Port Jefferson News

Norway-based gangway supplier Ulmatec has secured a contract to supply a 32-meter motion-compensated gangway and logistics support systems for the next US-built Jones Act service operation vessel.This 260-foot vessel will be built for Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) by North American Shipbuilding, an ECO affiliate. The vessel is a sister design to the “ECO Edison,” the first U.S.-built Jones Act service operation vessel (SOV), and will feature spacious cabins and facilities for 60 technicians. It will serve the growing offshore wind industry in the U.S.

Much has changed since Marine News’ 2022 shipbuilding report published in March last year, and business opportunities in certain market segments continue to grow. But the shipyards that are looking to cash in are still facing many of the same challenges.For example, many American shipyards and their partners throughout the shipbuilding supply chain are still finding it difficult to attract and retain the workers they need. If you’re a skilled craftsperson looking for a job in shipbuilding, you’re in luck, because there are plenty of openings at shipyards across the country.

U.S. offshore shipbuilder and shipowner Edison Chouest this week marked the 50-percent completion milestone for the U.S.-flagged ECO Edison, the first Jones Act-compliant wind farm SOV. Senior executives from offshore wind developers Ørsted and Eversource toured the Edison Chouest Offshore shipyard in Louisiana to see the progress on the SOV.ECO Edison will be delivered in 2024 and immediately provide operational support out of Port Jefferson, New York, for Ørsted and Eversource's joint venture offshore wind portfolio, which includes South Fork Wind, Revolution Wind and Sunrise Wind.

Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. (ESG) on March 9 hosted a keel authentication ceremony at its Allanton Shipyard in Panama City, Fla. for a new 302-foot auto and passenger ferry for the Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company.Steel cutting for ESG Hull 228 commenced in January 2023 and a delivery is scheduled for 2024. The ferry will operate between Bridgeport, Conn. and Port Jefferson, N.Y.The ferry is based on the P.T. Barnum and Grand Republic auto and passenger ferries that Eastern Shipbuilding Group previously constructed for McAllister Towing and Transportation Co…

With travel and tourism nearing pre-2020 levels, and transit systems benefiting from a return to work, passenger vessels have seen renewed activity. In its year-end review, John Groundwater, Executive Director of the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA), which advocates for the sector in Washington, D.C. wrote: “As we are nearing the end of the calendar year, we are delighted to report that our industry, and our members, are reporting far and wide that they have experienced very…

Florida shipbuilder Eastern Shipbuilding Group has cut first steel for a new auto and passenger ferry for the Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company.The new vessel, designed by Braintree, Mass.-based Gilbert Associates, is being constructed at Eastern's Allanton, Fla. shipyard and is scheduled for delivery in 2024.The 302-foot Subchapter H auto and passenger ferry will operate between Bridgeport, Conn. and Port Jefferson, N.Y. It will have capacity for 1,000 passengers and 124 cars…

Norway-based gangway supplier Ulmatec has secured a contract for the supply of a 32-meter motion compensated gangway and logistics support systems for ECO Edison, the first U.S.-built Jones Act service operation vessel (SOV). This 260-foot vessel will be built for Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) by North American Shipbuilding, an ECO affiliate, and will be able to accommodate 60 technicians. Once complete, the vessel will immediately provide operational support out of Port Jefferson…

Physical activity to construct America's first Jones Act-qualified wind farm service operations vessel (SOV) has kicked off on the U.S. Gulf Coast.The vessel, Eco Edison, is being built at Edison Chouest Offshore shipyards in Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida for planned delivery in 2024. Once complete, the vessel will immediately provide operational support out of Port Jefferson, New York for Ørsted and Eversource’s joint venture offshore wind portfolio, which includes South Fork Wind, Revolution Wind and Sunrise Wind.

“30 by 30” is the rallying cry for all concerned with the burgeoning U.S. offshore wind business. In Spring 2021, the Secretaries of Energy, Interior and Commerce resolved to deploy 30 gigawatts (GW) of electricity generated from offshore turbines by 2030. Consultants McKinsey, in a recent article frame the value proposition for this clean fuel source, writing: “During the industry’s 30-year evolution, costs have fallen so sharply that offshore wind now compares favorably with competing energy sources.” For vessel owners, renewable energy brings opportunity.The thrust of near-term U.S.

The past decade has seen tight restrictions on emissions from vessels, notably with a 2015 move to a .10% sulfur maximum in Emission Control Areas (ECA) in North America and in northern Europe. As the International Maritime Organization (IMO) now shapes shipping’s decarbonization future, shipowners are looking at transitions away from fossil fuels. Among the myriad of alternatives are lithium ion batteries and some early forays into hydrogen fuel cells.To date, large batteries are used on short runs…

As the traditional offshore oil and gas markets continue to struggle, the renewable offshore wind market is hot and getting hotter.As the cumulative maritime, offshore, port and logistics marketplace gears up for offshore wind energy on a huge scale, World Energy Reports (WER), in its report “2021 The Year When Offshore Wind Takes Off in the United States,” shows the anticipated growth trajectory. Service Operations Vessels (SOVs), which can commission and/or maintain turbines…

Offshore wind caught a favorable gust with the 2020 election of Joe Biden, and the following breeze from the early 2021 reconfiguration of the U.S. Senate toward Democrats. Though widely touted as a growth engine for maritime businesses (as well as shoreside trades), the latter years of the Trump administration seemed to see delay after delay.The class society DNV has been involved in offshore wind since its outset in the early 1990s, and now has 2,000 energy experts working in its efforts supporting this power source.

