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Network Operator News

10 May 2022

Gasunie to Charter New Fortress Energy FSRU to Reduce Dutch Reliance on Russian Gas

Illustration only - An FSRU - Credit: Karel/AdobeStock

New Fortress Energy has executed a binding agreement to charter a floating storage and regasification unit (“FSRU”) to Dutch energy network operator Gasunie, in an effort by the Netherlands to reduce Russian gas imports. The chartered FSRU will provide storage capacity of approximately 170,000 m3 of liquefied natural gas with peak regasification capacity of 900 mmscfd. New Fortress Energy's FSRU will work in tandem with a third party’s FSRU to provide up to 8 bcm per year of total regas capacity.

24 Mar 2022

Italy Plans Two FSRU Units to Cut Russia Gas Reliance

For illustration only - An FSRU unit offshore Italy - Credit: Aldo Chiarini

Italy is looking to install two floating storage and regasification units (FSRU) to boost liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports as part of plans to cut reliance on Russian gas, Italy's energy transition minister said on Tuesday."Today we officially mandated (gas group) Snam to negotiate the acquisition of an FSRU and the leasing of a second," Roberto Cingolani said in a parliamentary hearing.His comments confirmed sources who earlier told Reuters the two vessels, with a combined capacity of more than 10 billion cubic meters (bcm)…

02 Mar 2022

Wintershall Dea Writes Off $1.1B Nord Stream 2 financing

File Photo: A vessel connecting pipe sections above water at Nord Stream 2 project in 2019 - Nord Stream 2 / Axel Schmidt

German oil and gas firm Wintershall Dea, one of the five co-funders of Nord Stream 2, on Wednesday said it is writing off its 1 billion euros ($1.11 billion) financing in the gas pipeline that was suspended last week.The management board of Wintershall Dea said on Wednesday it would no longer be advancing or implementing further projects in Russia and would be stopping payments to Russia immediately.The company, co-owned by BASF and Russian billionaire Mikhail Fridman's investor group LetterOne, said it would remain involved in the existing Yuzhno Russkoye and Achimov natural gas production pr

24 Dec 2021

Europe Missing Out on Gas with Nord Stream 2 Delay, Russia says

Credit: Nord Stream 2

Europe, struggling with soaring gas prices, is missing out on additional Russian supplies amid delays to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, a top Russian official signaled on Friday.Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said European companies that invested in the project, which is awaiting German and EU regulatory approval, would be able to ask for additional gas on top of their long-term contracts via the route."To my mind, European consumers are very interested in the project to start working, while the companies, which participate in it, they could have submitted additional requests as part of lo

06 Jul 2021

Castor Marine Expands North Sea 4G Network

Image courtesy Castor

Castor Marine signed a reseller agreement with Tampnet, an offshore 4G LTE network operator in the North Sea, and immediately went to work for its first 4G Tampnet client: supply 4G LTE offshore connectivity to the WTW vessel Keizersborg.With this deal, Castor Marine is now an official Tampnet Activation Point, adding value to its customers’ operations. In the past, vessels supported by Castor Marine automatically switched to the VSAT connection of the company’s own network when moving outside of 4G coverage and vice versa.

25 Sep 2020

Inmarsat's LTE Network to Cover Gulf of Mexico Offshore Vessels

Illustration; An offshore vessel near a drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico - Credit: flyingrussian

Global mobile satellite communications provider Inmarsat plans to extend its Fleet LTE coverage for offshore service vessels to the Gulf of Mexico.Inmarsat said that the decision to expand in the Gulf of Mexico followed successful trials with V.Ships Offshore in the North Sea area in early 2020."In conjunction with Inmarsat’s service provider One Net, the North Sea trials were undertaken with ship management company V.Ships Offshore at the beginning of 2020, delivering hybrid connectivity via 4G cellular plus satellite coverage on VSAT Ka-band and L-band…

04 Dec 2019

North Sea: Inmarsat Targets OSVs

British satellite telecommunications company Inmarsat plc will extend its service portfolio for customers with the launch of Fleet LTE, following an agreement with subsea fibre and offshore LTE network operator, Tampnet.The new service which is primarily aimed at offshore support vessel (OSV) operators, but could also be used by fishing and ferry operators operating in the area,  leverages low-latency, high data speed communications available via a dedicated Access Point Name (APN) on the Tampnet North Sea LTE network and could be extended to other regions such as the Gulf of Mexico if successful.Inmarsat’s new Fleet LTE service means customers can access high speed 4G…

25 Oct 2019

Duisburg to Open New Trimodal Terminal

The largest trimodal  container terminal in the European hinterland is being developed in the Port of Duisburg.Duisburger Hafen AG (duisport) is set to build a US$111.2mln  new 220,000 m² trimodal container terminal on the site of its current coal island in response to a sharp decline in coal handling as a result of the energy transformation.The trimodal terminal is to be developed with duisport’s intermodal partners COSCO Shipping Logistics, Hupac SA and HTS Group and aims to handle the port’s booming trade with China in particular.This is duisport's response to the sharp decline in coal handling resulting from the energy transformation. In the future, duisport will instead use the coal island in particular to handle the booming trade with China.

