Bulk Carrier Vessel News

Vessel operating company New Trade Ship Management S.A. and chief engineer Dennis Plasabas pleaded guilty in San Diego for maintaining false and incomplete records relating to the discharge of oily bilge water from the bulk carrier vessel Longshore.New Trade and Plasabas admitted that oily bilge water was illegally dumped from the Longshore directly into the ocean without being properly processed through required pollution prevention equipment. Oily bilge water typically contains oil contamination from the operation and cleaning of machinery on the vessel. The defendants also admitted that these illegal discharges were not recorded in the vessel’s oil record book as required by law.

One of the world’s largest shipping companies has ordered kite wind propulsion systems to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from three of its bulk carrier vessel.Japan-based Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (“K” LINE) on Wednesday confirmed orders for three additional Seawing systems, bringing to a total of five the number of its vessels that will use Airseas’ innovative wind propulsion technology to reduce their emissions.Under the agreement, the third, fourth and fifth Seawing systems delivered to “K” LINE will be installed on post panamax bulkers…

A Valaris drillship hit the Akti bulk carrier ship on Saturday, after breaking free its moorings near the VT Halter Shipyards and Chevron docks in Pascagoula,  Mississippi. At around 1:30 a.m. Saturday, Coast Guard Sector Mobile watchstanders received a report from the National Response Center of a collision between two vessels. Per the Coast Guard, Valaris' a 752-foot drillship, reportedly broke free of its moorings due to high winds and collided with the Akti bulk carrier. According to photos shared by the Coast Guard…

BHP Group unveiled the world's first liquefied natural gas-fueled bulk carrier vessel in Singapore on Monday, one of five vessels that the mining giant will take delivery of in 2022 as part of efforts to curb supply chain emissions.The 299-metre (981 ft) long Mt. Tourmaline Newcastlemax ore carrier was built by Eastern Pacific Shipping in China and stopped off in Singapore to take on LNG fuel. It will next head to Port Hedland in Western Australia to load iron ore that will then be shipped to customers in China.BHP…

Following a string of bulk carrier vessel sales and a plan to order an offshore wind installation vessel, dry bulk carrier operator Scorpio Bulkers on Sunday said its Board of Directors had authorized the company, as part of its transition to a sustainable future, to sell its remaining dry bulk vessels and exit the dry bulk sector during 2021. "As a result of this decision, the company expects to record a write-down ranging from $475.0 million to $500.0 million on vessels sold and classified as held for sale…

ADNOC Logistics & Services (L&S), the maritime arm of Abu Dhabi's national oil firm ADNOC, has acquired an Ultramax bulk carrier Al Karama. The purchase follows the acquisition of two Ultramax carriers earlier this year.The Al Karama bulk carrier vessel was built in 2019 and has a deadweight of 64,000 metric tons, ADNOC said. According to data from VesselsValue, the vessel was previously known as Isabella Manx, owned by MX Bulk.According to ADNOC L&S, the bulk carrier will immediately be deployed on key ADNOC L&S trading routes…

Shipping company SwiftBulk Holding Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of Tiptree Inc., has partnered with FUELTRAX to install EFMS (Electronic Fuel Monitoring System) and FUELTRAX Vision on its 2009-built Kamsarmax dry bulk carrier vessel the Thestelia K (82,000 dwt).SwiftBulk is implementing FUELTRAX EFMS to improve operating efficiency, decrease environmental footprint with consumption tracking and improve operating transparency. The EFMS on board includes direct fuel measurements via Coriolis…

Finnish technology group Wärtsilä,  the Netherlands based Maritime Research Institute MARIN and Italian ship owner Grimaldi, have together successfully designed an Energy Saving Device (ESD), suitable for use by ships with Controllable Pitch Propellers (CPPs)."Following model tests, and subsequent sea trials with Grimaldi’s ‘Grande Portogallo’, a 165 metres long Pure Car & Truck Carrier, fuel efficiency gains of 3.5 percent were confirmed," said a press release from the engineering company. This translates into a pay-back period of only 1.3 years."The initial noon reports suggest a 5 percent decrease in the fuel consumption, but in order to get a more realistic value we need to record a wider range of data…

The commodity trader Noble Group has entered into an agreement with Aeolian Spirit Shipping, a Cyprus company, to dispose a vessel registered in Hong Kong for a consideration of US$23.79 million. Noble said in a press annoucement that its indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, Core Forte, had on June 15 entered into a memorandum of agreement with Aeolian Spirit Shipping and Transmed Shipping for the proposed sale of a Kamsarmax dry bulk carrier vessel. The Vessel “Ocean Forte" is registered under the flag of Hong Kong. It was built in 2015 and has a capacity of 81,616 dwt. The Vessel is employed to service external customers as well as Noble Group’s internal freight requirements. It is included in Noble Group’s Metals, Minerals and Ores segment for reporting purposes.

