Astrid News

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.

Lighting solutions specialist Glamox has won a contract from PGS to provide marine LED lighting for eight of its vessels that undertake seismic surveys of the seabed.This first phase of the major retrofit project will involve replacing fluorescent tube lighting with around 2,500 marine-certified LED luminaires fitted on the exterior and interior of the eight vessels.PGS’s switch to energy-efficient LED lighting is being driven by its desire to comply with emission reduction targets…

Lighting solutions specialist Glamox said Wednesday that Tommy Stranden would replace Håkon Helmersen as Chief Sales & Commercial Officer for Glamox’s Marine, Offshore, and Wind (MOW) division.Stranden (46) is the general manager for MOW’s Northern Europe business. He joined Glamox from NOV in January 2018 and has led MOW’s Northern European business with international responsibilities for Scandinavia, the UK, the Middle East, India, Africa, Australia, and South America. He will report to Astrid Simonsen Joos, Group CEO of Glamox, and join the Glamox Group Leadership Team.

Opening this week’s International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) annual conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, President Frédéric Denèfle explained the conference theme of “strength and stability in turbulent seas” saying it is essentially “business as usual” for marine underwriters.“As marine underwriters, we are used to managing an array of casualties and losses onboard a variety of vessels and in ports and other shoreside facilities. Dealing with the fall-out from natural catastrophes such as earthquakes and weather events are also workaday issues.

Lighting solutions specialist Glamox has won a contract from the Norwegian marine seismic survey firm PGS to provide marine LED lighting for eight of its seismic data acquisition vessels.This first phase of the retrofit project will involve replacing fluorescent tube lighting with around 2,500 marine-certified LED luminaires fitted on the exterior and interior of the eight vessels. PGS’s switch to energy-efficient LED lighting is being driven by its desire to comply with emission reduction targets…

At least four Chinese-owned supertankers are shipping Russian Urals crude to China, according to trading sources and tracking data, as Moscow seeks vessels for exports after a G7 oil price cap restricted the use of Western cargo services and insurance.China, the world's top oil importer, has continued buying Russian oil despite Western sanctions, after Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping launched what they called a no-limit partnership before the war in Ukraine.The sources said a fifth supertanker…

Glamox said that Rune Marthinussen,CEO & President, plans to retire from the company next year, and that the Board of Directors has appointed Astrid Simonsen Joos to succeed him as CEO. The change takes effect August 1, 2022, and Marthinussen has agreed to support Astrid full time until December 31, 2022. Astrid Simonsen Joos most recently served as Global Chief Digital Officer and Head of Transformation of Signify (previously Philips Lighting). She has throughout her career had roles in the software industry and within digital business developments through numerous management positions at Microsoft and the position as CEO of a digital agency (Creuna). Astrid Simonsen Joos also currently serves on the boards of Telenor and Nordea Invest.

Solstad Offshore has sold two anchor handling towing and supply vessels earlier this week.Solstad said that the vessels sold were the AHTS Lady Astrid and Lady Caroline.Delivery of the vessels to the new owner took place Wednesday, March 17th, 2021. "The sale of the vessels will result in an immaterial accounting effect for 1Q 2021," Solstad said.Both vessels are of the UT 722 design and built-in 2003, and according to Solstad's past three annual reports, the vessels have been laid up.Solstad did not say did not reveal the identity of the buyer…

A new strategic partnership to strengthen cooperation between ships and ports to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has been signed (on 13 October) by the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) and the GreenVoyage2050 Project, which is executed by IMO.The partnership will result in collaboration to jointly deliver technical cooperation and capacity-building activities to support implementation of an IMO resolution (MEPC.323(74)) which encourages voluntary cooperation…

Stena Line took ownership of its newest ferry Stena Estrid following a handover ceremony at the AVIC Weihai Shipyard in north-western China. Stena Estrid is the first of five next generation Stena Line RoPax vessels that are currently being constructed. Stena Estrid will now embark on a six-week journey to its new home on the Irish Sea, where it will begin service on the Dublin to Holyhead route in January 2020.A further two of the new ferries are also destined for the Irish Sea with Stena Edda expected to commence operations from Belfast to Liverpool next spring…

European ferry operator Stena Line has announced that the first of its three new E-Flexer class ferries destined for the Irish Sea, Stena Estrid has successfully completed sea trials in China’s Yellow Sea.Following three days of extensive testing, the new vessel performed excellently across a wide range of stringent test criteria and is now on schedule to start operating on the Dublin to Holyhead route in early 2020.Stena Estrid is the first of five new Stena Line next generation RoPax vessels that are being constructed at the AVIC Weihai Shipyard in China, three of which will be introduced on the company’s Irish Sea routes from Dublin to Holyhead and Belfast to Liverpool.