02 Oct 2018

Antwerp Port-Europe Traffic Up

Traffic flows between the Belgian port of Antwerp and the hinterland market in Hungary and Austria are increasing continuously. In order to meet the growing demand, the Antwerp Port Authority is promoting the expansion of hinterland connections, especially by rail.Two regular rail connections to Hungary have been established since 2015 and rail services to Austria have been expanded from one to currently three.At a port event held near Vienna on 27 September, leading representatives of the Antwerp port industry provided information on the further development of these transports with Austria and Hungary. 200 guests from both countries followed the invitation of the Antwerp Port Authority.Hungary and Austria are an attractive but highly competitive market for the northern…

04 May 2017

Wagenborg Signs Multi-year Contract with Castor

Photo courtesy of Castor Marine

Castor Marine, the Netherlands based maritime communications and IT services provider, has announced that it has been awarded a multi-year contract with Wagenborg Shipping. The contract covers the delivery of 40+ new VSAT systems with satellite Internet based on Castor’s global VSAT network, Inmarsat Fleetbroadband as back-up for the VSAT service and IT support for the vessel LAN infrastructure. Castor Marine will provide an end-to-end solution including installation and onboard support worldwide.

30 Dec 2016

New CEO for Antwerp Port Authority as from January 1st

Jacques Vandermeiren is Chief Executive Officer and President of the Executive Committee of Antwerp Port Authority as of 1 January 2017. Until January 2015 Vandermeiren was CEO and President of the Executive Committee of the network operator Elia, a listed company, where he held various management positions since joining it in 2001. Before that he worked for 11 years as Senior Advisor Strategy Direction with the energy company Electrabel. Vandermeiren has occupied various directorships with among others Febeg (Federation of Belgian Energy Companies) and the Federation of Belgian Enterprises. He is also co-founder of the Belgian sustainability platform The Shift, as well as co-investor in Qpinch, which generates energy from waste heat, and in Uest, which markets the Zembro personal alarm.

17 Nov 2016

Marlink Secures Global Intelsat EpicNG Maritime Coverage

Marlink is a long-standing Intelsat S.A. customer, with services on multiple Intelsat satellites and the IntelsatOne terrestrial network, has signed an agreement for high-throughput connectivity from Intelsat’s Horizons 3e satellite. Horizons 3e, a joint venture satellite owned by Intelsat and SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation, will be stationed at 169o East to deliver connectivity in the Asia-Pacific region. The satellite is scheduled for launch in the second half of 2018, and when combined with the already contracted high-throughput broadband services provided by Intelsat 29e, Intelsat 33e and Intelsat 35e, Marlink will offer Intelsat EpicNG performance to its maritime customers traversing the world’s busiest shipping routes.

26 Jul 2016

MOL Makes Fleet-wide Migration to Fleet Xpress

26 July 2016: Inmarsat (LSE:ISAT.L), the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services, has announced that its partner JSAT MOBILE Communications has signed an agreement with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), one of the world’s largest shipping companies, to introduce the newly-launched Fleet Xpress service across the majority of its car carrier fleet. Existing Inmarsat customer MOL says migrating its car carriers to always-on, high-speed broadband connectivity will be pivotal in its continuing drive towards ‘smarter and greener shipping’ operations. MOL has long been convinced that the environmental performance of its ships offers a competitive advantage.

02 Jun 2016

Lifeboat Donated to Hellenic Rescue Team

Norway II (Photo: IMRF)

A new lifeboat has been donated to the Hellenic Rescue Team (HRT) by fellow International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF) members the Norwegian Society for Sea Rescue (RS), and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. ‘Norway II’ is the second lifeboat to be donated to HRT and follows ‘Norway I’ that has operated since September last year in the Aegean Sea around Kos. In her speech on Lesvos, the ‘godmother’ of the boat, Mrs. Marit Nybakk, Vice President of the Parliament…

21 May 2016

Samskip, Pro-Log Double Barge Services

Multimodal network operator Samskip and inland waterway transport provider Pro-Log are celebrating the 10th anniversary of barge operations connecting Rotterdam and Duisburg by adding a second vessel, increasing service frequency to six times weekly. May 1, 2016 completes the first decade in the cooperation between the two unitised transport specialists, one a pan-European operator of ships, trains, trucks and multimodal equipment, and the other a dedicated river barge operator. “Reliability is a cornerstone in the competitive case for multimodal transport, and nowhere is it more crucial than in the corridor between Rotterdam and Duisburg,” says Leo Osseweijer, Samskip General Manager Procurement & Equipment Control.

