Eea News

Governor Charlie Baker, Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Bethany Card, and Massachusetts Clean Energy Center CEO (MassCEC) Jennifer Daloisio joined Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA) officials for a Global Wind Organization (GWO) training demonstration at the Academy. Nearly three years since helping launch MMA’s first-in-the-nation offshore wind crew transfer training facility, Governor Baker returned to observe a wind and life raft training and highlight the investments the Baker-Polito Administration is proposing to expand the offshore wind workforce further.

The European Union's carbon market could capture a large chunk of emissions from outside Europe if the bloc succeeds in including shipping in the scheme, according to the European Commission's first report on maritime CO2 emissions.Pollution from ships plying international waters typically escapes countries' domestic emissions-cutting targets, but the EU's executive has said the sector must contribute to its trillion-euro push to achieve a "climate neutral" economy by 2050.It wants to curb shipping's carbon footprint by adding it to the Europe-wide emissions trading system (ETS)…

In May 2014 National Geographic wrote an in-depth article on shipbreaking operations in Bangladesh where they listed shipbreaking as one of the deadliest professions in the world. The images from these shipyards are well circulated among professionals in the shipping industry. Individuals without personal protective equipment cutting and grinding into a ship that was haphazardly beached and torn asunder by unskilled laborers. Pollution swirl in the nearby tidal area and soot belches into the air. Large sections of ships come careening off endless rows of vessels that litter the beach.

A.P. Møller - Mærsk A/S rated Baa2/BBB (on review for possible downgrade/CreditWatch negative) by Moody's/S&P, the integrated transport and logistics company, has mandated Barclays, Danske Bank, HSBC, MUFG and SG CIB as Joint Bookrunners to arrange a series of fixed income investor meetings in Europe commencing on the 28th of February 2018. A EUR-denominated Reg S bearer fixed rate senior unsecured benchmark transaction with a maturity of around 8-years is expected to follow, subject to market conditions. The expected transaction serves to pre-fund upcoming bond maturities and to extend the issuer’s maturity profile. Selling restrictions apply. Relevant stabilization regulations including FCA/ICMA apply.

The European Commission (EC) said Wednesday that it had fined four maritime car carriers 395 million euros (U.S. $486.5 million). Four shipping companies – CSAV, K Line, NYK and WWL-Eukor – have been fined by the EC for collusion in operating a cartel on the car carrier trades, in breach of EU antitrust rules. All companies acknowledged their involvement in the cartels and agreed to settle the cases. Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy said:"The Commission has sanctioned several companies for colluding in the maritime transport of cars and the supply of car parts.The three separate decisions taken today show that we will not tolerate anticompetitive behaviouraffecting European consumers and industries.

Ship management company EXMAR has reached an agreement to sell insurance broker BELGIBO NV to Jardine Lloyd Thomson Group plc (JLT), one of the world’s leading providers of insurance, reinsurance and employee benefits related advice, brokerage and associated services. Based in Antwerp, Belgibo is a leading Belgian specialist broker with a strong client-first advisory approach and commercial strengths in marine, credit and political risks, aviation, cargo, employee benefits, logistics, construction and professional services. The acquisition, which sees 66 colleagues join the JLT Group, will support JLT’s service to clients in all 26 EU and three EEA states after the United Kingdom has left the EU…

dynaCERT Inc. has received CE certification for its HydraGEN technology. Specifically, the models HG1 (Class 6-8 trucks), HG2 (Class 2-5 trucks, refrigerated trailers and shipping containers) and HG3 (diesel-powered ocean ships, locomotives and stationary generators) will all now carry the CE mark for shipments to clients within Europe. This signifies that products sold in the European Economic Area (EEA) have been assessed to meet high safety, health, and environmental protection requirements. This also applies to products made in other countries that are sold in the EEA. There are two main benefits CE marking brings to businesses and consumers within the EEA: Businesses know that products bearing the CE marking can be traded in the EEA without restrictions.

