Bethlehem News

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…

Maryland Governor Wes Moore on Wednesday announced goals to more than quadruple the state's offshore wind capacity to 8.5 gigawatts - enough to power nearly three million homes - as part of an effort by the state to achieve 100% clean energy by 2035.Moore is working "to establish new lease areas and strengthen the offshore wind supply chain," as well as establish grants to support the effort, the governor's office said in a statement.Maryland is among a growing number of U.S. states to set plans to achieve entirely carbon-free energy in the coming years.

Baltimore-based offshore wind energy development company US Wind, Inc. announced its plan to form a long-term partnership with Haizea Wind Group Management S.L. to manage and operate Sparrows Point Steel, Maryland’s first permanent offshore wind factory in Baltimore County, Maryland. The facility will be available to manufacture steel components for the U.S. offshore wind industry, including monopiles and towers.“The partnership between US Wind and Haizea to lead Sparrows Point Steel will create one of the premier offshore wind industrial facilities in the world…

If awards were given for dominating the sustainable energy spotlight, offshore wind (OSW) would surely be in line for top honors.Consider:Big money: BOEM’s February sale of New York Bight offshore wind development rights drew a record $4.37 billion in developers’ bids. Not only is that real money, but just as critically, “This week’s offshore wind sale makes one thing clear: The enthusiasm for the clean energy economy is undeniable and it’s here to stay,” exclaimed Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.Off Broadway: In January…

Throughout the world, offshore wind is on a growth trajectory. With green energy mandates from states in New England and the mid-Atlantic, the U.S. is joining the fray. Consultants Wood MacKenzie, in its U.S. Offshore Wind Outlook 2020-2029, suggested that as much as 25 gigawatts (GW) of capacity could be deployed in the U.S. by 2030 (though estimates range from 14 GW to as much as 34 GW), accounting for a hefty portion of incremental capacity coming online.Shipyards in New England have already seen the tip of the offshore wind iceberg…

Tradepoint Atlantic, a 3,300-acre multimodal global logistics center in Baltimore, Md., said its dry dock will return to service this week after last being used in 2017. BAE Systems’ Titan dry dock departed is scheduled to arrive in Baltimore and dock at Tradepoint Atlantic’s onsite dry dock to undergo a five-month-long repair and maintenance program starting Thursday.Used in Norfolk, Va. for servicing ships as long as 1,000 feet, BAE Systems' massive Titan dry dock has a 52,534-ton lifting capacity and is one of the world’s largest and most modern floating steel dry docks.

The Panama Canal is a strategic crossroads for maritime traffic, and is arguably one of the most important maritime developments in the past century. Here we take a deeper dive into the history behind that famous strip of waterway.The present canal, which saw its first vessel transits in 1914, along with possible alternatives through Nicaragua and Mexico, had actually been on the minds of merchants, explorers and military/political strategists since the Age of Exploration in early 1500’s.

Advanced Polymer Coatings (APC) has announced the retirement of Joseph F. Harrington after 25 years with Advanced Polymer Coatings. In 1994 he was approached by Don Keehan, Chairman of Advanced Polymer Coatings, to further develop the Marine Coatings industry with APC’s MarineLINE high-performance coating. Today MarineLINE is the industry leader in high performance coatings for the chemical tanker industry.APC President David Keehan says, “Joe Harrington has had a remarkable track record of 59 years in the coatings industry.

Damen Shipyards Group has delivered a new Cutter Suction Dredger (CSD) 250 to South Africa-based Dredging Africa to be used for mining sand from the Ash River, just east of Bethlehem in the Free State Province.Arend van de Wetering, Director of Dredging Africa, said, “We wanted to utilize the best equipment available, to be sure of the best production, reliability and lowest downtime. Ease of transport and commissioning were key for us as were sound after-market support and Damen’s offering met all of these requirements.”“Most dredging projects in South Africa are small- to medium-sized…

2017 marks Bosch Rexroth’s 50th year of continuous operation in the United States. Starting with a small office in Easton, Pa. in 1967 and a handful of associates, Rexroth grew to expand into a newly built hydraulics manufacturing facility seven years later, the cornerstone of the company’s current manufacturing campus in Bethlehem, Pa. As Rexroth expanded globally, so did the company’s operations in the U.S., eventually identifying itself as “The Drive & Control Company.” Under this claim…

U.S. U.S. ports and our marine transportation system – and the hardworking men and women behind these operations – are essential drivers of the American economy. Every day, our ports and waterways handle millions of tons of domestic and international cargo, including food and agricultural products, petrochemicals and automobiles. In 2014 alone, $1.7 trillion worth of U.S. goods moved through our ports, representing 75 percent of imports and exports by weight. But ports, like our highways and bridges, face challenges.

Gulf Copper Vice President and USMMA grad (’71) Dennis Buffo has more than four decades of maritime experience. Here he shares 40+ years in five minutes with Maritime Reporter. Can you tell us a bit about your background. I graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in 1971 and began work at Bethlehem Steel Shipyard. Over the next  44 years in the Marine business I was employed both for large  vessel operators as Engineering Manager and VP, and as VP-Operations of several Shipyards in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. I have seen both sides of the business.

To address the sudden need for supplies overseas during World War II, the United States government launched the Emergency Shipbuilding Program in 1941 that resulted in the construction of more than 5,700 cargo ships for the U.S. Maritime Commission. 2,710 of these vessels were of a design that became known as Liberty ships. These vessels were designed as economically and quickly built cargo steamers that formed the backbone of a massive sealift of troops, arms, materiel and ordnance to every theater of the war. Two-thirds of all cargo that left the U.S.

