Decision Makers News

Siemens is bringing immersive visualization powered by new NVIDIA Omniverse Cloud APIs to the Siemens Xcelerator platform, driving increased use of AI-driven digital twin technology and creating an industrial metaverse.“We will revolutionize how products and experiences are designed, manufactured and serviced. On the path to the industrial metaverse, this next generation of industrial software enables customers to experience products as they would in the real world: in context…

Denmark, France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands have signed the Aalborg Declaration that aims at joint European cooperation on CO2 capture, use and storage (CCUS).CO2 capture, use and storage must be scaled up, both nationally and at European level, the countries agreed at the signing which occurred at the EU's CCUS Forum this week, hosted in Aalborg, Denmark."Today shows that there is European will, both among us decision-makers and among the industry - and with the Aalborg declaration we are moving closer to a common European market for CO2 capture, use and storage.

Miros, a global ocean insights specialist, said Monday it had advanced its offering to the maritime sector by integrating weather forecast layers into its Miros Cloud Home solution (miros.app)."The new version of Miros Cloud Home incorporates popular weather forecasting conditions from Windy with its proprietary accurate real-time wave, current, and weather measurements, bridging the gap between actual measurements and weather projections," Miros said.According to Miros, the solution…

The New Zealand Shipping Federation (NZSF) has become a full member of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS).Launched in 1906, the New Zealand Shipping Federation is the key representative body for New Zealand’s coastal operators. The NZSF works with decision-makers to achieve policies that benefit all New Zealanders, including safe, secure and clean shipping.The ICS already enjoys a strong and collaborative relationship with the NZSF, through the Federation’s affiliate membership to ICS.

Digitalization in the maritime industry continues to grow. Technology is constantly evolving, providing organizations with new ways to transform and manage their operations with adoption of technology creating first-mover advantage and future relevancy, and positivity impacting margins. The offshore services industry has been a major driver in the trend towards utilization of remote inspection and monitoring technology for Inspection, Repair, and Maintenance (IRM) of critical assets and infrastructure.

Interferry – representing more than 270 companies and some 1,200 individual members from over 40 countries – is co-hosting a workshop at next month’s European Shipping Summit in Brussels to stress the importance of shifting more goods transport from road to short sea services, notably through better use of European Union funding to enhance the sector’s competitiveness.The workshop – ‘How to increase the share of maritime transport in Europe’s trade’  – takes place at 09:30 on September 19 in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts and is open to all interested professionals.

Portland, Ore. shipbuilder Diversified Marine, Inc. announced it has promoted Frank Manning to president and COO, responsible for the company’s sales and day to day operations.Diversified Marine founder Kurt Redd, who has served as president and CEO for 43 years, will remain active in the company. He will maintain sole ownership of the company and serve as chairman and CEO, providing strategic guidance and support.Manning joined DMI as business development director in 2020 and most recently served as the company's vice president of operations and business development.

The IMO’s MEPC 80 session adopted the 2023 IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships and advanced other environmental initiatives.The revised IMO GHG Strategy includes an enhanced common ambition to reach net-zero GHG emissions from international shipping close to 2050, a commitment to ensure an uptake of alternative zero and near-zero GHG fuels by 2030, as well as indicative check-points for 2030 and 2040:1. to reduce the total annual GHG emissions from international shipping by at least 20%, striving for 30%, by 2030, compared to 2008; and2.

The IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) - 80th session will meet at IMO Headquarters in London from July 3-7, and amongst key agenda items, the MEPC 80 session is expected to adopt an upgraded IMO greenhouse gas strategy.The revised IMO GHG Strategy will contain concrete greenhouse gas reduction targets for the sector and is expected to outline a range of technical and economic measures. Negotiations have been ongoing and will continue during the Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships (ISWG-GHG 15)…

The Port of Gothenburg announced its inspection vessel Hamnen is set to be converted to run on electrical power as part of the port's wider plan to slash operational emissions.In service since 1979, the 20.3-meter-long Hamnen is owned and operated by the Gothenburg Port Authority, through the Harbor Master’s Office and Harbor Master Åsa Kärnebro who is responsible for the vessel."[Hamnen] has many different duties", said the vessel's skipper, David Falk. "But essentially it’s…

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will modify the Department of the Army permit for the BP Cherry Point Marine Terminal’s North Wing dock to ensure complies with the Magnuson Amendment’s restrictions regarding the handling of crude oil at Puget Sound facilities, and Endangered Species Act and other applicable legal requirements through additional permit conditions. This comes from the Record of Decision issued Monday, following completion of a Final Environmental Impact Statement…

Excelerate Energy's floating storage and regasification unit (“FSRU”) Exemplar arrived at the port of Inkoo, Finland on December 28, 2022. The FSRU was previously loaded with a partial cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) which will serve as the initial commissioning cargo for the terminal."The FSRU Exemplar, which is chartered to Gasgrid Finland Oy (“Gasgrid”) for a period of ten years, will provide flexible, reliable, and secure delivery of regasified LNG to Finland and other Baltic countries," the FSRU owner said.

