Vigor Completes Availability on USNS John Lewis
Vigor has completed a Post-Shakedown Availability (PSA) on USNS John Lewis (T-AO 205) at Swan Island. The first-in-class Military Sealift Command vessel will head into active service following the eight-month availability, as the namesake of the John Lewis-class fleet replenishment oilers.Beginning last fall, the PSA included systems improvements and post-delivery upgrades to improve the vessel’s operability.
Twin Disc Finalizes Katsa Acquisition
Power transmission technology company Twin Disc on Friday announced it has finalized its acquisition of Katsa Oy, a Finland-based, designer and manufacturer of gearboxes and power transmission components, completing a €21 million (approximately $23 million) all-cash deal that was first announced in March.“We are excited to welcome Katsa to the Twin Disc family of brands,” stated John H. Batten, President and CEO of Twin Disc.
Textron Delivers LCAC 109 to the US Navy
The U.S. Navy reports it has taken delivery of the latest Ship to Shore Connector (SSC), Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC) 109 from Textron Systems.The May 29 delivery of LCAC 109 comes after completion of acceptance trials conducted by the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey, which tested the readiness and capability of the craft to effectively meet its requirements.“This new craft will provide the Navy and Marine Corps team with unparalleled capability in amphibious warfare…
Cleaner Shipping Fuel is Contributing to Ocean Warming, Scientists Say
Shipping fuel regulations introduced in 2020 have led to a substantial cut in sulphur dioxide (SO2) pollution, but may also have made the ocean warmer by reducing cloud cover, according to a modelling study in a paper published late on Thursday.International Maritime Organization (IMO) rules to tackle marine pollution forced shippers to cut their fuel sulphur content to 0.5% from 3.5%, leading to an 80% decline in SO2 emissions…
Washington State Ferries Goes Out to Bid for New Hybrid-electric Vessels
Deliveries will begin in 2028 if all goes well. Delays and escalating costs have bedeviled the procurement process up until now.Washington State Ferries on Thursday published an invitation to bid on building five new hybrid-electric ferries, an overdue achievement that promises to eventually bring more reliability to cross-Sound ferry service.It’s the first time in more than 50 years that the state will accept bids from shipyards nationwide to construct its vessels.
Houthis Claim Attack on US Aircraft Carrier
Yemen's Houthis launched a missile attack in the direction of the U.S. aircraft carrier Eisenhower in the Red Sea in response to U.S. and British strikes on Yemen, the Iranian-backed group's military spokesperson Yahya Saree said on Friday.A U.S. defense official told Reuters they were not aware of any attack on the Eisenhower.Six U.S. and British strikes have killed 16 people and wounded 41, including civilians…
Extreme Asian Heat Spurs LNG Demand Ahead of Summer Months
Extreme temperatures across Asia are driving up liquefied natural gas (LNG) demand in the region as importers seek cargoes ahead of summer, with imports in South Asia hitting records.This could tighten available supply and further lift Asian spot prices that have already gained a third since April, with heatwaves across South and Southeast Asia boosting air-conditioner use and other cooling demand.
Austal Wins $516 Million US Navy Contract
Austal has secured a $516 million contract to construct the lead ship of the United States Navy's ocean surveillance program, T-AGOS 25, the Australian defence shipbuilder said in an exchange filing on Friday.The contract, announced on May 19, was originally for $113.9 million for a detailed design of the Auxiliary General Ocean Surveillance Ship T-AGOS 25 Class for the United States Navy, with options to design and construct up to seven such ships.On Friday, the United States Navy exercised its
USACE to Continue Duluth Pier Repairs
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will continue repairing its Duluth southern Vessel Yard Pier with Phase 2 beginning in July.Repairs this year are estimated to end around November and resume Spring 2025 with completion in the Spring of 2026.Michels Construction Inc. of Brownsville, Wisconsin was awarded the contract for encasing the existing south pier and slip headwall structures with steel sheeting and piling…
Saipem Adds Heavy-Lift Pipelay Vessel JSD6000 to Its Fleet
Italian offshore energy services firm Saipem has signed a long-term charter contract with Chinese state-owned port and naval machinery manufacturer ZPMC for the JSD6000, a latest generation ship for offshore heavy lifting, construction and pipelaying.The signed contract provides for the bareboat charter of the ship for a five-year duration, plus two extension options of one year each.The vessel will…
ABS and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Sign JDP to Advance 3D Printing
ABS and representatives from an HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) consortium signed a joint development agreement (JDP) that paves the way for the onboard manufacture of repair parts.Using a digital library for the design process and 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing (AM), the consortium aims to support rapid maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) on sailing merchant vessels focused on metallic materials.
