Regulatory Affairs News

Greek shipping company Carras (Hellas) has received the ABS Biofuel-1 notation for its Aquataurus ultramax bulk carrier, the first vessel in the world to qualify.The notation is assigned to vessels that use a biofuel blend of up to and including 30% biofuel in compliance with IMO and ABS requirements.Biofuels are liquid hydrocarbon fuels with similar composition and properties to fuel oil, but they are produced from renewable sources such as crops, agricultural and forestry waste…

The Biden administration on Saturday unveiled final rules aimed at cracking down on US oil and gas industry releases of methane, part of a global plan to rein in emissions that contribute to climate change.The rules, two years in the making, were announced by US officials at the United Nations COP28 climate change conference in Dubai. The US and other nations attending the summit are expected to detail how they will achieve a 150-country pledge made two years ago to slash methane emissions by 30% from 2020 levels by 2030.Methane tends to leak into the atmosphere undetected from drill sites…

Corvus Energy, a Norway-based provider of battery energy storage solutions and fuel cell systems for the marine sector, has been awarded a Type Approval from DNV for its Cyber Security Notation on the Control and Monitoring System of Corvus Energy's Orca Energy Storage System (ESS).The Type Approval certificate signifies that Corvus Energy's control and monitoring system, along with its data collection through Lighthouse, has successfully met all the stringent safety, quality…

Zero emission is a nice idea, but who’s going to pay for it? The U.S. EPA is readying big money for zero emission ports.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working on two high-profile port initiatives that it hopes will move the needle in a big way towards U.S. ports’ zero emissions (ZE) operations and clean air goals.The first initiative started last May when EPA published a request for information and comments that would help the Agency develop Guidance it could use to evaluate funding requests for projects for zero-emission vehicles, port equipment and related infrastructure.

A fleet of U.S. offshore wind projects central to President Joe Biden's climate change agenda may not move forward unless his administration eases requirements for subsidies in the year-old Inflation Reduction Act, according to project developers.Norway's Equinor, France's Engie, Portugal's EDP Renewables, and trade groups representing other developers pursuing U.S. offshore wind projects told Reuters they are pressing officials to rewrite the requirements, and warning of lost jobs and investments otherwise."The components needed for our projects to progress simply do not exist in the U.S.

The 47th Annual Interferry Conference takes place in Hobart, Tasmania on November 4-8, 2023. With focus on elevating the customer experience and sustainability, expert presentations will feature the latest trends in tourism, service automation and onboard entertainment, as well as ship construction and conversion trends, optimised operations, and safety measures.How global tourism trends have changed and will develop post COVID-19 are part of the keynote of Robert Dougan from Tourism Australia, who kicks off the conference on Day 1.

Interferry – representing more than 270 companies and some 1,200 individual members from over 40 countries – is co-hosting a workshop at next month’s European Shipping Summit in Brussels to stress the importance of shifting more goods transport from road to short sea services, notably through better use of European Union funding to enhance the sector’s competitiveness.The workshop – ‘How to increase the share of maritime transport in Europe’s trade’  – takes place at 09:30 on September 19 in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts and is open to all interested professionals.

Next year marks a crucial milestone for the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention, with all ships required to meet the D2 standard for ballast water management by 8 September 2024. D2 specifies the maximum number of viable organisms allowed to be discharged. In most cases, it requires the installation of a ballast water management system (BWMS) on board the vessel.2024 will be a pivotal moment for the ballast water market and while it is true that the retrofit market will diminish and leave behind only a small newbuild market…

The Liberian Registry has awarded an Approval in Principle (AIP) to Anemoi Marine Technologies for their Rotor Sail systems.Anemoi’s Rotor Sails are available with three deployment options - fixed to the deck, a folding type, and on rails that can be moved along or across the deck.According to a press statement released Tuesday, the folding and rail systems were validated on a Newcastlemax bulk carrier design from SDARI and issued an AIP by Lloyd’s Register.The Liberian Registry conducted a technical review of the documentation…

Crowley has promoted Meaghan Atkinson to be Vice President of Sustainability. In her new role, Atkinson will lead Crowley’s sustainability journey, and drive action to decarbonize across the company’s operations and value chain to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. As vice president, she will lead the company’s efforts to build partnerships across its industries and value chain to fulfill Crowley’s sustainability commitments.In her prior role as Director of Sustainability and Regulatory Affairs…

DNV signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Hyundi Heavy Industries (HHI), AVIKUS and Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR) to collaborate on autonomous ship technology developments.The Hyundai intelligent Navigation Assistant System (HiNAS 2.0) is an AI-based navigation solution that covers all steps for voyage from detection to situation analysis, planning and control. The system assists in safe navigation by displaying AR (augmented reality) images of detected ships and navigation information.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced Beth Rooney has been named Director of the Port Department, taking over for Sam Ruda who is departing to return to the West Coast.A maritime industry veteran, Rooney will assume the role on May 2 following three years as the ports Deputy Director and more than three decades of experience. She has been with the Port Department since 1993.Together, Ruda and Rooney have led the East Coast’s busiest and largest seaport, and third in the nation behind the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach.

