Taiwan and China Launch Rescue Operation After Boat Capsizes Near Sensitive Islands
Taiwan dispatched coast guard boats on Thursday to join a rescue mission at China's request after a fishing vessel capsized near the Taiwan-controlled Kinmen islands, amid heightened tension in the sensitive Taiwan Strait.China claims democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory, over the island's strong objections, and has stepped up military activities near it in recent years, with almost daily incursions into air defence identification zones.Authorities on both sides sent the rescue boats after a Chinese fishing vessel capsized in the early hours, Taiwan's coast guard said in a state
Tokyo Gas, 13 Others to Jointly Develop Offshore Wind
Tokyo Gas and 13 other Japanese companies plan to set up a consortium "soon" to develop technology to mass produce floating offshore wind power facilities at a low cost, the Nikkei business daily reported on Wednesday.The other companies include Japan's biggest power generator JERA and regional utilities Kansai Electric Power, Tohoku Electric Power and Chubu Electric Power, the Nikkei said.Although Japanese companies have offshore wind assets in countries from Taiwan to Belgium and Britain, they have yet to build large-scale farms at home.(Reuters- Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; editing by Mil
US Unions ask Biden Administration to Probe Chinese Shipbuilding
Five U.S. labor unions on Tuesday filed a petition with the office of U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai requesting a probe into China's alleged unfair policies and practices in the maritime logistics and shipbuilding sectors, the USTR office said.The petition was filed under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, a statute aimed at combating trade partners' unfair practices.Trade practices are only one component of strains in U.S.-China relations in recent years. Other contentious issues include Taiwan…
Yang Ming Starts Using Biofuel
Yang Ming Marine Transport is adopting sustainable biofuel for its fleet, starting at Hong Kong and Singapore, and will now incorporate biofuel into its annual fuel consumption on an on-going basis.The adoption of biofuel began with Yang Ming’s 1,805 TEU class container ship, YM Inception, and 6,600 TEU class container ship, YM Masculinity. These vessels are currently deployed on the Japan to/from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Thailand service and the Far East to/from Middle East service…
Strategic Marine Delivers Support Vessel for Yunlin Offshore Wind Farm
Singapore’s Strategic Marine and Taiwan’s Prosperous Wind Shipping have delivered the hybrid-ready support vessel for the Yunlin offshore wind farm in Taiwan.The StratCat 27 hybrid-ready vessel is designed for the transfer of technicians and cargo, essential for the construction, operation, and maintenance of offshore wind farms.Owned and operated by Prosperous Wind Shipping, the vessel will be able to meet the specific needs of the offshore wind industry in Taiwan.Set to start operations at the Yunlin offshore wind farm in April 2024…
US Coast Guard Boards Chinese Fishing Boats Near Kiribati
The U.S. Coast Guard and Kiribati police boarded two Chinese fishing boats during a patrol against illegal fishing in the Pacific Islands nation's vast exclusive economic zone this month but found no issues aboard, a coast guard official said.The United States is seeking a bigger role for its coast guard in helping remote Pacific Islands nations monitor millions of kilometres of ocean - a rich tuna fishing ground - a move that also boosts surveillance as a rivalry with China over security ties in the region intensifies.Reuters reported on Friday that Chinese police are working in Kiribati…
The APAC Offshore Market: Riding the Wave of Success into 2024 and Beyond
2023 was the first year of real recovery for owners in the offshore supply market and yet we have barely skimmed the surface of what’s to come.The market is still on an upward trajectory with charter rates accelerating month-by-month, availability changing day-by-day, leading to earnings doubling and, in some segments, tripling since the lows of 2020. Current rates will remind many of the glory days of pre-2014 with the demand for OSVs projected to remain elevated for years to come.In general…
China Coast Guard Boarded Taiwanese Boat Near Frontline Islands
Chinese coast guard personnel briefly boarded a Taiwanese tourist boat near Taiwan-controlled islands next to China's coast on Monday, the government in Taipei said, in an escalation of tensions after China said it would carry out regular patrols.China announced on Sunday that its coast guard would strengthen law enforcement activity around the Kinmen islands following the death of two Chinese nationals fleeing Taiwan's coast guard having entered into prohibited waters too close to Kinmen, which lies opposite the Chinese cities of Xiamen and Quanzhou.Taiwan's coast guard said in a statement th
