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Regulatory Environment News

12 Feb 2024

Safe Bulkers Sells 2005-built Panamax

© Valerii / Adobe Stock

Dry bulk shipowner Safe Bulkers announced Monday it has has reached a deal to sell the oldest vessel in its fleet to an undisclosed buyer.The ship is the Maritsa, a 76,000 dwt Panamax bulk carrier built in Japan in 2005. The vessel was sold at a gross sale price of $12.2 million and a forward delivery date from April 2024 to May 2024, New York-listed Safe Bulkers said.Dr. Loukas Barmparis, president of Safe Bulkers, said, “We continue our strategy to selectively sell older vessels…

08 Feb 2024

Insights: Blake Powell, JMS Naval Architects

Blake Powell, President, JMS Naval Architects (Photo: JMS Naval Architects)

Blake Powell, president at JMS Naval Architects, discusses his career, company and latest trends in naval architecture and marine engineering.Please give a brief professional bio, including education, experience and overview of current duties as president of JMS Naval Architects.I earned my degree in Naval Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley where I attended on a Navy ROTC scholarship and was commissioned as a Diving and Salvage Officer after I graduated.

07 Jan 2024

Report Identifies Four Key US Industrial Carbon Capture Clusters

Source: Carbon Clean

EFI Foundation CEO Ernest J. Moniz has published a new report, supported by carbon capture solutions company Carbon Clean, that describes a new coordinated regional approach in the US with great potential for significant carbon emissions reductions.The report, “A New Industrial Backbone: Exploring U.S. Regional CCUS Hubs for Small-to-Midsize Industrial Emitters” lays out a blueprint that calls for a hub approach to carbon capture.The study identifies four regional hubs in the…

23 Nov 2023

Angad Banga Elected Chairman of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association

Angad Banga courtesy of HKSOA

Angad Banga of The Caravel Group was elected Chairman of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association at the organization’s annual meeting held on November 22, 2023.Banga succeeds Wellington Koo, of Valles Steamship, who stepped down after completing his two-year term as Chairman.Richard Hext of Swire Shipping was elected Deputy Chairman, succeeding Banga. Qian Weizhong of COSCO Shipping (Hong Kong) and Wang Yongxin of China Merchants Energy Shipping Company Limited were re-elected as the Vice Chairmen.Koo…

30 May 2023

Bangladesh to Ratify Ship Recycling Convention in June

© katiekk2 / Adobe Stock

Bangladesh is set to ratify an international convention in early June on recycling ships aimed at increasing safety and environmental standards, a senior official told Reuters."We expect the first week of June for the official declaration," said Mamunur Rashid, a deputy secretary with the Ministry of Industries, who said Bangladesh is the world's top ship breaking and recycling centre.The Hong Kong Convention was adopted in 2009 by 63 countries and so far has been ratified by 20 nations…

23 Mar 2023

Lower Snake River Issues Cause Concern for Barge Transportation Industry

© PaulMassiePhoto / Adobe Stock

The inland waterways report in September 2022 edition of Marine News focused on issues facing the Lower Snake River Dams (LSRD) in the northwest, in U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Walla Walla District.That report referenced issues and concerns confronting regional towboat and barge operators about possible changes to the Columbia Snake River System – perhaps even breaching the four Lower Snake River dams, a move with irreversible consequences.In August, a report by U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee was completed and the report’s recommendations were published.

14 Mar 2023

Safe Bulkers Sells Panamax Bulk Carrier

Dry bulk shipping company Safe Bulkers announced it has reached a deal to sell one of its Panamax bulk carriers for $22.5 million.The 75,000 dwt Efrossini, built in Japan in 2012, will be delivered to an undisclosed new owner in June 2023 and chartered back at a gross daily charter rate of $16,050 for a period of 10 to 14 months.Dr. Loukas Barmparis, president of Safe Bulkers, said, “Having ordered recently an additional IMO Phase 3 newbuild Kamsarmax vessel and sold a 2012 Panamax vessel, we continue our strategy to selectively sell relatively older tonnage and gradually replace it with newbuilds of latest available designs, aiming to improve our fleets’ environmental performance and increase our competitiveness in a new more stringent regulatory environment.’’

23 Feb 2023

Propulsion Decisions or Smoke on The Water?

