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Thursday, April 25, 2024
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Container Ships News

19 Apr 2024

Imoto Lines and Marindows to Build Next-Gen Zero-Emission Containership

Concept for Imoto Lines' and Marindows' zero-emission contrainership (Credit:  Imoto Lines)

Imoto Lines and Marindows have outlined plans to build the next generation zero-emission domestic container ship capable of hybrid operation using Japan's first exchangeable container batteries, alongside onboard batteries and generators.The joint project between the companies aims to address three major challenges of the maritime industry - decarbonization, crew shortage, and safe navigation.The three-year project is supported by the Ministry of the Environment, Government of…

17 Apr 2024

Hapag-Lloyd and Seaspan to Retrofit Five Vessels to Methanol Propulsion

© Jan Mastrovic / Adobe Stock

Hapag-Lloyd and Seaspan Corporation announced plans to retrofit and convert five 10,100 TEU containerships powered by conventional MAN S90 engines to dual-fuel engines capable of operating on methanol. Following the engine retrofit, the vessels will continue to be on long-term charter from Seaspan to Hapag-Lloyd.The vessels scheduled for retrofits are the Seaspan Amazon, Seaspan Ganges, Seaspan Thames, Seaspan Yangtze and Seaspan Zambezi. The retrofit is expected to take approximately 80-90 days per vessel starting in the first quarter of 2026.

17 Apr 2024

Crew of Ship Seized by Iran Are Safe, Operator MSC Says

File photo: MSC Aries shown docked in the Port of Los Angeles in December 2021 (© angeldibilio / Adobe Stock)

The 25 crew members of the MSC Aries, which was seized by Iran on April 13, are safe, shipping firm MSC said on Wednesday, adding that discussions with Iranian authorities are in progress to secure their earliest release."We are also working with the Iranian authorities to have the cargo discharged," the Swiss headquartered company said in a statement.Iran's Revolutionary Guards seized the container vessel in the Strait of Hormuz days after Tehran vowed to retaliate for a suspected Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus on April 1.

15 Apr 2024

Iran Says MSC Aries Vessel Seized for 'Violating Maritime Laws'

Screenshot from video filmed by a seafarer on board the MSC Aries as Iranian forces seized the vessel. (Courtesy ITF)

A Portuguese-flagged container ship, the MSC Aries, was seized by Iran on April 13 for "violating maritime laws", Iran's foreign ministry said on Monday, adding that there was no doubt the vessel was linked to Israel.Iran's Revolutionary Guards seized the cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz days after Tehran vowed to retaliate for a suspected Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus on April 1. Iran had said it could close the crucial shipping route."The vessel was diverted…

15 Apr 2024

FBI Opens Criminal Probe Into Deadly Baltimore Bridge Collapse

(Photo: Ronald Hodges / U.S. Coast Guard)

The FBI said on Monday it opened a criminal probe into the collapse of a Baltimore bridge in March when a ship crashed into a bridge support, while local officials confirmed the recovery of a fourth body from the incident.FBI agents boarded the cargo ship Dali to conduct court-authorized law enforcement activity regarding the crash, an FBI spokesperson said. The spokesperson said there was no other public information available and the bureau will have no further comment.The body…

15 Apr 2024

Maersk Makes No Deployment Changes After Vessel Seized in Strait of Hormuz

© aerial-drone / Adobe Stock

Shipping company Maersk has not made any deployment changes after a Portuguese-flagged container ship was seized by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, the Danish company said on Monday."We find recent events in the Gulf of Hormuz and the hijacking of a commercial container ship deeply concerning," a spokesperson said in an emailed comment.While the company will monitor the situation and available intelligence to assess the risk level in the region, it has so far made no deployment changes, the spokesperson added.Iran's foreign ministry said on Monday it had seized the vessel for violati

12 Apr 2024

Fact Check: The Simpsons Did Not Predict Baltimore Bridge Collapse

(Photo: Brandon Giles / U.S. Coast Guard)

A fabricated image of characters from the animated television series The Simpsons viewing a collapsed bridge and a large ship has been widely shared on social media with the false suggestion that the show predicted the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge in March.The image shows signs of having been made with AI and an executive producer for the series told Reuters that the image is fake as the show never had an episode where a container ship hits a bridge.The Francis Key Scott bridge…

11 Apr 2024

US Investigators Interview Ship Personnel in Maryland Bridge Collapse

(Photo: Brandon Giles / U.S. Coast Guard)

