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Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Clean News

26 Mar 2024

New High-speed Vessel Joins the San Francisco Bay Ferry Fleet

(Photo: San Francisco Bay Ferry)

The latest newbuild for the San Francisco Bay Ferry fleet has been commissioned. The high-speed passenger vessel Delphinus was built by Mavrik Marine in La Conner, Wash. as the second of four new Dorado class ferries. Design was completed by One2three Naval Architects and construction management services were provided by Aurora Marine Design.Vessel construction was funded through the Federal Transit Administration and the State of California’s Proposition 1B in collaboration with…

25 Mar 2024

US Dredging: Plenty of Issues, New WRDA on the Way

(Photo: Janet Meredith / U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

2024 marks another year for development of a biennial WRDA bill—Water Resources Development Act, critical legislation for the Nation’s waterways, ports and harbors. WRDA encompasses a range of issues, from environmental regs to energy use to agriculture and, of course, a focus on projects critical for economic growth.Because these are dynamic and timely issues, Congress and the maritime sector like to keep WRDA on a two-year reauthorization timeline. Indeed, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, December and January, held three WRDA information hearings.

25 Mar 2024

Norway Approves Ammonia Bunkering Terminal

YCA Azane and Fjord Base Bunkering Barge copy. Image couresty Yara Clean Ammonia and Azane

The Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection gave their approval to the construction of the planned ammonia bunkering facility at Fjord Base in Florø, Norway.The planned terminal consists of a floating stationary barge with a capacity of 1,000 cu. m. (650 tons) of ammonia. The permit allows for up to 416 operations annually, many of these expected to be bunkering operations for offshore supply vessels that regularly call at Fjord Base in Florø.The planned terminal is part of Yara Clean Ammonia and Azane’s efforts to make low-emission ammonia a common fuel for shipping.

25 Mar 2024

IMO Approves Two New Emission Control Areas

© wifesun / Adobe Stock

The IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 81) approved the establishment of two new Emission Control Areas (ECAs) in the Arctic when it met last week.The ECA in Canadian Arctic Waters is for nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides and particulate matter. The Norwegian Sea ECA is for nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides. The ECA proposals will now be submitted to MEPC 82 for adoption.“The creation of these two new Emission Control Areas will set an important precedent for protection of our climate and our ocean…

25 Mar 2024

BOEM Announces Review of Proposed Vineyard Northeast Project

Source: BOEM

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will initiate an environmental review of Vineyard Northeast’s proposed offshore wind energy project, located 29 miles offshore Nantucket, Massachusetts at its closest point. BOEM estimates the proposed project would generate up to 2,600MW of electricity, enough to power more than 900,000 homes with clean renewable energy. The approximately 132,370-acre Lease Area is located some 29 miles (mi) from Nantucket and approximately 39 mi offshore Martha’s Vineyard…

25 Mar 2024

US Revises Tax Credit Rule to Help Offshore Wind Projects

© Kruwt / Adobe Stock

The Biden administration on Friday released new rules that will make it easier for offshore wind developers to claim a subsidy for facilities planned in areas that have historically relied on fossil fuel industries for employment.The revision follows nearly a year of warnings by offshore wind companies that their projects might not move forward without access to certain subsidies in President Joe Biden's landmark climate change law, the Inflation Reduction Act.Offshore wind is a critical part of Biden's plan to decarbonize the U.S.

22 Mar 2024

Amogy, W-Industries Enter Tech & Engineering Partnership

Amogy CEO Seonghoon Woo (right) with Michael Bain (left), Senior Vice President, W-Industries Z (Photo: W-Industries)

Ammonia-to-power solutions provider Amogy announced it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with W-Industries, a provider of engineering, technology, manufacturing, construction and services, to explore opportunities for technology and engineering collaboration.Tailored for industries such as maritime shipping and power generation, Amogy’s ammonia-to-electrical power system splits, or “cracks,” liquid ammonia into its base elements of hydrogen and nitrogen, and then funnels the hydrogen into a fuel cell for clean power generation.Together…

21 Mar 2024

Inland Waterways Focus: The Pacific Northwest Columbia-Snake River System

© Rich / Adobe Stock

"The Columbia River and its tributaries, wetlands, and estuaries are the lifeblood of the Pacific Northwest, providing abundant water, power, recreation, agriculture, transportation and natural resources that have supported livelihoods, cultural and spiritual practices, commerce and economic growth.” - President Biden, Memorandum of September 27, 2023.Those abundant benefits directly impact about 13 million people in the Pacific Northwest. Hydropower extends that plentitude to millions more, powering cities and industry from Idaho to California.