The Project Forward initiative, which is led by Athens-based Arista Shipping, has produced an energy efficient dry bulk carrier vessel that features liquefied natural gas (LNG) propulsion.Finnish clean-tech software engineering company Eniram, a Wärtsilä company, said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to assist in the development of monitoring and optimization tools.“Our input will help ensure that operational visibility will be maximized, and that the new ships can operate at optimal efficiency…

While debates rage in regards to safety, insurance and cyber security, the tech powering autonomous maritime operations continues to power ahead.Advances in sensor technology, data analytics and bandwidth-to-shore are fundamentally changing the way shipping works. And as operations are digitalized, they become more automated, Dr. Pierre C. Sames, Director of Group Technology & Research at class society DNV GL, has stated.Governments around the world are looking into unmanned shipping…

Greece-based Euroseas announced the sale of M/V Monica P, a 46,667 dwt vessel, built in 1998, to unaffiliated third party for the gross amount of $6.45 million. The owner and operator of drybulk and container carrier vessels and provider of seaborne transportation for drybulk and containerized cargoes said that the vessel will be delivered to its buyers by June 30 2018. The Company has a fleet of 17 vessels, including 3 Panamax drybulk carriers, 1 Handymax drybulk carrier, 1 Kamsarmax drybulk carrier, 1 Ultramax drybulk carrier, 10 Feeder containerships and an intermediate containership. Euroseas 6 drybulk carriers have a total cargo capacity of 417,753 dwt, its 11 containerships have a cargo capacity of 25,473 teu.

Owner and operator of container and dry bulk vessels Navios Maritime Partners L.P. said it has taken delivery of a secondhand Capesize bulk carrier vessel.   The 180,310 dwt ship, Navios Beaufiks, was built in 2004 in Japan, and delivered on December 30, 2016.

WE Tech Solutions (WE Tech), an energy efficiency solutions provider in the marine industry, has received an order to deliver its direct-drive permanent magnet shaft generator solution to two new 25,600 dwt dual-fueled handysize bulk carriers, with an option for two more. The Switch, a technology specialist of megawatt-class permanent magnet (PM) machines for advanced marine drive trains, will deliver the PM shaft generators to be used in the solutions provided by WE Tech. The vessels are owned by the Finnish ship owner ESL Shipping Ltd.…

The U.S. Coast Guard detained the 600-foot bulk carrier vessel Ikan Sudip, after discovering significant environmental and safety violations during an inspection in Astoria, Ore. Saturday. Vessel inspectors from the Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit in Portland discovered the discrepancies during an inspection of the Panamanian-flagged motor vessel, which was built in 2004. “The Ikan Sudip’s safety and environmental conditions posed an unacceptable threat to our waterways," said Capt. Dan Travers, Coast Guard Sector Columbia River Commanding Officer and captain of the port for Oregon and Southern Washington. While inbound to U.S. waters, Monday, the vessel experienced two separate fuel related propulsion losses within 24 hours, which completely disabled the vessel at sea.

A 738-foot motor vessel Kind Seas was detained by the U.S. Coast Guard after significant safety violations were found during an inspection in Kalama, Washington, Friday. Discrepancies were discovered by Portland’s Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit vessel inspectors during a routine inspection of the 1998-built Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier vessel. Safety violations were related to a complete failure of the emergency generator, which provides power to emergency equipment including the emergency firefighting pump system. Other discrepancies include deficient structural fire boundary doors designed to prevent the spread of a fire, inoperable bilge pumps critical to removing excess water and waste oil accumulation in engine compartments, and inoperable life saving communication equipment.

