Ships Management News

Ship classification organization ABS said Tuesday it had joined an elite working group comprised of global maritime leaders to study onboard carbon capture technologies.The collaborative project brings together ABS, Diana Shipping Services S.A., Equinor ASA, GasLog LNG Services Ltd., Maran Gas Maritime Inc., Minerva Gas Inc., Neptune Lines Shipping and Managing Enterprises S.A., Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA), Prime Tanker Management Inc., Solvang ASA, Springfield Shipping Co.

Nine tankers carrying Russian-origin crude and fuel oil have discharged in the United States in April, likely the last ones to deliver before a wind-down set by Washington expires this week, customs and tanker tracking data showed.The United States last month set an April 22 ban on imports of Russian crude and refined products. The United States gave importers of Russian petroleum, liquefied natural gas and coal 45 days to take en route and under-contract cargoes.Tanker Seamagic, which loaded fuel oil at Russia’s Taman port, discharged at Valero Energy’s St. Charles, Louisiana, refinery last week, the last of the nine tracked to discharge.

Oil tankers that were sailing toward Venezuela have turned around and others have left the country’s waters as the United States considers blacklisting dozens of ships for transporting Venezuelan oil, according to shipping data and industry sources.The threat of tighter sanctions is already disrupting the global shipping market. Chinese oil firms are considering whether to decline to charter any tanker that has visited Venezuela in the past year, no matter where the ship is now or for what voyage, four shipping sources told Reuters on Tuesday.Washington is seeking to oust the socialist government of President Nicolas Maduro by choking the oil exports that provide its main source of income.

Leading Greek shipping industry stakeholders joined ABS, a global provider of classification and technical advisory services to the marine and offshore industries, for a workshop on drafting 2020 sulfur limit Ship Implementation Plans (SIP).Intended to help shipping companies and crew ready their vessels for compliance with the required sulfur content limit of 0.50% by 1 January 2020, the ABS workshop identified risks associated with design and operations of vessels in relation to the IMO regulation, including a HAZID study. “As the leading class organization in Greece, many in the industry are looking to ABS for guidance in managing the transition to operating under the 2020 sulfur limit.

Wilhelmsen has partnered with Ivaldi Group to deploy an additive manufacturing facility in the Wilhelmsen Ships Service’ facilities in Singapore. The local micro factory capable of on-demand production provides 3D printed parts to select partners as part of their early adopters program in a port that sees more than 100 vessel visits a day.“Looking at the costs associated with our marine products sales, the supply chain costs are frequently at least as large as the Cost of Goods Sold.” says Kjell Andre Engen, Executive Vice President of Marine Products, Wilhelmsen Ships Service, “Additive manufacturing with a technology partner like Ivaldi…

To help maritime operators ensure that crew are training and performing at their peak, KVH Industries, Inc. introduced Videotel Performance Manager. The scope of the Videotel Performance Manager combines the range of training content from Videotel with the power of web-based data analytics – all from KVH. By providing maritime managers with actionable insights about their fleets’ training activities, Videotel Performance Manager is designed to help increase operational efficiency, safety, and crew performance. The cloud-based software platform ensures that a crew’s latest training records are accessible from any web-enabled device, and interactive…

The engineering and technology group SENER has once again participated in “SMC 2016”, the annual maritime convention organized by the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) that brings together the main players in the US marine industry. This time the conference was held in Bellevue, Washington, on November 1-4. At the convention, SENER’s FORAN Area Manager for the United States and Canada, Verónica Alonso de los Ríos, presented the solution offered by the FORAN system for designing and building twin vessels, with a paper she wrote together with the Head of Naval Business Development, Rodrigo Pérez Fernández. As a shipbuilding CAD/CAM system that has been on the market for over 50 years…

ClassNK announced the release of an improved "e-Application" system. This improvement was planned based on requests from the users. Therefore, firstly we would like to show our appreciation to the kind feedback from our customers. 1. e-Application users can find ClassNK office in charge from a place of survey (port) using the search function. 2. e-Application users can search and re-use data of previous application. 3. NK-SHIPS users registered as a Sub User and a Temporary User can use e-Application. * NK-SHIPS User (Original User) needs to authorize each users to access e-Application on the NK-SHIPS / Management of Temporary User / Sub User menu. Furthermore, the operability of each pages have been improved. - What is the "e-Application"?

Established in 2008 in Dubai, Vega Ships Management announces the global expansion of their all-encompassing vessel post fixture services into the world wide shipping market. Vega Ships Management offers Vessel Post Fixture Commercial Operation services, headquartered in Dubai, with Port Captains based in Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia. VSM is manned by Master Mariners and Professionals of the Shipping Industry with years of experience, and provides services which meet and exceeds the needs and requirements of charterers and ship owners alike.

