Approves New News

Classification society ABS announced it has granted approval in principle (AIP) for a the Sterling Streamline, a next generation concept design for large floating production storage and offloading unit (FPSO) newbuild hulls from India's Shapoorji Pallonji Energy (SPE).The design features flexible mooring configurations, 60 risers and an umbilical slots riser balcony, with an oil processing capacity of up to 250,000 barrels per day and storage capacity of minimum 2.2 million barrels of crude oil.

China's state economic planner has approved natural gas company Hanas Group's plan to build a receiving terminal for liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the southeastern province of Fujian.The terminal will have an annual receiving capacity of 5.65 million tonnes of the super-chilled fuel, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said on Wednesday.(Reuters - Reporting by Chen Aizhu; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)

The UK-based maritime classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR) has granted approval in principle (AiP) to a quartet for an LNG-fueled VLCC design that uses a prismatic GTT Mark III membrane LNG tank.The AiP was granted to China Merchants Energy Shipping (CMES), CNOOC Gas and Power Group, Dalian Shipbuilding Industry (DSIC), and Gaztransport and Technigaz(GTT).The main objectives of the AiP include developing a specification for a dual fuel VLCC that meets the IMO’s GHG 2030 emission limitations and preparing the relevant design drawings.CMES and CNOOC G&P, with assistance from LR and GTT, also performed an economic analysis in terms of capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operating expenditure (OPEX).

The Netherlands-based Value Maritime has received the International Air Pollution Prevention (IAPP) certificate from Lloyds for its scrubber system.A press release from the engineering and ship financing company said that most of the tests required to obtain certification had been performed during installation."Since the Value Maritime scrubber uses a new innovative technology, we had to further demonstrate its performance outside SECA in order to receive class approval," it said."To this end, the scrubber system was put to test under diverse and extreme conditions on the first vessel on which it was installed. This was undertaken while the vessel was doing its voyages between the Netherlands and Russia.

Europe’s largest travel and tourism group TUI Group said it had approved construction of another cruise ship for its Hapag-Lloyd cruise business and that summer trading was good as it reported second quarter results.The group reported a narrower operating loss of 125 million euros ($148 million) for the quarter, which is traditionally loss-making, and confirmed a target for full-year underlying earnings before interest, tax and amortisation (EBITA) to rise by at least 10 percent at constant currencies.“Trading for Summer 2018 is very good and fully matches our expectations. Demand for Spain remains strong,” it said in a statement on Wednesday.($1 = 0.8438 euros)(Reporting by Victoria Bryan Editing by Maria Sheahan)

Orsted, Innogy report winning approvals. Germany granted approval on Friday for offshore wind parks capable of generating 1,610 megawatts (MW) of power at contract prices well above the unexpectedly low bids seen in an auction a year ago. The total amount of electricity that could be produced by the parks equates to the power generated by one large nuclear power station, or two big coal- or gas-fired power plants. Six projects were granted licences for construction at an average 4.66 euro cents per kilowatt hour (kWh), compared with an average 0.44 euro cents in the first auction a year ago, the Bundesnetzagentur network agency said. This auction wraps up two rounds for a total 3,100 MW of projects applied for before Aug.

ABS, a leading provider of classification and technical services to the global marine and offshore industries, granted Approval in Principle (AIP) for a new very large ethane carrier (VLEC) concept developed by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd. “As demand for different types of liquefied gases increases, concepts like this will expand the infrastructure and enable more efficient transportation to get products to market,” says ABS Vice President for Global Gas Solutions Patrick Janssens. The novel VLEC is equipped with a specialized membrane cargo containment system suited to carry liquid gas cargoes such as ethane and propane. Designed with a minimum cargo temperature of -94℃, the concept supports a low cargo boil-off rate.