U.S. National Transportation Safety Board chair Jennifer Homendy said at a Senate hearing Wednesday that investigators had conducted interviews with key cargo ship personnel in the investigation of the March 26 Baltimore bridge collapse.The Dali cargo ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, sending it crashing into the harbor and killing six people. Work to clear the wreckage and restore traffic through the Mid-Atlantic state's shipping channel is ongoing.Homendy said investigators remained on site and had interviewed the pilots…

11 Apr 2024

NYK Line’s 3D Design for Multi-Purpose Container Carrier Gets ClassNK Pass

 3D drawing (Credit: NYK Line)

ClassNK has granted approval to the basic design drawings of a multi-purpose container carrier developed by Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line) utilizing 3D models.This marks the world's first ocean-going ship to complete the basic design process, including class approval, solely through 3D drawings from the conceptual design to the basic structural design, during the initial stages of ship construction, according to NYK Line and ClassNK.Traditionally, the sharing of design information among shipyards…

11 Apr 2024

TOTE CEO Emphasizes Jones Act's Importance

(File photo: TOTE Maritime)

The CEO of U.S. shipping and logistics company TOTE Group emphasized the importance of the Jones Act in supporting the American maritime industry and economy.Speaking on the American Maritime Podcast, TOTE's CEO, Tim Nolan, said the Jones Act provides the organization with confidence and stability to invest in its fleet and the markets it serves.TOTE's maritime business in 2015 launched the world's first containerships powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), for service between Jacksonville, Fla. and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

10 Apr 2024

Red Sea Crisis Forces Operators to Use More Containerships, Adding to Emission Concerns

© eyewave / Adobe Stock

The shipping industry's pledge to limit its carbon footprint may suffer a setback as the current Red Sea crisis prompts it to use more vessels and take longer routes to ensure the smooth sailing of global maritime trade.Iranian-backed Houthi militants' attacks on vessels passing through the southern Red Sea have choked trade through the Suez Canal, driving many container shipping companies to add 10-14 days to the voyages between Asia and Europe and add more vessels.The disruption…

09 Apr 2024

Dali Hit Key Bridge with the Force of 66 Heavy Trucks at Highway Speed

(Photo:  Brandon Giles / U.S. Coast Guard)

The cargo ship Dali knocked down three main truss spans, constructed with connected steel elements forming triangles, on the Francis Scott Key Bridge just seconds after crashing into one of the bridge piers early on Tuesday morning, March 26, 2024.The bridge collapse happened so fast that it left little time for the work crews on the bridge to escape. Civil engineers like me have been paying attention to this disaster, because we want to find ways to make infrastructure like these large bridges more resilient. For a bridge this large to collapse would require a catastrophic collision force.

10 Apr 2024

Containership Loses Power Near New York’s Bayonne Bridge

© mandritoiu / Adobe Stock

A containership lost propulsion in a busy New York City waterway just as it was about to pass under the Bayonne Bridge on Friday night—less than two weeks after a presumed power failure caused similarly sized vessel to allide with Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge.The U.S. Coast Guard said it received a report that the Malta-registered APL Qingdao lost propulsion about 8:30 p.m. as it traversed the Kill Van Kull, a shipping late between New York's Staten Island and Bayonne…

08 Apr 2024

Maersk Names Second Large Methanol-fueled Containership

(Photo: A.P. Moller - Maersk)

Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller - Maersk recently named the world's second large methanol-enabled container vessel, Astrid Mærsk, during a ceremony in Yokohama, Japan.The ship is the second of Maersk’s 18 large methanol-enabled vessels, scheduled for delivery between 2024 and 2025, as the company works toward its net-zero targets and supports customers in achieving their decarbonization goals.Vincent Clerc, CEO of A.P. Moller - Maersk, said, "We are truly excited to welcome Astrid Mærsk to our new fleet capable of sailing on green methanol.

04 Apr 2024

Bridge Salvage Operations Continue Despite Inclement Weather

(Photo: Alejandro Rivera / U.S. Coast Guard)

The Unified Command continues to coordinate response operations to the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse despite the challenging weather conditions which included severe thunderstorms and high winds on Wednesday.Trained crews, in conjunction with the Unified Command, are conducting routine salvage assessments. Divers are on scene to conduct underwater surveys along with mapping out plans for future wreckage removal. “Our operations continue but will be adjusted as necessary in response to any adverse weather conditions,” said U.S.