Drydocks World & Dubai Maritime City, the international service provider to the shipping, maritime, offshore, oil, gas and energy sectors, announced its participation in Posidonia from June 2-6, 2014, at Metropolitan Expo, Athens, Greece. The exhibition is one of the largest industry shows in Europe.Drydocks World & Maritime World has been a regular participant at the exhibition as it provides an unique access to Greek and international ship owners and buyers. According to His Excellency Khamis Juma Buamim, Chairman of Drydocks World & Maritime World, “We are really pleased to be back once again at Posidonia, an event that takes place every two years in which we participate on a very regular basis.

Transas Hellas has installed a bridge simulator NTPRO 5000 with two desktop bridges at C.M.I. Maritime Services (Manila, Philippines) owned by Crew and Ships Management Hellas. Given the ever changing environment of shipping, C.M.I. is taking an extra mile to ensure that seafarers are always up to date with the current requirements. For this reason, C.M.I. established an "Argo Navis" training center. C.M.I. decided to equip "Argo Navis" with Transas navigational simulators for the proper training of its crew to meet the high quality needs expected from manning agents nowadays.

The Greek ship management company Thenamaris has decided to implement Marorka’s energy management systems for their fleet of Tankers, Bulk Carriers and Container ships. The two companies entered recently into a contract that will bring the leading Marorka energy management systems on board all Thenamaris ships. Further to system installation the companies will cooperate on future development of energy management for the maritime sector. Thenamaris’ Objective is to continually improve energy efficiency and reduce environmental footprint. Thenamaris is committed to be a leading company in the maritime industry in energy management. Thenamaris has selected Marorka energy management solutions covering all major energy systems on board their fleet of vessels.

Established in 2006, the primary goal of the MLC is to be a pillar in the international maritime regulatory framework, establishing a level playing field for seafarers’ working and living conditions. While MLC 2006 is not expected to come into force before December 2011 (based upon the EU’s scheduled ratification of the conventions by the end of 2010), DNV has already worked with some shipowners, including Thenamaris, to develop services for handling the convention, including the development of effective procedures and certification ahead of compliance deadlines. Late last autumn, DNV’s MLC inspectors, headed by Frantziskos Kamizoulis…

Applied Weather Technology (AWT) announced that Mercy Ships, operator of hospital ships delivering free, health care services to the poor, recently used the latest version of AWT’s BonVoyage System (BVS) to help the Africa Mercy navigate the safest and most fuel-efficient course while en route to the ship’s current assignment in Benin, West Africa. AWT first began donating the BVS graphical marine voyage optimization system to Mercy Ships in 2000, and since that time has continued to provide Mercy Ships with complimentary data, system upgrades and support.

Providers in the communications and IT in shipping sector have been short-listed for innovation honors in the CITIS 2002 Awards. Winners will be announced at a gala dinner during the sixth CITIS event -hosted and sponsored by Inmarsat in London from March 18-22 - which also features a conference, seminars and an exhibition. The dinner will take place on March 19 at the Underglobe in Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. In addition to awards in four commercial categories, International Maritime Organization secretary general William O’Neil is to receive a lifetime achievement award for steering the introduction of the Global Maritime Distress & Safety System.

The North of England P&I club says that unfamiliar tasks imposed on ships' crews are leading to more personal-injury accidents occurring on board. In the latest issue of its loss-prevention newsletter 'Signals', the 50 million GT club says that additional duties - particularly those on deck - are being carried out by inadequately trained crewmembers from places such as the galley and the engine room. 'We have experienced a number of recent cases in which members of both the catering and the engineering departments have been working on deck, only to suffer serious accidents with tragic consequences,' says the club's loss prevention executive Tony Baker.

With the construction of new sister ships progressing as scheduled and the recently signed contract to manage the world's first ocean-going luxury residence, Silversea cruises is well poised for growth in the next millennium. The line was founded in 1992 with the concept of offering all-inclusive, ultra-luxury cruises to all parts of the world. The first ship, Silver Cloud, debuted in 1994, followed by Silver Wind in 1995. In five years, the line emerged as a leader in the ultra-luxury cruise market and is internationally recognized as the world's best small ship cruise line. The company's strong performance has made it possible to expand the fleet after only four years of operation. In May 1998, Silversea signed a contract for two new ships.

INTERTANKO’s Hellenic Forum last week elected its new Chairman and governing team. Emmanuel Vordonis of Thenamaris Ships Management will be the next Chairman, succeeding Ceres Hellenic’s Nicholas G. Fistes who held the position for three years, and is the Hellenic Forum’s third Chairman. Nick Fistes will remain as a Vice Chairman alongside Costis Kertsikoff of Eletson Corporation and Spyros Polemis of Seacrest Shipping. They will work together with the Steering Committee and the members of the Forum to stimulate constructive thinking and generate new ideas out of the hands-on international experience of the Greek shipping community.