Program Launched News

New York City is looking at ways to help shift freight transportation off of its busy roads and onto the waterways.The city's Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) and Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) on Wednesday jointly released a Request for Information and Expressions of Interest (RFEI) seeking private sector feedback to help it gauge industry challenges and opportunities, and explore ways to implement and support businesses to engage in waterfront freight operations.The initiative is part of NYC's "Blue Highways" program, launched under the city's previous mayor, Bill de Blasio.

The Harbor Police Department (HPD) of the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) named Cedric Turner to serve as Captain of the specialized law enforcement agency. Turner has served in law enforcement for 26 years and 20 of those working up the ranks in HPD. As Captain, Turner will be responsible for running the day-to-day operations of HPD’s Patrol Division, which is critical in HPD’s mission in ensuring the safety and security throughout port property and waterways within the Port’s three-parish jurisdiction of Jefferson, Orleans and St.

A new approach to safety is necessary along the maritime industry's rapid transition to a decarbonized, digitally smart future, says classification society DNV GL in a new white paper released this week, and as discussed on Maritime Reporter TV with Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO of DNV GL - Maritime and Fenna van de Merwe, Principal Consultant at DNV GL, the report’s author.The white paper entitled “Closing the Safety Gap in an Era of Transformation”, identifies a looming “safety gap”…

On Aug. 21, a tanker called the Otoman docked at the Jose oil terminal on Venezuela’s coast in the Caribbean to load 1.82 million barrels of heavy crude, according to the state oil company’s internal documents.Yet no tanker with that name is registered in major global shipping databases.Muddying the situation further, the unique identifier for the Otoman listed in the documents - a number used by the International Maritime Organization to identify ships - was assigned to another tanker called the Rubyni, according to the databases.The Rubyni was broken up two years ago, they record. Satellite images provided by TankerTrackers.com, an independent vessel tracking service…

GD European Land Systems develops floating platform for civil protection and disaster reliefGeneral Dynamics European Land Systems-Bridge Systems won a contract to develop a multi-functional, modular floating platform known as Pontoon Boat (PoBo). The project was awarded under the Innovation Program for the Support of Diversification Strategies of Defense Companies in Civil Security Technologies, or DIVERS. DIVERS is a program launched by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy (BMWI)…

The National Workboat Association (NWA), the safety standards, skills and trade association for the workboat industry, has announced that the Workboat Crewmember Apprenticeship standard has been finalized, paving the way for the scheme to be rolled out this summer by training providers across England and Wales.The development of the Apprenticeship comes in response to a growing skills and crewing challenge highlighted by NWA members and the wider maritime sector, as experienced seafarers leave the industry, often for retirement, and numbers of young people entering the industry have fallen.

Nearly 1,000 ports and port-related enterprises met in Antwerp, Belgium to sign the charter of the new World Ports Sustainability Program (WPSP). Earlier, more than 250 professionals from ports, shipping, government and society gathered at the Port of Antwerp for the kick-off of the World Ports Sustainability Program (WPSP). Her Majesty Queen Mathilde of the Belgians opened the event with a keynote address in which she underlined the important role that ports play in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, which are at the core of WPSP. International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary General Kitack Lim referred to the platform that IMO is offering for more collaboration between shipowners, ports, maritime administrations and other stakeholders.

Finnlines has opted to lengthen two additional vessels as part of its €70 million ($86 million) Energy Efficiency and Emission Reduction Investment Program launched in 2017, the company said today. The first two vessels, MS Finntide and MS Finnwave, have already returned to operation after lengthening, and a further two vessels, MS Finnsky and MS Finnsun, will be lengthened by the end of May 2018. With the newly exercised option, work to lengthen MS Finnbreeze and MS Finnsea will be carried out from September to December 2018.

ABB has launched Stage 3 of its so-called “Next Level” strategy which aims to drive company-wide growth via four entrepreneurial divisions, while realizing the group’s full digital potential and improving operational efficiencies. “Over the last two years, ABB has become faster, leaner and more efficient. We have continuously improved margins and further strengthened our cash generation,” said ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer. Effective January 1, 2017, ABB will shape its divisional structure into four divisions: Electrification Products…

The perennial “Year of Subchapter M” has been kicked forward again, this time to February 2016. That means that the clock is now ticking loudly for those towing operations that have yet to climb onboard the safety train. Quality operators see standardized safety practices as a way of leveling the playing field, integral to maintaining the health and profitability of their fleets, and key to winning business from quality customers. Subchapter M will be a phased-in over a period of years. It’s not as much time as you think.

Fidelis Group Holdings, LLC Launches Master Port Risk Program For The Maritime Industry. Fidelis Group Holdings, LLC (FGH) with its subsidiary company Continental Underwriters, Ltd. (CUL), a National Marine Insurance coverage and service leader, announced today the launch of its new Master Port Risk Program. H. Elder Brown, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer of FGH commented, "We are consistently pursuing ways of providing insurance solutions to help streamline our client's daily operations. The new Master Port Risk Program is designed to provide Hull and Liability coverage for qualified vessels that are laid up and out of commission for an extended period of time.

The privatization of the port authorities of Piraeus and Thessaloniki has become bone of contention for the government, reports Kathimerini. The finance ministry is in favor of the privatization of Piraeus Port Authority [OLP] and it wants to encourage privatization move, says government sources. However, Minister for Shipping Theodoris Dritsas assured the Parliament of his commitment to stop the privatization of OLP and OLTH [the Thessaloniki Port Authority] to preserve the public character of the country’s ports. The new government announced that a privatization program launched to trim the country’s staggering EUR320bn debt load was in effect null and void.

