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Tuesday, March 19, 2024
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Environmental Impact News

18 Mar 2024

Houthi Attacks Must Ease for Salvage of Two Vessels, IMO Head Says

On March 2 at approximately 2:15 a.m. (Sanaa time), Rubymar, a Belize-flagged, UK-owned bulk carrier, sank in the Red Sea after being struck by an Iranian-backed Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile on Feb. 18. The ship had been slowly taking on water since the attack. (Photo: U.S. Central Command)

Efforts to limit environmental damage from a cargo vessel that sank after a Houthi missile strike and another abandoned during a fiery assault are on hold until attacks on ships ease, the United Nations' maritime shipping regulatory agency said on Monday.The UK-owned Rubymar last month became the first vessel lost since the Houthis began targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea area in November. The bulk carrier with 21,000 metric tons of fertiliser contained in its cargo holdā€¦

07 Mar 2024

Electric Hydrofoil Ferries Set to Hit the Water in Abu Dhabi

(Photo: Candela)

Candela, manufacturer of zero-emission, electric hydrofoil boats, and Al Seer Marine, a global maritime organization headquartered in Abu Dhabi, announced a partnership to revolutionize waterborne public transportation within the emirate.The partners will work together to introduce Candela's electric hydrofoil boats for public transport use. They will also establish a sales and service network within Abu Dhabi and explore further collaboration opportunities to develop and implement innovative and sustainable public waterborne transport solutions for Abu Dhabi's needs."At Al Seer Marineā€¦

01 Mar 2024

New Grid-Scale Offshore Wind-Solar Project Planned for Italy

Images courtesy of SolarDuck

SolarDuck, Green Arrow Capital and New Developments have agreed to collaborate on the development of a floating photovoltaic (PV) farm integrated with a floating offshore wind farm.The Corigliano offshore hybrid wind-solar farm will be located in the gulf of Taranto off the coast of Corigliano-Rossano in Calabria. The farm is planned to feature 28 floating wind turbines for a wind capacity of 420MW in addition to a 120MW PV farm for a combined 540MW of capacity. The PV farm aloneā€¦

26 Feb 2024

Will 2024 Settle the Turbulence of US Offshore Wind?

(Photo: Avangrid)

There is no denying that 2023 was a challenging year for the U.S. offshore wind market. Citing macroeconomic factors including high inflation, rising interest rates, and supply chain bottlenecks, Ørsted announced on October 31 that they were ceasing the development of the Ocean Wind 1 and Ocean Wind 2 projects, which were scheduled for construction off the coast of New Jersey. Unfortunately, the troubling news has continued into the new year, with Equinor and BP announcing onā€¦

21 Feb 2024

Maine Selects Sears Island as Preferred Site for Floating Wind Port Facility

Ā© creativenature.nl / Adobe Stock

The government of Maine has selected a section of state-owned area on Sears Island as its preferred site for a port facility development that will support the floating offshore wind industry.The selection of the site, announced by the Governor of Maine Janet Mills, follows an extensive public stakeholder process led by the Maine Department of Transportation and Maine Port Authority to consider the stateā€™s primary port development options, including multiple potential sites in the Port of Searsportā€¦

20 Feb 2024

DEME Installs First XXL Monopile for Moray West Offshore Wind Farm

(Credit: DEME)

Belgium-based offshore installation services company DEME has installed the first XXL monopile foundation at the 882 MW Moray West offshore wind farm in Scotland.DEME used its Orion offshore installation vessel to complete the task, which is part of its work scope that includes both the installation of monopiles and transition pieces.The companyā€™s jack-up vessel Apollo is also joining the effort, taking care of installing the transition pieces.According to DEME, it is using vibro hammer technology, minimizing the environmental impact from vibrations.Apollo vessel previously demonstrated its ex

15 Feb 2024

NOV Bags Order for Industry's First Electric Subsea Crane

(Image: NOV)

NOV reports its Lifting & Handling group has sold what is said to be the industryā€™s first-ever electric subsea crane. The order was booked at the end of 2023 with an undisclosed client in Europe, NOV said.The first-of-its-kind crane offers enhanced efficiency compared to electro-hydraulic cranes, helping lead to reduced vessel emissions, the manufacturer said, adding that the design allows for the recovery of potential energy from loads lowered to the seabed, supporting onboard use or storage.In additionā€¦

08 Feb 2024

Lithuania Probes Baltic Sea Oil Spill

Ā© Studio Barcelona / Adobe Stock

Lithuania said on Thursday it had been informed by a subsidiary of Polish oil refiner Orlen PKN of an oil spill in the country's waters in the Baltic Sea and had launched a probe into the incident.Lithuania's Environmental Protection Department said in a statement the subsidiary, Orlen Lietuva, had informed it on Wednesday of a 300-litre spill near the Butinge oil import terminal in connection with the loading of a tanker.It said an inspection by Lithuania later on Wednesday showed the spill measured nine kilometers by two kilometers with at least 1.8 tonnes of oil on the surfaceā€¦