03 Apr 2024

Crowley Unveils New LNG-fueled Containerships

(Image: Crowley)

U.S. shipping company Crowley has shared first renderings and the names of its four new dual fuel liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered containerships: Quetzal, Copan, Tiscapa and Torogoz.The 1,400 TEU vessels were ordered in 2022 by Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) for scheduled delivery from South Korea’s Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in 2025.EPS will charter the ships out to Crowley, who will deploy them on its U.S.-Central America trade connecting U.S. markets to Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.

11 Apr 2024

Damen and CMA CGM Join Forces to Boost Containerships Efficiency

(Credit: Damen)

Around 10 of CMA CGM’s vessels are set to receive modifications and upgrades as part of the agreement the French shipping giant made with Dutch shipbuilder Damen Shipyards, aimed at increasing the efficiency of the ships.The upgrades and modifications will deliver fuel efficiencies of more than 10%, according to Damen.The upgrades will take place at Damen Shiprepair Dunkerque (DSDu) and Damen Shiprepair Amsterdam (DSAm), which between them have some of Europe’s largest dry docks…

01 Apr 2024

Salvage Crews Work to Lift First Piece of Collapsed Baltimore Bridge

Crews begin cutting the top portion of the north side of the collapsed bridge into smaller sections for safe removal by crane in the Patapsco River, in Baltimore, March 30, 2024. Salvage teams use exothermic cutting torch to systematically separate sections of the steel bridge, which will be taken to a disposal site. (Photo: Taylor Bacon / U.S. Coast Guard)

Salvage crews worked to lift the first piece of Baltimore's collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge from the water on Saturday to allow barges and tugboats to access the disaster site, Maryland and U.S. officials said, the first step in a complex effort to reopen the city's blocked port.The steel truss bridge collapsed early on Tuesday morning, killing six road workers, when a massive container ship lost power and crashed into a support pylon. Much of the span crashed into the Patapsco River…

27 Mar 2024

Insurers Brace for Multibillion Dollar Losses After Baltimore Ship Tragedy

(Photo: Baltimore County Police Department)

Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse could cost insurers several billions of dollars in claims, sources say, but it is too early to calculate the likely full financial losses of the tragedy that has shuttered one of the busiest ports in the United States.Six peopleare still missing after a collision with a Singapore-flagged container ship destroyed the landmark bridge on Tuesday, forcing the closure of the Port of Baltimore.With little clarity on when the port would re-open, insurers and analysts are now assessing the likely losses borne by underwriters across several product lines in

28 Mar 2024

Lawsuits Over Baltimore Bridge Collapse Likely

(Credit: USACE)

The owner, operator and charterer of the container ship that struck Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge on Tuesday are likely to face lawsuits over its collapse and the people killed or injured, but legal experts say U.S. maritime law could limit the companies’ liability.U.S. laws pertaining to open-water navigation and shipping, which are created through court decisions and by acts of Congress, could restrict the kinds of lawsuits filed against the registered owner of the Singapore-flagged ship…

29 Mar 2024

Dali Incident Could Be Largest Ever Single Marine Insurance Loss

Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies.

Britannia, the insurer of container ship the Dali, is working with the vessel's owner and U.S. authorities on the investigation into the collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, the insurer said on Thursday.The bridge collapsed on Tuesday after the Dali suffered a power outage and struck a pylon, causing huge disruption in the port."We are working closely with the vessel's owner and manager and the relevant U.S. authorities as part of the investigation into the casualty…

30 Mar 2024

Massive Crane Arrive to Clear Baltimore Bridge Debris

(Photo: Brandon Giles / U.S. Coast Guard)

The biggest operational crane on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard towered over Baltimore's port on Friday, ready to begin clearing the wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge days after a cargo ship crashed into it, sending the span crashing into the harbor.Crews were still surveying the damage as of midday Friday. The crane, which can lift up to 1,000 tons, arrived late Thursday night and will probably start hauling debris out of the water on Saturday morning, according to U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson Carmen Carver.A second crane is en route and expected to arrive soon to assist the effort…

01 Apr 2024

Maryland Governor Urges Congress to Fund Bridge Rebuild

(Photo: Kimberly Reaves / U.S. Coast Guard)

With efforts underway to clean up thousands of tons of steel debris from the collapsed bridge in Baltimore's harbor, Maryland Governor Wes Moore on Sunday urged Republicans to work with Democrats to approve the federal funding needed for rebuilding the bridge and to get the port economy back on its feet.Baltimore's Francis Scott Key bridge collapsed early on Tuesday morning, killing six road workers, when a container ship nearly the size of the Eiffel Tower lost power and crashed into a support pylon.