Steam Ahead News

Since our last market update in the subsea space about a year ago both our current market view and forecasts have strengthened significantly.While the demand picture is looking solid and arguing for a strong multi-year upcycle, the supply side has also started to wake from its slumber albeit ever so slightly at the time of writing. Moreover, we register an interesting dynamic on the shipowner side, where everyone is trying to position themselves for the impeding market boom.Please note that vessel definitions and abbreviations in this part of our industry can vary…

U.S. producers of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exported at top capacity in April for a second consecutive month, with over two-thirds of shipments bound for Europe and rising volumes to Latin America, Refinitiv Eikon data showed on Monday.Following the full restart of a key Texas export facility in February, U.S. LNG producers are taking advantage of firm prices overseas and increasing demand in some markets.A total of 107 cargoes departed from U.S. ports last month carrying 7.78 million tonnes of LNG…

TotalEnergies, signatory of the Sea Cargo Charter in 2020, identified the need for a better monitoring system that also allows to report and optimize GHG emissions for its LNG fleet. Reporting on emissions was a tedious, manual time-consuming process that was prone to error, and left little room for optimization. BW, the owner and operator of some LNG vessels chartered by the energy major, was at the same time focused on monitoring and improving the environmental performance of…

The death of the paper chart may finally be coming to fruition, as the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) announced its intention to develop options for the withdrawal from global paper chart production by late 2026, as commerical and pleasure boating use of electronic charts continues full steam ahead, and theADMIRALTY Maritime Data Solutions digital navigation portfolio can be updatedin near real-time, greatly enhancing safety of life at sea (SOLAS). The phased withdrawal of paper…

SUNY Maritime College on Monday announced three major construction projects totaling $24.8 million that will enhance and build on the campus’s state-of-the-art facilities for students pursuing the global marine transportation industry. Ground-breaking and ribbon-cutting ceremonies today with state and local leaders celebrated Maritime College’s new Student Learning Center and its fully renovated Marine Engineering Systems Laboratory, made possible through significant New York…

ClassNK signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with PowerX, Inc. (PowerX) for a collaboration on the development of the Power Transfer Vessel (Power ARK).PowerX is carrying out a project of the first model of the Power ARK series, which is designed for transferring renewable energy in Japanʼs coastal waters, and this project is in the design and development stage towards a demonstration experiment and full-scale operation in 2025.The first model of the Power ARK series, “Power…

Qatari state-owned oil and gas company Qatar Petroleum has entered into what it says "are the largest LNG shipbuilding agreements in history to secure more than 100 ships valued in excess of QR 70 billion [USD19,2 billion] to cater for its LNG growth plans." Qatar Petroleum said Monday it had entered into three agreements with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME), Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), and Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI), respectively, to reserve LNG ship construction capacity in South Korea…

Born and raised on the water by entrepreneurial parents, Basjan Faber knew from a young age that his future and fate was in maritime, specifically ship design. Today the CEO leads a vibrant, diverse and fast-growing naval architecture firm that he co-founded with partners in 2007. Headquartered in Amsterdam, C-Job has a unique approach to its business and is expanding its international footprint, as Maritime Reporter & Engineering News discovered when we visited with him in The Netherlands last month.“I have always been inspired by ships…

Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, a global provider of expedition cruises and adventure travel experiences,  and Norwegian shipbuilder and ship designer Ulstein Group have celebrated the keel laying of Lindblad’s second polar new build at the Crist shipyard in Gdynia, Poland.The occasion also served as the official naming ceremony of the vessel. It is named as National Geographic Resolution,  in honor of Captain James Cook.Captain James Cook was the first to circumnavigate Antarctica, cross the Antarctic Circle, and the first European to reach Hawaii. While he captained several ships in his career, his favorite was the 'MS Resolution'.The newbuild is sister ship to the National Geographic Endurance which is being finalized at Ulstein Verft.

Canadian oil and gas company High Arctic Energy Services said that  the Government of Papua New Guinea (PNG) has validated the Papua LNG Gas Agreement.According to a statement, the announced validation by the Petroleum Minister includes new good faith concessions offered by the operator for the Papua LNG joint venture. The concessions include preparing a detailed National Content Plan, third party pipeline access, possible state participation in pipeline ownership as well as LNG transport tankers.Mike Maguire, President -International, said “We are pleased to advise that our major subcontracts are with PNG companies and that more than…

GE’s Marine Solutions has once again been selected by MSC Cruises and Fincantieri to provide the marine electric propulsion technology for two new Seaside EVO ships, further driving the evolution of the Seaside Class next-generation mega cruise ships.This follows the delivery of the first and second ship – MSC Seaside and MSC Seaview – in the Seaside Class by the Fincantieri shipyard of Monfalcone.With a gross tonnage of 169,400 GT and a total guest capacity of 5,632, Seaside EVO ships will be the largest cruise ships ever built by the Fincantieri shipyard. The two ships will adopt a range of innovative design features and maritime technologies…

In the 1870 Jules Verne classic "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", underwater explorer Captain Nemo predicted the mining of the ocean floor's mineral bounty - zinc, iron, silver and gold.India is catching up with that only now, as it prepares to unearth treasures down below, aiming to boost its economy.The floor of the world's seas is scattered with vast beds of black potato-shaped polymetallic nodules comprising copper, nickel, cobalt, manganese, iron and rare earth elements.These natural goodies are key to making modern gadgets…

Rolls Royce and Intel Artificial Intelligence (AI) announced that they’re bringing advanced intelligence to cargo shipping to deliver on the benefits of an autonomous shipping future.As part of its effort to make commercial shipping safer and more efficient, Rolls-Royce is working to develop fully autonomous shipping solutions using artificial intelligence (AI) powered by Intel Xeon Scalable processors and Intel 3D NAND SSDs for storage.“Delivering these systems is all about processing – moving and storing huge volumes of data – and that is where Intel comes in.

