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Adriatic News

23 Feb 2024

QatarEnergy Pays Homage to Rex Tillerson by Giving His Name to New LNG Carrier

Rex Tillerson (Credit: QatarEnergy)

QatarEnergy has named the first LNG carrier to be delivered as part of its new LNG fleet expansion program as Rex Tillerson, in recognition of the former Chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil, who also served as the 69th United States Secretary of State.During his 10-year term as Chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil, Tillerson oversaw the consolidation of relations with the State of Qatar and its energy sector, resulting in strategic partnerships and significant investments in Qatar’s LNG industry.While making his mark on the global energy scene…

22 Jan 2024

Zero-Emission Adriatic Ship Project Underway

Source: TECO 2030

The Zero Emission Adriatic Ship (ZEAS) project has commenced, with 13 partners from various European Countries. The overall project grant from EU Horizon is over EUR 13.5 million, where over EUR 2.3 million is reserved to TECO 2030’s deliverable of 1.2MW of fuel cells for full vessel propulsion.The project focuses on a full-scale demonstration of a hydrogen fuel cell-powered system on a ship, tailored for operation in the Adriatic Sea's delicate marine ecosystem. Key activities include the design and construction of the ship…

14 Nov 2023

Snam to Invest in Ravenna FSRU

Stefano Venier courtesy of Snam

Italian gas grid operator Snam will invest 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) in a new LNG offshore terminal near Ravenna, the company's CEO said on Tuesday.The floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) will add to another LNG terminal already set up in Tuscany, increasing Italy's gas import capacity and reducing dependence from its traditional suppliers, including Russia."To increase energy security for Italy we decided last year, together with the government, to increase the country's LNG import capacity in order to have more flexibility and diversify energy supplies…

13 Nov 2023

Fincantieri Set to Grow Its Shipbuilding Footprint in Ancona

The agreement was signed by Fincantieri's CEO and Managing Director Pierroberto Folgiero and ADSP President Vincenzo Garofalo. (Photo: Fincantieri)

Fincantieri announced on Monday it has reached a deal that will allow it to expand its shipbuilding footprint in the port of Ancona.The Italian shipbuilding company said it has signed a program agreement with the Port System Authority of the Central Adriatic Sea (ADSP) to develop the port’s current infrastructure, including construction piers, dry dock, technological and lifting facilities, for the construction of ships of greater size and tonnage, both in the cruise and merchant sector.The value of the investment is €80 million…

04 Oct 2023

Exxon Mobil Finds Buyer for Adriatic LNG Terminal Stake

Credit: Adriatic LNG

Exxon Mobil Corp chose BlackRock as the potential buyer for its majority stake in Italy's main liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal, the U.S. oil producer said in a statement.The stake sale drew interest from infrastructure funds and international groups as Italy is expected to increase its LNG imports to partly replace the gas it used to get via pipeline from Russia.In March, Exxon said it was considering selling its 70.68% interest in the offshore Adriatic LNG Terminal…

07 Sep 2023

Ukraine Says It's Shipping Grain via Croatian Ports

© Richard Cff / Adobe Stock

Ukraine has started exporting grain via Croatian seaports, aiming to broaden its export routes while its Black Sea ports are blocked, a senior Ukrainian official said on Thursday.Ukraine's main grain export route is usually via its deep Black Sea ports, but Kyiv has been looking for alternative routes since Russia invasion last year and Moscow's decision to quit the Black Sea grain export deal in mid-July.Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said during a visit to Zagreb in late July…

29 May 2023

Four Bidders Vie For Stake in Exxon LNG Terminal Offshore Italy - Sources

Adriatic LNG / Credit: Floydrosebridge/Wikimedia Commons  - CC BY-SA 3.0

Four international groups are competing to buy Exxon Mobil Corp's majority stake in a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal offshore Italy, two sources familiar with the matter said. The deal could value the entire LNG terminal at around 800 million euros ($881 million), the sources said. Exxon said in March it was considering selling its majority stake in Adriatic LNG, Italy's main regasification terminal, as part of a wider strategy to divest non-core assets. The U.S. group is being advised by Rothschild & Co. on the process.

