Welsh Port Steps Closer to Becoming Floating Wind Hub
A project to transform the Port Talbot into a major hub for floating offshore wind (FLOW) and green energy development has come one step closer to securing a share of up to $200 million (£160 million) of UK Government funding.The UK Government has agreed to take forward the Future Port Talbot project and the Port of Cromarty Firth to undergo due diligence as part of the next stage of its Floating Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme (FLOWMIS).The due diligence processâŠ
Seaway7 Gets Baltica 2 Offshore Wind Job
Subsea7's renewables-focused offshore installation subsidiary Seaway7 has secured a âsizeable contractâ by PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna and Ørsted for the transport and installation of the substations for the Baltica 2 offshore wind farm in Poland.Seaway7âs scope includes the transport and installation of four substations. Offshore activity is scheduled to take place in 2026 utilising both heavy lift and heavy transportation vessels.The âsizeable contractâ for Seaway7 means itâŠ
Insights: Cherrie Felder, VP, Channel Shipyard Companies
For Cheryl âCherrieâ Felder, the path to the maritime industry was both untraditional and seemingly meant to be. After studying African art, she began her career working in a museum in New Orleans before landing a role directing professional rodeo in the Big Easy.âIt was a lot of fun, and I learned a whole lot,â Felder said. âBut as you may imagine, New Orleans is not a rodeo town. After the third year, the board of directors decided, okay, that's it. No more rodeo.âAnd thatâs when Felderâs doorway to the maritime industry swung openâŠ
New England Offshore Wind Auction Draws Multiple Bidders
Several offshore wind developers bid in a combined Connecticut-Massachusetts-Rhode Island offshore wind solicitation on Wednesday, including units of European energy firms Iberdrola and Orsted.The U.S. offshore wind industry is booming so far this year, with several projects in various stages of development and construction, after a disastrous 2023 of developers cancelling contracts and taking roughly $9.1 billion in write-offs and impairments on U.S. projects.So far, AvangridâŠ
Cadeler Signs Wind Turbine Installation Contract Worth Up to $150M
Danish offshore wind installation firm Cadeler has signed a contract to provide its vessel Wind Scylla for the installation of offshore wind turbines for an undisclosed client.The contract is valued between $75 million and $150 million, including both the firm period and potential options.The installation work is set to start in 2025 with Wind Scylla vessel, according to Cadeler.During the project duration, spanning between 300 and 550 days, the client will utilize Cadelerâs teamâŠ
US Approves Orsted's Sunrise Wind Offshore Wind Farm
The Biden administration on Tuesday gave final approval to Orsted and Eversource's Sunrise Wind offshore wind facility, which is expected to provide power to more than 320,000 homes in New York.The announcement was the latest positive development for the project, which Denmark's Orsted warned just months ago could fail without a new contract that would cover soaring costs for equipment and financing.Orsted and Eversource said separately that they had taken a final investment decisionâŠ
Seaspan Awarded Contracts for Canadian Coast Guardâs Multi-Purpose Vessels
The Canadian government on Tuesday announced it has awarded a pair of contracts to Seaspanâs Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd. (VSY) to initiate the next stages of procuring the first flight of Multi-Purpose Vessels (MPV) for the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG).These contracts, which are worth $490.6 million combined (taxes included), following completion of the vesselâs basic design review in late 2023 and allow VSY to undertake pre-construction work, such as selecting specific pieces of equipmentâŠ
Leadership Profile: Tor Svanes and NAVTOR's Quest to Transform Shipping
Compliance, performance, profitability, sustainability; take the biggest âpain pointsâ for almost any shipping company and watch NAVTORâs digital ecosystem work wonders. Here Tor Svanes, Founder and CEO, explains how NAVTOR has grown to lead the smart shipping world, why the recent merger with Voyager Worldwide was so critical, and how he hopes to help steer the industry towards brighter, simpler, and more intelligent horizons.âThe morning of the announcement I got a text from the boss of one of our biggest competitorsâŠ
Davie Awarded Contract for Canadian Icebreaker Design
The Canadian government has awarded a contract to shipbuilder Chantier Davie Canada Inc. of Lévis, Quebec, for initial work related to the construction of new Program Icebreakers. Under this $19.6-million contract including taxes, Davie will begin work to develop the initial design.A series of six new Program Icebreakers is planned to replace the Canadian Coast Guardâs (CCG) medium icebreakers that operate in Atlantic Canada and the St. Lawrence waterways during the winter, and in the Arctic during the summer.This contract enables the shipyard to initiate project planning phasesâŠ
Ukraine Strikes Russian Warship and Reconnaissance Vessel
A Ukrainian missile attack struck a Russian naval reconnaissance vessel and a large landing warship that Moscow captured from Kyiv during the annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014, Ukraine's navy said on Tuesday.Ukraine hit the vessels during an attack on Crimea at the weekend, the navy said.
Roll Group Cuts Steel on Roll Barge One
Roll Group has cut steel for its latest addition, Roll Barge One, in Batam, Indonesia. Scheduled for delivery by ASL Yards in the third quarter of 2024, this marks Roll Group's entry into the barge market with its own assets."This is a new milestone in the history of our company," said Peter Rondhuis, CEO of Roll Group. "By entering the barge market with our own assets, where we have been servicing our clients so far with rented barges, we're aligning with our strategic vision. Roll Barge One represents the first of many we plan to build.
Sweden Buys Norwegian Icebreaker
The Swedish Maritime Administration has purchased the 18-year-old icebreaker Polar Circle, expanding its fleet of icebreaking ships to help keep the nation's ports and shipping lanes clear during the cold winter months.In December, the Swedish Maritime Administration put out a tender to acquire a secondhand icebreaker, with Polar Circle emerging as the most suitable option. The agency recently ran the Polar Circle through trials in the Gulf of Bothnia before committing to purchase the vessel."We are delighted to welcome Polar Circle to our fleet.
