Maritime Industry Top News
Industry Unites on Enclosed Space Deaths
Appalled that deaths in enclosed spaces continue to be all too frequent occurrences in the shipping industry, the Maritime Professional Council of the United Kingdom (MPC) has announced its support for fundamental changes to ship operation and design.MPC member InterManager has been at the forefront of raising this issue where, it says, seemingly innocuous compartments, cargo holds and fuel tanks, vital for storage and operation on board any vessel…
Giles Candy Responds to “Getting the Numbers Right”
Wendy Laursen’s article Getting the Numbers Right, published in the August issue of Maritime Reporter, sparked debate from ballast water management experts. Here Giles Candy of Giles Environmental LLC – Independent Ballast Water Consultant, provides his feedback on the article which outlines the challenges the industry has faced trying to reduce the occurrence of invasive marine species transferred…
Austal USA Lays Keel for Final Expeditionary Fast Transport Vessel USNS Lansing
Austal USA has officially launched the construction of the U.S. Navy’s final Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF), the future USNS Lansing (EPF 16), with a keel laying ceremony at its Mobile, Ala. shipyard. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who is serving as the ship’s sponsor, and Emija Coleman, a seasoned welder with nine years of experience at Austal USA, played key roles in the ceremony. Governor Whitmer…
Gulf of Mexico Offshore Platforms Evacuated Ahead of Storm Francine
U.S. Gulf of Mexico oil and gas producers were evacuating staff and curbing drilling to prepare for Tropical Storm Francine on Monday as it churned through the energy region on a path to bring high winds and drenching rains to the U.S. mid-South.Francine is likely to bring life-threatening storm surge to the upper Texas and Louisiana coasts and hurricane-force winds to Southern Louisiana this week.
Plaquemines LNG Export Plant Gets Key Regulatory Approval
Federal regulators on Friday gave Venture Global LNG permission to begin preparations for the start-up of liquefied natural gas equipment at its Plaquemines export plant in Louisiana, taking a step closer to first LNG production for the facility, about 20 miles south of New Orleans.A tanker containing LNG has been docked at Plaquemines with a cargo of chilled gas since late August, according to Venture Global LNG and data from financial firm LSEG.
Star Bulk Sells Its Oldest Vessel
Dry bulk shipowner Star Bulk on Monday announced it has reached a deal to sell the oldest vessel in its fleet for $20 million.The sale of the 2004-built Capesize vessel Star Triumph will generate net proceeds of approximately $13 million after repayment of associated debt, Star Bulk said, noting it expects to record a gain of approximately $7.7 million during the third quarter of 2024.Star Bulk did not disclose the buyer.
LR Partners with Amogy and RotoBoost to Slash Maritime Emissions
Classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR) is collaborating with Amogy and RotoBoost in a study aimed at reducing emissions in the maritime industry. The joint development project (JDP) will assess the potential of advanced technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells, ammonia-to-power systems, and pre-combustion Carbon Dioxide Capture Storage (CCS) systems from technical, financial, and regulatory perspectives.This…
Scania Unveils New 13-liter Marine Engine
Scania has unveiled its new 13-liter DI13 marine engine for propulsion and auxiliary use."This is our most advanced marine engine so far, contributing to a better operating economy and sustainability at sea. We want to meet our customers' needs and positively impact fuel efficiency and product performance for demanding conditions within all operations," said Fredrik Järild, Head of Sales Power Solutions. With an improved fuel efficiency, this 13-liter engine has a major CO2-emission reduction.
