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Obayashi News

12 Mar 2024

Huisman to Supply Two Subsea Cranes for Toyo’s New Cable Layer

Toyo's VARD 9 15 design CLV with Huisman cranes (Credit: Huisman)

Dutch company Huisman has secured a contract to supply two subsea cranes for Toyo Construction’s new cable laying vessel (CLV), being built by Norwegian shipbuilder Vard.The contract Huisman signed with Vard is for the delivery of full electric 250 mt Hybrid Boom Subsea Crane, and a 100 mt Knuckle Boom Crane that will be integrated into Toyo’s CLV newbuild.The purpose-built VARD 9 15 design is expected to advance capabilities for cable-laying and turbine foundation installation works in the Japanese offshore wind sector.Designed to meet the specific Toyo’s requirements and preferences of Toyo…

05 Mar 2024

Singapore's Temasek Shortlists Saudi Aramco, Shell in Sale of Pavilion Energy Assets

© vladsv / Adobe Stock

Singapore's Temasek Holdings has shortlisted energy giants Shell and Saudi Aramco among a handful of companies to purchase most of the assets of liquefied natural gas (LNG) trading firm Pavilion Energy, sources with knowledge of the matter said.The sale process comes a decade after the state investment firm set up Pavilion Energy to focus on LNG-related investments, and takes place as spot Asian LNG prices LNG-AS have fallen more than 40% since mid-August, potentially weighing on the deal's valuation.Temasek is evaluating bids for the sale of Pavilion Energy's assets…

19 Dec 2023

US Launches Multi-National Operation to Safeguard Red Sea Commerce

Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III greets Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in Tel Aviv, Israel, Dec. 18, 2023. Austin traveled to Israel to meet with counterparts and underscore unwavering U.S. commitment to Israel's right to defend itself in accordance with international humanitarian law. (Source: US Department of Defense)

The United States on Tuesday launched a multinational operation to safeguard commerce in the Red Sea as attacks by Iran-backed Yemeni militants forced major shipping companies to reroute, stoking fears of sustained disruptions to global trade.The Houthi militant group, which controls vast amounts of territory in Yemen after years of war, has since last month fired drones and missiles at international vessels sailing through the Red Sea - attacks it says respond to Israel's devastating assault on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.This week…

30 Nov 2023

Japan Urged to Scale up Offshore Wind Auctions

© Fokke Baarssen / Adobe Stock

International energy companies, from Germany's RWE to Spain's Iberdrola, are urging Japan to beef up offshore wind power auctions and make investments more attractive, amid soaring installation costs as competition for suppliers grows worldwide.Although desperate to ease its heavy dependence on energy imports from the Middle East and Russia, Japan is coming late to offshore wind, but some industry players say it is taking a more cautious approach that puts it at a disadvantage."It's a global race and we can't look at it in isolation…

08 Nov 2023

Japan Says to Ensure U.S. Sanctions on Russia LNG Project Won't Harm Supplies

Arctic LNG 2 Illustration - Credit: Saipem (File image)

Japan will make sure its energy supplies are not affected by sanctions the United States recently imposed on the Arctic LNG 2 project in Russia in which it has a stake, Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said on Tuesday.Japan, the world's second-largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) buyer, relies on LNG as a transition fuel before it reaches carbon neutrality in 2050, and has supply contracts and stakes in projects globally to guarantee imports.The Arctic LNG 2 project is to be launched next month…

19 Sep 2023

Japan Responds to Fresh Sanctions on Arctic LNG 2

© KKF / Adobe Stock

Japan will ensure stable and steady energy supply to the country even after the U.S. imposed fresh sanctions related to Russia's Arctic LNG 2 project, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on Tuesday.The Arctic LNG 2 project is operated by Russia's Novatek while Japanese trading company Mitsui & Co and state-owned Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) hold a combined 10% stake.Mitsui and JOGMEC are set to receive a combined 2 million metric tons of LNG per year from the project.The latest sanctions are part of several economic measures the U.S.…

24 Apr 2023

Floating Wind Power Gains Traction But Can It Set Sail?

Credit: Untrakdrover/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 3.0

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.

06 Feb 2023

Safety Improved on World's First Liquid Hydrogen Carrier after Malfunction

Suiso Frontier - Credit: Australian Transportation Safety Board

A valve failure that caused a flame to flare up briefly on the world's first liquid hydrogen carrier before its first trip from Australia to Japan highlighted the need for strong fault detection systems, an Australian safety report found.The cause of the incident on the Suiso Frontier on Jan. 25 last year has been fixed, the Australian Transportation Safety Board said in a report released last week. The ship had loaded liquid hydrogen for the trip the day before. "Safety has always been our highest priority.

