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Reclaim News

15 Nov 2023

EU Targets Upstream Methane Emissions from Imports

Teresa Ribera RodrĂ­guez courtesy of the EU Council

The European Council and Parliament have reached a provisional political agreement on a regulation for tracking and reducing methane emissions in the energy sector.The regulation introduces new requirements for the oil, gas and coal sectors to measure, report and verify methane emissions, as well as put in place mitigation measures to avoid such emissions, including detecting and repairing methane leaks and limiting venting and flaring. It also puts forward global monitoring tools to ensure transparency on methane emissions from imports of oil…

13 Mar 2023

Dredge Firms Focus on Sustainability as ESG Issues Climb Agenda

Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger - Vox Apolonia. Image courtesy Van Oord

Climate change, rising sea levels, land reclamation and offshore energy are all factors underpinning business models at Europe’s dredge and marine engineering majors. They are adopting strong sustainability credentials as their operations come under closer environmental, social, governance (ESG) scrutiny and new opportunities open up in the US offshore wind sectorThe relatively small number of global marine engineering and dredge firms face more observation of their business models than ever before.

17 Aug 2020

Ocean Tankers Seeks to Reclaim $19 Mln from Lim Family

The court-appointed manager of Singapore Ocean Tankers (Pte.) Ltd is seeking to reclaim about $19 million from the Lim family directors of the firm, who allegedly transferred the funds from the shipping company to their accounts in April, court documents show.The interim judicial managers from EY said the Lim family "breached their fiduciary duties" by transferring the funds when Ocean Tankers was insolvent.Ocean Tankers, owned by Oon Kuin Lim, founder of embattled oil firm Hin Leong Trading Pte Ltd, and his daughter Lim Huey Ching, was placed under interim judicial management on May 12.The EY managers said in a statement of claim filed…

11 Aug 2020

Who Owned the Chemicals that Blew up Beirut? No One Will Say

In the murky story of how a cache of highly explosive ammonium nitrate ended up on the Beirut waterfront, one thing is clear—no one has ever publicly come forward to claim it.There are many unanswered questions surrounding last week's huge, deadly blast in the Lebanese capital, but ownership should be among the easiest to resolve.Clear identification of ownership, especially of a cargo as dangerous as that carried by the Moldovan-flagged Rhosus when it sailed into Beirut seven years ago, is fundamental to shipping, the key to insuring it and settling disputes that often arise.But Reuters interviews and trawls for documents across 10 countries in search of the original ownership of this 2…

15 Jul 2020

US Says Room for Sanctions in Response to China in South China Sea

Mischief Reef has been occupied and controlled by China since 1995, and is also claimed by Taiwan, the Philippines and Vietnam. (Credit: CSIS/AMTI, DigitalGlobe)

The top U.S. diplomat for East Asia warned on Tuesday that Washington could respond with sanctions against Chinese officials and enterprises involved in coercion in the South China Sea after the United States announced a tougher stance to Beijing’s claims there.“Nothing is off the table ... there is room for that. This is a language the Chinese understand - demonstrative and tangible action,” David Stilwell, assistant secretary of state for East Asia, told a Washington think-tank when asked if sanctions were a possible U.S.

24 Oct 2019

Boskalis Bags Dredging Contract in Maldives

Dutch dredging company Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. has won a contract by the Ministry of National Planning and Infrastructure, Republic of Maldives, in relation to the development of Gulhifalhu.The value of the contract is estimated at approximately EUR 45 million (US$50 million).The dredging activities are due to commence in the fourth quarter of 2019 and are expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2020.The development of Gulhifalhu, located about four kilometers from the country’s capital Malé, forms part of the Ministry of National Planning and Infrastructure’s strategic plan to improve and develop the port infrastructure and will serve as a climate adaptive solution…

27 Sep 2019

JFD Wins Submarine Rescue System Contract

James Fisher and Sons said its subsidiary JFD has been awarded a multimillion dollar contract for the design and build of submarine rescue equipment but no further details are yet available. The company recently completed the delivery of a range of saturation diving products rated to a depth of 500 meters for a leading offshore service provider, a world first. The products were developed as part of a saturation diving system and include environmental control systems, gas reclaim and life support products…

04 Jun 2019

Australia to be World's Largest LNG Exporter

Australia is all set to become the world’s largest producer of liquefied natural gas (LNG) next year and to retain that position until 2024, when Qatar will reclaim the top spot, said a report by Rystad Energy'“Australia has no intention of relinquishing its hard-earned LNG crown without a fight. Over the next two years, pending approvals on up to seven Australian integrated LNG projects could challenge Qatar as the country with the largest sanctioned LNG volumes from integrated projects during that period,” says Readul Islam, Research Analyst on Rystad Energy’s Upstream team.These seven Australian LNG projects will collectively supply just over 30 million tonnes per annum (tpa) at full capacity…

