Research Department News

The shipping industry's pledge to limit its carbon footprint may suffer a setback as the current Red Sea crisis prompts it to use more vessels and take longer routes to ensure the smooth sailing of global maritime trade.Iranian-backed Houthi militants' attacks on vessels passing through the southern Red Sea have choked trade through the Suez Canal, driving many container shipping companies to add 10-14 days to the voyages between Asia and Europe and add more vessels.The disruption…

Authorities in Turkey and Cyprus are on alert for any potential pollution from a 'sheen' of fuel floating across the Mediterranean from a spill in Syria, officials said.Fuel which seeped into the sea from a thermal station off the coast of Syria on August 23 has been snaking across the Eastern Mediterranean, but any potential impact on Cyprus will depend on currents.The latest satellite images of the region provided by the European Maritime Safety Agency showed the oil sheen east of Cyprus breaking down and dissolving, the Cyprus Fisheries and Marine Research Department said.The eastern Cyprus coastline, largely unspoilt, falls within two opposing jurisdictions; an area controlled by the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot government and a Turkish Cypriot breakaway state recognized on

Classification society DNV GL said it has granted Approval in Principle (AIP) to Korea Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering (KSOE) for a new wing-sail auxiliary propulsion system for ships designed to help reduce shipping emissions and fuel burn.The wind-powered auxiliary propulsion system, designed for installation aboard many vessel types, is the result of a joint research project from KSOE, the shipbuilding holding company of Hyundai Heavy Industries Group, and SK Shipping…

Classification society DNV GL said it has teamed up with shipbuilder HHI Group to develop the next generation of environmentally friendly, "future-proof" tanker designs.In a recent "Green Tankers towards 2050" industry webinar, DNV GL and HHI Group presented the results of new joint research and explained how eco-friendly maritime solutions can help shipowners and managers to cope with stricter environmental regulations now and in the future.The joint research was initiated by a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed in 2019…

Recently a team of Hydrex diver/technicians performed a propeller blade cropping on a 190-meter container bulker berthed in Hamburg. Two parts of the tip of one of the four propeller blades were damaged and needed to be cropped to restore the propeller’s efficiency. Having developed different procedures for different kinds of damage, Hydrex teams are equipped and trained to make the best out of a bent or broken propeller. Ideally, the in-house developed cold straightening technique is used.

During the Oceanographic Survey Vessel Conference in London, Damen Shipyards Group announced the introduction of a new range of Multi-Role Auxiliary Vessels (MRAV). The common theme running through the series is the provision of a basic platform offering reliable and cost-effectivemulti-role potential and hydrographic survey capabilities to naval clients. With the addition of supplementary modular mission equipment, this new family of Damen vessels can be mobilised in numerous, mainly littoral, naval tasks such as: explosive ordnance clearance and disposal, diving operations, torpedo recovery and overhaul, ROV and UAV deployment, SAR, coastal infantry and submarine support. The largest version of the range will be able to operate worldwide, on the ocean as well as in littoral waters.

The traffic developments through the Suez Canal showed the change in each type of transient and cargo ships, which gives an indication of the future of traffic in the canal, according to analysis conducted by Daily News Egypt. According to data, the contradiction between the low number of vessels and higher payloads shows a tendency to rely on bigger ships to save costs. The Suez Canal will have to cope with this development and maintain an appropriate depth to meet the requirements of these larger vessels. The Suez Canal succeeded in raising the number and tonnage of ships gradually over the past three years, with 16,596 vessels registered in 2013 at a total of 915.467m tonnes. In 2014, 17,148 ships transited the canal with a total of 962.748m tonnes.

Fox News and the Washington Free Beacon reported the presence of a  top Russian spy ship off the coast of Kings Bay, Georgia and is capable of cutting undersea cables. The Pentagon responded to the media reports that it was closely being monitored by defense agencies but declined to give a location of the Russian vessel. "The U.S. intelligence ships, aircraft and satellites are closely watching the Russian military vessel in the Atlantic that has been sailing near a U.S. nuclear missile submarine base and underwater transit routes," say Pentagon officials. The Russian research ship Yantar has been tracked from the northern Atlantic near Canada since late August as it makes its way south toward Cuba.