22 Feb 2016

Fleet Xpress a Success in Challenging Antarctic

Inmarsat together with Global Marine Networks and Network Innovations, today announced the successful trial and subsequent commercial order for Fleet Xpress in Antarctic waters. Fleet Xpress, installed on board the adventure cruise ship Ocean Nova, delivered robust communications in one of the most hostile environments on the planet. Fleet Xpress, the hybrid Ka and L-band service using Inmarsat’s Global Xpress network, delivers the world’s first globally available high-speed broadband service from a single network operator. The trial was successfully conducted on board the 1992 built ice class Ocean Nova, owned by Nova Cruising Ltd and operated by Nova Logistics, a polar expedition specialist.

20 Oct 2015

EUKOR Select Inmarsat, Intellian for high-speed connectivity

Inmarsat, the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services and Intellian, a global leader in satellite communication antenna systems, have announced a significant deal with EUKOR Car Carriers. The deal will enable EUKOR, one of the world’s largest shipping companies specialising in the transportation of cars and other rolling cargo, to take advantage of the latest technology offered by Intellian and Inmarsat’s new high-speed broadband Global Xpress (GX) network. EUKOR has selected Intellian’s latest GX100 terminals to equip its 27 vessels with regional connectivity powered by GX in the Indian Ocean Region. Once all three GX satellites are live and operational EUKOR will be able to harness the Fleet Xpress service on a global basis.

14 Oct 2015

Cinia Lays New Helsinki-Rostock Submarine Data Cable

Finland-based Cinia Group began laying the new submarine Sea Lion data cable in Helsinki, Finland. The new fibre optic sea cable will provide a direct, low latency and cyber secure internet backbone connection between Finland and Germany. Linking Cinia's existing countrywide data network in Finland with network nodes in Central Europe, the new sea cable is expected to increase interest of data center operators and data intensive organizations to set up operations in Finland. "The sea cable initiative builds the future of Finland based on our existing strengths," said Eero Heliövaara, Director General at the Prime Minister's Office. "A direct data connection between Finland and Central Europe is an important enabler of both domestic economic growth and international investments.

30 Mar 2015

Rotterdam Gate LNG Terminal Expansion Started

Dutch gas network operator Gasunie and tank storage service provider Vopak said on Monday that the expansion of their Gate liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Rotterdam has begun. The new infrastructure is expected to aid the use of LNG as a transport fuel and is expected to be operational towards the end of the first half of 2016. Gate receives, stores, regasifies and delivers LNG into northwest Europe's grid. Gate terminal will have break-bulk infrastructure and services added, which will help split up large LNG shipments into smaller quantities. Shell is the launching customer for the expansion and has committed to buy capacity from Gate terminal.   Reporting by Sarah McFarlane

23 Jan 2015

Inmarsat's Launch Date for Xpress Satellite

Inmarsat, the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services, will complete another significant milestone in the delivery of its transformational global mobile satellite communications (GX) service with the scheduled launch of Inmarsat-5 F2 (I-5 F2) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 12.31pm (GMT) on Sunday 1st February. Inmarsat is investing US$1.6bn in the delivery of Global Xpress, which will create the world’s first globally available, high-speed mobile broadband service, delivered through a single network operator. Inmarsat’s 5th generation satellites – which form the GX network – have all been built by Boeing Satellite Systems International Inc. (“Boeing”) in California.

26 Aug 2013

Siemens Installs First North Sea Platform

All photos: Siemens

Siemens has installed the HelWin1 offshore platform in the North Sea, marking the completion of a stage in German grid connection projects. HelWin1 will link the two offshore wind farms Nordsee Ost and Meerwind to the mainland. Using the Siemens technology installed on the platform, the alternating current power generated by the wind turbines is transformed into low-loss direct current for transmission onto land. Starting next year, this will enable the network operator and purchaser TenneT to supply clean electricity to more than 500,000 German households on the mainland.

08 Jun 2007

Blue Ocean Wireless Partners with Stratos

Blue Ocean Wireless (BOW), an Irish company focused on delivering GSM communication capability for the merchant maritime sector, has reached an agreement to partner with Stratos Global Corporation (SGB), a provider of advanced mobile and fixed-site remote communications solutions, to provide Inmarsat satellite services to BOW’s merchant maritime customer base on a non-exclusive basis. The agreement follows successful trials of the BOW offering on board two container vessels conducted in late 2006 by Blue Ocean Wireless, Stratos and Inmarsat. Blue Ocean Wireless will, together with Inmarsat, Stratos and a GSM network operator, provide a global GSM service for crew members of merchant ships.