08 Jan 2019

South Korean Shipbuilding No.1 Again

South Korea’s shipbuilding industry reclaimed the title of world’s biggest shipbuilder (in terms of orders volume) in 2018 for the first time in six years, since it had conceded No.1 spot to China in 2012.The global orders of Korean shipbuilders stood at 12.6 million compensated gross tonnage (CGT) last year, accounting for 44.2 percent of the total orders, according to Clarkson Research, shipbuilding and marine analysis agency in the U.K. The orders of Chinese shipbuilders were 9.1 million CGT, accounting for 32 percent of the total share.A report in Business Korea quoted Clarkson Research saying that  the major three South Korean shipbuilders made a remarkable progress last year in LNG carriers market.

20 Sep 2018

Hydra Preparing for Offshore Upturn

The SAT-14 diving system (Photo: Hydra)

Offshore and subsea construction company Hydra said it has entered into the saturation diving market in anticipation of an offshore oil and gas sector rebound.Trevor Davis, president and CEO of the Texas-based company, said Hydra has converted its flagship vessel Subsea Responder and acquired a modular 200msw/12-man saturation diving system to prepare for new projects as the oil and gas industry experiences an upturn.“The oil and gas industry is showing signs of a bounce back [after] reaching a five-year low,” Davis said.

23 Apr 2018

SOHAR Port Signs Contract with Dredging International

SOHAR Port and Freezone have signed an agreement with Dredging International NV – Earth Moving Worldwide LTD (DINV-EMW JV) for the development of Phase 1 of the SOHAR Port South Construction Package I. Totalling an investment of USD 24mn (approx. OMR 9.24mn), the agreement will see the development of the first 50 hectares of useable land within the new port expansion; which is expected to be fully completed by Q4 2018. The agreement was signed on April 18 at a ceremony held at SOHAR Port and Freezone head office in Sohar. Signing the agreement on behalf of SOHAR was the CEO, Mark Geilenkirchen, and DCEO- CEO SOHAR Freezone, Jamal Aziz; while DINV-EMW JV were represented by Alberto Mino, Area Manager of Dredging International NV, and Yves Aertssen, Director of the EMW group.

01 Aug 2017

Dry Bulk Shipping Demand to Continue: Drewry

Drewry expects that dry bulk shipping charter rates will continue to recover with firm demand and controlled fleet growth, according to the latest edition of the Dry Bulk Forecaster, published by global shipping consultancy Drewry. Drewry has revised its charter rates forecast in the short term as the date to implement ballast water management systems (BWMS) has been postponed by two years, bringing down the forecast for demolitions that will eventually support fleet growth. Despite the increased fleet supply, charter rates will strengthen because demand will grow faster. The recovery in rates will become more prominent in 2019 and 2020, when the IMO regulations will be implemented.

06 Jul 2017

IADC’s René Kolman: 'Primus inter pares'

NOUVELLE ROUTE DU LITTORAL, FRANCE (Photo: Société de Dragage International / Jan De Nul Group)

The world of dredging is an ever changing and endlessly fascinating niche of the global marine industry, an indispensable activity essential to keeping world commerce flowing. For insight on recent trends we visited last month with René Kolman, Secretary General, International Association of Dredging Companies (IADC), for his take on a world of dredging challenges and opportunities. In true Dutch fashion René Kolman is refreshingly forthright. Kolman assumed the mantle of leadership at IADC more than seven years ago, coming to the post from the landscape and garden trade association business.

18 Apr 2017

US Shipyards: Building for America, Jobs for Americans

In August 2015 General Dynamics NASSCO launched Perla del Caribe, the second ship in a series of natural gas powered containerships for TOTE (Photo: General Dynamics NASSCO)

The shipbuilding and ship repairing industry has always been a core strength of our nation. It has enabled the United States to protect and project its prosperity, power and influence internationally. A book in my office signed by shipbuilder William Webb illustrates the point. Mr. Webb inherited his father’s shipyard in 1840 and built over 130 of the fastest clipper sailing vessels; he later built the largest and most celebrated steamships of his era. Those were glory years for the U.S. maritime industry, an era when the shipping industry was synonymous with American sovereignty.

30 Mar 2017

Maintenance Dredging Underway at Port of Cape Town

The Isandlwana, a Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger. (Photo: TNPA)

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA)’s Dredging Services division has embarked on a $ 1.1 million maintenance dredging campaign at the Port of Cape Town to restore the design depths inside Duncan dock. The maintenance campaign, which began on March 8, 2017, is scheduled for completion by the end April 2017. The main objective of the dredging campaign is to ensure the Port of Cape Town provides safe navigational channels and berthing facilities for shipping by restoring the original design depths.