© geoffkuchera / Adobe Stock

In no uncertain terms, the goal of “future capable” ship’s propulsion is confusing. We have been pressed into a regulatory environment that asks us to reduce emissions, and in the same breath deliver power sufficient to meet commercial schedules and allow the vessel to weather a storm and be safe at sea. To reach that end, owners are presented with a basket of new alternative fuels to achieve the latest January 1, 2023 Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) regulations. Add that most operators have no previous historical experience or data with these alternative fuels…

14 Feb 2023

Voyage Optimization Can Slash Emissions by 7.3% -Study

© moofushi / Adobe Stock

A vessel’s fuel consumption and CO2 emissions can be reduced by up to 7.3% by using voyage optimization software, a recent study shows. Moreover, the analysis shows that voyage optimization can improve a vessel’s CII by an average of 5-6%, enabling ships to maintain their ratings for an additional two to three years.NAPA, a maritime software and data analysis expert, and classification society Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) announced the results of a joint study conducted with Marubeni Corporation…

26 Sep 2022

Safe Bulkers Sells 2006-built Kamsarmax

Dry bulk shipping company Safe Bulkers announced on Monday that it has entered into an agreement to sell one of the older vessels in its fleet to an undisclosed buyer for $15.84 million.The vessel is the 2006 Japanese-built Kamsarmax Pedhoulas Trader. Its forward delivery date is expected within December 2022.Dr. Loukas Barmparis, president of Safe Bulkers, said, “We continued to sell older tonnage as we take delivery of our newbuild IMO Phase three vessels, improving the fleet environmental performance and increasing our competitiveness in the new more stringent regulatory environment.’’

27 May 2022

Enauta's Atlanta FPSO to Be Operated Under ABS Class

Credit: Yinson

The FPSO Atlanta, contracted by the Brazilian oil company Enauta to Malaysia's Yinson for conversion to service the Atlanta Field offshore Brazil, will be operated under ABS Class.The Atlanta, which will serve as the Definity Production System at the Atlanta Field in the Santos Basin, offshore Brazil, is being converted in Dubai Drydocks World, including structural upgrades, refurbishment and enhancement of equipment, will have a production capacity of 50,000 BOPD, 12.4 MMscfd gas and a storage capacity of 1,800,000 bbl.

08 Apr 2022

Partners to Develop Green Corridor for Australia-Asia Iron Ore Shipping

(Phtoo:Oldendorff Carriers)

A consortium, led by the Global Maritime Forum and consisting of BHP, Rio Tinto, Oldendorff Carriers and Star Bulk Carriers Corp., signed a letter of intent (LOI) to assess the development of an iron ore Green Corridor between Australia and East Asia.To mobilize demand for green shipping and to scale zero- or near-zero greenhouse gas emission shipping, governments and industry decision-makers are increasingly looking to enable and simplify the task of decarbonizing the maritime sector by establishing Green Corridors: specific shipping routes where the economics…

29 Mar 2022

AkzoNobel Appoints Global HullCare Manager

Colin Mercer (Photo: AkzoNobel)

AkzoNobel Marine Coatings announced it has named Colin Mercer as its first-ever Global HullCare Manager.Mercer takes on the role following a 23-year history of delivering sustainability goals across multiple AkzoNobel business units. Since 2018, he has been the Marine Business Manager in the MEA - championing the environmental sustainability journey in the Middle East.His key ambition in this new role is to build a seamless management program for owner partners that allows them to effortlessly manage the performance of their vessels…

16 Feb 2022

ABS Names Fradelos VP of Regulatory Affairs

Stamatis Fradelos (Photo: ABS)

Classification society ABS announced it has appointed specialist Stamatis Fradelos as vice president of regulatory affairs.Fradelos, who returns to ABS’ Athens office, where he was previously business director and member of the IACS Environmental Panel, will spearhead ABS engagement with administrations and regulatory bodies and support the industry with compliance guidance.“ABS is engaged with maritime regulators and administrators all over the world and Stamatis will take our work in this area to the next level.

