Hermes News

Attacks by Yemeni Houthi rebels on merchant ships in the Red Sea have hit world trade. Between November and December 2023, the number of containers travelling through the Red Sea each day fell by 60% as ships moving goods between Asia and Europe diverted their routes around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa.This route results in at least ten days more sailing time, so has caused freight prices to surge and has triggered costly delays to production. The region has become a bottleneck for the global economy before.

Two commercial ships that diverted their course in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden were connected to the same maritime group whose vessel was seized by Yemen's Houthis, according to shipping data and British maritime security company Ambrey.Israel on Sunday said the Houthis had seized a British-owned, Japanese-operated cargo ship in the southern Red Sea, describing the incident as an "Iranian act of terrorism" with consequences for international maritime security.The Houthis, an ally of Tehran…

The Israel-Hamas war has raised the spectre of a wider regional conflict which could embroil Iran and other regional factions.Analysts and market observers say the conflict could prompt the United States to tighten sanctions on Iran, which may spur Tehran to take retaliatory action against ships in the Strait in Hormuz.The Marshall Islands registry, one of the world's top shipping flags, last week flagged that vessels with links to Israel or the United States may face a heightened threat of attack within Israeli territorial waters…

Lebanon and Israel are closer than ever to signing a deal demarcating their maritime border, opening the door to new oil and gas exploration, after years of U.S.-brokered negotiations.While limited in scope, the agreement is set to ease security and economic concerns in both countries, whose shared history is rife with hostility. The deal will only resolve a territorial dispute in the eastern tip of the Mediterranean sea and does not touch on their land borders, which are yet to be settled.Here are some details of the U.S.

Thailand has signed a contract to buy Hermes 900 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) made by Israeli defense electronics company Elbit Systems for 4 billion baht ($107.67 million), the Thai navy said on Wednesday.The navy did not say in its statement how many drones it would buy, but said a budget had been set to procure the system over four years, between 2022 to 2025.The Thai navy said the drones would be used to patrol the sea to protect the country’s maritime sovereignty, shipping routes and assist in sea rescue operations.The Hermes 900 is a medium-sized drone, which has the endurance to fly f

Master Boat Builders, Inc. on Thursday announced it delivered the new tug Hermes to Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-headquartered Seabulk earlier this month.A sister ship to Nike, delivered to Seabulk in 2021, Hermes is an Advanced Rotortug (ART 90-98US) designed by Robert Allan Ltd. and built at MBB’s Coden, Ala. yard.The high-powered, maneuverable vessel will provide ship assists in Port of Mobile, servicing Seabulk’s customers, particularly shipyards and container liners. The tug is built to meet USCG regulations and is classed through the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), including escort notation.

The world's leading exporter of thermal coal on Saturday banned the shipments because of concerns it could not meet its own power demand, prompting President Joko Widodo on Monday to threaten to revoke business permits for any miners who failed to meet domestic market requirements.In turn, Indonesian coal miners want a quick resolution as fuel prices rise and and potential disruptions to the energy supplies of some of the world's biggest economies loom.The wider risk is of a knock-on impact on economic linchpins China…

Offshore wind services company Eneti announced on Thursday it has entered into an agreement to acquire rival Seajacks, creating one of the world's largest, most capable fleets of wind turbine installation vessels (WTIV).Eneti said its deal with sellers Marubeni Corporation, INCJ, Ltd. and Mitsui O.S.K., Lines Ltd. will see it acquire 100% of Atlantis Investorco Limited, the parent of Seajacks International Limited, for consideration of approximately 8.13 million shares, $299 million of assumed net debt, $74 million of newly-issued redeemable notes, and $12 million of cash.