Bosch Rexroth is accepting registration for all courses in its popular training program designed for industrial and mobile hydraulics systems engineers. Rexroth’s Hydraulics Technical Training is targeted toward individuals who maintain hydraulic systems, design new systems or want to upgrade existing systems with new technology. Rexroth provides on-site training for specific hydraulic installations, and customized training programs are available with test stands delivered to the participant’s location.

Training for hydraulics and controls technologies used in marine, offshore and industrial applications is now available through the newly opened Rexroth Technology and Service Center at 10305 Round Up Lane in Houston, Texas. Comprehensive, five-day classroom courses will be offered by qualified Bosch Rexroth experts on the Principles of Hydraulics (POH) covering fluid flow dynamics, controls, pumps, valves, motors schematics, maintenance and more. Customized training courses and on-site training are also available depending on customer needs.

John C. G. Hutchison closes a 42 year career at this year’s Workboat Show in New Orleans. Born in Philly on April Fool’s Day 1941, John Hutchison played collegiate golf at Duke University and Moravian College, and coached the golf team at Lehigh University before being drafted in 1966. A Viet Nam vet, 2nd LT, Infantry Branch, John returned home in 1970 and worked at the Bethlehem Steel Corporate Office in Bethlehem, PA, and other Bethlehem offices in Burns Harbor IN, Johnstown PA, and Sparrows Pt., MD.

Crowley Awards Scholarships to Two Pennsylvania Students in the Williams-Mystic Maritime Studies Program. Crowley recently awarded Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial Scholarships to Ariel Zhou and Caiti Campbell, who are taking part in the Maritime Studies Program of Williams College and Mystic Seaport this spring. They were chosen for their strong academic records, interest in maritime studies and financial need. Zhou, a native of Nanjing, China, is studying biology at Pennsylvania’s Bryn Mawr College.

Donjon Marine, Co., Inc., a provider of multi-faceted marine services including marine salvage, heavy lift, dredging and related emergency response services, has sold its 50% interest in Port Albany Ventures, LLC (PAV), a 28-acre mixed-use bulk material stevedoring operation located on the Hudson River Ind., Bethlehem, N.Y., to its Joint Venture Partner, Sims Metal Management Limited (ASX: SGM; NYSE: SMS), a metal and electronics recycling company.    The sale of the terminal interest will facilitate Donjon’s further expansion into other marine markets.  Donjon will retain DMC Marine, which owns and operates the tugs and barges previously owned and operated by PAV.    (www.donjon.com)

The U. S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration has awarded contracts to recycle two more of the obsolete government-owned ships, which are currently moored in the James River Reserve Fleet (JRRF) in Virginia. The two ships being recycled are the Escape and the Cape Cod. These two vessels will be the 83rd and 84th ships to leave the JRRF since 2001. The Escape (ARS-6) was built as a Navy rescue ship in 1942 by Basalt Rock Co. in Napa, Calif. The vessel supported the nation's "Mercury" manned spaceflight program in the early 1960s. The Escape will be recycled at Bay Bridge Enterprises, LLC, of Chesapeake, Va., at a cost to the federal government of $115,200. The Cape Cod (AK-5041) was built as a break-bulk cargo ship in 1962 by Bethlehem Steel in Sparrows Point, Md.

At the 73rd Annual Joint Conference of the Lake Carriers’ Association & Canadian Shipowners’ Association in Cleveland on 12 August, 2009, Robert D. As I have already mentioned to several of you, it is a truly great pleasure for me to be here and to catch up on the news from the Great Lakes community. As Jim mentioned briefly in his introduction, I did my time on the Lakes - and it was one of the most enjoyable assignments I ever had with ABS. It was from 1973-77. I was stationed initially in Chicago, Milwaukee and finally Sturgeon Bay which meant I spent a lot of time at Bay Shipbuilding – as it was then called and will probably always be known to most of us. Enjoyable - because of the special kinship of the Lakes fraternity – the builders, the owners, and the crews that I worked with.

The Coast Guard along with state and local agencies have completed the clean-up and recovery operations of approximately 100,000 gallons of oil from a sunken cargo vessel in the Patapsco River Monday. The Coast Guard, Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) and Maryland Port Administration (MPA) formed a unified command Nov. 14, 2007 to evaluate and approve the clean-up of the Seawitch, an abandoned vessel formerly used in a ship salvaging and scrapping business. "This operation is a fine example of our partnership among federal, state and local agencies along with the private sector," said Capt. Brian Kelley, Captain of the Port of Baltimore. In July 2008, the Unified Command accessed the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund to pay for the clean-up and recovery operations.

Even before the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C., the offshore market in the Gulf of Mexico had shown signs of weakening. However one shipyard - Atlantic Marine-Mobile - has reported a steady flow of work with the award of several, substantial offshore refurbishment contracts in recent months. The shipyard in Mobile has a long history with the offshore market, but it notes that 2001 has been particularly busy. Semi-submersible and jack-up rigs have occupied the Mobile, Alabama facility throughout 2001. The influx of offshore work includes the following. ENSCO International's jack-up rig ENSCO 68, arrived in Mobile in late March.

Rear Admiral (RADM) Paul Pluta, the man in charge of ensuring the security of the 361 ports and 95,000 miles of coastline in the U.S., had to quickly shift gears in the hours following September 11. Hired initially to beef up environmental protection and passenger vessel safety, Pluta realized after that day, that his role as Assistant Commandant for Marine Safety, Security and Environmental Protection, U.S. Coast Guard, had changed dramatically in the hours following. September 11 began like any other for RADM Pluta. Working out of his office in Washington, D.C. where he was appointed to earlier that year by Coast Guard Admiral James Loy…