BOURBON is participating in a tidal turbine connection project off the island of Ushant (Brittany, France), a first in France. A pioneer in the towing and installation of the first floating wind turbine off the coast of Portugal, BOURBON is committed in the field of renewable energies and is now supporting SABELLA1. Our mission: to lay the electrical cable for connecting the first tidal turbine to the national grid. The challenges: a narrow corridor, strong currents, 30 tons of cable. A team of over 30 experienced professionals, including engineers, seafarers, divers and ROV pilots. After 2 weeks of preparation, in close collaboration with all project stakeholders (client…

U.S. firms leverage Netherlands-based Damen Shipyard’s vessel designs and technical support. For nearly 40 years, Damen Shipyards Group in the Netherlands has licensed its vessel designs and technical support to yards owned by other companies. The business practice showcases not only the depth, variety and strength of the Damen portfolio, but also the reputation and reliability of its designs. Since 1969, Damen Shipyards has delivered more than 5,000 vessels, typically averaging 160 vessel deliveries annually.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) will reorganize its research and development structure. The reorganization initiative calls for the creation of a new Research & Development Center consolidating the five currently existing Research & Development Centers. According to MHI, the move is targeted at shifting to a cross-organizational system based on companywide business units, timed to coincide with the company's transition from its earlier structure of business segments to its current systems of business domains and strategic business units (SBU). By consolidating its research and development operations, MHI anticipates new synergies in technologies and skills, enhanced development of human resources and greater efficiency in work performance and facility utilization, the company said.

Mustang Survival is pleased to launch an improved Ocean Commander immersion suit to the Canadian marketplace; the first immersion suit to receive Transport Canada, MED, and SOLAS approvals. After research and tests, this launch also marks the return of the long-trusted Ocean Commander immersion suit for sailors, offshore boaters, fisherman and other commercial marine workers alike. The new Ocean Commander (Model #OC8003 HR) is constructed of a high visibility fluorescent yellow-green shell material, building off the findings of a recent study led by Mustang Survival’s research department.

As the threat posed by maritime piracy continues in several parts of the world, there is a growing debate among different governments, private sector analysts, non-governmental organization advocates and others about how bad the situation truly is; where and to whom it is the most challenging, what more needs to be done, and how much the private security industry actually benefits from this type of reporting. Like the famous phrase “beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” different people find the same threats to be of varying degrees of worry. Yet the bottom line is that piracy’s frequency and growing transnational criminal reach, the people it hurts…

EDHEC-Risk Institute announced that eight new members have joined its international advisory board, which brings together scholars, representatives of regulatory bodies as well as senior executives from business partners and other institutions. The role of the international advisory board is to validate the relevance and goals of the research program proposals presented by the institute’s management and to evaluate research outcomes with respect to their potential impact on industry practices. The 47 members of the board also advise on the objectives and contents of projects deriving from the expertise of the institute, thereby ensuring that graduate and executive programmes remain at the forefront of developments in the marketplace.

Following closely upon Congressional testimony about international maritime piracy offered by a U.S. State Department official, who called the use privately contracted armed security teams a "game changer in the effort to combat" the international menace, AdvanFort President William H. Watson has issued the following statement: "In testimony this week before the House of Representatives, the Assistant Secretary at Bureau of Political-Military Affairs Andrew J. Shapiro said that U.S. "Mr. "The State Department's conclusion? 'The use of armed security teams has been a game changer in the effort to combat piracy,' Secretary Shapiro concluded. "AdvanFort is very proud to have served in the front ranks of those private security efforts.

