In Steel News

Australian steelmaker Bisalloy shares have risen some 40% since December 2023, powered by defence deals signed as part of the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal between Australia, Britain and the United States.Defence contractors large and small are looking at the $237 billion plan to build Australia a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines as a decades-long source of work. Australia will build the vessels to a British design with U.S. technology.Bisalloy said earlier this month it had signed a deal to sell a shipment of steel to part of U.S. shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries, maker of the U.S.

In the first quarter of 2024, global iron ore shipments rose 3.8% y/y on expectation of strong Chinese steel production which, however, failed to materialise. Iron ore supply has grown faster than Chinese demand which could lead to weaker shipments ahead, says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.During the start of the year, Brazilian iron ore shipments typically slow down due to mining disruptions caused by heavy rainfall. However, this year conditions were better and Vale…

Since our last market update in the subsea space about a year ago both our current market view and forecasts have strengthened significantly.While the demand picture is looking solid and arguing for a strong multi-year upcycle, the supply side has also started to wake from its slumber albeit ever so slightly at the time of writing. Moreover, we register an interesting dynamic on the shipowner side, where everyone is trying to position themselves for the impeding market boom.Please note that vessel definitions and abbreviations in this part of our industry can vary…

This week, various holidays concluded across the globe just as Indian sub-continent ship recycling markets started to perk up amidst fundamentals that have independently enjoyed varying degrees of volatility and resurgence over recent weeks, reports cash buyer GMS.“Steel plate prices in Bangladesh and Pakistan remained flatlined at respectively firm levels - the effects of which has only helped these markets grab their share of high-priced fixtures since the start the of the year - all while the ever-volatile Indian plate price that fell last week…

The United States has launched an investigation into alleged unfair practices within China's shipbuilding and maritime industries, drawing ire from Chinese officials.The probe was launched Wednesday by U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai in response to a petition filed by five national labor unions accusing China of using "non-market policies that are far more aggressive and interventionist than any other country" to obtain dominance over the global shipbuilding, maritime and logistics sector."The American commercial shipbuilding industry is a shell of its former self. . .

If nothing else, building vessels in the U.S. is a complicated business.In a session on the domestic shipbuilding marketplace, at Marine Money’s late-November 2023 conference held in New Orleans, Ben Bordelon, president and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards (with more than a dozen facilities, in Mississippi and Louisiana), described his company’s architecture as a “three-legged stool approach: commercial newbuilds, government newbuilds and repair/conversion capabilities”.On the same panel…

Offshore installation contractor Allseas has made progress on the installation of the pipeline for Santos’ Barossa Gas Export Pipeline (GEP) project offshore Australia.Allseas’ Audacia pipelay vessel has installed her largest ever PLET in S-mode, concluding several years of in-house engineering, fabrication and testing, the Swiss-based contractor said.Due to the weight of the pipeline end termination structure, Allseas’ production crew had to install it separately to the connector head.Audacia vessels is being supported with four other vessels - Fortitude…

The efficacy of surface preparation and coating application in the new construction shipbuilding industry is fundamentally anchored in a well-coordinated, integrated approach. This intricate process, essential for achieving top-tier corrosion control, is methodically segmented into five crucial stages:Raw material entryPainting the modulesSmall partsPainting of erection joints at the module levelFinal paint and ship's completion. Each stage is crucial in its own right but achieves…

Austal USA earlier this month celebrated the start of construction on the first of three LCU 1710 Landing Craft Utility vessels for the U.S. Navy at the company’s Mobile, Ala. shipyard.Austal USA, a subsidiary if the Australian shipbuilding group Austal, was awarded a US$91.5 million (A$143.4 million) contract in September 2023 that includes three LCU 1710 vessels and associated support efforts.Austal CEO Paddy Gregg said the start of construction on Austal USA’s latest steel…

The Great Lakes Maritime Task Force (GLMTF) honored Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow in recognition of the significant contributions made throughout her Congressional career protecting the Great Navigation System and supporting American jobs with investment in U.S.-flagged Great Lakes shipping.Senator Stabenow, who co-chairs the bipartisan Senate Great Lakes Task Force, has been the driving force behind the protection of the U.S.' largest freshwater resource and the maritime highway that supports U.S.

The cargo ship Dali knocked down three main truss spans, constructed with connected steel elements forming triangles, on the Francis Scott Key Bridge just seconds after crashing into one of the bridge piers early on Tuesday morning, March 26, 2024.The bridge collapse happened so fast that it left little time for the work crews on the bridge to escape. Civil engineers like me have been paying attention to this disaster, because we want to find ways to make infrastructure like these large bridges more resilient. For a bridge this large to collapse would require a catastrophic collision force.