"Just-In-Time" (JIT) operations have the potential to cut the time ships spend idling outside ports and help reduce harmful emissions as well as save on fuel costs.According to International Maritime Organization (IMO), this can be achieved by communicating in advance the relevant information to the ship about the requested time of arrival - allowing the ship to adjust to optimum speed. A desktop trial in Just-In-Time ship operations has yielded positive results, showing emissions can be cut considerably.The trial was conducted by members of the IMO-led Global Industry Alliance to Support Low Carbon Shipping (GIA), at the Port of Rotterdam (10 July).Technical adviser Astrid Dispert said…

Offshore renewable energy is gaining investment support in the United States, particularly on the east coast. While the U.S. is a full generation behind its European counterparts in tapping the wind as an energy source, if current plans come to fruition it could gain ground quickly. Recently we spoke with Astrid Skarheim Onsum, SVP, Head of Wind Aker Solutions, for her view on the path ahead and the growing role and promising future of ‘floating wind.’Please give an overview of your responsibilities as SVP…

As Oceanology International celebrates its 50th Anniversary, Marine Technology Reporter explores half a century of subsea technology development and discovery. Oceanology International Americas runs February 25-27, 2019 in San Diego.When Oceanology launched in 1969 in the seaside resort of Brighton the world was a very different place. For a start, Brighton was home to the mods and rockers, who would square off against each other on the town’s elegant seafront. The British currency included shillings and ha’ pennies and man had yet to step foot on the moon.More crucially…

A new set of toolkits to assess and address emissions from ships and ports is now available from the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the global regulatory body for shipping.The Ship Emissions Toolkit and Port Emissions Toolkit have been developed under the GEF-UNDP-IMO Global Maritime Energy Efficiency Partnerships (GloMEEP) Project, in collaboration with its strategic partners, the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) and the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH)."To reduce emissions across the maritime sector, national authorities need to first quantify those emissions and then develop a strategy to reduce them…

If seagoing vessels were better informed about the availability of berths and adapted their speed accordingly, substantial savings could be made in terms of fuel and CO2 emissions. This conclusion is based on a study that was recently commissioned by the Port of Rotterdam Authority and research institute TNO.The study pointed out that if sea-going vessels are regularly kept informed – particularly during the last twelve hours before arrival – about exactly when their berth will become available, they will be able to adapt their sailing speed accordingly.That usually means reducing their speed so that they arrive just in time. This in turn leads to less fuel consumption and therefore lower emissions of unwanted substances such as carbon dioxide, sulphur oxides and nitrous oxides.

French offshore services provider Bourbon Corporation announced Thierry Hochoa has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer effective as of August 6. He reports directly to Gaël Bodénès, Chief Executive Officer of Bourbon Corporation.Hochoa replaces Astrid de Bréon who resigned from her position as Chief Financial Officer from July 11.A graduate of IAE Paris, ESCP Business School and also CPA, Hochoa began his career in 1994 as an external auditor at Arthur Andersen, then Ernst & Young (EY).

French offshore services provider Bourbon Corporation announced the resignation of Astrid de Bréon from her position as Chief Financial Officer from July 11. Since her arrival on the 1st of February, 2017, Astrid de Bréon has largely contributed to Bourbon's transformation and to the sustainable reorganization of the company’s financial debt. She will continue with her duties till her replacement and departure from the company. In another press release, Bourbon said that it has reached an agreement with the majority of its creditors to withhold payment of its loans and servicing of its debt. It added that aimed at protecting the group, this waiver allows it to stay focused on its operational priorities and on the implementation of its #BOURBONINMOTION strategic plan.

How can ports cut emissions to ensure cleaner air and contribute to the battle against climate change? An International Maritime Organization (IMO)  training course is supporting countries to help find the answers, which include the need to first quantify emissions and then identify measures to reduce port-related emissions in a cost-effective way. Maritime officials in Morocco are the latest to undergo the training, at a workshop in Casablanca (19-21 June). The event is being held under the IMO-run GloMEEP Project on energy-efficiency and the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH). More than 20 participants will be better equipped to quantify emissions in ports through development of port emissions assessments (both ocean and land-based…

Assessing emissions in ports can help countries to devise strategies to address those emissions, leading to better air quality for local populations. The first national workshop on the prevention and control of shipping and port air emissions has been held in Ningbo, China (23-25 April), under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) -executed GloMEEP energy efficiency project. China is the first country to benefit from the rollout of the three-day workshop package which was recently developed by GloMEEP, in collaboration with the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH). The training package aims to support countries in the quantification of emission in ports through the development of port emissions assessments (both ocean and landbased…

Norwegian cruise ferry operator Hurtigruten has signed a Letter of Intent with Rolls-Royce to upgrade up to nine vessels to hybrid power.The main engines on up to nine cruise ships will switch from diesel to gas power, and the upgrade will also include installation of a hybrid battery system.The deal comprises the supply of equipment to six existing passenger cruise vessels, with an option for a further three. The ships will completely change their power system with the installation of new Rolls-Royce liquefied natural gas (LNG) engines as part of a new hybrid system.

Iranian officials responsible for implementing IMO standards on air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from shipping are undergoing IMO training at a national workshop in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran (18 April). Around 30 participants from the country’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO), Department of Environment and numerous ports are taking part. They are being trained on the IMO treaty restricting air pollution from ships as well as ship energy-efficiency measures – MARPOL Annex VI. This includes measures addressing sulphur oxide (SOx) and nitrogen oxide (NOx), which have been successful in lowering the amount of those pollutants being emitted from ships. The event was hosted by the PMO and run by IMO’s Astrid Dispert and a consultant.

How can ports cut emissions to ensure cleaner air and contribute to the battle against climate change? First, ports need to quantify emissions in ports, then they need to identify measures to cost-effectively reduce port-related emissions. A strategic partnership between the International Maritime Organization (IMO)-executed GloMEEP energy efficiency project and the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) is helping selected countries to develop port emission inventories and subsequently draw up a port emission reduction strategy. A new three-day workshop package on the “Prevention and control of shipping and port air emissions” is being developed as part of the GloMEEP-IAPH strategic partnership.