07 Feb 2024

New RoPax Vessel Delivered to Stena RoRo

(Photo: Stena RoRo)

Stena RoRo announced it has taken delivery of the 10th vessel in its E-Flexer series from the CMI Jinling, Weihai Shipyard. The vessel, named Ala'suinu, will be on a long charter agreement with the Canadian state-owned Marine Atlantic and operate a ferry line in eastern Canada between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.ā€œWe are very excited to welcome the Alaā€™suinu to our service,ā€ says Gary O'Brien, Chair, Board of Directors, Marine Atlantic. ā€œWith a focus on reducing our environmental impactā€¦

06 Feb 2024

BMT Unveils 48-meter SOV Design

(Image: BMT)

Naval architecture and marine engineering firm BMT unveiled its new design for a 48-meter service operation vessel (SOV).BMT said the mid-sized vessel sits in between crew transfer vessels (CTV) and typical SOVs, providing a more cost-effective solution to achieving operational requirements as operators in the offshore market look for ways to reduce their operational expenditure (opex). Incorporating a methanol-ready design, the SOV features an optimized hull form and machinery configuration, built on a dynamic diesel-electric platform.

06 Feb 2024

Irish Naval Service Signs Up for Wärtsilä Optimized Maintenance Agreement

(Photo: WƤrtsilƤ)

Wärtsilä announced it has signed a five-year Optimized Maintenance Agreement with the Irish Naval Service. The agreement, which covers four offshore patrol vessels (OPV), is designed to ensure operational reliability along with long-term cost predictability.ā€œWe have had good experience with Wärtsilä over the years, and we have great trust in their capabilities. This agreement will help us to achieve the level of efficiency and reliability that we aim for, which in turn will improve the environmental performance of these shipsā€¦

05 Feb 2024

Researchers Warn on Eutrophication Potential of Ammonia

Source: Chalmers University of Technology

Switching to ammonia as a marine fuel could create new problems, according to a new study undertaken by researchers from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden.The researchers carried out life cycle analyses for batteries and for three electro-fuels (hydrogen, methanol and ammonia). Eutrophication and acidification are some of the environmental problems that can be traced to the use of ammonia ā€“ as well as emissions of laughing gas (N2O), which is a very potent greenhouse gas.Ammonia (NH3) is a carbon-free fuel and has the advantage of a higher energy density than, for example, hydrogen.

02 Feb 2024

Okapi Buys Yara Marine Technologies

Okapi Supply Trading Advisory SA CEO, Mohamed J. Ndao (Photo: Okapi Supply Trading Advisory)

Yara Marine Technologies (YMT) has been acquired by Geneva-based Okapi Supply Trading Advisory SA (formerly Sarl) to expand its maritime solutions portfolio.Yara Marine offers a portfolio of cutting-edge green technologies, spanning from SOx Scrubbers and Vessel Optimization solutions (Route Pilot AI, FuelOpt, and Fleet Analytics) to turnkey Shore Power solutions. The acquisition comes as the industry faces increasing emissions regulations and financial impetus to meet the 2030, 2040 and 2050 emissions goals set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).Yara Marine Technologiesā€™ Dr.

25 Jan 2024

SEACOR to Convert Four PSVs to Battery Hybrid Power

SEACOR Atlas (Photo: SEACOR Marine)

SEACOR Marine announced it will convert four of its platform supply vessels (PSV) to battery hybrid power in a move to enhance efficiency and slash emissions.The Houston-headquartered marine transportation firm said on Thursday it has ordered containerized energy storage systems (ESS) from Norway's Kongsberg Maritime for install aboard SEACOR Ohio, SEACOR Alps, SEACOR Andes and SEACOR Atlas.The four 278.4-foot-long PSVs are all of Kongsberg Maritime's UT771 CDL design and were built in China from 2018 to 2020.

23 Jan 2024

Aiming for Zero Waste Discharge to Sea

WƤrtsilƤā€™s MBR technology produces compliant effluent samples to the highest standards. Image courtesy WƤrtsilƤ

Advanced water treatment systems are just the start of the cruise industryā€™s circular waste processing ambitions.Advanced wastewater treatment systems (AWTS) were revolutionary in their day. Indeed, they still are today, but with 77% of the CLIA fleet (202 ships) already using them, and another 40 specified for vessels on order, even more ambitious waste management is coming.Martin Shutler, Principal Engineer, Product Development, at Wärtsilä Water and Waste, notes that in recentā€¦

