Northwest Coast News

Norwegian ferry operator Fjord1 has ordered a series of four autonomous zero-emission ferries to operate the Lavik-Oppedal crossing on the northwest coast of Norway.The newbuilds were designed by Norway-based HAV Design and will be built by Tersan Shipyard in Turkey.According to HAV Design, which will deliver ship design and an engineering package for all four vessels, said the design is based on a future-oriented operating concept developed alongside Fjord1. The ferries will…

Norway's Kongsberg Maritime said Friday it had successfully demonstrated a range of remote and autonomous technologies on a cargo vessel operating off the coast of Norway.The test cruise has been named one of the most complex autonomous journeys at sea so far, Kongsberg Maritime said.The Eidsvaag Pioner is one of the two vessels that are equipped for remote-operated and autonomous transport demonstrations for the AUTOSHIP project, which is part of Horizon 2020, an EU research program.Owned by the Eidsvaag shipping company…

A tropical cyclone smashed into Australia's northwest coast as a category 5 storm, setting new wind speed records, but has largely spared populated regions including the world's largest iron ore export hub at Port Hedland, authorities said on Friday. Cyclone Ilsa made landfall early Friday morning with the highest intensity rating on a 1-to 5 scale and then moved inland as emergency crews urged several remote communities along the storm's path to seek shelter and remain indoors."Port Hedland ... escaped the brunt of the cyclone at this stage.

Shell PLC's LNG Canada export project in British Columbia plans to start building its proposed second phase with natural gas-powered turbines and switch to electricity as more renewable power becomes available, a top executive said, a decision that means the expansion project will initially generate high greenhouse gas emissions.LNG Canada, in which Japan's Mitsubishi Corp owns a 15% stake, is set to be Canada's first liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal. The first phase…

Salvors have removed two tugs from the Mersey River in Devonport on the northwest coast of Tasmania that had been sunk by a cement carrier in January.New South Wales based emergency response, salvage and environmental support specialist, United Salvage, engaged AAL Shipping to supply the 31,000DWT 700 tonne heavy lift vessel AAL Melbourne for lifting of the tugs and their onward shipment along the East Coast to Brisbane. The first tug, the 420 tonne York Cove, was pulled out of…

A military diving team deactivated a stray naval mine off Turkey's northwest coast on Monday, Turkey's defense ministry said, the second such device to be defused in the area in days amid the war in Ukraine.NATO member Turkey borders the Black Sea, as does Russia and Ukraine, which Moscow invaded on February 24.Russia's main intelligence agency last week accused Ukraine of laying mines to protect ports and said several hundred of the explosives had broken off from cables and drifted away.

Dutch offshore installation company Heerema Marine Contractors has been selected by Japan's INPEX as a contractor of choice for the transport and installation of the 4,800 metric ton Ichthys LNG Booster Compression Module (BCM), offshore W. Australia.The module will be installed on the Ichthys Explorer Central Processing Facility, located off the northwest coast of Western Australia, as part of the Ichthys LNG phase 2 development.Heerema will transport the BCM from the fabrication yard on Batam Island in Indonesia to the Ichthys field before installing it in a single lift.

Teekay's Petrojarl Banff FPSO completed its final voyage on May 8, 2021, and is now moored alongside the Modern American Recycling Services Europe A/S (MARS) quayside in Frederikshavn, Denmark in preparation for recycling.The decommissioned FPSO, which ceased production in the U.K. North Sea in 2020, had been moored at Kishorn Port on the northwest coast of Scotland since September 2020. The tow of the FPSO from the Kishortn Port to Frederikshavn started on May 2, ending on May 8.The Banff FPSO had been producing oil for CNRI at the Banff and Kyle fields…

M.A.R.S. Europe said it has been awarded a contract by Teekay Petrojarl Floating Production UK Ltd. for dismantling and recycling of the Petrojarl Banff floating production, storage and offloading unit (FPSO). The deal includes engineering, preparation, dismantling and green recycling of the long-serving floater.Teekay's Petrojarl Banff FPSO is expected to arrive at M.A.R.S. Europe’s EU-approved facility in the Port of Frederikshavn, Denmark prior to the end of Q1 2021.The decommissioned FPSO, which ceased production in the U.K.

