Viasat Buys Inmarsat, Creating Global Satellite Communications Powerhouse
U.S.-based global communications company Viasat has completed the acquisition of its UK-based rival Inmarsat."The combined company enhances our scale and scope to continue to drive growth in the increasingly dynamic and competitive satellite communications industry. The company’s assets, once fully integrated, are expected to increase the pace and scope of innovation in the global satellite connectivity sector…
Van Oord Takes Delivery of Third Dual-fuel LNG Dredger
Van Oord Ship Management has taken delivery of its third dual-fuel trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD), from Seatrium in Singapore.The delivery of Vox Alexia, the final unit of a series of three dual-fuel LNG-powered dredgers, follows the first and second dredger newbuilds Vox Ariane and Vox Apolonia delivered in April and December 2022 respectively.Vox Alexia is IMO Tier III compliant, built to Bureau Veritas (BV) class and has a hopper capacity of 10,500m3.
BIMCO Launches Ship Recycling Film
BIMCO has launched a film calling for the urgent adoption of the Hong Kong International Convention for the safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (Hong Kong Convention) and for shipowners to only choose yards that live up to the convention.“Ship Recycling: Time for Change” is partly filmed at ship recycling yards in Alang, India, one of the largest ship recycling nations in the world together with Bangladesh.
BOEM Completes Environmental Review of Gulf of Mexico Wind Lease Areas
The United States' Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on Tuesday issued a final environmental assessment (EA) on potential impacts from offshore wind leasing on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Mexico, marking another step toward the potential first-ever offshore wind lease sale in the Gulf.The assessment, completed with the help of the Gulf of Mexico Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force—a collaboration between Tribal…
Fishing Vessel Sinks After Colliding with Pilot Boat in Virginia
A fishing vessel quickly sank after colliding with a pilot boat near Newport News, Va. on Tuesday.The U.S. Coast Guard said it was alerted at 7:50 a.m. that the Virginia Pilot Association pilot boat Swift and a 38-foot deadrise fishing vessel Miss Heather collided near the Newport News Small Boat Harbor.A pilot aboard the Swift rescued two fishermen from the Miss Heather and brought them aboard as…
Operation to Empty Yemen Safer Oil Tanker Set to Begin
Operations to salvage 1.1 million barrels of oil from a decaying tanker moored off Yemen's coast will soon begin after a technical support ship arrived on site on Tuesday, the United Nations said.U.N. officials have been warning for years that the Red Sea and Yemen's coastline was at risk as the Safer tanker could spill four times as much oil as the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster off Alaska.The Ndeavor tanker…
Bangladesh to Ratify Ship Recycling Convention in June
Bangladesh is set to ratify an international convention in early June on recycling ships aimed at increasing safety and environmental standards, a senior official told Reuters."We expect the first week of June for the official declaration," said Mamunur Rashid, a deputy secretary with the Ministry of Industries, who said Bangladesh is the world's top ship breaking and recycling centre.The Hong Kong Convention was adopted in 2009 by 63 countries and so far has been ratified by 20 nations…
Top Shipper of Russian Oil Secures Indian Cover as Western Certifiers Exit
An Indian agency has stepped in to provide safety certification for most of Gatik Ship Management's fleet, a major carrier of Russian oil to India, after Lloyd's Register and the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) withdrew classification for many of its vessels, records show.Mumbai-based Gatik, which has emerged this year as a significant player in Russian oil transport, also recently reflagged at least four of its vessels to Mongolia…
Techcross Retrofits BWMS in Tanker's Engine Room
Ballast water management system company Techcross said it has installed a BWMS in the engine room of an existing tanker. This installation method, called the “Engine Room Solution”, was patented under the name of Techcross in Korea in 2016 and has been applied only to new ships so far. However, this is the first time it has been applied to an existing ship.One set of ECS 1000B model was installed on the 50,400 PC tanker owned by Horizon Tankers Limited S.A.