22 Jan 2024

Zero-Emission Adriatic Ship Project Underway

Source: TECO 2030

The Zero Emission Adriatic Ship (ZEAS) project has commenced, with 13 partners from various European Countries. The overall project grant from EU Horizon is over EUR 13.5 million, where over EUR 2.3 million is reserved to TECO 2030ā€™s deliverable of 1.2MW of fuel cells for full vessel propulsion.The project focuses on a full-scale demonstration of a hydrogen fuel cell-powered system on a ship, tailored for operation in the Adriatic Sea's delicate marine ecosystem. Key activities include the design and construction of the shipā€¦

08 Feb 2024

Windward Offshore Orders Two More CSOVs from Vard

(Image: Vard)

Windward Offshore has exercised its option for the design and construction for two additional hybrid commissioning service operation vessels (CSOV) from Vard.Windward Offshore, a consortium led by ASSC's offshore arm SeaRenergy Group in Germany, announced its initial order for two CSOVs from Vard in October 2023. Other founding partners behind the venture include Blue Star Group, Diana Shipping Inc. and SeraVerse."Windward Offshore is pleased to announce the execution of the options for two further VARD 4 19 CSOVsā€¦

19 Jan 2024

Wagenborg Installs Shore Power Connection on Kroonborg Vessel

(Credit: Wagenborg Offshore)

Wagenborg Offshore has installed and commissioned a shore connection system on the Kroonborg walk-to-work (W2W) vessel in collaboration with NAM/Shell UK, and the support of Dutch province of North Holland.The shore power system was developed and engineered by Dutch company Eekels Technology.Additionally, Eekels Technology, in partnership with the Port of Den Helder, is advancing a hydrogen shore power generator project in cooperation with the Port of Harlingen and Groningen Seaports.The hydrogen generator is set to become operational by the end of 2023.

16 Jan 2024

BMA Technology Supplies Electrics for Two ā€˜Greenā€™ Containerships

A2B-onlineā€™s new containerships (Photo supplied by BMA Technology)

BMA Technology has delivered a suite of electrical solutions for two new A2B-onlineā€™s multi-fuel container vessels, being built at Sedef Shipyard in Turkey.BMA Technology has provided a comprehensive suite of electrical solutions to power A2B-online's environmentally friendly container vessels, each with a capacity of 650 TEU.This includes components such as electric drives, motors, Li-ion batteries, low voltage switchboards and alarm monitoring and control system.These essential components are at the heart of A2B-online's two revolutionary container vesselsā€¦

09 Jan 2024

Norway Parliament Votes in favor of Seabed Mining

Ā© Vladimir Mucibabic / Adobe Stock

Norway's parliament on Tuesday voted in favor of allowing Arctic seabed mineral exploration, in line with a deal reached between the government and key opposition parties last month, overcoming objections from environmental campaigners.The decision comes as Norway hopes to become the first country to make deep-sea mining happen on a commercial scale and secure critical minerals and jobs despite concerns over the environmental impact and international calls for a moratorium.There is yet no set timeline for when exploration could begin, although the plan is to award companies exclusive rights to

30 Dec 2023

Burning Vessel Diverted to Dutch Harbor, Alaska

Source: US Coast Guard

The US Coast Guard is continuing to assess a fire reported on the 410-foot general cargo vessel Genius Star XI off Dutch Harbor, Alaska.The vessel is carrying lithium-ion batteries, and the fire started on Christmas Day in cargo hold No. 1. The crew released carbon dioxide into the hold and sealed it over concerns of an explosion.The Coast Guard then diverted the vessel to Dutch Harbor while an HC-130 airplane from Air Station Kodiak and Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley (WMEC-39) were dispatched to assist.The Coast Guard confirmed there are no injuries to the 19 crewmembers.

21 Dec 2023

OSG to Upgrade Engines on Its Alaska Class Tankers

(Photo: MAN Energy Solutions)

U.S. shipping company Overseas Shipholding Group announced it will upgrade all four vessels in its Alaskan Class fleet with new methanol-ready engines from MAN Energy Solutions.The vessels Alaskan Explorer, Alaskan Frontier, Alaskan Legend and Alaskan Navigator, all approaching 20 years in age, will receive significant engine and operational improvements, resulting in environmental benefits as well as extending their commercially useful life, OSG said.The lifecycle engine upgrades involve a series of technical and commercial enhancementsā€¦

15 Dec 2023

MOL First Shipping Company to Issue 'Blue Bonds'

An examples of potential uses of the bondsā€™ proceeds include Wind Hunter, the ultimate zero emission ship. Image courtesy MOL

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. has decided to issue ā€œblue bondsā€ through a public offering in Japanā€™s domestic market in January 2024, reportedly the worldā€™s first blue bonds in the shipping industry, which refer to the guidance provided by the International Capital Markets Association (ICMA) and other organizations.The Blue Bond Framework developed for the issuance of the bonds will ensure that all uses of the bondsā€™ proceeds will contribute to a sustainable blue economy, and the bonds received the highest rating of ā€œBlue1(F)ā€ from the Japan Credit Rating Agency, Ltd.

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