Adding supply chain and worker spending multiplier impacts, the shipping industry’s total employment contribution rises to 2.1 million people and its total GDP contribution is estimated to have been € 140 billion in 2015. These are the key findings of the latest update on the economic value of the EU shipping industry which ECSA commissioned from Oxford Economics. The report further indicates that, at € 89,000 per worker in 2015, productivity in the EU shipping industry remains above the EU average, as well as that of sectors such as manufacturing and healthcare. ECSA publishes the new figures at the start of European Shipping Week, a week-long series of shipping events meant to raise the profile of the sector with EU policy-makers.

BP and the Area 4 concession partners, Eni East Africa (EEA), Galp Energia (Galp), Kogas and Empresa Nactional de Hidrocarbonetos (ENH), have entered into a sales and purchase agreement for BP to purchase 100% of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) produced by the EEA-operated Coral South Floating LNG facility expected to be installed offshore Mozambique. The agreement covers the purchase of LNG for over 20 years. The agreement, which has been approved by the government of Mozambique, is conditional on the Final Investment Decision (FID) being taken for the project, which is currently expected by the end of 2016. The Coral South Floating LNG facility is expected to have a capacity above 3.3 million tonnes per annum. BP will use LNG from the contract to help meet its global supply commitments.

The prospect of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union – nicknamed ‘Brexit’ – has raised a number of questions regarding the status, now and in the future, of sulphur regulations in the UK. In response to some of the questions raised, IBIA has investigated the short term reality and future scenarios. The EU’s sulphur regulations contained in Directive 1999/32/EC and subsequent amendments – the EU Sulphur Directive – go beyond the minimum requirements of the International Maritime Organization’s MARPOL Annex VI. The EU and IMO regulations are aligned regarding the 0.10% fuel sulphur limit for ships operating within an emission control areas (ECAs), but the EU Sulphur Directive has three key extra requirements.

A levy on nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions with revenues earmarked to fund the uptake of NOx abatement measures is believed to be the most promising tool to reduce these ship emissions by up to 70 percent, as revealed by a new study by environmental consultancy IVL and CE Delft. The study, commissioned by Transport & Environment (T&E), identifies the policy options available at the EU level to regulate ship NOx emissions in the EU seas and compares them with the measures to be taken under the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

International accountant and shipping adviser Moore Stephens has welcomed an initiative by the UK Department for Transport (DfT) which it says will encourage the training of ratings. The DfT is to pilot a change to the tonnage tax training commitment which will allow three ratings to be trained in place of one officer-cadet. It will gather evidence regarding this proposed change with a view to making it permanent. The intention is that the pilot scheme will start in October 2015, but this is subject to the DfT receiving regulatory clearance in time.

The United States effectively treats foreign seafarers more harshly than any other group that enters the country without breaking the law. The general rule is that all persons who are not U.S. nationals or permanent residents must have a visa to enter the United States. Persons desiring to become U.S. citizens or permanent residents must obtain an immigrant visa. Most other persons desiring to enter the United States for a limited period of time must obtain a nonimmigrant visa. To obtain a nonimmigrant visa, one must have a valid passport and complete the Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160 and submit it and a photograph (head shot) to the relevant U.S. embassy or consulate.

Many of Europe’s marine species, habitats and ecosystems have been under threat for decades. As maritime economic activities are predicted to increase in coming years, a new briefing from the European Environment Agency (EEA) argues that the cumulative impact of human activity should be better managed to avoid irreversible damage to ecosystems. Many European industries have growing cumulative impacts on the sea, including transport, fishing, offshore energy and tourism. ‘Marine messages’ highlights the vulnerable nature of Europe’s marine ecosystems…

The British government’s drive to lower net migration by reducing the availability of Tier 2 visa certificates is already having an impact on a wide range of UK based shipping companies and maritime services providers, according to specialist shipping industry recruiter Faststream. On 19 July 2010, the UK Border and Immigration Agency introduced a temporary cap on the total number of Sponsored Skilled General (Tier 2) visas that will be issued whilst it consults on a permanent limit. “This move has effectively rendered many shipping companies’ sponsor licences useless and a number of our clients are expressing serious concerns that they won’t be able to fill crucial UK based vacancies in the coming months.