16 Mar 2023

Exxon Considers Selling Stake in LNG Terminal Offshore Italy

©Terminale GNL Adriatico

Exxon Mobil Corp is considering selling its majority stake in Italy's main regasification terminal as part of a wider strategy to divest from non-core assets, the company said in a statement on Wednesday. The Rovigo liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal is owned by Exxon's subsidiary ExxonMobil Italiana Gas (70.7%), QatarEnergy subsidiary Qatar Terminal Company Limited (22%) and Snam Spa SRG.MI (7.3%). Snam, an Italian gas grid operator, has the first right of refusal should a partner decide to divest.

23 Dec 2022

Italy's LNG Import Capacity and New Terminals

Italy plans to boost its liquefied natural gas (LNG) import capacity to 27 billion cubic metres (bcm) from nearly 17 bcm currently as it seeks to completely replace Russian gas supplies following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.In 2021, Moscow provided Rome with 29 bcm of gas via pipelines, equal to around 40% of Italy's total imports but Russian supplies have fallen in recent months to around 10% of total imports. Italy, which can now count on three LNG terminals, has mandated gas grid operator Snam SRG.MI to buy and set up two additional floating storage and regasification units (FSRU) near the cities of Piombino and Ravenna.A timely start for the Piombino FSRU is crucial to allow Italy to fill gas storage facilities in time for winter 2023…

09 Nov 2022

Strong Offshore Quake Rattles Italy

Credit: earthquake.usgs.gov

A strong earthquake of magnitude 5.7 struck off Italy's Adriatic coast early on Wednesday, but caused no serious damage or injuries but was felt as far away as Rome and northern parts of the country. The quake, which occurred shortly after 7 a.m. (0600 GMT), was followed by more than 50 aftershocks of weaker intensity, the Italian Geophysics and Volcanology Institute (INGV) said. Its epicentre was 35 kilometers (21.7 miles) offshore from Pesaro, a seaside city in the eastern Marche region…

08 Nov 2022

Italy's Emilia Romagna Backs New FSRU Terminal in Ravenna

Italy's Emilia Romagna region has approved a project for a new floating LNG terminal off the coast of Ravenna in the upper Adriatic sea, it said on Monday, part of the country's broader efforts to replace dwindling Russian gas supplies. Almost one billion euros ($998 million) in total will be invested in the project, Emilia Romagna's Economic Development Councillor Vincenzo Colla told a news conference. The clearance took only about four months to be secured -- rather than years for similar projects in the past. As part of its energy strategy, Italy is adding two floating storage and regasification units (FSRU) to its existing three facilities. One will be off Ravenna, the other moored in the Tuscan port of Piombino on the other coast.

31 Oct 2022

Hungary's New Container Terminal Aims to Boost Ukrainian Grains Shipments

© Pixel-Shot / Adobe Stock

Europe's largest land-based container terminal started operating near Hungary's border with Ukraine on Tuesday, aiming to increase shipments of Ukrainian grains via Hungary to Adriatic ports.The East-West Gate terminal, built at a cost of about 40 billion forints ($95.65 million), allows containers to be transferred between wide and standard gauge rail tracks as well as between trains and trucks.It "will have a huge role in shipping Ukrainian grains," Hungarian Foreign Minister…

25 Jul 2022

USS Whidbey Island Decommissioned

USS Whidbey Island (LSD 41) (Photo: Rachael L. Leslie / U.S. Navy)

Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship namesake, USS Whidbey Island (LSD 41) held a decommissioning ceremony at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, Va. on July 22 before its inactivation next month.The ship’s decommissioning ceremony was held on the quay wall, alongside the moored USS Whidbey Island. The ceremony was attended by nine of her previous Commanding Officers and over 50 plankowners. “The last crew of Whidbey Island performed with great dignity and resiliency,” said Cmdr. Matt Phillips, the ship’s final commanding officer.

09 Jun 2022

Partners Aim to Advance Augmented Data in Ship Operations

(Image: Bureau Veritas)

Classification society Bureau Veritas (BV) said it is working with Laskaridis Shipping and smart tool provider METIS Cyberspace Technology on a pilot project to develop and apply a new BV SMART 3 Class notation covering the use of augmented data in ship operations.Modern ships increasingly use smart systems designed to improve their operational efficiency. As part of its strategy to support maritime digitalization, BV has developed a framework of SMART notations for ships which provide consistent and uniform standards for the ‘smart’ techniques used to monitor and improve fleet performance.