Australian defense personnel are being deployed to Port Hedland, one of the world’s largest iron ore loading ports, to help contain a coronavirus outbreak on a bulk carrier that last changed crews in the major seafaring city of Manila.Seventeen of the 21 crew from the Patricia Oldendorff carrier have tested positive for the virus, ship owner Oldendorff Carriers said in a statement.Ten of the infected crew members have been moved to hotel quarantine, and seven remain on board as part of a nine-person crew, authorities said.Oldendorff said the crew change on September 5 in Manila complied with all protocols.“All crew members tested negative for the virus before leaving the Philippines…

MV Kaami, a general cargo vessel salvaged six miles off the northwest coast of Skye, Scotland after running aground in March, has been dismantled and recycled in Kishorn.Built in 1994, the 89.8-meter vessel, owned by Norway’s Misje Rederi, was sailing under the flag of Bahamas when it ran aground on March 23 this year. It was refloated by Resolve Marine Group and towed to Kishorn Port and Dry Dock on the northwest coast of Scotland.Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has invested more than £700…

The world's largest offshore wind farm will open on Thursday off the northwest coast of England when Danish energy group Orsted unveils the Walney Extension project.The wind farm has a capacity of 659 megawatts (MW), enough to power almost 600,000 homes, and overtakes the London Array off England's east coast which has a capacity of 630 MW.Walney Extension is made up of 87 turbines built by Siemens Gamesa and MHI Vestas, and covers 145 square kilometers (55 square miles), which is equivalent to around 20,000 football pitches.The 40 eight-megawatt MHI Vestas turbines being used stand 195 meters

Chevron Corp will proceed with the second stage of its giant Gorgon liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plant off the northwest coast of Western Australia, the company said on Saturday.Chevron and its joint venture partners plan to sink 11 new wells in the Gorgon and Jansz-Io fields and build offshore pipelines and subsea structures to pipe the gas to the nearby 15.6 million tonne a year LNG plant on Barrow Island.The $54 billion Gorgon project came on stream in March 2016 but suffered numerous unplanned shutdowns in its early stages.Chevron declined to put a cost on stage two of the project…

A dry cargo vessel broke in two in the Black Sea off Turkey's northwest coast, television images showed early on Sunday, while the 11-man crew was rescued. Mongolian flag carrying Leonardo, a 114-meter-long dry cargo ship, started buckling and broke in two while on anchor off Istanbul's Kilyos coast. Half of the ship was taken ashore by tugboats, while the remainder is in the water gradually sinking. Turkish media reports said the ship, constructed in 1975, was going to Istanbul's Tuzla dockyard for repairs. (Writing by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Mark Potter)

Rolls-Royce and Sanmar Shipyards in Turkey have signed a contract for the delivery of eight MTU Series 4000 engines for four new terminal tugs, including an option for a further four engines. The tugs will each be fitted with two 16V 4000 M73L MTU engines, each delivering an output of 2,700 kW (at 1,850 rpm). The MTU brand is part of Rolls-Royce Power Systems. Sanmar and MTU have been working closely together since 2009. Knut Müller, Head of the Marine and Government Business Division at MTU…

The Mississippi ports of Pascagoula and Gulfport signed agreements in Cuba on Monday with an eye to future business and with a Republican U.S. senator from the state looking on, despite concerns President Donald Trump might backtrack on improved relations. Senator Thad Cochran is the only Republican among five U.S. senators and a U.S. representative on a three-day visit to the Communist-run Caribbean island to discuss relations and explore business opportunities. The agreements were signed during a business forum to explore future trade attended by Cochran. “There is great potential for business between these ports and Cuba due to the geographical proximity and the excellent fluvial and maritime ways Mississippi has…

