NIB to Co-Finance Norled’s Vessels and Infrastructure in Norway
Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) has signed a seven-year loan to co-finance ferry operator Norled AS’ investments in zero and low carbon vessels and related land-based infrastructure in Norway during 2024-2030.The InvestEU program supports the loan under NIBs Framework Operation Green Mobility and Transport approved by the Investment Committee.This NOK 500 million (EUR 43.4 million) loan will help Norled finance the extension of its low-carbon fleet. This is NIB’s first InvestEU loan in Norway.Norway is electrifying its transport network at a rapid pace…
Wärtsilä Delivers Simulator to Sharjah Maritime Academy
Wärtsilä has supplied its latest simulator technology to the prestigious Sharjah Maritime Academy located in Khorfakkan, United Arab Emirates.The comprehensive suite of navigation, engineering, communications and Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) simulators includes full mission, part task and classroom trainers for all levels of training and research, as well as modelling and content creation tools to enable the highly skilled maritime faculty team to offer a complete range of services…
Houthi Attacks Having Limited Impact on Israeli Trade, Prices - Ministry
Attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis on cargo ships in the Red Seas are having limited effect on trade to Israel and have not led to any significant inflationary pressures, Israel's Finance Ministry said in a report on Monday.Houthi militants have repeatedly launched drones and missiles against international commercial shipping in the Gulf of Aden since mid-November, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians against Israel's military actions in Gaza.Their Red Sea attacks have disrupted global shipping…
Havila Voyages Announces Leadership Appointments
Norway's Havila Voyages announced it has appointed Mette Øyen as its new chief marketing officer and Aleksander Røynesdal has started in the role of new chief financial officer.Røynesdal was hired in December but officially entered his new role March 1. He comes from the position of COO at Norgas Carriers and has extensive experience in the finance and capital markets within the shipping and maritime transport industry.Øyen is scheduled to start in her new role on September 1, 2024.
European Ethanol Producers Challenge EU Maritime Legislation
European renewable ethanol producers have launched a legal challenge to the EU’s FuelEU Maritime Regulation on the grounds that it fails to properly recognise the proven benefits of sustainable crop-based biofuels and has therefore violated several key EU legislative procedures.Companies representing nearly all of the EU’s production of renewable ethanol are seeking to annul a section of the legislation that considers crop-based biofuels to have the same emission factors as the least favourable fossil fuel pathway.
bound4blue to Install Its eSAIL on Cargo Vessel Newbuild
bound4blue reports it has been selected to install a 22-meter-high eSAIL on board the newbuild multipurpose cargo vessel Na Pae E Hiro, helping shipowner SNA TUHA’A PAE (SNA) reduce energy consumption by 10%. Launching in 2026, the trailblazing ship will mix green technology with an ambition to accelerate development of the remote Austral Islands, carrying both vital supplies and up to 200 tourists on its voyages from Tahiti to the South Pacific archipelago.The eSAIL, designed for both retrofits and newbuilds, is a ‘suction sail’.
Nations and Industry Partners Respond to Green Shipping Challenge
Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry are co-leading an international initiative to accelerate reduction of emissions from the shipping sector, and on December 1, during COP28, they chaired a new round of announcements under that initiative, the Green Shipping Challenge.Various countries and organizations proposed measures to reduce emissions from shipping. This year’s announcements include:• Amazon: Amazon and other…
New Blue Sky Report Outlines N. America Roadmap to Net Zero Maritime Transport
The Blue Sky Maritime Coalition (BSMC) has released a new report titled, Roadmap to Net-Zero Emissions: North American Waterborne Transportation, which envisions industry-wide decarbonization by 2050 and identifies the guiding principles and key actions that will help the maritime value chain meet that vision.By understanding what success in 2050 looks like for each stakeholder, the roadmap works backwards to identify the steps and pathways needed to bring that future to reality.
GTT Designing Tanks for Purus VLECs
GTT has received an order from HD Hyundai Heavy Industries for the tank design of two new very large ethane carriers (VLEs), on behalf of shipowner Purus.GTT will design the tanks of these two vessels, which will each offer a capacity of 98,000m3. The tanks will be fitted with the Mark III membrane containment system developed by GTT.Delivery is scheduled between the fourth quarter of 2026 and the second quarter of 2027.The vessels will feature dual-fuel ethane engines and optimized cargo handling systems, enabling lower CO2 and SOx emissions.
Yara Plans World’s First Ammonia-Powered Container Ship
Yara Clean Ammonia, North Sea Container Line, and Yara International have joined forces to realize the world's first container ship that will use clean ammonia as fuel. Named Yara Eyde, the vessel will be the first to sail emission-free sea route between Norway and Germany.Yara Eyde will operate between Oslo, Porsgrunn, Hamburg and Bremerhaven, so that from 2026, Norwegian companies can trade their products emissions-free in and out of Norway. Yara International is participating as cargo-owner.
IMO and Korea Agree to Boost SMART-C Program
The IMO and the Republic of Korea have signed a suite of agreements to formally establish and boost the IMO-Republic of Korea Sustainable Maritime Transport Cooperation (SMART-C) program.The goal of the KRW 25.5 billion (approximately $20 million) SMART-C program is to promote sustainable maritime transport systems and a sustainable marine environment by building knowledge and developing technical capacity in developing countries via long-term thematic projects.This Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding will ensure long-term programming of several technical cooperation projects.