31 Jan 2023

Japan's Marubeni Starts Commercial Ops at Akita Offshore Wind Farm

Source: Akita Offshore Wind Corporation

Japanese trading firm Marubeni Corp started commercial operation based on the feed-in tariff program for renewable energy at Akita Port offshore wind farm on Tuesday, it said in a statement.Japan's offshore wind power market, part of the country's goal to be carbon neutral by 2050, is set to grow as the government eyes installingup to 10 GWof offshore wind capacity by 2030, and up to 45 GW by 2040.Marubeni's $768 million project of two wind farms with 140 MW capacity at Akita…

29 Dec 2022

Japan Insurers to Continue Offering War Coverage for LNG Shippers in Russian Water

© Carabay / Adobe Stock

Japanese insurers are expected to continue providing marine war insurance which covers the sinking and requisition of ships due to war in Russian waters after Jan. 1, the Nikkei daily said on Thursday.Japan's Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance, Sompo Japan Insurance and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance told shipowners last Friday that from Jan. 1 they would stop offering insurance coverage for ship damage caused by war in Russian waters, because reinsurers were withdrawing coverage.

29 Dec 2022

How Will Japan Resolve Shipping Insurance for Russian LNG imports?

Credit: Evgeny
/AdobeStock

Japan, the world's top liquefied natural gas (LNG) importer, is facing its latest challenge in securing vital gas supplies from Russia after Western reinsurers said they would halt marine war insurance for ships travelling in Russian waters from Jan. 1.Having joined other G7 countries in imposing sweeping sanctions on Moscow for the invasion of Ukraine, Japan has been reducing its reliance on Russian oil and coal, but it continues to buy Russian LNG amid elevated prices in a tight…

27 Dec 2022

Japan Insurers in Talks with Reinsurers to Resume Coverage in Russian Waters

Credit:  Evgeny/AdobeStock

Three Japanese insurance companies that are set to halt marine coverage of risks related to the war in Ukraine starting next month are in talks with reinsurers to resume those operations, they said on Monday. Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance, Sompo Japan Insurance and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance on Friday told shipowners that they would stop offering marine war insurance, which covers damage to ships from war in Russian waters, from Jan. 1, spokespeople at the companies said. Their comments confirmed local media reports on Saturday.

19 Oct 2022

Nippon Yusen to Invest in Pertamina's Shipping Unit

L to R: Salyadi Saputra:Director of Strategy, Portfolio & New Ventures / PT Pertamina (Persero)  -  Rahmi Amini: Director / PT Pertamina Pedeve Indonesia - Pahala Mansury: Deputy Minister / Ministry of State Owned Enterprises Yuji Nishijima: Executive Officer / NYK - Yoki Firnandi, Chief Executive Officer / PT Pertamina International Shipping ©NYK

Japan's Nippon Yusen said on Wednesday it will invest in Pertamina International Shipping (PIS), a unit of Indonesia's state energy firm Pertamina, without disclosing terms of the deal. ,The move by Japan's biggest shipping company is aimed at expanding business in Indonesia, where energy and energy transportation demand are expected to increase in tandem with the country's economic growth, a spokesperson for Nippon Yusen said. Nippon Yusen plans to complete the deal by the end of 2022.

05 Oct 2022

Mitsui OSK Signs Charter With New Russian Operator of Sakhalin-2 LNG project

Japan's Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) said on Wednesday it had signed a long-term charter contract with the new Russian operator of the Sakhalin-2 liquefied natural gas (LNG) project for LNG carrier Grand Mereya to continue its shipping service.Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree in June taking charge of the LNG project, creating a new legal entity to deal with buyers and shareholders. MOL's move comes after Japanese utilities, such as JERA and Tokyo Gas, signed deals with the new Russian operator to maintain long-term deliveries of LNG and Japanese trading houses Mitsui & Co and Mitsubishi Corp were approved by Russia to take a stake in the new operator.

