Marine Link
Thursday, March 28, 2024
SUBSCRIBE

Building Block News

07 Feb 2024

Denmark Primed to Become European CO2 Hub

© Dzmitry / Adobe Stock

With its new CCS-strategy, the European Commission has outlined a common direction for the capture, utilization, and storage of CO2 in the EU. The strategy highlights Denmark as a pioneer in the field, and Danish Shipping predicts that Denmark could play a central role.The strategy, named the "Industrial Carbon Management Strategy," sets the framework for the ambition to build an internal market for CO2, benefiting both the climate and employment. All measures are aimed at achieving…

21 Nov 2023

China Unlikely to Repeat Last Winter's Surge of Fuel Exports

© Igor Groshev / Adobe Stock

A surge of diesel and gasoline exports from China in the last northern winter eased then-prevailing fuel shortages in Asia but a repeat performance this year is unlikely.China's exports of refined products have eased from high levels in recent months, partly as a result of stronger domestic demand, but a lack of available quotas and shrinking profit margins for fuels have also played a role.In the northern winter of 2022-23 China played an outsized role in easing a squeeze on the availability of refined fuels…

03 Oct 2023

Hapag-Lloyd Welcomes "Berlin Express" - the First of its Hamburg Express Class Ships

Credit: Hapag-Lloyd

German container shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd on Monday welcomed into its fleet the “Berlin Express”, the first ship of its new Hamburg Express class. At an event attended by some 300 guests from business and politics, naming patron Elke Büdenbender performed the ceremonial christening of the ship at the Container Terminal Burchardkai (Athabaskakai) in the Port of Hamburg. Among the guests were Peter Tschentscher, the First Mayor of Hamburg, and Daniel Günther, the Minister President…

03 Jul 2023

First Test of Ammonia Fuel Cell System a Success

Rune Tveit, Project Manager and Caroline Stephansen, Manager Test & Assembly (Photo: Alma Clean Power)

Norway-based Alma Clean Power announced it has successfully tested the world's first 6 kW direct ammonia fuel cell system.Alma Clean Power is working to develop modularized Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) systems for applications in the ocean space, and it says the the 6-kW unit is the first building block of a complete 100-kW SOFC module. The test validates the company’s design of a direct ammonia fuel cell (DAFC) system, delivering electrical efficiency of 61-67%.“I am very proud of the Alma team and their remarkable achievements in just over a year of system development.

09 May 2023

HAV Group Set to Acquire Undheim Systems, Adding DP Capabilities

©HAV Group

Norway's HAV Group ASA has agreed to acquire Undheim Systems AS, a provider of dynamic positioning (DP) systems for vessels."The planned technology acquisition is a strategic move that accelerates HAV Group's plans to offer digital functionality that meets the global maritime market's needs for decision support tools and autonomous ship operations," HAV Group said.“HAV Group already provides digital decision support systems to vessels in order to cut operating expenditure and emissions to air.

30 Mar 2023

US Department of Energy Releases Offshore Wind Strategy

© Cavan / Adobe Stock

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has released its Offshore Wind Energy Strategy, a first of its kind, comprehensive summary of the Department’s efforts to meet President Biden’s goal to deploy 30GW of offshore wind energy by 2030.The strategy aims to set the nation on a pathway to 110GW or more by 2050.Deploying 30GW of offshore wind would provide enough power for 10 million homes, support 77,000 jobs, and spur $12 billion per year in direct private investment, says the DOE.The…

03 Oct 2022

Belgium's Elia Presents Plans for 'World's First' Artificial Energy Island

Credit: Elia

Belgium's transmission operator, Elia, has presented its draft plans for what is expected to be the world’s first artificial energy island. The energy island, called the Princess Elisabeth Island, will be located almost 45 km off the Belgian coast and will serve as the link between the offshore wind farms in the second offshore wind zone (which will have a maximum capacity of 3.5 GW) and its onshore high-voltage grid. Elia, which presented the plans in the presence of federal ministers Tinne Van der Straeten (Energy) and Vincent Van Quickenborne (North Sea)…

25 Jul 2022

Batteries: Ready to Scale Up

A battery rack inside Maid of the Mist’s fully electric tour vessel James V. Glynn. The lithium-ion battery packs were supplied by Spear Power Systems. (Photo: Eric Haun)

Batteries for maritime power have been picking up big momentum, benefiting from the most basic concept within Econ 101: supply and demand.On May 19 Corvus Energy announced it would establish a lithium ion battery manufacturing facility in Port Bellingham, Wash., just north of Seattle. Corvus Energy is a leading supplier of battery energy storage systems (BESS) for marine applications. Its systems already power more than 30 North American vessels, as well as 29 hybrid port cranes and 11 land-based drilling rigs.Geir Bjørkeli…