Sunrise Wind, a joint venture of Ørsted A/S and Eversource Energy, has signed a 25-year OREC purchase-and-sale agreement with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).Earlier in July 2019, New York selected Sunrise Wind as the preferred bidder for an 880MW offshore wind farm (OWF).The Sunrise Wind project has an average all-in development cost of USD80.64 per MWh (2018 prices) with an expected average OREC cost of USD22.62 per MWh.Sunrise Wind is the world’s leading offshore wind developer, and Eversource, New England’s largest energy company. Subject to Ørsted’s and Eversource’s final investment decision…

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) today announced the designation of nine Marine Highway Projects and a Marine Highway Route that will benefit Connecticut, Florida, Michigan, New York, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, Washington State and American Samoa. Marine highways are navigable waterways that can be used as alternate options to traditional shipping methods. “The designation of marine highways by Congress will help move cargo and people to help grow the economy and shift freight off of congested highways,” said Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to amend its 2005 rule that designated the Central and Western Long Island Sound Dredged Material Disposal Sites. The proposed amendments will help meet the goal of reducing or eliminating dredged material disposal in open waters of the Sound. These amendments are available for public review and comment through March 25, 2016, and the EPA will also hold two public hearings on the proposed amendments in early March. According to the EPA…

A new intermodal service for the Tri-State area offers a transportation alternative linking New York City, New Jersey and Connecticut with Long Island. The new service, launched in partnership between Seastreak, the Bridgeport–Port Jefferson Ferry and Hampton Jitney, uses a combination of ferries and busses to transport passengers from New York City, New Jersey and Connecticut to Long Island. Beginning May 22, 2015, the seasonal weekend service called Sea Jitney will carry passengers to and from these locations with the Port Jefferson dock as the hub.

U.S. marine vessel operators have invested in their fleets, adopted new technologies and switched to cleaner burning engines and fuels to stay in business. In this edition, we take a look at how industry leading marine operators have flourished, sometimes in tough circumstances. At family-run McAllister and Chouest, sons and daughters learned operations from the ground up, while CEO Todd Hornbeck revamped the first version of a company started by his dad. All value their employees and say workplace safety is a priority. Each of these companies is quick to meet customer demands.

Proliferation of energy related transport continues to drive commercial U.S. As the United States aims towards energy independence by the end of this decade, domestic shipyards and vessels owners are reaping rewards from this most unexpected turn of events. Hydraulic Fracturing, or fracking, has been the main (and well publicized) culprit in the rapid turn of events. While the proliferation of gas has been widely known for years, the presence of oil, in quantity, was a pleasant…

Today’s ATB play seemingly has legs for the long haul, as operators build and market needs fluctuate. The refined product trades are always in flux. Similarly, the supply patterns for products (and for chemicals derived from oil refining) are subject to constant change. At the same time, the distribution of refined petroleum products sees great benefit from the efficiency of Articulated Tug Barges (ATBs), which have the flexibility to adjust to dynamic supply programs between refineries and myriad distribution facilities dotting the coastline. It wasn’t always like that.

As Brunswick Commercial & Government Products expands its capabilities and product line, the Florida-based boatbuilder is positioned to safely provide increased efficiencies, and an expanded, multi-mission product line. When Brunswick Commercial & Government Products (BCGP) broke ground on a facility expansion at the company’s Florida headquarters in early May, it served notice that this well-known boatbuilder had ramped up both its delivery capabilities, and an expanded array of new hulls. With a new large-boat building that includes added manufacturing space and other facility improvements, the 10,500-square-foot facility increases the company’s manufacturing capacity by 50 percent.

McAllister Towing & Transportation operates a fleet of more than 75 tugboats, crew boats and barges in 17 locations along the U.S. East Coast from Portland, ME to San Juan, PR. The fleet consists of 28 Z-Drive/ Tractor tugs, 11 Tier II compliant tugs, 20 plus vessels involved in coastal towing and 35 ABS load line classed vessels. In each port, McAllister is engaged in ship docking, general harbor towing, coastal towing and bulk transportation. The firm has recently welcomed 3 new Z-Drive/ Tractor tugs as it continues to upgrade its already formidable fleet.

In 1864 Abraham Lincoln was president, and the U.S. was embroiled in the midst of civil war. In 1864, McAllister Towing was established (originally as the Greenpoint Lighterage Co.) in New York City. McAllister Towing has persevered, and at times, served, through nine wars, 28 presidents, at least three catastrophic stock market crashes; collapsing oil prices, generations of advances in ship technology and vessel construction and design; and an explosion in maritime regulation.

Imagine a settlement over falsifying emission levels in another transportation sector dropping money onto your deck. Who knew? But it’s true. The $2.9 billion settlement fund Volkswagen agreed to capitalize for distribution across all 50 states, tribal lands and Puerto Rico, as a result of “dieselgate,” its criminal dodging of required auto emission levels, presents an unparalleled opportunity to maritime companies that want to move their noxious diesel engines up a couple of EPA notches, and stick someone else with close to half the bill or more.