Americraft Marine, one of the maritime subsidiaries of Libra Group that owns and operates a Jones Act shipbuilding facility in Palatka, Fla., has announced the appointment of Peter Fetten as Chairman of Americraft.A seasoned leader with four decades in the marine engineering and shipbuilding sectors, Fetten will help shape the strategic direction of Americraft Marine as it works to advance U.S. shipbuilding and the demand for Jones Act vessels. Americraft Marine's St. Johns Ship Building…

DNV has presented HD Hyundai with a general approval for ship application (GASA) for a new high-strength composite hybrid support system for independent tanks on liquefied gas carriers.In a world-first, HD Hyundai’s concept is fabricated with a fusion of carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP) with a tensile strength 10 times greater than steel, significantly enhancing structural stability.The new system offers robust structural supports, enabling independent tanks to withstand upward force from floatation in case of hold space flooded.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Thursday it expects to open a new channel to the Port of Baltimore by the end of April, freeing up commercial shipping blocked by a collapsed bridge, and then restore port access to full capacity by the end of May.The main channel has been blocked by wreckage since the fully loaded container ship Dali lost power and rammed into a support column of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, killing six road workers and causing the highway bridge to tumble into the Patapsco River.The Army Corps…

ClassNK has issued a type approval certificate for the lithium-ion storage battery system ORCA Energy, developed by Corvus Energy.Following an application from Corvus Energy, ClassNK carried out an examination of ORCA Energy based on the rule and the ‘Guidance for the Approval and Type Approval of Materials and Equipment for Marine Use’.The guidance applies to tests and inspections of materials and equipment for marine use for which advance approval or type approval by ClassNK is required by the relevant requirements in its rules.Upon confirming it complies with the prescribed requirements…

Maritime services company Consulmar has performed a zero-emissions mooring service for a tanker, said to be the world’s first such operation.This operation took place at an offshore multiple buoy mooring site near the BP refinery, situated 2 miles from the Port of Castellón in Spain.Utilizing its electric line handling tug, CASTALIA, Consulmar towed the steel mooring lines from the vessel to each of the five mooring buoys, marking a significant advancement in the maritime industry towards more sustainable practices.The tanker vessel ARCHANGEL…

The week concluded surprisingly for sub-continent ship recycling nations which were busier (from an LDT perspective) than recent weeks, reports cash buyer GMS.“This left local recyclers scrambling to get their respective shares of the odd unit in, and that too at ever-competitive rates. As such, the dearth of vessels currently available for a recycling sale will certainly ensure that any mis-directed dreams of discounted deals at this juncture of the year, are likely to remain just that…i.e.

Rigid hull inflatable boat (RIB) manufacturer Fluid Watercraft has unveiled its newest line of purpose-built search and rescue boatsFluid Watercraft’s new SAR 26 and SAR 23 RIBs feature a forward-pushed command and piloting console to increase aft deck space for enhanced victim and equipment recovery, and medical treatment capabilities as well as 16- and 10-person capacity respectively. To make the boats mission ready, the SAR 26 comes with two nRoads dome lights, stainless steel bow and aft tow posts…

Salvage crews worked to lift the first piece of Baltimore's collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge from the water on Saturday to allow barges and tugboats to access the disaster site, Maryland and U.S. officials said, the first step in a complex effort to reopen the city's blocked port.The steel truss bridge collapsed early on Tuesday morning, killing six road workers, when a massive container ship lost power and crashed into a support pylon. Much of the span crashed into the Patapsco River…

Classification society ABS announced it has awarded ECOLOG, a mid-stream Carbon Capture, Utilization and Sequestration (CCUS) service provider, with an industry first ISM Document of Compliance for the operation of liquified CO2 carriers on behalf of the Bermuda flag administration.ABS audited ECOLOG to verify compliance with the International Safety Management Code.ECOLOG plans to build and own CO2 terminals and a carrier fleet to service the emerging CCUS sector, connecting hard to abate emitters with cost competitive sequestration sites and carbon utilization facilities.“Carbon capture…

The wall climbing robot for steel structures - developed by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Sumitomo Heavy Industries, and MOL Ship Management  to support ship inspection and maintenance - has completed a demonstration test and earned the Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) Innovation Endorsement.The Innovation Endorsement is ClassNK's third-party certification program. It certifies and supports initiatives that contribute to the sustainable evolution of maritime and offshore businesses.The robot…

The U.S. state of Maryland has opened a temporary channel on the northbound side of the collapsed Baltimore bridge, allowing limited tug and barge traffic around the container ship stuck at the disaster site, Governor Wes Moore said on Monday."It will help us to get more vessels in the water around the site of the collapse," Moore told a news conference.The Port of Baltimore's shipping channel has been blocked since a fully loaded container ship lost power and collided with a support column on the Francis Scott Key Bridge last Tuesday…

Recovery teams opened a second channel enabling smaller vessels to navigate the Port of Baltimore on Tuesday but most commercial shipping remains blocked by the collapsed bridge and stranded container ship that brought the structure down a week ago.A team including the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the state of Maryland announced crews had cleared a channel with a depth of 14 feet (4.3 meters), similar to the 11-foot channel opened on the opposite side of…