Roy Bleiberg News

If nothing else, building vessels in the U.S. is a complicated business.In a session on the domestic shipbuilding marketplace, at Marine Money’s late-November 2023 conference held in New Orleans, Ben Bordelon, president and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards (with more than a dozen facilities, in Mississippi and Louisiana), described his company’s architecture as a “three-legged stool approach: commercial newbuilds, government newbuilds and repair/conversion capabilities”.On the same panel…

C-Suite leaders of ABS, Panama Canal Authority, BIMCO, INTERCARGO, IACS, DNV, Stena Bulk, Hapag-Lloyd, IBIA, International Seaways and many more have been announced for the conference lineup at CMA Shipping 2024.With just six weeks to go, eager anticipation is growing for the 39th edition of CMA Shipping taking place in Stamford, Conn., from March 12-14, 2024.The conference agenda promises to highlight pertinent issues surrounding the future of shipping, and how the industry can navigate challenges such as the energy transition, crewing and education, safety and compliance.

A second Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company, LLC (GLDD) trailing suction hopper dredge (TSHD) is to be built to ABS Class at Conrad Shipyard.Able to dredge at depths of up to 100 feet, the 6,500-cubic-yard-capacity vessel is expected to deliver in the first quarter of 2025 and will be a sister ship to the Galveston Island, currently under construction at Conrad Shipyard to ABS Class, with delivery expected in early 2023.Steve Becker, Senior Vice President, Fleet Engineering at GLDD, said, “As the leader in the U.S.

Alternatives to fossil fuels are emerging throughout the maritime universe, and vessels working in U.S. rivers, waterways and harbors are at the cusp on this trend. While the alternative fuels spectrum is wide, battery power and electrification—a technology that has seen a decade of shipboard applications already—is particularly suited for smaller vessels.Crowley Maritime Corp will be taking delivery of a completely electric tugboat, dubbed eWolf; the boat- which will include kit for advanced vessel control tied to an electric propulsion system from ABB…

A barge modification project by Stillwater Marine Services for Brice Marine has been delivered using the ABS 3D Model-based Class Process.The barge has undergone a bulwark modification on its aft deck section. Stillwater Marine submitted the modification design to ABS’ New Orleans Engineering office in 3D model format. Once completed the modified barge was surveyed by ABS’ Seattle Office.“This was a powerful demonstration of the ABS 3D-Model-based class process in action. Not only did we deliver efficiencies in plan review and survey without compromising safety…

Edward Schwarz, Vice President for ABB Marine and Ports, received the United States Merchant Marine Academy’s Rear Admiral Lauren S. McCready Award as the 51st recipient.Edward A. Waryas, Jr., Board Member for NYSE-traded KNOT Offshore Partners, LP as the 43rd recipient of the award and co-chair of the award’s committee made the announcement.The Lauren S. McCready Award is intended to recognize graduates of the United States Merchant Marine Academy who have made significant technical…

Report explores the benefits and challenges of natural gas power from the perspective of fuel providers and operators. Classification society ABS published a new Advisory about LNG Bunkering in response to the industry's growing interest in gas propulsion, LNG Bunkering: Technical and Operational Advisory, exploring the benefits, challenges and solutions associated with fuelling vessels equipped with LNG power systems. The report is available to the public through the ABS website, www.eagle.org. "Ship owners, operators, designers and shipyards around the world are considering the advantages that operating on natural gas may provide," said Roy Bleiberg, ABS' Director of Global Gas Solutions.

ABS has updated its guidance on LNG Bunkering in North America to support the transport sector's increasingly rapid transition to the use of cleaner fuels. The second edition of ABS' Bunkering of Liquefied Natural Gas-fueled Marine Vessels in North America was released today, offering new market-leading advice to shipowners and operators who may be looking to develop bunkering infrastructure in response to new emissions regulations and showcase their environmental stewardship. "As the demand for LNG-fueled vessels and the supporting infrastructure continues to grow, ABS continues to offer the industries we serve with up-to-date information derived from the latest projects and our intimate knowledge of the evolving regulatory landscape in North America…

Houston-based GTT North America (GTTNA), U.S. subsidiary of French engineering and technology company Gaztransport & Technigaz SA (GTT), has received approval in principle (AIP) from ABS for the design of a 2,200 cubic meter liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunker barge. The distinctive design incorporates GTT’s proven membrane Cargo Containment System (CCS), which is utilized in 70% of the global LNG carrier fleet and nearly 90% of LNG carrier projects on order. Leveraging over five decades of LNG storage and maritime transportation experience…

On February 27, Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG), a Seattle-based naval architecture and marine engineering firm with offices in New Orleans and Ketchikan, obtained approval in principle (AIP) from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for the design of a 2,000 cubic meter liquefied natural gas (LNG) combination bunkering barge. “At ABS our goal is to help designers, shipyards, and operators bring new and novel concepts to the marketplace in a safe and effective manner,” said ABS Director of Global Gas Solutions Roy Bleiberg.

Classification society ABS said it has taken another step to meet industry needs with the formation of the ABS Global Gas Solutions Team to leverage the organization's LNG and LPG capabilities. This group of experienced gas professionals will work alongside owners, shipyards and equipment manufacturers to provide an extensive range of services to this growing market. "The discovery of new gas resources around the world and the exciting potential for wide-scale adoption of gas as a marine fuel are leading to a dynamic shift in the global marketplace," says ABS Chairman and CEO Christopher J.

Effective 1 May, ABS will introduce changes to its global engineering organization designed to improve service delivery to clients and reinforce technical capabilities. The new organizational structure is similar to the approach the society has used to administer its global survey services in recent years and is intended to provide better administration of its ship and offshore engineering services, more technical support to the engineering staff conducting plan reviews and promote greater technical consistency. The key component of this new organizational structure is the creation of Assistant Chief Engineer (ACE) positions within each operating Division, reporting directly to the ABS Chief Engineer Robert Giuffra in the corporate headquarters in Houston.