25 Mar 2017

Upgrades Complete for Anzac Class

The Australian Navy's eight Anzac class frigates are now all back in the water post anti-ship missile defence upgrades, with HMAS Stuart undocking at the Henderson shipyard in Western Australia. She will now commence trials of her state-of-the-art systems and modifications. Commander Surface Forces Commodore Christopher Smith said the overhaul had enabled the helicopter frigates to continue to protect Australia and its interests. “The entire Anzac class is now one of the most capable frigate forces in the world and is tangible evidence of Navy’s progress towards deploying highly capable task groups,” Commodore Smith. The upgrade includes the installation of an improved combat system and the Australian designed CEAFAR Active Phased Array Radar suite.

06 Mar 2017

China's Steel, Coal Curbs a Double-edged Sword for Imports

© Igor Groshev / Adobe Stock

China's determination to tackle its choking pollution by cutting steel and coal capacity should be a long-term negative for exporters of iron ore and coal to the world's biggest commodity importer, but the reality is likely to be far more nuanced. "We will make our skies blue again," Premier Li Keqiang told the opening of parliament on Sunday. That's an unequivocal statement that gives political impetus to Beijing's plans to shutter more excess steel and coal capacity. The policy…

24 Aug 2016

Philippines: Sea Dispute Won't Shift Ties with China, U.S.

The Philippines' territorial dispute with China over the South China Sea has not caused Manila to rebalance diplomatic ties with either its ally, the United States, or neighbouring China, Foreign Minister Perfecto Yasay said on Wednesday. An arbitration court in the Hague infuriated China in July by ruling that China had no historical title over the South China Sea and that it had breached the Philippines' sovereign rights with various actions there. "We want to make close friendship with China. It does not mean that we'll weaken our friendship with the United States," Yasay told Reuters during a break in a meeting of the senate foreign relations committee. On Tuesday evening, President Rodrigo Duterte said he expects talks with China over the maritime dispute within a year.

14 Apr 2016

How Japan Can Lead the Marine Renaissance

Image: GE

Being an island nation, Japan is inevitably dependent on seaborne trade. Over time, this has led to it becoming a strong player in the global maritime market. Japan’s shipbuilding pedigree has gained the country a foothold in LNG carriers, dry bulk cargo barge and pure car truck carriers (PCTC). While Japan is still a significant player, large-scale investments made by the Chinese and South Korean governments in the 1980s pushed them ahead. Japan’s energy market is also going through a period of change.

02 May 2016

Singapore’s Mega Terminal Construction Kicks Off

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has started the construction of a new container terminal at the western end of the island to replace existing container port facilities and consolidate operations for the long term. The first phase of the Tuas Terminal project will have 20 deepwater berths with an initial capacity to handle an annual traffic of 20 million twenty-foot-container equivalent units (TEUs), rising to 65 million TEUs when completed by 2046. The start of construction was marked on Friday by Singapore’ Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan with the launching the first caisson.

26 May 2016

Aquino: China Breaks South China Sea Deal

Philippine President Benigno Aquino on Thursday accused China of breaking a U.S.-brokered deal between the two nations on the Scarborough Shoal, an uninhabited rocky outcrop in the South China Sea. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, believed to have rich deposits of oil and gas. Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines also claim the waterway, through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne goods pass every year. Beijing seized control of Scarborough Shoal, near the main Philippine island of Luzon, in June 2012, following a three-month standoff after a Philippine Navy vessel tried to arrest Chinese fishermen found illegally hauling giant clams there.

02 Jul 2016

Keep Calm and Carry on for the UK Shipping Sector

On the week after the UK voted to leave the EU, UK Chamber of Shipping Chief Executive Guy Platten says the shipping industry needs to do what it always has done – keep calm and carry on. Fundamentally, and for the time being, nothing has changed. There is uncertainty, yes, but the years of experience and expertise our industry means that we do not undertake kneejerk reactions. It’s a mature response, but more importantly, it’s the right one. "UK is a great maritime nation, dependent on shipping last week. And it is a great maritime nation dependent on shipping today. So many of those factors that have made the UK such a great place to do business in the past are the same today – from our highly skilled workforce to our world-renowned business services sector," Guy says.

15 Jul 2016

Filipino Fishermen Still Blocked from Scarborough Shoal

China's coastguard has prevented Filipino boats from fishing around the hotly contested Scarborough Shoal, Philippine officials said on Friday, after Beijing kept a promise to ignore a court ruling voiding its vast South China Sea claims. A dispute over the shoal, 124 nautical miles northwest of the Philippines mainland was one of Manila's main reasons for bringing international legal action against China in 2013. Military officials and fishermen in northwest province of Pangasinan said Chinese coastguard vessels remained in place at Scarborough and were still preventing fishermen from entering the shoal's lagoon. Many boats had stayed away until the situation was clearer, officials said.