Organic Chemicals News

The U.S. trade deficit unexpectedly narrowed in November as imports of consumer goods fell to a one-year low amid slowing domestic demand, a trend that, if it persists in December, could result in trade having no impact on economic growth in the fourth quarter.The report from the Commerce Department on Tuesday also showed exports declined in November amid cooling demand overseas. Demand is slowing both in the United States and abroad following hefty interest rate increases by global central banks since 2022 to tackle rampant inflation.The Federal Reserve's rate hiking cycle has likely ended…

Drewry says that recovering demand recovery in the North America-East Coast South America box trades provides encouragement, but local political conditions bear watching. Elsewhere, reports that Maersk and MSC are reviewing their Iran operations underpins broader political uncertainties that could get in the way. North America-East Coast South America box tradesMaritime Research Consultancy Drewry is reporting that the headhaul East Coast South America to North America trade fell by 1% in the first quarter 2018 to 137,000 teu. Brazil owns as much 85% of that market where the slowdown was mostly a function of waning US demand for major commodities. Nevertheless, wood shipments improved sharply to offset lower volumes for other cargoes.

The technology group Wärtsilä is introducing its Voyage Emissions Reduction (VER) system as a means for increasing oil tanker revenues, while also significantly aiding the environment through reduced emissions. The system effectively eliminates the problem of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from tankers during laden voyages. VOC’s are organic chemicals having a high vapour pressure resulting from their low boiling point, which leads to extensive evaporation. On average, an oil tanker will emit 0.085 percent of its contained cargo per each week. For a 320,000 DWT Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC), this amounts to 270 tons of lost cargo per week. The Wärtsilä VER system is being made available in two versions.

“Small is beautiful”, the title of a book which went on to become a tagline for the environmental movement that was burgeoning in the 1970’s, has been applied by shipping journalists when product tankers - rather than behemoth crude oil tankers, are under discussion. In a similar vein, we can apply it to the size of a maritime company putting its attentions on lower costs of operation. There’s been extensive discussion of the virtues of bigger companies on the maritime conference circuit, and in the maritime media. The rise to prominence of the “big company” conversations is not surprising. Tanker and drybulk shipping successes are frequently synonymous with and really all about successes in the timing game.

Transas Marine Denmark contracted by A/S to supply & install 28 Navi-Sailor 4000 Multifunction Display Dual ECDIS units. Transas is also to upgrade another six Eitzen Chemical vessels to the latest hardware and software ECDIS standards over the next two years. The package for each vessel includes 2 x 26" Hatteland monitors, RS6B computers, radar overlay and Firewall enabling a direct connection between the vessel's satellite communication equipment and the Transas ECDIS. After the installations, all vessels will run the unique "Pay As You Sail" chart concept from Transas.

Xiom's "stay-clean" coating for both steel and fiberglass boat bottoms significantly reduces maintenance costs and fuel consumption caused by marine growth. The polymer/ceramic-based coating contains no TBT (tributyl tin) or VOCs (volatile organic chemicals), and does not ablate or wear away. Xiom Corp's new ship and boat bottom protective coating is a patent-pending powder coating. The coating has a network of evenly dispersed active copper oxide and silver ions in a polymer matrix that is fully melted when applied with Xiom's proprietary thermal spray process. The polymer matrix serves to hold the copper oxide in place for years. Even if there should be some break or "tear" in the coating, there is a nylon modified fuse bond epoxy between the hull and coating, maintaining integrity.

EnSolve Biosystems has completed its first European trial of its IMO and USCG approved PetroLiminator® Oil Water Separator. The PetroLiminator 100 was fitted in May of this year aboard United European Car Carrier's M/V Autopremier while dry-docked in Poland. The Autopremier has been operating in Northern European waters, where the OWS has successfully discharged over 12,000 gallons (45m3) of post-treated bilgewater in the first month of operation. Manager, Jeff Argent, stated, "The PetroLiminator has been processing all of the ships' oily bilgewater with little to no maintenance, allowing the Chief Engineer to spend time on other issues. UECC is Europe's leading provider of logistics and sea transportation services for the vehicle manufacturing industry.