Nantes Saint-Nazaire Port Chooses Lhyfe for Hydrogen Project
Lhyfe has won the call for proposals by Nantes Saint-Nazaire Port to develop a green hydrogen industrial production and distribution site in Montoir-de-Bretagne (Loire-Atlantique).This call for proposals, which was launched in November 2022, concerned the provision of land located at the heart of the port's industrial and logistics ecosystem, in Montoir-de-Bretagne, for a project to set up an industrial renewable hydrogen production facility.Nantes Saint-Nazaire Port has embarked on a path towards a new low-carbon economic model for its business…
ASGARD: Developing an Anti-Spoofing Weapon
Saab and GMV are collaborating in ASGARD, an EU-funded project that aims to improve maritime security when using GNSS and OSNMA. The project addresses the growing threat of GNSS spoofing and other cyberattacks on navigation systems used in the maritime industry.The ASGARD project, run by Saab and GMV, is an ambitious European Union (EU) initiative that aims to develop advanced technologies to improve Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and Open Service Navigation Message Authentication (OSNMA) security in maritime environments.
AMSA Bans BBC Jade
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has issued its third ban from Australian waters to a Briese Heavylift GmbH & Co ship this year.AMSA issued the 90-day ban to the Antigua & Barbuda-flagged general cargo ship BBC Jade, after inspectors in Port Alma found 57 tons of explosive substances had been incorrectly stowed on board the vessel during transit.The International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code outlines the minimum international standards for the maritime transport of dangerous goods…
DFDS Commits to Battery-electric Vessels on the English Channel
Danish shipping company DFDS announced it has committed to investing in battery-powered vessels to help decarbonize the maritime traffic across the English Channel.Following a meet between French Minister for Foreign Trade, Attractiveness and French Nationals Abroad, Olivier Becht and CEO of DFDS, Torben Carlsen, in October, DFDS said it will invest in the innovation and technology necessary to and deploy a fleet of battery-powered vessels in the English Channel by 2030.“We have…
Inditex Partners with Maersk to Reduce its Maritime Transport Emissions
Inditex, parent company of fashion brands such as Zara and Massimo Dutti, has partnered with Maersk to reduce its global GHG footprint from seaborne logistics by incorporating alternative fuels in all its inbound routes with the carrier.Through the ECO Delivery Ocean program, Maersk replaces fossil fuels on its ships with green fuels like green methanol or second generation biodiesel based on waste feedstocks. This is expected to deliver an estimated reduction of more than 80% in GHG emissions compared to conventional sources.With ECO Delivery Ocean…
Wasaline RoPax to Burn Biogas Fuel on Fridays
Finnish shipping company Wasaline announced it has started operating with certified biogas one day a week from October 13, in preparation for the EU emissions trading system that will come into force next year.The company, which operates the route connecting Vaasa, Finland and Umeå, Sweden, said it will use certified biogas aboard its ro-pax vessel Aurora Botnia for all Friday departures through December 22 as part of its “Green Fridays” pilot project.Biogas is more expensive than liquefied natural gas (LNG)…
"Made in Sicily": $126M RoPax Ferry Ordered
A new ferry, fully owned by the Sicilian Region and entirely "Made in Sicily", will carry out the connection service with Lampedusa and Pantelleria. The President of the Sicilian Region Renato Schifani and the CEO and General Director of Fincantieri Pierroberto Folgiero signed the contract for the construction of a new ferry (Ropax Class A), for a price of almost $126m.“The signing of this contract represents a turning point for connections with the smaller islands of Sicily," said Schifani.
MOL and EDF Renewables Join Forces to Drive Offshore Wind and Green Hydrogen Development
Japanese shipping firm Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) and French renewable energy firm EDF Renewables have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to cooperate in the acceleration of the development of offshore wind and related business and to encourage developments in green hydrogen."With this MoU, both partners wish to collaborate and bring together their respective and complementary expertise and experience in offshore wind energy as well as in green hydrogen solutions…
Shipping Industry Has No Easy Path Toward Decarbonization
The shipping industry lacks clarity on future clean fuels and regulatory systems which is holding back companies from replacing ageing vessels amid pressure to decarbonise faster, U.N. agency UNCTAD said on Wednesday.Shipping, which transports over 80% of world trade and accounts for nearly 3% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions, has faced calls from environmentalists and investors to deliver more concrete action, including a carbon levy."We call for global action to decarbonise shipping.
CMA CGM Completes New York Terminals Acquisition
CMA CGM announced it has finalized its acquisition of two container terminals in the Port of New York and New Jersey as the France-based shipping and logistics group grows its supply chain presence in the United States.The company announced in December 2022 that it struck a deal to acquire the Bayonne and New York terminals from Canada's Global Container Terminals (GCT). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed, but media reports indicated the deal could be worth around $3 billion."Through this strategic investment…
Ukraine Asks Lebanon to Bar Syrian Ship Carrying 'Stolen' Corn from Docking
Ukrainian officials on Thursday asked Lebanon to bar a Syrian state-owned cargo ship carrying allegedly stolen Ukrainian grain from docking in Lebanon's Tripoli port, according to the Ukrainian embassy and a diplomatic note seen by Reuters.The Ukrainian mission said in comments to Reuters that the Finikia was transporting 6,000 metric tons of corn, which it considered stolen, from the Black Sea port of Sevastopol.In the note to Lebanon's ministries of transport, finance and economy, as well as the customs directorate, the embassy said the corn had been "stolen from storage units in the Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv and Kherson regions".It said…
Interferry to Co-host European Shipping Summit
Interferry – representing more than 270 companies and some 1,200 individual members from over 40 countries – is co-hosting a workshop at next month’s European Shipping Summit in Brussels to stress the importance of shifting more goods transport from road to short sea services, notably through better use of European Union funding to enhance the sector’s competitiveness.The workshop – ‘How to increase the share of maritime transport in Europe’s trade’ – takes place at 09:30 on September 19 in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts and is open to all interested professionals.