19 Aug 2021

ABS to Class FPSO Pair Being Built for Petrobras Buzios Field

 An FPSO in Brazil - Credit: Ranimiro/AdobeStock

The American Bureau of Shipping said Thursday that an FPSO duo being built for Brazil's Petrobras would be constructed to ABS Class.The sister FPSOs are currently named P-78 and P-79 and will be deployed at the giant Buzios pre-salt offshore oil field in Brazil's Santos Basin.ABS said that the fact the FPSO duo would be built to its Class demonstrated ABS’ continued leadership in the industry, with ABS Class accounting for 60% of all FPSOs in service. Around 70 percent of FPSOs in Brazil are ABS Class…

08 Jun 2021

McQuilling and Vertis Partner to Offer Carbon Offsets for Shipping

© yaniv / Adobe Stock

Shipbroker McQuilling Partners Inc. and emissions trader Vertis Environmental Finance have partnered to offer carbon offsetting and advisory (CO&A) services to the shipping industry.The agreement will provide ship-owners, oil companies, refiners and traders with direct access to carbon offsetting and advisory solutions to address their environmental sustainability and carbon-neutral shipping needs, as well as their future environmental compliance requirements.With carbon market experience in similar sectors like aviation…

27 Jan 2021

ABS to Class U.S. First Offshore Wind Farm Service Operation Vessel

Credit: ABS

Maritime classification society ABS will class the first U.S.-flagged Jones Act offshore wind farm service operation vessel (SOV) ever ordered.The vessel, ordered last year, will be engineered, constructed, and operated by Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) for long-term charter to service the planned Revolution Wind, South Fork Wind, and Sunrise Wind offshore wind farms in the northeast United States.Edison Chouest Offshore, Ørsted, and Eversource in November 2020 announced the execution of a long-term charter agreement for the provision of the SOV.Matt Tremblay…

23 Jul 2020

Understanding Marine Autonomy: Today’s Market and Future Concerns

Copyright:  videotrinkets/AdobeStock

Press coverage of early commercial marine autonomy projects is remarkably broad given the small number of marine industry professionals engaged in bringing these projects to market. The much larger assembly of industry stakeholders are left wondering what marine autonomy means for them. Regulatory, cost, and technical challenges stand in the way of fielding today’s autonomy technologies for most existing fleets and vessel missions. Autonomy is coming whether you’re prepared or not.

06 Jul 2020

NCB Calls for Container Stowage Reforms

(File photo: AMSA)

The National Cargo Bureau is calling for reforms to stem the increasing number of container-related incidents caused by poorly stowed, undeclared or misdeclared dangerous cargoesThe National Cargo Bureau (NCB) – a U.S. inspection body authorized to certify compliance with Dangerous Goods regulations – reports in a newly published white paper that a recent inspection initiative revealed an alarming number of containers carried by sea include misdeclared dangerous cargoes that represent a serious safety risk to crew…

24 Jun 2020

Connecting the Dots to Create Intelligent SOVs

(Image: Royal IHC)

The development of autonomous vessels is a hot topic in shipbuilding. This is certainly the case for the service operation vessels (SOV) being developed at Royal IHC (IHC). In our case, the word 'autonomous’ stands for ‘intelligent’ vessels, designed to support the crew in their operations on board.SOVs can spend many years at the same offshore wind farm to support the maintenance of the turbines. Daily tasks include visits to the turbines to provide access via the motion-compensated gangway.

10 Jun 2020

DNV GL Publishes Ship Recycling Guidance

© hit1912 / Adobe Stock

Classification society DNV GL launched a new guidance on vessel recycling to help shipowners navigate a regulatory environment that is becoming increasingly complex.With the IMO Hong Kong Convention not yet in force, strict enforcement of the EU Ship Recycling Regulation (EU SRR) and the EU Waste Shipment Regulation (EU WSR) means shipowners must carefully plan for the end of life of their vessels amid a much stricter and more complex set of international, regional and national requirements than in the past.

25 Mar 2020

EPA Tier 4: Difficult and Contentious, 12 Years and Counting

© JinnaritT / Adobe Stock

When it comes to complying with EPA’s Tier 4 emissions regulations, there’s no shortage of creativity emerging from America’s maritime engineering firms. Companies such as Hug Engineering are offering flexible, customized aftertreatment-based control systems that can assemble almost in modular like fashion. Other companies, such as ABB Group, offer battery-hybrid power sources to complement combustion power and avoid threshold diesel emissions. Engine manufacturers, such as Cummins…

10 Feb 2020

Wärtsilä, DNV GL Tie Up on Digital

Roger Holm, President, Wärtsilä Marine and Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO, DNV GL – Maritime (Photo: Wärtsilä)

Technology group Wärtsilä and classification society DNV GL say they will work together to contribute to the marine industry’s ongoing digital transformation. In particular, the two companies aim to to further explore the potential use of digital technologies, collaborative data sharing and standardization to enhance existing products and services, and to develop new ones.Among focus areas will be collaboration on digital technologies and big data in classification and the requirements for their use.

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