Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck: MSC Needs More Mariners, New Ships
Founded as the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) and renamed Military Sealift Command in 1970, MSC today not only support the Navy, but we are the Department of Defense's provider of all sealift. Maritime Reporter & Engineering News recently interviewed Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck, U.S. Navy, for insights on the service today and it’s needs to grow in the future.What makes MSC so vital to the Navy’s fleet and our military forces around the world?When we look at the history of contested logistics in World War II…
Red Sea Conflict Brings Massive Carbon Emissions Increases
Conflict in the Red Sea has brought massive carbon emissions increases in ocean freight container shipping, according to data just released by Xeneta.The Xeneta and Marine Benchmark Carbon Emissions Index (CEI), which measures carbon emissions per ton of cargo transported across the world’s top 13 trades, hit 107.4 points in Q1 2024 - the highest it has been since the index began in Q1 2018.For containers being shipped via ocean from the Far East to Mediterranean, the CEI reveals carbon emissions increased by 63% in Q1 2024 compared to Q4 2023.
Rear Admiral Peter Brady Retires from Maritime Authority of Jamaica
Maritime Authority of Jamaica’s Director General, Rear Admiral (ret’d) Peter Brady, has retired, with the position being accepted by Bertrand Smith, formerly the MAJ’s Director of Legal Affairs.Brady has served in this role since the Maritime Authority’s inception in 1999.As Director General, he was primarily responsible for elevating Jamaica’s maritime status regionally and globally. He spearheaded several major initiatives by the MAJ including the development of Jamaica as a shipping hub with attendant services such as bunkering and drydocking…
Navigation and Wind Farms: Competing Ocean Uses Raise Existential Questions
“Wind Turbines: The Bigger, the Better” -USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, August 24, 2023Last December the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) published a proposed sale notice regarding new development areas for utility scale wind projects in the central Atlantic Ocean. The notice includes an upfront issue: the need to mitigate conflicts with U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) activities. BOEM explains that in certain areas the Air Force has set an airspace floor of 1,000 feet above sea level and the Air Force asked BOEM to keep structures below that height.
Port of Detroit Unveils Plan to Decarbonize Operations
The Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority on Monday revealed details of a program to slash carbon emissions to net zero by 2040 in an effort to improve air quality and the health of residents.Working with technical experts from sustainability consultancy Tunley Environmental, and thanks to funding from the State of Michigan, it established that operations across the port region were responsible for 27,869 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, and that urgent action was needed.“The maritime industry is responsible for 3% of global emissions, and it’s growing.
Ships Urged to Stay Vigilant in Gulf, Western Indian Ocean
British security firm Ambrey said on Friday merchant vessels transiting the Gulf and Western Indian Ocean were advised to stay alert in case of increased uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) activity in the region.Ambrey said it had received information that indicated an "Israeli military strike" was conducted on Isfahan, Iran.Earlier, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said it had seen similar reports but that there were no indications commercial maritime vessels…
Cavotec Bags $5 Million Shore Power Order
Cavotec announced it has signed an order for shore power with a global shipping company, valued at about $5 million.The order from an undisclosed global shipping company includes a substantial number of PowerFit shore power units, enabling vessels to connect to shore power with ease while docked. Deliveries are scheduled later this year,Cavotec said.Cavotec’s PowerFit is a complete containerized solution for high voltage vessel connections. By facilitating shore power connections…
Marine News' 2024 US Shipbuilding Report
If nothing else, building vessels in the U.S. is a complicated business.In a session on the domestic shipbuilding marketplace, at Marine Money’s late-November 2023 conference held in New Orleans, Ben Bordelon, president and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards (with more than a dozen facilities, in Mississippi and Louisiana), described his company’s architecture as a “three-legged stool approach: commercial newbuilds, government newbuilds and repair/conversion capabilities”.On the same panel…
All Clear for Construction Start of Virginia’s 2.6GW Offshore Wind Farm
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued the final air quality permit for Dominion Energy’s 2.6 GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project located off the coast of Virginia Beach in the United States.Issued on April 9 following a 30-day public comment period, the permit authorizes the construction and operation of the largest offshore wind project in the U.S.
First US-built WTIV Charybdis Launched
The United States' first Jones Act-compliant offshore wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV), Charybdis, was launched into the water at the Seatrium AmFELS shipyard in Brownsville, Texas.The 472-foot WTIV—the first and only to be constructed in the U.S.—is being built for Blue Ocean Energy Marine, a subsidiary of Dominion Energy, who announced the milestone on Monday. Welding of the ship's hull and commissioning of the vessel's four legs and related jacking system has been completed…
Unexpected But Welcome: US Navy’s Amphibious Warship Plan Supported Across Political Parties & Government Branches
Here’s some good news for America’s sea power. While the U.S. Navy has initiated another review of its 30-year shipbuilding plan in the face of widespread dissatisfaction, one element within that plan has been praised: the decision to provide funding for continued construction of amphibious warfare ships. These vessels offer unmatched flexibility and the capability of transporting, deploying, and supporting ground combat forces – typically U.S. Marine Corps – to conduct amphibious assaults, humanitarian operations, or disaster relief missions.