20 Mar 2024

Green Ships ePSV to Feature Amogy’s Ammonia-to-power System

(Image: Green Ships Invest)

Green Ships Invest has signed a contract to purchase of Amogy’s carbon-free ammonia-to-electrical power systems for a fleet of new environmentally friendly platform supply vessels (PSV). Green Ships, which is designing/procuring so-called ePSVs (electrical PSVs), had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Amogy in October 2023.Under the newly signed contract, Green Ships Invest will design the ePSV to be equipped with 2 megawatts (MW) of clean energy capacity through the integration of ten of Amogy’s pioneering 200 kilowatt (kW) ammonia-to-electrical power systems.

20 Mar 2024

SFL Acquires LR2 Product Tanker Trio

© Kalyakan / Adobe Stock

Shipowner SFL Corporation on Wednesday announced it has agreed to acquire three new LR2 product tankers in combination with long term time charters to an energy and commodities company.The vessels are currently under construction in China, with the latest eco-design features, SFL said, noting the sellers are affiliates of the company’s largest shareholder Hemen Holding Ltd.SFL said it will acquire the three ships for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $230 million, in…

19 Mar 2024

Master Boat Builders Delivers Tug for Seaside LNG/Polaris New Energy

Tortuga (Photo: Master Boat Builders)

Coden, Ala. shipbuilder Master Boat Builders on Monday announced it has delivered Tortuga, the latest tugboat to join Seaside LNG/Polaris New Energy fleet.Tortuga will connect with the barge Clean Everglades, delivered from Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in 2023, to form a Jones Act compliant articulated tug and barge (ATB) for bunkering liquefied natural gas (LNG).The new tug has an overall length of 109 feet and features two Caterpillar 3512E main engines, EPA Tier 4 certified and each producing 2,000 horsepower.

18 Mar 2024

Boskalis Wraps Up Moray West Offshore Wind Farm Ops

(Credit: Boskalis)

Dutch marine services firm Boskalis has completed its activities in support of the development of Ocean Winds’ 882 MW Moray West offshore wind farm in Scotland.As part of its multidisciplinary role in the project, Boskalis deployed six vessels to carry out large number of activities off the east coast of Scotland in the Moray Firth.First, Boskalis’ wholly-owned subsidiary Gardline carried out extensive geotechnical and geophysical survey works prior to the installation work.Then…

17 Mar 2024

BOEM Finalizes Wind Energy Area in the Gulf of Maine

Source: BOEM

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has finalized its designation of a Wind Energy Area (WEA) in the Gulf of Maine. The Final WEA has the potential to support generation of 32GW of clean energy, surpassing current state goals for offshore wind energy in the Gulf of Maine: 10GW for Massachusetts and 3GW for Maine. The WEA totals about two million acres offshore Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, ranging from approximately 23 – 92 miles off the coast.BOEM finalized the WEA after extensive engagement with the states of Maine…

17 Mar 2024

Launch Ceremony Held for A-O-S' New Jones Act CTV Gripper

(Photo: American Offshore Services)

An official launch ceremony was held to celebrate the commissioning of a new Jones Act compliant crew transfer vessel (CTV) built for American Offshore Services (A-O-S)—the company's first.Constructed by Blount Boats in Warren, R.I., the 100-foot-long aluminum catamaran is owned and operated by A-O-S, a joint venture formed in 2020 by leading European CTV operator Northern Offshore Services (N-O-S) and U.S.-based investment firm OIC.The vessel will support Ørsted and Eversource’s portfolio of offshore wind farms in the Northeast…

14 Mar 2024

Ørsted Powers Up All Turbines at First US Commercial-Scale Offshore Wind Farm

(Credit: Ørsted)

Ørsted has installed and powered up all 12 turbines at the landmark South Fork project, and the first utility-scale U.S. offshore wind farm has started delivering power to Long Island and the Rockaways, offshore New York.The commissioning of the wind farm is in its final stage, and when at full capacity of 130 MW, it will generate enough renewable energy to power approximately 70,000 homes.The renewable energy is generated roughly 35 miles off the coast of Montauk, and will eliminate up to six million tons of carbon emissions over the life of the project…

12 Mar 2024

MOL Teams Up with Rio Tinto for Decarbonization of Maritime Transportation

(Credit: MOL)

