Rear Admiral Peter Brady Retires from Maritime Authority of Jamaica
Maritime Authority of Jamaicaâs Director General, Rear Admiral (retâd) Peter Brady, has retired, with the position being accepted by Bertrand Smith, formerly the MAJâs Director of Legal Affairs.Brady has served in this role since the Maritime Authorityâs inception in 1999.As Director General, he was primarily responsible for elevating Jamaicaâs maritime status regionally and globally. He spearheaded several major initiatives by the MAJ including the development of Jamaica as a shipping hub with attendant services such as bunkering and drydockingâŠ
US Ferry Services to Receive New Funds Through Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
The U.S. Department of Transportationâs Federal Transit Administration (FTA) on Thursday announced grants totaling $220.2 million from President Bidenâs Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to modernize the nationâs ferry systems. The program focuses in part on expanding ferry service in rural communities, helping communities acquire modern ferry boats (including electric boats that reduce carbon pollution), and upgrading shore infrastructure to support high-quality, low-emission ferry service.âFor many communities around the U.S.âŠ
World Maritime University Graduates Class of '23
On 28 October, the maritime leaders of tomorrow - World Maritime University (WMU) class of 2023 - graduated. The WMU 2023 graduating class includes 283 graduates from 71 countries, including a record of 99 women graduates.WMU President, Professor Maximo Q. Mejia, Jr., delivered welcome remarks. As a WMU graduate himself, President Mejia reflected on the power of the WMU experience and how it affects the way one thinks, works, plans, and interacts. âYou have acquired information that you did not possess before you enrolled here," he said.
The Headwinds of US Offshore Wind Development
On March 29, 2021, President Biden announced his ambitious plan to deploy 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind power â enough energy to power 10 million U.S. homes â by 2030. The plan would leverage authorities under the Department of Interior, Energy, and Commerce to guide âmore than $12 billion per year in capital investment in projects on both U.S. coasts, create tens of thousands of good-paying, union jobs, with more than 44,000 workers employed in offshore wind by 2030 and nearly 33,000 additional jobs in communities supported by offshore wind activity.â The U.S.
Ørsted CEO Says US Offshore Wind Targets Still Possible But Not Easy
U.S. President Joe Biden's plan to deploy 30,000 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind by 2030 is still possible, although not easy, the CEO of Ørsted, the world's largest offshore wind developer, said on Monday at the Climate Week NYC event in New York.The remarks by Ørsted CEO Mads Nipper come as soaring costs and supply chain delays have increasingly cast doubt on the Biden administration's goal, a cornerstone of its plan to fight climate change. The Danish company said at the end of August that it may see U.S.
Wärtsilä, Qtagg Launch Retrofit Solution for Marine Engine Governor System
Finland-based marine technology firm Wärtsila said Wednesday it had launched an innovative retrofit solution for its marine engine governor system in collaboration with Swedish marine green tech company Qtagg. The solution is designed to extend the lifespan of a shipâs propulsion control system, while simultaneously enhancing the vesselâs overall efficiency.Wartsila's Wärtsilä Automation, Navigation and Control Systems (ANCS) business is collaborating with Qtagg in this project."ANCSâs marine governor systems help regulate and control engine speed.
New Hybrid-electric Ferry Being Built for New York City
New York City is set to receive its first public hybrid-electric ferry, Mayor Eric Adams announced on Wednesday.The first-of-its-kind vesselâcurrently under construction at Conrad Shipyardâs facility in Morgan City, La.â will begin transporting passengers to Governors Island in summer of 2024. It will replace the diesel-powered Lt. Samuel S. Coursen, the Trust for Governors Islandâs current vehicle and passenger ferry, which was commissioned by the U.S. Army in 1956 and has beenâŠ
Silja Europe Propulsion Control Makeover Aims to Save 6% on Fuel
Qtagg recently secured an order on a total upgrade of Silja Europaâs propulsion control system, a makeover designed to decrease the shipâs fuel consumption by 6% and CO2 emissions by 2096 tons yearly, according to the manufacturer. The overhaul includes engine speed governors, fuel rack actuators, pitch control and voyage optimization with EcoPilot.At 59,912 gt, Silja Europa is Tallinkâs largest cruise vessel. Until the summer of 2022 it operated on the Baltic Sea, between Helsinki (Finland) â Tallinn (Estonia).
World Maritime University Celebrates 2022 Graduation
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 DoumbiaâŠ
MARAD to Study Low Carbon Fuels on the Great Lakes
The U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced the launch of a study exploring low carbon options for shipping on the Great LakesThe research group will be led by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), in partnership with the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and the Conference of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers (GSGP).Over a period of 16 months, researchers will assess alternative fuels and power options in the region and will develop a detailed profile of Great Lakes fleets, ports and fueling infrastructure.
Offshore Wind Vessels Get 'Vessel of National Interest' Designation by U.S. MARAD
The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) last Friday designated offshore wind vessels as vessels of national interest making them eligible for financial support through the Title XI Federal Ship Financing Program (Title XI). The Federal Ship Financing Program - commonly referred to as "Title XI" based on the part of the Merchant Marine Act of 1936 that established the program - provides for a full faith and credit guarantee by the United States Government to promote the growth and modernization of the U.S. merchant marine and U.S.
