Stark News

A new fire safety study by survival technology solutions provider Survitec finds that existing fire-fighting methods used to extinguish machinery space spray and pool fires on conventionally fueled vessels are inadequate when dealing with methanol-based fires.This follows extensive comparative fire tests on dual-fuel marine engines using diesel oil and methanol.“Our tests confirm that traditional water mist fire suppression mechanisms do not perform as expected on methanol pool fires and methanol spray fires.

Maersk warned on Thursday that container shipping overcapacity would hit profits more than expected this year and that it didn't see a major boost from the jump in freight rates due to Red Sea disruptions, hammering its shares.The warning, which also led the Danish shipping giant to suspend its share buyback programme, is in stark contrast with investors' recent optimism about the sector.Container shipping companies have been among the best-performing stocks in Europe this year…

Every day, nearly 60 fully loaded very large crude-oil carriers sail between the Persian Gulf and Chinese ports, carrying about half of the oil that powers the world's second-largest economy.As the vessels enter the South China Sea, they ply waters increasingly controlled by China's growing military, from the missile batteries and airfields at its bases on disputed islands to its stealthy Type 055 destroyers.But when crossing the Indian Ocean, joined by others headed to China from Africa and Brazil…

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.

Captain Morgan McManus will serve as the Ship’s Master on the Empire State VII, the first in a series of five National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV), which at press time was getting its post-sea trial finishing touches at Philly Shipyard. The project to design, build and deliver the NSMV series is one of the most exciting shipbuilding programs in the U.S. – a government shipbuilding project leveraging commercial shipbuilding efficiencies. For insights, we visited with Captain McManus to discuss the ship, it’s technology suite and its role in helping to educate a new generation of U.S.

A rising tide lifts all boats, as the saying goes, and while the offshore industry is currently experiencing a wide-ranging surge, there are vessel types and specific market segments that are expected to benefit more than others.One such segment is the offshore construction vessel (OCV) types, which to an increasing degree have found themselves in hot demand from both oil and gas developments as well as offshore wind activities.While vessel definitions and abbreviations in this space can vary…

The Arctic Ocean could be ice-free in summer by the 2030s, even if we do a good job of reducing emissions between now and then. That’s the worrying conclusion of a new study in Nature Communications.Predictions of an ice-free Arctic Ocean have a long and complicated history, and the 2030s is sooner than most scientists had thought possible (though it is later than some had wrongly forecast). What we know for sure is the disappearance of sea ice at the top of the world would not only be an emblematic sign of climate breakdown…

Market drivers have created a significant opportunity for Wallem to grow a specialised area of business, according to Capt. Anurag Mathur, Managing Director, Commercial Services, Wallem Group.Wallem’s portfolio of commercial services is ideally placed for expansion across a full range of vessel types, according to the executive appointed to drive for growth in January 2023. And Capt. Anurag Mathur, whose previous roles include senior managing directorships at leading ship owning and ship management companies…

When it comes to war, the old adage that the best defense is a good offense rings true. Nowhere is this more the case than naval warfare, where initiative can make the difference between victory and defeat. As an integral part of naval warfare, mine warfare – both mine countermeasures and mine laying, or “offensive” mine warfare - will continue to influence naval operations. Yet the latter of these sub disciplines - the “other” mine warfare, as Admiral James Winnefeld, Jr. calls it - has often been missing from mine warfare discussions.

Capsized in a river in southern Iraq, the rusting wreck of a yacht that belonged to Saddam Hussein serves as a stark reminder of his iron-fisted rule that ended with the U.S.-led invasion two decades ago.The 121-metre (396 ft) "al-Mansur", a symbol of Saddam's wealth and power when it was built in the 1980s, is today a destination for sightseers and fisherman who clamber aboard the wreck to picnic and drink tea."When it was owned by the former president, no one could come close to it…

The ocean freight rate landscape in the Far East has been completely redrawn since the start of the year, with spot rates plummeting by an average of 75% across the six major trading lanes, Xeneta said in its latest report.By comparison, long-term rates are proving more resilient, with a fall of ‘just’ 13%, the ocean and air freight rate benchmarking and market analytics platform said Friday. Role reversalThe latest analysis from Oslo-based Xeneta highlights a market in flux. Since early summer, spot rates have fallen from historical highs.

On the night of September 26, near the end of the calm season on the Baltic, a broiling kilometer-wide circle disturbed the face of the sea and a huge mass of methane erupted into the air. The gas formed a cloud that crossed Europe, in what’s considered the greatest single release of this potent greenhouse gas ever recorded.It was caused by four breaches of Russia’s Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, located in or near the territorial seas of Denmark and Sweden. Seismologists detected explosions at a depth of 70-90 meters on the seabed.