Statoil's office in Stavanger is subject to an inspection visit by the EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA), assisted by the Norwegian Competition Authority (Konkurransetilsynet). The inspection is carried out on request of the European Commission. Statoil is cooperating with the authorities in their inspection. The authorities suspect participation by several companies, including Statoil, in anticompetitive agreements and/or concerted practices contrary to Article 53 of the EEA Agreement.

Lloyd’s Register releases new Rules, Class Notation and Guidance Notes for ‘Wind Turbine Installation and Maintenance Vessels and Liftboats’ to reflect industry best practice and new novel designs. The new Rules form part of the wider Mobile Offshore Unit Rule set 2013 launched by Lloyd’s Register in June, and is for vessels engaged in installation and/or maintenance activities relating to offshore wind turbines. It covers a number of unit types as well as liftboats, whose primary function is to provide support services to offshore wind turbine installations or other types of offshore installation. Vessels which comply with the requirements of the new Rules will be eligible for a new classification notation (MainWIND).

Portugal’s new oceanographic survey vessel is to be donated by Norway and equipped by funding under the EEA Grants programme. The announcement was made recently by Portugal's Assunção Cristas, Minister for Agriculture, the Sea, the Environment and Land Planning. Speaking at the launch of the EEA Grants programme, Minister Cristas explained that this was a better solution than had originally been foreseen for replacing the current vessel the ‘Noruega’, that is coming to the end of its operational life. “At this moment, Norway has a proposal on the table that means we get one of their vessels that is being replaced and that would prove excellent for Portugal and the programme funding would serve to equip the vessel,” said Cristas.

As Cargo, Fuel or both; LNG is emerging as the clear and clean way forward for the maritime industry. The use of LNG as a marine fuel is not new. Vessels trading cryogenic LNG have burned boil-off natural gas in steam boilers for many years as a simple solution to maintaining necessary temperatures and pressures within cargo spaces. The use of the fuel varied according to the size of the ship and a boil off rate ranging between 0.10 to 0.18 percent of the total cargo. As a result of the variable quantities…

As Cargo, Fuel or both; LNG is emerging as the clear and clean way forward for the maritime industry. The use of LNG as a marine fuel is not new. Vessels trading cryogenic LNG have burned boil-off natural gas in steam boilers for many years as a simple solution to maintaining necessary temperatures and pressures within cargo spaces. The use of the fuel varied according to the size of the ship and a boil off rate ranging between 0.10 to 0.18 percent of the total cargo. As a result of the variable quantities…

The European Commission has opened formal antitrust proceedings against several container liner shipping companies to investigate whether they engaged in concerted practices, in breach of EU antitrust rules. The news comes at a less than fortunate time for the three largest European container shipping companies, Maersk Line, MSC and CMA CGM, who currently have an application for collaboration between them lodged before fair competition authorities in the EU, U.S. and China
. The EU explains that since 2009…

The North P&I Club launched a new campaign for 2014 aimed at reminding members of the importance of providing high quality healthcare while avoiding excessive medical costs, the club said. An information sheet entitled 'People Claims: Controlling the Cost' is being circulated to all entered ships and members' offices this week with the latest issue of the club's loss prevention newsletter Signals. "Illness and injuries are an unfortunate aspect of living and working on ships, as are the associated costs of treatment," said North's head of loss prevention Tony Baker. Baker points out that any illness or injury claim on board is immediately made more serious by the vessel’s distance from port.

Curtis-Straus LLC, an electronics safety testing and certification laboratory, announced that is providing testing and test reports for marine electronics as required by expert bodies in ship classification. Curtis-Straus (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services) as an A2LA accredited Nationally Recognized Test Laboratory, offers testing for EMC, Environmental and Safety certification at its Littleton, Massachusetts laboratory. For the purposes of Type Approval, several members of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS, Ltd.) can accept testing results in accordance with the relevant marine testing standards from Curtis-Straus LLC; in most cases without the need for a Surveyor to witness the testing.