Shipbuilder Ferus Smit has launched newbuild bulk carrier vessel Arklow Breeze on Friday, March 20 at Westerbroek. Arklow Breeze is the sixth and final vessel of a series to be delivered to a client from the city of Arklow, Ireland. The design is a bulk oriented general cargo ship that will be mainly employed in the shipment of wheat, corn and other bulk commodities in European waters. Arklow Breeze will be delivered in April 2015. The hull form adapts the bulbless principle, creating a slender bow without bulb.

Transas Marine has won the Italian tender of "Consorzio degli armatori del mediterraneo" for supply of navigation equipment for 64 vessels. "Consorzio degli armatori del mediterraneo" is the Italian Shipowners Research Consortium which consists of 6 shipowners (Augusta Due, Marnavi, L.G.R. di Navigazione, Gestioni Armatoriali, Elbana di Navigazione, Perseveranza). According to the contract, Transas dual Navi-Sailor 4000 ECDIS Premium systems will be installed onboard of 64 oil/chemical tanker and bulk carrier vessel.

Goldenport Holdings Inc., (LSE: GPRT) the international shipping company that owns and operates a fleet of container and dry bulk vessels announces that on 18 April 2011 it took delivery of the third new-build geared bulk carrier vessel with 57,000 DWT capacity from the COSCO (Zhousan) Shipyard Co Ltd., in China. The vessel was named 'Pistis' and commenced its agreed one year time charter immediately following delivery, at a daily rate of $14,250. Additionally, on 9 May 2011, the Company took delivery of the new-build bulk carrier vessel with 93,000 DWT capacity from Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Co Ltd., in China. The vessel was named 'D Skalkeas' and commenced its first voyage. Following the delivery of 'Pistis' and 'D Skalkeas', Goldenport's operational fleet consists of 24 vessels.

Panagiotis Stamatakis, the chief engineer on the Cyprus-flagged M/V Myron N, and the second engineer, Dimitrios Papadakis, both citizens of Greece, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Trenton, N.J., to using falsified records that concealed improper discharges of untreated bilge waste from the cargo ship, the Justice Department announced. District Court Judge Peter G. Sheridan for the District of New Jersey scheduled sentencing for Sept. 8, 2009. Stamatakis and Papadakis each faces up to six years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The government's investigation began in September 2008, when inspectors from the U.S. Coast Guard conducted an examination of the M/V Myron N, following the ship's arrival in Gravesend Anchorage, N.Y.

Star Bulk Carriers Corp. (Nasdaq: SBLK), a global shipping company focusing on transportation of dry bulk cargoes, announced its operating results for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2008. •    The Company reported net income of $35.24 million for the third quarter of 2008 compared to net income of $0.94 million for the third quarter of 2007. •    Voyage and time charter revenues were $65.18 million for the third quarter of 2008. This figure includes revenues of $16.89 million attributable to the amortization of the fair value of below/above market acquired time charters. •    Earnings per share, basic and diluted for the third quarter of 2008 were $0.63 and $0.62, respectively.

B.Navi Ship Management Services (B.Navi) was sentenced to pay $1.5m and serve three years probation in connection with the illegal dumping of oily sludge, bilge wastes, and oil-contaminated ballast water from the M/V Windsor Castle, a 27,000 gross-ton bulk carrier vessel, Ronald J. Tenpas, Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division, and Captain William Diehl, Commander of U.S. Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston announced. Engine room operations onboard large ocean-going vessels such as the M/V Windsor Castle generate large amounts of waste oil. International and law prohibit the discharge of waste oil without treatment by an Oil Water Separator.

Italian shipping company B. Navi Ship Management Services and Chief Engineer Dushko Babukchiev pleaded guilty in connection with the illegal dumping of oily sludge, bilge wastes and oil contaminated ballast water from one of the company’s ships, the M/V Windsor Castle, a 27,000 gross-ton bulk carrier vessel, Assistant Attorney General Ronald J. Tenpas, U.S. Attorney Donald J. DeGabrielle Jr., and U.S. Coast Guard Captain James E. Tunstall announced. B. Navi Ship Management Services pleaded guilty on Feb. 7, 2008, to a two-count criminal information charging it with violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) and making materially false statements to the U.S. Coast Guard. Chief Engineer Babukchiev pleaded guilty on Feb.