Global Environment Facility (GEF) approves new project concept to address major aquatic invasive species vector. A new global project to help protect marine ecosystems from the negative effects of invasive aquatic species has been given the go-ahead for preparation. The GloFouling Partnerships project – a collaboration between the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) – will address the transfer of aquatic species through biofouling, in other words, the build-up of aquatic organisms on a ship’s underwater hull and structures. The project will focus on the implementation of the IMO Guidelines for the control and management of ships’ biofouling…

ABS informs it has granted Approval in Principle (AIP) for a new MOSS-type liquefied natural gas (LNG) tank design concept developed by Japan’s Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI). Designated as an IMO Type B independent tank, the concept takes a new approach by applying a non-spherical tank design to increase the use of space on board an LNG carrier. According to KHI, the non-spherical design concept allows Panamax-size LNG carriers to expand their total carrying capacity to 180,000m³, a 25,000m³ volume increase when compared to using spherical tanks. In issuing its AIP, ABS reviewed the strength and fatigue analysis to support KHI in demonstrating the feasibility of the new concept.

The board of Mexico's state-owned oil company Pemex on Thursday approved its second-ever deep water joint venture covering the Nobilis-Maximino block in the country's territorial Gulf waters.   Reuters revealed details of the plan last week.     (Reporting by David Alire Garcia)

Royal Dutch Shell has given the go-ahead to develop its Kaikias deepwater field in the Gulf of Mexico, the first such project the oil and gas company has approved in 18 months. Oil companies around the world are emerging from one of the longest downturns in recent decades amid warnings that the drop in investment in recent years may lead to a supply deficit by the end of the decade. Shell said the Kaikias oil and gas project, located some 210 kilometres (130 miles) from the Louisiana coast, will start production in 2019 and generate profits with oil prices lower than $40 a barrel after the company slashed its costs by around 50 percent due to simplified design plans. Oil prices were around $56 a barrel on Tuesday.

At its 48th meeting last month, the Paris MoU Committee approved the 2014 inspection results and adopted new performance lists for flags and Recognized Organizations. These lists will take effect from July 1, 2015. The “White, Grey and Black (WGB) List” presents the full spectrum, from quality flags to flags with a poor performance that are considered high or very high risk. It is based on the total number of inspections and detentions over a three-year rolling period for flags with at least 30 inspections in the period. On the “White, Grey and Black list” for 2014, a total number of 72 flags are listed: 43 on the “White List”, 19 on the “Grey List” and 10 on the “Black list”.

The Cabinet Council of the Republic of Panama has officially approved a proposal to modify the Canal tolls structure, following a recommendation from the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) Board of Directors. The accepted proposal—which modifies the pricing structure for most Canal segments—will better facilitate the Canal’s goal of providing outstanding service and reliability to the global shipping and maritime community while allowing the ACP to safeguard the competitiveness of the waterway.

ClassNK has issued approval for Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation’s newly developed corrosion resistant steel (NSGP-2) for use on the upper deck and/or inner bottom of crude oil tanker cargo oil tanks (COT). Following earlier approvals of steels for the inner bottom plating of COTs, this marks the first time that approval has been granted for corrosion resistant steels for both the top and bottom parts of the COT, providing owners and shipyards with a practical alternative to coating systems. In order to reduce COT corrosion and improve crude oil tanker safety, new amendments to the SOLAS Convention were issued in May 2010 requiring oil tankers over 5…

The Panama Canal board of directors this week formally approved the development and construction of a transshipment port in Panama’s Corozal region. Upon completion, the port will have the capacity to handle more than five million TEUs within a 120-hectare area at the canal’s entrance to the Pacific. The project is now awaiting the final step for approval from Panama’s National Assembly. The project is another example of the canal’s continual commitment to develop new products, enhancing customer service and furthering Panama’s position as the logistics and maritime hub of the Americas.

Taking aim at the bottleneck that has slowed cargo movement through the port recently, the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners on Monday approved measures to relieve congestion including a petition of the Federal Maritime Commission for permission to work in concert with the neighboring Port of Los Angeles. The Harbor Commission authorized the release of a Request for Proposals for the creation of a “peak chassis pool,” which would augment the supply of the chassis – the truck trailer frames used to haul cargo containers – when they are most needed.

