four government-backed firms, comprising steel giant Baowu Group and three state utilities, to ship in Australian coal, the first sign of an easing of the unofficial import ban in place since late 2020.
P&O Maritime to Convert Multi-carrying Vessel to Cable Layer
Dubai-based P&O Maritime Logistics announced plans to convert one of its multi-carrying vessels (MCV) into a cable laying vessel (CLV).Set to start operations in the third quarter of 2024, the newly converted vessel will be equipped with a battery system, as well as a low fuel consumption propulsion layout for green methanol fuel.P&O Maritime Logistics, a DP World company, anticipates that one of the…
DOF Subsea's Flagship Vessel Wins More Work
Norwegian subsea services company DOF Subsea has secured more work for its Skandi Africa vessel.The client, which DOF Subsea did not name, has exercised an extension…
Decarbonization Center Finishes Two Trials for Biofuel Bunkering
The Global Center for Maritime Decarbonization (GCMD) has completed trials on two supply chains of biofuel blends for vessel bunkering, the center said on Tuesday.The…
Vard Electro's SeaQ Comms System Selected for CSOV Duo
Norwegian marine electrical systems Vard Electro will supply its SeaQ Communication system onboard two construction service operation vessels (CSOVs) being built by Ulstein for end client Olympic. Vard Electro signed the contract with Ulstein.According to Vard Electro, the SeaQ Communication will provide the vessels with "a robust infrastructure and enhance the crew’s efficiency and safety while at…
Groke Pro Machine Vision Gets ClassNK Tech Nod
ClassNK granted its Innovation Endorsement for Products & Solutions to an object recognition system on machine vision and sensor fusion called Groke Pro developed by Groke Technologies Oy.In order to promote the spread and development of innovative technologies, ClassNK has offered Innovation Endorsement as a swift certification service in cooperation with technological front runners to establish appropriate evaluation criteria.