My-Villages, owner of the DockMaster suite of marine business software, launched DockMaster 8.0 for beta testing, which it calls the most powerful version yet with new navigation, scheduling and dashboard features to help companies simplify operations and work more efficiently. Incorporating years of feedback from its loyal customers, DockMaster 8.0 unifies the user experience across all modules, improves overall navigation and provides superior flexibility and control over critical data. In addition, its architecture has been thoroughly upgraded to provide an enhanced user experience and seamless connectivity to off-site “cloud” data storage.

Nor-Shipping announced the nominees for the 2013 Nor-Shipping Awards which recognize achievements in three different areas – energy efficiency, innovative ship design and young entrepreneurship. HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway will present the awards when they are announced at the Opening Conference on June 4. The Energy Efficiency Award (previously Clean Ship Award) pays tribute to the ship with the greatest contribution towards energy efficiency in relation to its function or operation.

Caterpillar Marine Power Systems announces a new Repair and Exchange Parts (REParts) program with cost savings. MaK REParts are original used parts rebuilt to the same quality standards as their original OEM parts. By employing state-of-the-art salvage techniques and quality control standards, MaK parts are returned to their original specifications, assuring same-as-new-performance and reliability. The technology for the remanufacturing standards are the same that are used on the Cat® Reman parts utilized in the Cat brand marine engines. As a measure of their quality, these MaK REParts carry the same warranty as new MaK parts, underscoring Caterpillar Marine Power Systems’s commitment to its customers.

The Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) and the Det Norske Veritas (DNV) Clean Technology Centre has announced the WDA-DNV Excellence In Safety Training (WEST) programme to raise safety standards and skills for the manufacturing workforce to benefit 80 local workers over the next year. The programme is the first collaboration between WDA and DNV to equip the Singapore manufacturing workforce with safety excellence skills which are critical in managing risks and preventing major accidents for the high value-added manufacturing sector. At times, these companies could have neglected safety and may result in dramatic loss of economic returns and social losses.

The 11th International Naval Engineering Conference and Exhibition (INEC 2012), featuring the theme ‘Engineering Naval Capability,’ is set for Edinburgh next month with a keynote address by Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope GCB OBE ADC, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, Ministry of Defense. Organized by the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) INEC 2012 is being held from Tuesday May 15 through Thursday May 17, with sessions on ship design, electric propulsion, survivability, system selection, environment and safety, submarines, design, and civil/military transfer, sustainability, unmanned operations, and affordability. Speakers come from 11 countries – Australia, Canada, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malaysia, The Netherlands, Pakistan, Russia, UK, and USA.

Ingram Barge Company received the Southeast Diesel Collaborative “Leadership Award” for its environmental sustainability efforts utilizing advanced clean diesel technology on towboats operating on the inland river system. Ingram was recognized as a private industry leader in the national effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. An award also went to Miami-Dade County, Florida, government in the “community leader” category. The awards were announced at the Collaborative’s sixth annual Partners Meeting involving the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other federal, state and local government agencies, non-profits, and industry organizations. Ingram is the largest inland marine transportation company in the U.S. moving nearly 100 million tons of cargo annually on our nation’s rivers.

Web-based Procurement Management Systems Standardize Purchasing Procedures, Increase Transaction Oversight and Streamline Accounting Processes for the U.S. The Defense Energy Support Center (DESC), a field activity of the Defense Logistics Agency and an agency within the U.S. Government Department of Defense, is responsible for the procurement of all energy-related resources in support of the warfighters of the U.S. DESC program management began implementing card programs for the purchase of ground and aviation fuel in the mid-1990s. The success of these programs led to the formal creation of the Government Fuel Card Program Office in 2006. The department’s focus was to implement, manage, and improve fuel procurement services offered by the DESC.

New data from four state-of-the-art air quality monitoring stations in and around the Port of Los Angeles show concentrations of elemental carbon in the Port area air fell in 2009 for the third straight year. Elemental carbon is used as an indicator of diesel particulate matter, or DPM, which is the soot produced by the combustion of diesel fuel. DPM has been designated a toxic air contaminant and known carcinogen by State of California health officials. The results are proof-positive that air quality in the L.A. Harbor is improving as a result of substantial investments the Port, its tenants and other Port-related businesses have made in recent years by purchasing cleaner equipment and participating in a variety of emission-reduction initiatives.

Ingram Barge Company has been named as one of the first marine transportation companies to be accepted as a partner in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay Program. The announcement was made by Craig E. Philip, CEO of Ingram Barge Company. The EPA program, launched in 2004, was created to identify products and services that reduce transportation related emissions. The program quickly spread to partnerships with government, businesses and consumers – all resulting in measurable air-quality improvements or greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions.

As part of Crowley's overall commitment to recruiting, training and retaining a talented workforce, the company last year began a port engineer's development program to provide additional career growth to individuals choosing to make their career in the maritime industry. Crowley is confident that the program will address the shortage and need for specialized skills in port engineering and shoreside management and that it will provide additional talent to aid the company in its future growth plans.

Lloyd Werft's Werner Lüken may not be too sure as to whether ship repair yards constitute "port facilities" under the ISPS Code but others do not share his doubts. Speaking at the Shiprepair Conference and Exhibition in London last month, he said he really didn't think that repair yards should be included under the Code's requirements and that newbuilding yards certainly shouldn't be. However, he admitted to being in ongoing discussions with the German authorities on the point and, as perhaps the world's most prominent cruiseship yard, there is a lot at stake. The arguments are complex and will keep lawyers busy for months. However, as Peter Rowat of the London Shipping Consultancy pointed out, whether or not repair facilities are covered by the Code's requirements is not really the issue.