Australian Shipping News

The Australian Government has released the report of the Independent Taskforce on the Strategic Fleet, along with its official response to the report, confirming a commitment to delivering a Strategic Fleet of up to 12 vessels that will help Australia build resilience to freight disruptions while supporting our maritime workforce and sovereign capability.Australia’s maritime sector has long been neglected with a shortage of Australian flagged ships and a skilled workforce, says Federal Minister for Infrastructure…

A report into the security of Western Australia's supply chains has recommended policy and regulatory reforms to support Australian-owned shipping lines competing for domestic sea-freight work.The recommendation has been made in a report by the Western Australian (WA) Government's Shipping and Supply Chain Taskforce. Co-chaired by Kyle McGinn and Jessica Stojkovski, the Taskforce was established following the floods in South Australia in early 2022 that cut off supplies of essential…

German shipbuilder Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) has cut first steel for a new new roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) freight vessel being constructed for Australian shipping company SeaRoad.A May 20 steel cutting event involved the ceremonial ‘pushing of the button’ to start the laser cutting machine with SeaRoad Technical Marine Manager, Tony Johnson, and FSG CEO Philipp Maracke doing the honors. Johnson is currently on the ground in Germany overseeing the newbuild project.The 210-meter-long newbuild was ordered in 2021 at a cost of more than €100 million.

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, said it has been selected to supply equipment for a liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered RoRo vessel being built by German shipyard Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) for the Tasmanian-based Australian shipping company SeaRoad.The vessel is scheduled to be delivered in the last quarter of 2023, and MacGregor said its order was booked into Cargotec’s 2022 first quarter order intake.MacGregor’s scope of supply encompasses design, fabrication and installation of a large stern ramp and ramp cover…

Australian shipping company SeaRoad said it has finalized an agreement with German shipbuilding yard Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) to construct a new roll-on /roll-off (RoRo) vessel with liquefied natural gas (LNG) propulsion worth more than 100 million euros.Construction on the 210-meter-long vessel will commence in late 2021. The ship will have a capacity of 4,227 lane meters and capability to transport heavy cargo with a unit weight of up to 100 tonnes. At over 40…

Finnish shipbuilder Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) said on Wednesday that it has secured an order from Australian shipping company TT Line Company to build two car and passenger ferries at the Rauma shipyard.The newbuild order comes after TT Line, also known as Spirit of Tasmania, withdrew from a previous memorandum of understanding (MOU) last July while the Tasmanian government-owned company investigated options to produce the vessels locally to help offset economic impacts from the coronavirus pandemic.RMC revealed Wednesday that negotiations resumed in March this year…

French shipping company Brittany Ferries has terminated its contract with German shipbuilder Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) for the construction of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueled RoPax ferry, the shipyard announced Thursday.Stefan Denkhaus, general representative of FSG, said, “We cannot understand the customer’s decision, and the termination came as a surprise. According to the calculations of all experts, the completion of the 774 will take 11 to 12 months. The customer…

German shipyard Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) shipyard will not build TT-Line Company Pty Ltd's new Spirit of Tasmania vessels.The Australian shipping company TT-Line cancelled the order at FSG for the construction of two ferries, said a statement from the shipyard.The cancellation of the orders 778 and 779 for TT-Line is by mutual agreement after constructive and objective discussions between the management and owners of FSG and the management of TT-Line.Alex Gregg-Smith, Managing Director of FSG said, “This decision has been taken with the mutual consent of all parties concerned and is part of our reorientation of FSG as we focus on building high-quality products on time and on budget.”

Toll Group’s new freighter, the Tasmanian Achiever II, has berthed in Burnie ahead of its official naming ceremony.Tasmanian Achiever II is the largest general cargo ship to fly the Australian flag and is set to enter service on 1 March, carrying goods between the Port of Melbourne and the Tasmanian Port of Burnie, said Toll Group, part of Japan Post Holdings, is a transportation and logistics company with operations in road, rail, sea, air and warehousing.The 210-metre vessel is the first of two new ships commissioned by Toll to carry freight between the Australian mainland and Tasmania, increasing Toll’s Bass Strait cargo capacity…

Wage theft aboard a BlueScope chartered foreign-flagged ship in Port Kembla has been exposed after intervention from the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF).Inspections by ITF inspectors in Western Port and Port Kembla of the Panamanian registered vessel KEN EI, in January, led to $38,384 in coastal wages being paid immediately in cash to the 20 Filipino seafarers crewing the ship.“Upon arriving in Western Port, the crew on the KEN EI immediately asked our inspector about claims for payment for two coastal voyages and requested that the ITF contact the shipowner as they had no correspondence or indication that they would be paid by either the shipowner or charterers BlueScope and Rio Tinto…

A brand new liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fueled roll-on-roll-off freight vessel, Searoad Mersey II, has commenced service from its home port Devonport, in northern Tasmania, Australia. Touted by Bass Strait shipping and logistics firm SeaRoad as the “cleanest, greenest freight ship ever to trade in Australian waters”, Searoad Mersey II is the first coastal ship in Australia to use LNG fuel-and-power technology and the first pure dry cargo ship in the world to use a roll-on roll-off LNG supply system.

AAL, one of the world’s leading breakbulk, project cargo and heavy lift shipping operators, has been awarded the prize for ‘Excellence in Project Cargo, Breakbulk / Heavy Lift’ at the 21st Annual Australian Shipping & Maritime Industry Awards. Only two weeks earlier the specialist multipurpose heavy-lift operator was voted ‘Breakbulk Operator of the Year’ at the Global Freight Awards 2016 in London – the first time the breakbulk sector had been recognised at these awards. Frank Mueller, General Manager of AAL Australia commented, “These two major honours are very significant, not just for AAL, but for the whole global breakbulk sector that we represent. 2016 has been significant for AAL.