The concept of “hybrid tug” is getting a whole new definition with an innovative new tug under construction at Turkey’s Uzmar Shipyard for the Danish Port of Aarhus. From the outside it looks very similar to other Robert Allan Ltd-designed tugs built at the Uzmar yard. The RAmparts 3000 ASD tug, to be named Hermes is 30.25 by 11.75 meters.In the engine room and in the thruster rooms of the azimuthing stern drive (ASD) tug, the innovations are revealed. A pair of Cummins QSK60 IMO stage II compliant engines…

The Port of Aarhus and UZMAR Shipyard connected May 29 via video conference to finalize a contract for the construction of a new RAmparts 3000 series tugboat for delivery in summer 2021.Denmark's largest container port said it invested approximately 45 million DKK, or roughly $6.8 million, to acquire the newbuild, which will be far more eco-friendly, efficient and powerful than the vessel it will replace. The port cited strength, precision and environmental sustainability as key reasons behind its decision to replace the 40-year-old Hermes, which will be sold once its replacement arrives.

Italian motor yacht maker Sanlorenzo aims to list on the Milan Stock Exchange at about the same time as the rival Ferretti Group, with an initial public offering (IPO) expected to be launched as early as the second half of October, two people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.The group is controlled by Italian entrepreneur Massimo Perotti through a family holding which bought back shares from third party investors in the recent years.The group plans to issue a mix of existing and new shares, targeting a free float of about 35%, one of the sources added.Sanlorenzo has picked Unicredit, Banca Imi and Bofa Merrill Lynch as global coordinators for its IPO.

Scorpio Bulkers has entered into a financing transaction in respect of one of the Company’s Ultramax vessels with an unaffiliated third party.A press release from the provider of marine transportation of dry bulk commodities said that as part of the transaction, the Company will sell a 2016 Japanese built Ultramax dry bulk vessel, SBI Hermes, for a consideration of $20.5 million and then lease it back from the buyer through a five-year bareboat charter agreement at a rate of $5,850 per day.If converted to floating interest rates, based on the expected weighted average life of the transaction, the equivalent cost of financing at current…

Thoresen Thai Agencies Public Company reported the sale of M.V. Thor Enterprise, a general cargo vessel with a rated capacity of 42,529 deadweight ton (DWT) built in 1995. The Vessel was sold to a company which is not a connected person of the Company by Thoresen Shipping Singapore, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. Sources, quoting data provided by VesselsValue said that although Thoresen has not identified the buyer of the vessel, Thor Enterprise, renamed Asian Enterprise, was sold to India’s Hermes Maritime last month. Marinetraffic.com data also confirms the new name Asian Enterprise. The Vessel was sold at a price of USD 5,600,000. After the sale of M.V.

INS Viraat, the world’s oldest aircraft carrier and the flag ship of the Indian Navy, was decommissioned on Monday after serving for 30 years in the Indian Navy. INS Viraat holds the world record as mentioned in the Guinness Book of records for being the longest serving warship of the world. INS Viraat, the second Centaur-Class aircraft carrier in service which has spent 30 years in the Indian Navy and 27 years in the Royal Navy, was decommissioned on the day, in a solemn yet grand ceremony at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai. The decommissioning ceremony was attended by more than 1300 personnel who have served on board INS Viraat. Admiral Sir Philip Jones…

DP World, one of the world's largest port operators, reported a 50 percent leap in net profit for the first half of this year on Thursday, helped by the acquisitions of the Dubai's Jebel Ali Free Zone and Canada's Fairview Terminal. The company made a profit attributable to shareholders of $608 million in the six months to June 30, compared to a profit of $405 million in the corresponding period last year. EFG Hermes had forecast the company would make a quarterly profit of $432.9 million. DP World's revenue for the first half was $2.09 billion, up from $1.90 billion a year earlier. In July, the company said consolidated throughput for the period was 14.6 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), down 1.4 percent from a year earlier on a like-for-like basis.

Stock markets in the Gulf may be weighed down by soft oil prices and the aftermath of a mediocre corporate earnings season on Sunday, while Egypt's index may be boosted slightly as its currency strengthens on the black market. The September Brent oil contract settled at $42.46 a barrel on Friday, down 0.6 percent on the day and 14.5 percent lower on the month. It was the biggest monthly drop for Brent since December. Earnings season is now over in Saudi Arabia and mostly finished in the rest of the Gulf. In general, earnings were mediocre and in line with analysts' expectations. Many Saudi petrochemical companies beat expectations because of higher operating margins, but retail and consumer-focused firms were sluggish, a sign of weak economic growth.

