Maritime Industry Top News
US Opens Bidding for Offshore Wind Acreage off Texas
The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said on Friday it is seeking competitive bids for offshore wind leases off the coast of Texas after renewable energy developer Hecate Energy Gulf Wind LLC made an unsolicited bid.The administration of President Joe Biden sees offshore wind power as a vital part of a broader strategy to decarbonize the U.S. power sector to fight climate change, but the nascent…
Towboat Fire Damage Limited by Crew's Quick Response
When a fire broke out in the engine room of a towboat in Louisiana, the situation could have easily escalated to become much worse, but the quick actions of the vessel's crew helped to contain the blaze and limit the damage significantly, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said.The vessel Desperado was transiting in Lake Salvador near Bayou Perot, La., on February 17, 2023, when a ruptured hydraulic hose spraying fuel on a hot engine sparked a fire on board.
Italian Navy Orders Five Minehunter Vessels for $2.82 Billion
Defense group Leonardo and Immsi's naval unit Intermarine have signed a contract worth up to 2.6 billion euros ($2.82 billion) to supply Italy's navy with five coastal minehunter ships, the companies said on Friday.The contract, which also includes logistics support, is worth 1.6 billion euros for the vessels and 1 billion euros in various other options.Immsi's share price jumped more than 16% and Leonardo was up 2.3% after the deal was announced.Intermarine will produce the 63 meter vessels in
CARB Approves Twin Disc's Electric Propulsion Conversion Kit for CORE Discount
An electric propulsion system conversion kit developed by power transmission technology company Twin Disc and distributor partner Palmer Johnson Power Systems has been approved by the California Air & Resources Board (CARB) under the Clean Off-Road Equipment Voucher Incentive Project (CORE).The CORE incentive program aims to encourage California off-road equipment users to purchase or lease currently…
Finland Suspects Russian Vessel of Territorial Violation
Finland suspects a Russian vessel violated the Nordic country's territorial waters on Friday, the government said, in the latest incident to cloud relations between the two countries.The government said Friday's incident took place in the eastern Gulf of Finland."The Border Guard is investigating the incident and will provide further information as the investigation progresses," the Finnish defense ministry said in a statement.Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat quoted border guard chief investigato
Authorities Make Major Cocaine Bust in Port of Barcelona
Spanish police said on Friday they had seized four metric tons of cocaine hidden in rice sacks at Barcelona's port, breaking up a crime ring that operated in Spain, Paraguay and Britain.The drug smugglers processed the drugs into powder in Asuncion, Paraguay, and then put them plastic bags which were hidden inside sacks of rice sewn by hand before shipping them to Europe, the statement said.The containers arrived at Barcelona's port earlier this year but the haul of cocaine was only discovered i
ClassNK Issues Guide on Cyber Resilience of Ships
ClassNK has released ‘Guidelines for Cyber resilience of ships’, which expound new IACS Unified Requirements (UR) to support the consideration of measures to ensure the cybersecurity of ships.IACS has established UR E26 for ships and UR E27 for on-board systems and equipment as URs setting minimum requirements for cyber resilience, which is the capability to reduce the occurrence and mitigate the effects of cyber incidents due to cyber-attacks or other threats.
Pilotage Concerns Raised After Near Grounding in Great Barrier Reef
A bulk carrier came within 200 m of grounding in the Great Barrier Reef after a GPS unit onboard the ship began providing false information to the pilot and crew on board, an ATSB final report details.The near grounding occurred early on the morning of May 4, 2022, when the 225m bulk carrier Rosco Poplar was transiting Hydrographers Passage under the conduct of a coastal pilot.Unknown to the pilot and crew…
European Commission Urged to Take Action on Calves
Despite stating that the transport of unweaned calves from Ireland to France is in breach of EU law, the European Commission has so far failed to take action against it, says Ethical Farming Ireland.In an audit report published in December 2023, the Commission claimed the journey was in breach of Regulation 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport, as the calves are not being fed during the long ferry crossing to France.