US Dredging: Plenty of Issues, New WRDA on the Way
2024 marks another year for development of a biennial WRDA billâWater Resources Development Act, critical legislation for the Nationâs waterways, ports and harbors. WRDA encompasses a range of issues, from environmental regs to energy use to agriculture and, of course, a focus on projects critical for economic growth.Because these are dynamic and timely issues, Congress and the maritime sector like to keep WRDA on a two-year reauthorization timeline. Indeed, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, December and January, held three WRDA information hearings.
Stena RoRo Explores Methanol Retrofits
Stena RoRo and Caterpillar Motoren have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to promote the use of methanol as fuel on board MaK-powered E-flexer class ferries.The partners will work together to explore alternative fuel solutions to reduce CO2 emissions from ferry operations. This includes the development and feasibility of converting MaK-powered ferries from diesel to methanol. An initial pilot project involves a Stena ferry equipped with VM 43 C MaK engines.Methanol is among a number of fuels being explored as an option to help the maritime industry reduce its environmental footprint.
Fourth CTV Launched for WindServe Marine
Senesco Marine held a launch and christening ceremony for WindServe Marine's new Jones-Act-compliant crew transfer vessel (CTV), WindServe Explorer.WindServe Marine, a sister company to the North Kingstown, R.I. shipbuilderâboth part of the Reinauer Groupâwill operate the CTV to serve the U.S. offshore wind industry. The vessel is slated to enter operations at a project in the U.S. Northeast.The BMT-designed aluminum catamaran is 27 meters long with a 9-meter beam and 1.7-meter draft.
Norway Approves Ammonia Bunkering Terminal
The Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection gave their approval to the construction of the planned ammonia bunkering facility at Fjord Base in Florø, Norway.The planned terminal consists of a floating stationary barge with a capacity of 1,000 cu. m. (650 tons) of ammonia. The permit allows for up to 416 operations annually, many of these expected to be bunkering operations for offshore supply vessels that regularly call at Fjord Base in Florø.The planned terminal is part of Yara Clean Ammonia and Azaneâs efforts to make low-emission ammonia a common fuel for shipping.
Provaris Energy Begins Fabrication of Prototype Compressed Hydrogen Tank
Provaris Energy's prototype compressed hydrogen tank is now under construction, and final class approval is on track for completion in the June 2024 quarter.The proprietary tank design, which utilizes carbon steel plates and an inner liner, is part of the companyâs hydrogen carrying vessel design.Awarded to Prodtex and partnered with SINTEF, the tank production project is designed for hydrogen storage and transportation. âThe optimized design of the full-scale H2Neo carrier and containment tanks delivers substantial CAPEX and OPEX savings.
Esgian Week 12 Report: New Finds in Guyana, China and Norway
Esgian reports fresh finds confirmed in Guyana, China and Norway in its Week 12 Rig Analytics Market Roundup.Report Outline:ContractsDolphin Drilling has announced the award of a $154 million drilling contract from India's exploration and production company, Oil India Limited (Oil India), to the 6,000-ft semisub Blackford Dolphin.Malaysian offshore drilling firm Velesto confirmed Friday it had recently secured long-term contract extensions for three of its jackup rigs with Petronas CarigaliâŠ
BOEM Announces Review of Proposed Vineyard Northeast Project
The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will initiate an environmental review of Vineyard Northeastâs proposed offshore wind energy project, located 29 miles offshore Nantucket, Massachusetts at its closest point. BOEM estimates the proposed project would generate up to 2,600MW of electricity, enough to power more than 900,000 homes with clean renewable energy. The approximately 132,370-acre Lease Area is located some 29 miles (mi) from Nantucket and approximately 39 mi offshore Marthaâs VineyardâŠ
US Revises Tax Credit Rule to Help Offshore Wind Projects
The Biden administration on Friday released new rules that will make it easier for offshore wind developers to claim a subsidy for facilities planned in areas that have historically relied on fossil fuel industries for employment.The revision follows nearly a year of warnings by offshore wind companies that their projects might not move forward without access to certain subsidies in President Joe Biden's landmark climate change law, the Inflation Reduction Act.Offshore wind is a critical part of Biden's plan to decarbonize the U.S.
German Wind Sector Welcomes Offshore Terminal Funding
The German Offshore Wind Energy Foundation said the government's decision to help fund the expansion of an offshore terminal is important to achieve expansion goals for wind energy at sea.In a statement late Friday, the foundation said it welcomed a government move to contribute to the costs of expanding the terminal at the port of Cuxhaven, on the North Sea coast.The government has agreed to finance the 30-hectare (74 acres) expansion of the offshore terminal, together with the state of Lower Saxony and the private port industryâŠ
Philippines to Build Islands Port Near Taiwan
The U.S. military will not be involved in development of a port in the Philippines' remote northernmost islands near Taiwan, the local governor said, removing a potential source of friction with China over the U.S. presence in the region.The governor of the Batanes islands, less than 200 km (125 miles) from Taiwan, said in August she had sought U.S. funding for a new port there. The U.S. embassy had at the time confirmed its diplomats and U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) experts hadâŠ
Fiji to Sign Ports Deal with Australia in Shipbuilding Boost
Fiji will strike a deal with Australia to upgrade ports and shipbuilding infrastructure, months after its prime minister said it was likely to partner with China on the project, the government of the Pacific Islands nation said on Thursday.Fiji's government said its cabinet had agreed to enter into a memorandum of understanding with Australia for the project, after Australia committed to financing."The revival of the shipbuilding industry in Fiji has been articulated as a key priorityâŠ