Biden Administration, East Coast States to Push Wind Energy
The Biden administration is partnering with 11 East Coast states to accelerate the development of offshore wind facilities, including addressing supply chain issues, advancing construction and boosting jobs, the White House said on Thursday.The move is part of President Joe Biden's push into cleaner energy technologies as part of its efforts to address climate change and comes as rising prices, particularly gasoline, weigh on his agenda."The partnership will support efforts to provide Americans with cleaner and cheaper energyâŠ
2022 US Shipbuilding Report
Itâs a common story in the U.S. shipbuilding industry today. A piece of equipment that used to be available for delivery on short noticeâmaybe in one or two weeksânow must be ordered months or more in advance, and it costs double. Add to this rising steel prices and the labor issues that have pervaded nearly all industrial sectors since the early days of the pandemic, and itâs clear that business is far from usual for American shipyards.Bollinger Shipyards president and CEO, Ben BordelonâŠ
Former Ports of Indiana Commissioner Ferguson Passes
Marvin Ferguson, Commissioner for the Ports of Indiana (POI) from 1993 â 2018, has passed away. First appointed by Governor Evan Bayh in 1993, Ferguson was the longest-serving Commissioner in the Portsâ history, having served under six different Governors (Bayh, OâBannon, Kernan, Daniels, Pence and Holcomb). âMarvin has a great legacy with the Ports of Indiana,â said Ports of Indiana chief executive officer Vanta E. Coda, II. âI often talk of the foundation that I was handed when taking my current role. Marvin was a huge builder of that foundation.
Passenger Vessel Sector Faces Winding Path Back to âNormalâ
The year just ended, 2021, might be described as being about âtrying to get back to normalâ, across the entire transportation spectrum, two years into the pandemic. During this time, the decarbonization and electrification waves have swept across maritime passenger transport. The passenger side of the business is dependent on multiple funding sources; increasingly, this money will be driven by environmental and social considerations.The long-awaited funding of âinfrastructureâ-related projectsâŠ
Federal Dollars Available for the Brandon Road Interbasin Project
The Brandon Road project is on the Des Plaines River, in Joliet, about 50 miles downstream from Chicago. That location offers a last chance to keep Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) out of the Great Lakes. The Army Corps explains that a ânew structural control point would include the Technology Alternative Acoustic Fish Deterrent with Electric Barrier, which includes, a bubble curtain, an engineered channel, an electric barrier, and flushing lock.â This would âto the maximum extentâŠ
Fitzgerald Honored as he Retires from the US Coast Guard Reserve
Freehill Hogan & Mahar LLP Partner Daniel Fitzgerald retired from the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve in a ceremony at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington D.C., this summer.Rear Admiral Melissa Bert presided over the ceremony, which was attended by family, friends and Coast Guard colleagues who worked with Fitzgerald over the past 28 years. Fitzgerald retired from his last duty assignment in Washington D.C. where he served as the Senior Reserve Judge Advocate (RJAG) for the entire Coast Guard Reserve.
U.S. Looking at Ways to Compensate Fishing Industry for Offshore Wind Impacts
The Biden administration is considering ways to ensure the U.S. commercial fishing industry is paid for any losses it incurs from the planned expansion of offshore wind power in the Atlantic Ocean, according to state and federal officials involved in the matter, [Reuters reported in an exclusive on Thursday.]Discussions between state and federal officials, which participants described as being at a very early stage, are aimed at addressing the top threat to President Joe Biden'sâŠ
Fact Check: J.P. Morgan Did Not Sink the Titanic
AâŻwidely-sharedâŻmeme has taken several facts about the Titanic out of context toâŻmake unsubstantiated claims thatâŻimply the shipâs sinking wasâŻa deliberate act. This is not trueâexperts widely agree the sinking of the Titanic was an accident. The meme was postedâŻto FacebookâŻon March 1 and has been shared more than 600 times (here). It consists of two images: one of theâŻshipâŻandâŻa second of American financierâŻJohn PierpontâŻ(J.P.)âŻMorgan. These sit alongside a wall of text thatâŠ
Favorable Offshore Winds Blowing from the Biden Administration
As part of his Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad (EO 14008)âissued on the first day he took officeâPresident Biden made significant commitments to renewable energy. These commitments include collaborating with multiple federal agencies in the United States and promoting critical industry support for the acquisition of electric vehicles for the federal fleet, as well as rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, the landmark international agreement signed in 2015 to limit global warming.
Weithman Named Director of Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon
Ports of Indiana (POI) announced that it has hired Bernard (Ben) Weithman as the new Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon port director.Weithman will lead port operations and business development for the Mount Vernon port. His industry experience includes more than 30 years in business development, startup and long-term sustainable operations. A senior-level executive in the transportation, agriculture and freight sectors, he most recently served as a senior transportation market consultant at IHS Markit.
NY & NJ Missing the Boat on Mariner Vaccinations -Union Boss
The head of an American mariner union says state leaders in New York and New Jersey should recognize the essential role of U.S. seafarers by prioritizing them for COVID-19 vaccination.The Washington Post, in a recent front page Sunday Business story headlined Essential, Invisible, described how âstates have been hit-or-miss on vaccinesâ for merchant mariners and that for most of the people who go to sea, the process can be described as âyouâre on your own.â New York and New Jersey are two of the states where seafarers have not been prioritizedâŠ
Headwinds: Offshore Wind will Take Years to Carry Factory Jobs to U.S.
When U.S. President Joe Bidenâs administration approved the countryâs first major offshore wind farm this month, it billed the move as the start of a new clean energy industry that by the end of the decade will create over 75,000 U.S. jobs.Industry executives and analysts do not contest that claim, but they make a clarification: For the first several years at least, most of the manufacturing jobs stemming from the U.S. offshore wind industry will be in Europe.Offshore wind project developers plan to ship massive blades, towers, and other components for at least the initial wave of U.S.