On October 31, 2022, global maritime leaders of tomorrow graduated from the World Maritime University (WMU). The Class of 2022 has received the education required to contribute to maritime and ocean matters in their home countries and more broadly to the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Overall, the graduating class includes 276 graduates from 70 countries, and sets a record of 94 women graduates.WMU President Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia…

"Biofouling is a global problem, and to solve a global problem we need to collaborate globally. This collaboration aims to accelerate the uptake of proactive hull cleaning, as well as to understand the limits and risks with such solutions, say CEO of Bellona, Hallstein Havåg and VP Growth and Strategy at Armach Robotics, Rob Howard.The build-up of marine life on ships’ hulls – biofouling – is an age-old problem for the environment, for ship operators, and for the international shipping industry.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has released the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the North Wing of the BP Cherry Point Marine Terminal, which is located near Ferndale, Wash. The Notice of Availability was published in the Federal Register by the Environmental Protection Agency today.The Final EIS examines the incremental environmental effects related to operation of the North Wing of the BP Cherry Point Marine Terminal, the risk of potential accidents and oil spills within a portion of Puget Sound…

A meeting between the European Sea Ports Organization (ESPO) and global trade association Interferry has agreed a common work programme to promote an environmentally sustainable future for the European ferry business through the provision and use of onshore power supply (OPS).Underlining the shared challenges and priorities of their Europe-wide memberships, ESPO and Interferry confirmed the following joint approach:1.Ferries must be recognized as a sustainable passenger transport mode that link Europe’s cities and regions, as well as providing a green mode of urban transport.

The U.S. Navy uses unmanned and robotic underwater vehicles for a multitude of functions, including environmental sensing, mine hunting, and salvage. The Navy plans to evolve an unmanned systems operating concept that is platform agnostic and capable of operating in highly complex contested environments with minimal operator interaction.The most recent edition of the Navy’s Unmanned Systems (UxS) Roadmap was issued in 2018, and a new version is expected in the near future. The 2018 document states that UxS will operate in every domain…

A study commissioned by trade association Interferry has revealed startling statistics on the far-reaching extent of the global ferry industry’s value to the world economy.Research into the latest pre-Covid full-year figures found that, in 2019, ferries carried 4.27 billion passengers – on a par with aviation – and 373 million vehicles across a worldwide fleet of 15,400 vessels. Among other findings, the industry provided 1.1 million jobs, contributed $60 billion to the world…

America's top container ports Los Angeles and Long Beach are cracking down on ocean carriers whose containers linger on terminals as clogged U.S. seaports struggle to keep up with record box volumes.Under the new policy, developed in coordination with the Biden-Harris Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force, U.S. Department of Transportation and multiple supply chain stakeholders, and set to take effect November 1, the ports will charge ocean carriers for each truck-bound container dwelling nine days or more and rail containers that sit for three days or more.

It is widely expected that cuts in defense and security budgets are coming as governments across the world grapple with the fiscal fallout from the COVID-19 crisis. To ensure that these cuts do not undermine global security, policymakers should approach their defense budgets with a scalpel, not a sledgehammer.In navigating the tough choices that lay ahead, government decision-makers should pursue spending reforms that enable states to operate both leaner and smarter, without sacrificing their vital security interests.The maritime security domain offers an exemplary case study.

A consortium, led by the Global Maritime Forum and consisting of BHP, Rio Tinto, Oldendorff Carriers and Star Bulk Carriers Corp., signed a letter of intent (LOI) to assess the development of an iron ore Green Corridor between Australia and East Asia.To mobilize demand for green shipping and to scale zero- or near-zero greenhouse gas emission shipping, governments and industry decision-makers are increasingly looking to enable and simplify the task of decarbonizing the maritime sector by establishing Green Corridors: specific shipping routes where the economics…

Nor-Shipping has postponed its planned exhibition and activity program for June 2021, pushing the event back to January 10-13, 2022, organizers announced. The maritime trade fair is the latest in a string of international shipping events to be postponed or canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Nor-Shipping 2019 was the most successful event week in the initiative’s over 50 year history. It saw more than 50,000 participants (a 34% increase over 2017), gathering from over 85 nations, at the main exhibition halls in Lillestrøm and across venues throughout nearby Oslo.

The U.S. has big plans for its offshore wind industry, and shipbuilders like Blount Boats and others are ramping up to capitalize on the unprecedented opportunity.Earlier this year, the Biden Administration unveiled its goal to have 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind power installed and in development in the U.S. by 2030. The announcement, which included plans to open new areas to development, accelerate permits and boost public financing for projects, injected a healthy dose of optimism into an American offshore wind industry that has taken its time getting off the ground.To date…