Classification society ABS announced it has appointed specialist Stamatis Fradelos as vice president of regulatory affairs.Fradelos, who returns to ABS’ Athens office, where he was previously business director and member of the IACS Environmental Panel, will spearhead ABS engagement with administrations and regulatory bodies and support the industry with compliance guidance.“ABS is engaged with maritime regulators and administrators all over the world and Stamatis will take our work in this area to the next level.

Energy storage systems (ESS) supplier Corvus Energy has appointed Kolbjørn Berge as senior vice president global regulatory affairs effective February 1.Previous to joining Corvus Energy, Berge worked for the Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA), responsible for the decarbonization of shipping. Berge’s focus has been safety and regulations for green solutions and the design of current national and international maritime regulations. He has been involved in numerous projects and a driving force in developing the regulations for the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG)…

In a typical year, the waters surrounding British Columbia’s Port of Vancouver host approximately 3,000 deep sea commercial vessels and 19 of the 35 ferries operated by BC Ferries, one of the largest ferry operators in the world. These waters are also home to a wide variety of aquatic wildlife, including the southern resident killer whales (SRKW), which have been listed as endangered in Canada since 2003.With vessel-generated acoustic disturbances identified by Fisheries and Oceans Canada as one of four key threats to the SRKW…

In November 2019, the Office of Coast Survey (OCS), part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), announced the start of a five-year program to “sunset” all raster and paper nautical charts.NOAA has produced electronic navigational charts (ENCs) since 1993. In the 2019 notice, NOAA writes that “ENC sales increased 425% since 2008, while sales of paper charts are now half of 2008 levels.”For NOAA and mariners, a focus on electronic charts and publications promises many advantages. With a singular focus, NOAA can use its resources more efficiently.

Derecktor Shipyards announced on Thursday that Richard Steady will be joining the U.S. shipbuilding and repair company as chief operating officer.Steady has held many executive maritime positions prior to joining Derecktor. He began his career at Maritrans, the global shipping and transportation company, where he rose to the position of director of government and regulatory affairs. He also held key roles at marine construction and dredging operator Weeks Marine, where he was director of marine services…

Classification society DNV says it has launched a new digital tool designed to help its customers track the requirements and deadlines of legislation for both individual vessels and entire fleets.As both the number and complexity of international shipping regulations continues to grow, navigating the timelines and requirements has become an increasing burden on ship owners and operators. DNV says its new Compliance Planner presents a full overview of the requirements facing any vessel or fleet…

Trade association Interferry says it welcomes the European Commission’s guidance on the gradual relaxation of travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic and relaunching of transportation links that will go into effect in advance of this summer’s travel and tourism season.“We welcome the growing signs in Europe and beyond that COVID-19 lockdown restrictions are starting to be eased,” says Interferry CEO Mike Corrigan. “The global ferry industry is prepared to contribute to…

The Trump administration on Thursday proposed to loosen Obama-era safety regulations for the oil industry in the Arctic Ocean off Alaska to ease the way for petroleum extraction in the region, an effort that President-elect Joe Biden will likely throw out once in office.The proposal would revise a suite of Obama-era rules crafted to improve safety in the extreme conditions of the Arctic after a Shell drilling rig ran aground there in 2012. The company later abandoned oil exploration in the region and there are no active drilling operations there.Now, much of the U.S.

The head of global trade association Interferry reflects on the unprecedented challenges of 2020 and those ahead—but makes a case for cautious optimism.What a difference a year makes…In this column last January, I was hailing the worldwide ferry industry’s exceptional growth in 2019—marked by soaring tourist traffic and a host of newbuild orders—and eagerly anticipating further advances in 2020. None of us could have known that within a matter of weeks, all expectations were to…

Trade association Interferry is conducting an energy efficiency data survey among members to ensure that existing ferries can comply with short-term greenhouse gas emissions measures agreed in principle at last week’s meeting of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC).Subject to final approval at next June’s MEPC meeting, by 2023 existing ships must achieve new pre-defined energy efficiency values in an initial step toward the 2030 target of a 40% improvement compared with 2008 values…

If you and your crew are facing questions about ballast water management (BWM) and related regulatory deadlines, it would be worth your while to download a new (January 2021) “Ballast Water Management Systems User Guide,” an extensive, in-depth look at evaluating, selecting and installing a BWM system. The guide was published by MARAD and Glosten for the Ship Operations Cooperative Program (SOCP). It is geared primarily toward U.S.-flag operators in domestic and international trade.As most mariners know, BWM, overseen federally by U.S. EPA and the Coast Guard, includes a number of activities.