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) and Rio Tinto have signed the partnership agreement to enhance collaboration on both safety and crew welfare initiative and decarbonization of maritime transportation.MOL and Rio Tinto have agreed to further collaborate on shipping decarbonization in addition to the existing commitment to the DOO program through a deal signed on January 24, 2024.The DOO program is a Rio Tinto initiative aimed at enhancing safety and improving crew welfare in the…

11 Mar 2024

Coast Guard Will Not Enforce New California Rule, Citing 'Safety Concerns'

© Jill Clardy / Adobe Stock

(The Center Square) - The U.S. Coast Guard says it “will not enforce” a new California Air Resources Board regulation, citing “safety concerns.”The Coast Guard and business organizations oppose CARB's requirement that commercial harbor craft install diesel particulate filters (DPF) linked to a number of fires. Seventeen states are suing the Environmental Protection Agency for giving an exemption to California alone to enact its own air standards that, by power of its market size…

11 Mar 2024

Strategic Marine Delivers Support Vessel for Yunlin Offshore Wind Farm

Support vessel for Yunlin offshore wind farm (Credit: Strategic Marine)

Singapore’s Strategic Marine and Taiwan’s Prosperous Wind Shipping have delivered the hybrid-ready support vessel for the Yunlin offshore wind farm in Taiwan.The StratCat 27 hybrid-ready vessel is designed for the transfer of technicians and cargo, essential for the construction, operation, and maintenance of offshore wind farms.Owned and operated by Prosperous Wind Shipping, the vessel will be able to meet the specific needs of the offshore wind industry in Taiwan.Set to start operations at the Yunlin offshore wind farm in April 2024…

08 Mar 2024

Third Sanmar ElectRA Tug Arrives in Vancouver

(Photo: Sanmar)

A third electric-powered tug built by Sanmar Shipyards in Turkiye has arrived in Vancouver, Canada, to join HaiSea Marine’s fleet.HaiSea Brave will work in Vancouver alongside its sisters HaiSea Wamis and HaiSea Wee'git before all three – along with two Sanmar-built liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fueled tugs – are transferred to LNG Canada’s new export facility in Kitimat, British Columbia.Based on the ElectRA 2800 SX design by Canadian naval architects Robert Allan Ltd, HaiSea Brave…

07 Mar 2024

Oil Leak from Capsized Barge Off Tobago Stopped After a Month

(Photo: Office of the Chief Secretary)

An oil leak from a barge carrying up to 35,000 barrels of fuel oil that capsized in early February off the Caribbean island of Tobago has stopped, said the twin islands' government on Thursday.The spill, which was first spotted off the coast of Tobago's Atlantic coast on Feb. 7, damaged some of the island's mangrove and threatened its tourism and fishing sector. The spill also entered the Caribbean Sea, threatening nearby Venezuela and Caribbean islands, including Bonaire."The hydrocarbon discharge emanating from the overturned vessel located off the coast of Tobago has stopped…

01 Mar 2024

Yara and ACME Sign Ammonia Supply Agreement

Source: Yara

Yara and GHC SAOC, a wholly owned subsidiary of India’s Acme Cleantech, have signed a binding agreement for the supply of ammonia with reduced CO2 emissions from Acme to Yara on a long-term basis.Both companies had previously signed a non-binding offtake Term Sheet and the current agreement concludes 18 months of negotiations during which the regulatory framework and certification regime have evolved significantly, creating a suitable environment for such long-term contracts.The long-term offtake agreement covers the supply of 100…

29 Feb 2024

New York Awards Equinor and Orsted New Offshore Wind Contracts

© Fokke Baarssen / Adobe Stock

New York officials on Thursday awarded provisional contracts to two proposed offshore wind projects under a program meant to support the embattled industry and keep the state's clean energy goals on track.The state selected a planned 810-megawatt project, Empire Wind 1, (developed by Equinor) and Sunrise Wind, a planned 924-megawatt project (developed by Orsted and Eversource).The closely watched solicitation by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)…

05 Mar 2024

Wärtsilä Partners Up with EBDG to Reduce Port Emissions Across North America

EBDG-designed floating CHAMP barge next to containership (Credit: EBDG)

Finnish technology group Wärtsilä has entered into a collaboration agreement with U.S.-based naval architecture and marine engineering firm Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) to further develop its Clean Harbor Alternative Mobile Power (CHAMP) Barge design.Featuring Wärtsilä’s methanol engine technology, the collaboration introduces a solution to reduce emissions from large vessels in situations where conventional shore power is limited or not available.The floating mobile power…