04 Apr 2022

Corvus' Hydrogen Fuel Cell System Gets AIP from DNV

(Image: Corvus Energy)

Corvus Energy announced its hydrogen fuel cell system developed through the H2NOR project has received approval in principle (AIP) from classification society DNV for its safety solution enabling simplified placement of the system inside a ship’s hull.According to Corvus, the fuel cell system (FCS) is the first designed to be inherently gas safe, meaning that the surrounding machinery space will be considered gas safe under all conditions. This design reduces the number of requirements for the safety and ventilation support systems…

15 Sep 2021

VIDEO: Installation of Innovative Floating Wind Turbine Foundation - TetraSpar

Credit: Bourbon Offshore

Offshore vessel operator and installation services firm Bourbon Subsea Services has recently completed the installation of the 3.6 MW TetraSpar floating wind turbine prototype at a test site in Norway.The TetraSpar Demo project is developed by Stiesdal Offshore Technology, TEPCO Renewable Power, Shell, and RWE and has been described as the world’s first full-scale demonstration of an industrialized offshore foundation.The TetraSpar foundation concept is the modular “building block” arrangement: each foundation is assembled from tubular steel modules…

18 Aug 2021

GEG, Proman to Build Renewables-to-Methanol Plant at Nigg Oil Terminal

Credit: Malcolm McCurrach | New Wave Images UK

UK-based Global Energy Group and Swiss-based integrated energy company, Proman have partnered up to develop a renewable power to methanol plant using local sources of captured CO2 to be located at the Nigg Oil Terminal in the Highlands of Scotland.GEG is also the owner of the Nigg Oil Terminal and Proman is the second-largest methanol producer in the world-GEG said that the development of an industrial-scale renewable power to methanol production facility with CO2 to be provided from local industrial sources will be known as the “Cromarty Clean Fuels Project“.

11 Jun 2021

TotalEnergies Ramps up R&D into Ammonia as Marine Fuel

As a carbon-free molecule, ammonia is a promising alternative fuel for large vessels and deep-sea shipping to significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within the shipping industry. In particular, green ammonia – produced from green hydrogen using renewable electricity, water and air – could play a major role in enabling the industry to meet the IMO carbon emission reduction targets proposed by 2050. © vchalup/AdobeStock

TotalEnergies announced today that it is extending research into the viability of ammonia as an alternative marine fuel, entering into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with 22 companies across diverse industries to initiate a joint study on ammonia as an alternative marine fuel. These industries include energy, mining, power utility, chemical, terminal, shipping, shipbuilding, manufacturing, bunkering and classification society.“Ammonia is seen as a promising future fuel for shipping from an emissions reduction and scalability perspective…

17 Dec 2020

Ammonia Fuel Cells for Deep-Sea Shipping: A Key Piece of the Zero-emissions Puzzle

Image: NCE Maritime CleanTech

Interest in ammonia-powered fuel cells for the maritime sector is growing, but stakeholders have been hesitant to commit to investments in large-scale systems. Now the ShipFC project is aiming to secure a place for ammonia in the future of deep-sea shipping.The project will equip the offshore supply vessel Viking Energy, owned and operated by Eidesvik and on contract to energy major Equinor, with a 2-megawatt (MW) ammonia fuel cell, allowing it to operate for at least 3,000 hours annually on clean fuel.

01 Dec 2020

Derecktor Wins Deal to Build Hybrid RVl for University of Vermont

Chartwell Marine selected to design and specify build for new low emission university research vessel, in collaboration with BAE Systems and Derecktor Shipyards. Image: Chartwell

The University of Vermont (UVM) has ordered what is touted as the first hybrid research vessel, a project which brings together Derecktor Shipyards, BAE Systems and Chartwell Marine.The 19-meter catamaran will be designed for low-emission, low-fuel-burn operations and is set for launch in April 2022. Chartwell Marine’s hybrid design, which is powered by two Cummins QSB 6.7m 306hp diesel engines and two BAE AC traction motors, will provide the University with a new research and instruction platform to facilitate its advanced research operation.

28 Oct 2020

Maracke Takes the Helm at German Shipyard FSG

Philipp Maracke takes over the management of the Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) as CEO. Photo Courtesy FSG

On November 2, 2020, Philipp Maracke takes over the management of the Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) as CEO.The management of the shipyard acquired by Tennor in September will go to an experience expert who has held various management positions in the maritime industry. Most recently, Maracke was a member of the management of German Naval Yards Kiel where the 40-year-old has built up extensive expertise in the naval shipbuilding sector. Another of his core competences lies in purchasing.“In the course of its long history…

22 Sep 2020

ABS and Israel Shipyards Trial 3D Model Process

(Image: ABS)