Niger's cabinet of ministers on Friday approved a renewal of French nuclear group Areva's uranium production deal in the West African nation, the government said on Friday, completing two years of often fraught negotiations. The two parties announced the signature of a new 10-year agreement for Areva's Somair and Cominak mines in May, but Friday's green light from President Mahamadou Issoufou and his ministers clears the way for its implementation. The previous production agreement expired in Dec. 31, requiring temporary extensions. Under the deal, Areva agreed to fewer tax breaks and higher royalty rates, the government said in a statement.

Noboru Ueda, Chairman and President of ClassNK announced that it has granted type approval for the new MX-200F welding consumable, developed by Kobe Steel Co., Ltd. (KOBELCO) to greatly improve welding efficiency and coating quality in commercial vessels. Up until now, shipbuilders using conventional fillet welding consumables had to make two welding passes for the required weld leg lengths of around 8mm or above. As the IACS Common Structural Rules (CSR) require the use of 8mm leg lengths in some structural members, this has meant that the relevant welding time for oil tanker and bulk carrier newbuildings has virtually doubled. The IMO Performance Standard for Protective Coatings (PSPC)…

Two new Rule-sets approved at the first Offshore Technical Committee (OTC) held at LR's Global Technology Centre in Singapore. Lloyd's Register say that these two new rule-sets will be made public later this month (May 2013). The Floating Offshore Installations at a Fixed Location 2013 Rules and the Mobile Offshore Unit 2013 Rules, contain several changes from previous versions in order to improve usability, reflect industry best practice, new novel designs and legislative changes. The Rules never stand still and are continuously amended to improve usability, reflect industry best practice, new novel designs and legislative changes.

As part of the agency’s ongoing initiatives to be a good steward of the environment, the Port Authority Board of Commissioners has approved an incentive program for ocean vessels that call on the Port of New York and New Jersey. The three year, $4.875 million Ocean-Going Vessel Clean-Vessel Incentive (CVI) program aims to encourage ship operators to improve their engines, use cleaner fuels, and upgrade their technology to reduce emissions from ocean-going vessels, which are the largest source of air pollutants at port-related facilities. The Port Authority anticipates approximately 600 vessels a year will participate in the CVI program, which will provide annual emission reductions of 182.2 tons of nitrogen oxide, 38.3 tons of particulate matter, and 264.1 tons of sulfur dioxides.

Panama Maritime Authority Approves New Container Shipping Terminal; Panama Colón Container Port designed to complement newly expanded Panama Canal and rising cargo volumes in Panama. The Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) has granted permits to a private development group for the construction and operation of a new container terminal to be built at the Atlantic entrance of the Panama Canal. Jones Lang LaSalle is acting as development advisor to the project consortium. With an estimated construction value exceeding $USD 600 million, the Panama Colón Container Port (PCCP) is expected to become one of the largest private maritime infrastructure projects in Panama, and the first terminal to be built on freehold land.

Marrone Bio Innovations Inc. (MBI),  a global provider of natural products for the agricultural and water treatment markets, announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved a dry formulation of Zequanox (registration number 84059-15), a biological product for controlling invasive mussels within enclosed systems and infrastructures. Zequanox is the first biopesticide available for controlling invasive zebra and quagga mussels, which are crippling industrial and commercial operations by restricting water flow in heat exchangers, condensers, fire suppression systems, and service and cooling water systems, as well as by damaging other infrastructure and equipment.

Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) has recently approved a new non-skid coating for use onboard Navy ships. “The new type of coating provides a quick and easy non-slip surface that ship’s force apply themselves,” said John Wegand, Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Carderock Division non-skid engineering manager. NSWC Carderock is a NAVSEA field activity. As a Technical Authority, NAVSEA is accountable for the technical engineering elements of ship maintenance, modernization, construction, design and safety. “The new ‘peel & stick’ variety offers a 66 percent cost savings when compared to covering a similar area using traditional non-skid,” said Cruiser Class Squadron (CGRON) Combat Systems Analyst Chief Fire Controlman (Surface Warfare) Anthony Belbeck.