Taiwan Says China Triggered Panic by Boarding Tourist Boat
The boarding of a Taiwanese tourist boat by China's coast guard near sensitive frontline islands triggered "panic" among Taiwan's people, a government minister said on Tuesday, but Taiwan's military added it was not planning to get involved.Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory despite the island's rejection, has been wary of efforts by Beijing to ramp up pressure on Taipei following the election last month of Lai Ching-te as president, a man Beijing views as a dangerous…
China to Send Coast Guard Ships as Tensions Rise Over Taiwanese islands
China's coast guard said on Sunday it will strengthen its law enforcement activities and carry out regular patrols around a small group of Taiwanese-controlled islands off the Chinese coast as tensions rise over the deaths of two Chinese nationals.Taiwan on Thursday defended the actions of its coast guard after two people on a Chinese speedboat, which got too close to a frontline Taiwanese island, died when their boat overturned while trying to flee a coast guard ship.
Vard to Build Cyan Renewables’ SOV for Taiwan’s Offshore Wind Farms
Vard, a Norwegian subsidiary of the Fincantieri Group, has signed a contract for the design and construction of a hybrid power service operation vessel (SOV) for the Taiwanese company Cyan Renewables.The news comes after Siemens Gamesa awarded a 15-year charter contract to Cyan Renewables for the SOV that will enter service at Hai Long 2, part of the Hai Long Offshore Wind Project, consisting of Hai Long 2 and 3 offshore wind farms in Taiwan.Siemens Gamesa Selects Contractor for…
Jumbo Offshore Awarded Monopile Removal Contract in Taiwan
Jumbo Offshore has been awarded a contract by Yunneg Wind Power Co. (YWPC) for the removal of monopiles at the Yunlin Offshore Wind Farm in Taiwan.The contract award represents an expansion of the company’s existing scope, which has involved transport and installation of the project’s transition pieces.Under the amendment, some monopiles, which were installed during an earlier project phase, are to be removed approximately 3m below mean seabed level. To undertake this scope, Jumbo…
Siemens Gamesa Selects Contractor for First SOV Newbuild in Asia
Cyan Renewables, a portfolio company of Seraya Partners, will build Siemens Gamesa’s first service operations vessel (SOV) in Asia to facilitate the servicing of wind turbines for the Hai Long offshore wind projects in Taiwan.Siemens Gamesa awarded a 15-year charter contract to Cyan Renewables. The contract will begin in 2026 and the SOV will be used to service 73 SG 14-222 DD offshore wind turbines in Hai Long offshore wind farms, located about 50 km off the coast of Changhua County in Taiwan.As one of the largest offshore wind farms in Taiwan with a total installed capacity of over 1GW…
Philippines Plans to Buy Submarines to Defend Sovereignty in South China Sea
Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has approved the third phase of the military's modernization, which includes the purchase of the country's first submarine, in order to defend its maritime sovereignty in the disputed South China Sea.Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Roy Trinidad, said on Thursday the third phase of modernization reflected a shift in strategy away from internal to external defense."We may not be a large navy...but we would have a navy that will take care of our territorial rights and sovereignty…
Construction of CSOV for Taiwan’s Offshore Wind Market Kicks Off in Vietnam
The steel cutting ceremony for the new Construction Service Operation Vessel (CSOV), being built by Damen for Ta San Shang Marine (TSSM), a joint venture between Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and Taiwan’s Ta Tong Marine, took place in Vietnam.The steel cutting ceremony for the CSOV was held on January 19, 2024 in Ha Long, just two months after the initial contract was signed.TSSM’s new CSOV will be named TSS Cruiser and will be delivered by Dutch shipbuilder Damen by late 2025.TSS Cruiser will be chartered to contractors supporting the offshore wind farms near the coast of Taiwan…
Shipping Attacks Push US and Allies to Mideast Crunch Point
When the United States and 11 allies published a joint statement last week calling for an end to Houthi attacks from Yemen on Red Sea shipping, they hoped the implicit threat of force might at least reduce the intensity of fire on foreign vessels.Instead, Wednesday saw the largest single attack yet on foreign vessels, according to Western defence officials, launched seven days after the joint statement. It appeared a clear attempt to call the West's bluff, just as other tensions across the Middle East appear to be on the rise.In Iraq and Syria, U.S.