Singapore's Tuas Port to Add Three More Berths
Three new berths will start operations at Singapore Tuas Port later this year to tackle extended waiting times for ships after Red Sea shipping tensions boosted vessel arrivals, said Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority (MPA).The diversion of vessels around the Cape of Good Hope has disrupted arrival schedules at major ports globally and has caused a "vessels bunching" effect for container vessels calling at Singapore this year, MPA said in a statement late Thursday.The new berths will bring
Container Shipping Market Set to Surpass Red Sea Crisis Peak
Ocean freight container shipping spot rates are set to exceed the level seen at the height of the Red Sea crisis when the latest round of increases hit the market on June 1, according to the latest data released by Xeneta.Peter Sand, Xeneta Chief Analyst, said: “The ocean freight container shipping market has seen rapid and dramatic increases during May and that is set to continue with further growth in spot rates.“On 1 June…
Rolls-Royce MT30 Selected to Power Japan’s ASEV
Rolls-Royce has been selected to supply the world’s first twin MT30-powered hybrid electro-mechanical propulsion arrangement to power Japan’s Aegis System Equipped Vessel (ASEV), a Japanese destroyer program.The OEM says the unique power density of the MT30 GT will ensure ship performance is not compromised and will meet the top ship speed requirements associated with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense…
World Fuel Services Director Accepts Key CIMAC Appointment
World Fuel Services has announced that John Stirling, the company’s Director, Marine Technical, has accepted a key position at CIMAC, the International Council on Power, Drives and Propulsion. He will take over the vacant position of Secretary of CIMAC’s WG7 working group.The association has recently refocused from providing a technical forum for conventional diesel engine expertise, to include all new types of energy…
RSPCA Analyzes Livestock Observer Reports
The Australian government instigated a program of having independent observers on livestock carriers after onboard footage was published in 2018 showing thousands of sheep dying of heat stress on a vessel.The RSPCA has now released an analysis of the reports produced by independent observers, indicating that 80% of the reports from recent live sheep export voyages say sheep are starving on board, and…
Multraship Christens New Damen ASD Tug
Multraship Towage & Salvage has christened its newest tug, Multratug 35, at its home port of Terneuzen, the Netherlands.The vessel is a Damen ASD Tug 3212. Damen and Multraship signed the contract for the vessel – together with a second, identical ASD Tug 3212 – in June last year. Prior to the contract, Damen had already commenced construction on the tugs as part of its practice of building standard vessels for stock.
BIMCO: Trade Restrictions Continue to Drive Tanker Demand Higher
Crude tanker demand is forecast to outpace supply in 2024 but grow slower than supply in 2025 as ships may return to the Suez Canal and sailing distances shorten, according to BIMCO’s May issue of its Tanker Shipping Market Overview & Outlook.Driven by increasing sailing distances, product tanker demand is also expected to grow faster than supply in 2024 but slower in 2025. A tightening supply/demand…
Danelec and DanPilot Unveil Remote Piloting Technology
Danelec and leading Danish piloting company DanPilot have revealing the result of a key strategic partnership at the European Maritime Day conference in Svendborg, Denmark. They have new technology that integrates operational and navigation solutions, allowing for safe piloting without requiring a pilot to board the ship.Danelec has been collecting vessel and navigation data on commercial vessels for 30 years. Today, vessel data can be sent to the cloud and displayed in near real-time ashore.
Consortium to Use High-Frequency Data to Evaluate Alternative Fuels
A research project which brings together The Cambridge Centre for Advanced Research and Education in Singapore (CARES), Laskaridis Shipping and Metis will evaluate the real impacts of the fuels offered for shipping’s decarbonization.The IMO’s strategy for greenhouse gases aims at ships reaching net-zero GHG emissions by around 2050 and ensuring uptake of near-zero GHG fuels by 2030. However, reliable…