R Bar News

DNV has awarded HD Hyundai Mipo Dockyard an approval in principle (AIP) for the design of ammonia dual fuel 45,000 m3 liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers.The presentation took place at the HD Hyundai Global R&D Center (GRC) in Seongnam, Korea. HD Hyundai Mipo (HMD), who have developed the basic ship design, provided detailed engine specifications and operational data from global engine maker, WinGD, and reviewed the safety and suitability of the design with DNV. The designs are based around a new 10…

Construction on a new passenger ferry, designed by Incat Crowther for Western Australian ferry operator Rottnest Fast Ferries, has commenced at Austal Philippines.The new ferry will operate on the popular Perth to Rottnest Island tourism route with the 32-meter aluminum catamaran set to have an operational capacity of up to 400 passengers and five crew seated over three decks. The vessel will also feature extensive cargo and luggage space for passengers, including bicycle storage areas on the main and mid decks.

Finland-headquartered maritime tech company Groke Technologies (Groke) is working with BAR Technolgoes (BARTech) design and develop of situational awareness systems for the U.K. marine engineering consultancy’s WindWings wind propulsion technology.The companies have signed a partnership agreement following the debut installation of two 37.5 m (123 ft) tall WindWings sails on board MC Shipping-owned and Cargill-operated Kamsarmax bulker Pyxis Ocean. Groke’s camera and imaging solutions were also installed.Groke Technologies’ CEO Juha Rokka said…

NOV’s APL group has received technology qualification program (TQP) certification from DNV for its largest swivel. The swivel TQP developed by APL is claimed to be a game-changer for fluid swivels for oil, gas, e-fuels, and CO2 transfer.The TQP was developed to meet the increasing demand for larger swivel designs that can withstand higher pressures and temperatures. Large swivel stacks are used for floating production vessels to connect the processing system on the weathervaning vessel with the geostationary subsea installation.“Without the swivel stack…

Dry chemical powder solutions have long safeguarded LNG and LPG cargo vessels, but as the industry embraces liquefied gases as a propulsion fuel, the unique requirements for protecting bunkering stations on a wider range of vessels, such as large cruise ships, containerships, and tankers, is becoming increasingly important. In response to the growing demand for advanced fire safety solutions to support the maritime's energy transition, Survitec has reconfigured and enhanced its Dry Chemical Powder (DCP) fire extinguishing system.

BAR Technologies, a developer of wind propulsion systems, has entered into partnership with floating offshore wind platforms pioneer Nervion Naval Offshore to manage and oversee the production of BAR Technologies’ wing sail design WindWings in Europe.The agreement with Nervion, a company owned by Amper Group and with factories in Ferrol and As Somozas in Galicia, Spain, is the first manufacturing partnership for BAR Technologies outside of China.It is expected to provide European customers…

Incat Crowther has been commissioned by Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation to design a new 300-passenger, high-speed catamaran for US operator Yankee Freedom.The new vessel, Yankee Freedom IV, will replace the 250-passenger Yankee Freedom III, which was also designed by Incat Crowther. Like its predecessor, Yankee Freedom IV will provide service on the 70-mile route between Key West in Florida and the Dry Tortugas National Park.The commissioning of Yankee Freedom IV reinforces Incat Crowther’s position as one of the most trusted passenger ferry designers in North America.

Key West, Fla.-based Yankee Freedom has ordered a new 300-passenger, high-speed catamaran from Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation for passenger service between Key West and the Dry Tortugas National Park. The new vessel will replace Yankee Freedom III, a 250-passenger catamaran built for the 70-mile run by the Mass.-based shipyard in 2012. Delivery of Yankee Freedom IV is planned for 2026.The new larger vessel, designed by Incat Crowther, retains the strong brand presence Yankee Freedom has established with tourists to the national park, said company officials.

Shipping industry majors Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk have signed an agreement for a new long-term operational collaboration called ‘Gemini Cooperation’, which will start in February 2025.The ambition is to deliver a flexible and interconnected ocean network with industry-leading reliability.The new cooperation between the companies will comprise a fleet pool of around 290 vessels with a combined capacity of 3.4 million containers (TEU). Maersk will deploy 60% and Hapag-Lloyd 40%, the shipping giants said.As a part of the agreement…

Palatka, Fla. shipyard St. Johns Ship Building announced it has delivered WINDEA Courageous, the first of three Jones Act compliant crew transfer vessels (CTV) ordered by WINDEA CTV, a partnership between Hornblower Wind and MidOcean Wind.The 30-meter-long WINDEA Courageous and its sister vessels are designed by Incat Crowther and each have capacity to carry 24 technicians, plus six crew. The Bureau Veritas-classed vessels will be propelled by quad Volvo IPS propulsion units driven by Volvo DI13 main engines.