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) maritime coordinator Jacqueline Smith today described the Australian senate hearings into flag of convenience (FOC) shipping taking place in Canberra as raising “shocking concerns”. According to the ITF, the fact that the captain of the ‘death ship’ Sage Sagittarius – on which three people have died in suspicious circumstances – was allowed to work off the Australian coast for eight months, despite claims of involvement in potential firearms offences, is the latest revelation to emerge at the hearings. “These latest revelations are blowing a hole in the Australian government’s pretence that it is managing Australian shipping in a safe and responsible manner,” Smith said.

The Australian Shipowners Association (ASA) informs it has urged the Abbott Government to be careful in its consideration of the Productivity Commission Report into Tasmanian shipping and freight, as there are still concerns about any recommendation to deregulate access to coastal shipping services. ASA explain that the retention of the Tasmanian Freight and Bass Strait Passenger Vehicle Equalisation Schemes is a sensible decision that has been well received by ASA. But there are still concerns about any recommendation to deregulate access to coastal shipping services as this will result in the loss of strategic skills in the Australian maritime workforce. “Retaining the Equalisation Schemes recognises that Bass Strait is part of the national highway and is an appropriate fiscal policy.

Flensburger-Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) says it has contracted with Australian shipping company SeaRoad for the construction of a 181 metres long, LNG-powered RoRo ferry. Claimed by FSG to be the world’s first RoRo ferry of this size powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG)  fuel, the RoRo ferry will ply between Melbourne and Devonport in Tasmania. The new ferry is designed to transport containers, including reefer units, trailers, cars and hazardous cargo as well as live animals – for example cattle. For FSG Managing Director Peter Sierk this is very much more than just another contract. “On the one hand, our shipyard is to deliver a ship to Australia for the first time ever. He adds: "LNG operation is currently the cleanest fuel combustion process in existence.

Australian Reef Pilots (ARP) popularly known as 'Guardians of the Reef' and the country's leading pilotage company has won a national accolade for its work to protect one of the planet’s most sensitive and treasured areas – the Great Barrier Reef. ARP picked up this year’s esteemed Australian Shipping and Maritime Industry Award (Safe Transport Category). Chief Executive Officer Simon Meyjes said the award recognised ARP’s unique world-class Safety Management System (SMS).“Our SMS gives access to real-time information on pilot schedules…

Attractive payback periods from the additional investments required for LNG fuelled shipping, along with no significant legal restrictions hindering development of LNG bunkering in Australia. This is the conclusion of a Joint Industry Project (JIP) focusing on LNG fuelled tugs and OSVs, managed by DNV with nine partners in Australia. The use of Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) as a fuel for ships is seen as one of the options to address the future environmental and commercial challenges in the shipping industry. With proper combinations of bunkering solutions such as tank trucks, permanent tanks and barges in the different ports, efficient LNG bunkering can be established. The partners of the JIP, Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), BOC Limited (Linde Group), Farstad Shipping Pty.

A DNV-led Joint Industry Project (JIP) concludes attractive payback periods on the required investment are likely. Attractive payback periods from the additional investments required for LNG fuelled shipping, along with no significant legal restrictions hindering development of LNG bunkering in Australia. This is the conclusion of a Joint Industry Project (JIP) focusing on LNG fuelled tugs and OSVs, managed by DNV with nine partners in Australia. The use of Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) as a fuel for ships is seen as one of the options to address the future environmental and commercial challenges in the shipping industry. With proper combinations of bunkering solutions such as tank trucks, permanent tanks and barges in the different ports, efficient LNG bunkering can be established.

ITF president and Maritime Union of Australia national secretary Paddy Crumlin today welcomed the passing of bills that secure the future of Australian shipping. The Australian government's landmark Shipping Reform Package bills today passed the Australian Parliament's House of Representatives with a narrow vote of 71 - 69. All of the speakers in favor made mention of the hard work of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) - its national secretary Paddy Crumlin and all the members involved. The bills represent over 10 years of work by the MUA, especially Mr Crumlin, and follows the endorsed support from members at the recent Seafarers’ Conference and National MUA Conference.

International maritime, oil & gas and mining industry recruiter Faststream opened its new Australian office in Perth today. The office will focus on filling positions for shipping companies, oil majors and mining companies active in the region. Headed by Ozan Cabadag, an Australian national with an in-depth knowledge of the Australian shipping markets, the office will give local employers access to skilled foreign workers. The move comes after the recent announcement by the Australian government that it will be streamlining the visa process for U.S. citizens, cutting down the previous three-month-plus process. “Faststream has offices in the UK, U.S. and Singapore with access to a range of very specialized people,” said Ozan Cabadag.

The first Damen ASD Tug 3110 was built in 1993: the Citta Della Spezia. Over the past 10 years almost 100 small Damen ASD Tugs of the following types have been built: Damen ASD Tug 2509, 2810, 3110, 3111 and 3211. These are multi-purpose ASD Tugs, designed for working over both the bow and the stern. The recently developed Damen ASD Tug 2411, however, is a real push-pull ASD Tug, designed primarily for working over the bow. This tug is a powerful 4200 kW vessel that develops a bollard pull of around 70…

The recently developed Damen ASD Tug 2411 is a real push-pull ASD Tug, designed primarily for working over the bow. This tug is a powerful 4,200 kW vessel that develops a bollard pull of around 70,000 kg; full ahead to full astern in a ship's length, turning around in 10 seconds. With the introduction of the Damen ASD Tug 2411, Damen Shipyards has put a new type of port tug on the market: very compact, with an enormous bollard pull. The prototype of this boat (yard number 512201) was built at Damen Shipyards Changde in China for stock and as a demonstration model, but before delivery the boat was sold to an Australian shipping company and named Barunga.