Ukraine Wants to Deepen Danube to Expand Grain Export Routes
Ukraine wants to begin work to make its Danube shipping canal deeper as early as this year to expand its alternative routes to export grain, Deputy Minister of Renovation and Infrastructure Yuriy Vaskov said on Tuesday.Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia last year, has already increased the depth of its southwestern Bystre Canal on the Danube River to 6.5 meters from 3.9 meters with the aim of increasing food exports from its river ports.The push for alternative export routes has taken on urgen
Retaining Gen Z in the Marine Industry
While people in all generations measured themselves against eternal factors—fellow employees, family, their industry, etc.—Generation Z is fixated on measuring themselves against the world as seen through social media. Coaching them will help them begin to turn inward and measure success against their own goals. One of the keys to retaining your Gen Z workers will be in positively coaching them.Coaching should provide positive feedback about employee contributions.
USCG's Keeper Class Buoy Tenders Set for Navigation Upgrade
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has tapped Exail to replace obsolete gyrocompass systems on the 175-foot WLM Keeper Class Buoy Tenders. The $2,244,009 contract awarded to Exail includes Octans gyrocompasses and Netans Navigation Data Distribution Systems (NDDS) and covers a base year and nine options over a 10-year performance period.This upgrade will provide the USCG Keeper Class Buoy Tenders with more precise and dependable navigation capabilities.
Repsol Extends Energy Swan PSV Charter
Norwegian offshore vessel operator Golden Energy Offshore Services AS (GEOS) has secured a contract extension with Repsol for its Enegy Swan platform supply vessel.The contract extension is in direct continuation of the current charter contract which started in 2021 when the large platform supplier was chartered. The extension kicks off in early July and will run until September 1, 2023.Repsol Norge…
Four San Francisco Ferries Refit with Cleaner Engines
The San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) and Bay Area Air Quality Management District (Air District) announced that WETA’s Gemini Class Clean Air Conversion Project has been completed, resulting in a substantial decrease in air pollution emissions from four San Francisco Bay Ferry vessels serving Oakland, Alameda and Richmond.In September 2021, WETA's Board of Directors…
New Hybrid RoRo Ships Ordered for Stena Line
On behalf of Stena Line, Stena RoRo has designed and ordered two hybrid cargo ships from the Chinese shipyard CMI Jinling in Weihai. The ships can be powered by methanol or conventional fuel and have been developed in line with future environmental requirements, for example by using batteries as a future means of propulsion. Major emphasis has been placed on optimizing the cargo capacity, which has…
QatarEnergy to Sign Long-term Asian LNG Supply Deal on Thursday - Source
QatarEnergy will sign a long-term liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply deal with an Asian entity on Thursday, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.The deal will be one of many to come this year as the major LNG producer secures sales for its North Field expansion project, the source said on Tuesday. Competition for LNG ramped up last year after the Ukraine war, with Europe in particular…
China Merchants Shipping Orders Methanol-Ready Crude Oil Tankers
Shipowner China Merchants Shipping has signed a construction contract for two methanol-ready crude oil tankers to be delivered by China State Shipbuilding Trading, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, and Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Group.The two 115,000-ton crude oil tankers will have selective catalytic reduction (SCR) to reduce NOx emissions and a scrubber to reduce SOx emissions.On delivery…
Methanol Institute Publishes Guide to Methanol as a Marine Fuel
The Methanol Institute (MI) has published the first comprehensive guide to methanol as a marine fuel.“Marine Methanol Future-Proof Shipping Fuel” includes sections that address regulatory drivers, environmental performance, engines and fuel systems, bunkering, handling and safety characteristics, costs and pricing, availability and feedstocks for conventional and renewable product. Also included are case studies on first movers including AP Moller-Maersk…
Cruise Ship Balcony Fire Extinguished
Thousands of cruise passengers were mustered to lifeboat stations at around 0300 on May 28 after a fire broke out on the Pacific Adventure.The vessel was sailing…
IBIA Wants IMO to Improve New Flashpoint Regulations
The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) has submitted proposals to the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 107) which will be meeting later this week in a bid to improve understanding and workability of new flashpoint regulations for fuel oil.MSC 107 will meet from 31 May to 9 June and will continue discussion on an agenda item for the development of further measures to enhance the safety of ships relating to the use of fuel oil.