Francesco News

The international maritime industry, led by the International Chamber of Shipping, has joined together to express their concern for the seafarers from the Galaxy Leader who have been held hostage and call on the Houthis to release them.Monday February 19, 2024 marks the three-month anniversary since the Houthis seized the Galaxy Leader and its 25 seafarers in the Red Sea.The roll-on/roll-off vehicle carrier was seized on November 19.“The 25 seafarers who make up the crew of the Galaxy Leader are innocent victims of the ongoing aggression against world shipping…

Italian prosecutors have requested a former senior Eni employee, the now chief of a UK oil firm, and others be sent to trial for allegedly defrauding Eni over the attempted sale of an oil cargo to the company, a document from the Milan prosecutor's office shows.Sources previously told Reuters that the 2019 "White Moon" shipment of crude oil, purportedly from Iraq, created panic within Eni over fears it could be, at least partially, Iranian. Eni rejected the cargo, which it has said it bought from Nigerian firm Oando, who in turn bought the oil from the London branch of Italian fuel trading company Napag.Handling Iranian oil would have breached sanctions the United States reimposed in 2018 after quitting a nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.

A Chinese research ship and five escort vessels were in Vietnam's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) on Friday, close to gas blocks operated by Russian firms in the South China Sea, a day after Vietnam urged the ships to leave.The Chinese vessel Xiang Yang Hong 10 began operating in Vietnam's EEZ on May 7, representing the most significant incursion since 2019, according to Ray Powell, who leads Stanford University's Project Myoushu on the South China Sea.He said China's conduct and Vietnam's reaction were a "worrying escalation."China claims most of the energy-rich waters of the South China Sea, including areas that are within Vietnam's EEZ. The 2019 standoff lasted for more than three months and largely targeted a block then operated by Russian state oil firm Rosneft ROSN.MM.

A Chinese research vessel flanked by coast guard and nearly a dozen boats on Wednesday entered a gas block operated by Russian and Vietnamese state firms, two monitoring groups said, another potential flashpoint in the South China Sea.It follows a pattern of assertive moves of late by Beijing in its neighbors' exclusive economic zones (EEZ), as it presses its claim to sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, testing the United States and its allies at a time of heightened regional tension.Strong relations between Russia and China are a major factor supporting global stability…

After a bumper year for floating offshore wind farm tenders, the nascent industry is poised for explosive growth in the coming decade as countries strive to cut their carbon emissions. But it's unlikely to be all plain sailing. Rising costs and supply chain bottlenecks have hit some projects and without investment in infrastructure to launch the vast turbines and tow them to sea, hopes of harnessing the full power of the ocean's winds to hit climate targets could be dashed, industry experts say.

MAN Energy Solutions announced it has received an approval in principle (AIP) certificate from classification society RINA for its methanol-ready MAN L/V 32/44CR engine. The AIP covers an upgrade concept for the four-stroke engine for conversion to dual-fuel running on methanol.The maritime industry is currently exploring the use of methanol as marine fuel as it seeks to minimize its environmental impacts.Methanol has several physical advantages as a fuel, including a liquid state at ambient temperatures and its accordingly easy handling aboard vessels, compared to gaseous fuels.

A U.K. ship pilot has died as result of an accident during a transfer from a pilot launch to a large oceangoing vessel on the east coast of Northern England.The accident occurred on January 8, 2023 in the Humber Estuary, the UK Maritime Pilots’ Association (UK MPA) said in a statement. The U.K.'s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has opened a full investigation into the cause of the incident.Killed in the incident was Capt. Francesco Galia, who served two decades as a pilot.The tragedy highlights the daily risks and challenges of maritime pilots…

Itay's Snam will choose the offshore site for its new floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) in the next 100 days, Italy's special commissioner for the project said on Friday, with its initial location already facing a legal challenge.Under the government's plan to diversify energy supply away from Russian gas, Italy's gas grid operator plans to moor the newly-bought FSRU in the port of Piombino, on Italy's west coast, for the next three years. After this period, it has…

Berlin-based Kaiko Systems said it is partnering with C Transport Maritime (CTM) to roll out its software on CTM’s entire fleet under technical management, consisting of 30 dry bulk carriers.By using Kaiko Systems' software, CTM will be able to streamline crews’ manual technical operations on board and make routine operations such as inspection and maintenance more data-driven and proactive, the company said."Speed and accuracy are key to technical management," comments Francesco Canepa, Technical Director at CTM.

A strong earthquake of magnitude 5.7 struck off Italy's Adriatic coast early on Wednesday, but caused no serious damage or injuries but was felt as far away as Rome and northern parts of the country. The quake, which occurred shortly after 7 a.m. (0600 GMT), was followed by more than 50 aftershocks of weaker intensity, the Italian Geophysics and Volcanology Institute (INGV) said. Its epicentre was 35 kilometers (21.7 miles) offshore from Pesaro, a seaside city in the eastern Marche region…

Aurelia Green Ship Concept Design's newly unveiled ship design featuring 100% hydrogen propulsion has received approval in principle (AIP) from RINA based on the newly published RINA Rules for Hydrogen Fueled Ships and the RINA Guide for the Approval in Principle of Novel Technologies.The new design concept is the ACD01 1000, a RoRo vessel with electric propulsion using highly compressed H2 as fuel. Beyond the green design, the difference is marked by the ship's hydrogen-based engine system…

