Products Carrier News

Bermudan tanker owner and operator Team Tankers International has committed four additional ships to using the the anti-barnacle active agent Selektope following fouling prevention performance during a 40-month trial of an antifouling coating containing the technology on an MR tanker in their fleet.The vertical sides of the46,067DWT chemical and products carrier Team Calypso were coated with Chugoku Marine Paints’ SEAFLO NEO CF-Premium antifouling coating that contains Selektope during its five-year drydocking at the Sembcorp shipyard, Singapore in 2015.During the last 40 months the MR tanker has been in active operation across a wide range of trade routes globally…

Alternative to Diesel Strengthens as Barriers Continue to Fall. From the earliest days of mechanically propelled ships, fuel use has been evolving. Starting with wood, fuel changed to coal, which held sway for many years. Oil began to be used in the late nineteenth century and was clearly the dominate marine fuel of the twentieth century. Environmental shortcomings of fuel oil, particularly traditional heavy bunkers, were brought under increasing scrutiny as the twentieth century came to a close.

122 ships, including Coast Guard vessels and a passenger vessel, have reported malfunctions in their navigation systems since the apparent jamming of satellite signals by North Korea last week, reported 'Safety4Sea'. According to the Coast Guard in Incheon, west of Seoul, a total of 122 ships were affected by the disruption to Global Positioning System (GPS) signals. Among the vessels were eight patrol boats belonging to the Coast Guard, a passenger liner carrying 387 people and a petrol products carrier. Fishing boats operating near the tense western maritime border with North Korea also reported errors in their navigation systems, although none of them led to accidents, Coast Guard officials said.

Little more than 12 months ago newbuilding prices had been drifting down steadily for more than a year and some industry analysts were warning that soft ship prices could be here for some time. Simultaneously, the closure of some yards were more than offset by the opening of new ones, particularly in China, while improvements in productivity were constantly adding capacity. Some brokers and industry analysts were warning of surplus capacity, not just in containerships, but in the Aframax, Suezmax and 45,000 dwt products carrier range. What a difference a year makes. Today the picture is radically different. The container, tanker and bulk carrier markets are all buzzing, with certain sectors of the dry bulk market reaching record levels, beyond most owners' wildest dreams.

3.MAJ Brodogradiliste of Rijeka, Croatia has delivered Chaleur Bay - the second of its four-part oil/products carrier series. The Liberian-registered vessel group, which was ordered by Inter Shipping is formatted for transportation of crude oil and oil products, with cargo space divided by one corrugated longitudinal bulkhead. Double sides protect the cargo space, and in addition to conventional double bottom within cargo space, double sides were applied in fuel oil tanks, in compliance with strict international environmental requirements. Kvichak Marine, Seattle, Wash. delivered the 54 ft. (16.4 m) all-aluminum catamaran M/V Thresher to California Fish & Game.

U.K. shipping and transport group Crescent PLC has added two 2,670 dwt bulk carriers to the fleet of ships operated by Crescent Shipping, the group's dry cargo shipping division. "The Crescent Seine and the Crescent Rhine are of a brand new design and are exceptionally flexible ships. Both have low air draft designs, allowing them to trade on combined river-sea routes. Fully loaded with 134,800 cu ft of grain, for instance, they will still only have a draft of 4.05 m and an air draft of 5.2 m. Moreover, both are fully fitted to carry 84 teu boxes," says Jim Stewart, managing director of Crescent Shipping. The Crescent group of companies comprises four distinct divisions operating throughout Europe.

Clean Sea standards which until now have been applied only to passenger ships. Italian owner Mediterranea di Navigazione from Korea's Hyundai Mipo yard. features of the vessel. standards, in excess of current legislation. ISO certification long before it was compulsory. showing the world a lead in building and operating cleaner tankers. low speed accident. standards set down in the voluntary IMO MARPOL Annex IV. TBT-based anti-foulings. Marpol. plants. marine organism transfer.