North Korean Seeks to Build Up Its Naval Power
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un underscored the importance of strengthening naval power as he toured a naval base construction site, state media KCNA reported on Sunday."Now that we are soon to possess large surface warships and submarines which cannot be anchored by the existing facilities for mooring warships, the construction of a naval base for running the latest large warships has become a pressing task…
Four Seafarers Abandoned on Tugboat in the US
Four seafarers have been abandoned without pay on a 60-year-old tugboat in Washington State.The vessel, Wycliffe, recently changed its flag to Vanuatu, and was scheduled to help tow two retired Washington State Ferries vessels for a 34-day transit to Ecuador – where the new owner is based – for scrap, but the contract was canceled after the tug experienced technical issues.The four crew members on board from Colombia…
Rand Logistics CEO Dave Foster to Retire, Greg Binion Named Interim CEO
Rand Logistics, Inc., a provider of bulk freight shipping in the Great Lakes region, announced that Dave Foster has informed the Board of his decision to retire from his role as Chief Executive Officer, following a nearly 40 year career in the maritime industry, including the past four as CEO of Rand.Greg Binion, a seasoned transportation and logistics executive and most recently a Board Member of Rand…
Naval Power: Navies Increasingly Eye Alternative Fuels
Alternative fuels are not top of the list of naval requirements for gensets, but they are inching their way up.The naval world is largely exempt from the decarbonization pressure faced by commercial shipping, but it can’t ignore it entirely. As a famed naval strategist once said: “Fuel stands first in importance of the resources necessary to a fleet.”Navies must therefore consider their fuel supply…
VIKING Life-Saving Equipment Expands Business in Norway
VIKING Life-Saving Equipment has expanded its network of owned service stations in Norway by acquiring the safety department of Tromsø-based company Lindrup Martinsen.The move will ensure VIKING can deliver even better service to customers in Northern Norway, as it expands its business in the region.Lindrup Martinsen has been a service partner for VIKING for 15 years. VIKING and Lindrup Martinsen have now agreed that VIKING will take over Lindrup Martinsen’s safety department…
QatarEnergy Orders Six More QC-Max LNG Vessels from Chinese Shipyard
QatarEnergy has signed an agreement with China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) for the construction of six additional QC-Max vessels, bringing the total number of LNG vessels on order under its fleet expansion program to 128, including 24 QC-Max mega vessels.The QC-Max vessels, which will be built at China’s Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard, a wholly-owned CSSC subsidiary, are the largest LNG vessels ever built with a capacity of 271,000 cubic meters each.
Eidesvik Offshore’s CEO Resigns
The chief executive officer of Norwegian offshore vessel owner Eidesvik Offshore, Gitte Gard Talmo has resigned from his role to take up a new position in an international company abroad.Gitte Gard Talmo has been with the company for 22 years and has been CEO of Eidesvik Offshore since January 1, 2022.According to Eidsevik Offshore, Gitte Gard Talmo will continue in her position as CEO for the time being…
GMS: Ship Recycling Market Subdued
The ship recycling market has so far been subdued in September, as expected, reports cash buyer GMS.Macro factors affecting the market include the situation in the Middle East, Houthi attacks on passing vessels and tensions caused by the repositioning of navies in response to ISIS fighters targeting U.S. bases.“The start of September saw the industry still witness the inescapable decline that is India’s ship recycling sector today…
Becker Marine Systems Introduces New Wind-Assist Steering Technology
Becker Marine Systems introduced two new products at SMM which are designed to optimise vessel hydrodynamic performance: the Becker Daggerboard and the Becker Steering Gear.The Becker Daggerboard is an anti-leeway fin designed for ships equipped with modern wind- assisted propulsion systems (WAPS). When using WAPS, the desired thrust ahead components drive the ship. Depending on the wind direction…
Esgian Week 36 Report: New Contracts Awarded in India, Guyana and West Africa
Esgian provides an update on new contract awards for Greatship, Transocean, Noble and Stena Drilling in its Week 36 Rig Analytics Market Roundup.Report SummaryContractsGreatship has secured a contract with Cairn for its 350-ft Greatdrill Chetna jackup drilling rig in India. The contract is firm for six months at a dayrate of approximately $90,000, starting in late November or early December 2024.Transocean has secured a binding letter of award from Reliance Industries for its 6th generation 12…
USS Richard M. McCool, Jr. Commissioned
The San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Richard M. McCool, Jr. (LPD 29) commissioned aboard Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, on September 7.San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ships are warships that embark, transport and land elements of a landing force for a variety of expeditionary warfare missions. They provide the Navy and Marine Corps with modern, sea-based platforms that are networked…
ASRY Lays First Keel in Bapco Refining’s Barges Project
The Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard Company (ASRY) has launched the first phase of the Bapco Refining Self-Propelled Fuel Oil Bunker Barges project with a keel-laying ceremony.The project, which is scheduled for execution in the final quarter of 2024, comes as part of a strategic alliance between ASRY and Bapco Refining and is a step towards positioning the Kingdom of Bahrain as a key maritime hub…