07 Jun 2022

Bureau Veritas and Danaos Pilot CII REALTIME Notation

(Photo: Bureau Veritas)

Bureau Veritas (BV) announced the development of a new notation, CII REALTIME, supporting shipowners to provide reliable and up to date data related to DCS and CII of their ships/fleet in a simplified and consistent process.Shipowners have less than a year to prepare their vessels to comply before the new EEXI and CII regulations come into effect, on January 1, 2023. BV Noted monitoring the evolution of the CII during the year can helpavoid any surprises with the ship’s energy rating and to make early and informed decisions on operational measures. Danaos Management Consultants S.A.

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)…

21 Mar 2022

Yacht Linked to Russian Oligarch Docks in Turkey

A superyacht linked to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich docked in the Turkish tourist resort of Bodrum on Monday, after skirting the waters of European Union countries which have sanctioned the oligarch over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.Abramovich was among several wealthy Russians added last week to an EU blacklist, and EU governments have acted in recent days to seize yachts and other luxury assets from them.World governments are seeking to isolate President Vladimir Putin and his allies over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which the Kremlin calls a "special military operation".Last week, Abramovich flew into Moscow after leaving Istanbul in his private jet.

05 Jul 2021

Crown LNG Awards FEED Deal to Aker Solutions for Offshore LNG Terminal in India

Credit: Aker Solutions

Norwegian group Crown LNG has signed a deal with Aker Solutions as the main contractor to deliver a concrete gravity-based structure (GBS) for Crown’s offshore LNG terminal at Kakinada, India.Under the agreement, Aker Solutions and key subcontractors will first conduct the front-end engineering and design for the LNG terminal. Aker Solutions’ scope includes technical development of the concrete foundation and topsides, as well as the pipeline between the offshore regasification terminal and the onshore gas grid.

07 Jun 2021

First Post-COVID Cruise Ship Leaves Venice Amid Protest

(Photo: No Grandi Navi)

The first cruise ship to leave Venice since coronavirus restrictions were eased set sail on Saturday, but some local residents protested over the return to normal, unhappy about the passage of giant liners through the historic lagoon city.Hundreds of people rallied on land and small boats fluttering flags saying "No big ships" surrounded and followed the 92,000-tonne MSC Orchestra as it departed Venice port en route for Croatia and Greece. "We are here because we are against this passage but also against a model of tourism that is destroying the city…

17 Mar 2021

Carbon Emissions from Trawler Fishing on Par with Aviation -Report

© Andrei Stepanov / Adobe Stock

Trawling of the ocean floor by fishing fleets releases roughly the same amount of carbon emissions into the water as aviation puts into the atmosphere each year, researchers said on Wednesday, calling for greater protection of the planet's seas.In a study published in the journal Nature, a team of 26 scientists and conservationists said marine protected areas (MPAs) are an effective tool for restoring biodiversity, expanding seafood supplies and storing climate-heating carbon.But at present…

04 Jan 2021

Croatia's Floating LNG Terminal Starts Operations

Credit: LNG Hrvatska

Croatia's liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal on the northern Adriatic island of Krk began operations on Friday amid the first delivery of gas, said the company which runs the unit."LNG tanker Tristar Ruby anchored with 143,000 cubic meters of gas which signifies the beginning of the commercial use of the terminal," LNG Hrvatska director Hrvoje Krhen told the state news agency Hina.According to the company, the unloading of gas, delivered from the United States, will take place until Jan.

02 Mar 2020

MAN Rolls Out Cyber Security Solution

MAN EngineVault prepares shipowners for developments within the increasingly important
area of marine cybersecurity (Photo: MAN Energy Solutions)

MAN Energy Solutions’ after-sales division MAN PrimeServ announced a new digital addition to its retrofit portfolio to prepare shipowners for developments within the area of marine cyber security.MAN EngineVault aims to revitalize existing engines, machinery, auxiliary systems, instrumentation and control systems that have already operated in the field for multiple years, protecting main-engine networks from online and physical cyber attacks.Set to come as come as standard in newbuilt ME-engines from May 2020…

10 Dec 2020

Tito's Restored Former Flagship to Become Hotel and Museum in Croatia

The restored flagship of former Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito is being converted into a hotel and a museum devoted to its turbulent history, from banana boat to meeting place for world statesmen.Berthed in Croatia’s Adriatic port of Rijeka, the Galeb (Seagull) will open to the public in its new role next year.The ship was built in 1938 in Italy to transport bananas from Africa. During World War Two, it was used first by the Italian navy and then by the Germans and it was sunk by Allied planes at the end of the war.In communist Yugoslavia, it was retrieved and converted into a yacht used by Tito for his many journeys across the globe.During that time…