Severe winter weather has slowed rail deliveries of crops to shippers in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, sending freight rates soaring and prompting Asian buyers to seek fill-in loads as they wait for the backlog at ports to clear. Blizzards, avalanches and heavy rain in recent weeks have hit transport of corn, soy and wheat to ports where they head for the lucrative Asian market, adding to the struggles that have plagued U.S. exporters since harvest. The setbacks come at a critical time for U.S. exporters, who are trying to move as much grain as possible before buyers turn their attention to South America when corn and soybean harvests in Argentina and Brazil accelerate in the coming weeks.

The news comes as Cuba watchers are looking closely for signs of how the United States' fragile detente with Cuba will fare under President Donald Trump. "Disappointed some (Florida ports) would enter into any agreement with Cuban dictatorship," Scott wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. "I will recommend restricting state funds for ports that work with Cuba in my budget. Port authorities along the U.S. Southern coast are strong proponents of increased trade and travel with Cuba, and some have expressed interest in using Mariel, located on the northwest coast of the Caribbean island, as a transshipment hub. The Ports of Everglades and Palm Beach had been planning to sign agreements with Cuba during the visit of a Cuban trade delegation this week but said they decided to withdraw the deals.

Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) today announced that its first shipment of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Gorgon Project has departed Barrow Island off the northwest coast of Western Australia. The cargo will be delivered to one of Chevron's foundation buyers, Chubu Electric Power, for delivery into Japan. The Asia Excellence loading the first Gorgon liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo for delivery into Japan. The first cargo highlights the company's growing leadership as an LNG supplier. "Departure of the first cargo from the Gorgon Project is a key milestone in our commitment to be a reliable LNG provider for customers across the Asia-Pacific region," said Mike Wirth, executive vice president, Chevron Midstream and Development.

ABB announced it has has won a five-year contract to deliver equipment and services for Shell's Prelude FLNG, the world's first floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility, the largest floating facility ever built. ABB's equipment will minimize downtime and optimize the efficiency of the facility. The order includes the delivery of motors, generators, variable speed drives and low-voltage switchgear and guarantees service and lifecycle management of the electrical equipment as well as service and support for motors from third-party vendors.

Port operator APM Terminals to develop a new transshipment terminal in Tangier, Morocco with an annual capacity of five million TEUs. APM Terminals MedPort Tangier will become operational in 2019, serving multiple trades and will be the first automated terminal in Africa. The 30-year concession of APM Terminals MedPort Tangier will complement the current operations of the existing APM Terminals Tangier facility. APM Terminals has been named as the operator of a new container transshipment terminal at the Tanger Med 2 port complex. APM Terminals already operates the APM Terminals Tangier facility at Tanger Med 1 port, which started operations in July of 2007 and handled 1.7 million TEUs in 2015. The new terminal will have annual capacity of five million TEUs.

1813 - During the War of 1812, the frigate, President, commanded by John Rodgers, is en route between the Azores and England when it begins a series of captures of British vessels that include the brig Kitty, the packet brig Duke of Montrose, the brig Maria, and the schooner Falcon. 1869 - Secretary of the Navy Adolph E. Borie, orders the construction of the first torpedo station on Goat Island, Newport, R.I. Cmdr. Edmund O. Matthews is the first Commanding Officer. During the establishment, the station experiments with torpedoes and trained sailors in the use of the weapons.

1801 - Commodore Richard Dale's squadron arrives at Gibraltar for the protection of American interests and to strike at the Barbary Pirates in the Mediterranean. Squadron ships were USS President, USS Philadelphia, USS Essex, and USS Enterprise. 1850 - The Naval School at Annapolis, Md., is renamed the U.S. Naval Academy and adopts a four-year course of study. Also on this date, Commander Cornelius K. Stribling becomes the first Superintendent of the Naval Academy and serves until the fall of 1853.