Long-term contracted rates fell by 1.1% in September, marking the first drop since January and one of only three declines in the past 21 months, recent data from the Xeneta Shipping Index (XSI) reveals. However, analysts at Oslo-based Xeneta, which aggregates data from leading global shippers and freight forwarders, expect “it won’t be the last”, with market fundamentals suggesting the “halcyon days” of ever-increasing rates for carriers may be drawing to a close.“It had to happen sooner or later,” said Xeneta CEO Patrik Berglund.

Talk that China may end its unofficial ban on imports of Australian coal is unlikely to result in any significant increase in shipments to the world's biggest coal buyer.Media reports last week suggested that Beijing is considering lifting the informal embargo, put in place in the second half of 2020 as tensions escalated with Canberra over a series of issues.Coal wasn't the only commodity affected, as China placed restrictions or bans on imports of barley, seafood and wine, among others.The unofficial ban was effective, with Australia going from being China's biggest supplier of coal in July

Bureau Veritas (BV) and TotalEnergies are studying ammonia leak mitigation and treatment in an effort to de-risking the use of ammonia as a marine fuel.The joint preliminary study has evaluated the health and safety risks from ammonia leaks for crew and passengers and pinpointed key safety criteria. So far, the study has examined different leak scenarios for single-wall and double-wall containment, as well as during bunkering operations – also providing key insights on the efficiency of ventilation and vapor processing systems…

America’s marine economy contributed about $361 billion of the nation’s gross domestic product in 2020. That is according to the most current results of the annual Marine Economy Satellite Account released today by two Department of Commerce agencies, NOAA and the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA).These numbers are from the first year of the coronavirus pandemic and represent a 5.8%, or $23 billion, reduction in real terms (adjusted for inflation) from 2019, outpacing the general…

As the Christmas holidays approach, activity has cooled off significantly with very few fresh units being introduced into the market for sale. Notwithstanding, demand remains good - even at these reduced numbers - and it is surely a matter of time before some improvements in price are seen, given the stinging paucity of supply.This inactivity has come at something of an appropriate time, with levels in all sub-continent markets having declined by about USD 20 – USD 30/LDT, from the peaks seen in September – October.The falls in India have been far more pronounced…

Carnival Corp, the world’s largest cruise operator, is currently not taking a position on mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for passengers before traveling, a company spokesman told Reuters on Tuesday.The company’s statement comes just a day after rival Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd said it would mandate travelers be vaccinated under a proposed plan to restart U.S. cruises in July.The U.S.

The art of drawing lines on maps is fraught with contention. Sir Mark Sykes and François Georges-Picot are likely unfamiliar to many, but their names and actions live on. Their role in carving up the Ottoman Empire toward the end of the of World War I created artificial borders in the Middle East—determined arbitrarily with a ruler and with no regard to ethnic or sectarian characteristics—highlights the unintended cartographic consequences that can arise when applying rigid models of expression to inherently dynamic areas.Designated areas of maritime risk…

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd said on Monday it had sought the approval of U.S. health authorities to restart trips from U.S. ports from July 4 with mandatory vaccinations for travelers, bringing new hope to the ravaged industry.The company’s announcement follows the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) latest guidance last week to the cruise ship industry, including the need for COVID-19 vaccinations.In a letter, Norwegian Cruise said that its plan was…

Following another year of stark climate impacts in the Arctic, scientists warned Tuesday of a new scourge hitting the region: marine trash.With the region warming twice as fast as the rest of the world, sea ice that has long blanketed the Arctic Ocean is disappearing, opening new routes to shipping. Scientists began noticing the trash bobbing in the icy water or piling up on Alaska Bering Strait-area beaches last year.“That’s a direct result of increased human maritime activities…

A Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier has been banned from Australian ports over "appalling" working and living conditions on board, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said.The 235-meter Movers 3, operated by Qatari-based Aswan Shipping, was detained at anchor off Weipa in far north Queensland on March 4, 2021 due to several mechanical and survey issues, and for the poor conditions on board. Outstanding issues, namely the replacement of poorly maintained ballast tank head vents and the updated ship surveys…

The trade war continues to rage in the shade of the headline-grabbing supply chain disruptions. The tariffs are still in place and are unlikely to go anywhere despite the change of administration in the United States. While higher exports from the US to China under the Phase One Agreement have added volumes for tanker and dry bulk shipping, containerized imports to the US have shifted from China to other countries in the region. Despite an increase in exports, the commitments made in the Phase One Agreement are a long way off and unlikely to be met…