War, Weather Put Ocean Shippers on Notice for Rough Seas in 2024
Recent hostilities in the Red Sea have thrown global shippers of vital goods for a loop - but it is hardly the only issue that big carriers are facing as 2024 kicks off.Giants like Maersk say the industry, which handles 90% of global trade, faces the possibility of significant disruptions, from ongoing wars to droughts affecting key routes like the Panama Canal. Complex vessel schedules are likely to be knocked out of sync for giant container ships, fuel tankers and other commodity haulers throughout the year.That will increase delays and raise costs for retailers like Walmart…
China Unveils New Images of its Aircraft Carrier Newbuilding
Chinese state media unveiled new images of China's most advanced aircraft carrier yet, including next generation launch tracks that can catapult a wider range of aircraft from its deck.First shown to the public in June 2022, the Fujian was entirely designed and built domestically.Yet to conduct its first sea trials, the aircraft carrier is larger and technologically more advanced than the Shandong, commissioned in 2019, and the Liaoning, which China bought second-hand from Ukraine in 1998 and refitted domestically.On state television late on Tuesday…
Bulk Carrier Management JV Established in Singapore
Taiwan-based dry bulk shipowner Wisdom Marine Group and Singapore-based ship management company Synergy Group have announced a new joint venture (JV).Wisdom Synergy Ship Management (WSSM) will be headquartered in Singapore with key operational centres in Taiwan and India and will provide technical management for Wisdom’s diverse fleet.Last year, Wisdom chose Synergy Group to provide management services for a portion of its fleet.The JV cements a collaborative relationship established in 1999 by James Lan, Chairman of Wisdom Marine Group.
Cadeler and Eneti Complete Merger
Cadeler and Eneti have officially completed their merger, creating a leading offshore wind installation company.The New York- and Oslo-listed group will be named Cadeler and be headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, with offices across the world in Denmark, U.K., U.S., Taiwan, and Japan.Mikkel Gleerup, CEO of Cadeler, said, “This marks a historic moment for Cadeler and the entire offshore wind industry. We offer our partners and clients access to the strongest and most skilled team and the industry's largest, most flexible, most diverse, and modern fleet of windfarm installation vessels.
Top 10 Things to Watch in Offshore Wind in '24
Despite short-term obstacles driven by high inflation and interest rates coupled with supply chain issues, we maintain that the foundations supporting long-term offshore wind activity remain solid. As we prepare for the new year, let us look at 10 factors that will shape the offshore wind sector in 2024.1. A Continuously Dynamic Energy TrilemmaThe dynamic relationship of the three key drivers of affordable energy, energy security and energy transition was clearly evident in 2023 as energy affordability and security were generally more prominent themes than the transition.
Why the Indian Ocean Could be China's Achilles' Heel in a Taiwan War
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…
OpEd: Shipping Seeks Safe Waters in Era of Deadly Geopolitics
As tankers, car-carriers and other merchant vessels pass through the Malacca Strait, unlit fishing boats criss-cross the shipping lanes at night, making it one of the most challenging sea areas of the world to transit, even during peacetime.Should a major war ever come to Asia, those challenges could be magnified spectacularly, with hundreds of vessels abruptly leaving the international waters in the middle of the Strait for what they hope might be the relative safety of the national territorial waters of nearby neutral nations.The Strait – between Thailand…