US Investigation Leads Maersk to Change Reporting Policy for Employees
As part of a settlement with the U.S. Department of Labor, Maersk Line Limited will change its safety reporting policies and compensate a seaman the company terminated after they reported safety concerns to the U.S. Coast Guard without first notifying their employer.The actions follow a three-day hearing in June 2024 where Maersk challenged the findings of a whistleblower investigation by the department’s…
CNOOC, ADNOC Agree to Deepen Cooperation
China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC) said on Thursday it signed strategic alliance agreement with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) to deepen cooperation.Under the agreement, the companies will cooperate in oil, gas exploration and production, oilfield services and the trading of crude oil and liquefied natural gas, CNOOC, parent of CNOOC Ltd, said a press release.They will also deepen work in the new energy sector and in low-carbon projects, CNOOC added.(Reuters - Reporting by Chen
Saipem Sees Business Opportunities in Green Ammonia, Offshore Wind
Italian energy contractor Saipem, which has traditionally focused on oil and gas contracts, sees business opportunities arising in low-carbon areas including green ammonia and offshore wind, its CEO said on Thursday.Speaking with journalists the day after releasing first-half results, Saipem's Alessandro Puliti said the group had been recently awarded a 250-million euro ($271 million) project to build…
Russian Warships to Arrive in Cuba on Saturday
Three ships from Russia’s Baltic Fleet will arrive in Cuba on Saturday, official media said on Thursday, the second visit by Russian naval vessels since June.A brief statement by the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces said the visit was routine, but back-to-back naval visits by any country to Cuba have not occurred in decades.Russian news agencies earlier reported on the planned visit, citing Cuba's Defense Ministry.(Reuters - Reporting by Marc Frank, Writing by Natalia Siniawski; Editing by Chris
Oil Spill Threatens Philippines Capital After Tanker Capsizes
A marine tanker carrying industrial fuel sank in rough seas off the Philippines on Thursday, causing the death of a crew member and an oil spill that could spread to waters off the capital Manila, officials said.Sixteen of the 17 crew members of MT Terra Nova have been rescued, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said, after the ship capsized off the coastal town of Limay in Bataan province.The…
CMA CGM Sees Shipping Demand Holding Up After Restocking Wave
Shipping giant CMA CGM said on Thursday that brisk international trade and Red Sea disruption supported its main maritime division in the second quarter and should limit any market slowdown later this year as new ship capacity arrives.The world's third-largest container shipping line reported a 6.8% year-on-year increase in volumes in the second quarter. Volumes also rose more than 6% from the first three months of the year when the group started seeing an upturn in demand.Restocking by U.S.
Iran Releases Oil Carried by Tanker St Nikolas
Iran has released the oil cargo of a Greek-owned, Marshall-Islands-flagged tanker it seized in the Gulf of Oman earlier this year, a shipping source told Reuters on Thursday.The vessel, M/T St. Nikolas, is still being held by Iran, the source added. It was laden with 1 million barrels of Iraqi crude oil destined for Turkey when it was seized."The cargo was released earlier this week after negotiations," the source said.Turkish refiner Tupras said in a statement that the St.
Greene Returns to Nichols Bros in VP Role
Freeland, Wash. shipbuilder Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB) announced it has appointed Lacey Greene as Vice President, New Construction Sales, effective from mid-July 2024.A second-generation shipbuilder, following in the footsteps of her father who worked at NBBB for many years, Greene started her career 20 years ago on the NBBB labor crew during the build of the SEAFIGHTER, also known as the X-CRAFT, and the paddle-wheel cruise boat EMPRESS OF THE NORTH, now the AMERICAN EMPRESS.
Viking Ship Navigating Seafarers' Ancient Routes Berths in Adriatic
A replica Viking ship has berthed in Montenegro's Adriatic port of Bar on a years-long trip through European waters inspired by the Norse seafarers who set out from Scandinavia to explore, trade and conquer a millennium ago.The ship, Saga Farmann, is a full-size archaeological reconstruction of a 10th-century Viking cargo vessel, or knarr, made from oak and pine, which was found in Norway as early as 1893 but only excavated in the 1970s."This is the type of ship that would travel to Iceland…
Crown LNG Picks IKM for Engineering Design of Scottish Floating LNG Terminal
Crown LNG Holdings, a provider of LNG liquefaction and regasification terminal technologies for harsh weather locations, has selected IKM Engineering & Environmental Consultants (IKM) as its partner for the design and engineering of a floating LNG import terminal in the Firth of Forth, Scotland.The partner appointment represents a critical milestone as Crown LNG advances toward Final Investment Decision (FID) for the Grangemouth project…
Port San Luis Harbor District Eyes Offshore Wind Prize in California
The Port San Luis Harbor District has entered into a project evaluation agreement with Clean Energy Terminals (CET), a leading developer of offshore wind port facilities across the U.S., to asses the development of the West Coast's first offshore wind operations and maintenance port.The agreement enables the parties to jointly evaluate the technical and commercial feasibility of an offshore wind operations…