Austal USA Begins Building US Navy's LCU 1710 Landing Craft
Austal USA earlier this month celebrated the start of construction on the first of three LCU 1710 Landing Craft Utility vessels for the U.S. Navy at the company’s Mobile, Ala. shipyard.Austal USA, a subsidiary if the Australian shipbuilding group Austal, was awarded a US$91.5 million (A$143.4 million) contract in September 2023 that includes three LCU 1710 vessels and associated support efforts.Austal CEO Paddy Gregg said the start of construction on Austal USA’s latest steel…
Gladding-Hearn Refits Boston Pilots Vessel
Somerset, Mass. shipyard Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation, announced it has delivered the first of the Boston Pilots’ two Chesapeake-class pilot boats undergoing a comprehensive refit.“The vessels are well used and well maintained. Only minor structural repairs were necessary so definitely worthy of refitting,” said Peter Duclos, the shipyard’s co-president.Along with installing new shafts and Brunton propellers, the 53’ all-aluminum pilot boat’s twin 600 hp Lugger L6140AL2 engines were replaced with a pair of Volvo Penta D-16 diesel engines…
Baltic Index Extends Decline as Larger Vessel Rates Dip
The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, fell for a fourteenth consecutive session on Tuesday as rates for the larger vessel segments slipped.The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax and supramax shipping vessels, fell by 24 points, or 1.5%, to 1,570 points, its lowest level in two months.The capesize index dipped by 45 points, or 2.1%, to over a two-month trough at 2,153.Average daily earnings for capesize vessels…
SAAM Seeks Further Growth in Towage Business
At SAAM’s annual general meeting last week, Chairman Óscar Hasbún outlined the objectives for the company's new phase, following the sale of the port terminals and inland logistics division."SAAM has robust solvency and liquidity indicators and a solid capital structure for this new cycle where our objective is clear: to become a leading global operator in the towage business and a regional leader in airport logistics. We are already a benchmark in both businesses and have developed a unique operating model…
Houthis Say They Targeted Western Ships
Houthi forces in Yemen said on Sunday they had launched rockets and drones at British, U.S. and Israeli ships, the latest in a campaign of attacks on shipping in support of Palestinians in the Gaza war.The Iran-aligned group said it had targeted a British ship and a number of U.S. frigates in the Red Sea, while in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean it had attacked two Israeli vessels heading to Israeli ports.The operations took place during the last 72 hours, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised statement…
On Board the eWolf: The First Electric Tugboat in the US
Crowley Maritime Corporation has owned and operated a lot of vessels since its founding in 1892. But the latest vessel to join its fleet is unlike any other that has come before it.Crowley’s new harbor tug, eWolf, is unique in that it runs 100% powered by batteries, not diesel engines, meaning it produces zero emissions and nearly no noise. Not only is the vessel the first fully electric tug in the Crowley fleet, but it is also the first of its kind in the United States.Faced with stricter regulations and commercial pressure to prioritize environmental…
Metal Shark Debuts Prowler Autonomous Vessel and Frenzy Micro-USV
Louisiana-based boat builder Metal Shark has unveiled Prowler, its new autonomous, amphibious, and semi-submersible military craft engineered to meet the current and near future warfighting requirements of the U.S. military and its allies. The company is also debuting Frenzy, a high-performance, low-cost, amphibious micro-USV (uncrewed surface vehicle) with a payload carrying capacity of up to 14 pounds.“Prowler represents the sum total of everything we’ve learned while building 400-plus autonomous and remote operated vessels for our military customers over the past decade…
Great Lakes Freighter Strikes Channel Light on St. Marys River
A portion of the St. Marys River has been closed to vessel traffic after a U.S.-flagged Great Lakes freighter struck a channel light in the waterway.At approximately 1 a.m., the 730-foot bulk carrier American Mariner suffered a marine casualty and struck the Munuscong Junction Light with its bow, the U.S. Coast Guard said. The incident occurred in Munuscong Lake, which is a section of the St. Marys River in Michigan state.The American Steamship Company-owned vessel is currently operated by Grand River Navigation under a bareboat charter.
RINA Nods Yes for Kindon's Green Methanol Offshore Production Platform
Italian classification and marine engineering consultancy RINA has issued an approval in principle (AiP) to Kindon New Energy Technology for its green methanol offshore production platform solution.Produced entirely offshore, the methanol is derived from renewable CO2 through DAC (Direct Air Capture) technology and green hydrogen from offshore wind power water electrolysis technology.The platform will produce 0.1 MTPA of green methanol via process that synthesizes methanol from…
Eastern Partners with Royal IHC to Build USACE Hopper Dredge
U.S. shipbuilder Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc (ESG) on Wednesday announced it is teaming up with Dutch shipbuilding group Royal IHC to design and construct a highly automated hopper dredge for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).The diesel-electric vessel, contracted for the Department of Defense, will be constructed at ESG's Allanton and Port St. Joe facilities in Florida for scheduled delivery in 2027.The new 6,000-cubic-yard-capacity medium-class hopper dredge (MCHD) will be based at the Corps’ Philadelphia District…
Rottnest Fast Ferries Orders New Vessel
Construction on a new passenger ferry, designed by Incat Crowther for Western Australian ferry operator Rottnest Fast Ferries, has commenced at Austal Philippines.The new ferry will operate on the popular Perth to Rottnest Island tourism route with the 32-meter aluminum catamaran set to have an operational capacity of up to 400 passengers and five crew seated over three decks. The vessel will also feature extensive cargo and luggage space for passengers, including bicycle storage areas on the main and mid decks.
Surface Effect Ship Designed for Crew Transfer Vessels
ESNA and Strategic Marine have signed an agreement to develop a SES CTV (Surface Effect Ship Crew Transfer Vessel) for offshore wind applications.According to Wikipedia, a surface effect ship or sidewall hovercraft is a watercraft that has both an air cushion, like a hovercraft, and twin hulls, like a catamaran.The vessel type offers the combination of higher speed, increased operational wave height and reduced fuel oil consumption.The plan is to start building the first offshore…