Italian classification society RINA has issued its Green Star environmental logo to the 35,000 dwt Shogun, in what is believed to be the first time a chemical/product tanker anywhere has achieved the voluntary Clean Air and Clean Sea standards which until now have been applied only to passenger ships. The Shogun, an IMO 11 chemical/products carrier, has just been delivered to Italian owner Mediterranea di Navigazione from Korea's Hyundai Mipo yard. It will enter service on charter to Italy's major energy group ENEL, which has taken particular interest in the advanced environmental and technical features of the vessel. RINA's Green Star logo has already been sought for several passenger ship newbuildings…

SMIT Salvage has been busy responding and providing emergency pollution prevention services to casualties off the South African coast and in the Orinoco River. SMIT is currently assisting the products carrier Nino and the general cargo vessel TMP Sagitarius. Both vessels went aground on rocks off the coast of East London, between Durban and Port Elizabeth, on July 18 within hours of each other. During June, SMIT was awarded three LOF contracts involving a grounding in Venezuela and two casualties with engine problems off the South African coast. On June 22, the 39,607 dwt Grigoroussa 1 dragged her anchors in the Orinoco River, Puerto Ordaz. The 1976-built vessel was nearly fully laden, carrying 35,000 tonnes of coal upriver.

Winners of the Lloyd’s List-SMM 2002 Awards for innovation in shipbuilding and marine technology were announced in the Hamburg Congress Centre last night (September 24) at a gala ceremony which brought day one of the world’s biggest maritime fair to a glittering conclusion. Several hundred leading industry figures gathered for the final stage of an initiative launched in March by Lloyd’s List and SMM organisers Hamburg Messe to recognise the technical advances which enable maritime commerce and defence. With 13 awards in three merchant and naval categories, the inaugural scheme attracted a massive wave of nominations for ships and support systems reflecting the cutting edge of ingenuity in improving performance, reducing costs and protecting the environment.

Tsakos Energy Navigation Limited announced that it has taken delivery of two new vessels from Imabari Shipyards in Japan. The aframax Marathon was delivered on January 22, and immediately entered into an accretive repositioning voyage with a major South American oil concern. The panamax Maya, the first in a series of four new fully coated panamaxes, was received on January 24, and also immediately entered into an accretive repositioning voyage with a major Asian oil concern. Including these two vessels, TEN expects to add 6 newbuildings to its fleet in 2003. "TEN is proud to begin the new year by enhancing one of the youngest and most efficient oil tanker fleets in the world," stated Nikolas P. Tsakos, President and CEO.

Compelling design and operational arguments in favor of podded electric drives can be expected to transcend any negative impressions formed from the recent clutch of problems and complications experienced with such systems in certain cruise ship and ferry applications. Experience has shown that technical innovation in the maritime field has invariably been accompanied by early setbacks in some shape or form. In an industry where conservatism is the order of the day, and understandably so where assets are subjected to the rigors of the elements as well as the vicissitudes of the markets, those operators willing to be the standard bearers with new technology provide a beacon for the wider maritime community.

Heysham-based Seatruck Ferries has drydocked its freight ferry MV Moondance with newly formed North Western Ship Repairers, using Birkenhead's Bidston dock. The dock is not far from the Camell Lairds facility, and North Western is led by John Syvret (ex-MD of Camell Lairds. Seatruck is the first company to use North West for a full drydocking. Kevin Hobbs MD of Seatruck, says, "We are delighted that North Western has stepped in to offer the quality service that we require. Merseyside has once again proved itself as a center of excellence for ship repair and conversion. Seatruck welcomes the new facility that is well placed to provide for its needs on their Irish Sea route.

In late August of this year the Dubai Drydocks delivered a handsome 45-metre lube oil tanker to Gulf Agency Company of the same city. The vessel, named GAC Mumtaz was built to a design from Mr. G.S. Chopra of Seatech Solutions in Singapore. With a beam of 12 metres the boat will carry up to six TEU (20-foot equivalent unit) containers in addition to three 50 cubic metre lube oil cargo tanks. Other tankage includes 60 cubic metres of fuel and 20 cubic metres of water. The steel fabrication materials for the hull and superstructure plate ranges from eight to eleven millimetres. The 3.5-metre moulded depth of the hull is built with a double skin and bottom for added safety. Accommodation is provided for ten people.