With a loan of EUR 600 million, KfW IPEX-Bank is financing the construction of a second cruise ship for Star Cruises, the leading cruise line in Asia, at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg. The signing ceremony of the relevant contracts took place today in Hong Kong. The second new ship is expected to ship in the fourth quarter of 2017. In April this year, KfW IPEX-Bank had already completed the financing for a sister ship. Investment Bank and DNB Bank ASA, Singapore Branch the total loan amount available. Financing is provided with an export credit agency of the federal government (Euler Hermes cover) and binds the set by the OECD Ship CIRR (Commercial Interest Reference Rate) a.

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) and Hermes Infrastructure are prepared to buy a 30 percent stake in Associated British Ports for about 1.6 billion pounds ($2.4 billion). Associated British Ports is Britain's leading port operator, with 21 ports in England, Scotland and Wales. The deal will allow the Hermes-CPPIB consortium to acquire a further 3.33 percent in the company, depending upon pre-emption rights, the buyers said in a statement on Tuesday. Infrastructure assets are attractive to institutions like pension funds because of the long-term investment opportunity and stable returns that they represent. Hermes Infrastructure, part of British-based fund Hermes Investment Management, and CPPIB will buy the stake from GS Infrastructure Partners and Infracapital.

Sailors and Marines from the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) have conducted an emergent recovery of 11 researchers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from the Papahnaumokukea Marine National Monument threatened by Hurricane Iselle. The purpose of the operation was to assist the researchers in retreating from imminent danger of Hurricane Iselle that is expected to impact Lisianski Island, Laysan Island and the Pearl and Hermes Atoll. "We work with NOAA and we're out here almost every summer in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands working with Hawaiian Monk Seal pups doing mostly population assessment," said, Carrie McAttee, a NOAA researcher.

Forced by the on-going congestion at Rotterdam Port, Hapag-Lloyd has had to make temporary changes in ships calling at that port. Customers were Informed on July 8, 2014 that Hapag-Lloyd will move the Port Said East call from Loop 4 to Loop 7. The Rotterdam situation will be reviewed regularly and if necessary, we will advise on further Antwerp calls for consecutive voyages. Europe - Asia Loop 4 - Temporary port call move from Rotterdam to Antwerp for further three voyages.

On July 14, Hermes Leader, a car carrier operated by NYK Line, rescued 336 people in the Mediterranean Sea. On July 14, the vessel received an emergency call for help while sailing to port of Gioia Tauro, Italy after transiting the Suez Canal. The vessel immediately set a course for the given position and rescued 336 people in the afternoon. After that, all of them were handed over to the coast guard at the port of Augusta in Sicily island in Italy on July 15. -- About Hermes Leader -- Captain: Ivan Ivanov Flag: Bahamas Crew: 33 seafarers Gross Tonnage:   71,177 tons Type of Vessel: Car carrier Ship management: Stamco Ship Management (Belgian, Filipino, Dutch, Greek)

SpeedCast International Limited (SpeedCast), a global satellite telecommunications service provider, announced that it has been awarded a multi-year communications contract by international shipping company, Vroon. The new Ku-band satellite service will facilitate high-performance broadband connectivity with multi-megabit speeds, providing “hotel experience” Internet facilities for Vroon clients aboard specific categories of vessels. These include subsea-support vessels (10-25 passengers)…

SpeedCast International Limited (SpeedCast), a global satellite telecommunications service provider, announced that it has been awarded a multi-year communications contract from Gulf Marine Services (GMS). The new dual-beam Ku-band satellite service will provide high-performance broadband connectivity for client office applications and voice services across nine GMS barges. GMS is one of the largest providers of self-propelled, self-elevating accommodation jack-up barges in the world. The vessels work in offshore oilfields, often in harsh weather conditions, and therefore require a reliable and high-quality connection between the vessels and the land-based operations.