Evergreen Group celebrated its 50th Anniversary at the Chang Yung-Fa Foundation, home of the charity set-up by Evergreen Group Founder and Chairman Dr. Y.F. Chang, said a press release from the company.In addition to senior executives and employees of the Group’s businesses, the event was also attended by public officials, customers and business agents from both the shipping and airline industries as well as representatives of supply chain partners from more than fifty countries.The celebration commenced with a performance by the choir of the Yihsing branch of Jiahsing Elementary School from Hsinchu County. The choir was a gold medal…

As one of the most important megatrends this decade, digitalization is already moving beyond the concept of connectivity and data gathering towards a greater and more integrated future where the entire industry coexists as one digital ecosystem. As this vision becomes a reality, we will see a new era of partnerships, knowledge sharing, and AI-led practices. Disruptive technologies and ground-breaking projects have begun to transform the maritime landscape, and the opportunities that emerge from this transition will avail the innovators and organizations that are already embracing the digital frontier. “Digitization and cloud computing are enablers for an industry that needs to remain relevant, cost-effective and drive value to all of its customers. We are an industry in change.

While the cruise industry grows globally in earnest, this maritime niche is under the microscope like no other, operating high profile, high design billion dollar ships in and out of some of the most pristine places on the planet. Tasked to keep the company’s ships running efficiently and environmentally sound is John Haeflinger, VP of maritime policy and analysis, who directly oversees the sustainability team at Carnival Corp. Haeflinger shares with Maritime Reporter & Engineering News his insights on the tech and technique to keep today and tomorrow’s fleet running clean and efficient.

German shipbuilder Meyer Werft has laid the keel for AIDAnova, set to become the first cruise ship worldwide that will operate both at sea and in port fueled with liquefied natural gas (LNG). With AIDAnova’s first building block lowered into place on September 6, 2017, Carnival Corporation & plc officially marked the start of construction of seven fully LNG powered cruise ships due to be commissioned between 2018 and 2022 for four of its 10 cruise ship brands. The seven vessels for Carnival Cruise Lines…

New vessels expected to hit freight rates; new trade route from east U.S. to Asia to meet Chinese demand. The tanker market may face a "difficult" second and third quarter this year after a robust first quarter as supply of newly built vessels loom, Belgian oil tanker operator Euronav said on Tuesday. "The rates today are not the same as what we have seen in previous quarters," Chief Executive Paddy Rodgers told Reuters on the sidelines of a shipping conference. An additional 50 very large crude carriers (VLCCs) are estimated to be added to the global fleet of supertankers this year, putting pressure on freight rates. Still, firm oil demand and a pickup in shale oil production has meant a robust first quarter for the VLCC market. "The first quarter was pretty good..

Innovative boats, unusual collaboration: Hornblower, Horizon, Incat Crowther and Metal Shark team up on one of the most significant newbuilding projects of the year. When New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio earlier this year announced the selection of Hornblower to operate as many as 20 ferries to connect a similar number of New York City neighborhoods, the magnitude of the award immediately outweighed the details of the contract. The vessels, intended to eventually form the backbone of a modern, comfortable and efficient urban ferry fleet, will also be New York City’s first city-wide ferry system in over 100 years. Now on track to launch in 2017, the news service is predicated on the on-time delivery of high tech, newbuild hulls now being constructed on the U.S. Gulf Coast.

The construction of up to 20 new ferries for New York City is arguably the most exciting maritime new construction project in the U.S. this year. Last month we visited with Cameron Clark, Corporate Vice President, Development and Special Projects, Hornblower, the project manager for the new Citywide Ferry by Hornblower fleet, who discussed the challenges and opportunities ahead. Hornblower has, in the span of 36 years, become the force in the U.S. ferry market, with more than 2,000 employees and 20 million passenger trips annually, including a cumulative staff of 700 in the New York City area.

Seaspan Shipyards, announced today the start of construction on Seaspan’s second National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) ship, the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG)’s second Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel (OFSV). “Seaspan is now full-steam ahead on the production and delivery of its first two National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) vessels, and we are re-writing shipbuilding history in Canada in the process for generations to come,” said Brian Carter. With production of the second OFSV now underway, significant progress continues on the first OFSV with 35 of 37 blocks currently under construction. The two CCG ships are part of VSY’s three vessel, incentive-based build contract for the construction of three OFSVs, which will be delivered under a ceiling price contract before the end of 2017.

Metal Shark was selected by HNY Ferry Fleet, LLC (a Hornblower company), operator of New York City’s Citywide Ferry Service, to build 26-m149-passenger aluminum high-speed ferries. Metal Shark will produce a series of ferries at its Franklin, Louisiana shipyard, a  25-acre waterfront facility which recently received a Small Shipyard Grant from the United States Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) to expand its facilities and shipbuilding capabilities.

The emerging trend of marrying the design of an articulated tug and barge (ATB) to a particular propulsion system to maximize efficiencies of that system has, of late, been taking hold in workboat markets. For example, one recent project involving a dynamic partnership between Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc, Guarino & Cox, LLC (GCL) naval architects, Nautican Research & Development Ltd., integrated propulsion unit manufacturers, and VT Halter Marine shipbuilders, aptly demonstrates the concept in practice. What the collaboration produced, is even more important.