“Turku is building the real big ships,” said Meyer Turku CEO Tim Meyer.Meyer is not exaggerating. The yard’s latest newbuild, Icon of the Seas—the first ship of Royal Caribbean’s Icon class—is 248,655 GT, making it the largest cruise ship ever constructed.In general, the cruise ships rolling out of the nearly 300-year-old Finnish shipyard have been steadily increasing in size since the Meyer Group took full ownership in 2015. “We are proud to say Turku has been a first-mover in building these big new classes for Royal Caribbean…

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation on Thursday announced the receipt of five dredging contracts totaling $173.7 million. The projects are in Texas, New Jersey, Florida and Louisiana.The Sabine-Neches Waterway Channel Improvement Project-Phase 1 (Capital, Texas, $62.8 million) includes dredging for channel deepening along the Sabine-Neches Waterway from Sabine Bank Channel to Sabine Pass Channel. The construction of the Sabine-Neches Waterway will generate widespread economic benefits for Southeast Texas…

Senator Wesley Livsey Jones gave his name to the famous “Jones Act” governing U.S. domestic maritime trade. But what do really know about him? It turns out that he was much more than a leading merchant marine policy maker. (i)Jones had a long career in the U.S. House of Representatives before he was a Senator, was an effective legislator, an astute politician, one of the hardest working legislators of his era, and always viewed as honest and forthright. His many maritime legislative successes included the Merchant Marine Act…

Bernhard Schulte ordered its first CO2 tanker, a newbuild to be constructed at Dalian Shipbuilding Offshore (DSOC) and to showcase technologies designed to reduce its carbon footprint. Planned for delivery in 2026, the ship is committed to a long-term time charter agreement with Northern Lights.The newbuilding ordered now is the first ship of this type for the Bernhard Schulte fleet and the fourth CO2 carrier for Northern Lights. The joint venture, owned by Shell, TotalEnergies and Equinor…

Norway's minority government and two opposition parties have agreed to allow seabed mineral exploration in the Arctic region, they said on Tuesday, in a key step towards full-scale ocean mining.The deal comes as Norway hopes to become the first country to make deep-sea mining happen on a commercial scale and secure critical minerals and jobs despite concerns over the environmental impact and international calls for a moratorium.The amended version of the government's proposal, which parliament will formally debate on Jan.

The November edition of Marine News magazine highlighted a selection of the most notable American newbuilds delivered of 2023—from a first-of-its-kind green towboat, to the lead vessel in a series of game-changing ships to train U.S. mariners.Empire StateAs the lead vessel in a series of five new training ships being constructed to serve America's state maritime academies, Empire State is easily one of the most important U.S.-built vessels delivered in recent memory.Built by Philly Shipyard for the U.S.

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…

Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku on Monday delivered the world's largest cruise ship, the 248,655 GT Icon of the Seas, to U.S.-based Royal Caribbean International.The 365-meter-long cruise ship has 20 decks (including 18 guest decks) and surpasses the previous world's largest, Royal Caribbean's Oasis-class Allure of the Seas. With 2,805 staterooms, Icon is able to carry 5,610 passengers at double occupancy, or up to 7,600 passengers if every cabin is maxed out—another cruise industry record.

Denmark-based marine pump specialist Svanehøj said Wednesday it can now offer a high-pressure pump solution for two-stroke engines as demand for LNG-fueled vessels remains high.The company describes its solution as a compact unit with three combined cold ends designed for optimal flow and longer service intervals.High-pressure LNG engines offer lower fuel consumption and significantly reduced methane slips. This is driving a surge in demand for crucial components for LNG high-pressure fuel supply systems…

India's shipping ministry will follow foreign ministry advice when deciding whether to allow a ship carrying Russian oil that has been placed under U.S. sanctions to berth at an Indian port, the country's shipping regulator said.The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on three maritime companies and three vessels owned by them for shipping Russian oil sold above a price cap imposed by the Group of Seven nations, as Washington seeks to close loopholes in the mechanism designed…

An employee of General Dynamics' Bath Iron Works shipyard was killed during a mass shooting event in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday.The Bath, Maine shipyard, which designs, builds and supports surface combatants for the U.S. Navy, released the following statement on social media on Thursday: "All of us at Bath Iron Works are heartbroken to share that we have lost a member of our BIW family. We send our deepest condolences, thoughts and prayers to the family and friends of our employee Peyton Brewer-Ross, who was killed in Lewiston on Wednesday night.

The first US-built trawler-processor for Alaskan pollock in over three decades is now undergoing sea trials in the Northern Pacific, testing an integrated technology package from Kongsberg Discovery tailored to locate, inspect, and engage fish with unparalleled efficiency.The 100-meter-long Arctic Fjord, designed by Kongsberg Maritime and built by Louisiana’s Thoma-Sea Marine Constructor, will start full-time operations for 2024’s pollock A season in the Bering Sea.Speaking ahead of this week’s Pacific Marine Expo in Seattle…

Viking has announced the expansion of its river fleet in Southeast Asia with the new Viking Tonle.Designed for the Mekong River, the vessel will join its identical sister ship, the Viking Saigon, which debuted in 2022, and will sail between Kampong Cham, Cambodia, and Mỹ Tho, Vietnam, as part of Viking's 15-day Magnificent Mekong itinerary.The ship is under construction and is currently scheduled to debut in October 2025. To meet strong demand for Mekong River voyages, Viking…