Classification society ABS said it is working with Israel Shipyards to approve the shipbuilder's 3D models as part of plan review of its 45-meter multi-mission Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV).“Israel Shipyards is our latest partner where we have been able to demonstrate how ABS can support the design and class review process using 3D models. This exciting project is another building block in our development of an end-to-end paperless class process, which is seeing us work with leading shipbuilders all over the world to realize the benefits of digital class for the industry…

22 Sep 2020

Fuel Choice is Key in Maritime Decarbonization - DNV GL

© Suphanat / Adobe Stock

Fuel choice is the essential decision as shipping charts a generational path to decarbonization, says DNV GL in its latest maritime forecast report.The industry is at the beginning of a transition phase, with many potential options emerging alongside conventional fuels. This increasingly diverse fuel environment means that engine and fuel choice now represent potential risks that could lead to a stranded asset. Factoring in the impacts of availability, prices and policy, on different fuels…

14 Jul 2020

Chinese Study Examining Methanol as a Marine Fuel

© ibreakstock / Adobe Stock

The Methanol Institute (MI) has joined a study led by the China Waterborne Transportation Research Institute (CWTRI), the think tank of the Chinese Ministry of Transport, which will consider the technical and operational requirements for the use of methanol as a marine fuel. The study is supported by methanol producers and distributors Methanex  and Shanghai Huayi Energy Chemical Co., Ltd.Based on the characteristics of China’s energy and shipping industries, the study will create comprehensive guidance and policy suggestions for the use of methanol as a marine fuel…

06 Jul 2020

Maersk Acquires Customs Broker KGH

© aapsky / Adobe Stock

Maersk said on Monday it had agreed to buy Sweden-based customs broker KGH Customs Services for 2.6 billion Swedish crowns ($281 million), as the container shipping group seeks to expand its end-to-end logistics services.Maersk since 2016 has sold its oil and gas business and focussed on its container and logistics business for customers including Walmart and Nike.It handles about one in five containers shipped by sea worldwide and is seeking to speed up investments in in-land logistics services.Last year…

26 Nov 2019

LNG Power for VW Car Carriers

Siem Confucius and sister ship Siem Aristotle are the first trans-Atlantic PCTCs (Pure Car Truck Carriers) to operate full-time on LNG. Photo: MAN ES

Siem PCTCs sport MAN ES engines, turbochargers and propellers -- Each ship is estimated to cut CO2 emissions by up to 25%, NOx by up to 30%, particulate matter by up to 60%, and SOx almost completely.Siem Confucius and Siem Aristotle are the names of the new pure car truck carriers (PCTCs), significant in that they are the world’s first trans-Atlantic PCTCs  to operate full-time on LNG. Built for Siem Car Carriers at Xiamen Shipyard in China, both ships – which will transport…

20 Oct 2019

Neptun Werft Lays Keel for AIDAcosma

The first building-block for AIDA Cruises’ second LNG-fueled cruise ship was put in place at the Neptun Werft shipyard in Rostock, Germany.The two trainees, Charleen Hoffmann (AIDA Cruises) and Kenny Schaft (Meyer Werft shipyard) placed the traditional lucky coin beneath the first of a total of 90 blocks.On the occasion of the keel-laying, the name of the new ship and its first routing were announced: the ship will be named AIDAcosma, and will be cruising from Kiel to the Norwegian fjords and the Baltic Sea from summer 2021.Together with the Managing Director of the Meyer Werft shipyard Tim Meyer and the head of the Neptun Werft shipyard in Rostock Manfred Ossevorth…

31 Jul 2019

Fire Erupts at Exxon's Baytown complex; 37 Hurt

An aerial view of the houston Refining complex (CREDIT: AdobeStock / © Irina K)

Exxon Mobil Corp said it was fighting a fire that erupted on Wednesday at its Baytown, Texas, refining and chemical plant complex injuring 37 people and sending nearby residents indoors.As many as 37 people were being treated for non-life threatening injuries amid efforts to put out the fire, according to Exxon spokeswoman Sarah Nordin. Available air monitoring information showed "no adverse impact at this time," she said.More than three dozen people were treated for minor burns, none requiring hospitalization, said plant manager Jason Duncan in an afternoon media briefing.

19 Apr 2019

Aus Icebreaker Nearing Completion

Preparations are ramping up for the arrival of Australia’s newest icebreaker, the RSV Nuyina. The Antarctic icebreaker is due to arrive in Hobart in 2020.RSV Nuyina will be the main lifeline to Australia’s Antarctic and sub-Antarctic research stations and the central platform of our Antarctic and Southern Ocean scientific research.Construction of the ship at Damen Shipyards in Romania commenced in May 2017, with a steel cutting ceremony, while a keel laying ceremony in August saw the first building-block of the ship consolidated in the drydock.In September 2018 the ship was floated from the dry dock to the wet dock, for the next phase of construction. Construction is expected to be completed at the end of 2019.