Good News

Korea Shipbuilders Win Orders Worth $1B

According to a Jan. 12 report from The Chosum Ilbo, Korean shipbuilders won new orders worth over $1b in the first 10 days of the new year, in a complete reversal of the situation last year. STX Offshore & Shipbuilding and Hanjin Heavy Industries delivered the good news on Jan. 11, and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering and Sungdong Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering won new orders earlier. Industry insiders said an overseas marketing drive in the second half of last year finally paid off. (Source: The Chosun Ilbo)

EMMF Says e-bunkering Needs People

ExxonMobil Marine Fuels says e-bunkering is here to stay. "But," says Joe Rud, vice-president, "People can adapt to the complex needs of bunkering better and more quickly than websites. E-commerce has now settled down to its correct place in the bunker business. But e-suppliers must always include a phone number which lets buyers talk to a real person." Rud was writing in the current issue of HorsePower, EMMF's newsletter

MSC to Add Argentina and Amazonia Express Services

Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) will enhance its East Coast South America and Caribbean services this month by introducing a new Argentina Express and an Amazonia Express service in addition to its weekly service from the ports of Charleston, Houston, Jacksonville to South America via Freeport, Bahamas, and new all-water service to Caribbean ports from Miami and New Orleans. “MSC will offer an all water service from Miami and New Orleans for the first time to a select number of ports in

Bureau Veritas Operating Profits Up 51 Percent

Leading international classification society Bureau Veritas announced first half operating profits of $54.17 million, up 51 percent on the same period last year. Net income rose 43 percent to $35.04 million on a 20 percent increase in turnover. A 19 percent growth in marine revenues, mostly due to growth in new building contracts, underpinned the strongly improved results. Bernard Anne, head of BV's marine division, says

DHS to Fund S.C. State & Local Port Security

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham announced an agreement between DHS and the state of S.C. to use $800,000 in fiscal year 2009 homeland security grant funds to support state and local law enforcement personnel stationed at SeaHawk, a U.S. Coast Guard-led security initiative operating at the Port of Charleston. "SeaHawk represents a critical partnership between federal

Big Ideas Sometimes Come in Small Packages

Hyde Marine’s chemical-free, IMO Type Approved ballast water treatment solution packs performance in a smaller footprint. That’s good news for small vessel operators who may soon find themselves impacted by a problem that previously was thought to be a “bluewater” issue.   BWT and Brown Water The notion that ballast water treatment and invasive species are both strictly the domain of big

Austal USA Team Moves onto Next Stage for LCS

The U.S. Navy has awarded a team that includes Austal USA, a $9 million contract to develop a preliminary design for the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). This selection means that of the 6 original teams competing for these awards, the team that includes Austal USA is one of three teams that was down-selected in the competition to build the first two ships of this class. With its expertise in large, high-speed aluminum vessels, Austal, as the designer and builder of

Austal Designated Largest Local Manufacturer

The Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce has recently confirmed that Austal topped the list of local manufacturers for having the most employees. Austal’s U.S. facility now has 1,257 full-time employees, up from just under 900 in the beginning of the year. Austal’s recruiting staff was challenged in the beginning of the year with hiring 100 qualified applicants a month and are predicted to continue to do so through May and June

UPDATE: OMB Declares USCG BWT Standard as "Final"

Draft USCG ballast water rule now finalized, according to OMB.   The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) completed its review of the Coast Guard's Ballast Water Discharge Standard regulations in accordance with Executive Order 12866, and changed its designation from an Interim Final Rule to a Final Rule on February 24, 2012. The Coast Guard is preparing it for publication in the Federal Register, and expects to complete the administrative process within 30 days.  

AWO: Senate Bill Would Protect Marine Environment

Bipartisan legislation introduced by Senator Mark Begich (D-AK) and nine co-sponsors would establish a strong, nationally consistent standard for ballast water and other vessel discharges, bringing good news for the marine environment and for maritime commerce, the American Waterways Operators (AWO) announced. S. 3332, the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act, would require the U.S. Coast Guard to implement the most environmentally protective ballast water discharge standard achievable by