28 Sep 2022

Mitsubishi to Team Up with Port of Corpus Christi on US Ammonia Plant

(Photo: Port of Corpus Christi)

Japanese trading company Mitsubishi Corp said on Wednesday it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Port of Corpus Christi Authority of the United States to collaborate on large-scale production facility of fuel ammonia in Texas.The move comes as part of Mitsubishi's efforts to create global supply chains of the clean fuel to help Japan's and other Asian countries' attempts to combat climate change, the company's senior vice president, Hiroki Haba, told the International Conference on Fuel Ammonia.Ammonia is used for fertilizer and industrial materials…

05 Aug 2022

Supertankers Waiting to Load Murban Crude After Floods Shut Fujairah

At least four supertankers are waiting to load Murban crude off Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates a week after floods shut operations at the oil hub, according to trade sources and shipping data on Refinitiv Eikon.Last Thursday, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) said it had shut down its operations at Fujairah terminal due to "exceptional rainfall".The company had said it would divert Fujairah terminal oil lifting to the Jebel Dhanna terminal which can handle Murban shipments.However, supertankers are still waiting off Fujairah and it remains unclear when loading will resume, according to the sources and Refinitiv data.Two…

20 May 2022

Inpex Plans Maintenance at Australia's Ichthys LNG from July 1 to Aug. 5

Credit: Inpex

Japan's Inpex Corp plans to conduct scheduled maintenance at its Ichthys liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in Darwin, Australia, from around July 1 to Aug.

09 Feb 2022

Japan to Divert LNG to Europe Amid Russia-Ukraine Tensions

Japan will divert some liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes to Europe after requests from the United States and the European Union, the industry minister said on Wednesday, a step that aligns the country with the West as tensions flare with Russia.Concern has mounted over the possible disruption of supplies from Russia, Europe's biggest gas provider, following the buildup of Russian troops near Ukraine and heightened tensions between Moscow and the West.The extra shipments are expected to arrive next month, minister Koichi Hagiuda told reporters."We have decided to respond to requests from the United States and EU for sending LNG to Europe, where gas supply is tight," Hagiuda said after separately meeting with the U.S.

14 Apr 2022

Japan's Asahi Tanker to Start Ship Fuelling with World's First Electric Tanker

Credit: Asahi Tanker

Japan's Asahi Tanker said it will start using the world's first electric-powered tanker for ship fuelling, known as bunkering, later this month in an effort to cut carbon emissions.Japan, which is the world's fifth-biggest CO2 emitter, aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, while the global shipping industry, which relies on oil to power its vessels, is trying to speed up efforts to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases."The vessel's core energy system is completely electrified to achieve zero emissions of CO2…

10 Jan 2022

Indonesia Eases Coal Export Ban

© Alex Traveler / Adobe Stock

Indonesia allowed 14 vessels loaded with coal to depart as soon as they secure verifications from mining and transport authorities, a senior minister said on Monday, easing an export ban by the world's top thermal coal exporter.The export suspension on Jan. 1 came after state power utility PLN reported critically low inventory levels of the fuel, sending global coal prices higher last week and prompting calls by Japan, South Korea and the Philippines for it to be eased."As of today…

08 Mar 2022

Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Others Say Tanker Pilot Shows Coal to Hydrogen Plan Feasible

Credit: HESC (File photo)

Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) and other Japan-based firms said on Tuesday that a pilot project to transport hydrogen produced from brown coal in Australia to Japan in the world's first liquefied hydrogen tanker had proven technically feasible.While hydrogen is widely touted as a fuel of the future with zero carbon emissions, it requires intensive energy input, with renewables to produce "green hydrogen". Critics say emissions from brown coal-derived hydrogen are twice that of natural gas.The A$500 million ($364 million) project…

24 Dec 2021

Video: World's First Hydrogen Carrier Suiso Frontier Departs Japan for Australia

(Photo: Kawasaki Heavy Industries)

The world's first liquefied hydrogen carrier left Japan on Friday to pick up its first cargo in Australia, with a return to Japan expected around late February, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd said.The A$500 million ($362 million) pilot project, led by Japan's Kawasaki and backed by the Japanese and Australian governments, was originally scheduled to ship its first cargo of hydrogen extracted from brown coal in Australia in the spring.But it was delayed to the second half of Kawasaki's financial year, which runs from October to March, due to the COVID-19 pandemic."It depends on the weather, but

13 Dec 2021

Kawasaki Heavy Aims for Domestic Carbon Neutrality by 2030

© photo 34 / Adobe Stock

Japan's Kawasaki Heavy Industries said on Thursday it aims to achieve carbon neutrality in its domestic factories and offices in 2030 by using electricity generated by a 100 megawatts (MW) hydrogen-fueled power plant it plans to build.The company is trying to make hydrogen a key growth driver by building liquefied hydrogen carriers, hydrogen power stations and other facilities to create a global supply chain of the fuel that may help decarbonize industries and aid the global energy transition.Kawasaki aims to transport 225…