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri on Wednesday vowed to lower its debt in the coming months by delivering new cruise ships, after reporting a first half net loss of 234 million euros ($237 million).Chief Executive Pierroberto Folgiero, who took over earlier this year from long-serving predecessor Giuseppe Bono, said the company would focus on its core business in order to reap benefits from expected growth in defense spending and a post-pandemic recovery in the cruise market.Intesa Sanpaolo analysts said the proposed strategic review of Fincantieri's non-core businesses, such as infrastructure c

Italy's Saipem on Wednesday confirmed its 2022 guidance and the targets in its business plan after the energy services group reported a first-half adjusted core profit of 321 million euros ($325 million).Investors this month agreed to fund only 1.4 billion euros of a life-saving 2 billion euro cash call, leaving the underwriting banks to mop up the remaining new shares.

Italy's Fincantieri said sales rose 18% from a year earlier in the first quarter to 1.7 billion euros ($1.8 billion) driven by a strong performance of its core shipbuilding business.The group is gearing up for the exit of chief executive Giuseppe Bono, who is set to retire after 20 years at the helm to be replaced by former Maire Tecnimont CEO Pierroberto Folgiero.Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) were up 17.2% at 118 million euros.The EBITDA margin was flat at 7.0% and the company expects it to remain "solid" despite recent rises in commodity prices…

The European Commission has proposed to ban in a month's time all shipping, brokerage, insurance and financing services offered by EU companies for the transport of Russian oil worldwide, an EU source told Reuters on Wednesday.The measure is part of a proposed embargo on Russian oil that is meant to cripple Russia's oil industry. Read full storyProvided the proposal gets the approval of EU governments, all insurance, finance, and shipping services for Russian oil transport would be banned in a month's time…

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri is in talks with Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) over an order worth around $4 billion to build new cruise ships, a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Monday.Italian daily Il Secolo XIX reported on Sunday that six new ships could be built by Fincantieri for the Miami-based company.Norwegian Cruise Line was not immediately available for comment.(Reuters - Reporting by Francesco Zecchini; Editing by Cristina Carlevaro and Keith Weir)

As Europe steps up its military spending after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri expects to expand its defense business, but sees M&A activity halted for now, its top executives said on Thursday.Speaking at an analysts call on 2021 results, Fincantieri CFO Giuseppe Dado said that the group's naval division was poised to grow in the short term thanks to the backlog of orders already secured.In the long-term the naval business, which makes military vessels, could rise to up to 40% of its shipbuilding segment, from a current figure of 31%, Dado said.In 2021 the shipbui

The European Union's foreign ministers disagreed on Monday on whether and how to slap sanctions on Russia's lucrative energy sector over its invasion of Ukraine, with Germany saying the bloc was too dependent on Russian oil to decide an embargo.The EU and allies have already imposed hefty measures against Russia, including freezing its central bank's assets.Russia's siege and bombardment of Mariupol port, which EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called "a massive war crime"…

ABB has secured an order of around $27 million to supply Eneti’s two newbuild vessels with advanced power, automation, and control systems for improved safety and performance.The two $330 million wind turbine installation vessels (WTIV) will be delivered to Monaco-based offshore wind construction player Eneti Inc. from the South Korean shipyard Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) in Q3 2024 – Q2 2025.The vessels will feature advanced power, automation and control systems, real-time performance analytics and electric propulsion from ABB.

Ester Percossi can still hear the screams, feel the cold and see the terror in people's eyes.She is one of the survivors of the shipwreck of the Costa Concordia, the luxury cruise liner that capsized after hitting rocks just off the coast of the small Italian island of Giglio on Jan. 13, 2012, killing 32 people in one of Europe's worst maritime disasters.Percossi and other survivors have returned to the island to pay tribute to the dead and again thank the islanders who, in the dark and dead of winter…

A fish-farming superyacht developed by Ocean Ark Tech of Chile (OATECH) and its strategic ally, London-based Ocean Sovereign, is one step closer to delivering fish to market after winning a key approval from marine classification society, RINA.Registro Italiano Navale (RINA) announced the Approval in Principle (AiP) of the new-concept offshore fish-farming system, Ocean Ark. The vessel delivers a new approach to aquaculture and looks set to disrupt by dramatically improving fish health…

Italy on Tuesday banned cruise liners from Venice lagoon to defend its ecosystem and heritage, moving to end years of hesitation and putting the demands of residents and culture bodies above those of the tourist industry.The government decided to act after the United Nations culture organization UNESCO threatened to put Italy on a blacklist for not banning liners from the World Heritage site, cabinet sources said.The ban will take effect from Aug. 1, barring ships weighing more than 25…

The first cruise ship to leave Venice since coronavirus restrictions were eased set sail on Saturday, but some local residents protested over the return to normal, unhappy about the passage of giant liners through the historic lagoon city.Hundreds of people rallied on land and small boats fluttering flags saying "No big ships" surrounded and followed the 92,000-tonne MSC Orchestra as it departed Venice port en route for Croatia and Greece. "We are here because we are against this passage but also against a model of tourism that is destroying the city…