As a special to Piracy Daily, Andrew Moulder discusses the international importance of the United Arab Emirates as a vital gateway for emerging markets and the importance of sophisticated counter-piracy efforts. The role of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the far most important regional hub for East- West ship transport offers a critical demonstration of both the scope and the need for sophistication of counter-piracy enforcement in the Gulfs of Aden and Oman. At least half of the global trading fleet of tankers passes UAE shores twice annually.

US Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) completes study of sleep patterns aboard 'USS Jason Dunham' (DDG 109). The study was conducted by personnel from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) who came aboard Jason Dunham to interview crewmembers about their watch rotations and monitor their sleep patterns, activity periods and reaction times. Dr. Nita Shattuck, an associate professor with the NPS Operations Research Department, said Jason Dunham's crew were the perfect candidates for the study.

ASD Tug 2810 Hybrid cuts fuel and emissions by at least 20%. Damen Shipyards has launched its first ever hybrid tug - the ASD Tug 2810 Hybrid - and is proud to announce that Iskes Towage & Salvage will be the launching customer. The signing ceremony took place today (October 23), at Offshore Energy in Amsterdam. The pioneering Dutch shipyard group is believed to be the only yard worldwide building hybrid tugs for stock. The second hybrid vessel will be available from stock end-2013.

Odyssey Marine Exploration (Nasdaq:OMEX), announced it has successfully recovered approximately 48 tons of silver bullion from a depth of approximately three miles. This initial recovery of bullion from the SS Gairsoppa, a 412-foot steel-hulled British cargo ship that sank in February 1941, totals 1,203 silver bars or approximately 1.4 million troy ounces of silver and has been transported to a secure facility in the United Kingdom. After unloading the cargo, taking on fuel and changing  personnel, recovery operations will continue and are expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2012.This record-breaking operation has so far produced the heaviest and deepest recovery of precious metals from a shipwreck.

To improve the quality of their services, Pilots of the Seine have chosen to invest in a “light”, faster and more economical pilot boat, which consumes less fuel. Their new pilot boat is equipped with IPS Volvo propulsion, an innovative system for mid-sizes workboats that can significantly reduce the carbon impact. The Alu Marine Shipyard, with the collaboration of  Geronimo Naval Design architects and the research department of Volvo, were able to meet demanding specifications with the expected quality level. The new pilot boat was launched earlier for trials in the Le Havre area.

Global shipbroker Braemar Seascope Ltd has underlined its commitment to delivering top quality market data and analysis by welcoming a new Research Manager to its London-based research team. Joining the research department is Mark Williams, an economist and consultant. Mark is a proven communicator and strategist and brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience of the shipping markets. He has been tasked with reorganizing and boosting the capture, analysis and distribution of real time and forward-looking shipping market information to support the company’s chartering…

High rates have lured a significant number of tanker owners into forking out the relatively small costs associated with converting their ships from Category 1 to Category 2 vessels. Category 1 vessels are those of 20,000 dwt and above carrying crude, fuel, heavy or lubricating oils as cargo, and “pre Marpol” tankers of 30,000 dwt and more carrying other oils. Pre Marpol means ships that do not have protectively located segregated ballast tanks. Category 2 vessels, on the other hand, do have protectively located segregated ballast tanks. The net result, according to Norway’s Platou, is that some 30m dwt of vessels due to leave the fleet during 2005 will not now do so.

Eighty-eight vessels from Qatar bearing cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) used the Suez Canal in 2006. Of these, 74 were bound for Spain, six to France, five to Belgium and three to other destinations, according to Ahmed El Manakhly, Director of the Planning and Research Department at the Suez Canal Authority. With these vessels having a draft of around 40 feet, the Suez Canal would have more than adequate depth to allow them to pass through. Draft refers to a ship's minimum depth of water to float. The Suez Canal's draft is at 62 feet. In 2006, there were 287 LNG carrier trips via the Suez Canal, a number that will reportedly rise to 366, a combined capacity of 52.6m cubic metres by 2010. Tolls are collected on the basis of the size of the vessel.