To The Merits News

Daphne Technology has been selected by Trafigura for its first commercial deployment of PureMetrics™ emissions measuring system, scheduled for the summer of 2024.The system will be deployed aboard an LNG carrier chartered by Trafigura and managed by Latsco LNG LLC.PureMetrics directly measures and accurately reports real-time tonnes of GHG emissions to the environment, eliminating inaccurate reporting based on fuel consumption estimates. The system features a combination of an array of sensors…

New Dual Fuel, Electric+ (DFE+) concept, developed by ABB and MAN Energy Solutions, has been recognized by DNV as a more energy efficient alternative to current conventional designs for liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers.DNV has quantified the gains that owners of LNG carriers could expect to achieve using the new DFE+ solution and found that it could help LNG carriers boost energy efficiency by up to 7.5%, therefore enabling greater emissions reduction.The number takes into account the smaller machinery space requirements with ‘a conservative estimate’ of 5% greater cargo capacity…

This article examines 10 structural safeguards in Coast Guard Suspension and Revocation (S&R) Proceedings that ensure Coast Guard Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) decisional independence. These safeguards separate potential agency influences from the ALJ decision making process and are critical to mariner due process and fundamental fairness. We will start with an overview of Coast Guard S&R proceedings, followed by brief discussions of the Administrative Procedure Act, Administrative Law Judges, and U.S. Office of Personnel Management oversight.

Cadeler A/S and Eneti Inc., two offshore wind turbine and foundation installation companies, have announced the commencement of a share exchange offer for all the outstanding shares of common stock of Eneti.The offer is being made pursuant to the Business Combination Agreement, announced on June 16, 2023. The offer is expected to close within Q4 2023.The combined group will be named Cadeler, and be headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, with its shares to be listed on the New York…

Like many ports, the Alaskan Port of Homer faces aging infrastructure and capital needs well beyond the local funding capacity. The port is a key link in the supply chain for 47 remote, rural, disadvantaged or Alaska Native communities served by Homer, making proposed port infrastructure upgrades critical for shipping statewide as well as for the local community.Enter the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This unprecedented…

A U.S. judge on Wednesday refused to overturn a California county's decision to block Exxon Mobil Corp from using tanker trucks to ship crude oil from coastal facilities to inland refineries while a ruptured pipeline is fixed.U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee in Los Angeles denied Exxon's bid to reverse the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors' denial of a trucking permit in early 2022, saying the board's decision was substantially supported by evidence that transporting crude…

HydroComp is a well-established, small engineering firm focused on hydrodynamic and propulsion system simulation, providing design tools for engineers and naval architects to focus on vessel performance, including emissions. Don MacPherson, HydroComp’s long-tenured Technical Director, discusses the impacts of tightening emissions regulations, with insights on maximizing new vessel designs and refits.Don, maritime has been in the crosshairs of regulators to reduce emissions. What do you see as the top new regulatory issues that are impacting ship and boat design…

Shell Shipping & Maritime and Orca AI kicked off with a pilot project trialing Tel Aviv-based start-up Orca AI’s maritime navigation platform on a Shell-managed gas tanker. But it has now morphed into a long-term development collaboration resulting in new features that can significantly enhance safety at sea. Here Saurabh Kumar, Project Engineer at Shell Shipping & Maritime, and Dor Raviv, CTO at Orca AI, reflect on outcomes and benefits of the partnership so far.Navigational error resulting in collision or grounding is one of the highest safety risks associated with maritime transport.

Offshore wind turbine and foundation installation companies Cadeler and Eneti announced they have agreed to merge through a stock-for-stock exchange.The combined company will be named Cadeler, headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, with its shares to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in addition to its current listing on the Oslo Stock Exchange (OSE) with a proforma market capitalization in excess of €1.2 billion. The combined group will operate four vessels on water today and six large-scale state-of-the-art new builds scheduled for delivery from 2024 to 2026.

Judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Thursday ruled they had jurisdiction over a long-running border dispute between Guyana and Venezuela, which could determine which country has rights to territory rich in oil and gas.Guyana in 2018 asked the ICJ, also known as the World Court, to confirm that the border was laid down in an 1899 arbitration between Venezuela and the then-colony of British Guiana. Venezuela, while boycotting much of the procedure, tried to stop the case from moving forward by arguing the United Kingdom should be involved as Guyana was a British colony in 1899…

The fuel switch in maritime is on, its real, and it will be driving vessel design, construction and operation decisions for decades to come. While many still debate the merits of each alternative fuel, OSV industry leaders are at the forefront driving change, and they need to be, as in North America alone OSVs makes up 17% of the fleet but contributes 29% of the maritime emissions. In the next edition of Offshore Engineer, Barry Parker takes a deeper dive on the plans underway to wean maritime operations off of fossil fuels.

Euronav filed an application request for arbitration in relation to Frontline’s action to pursue the termination of the combination agreement of July 10, 2022.Following recent acquisitions of additional shares by Famatown Finance Limited (as disclosed on Euronav’s website), Frontline plc, Famatown Finance Limited, Hemen Holding Limited and Geveran Trading Co. Limited. could be qualified as a related party in the meaning of IAS24.As a precautionary measure the Euronav Supervisory…

Belgian tanker operator Euronav has filed an application for urgent arbitration in relation to tanker firm Frontline’s unilateral termination of the previously proposed merger agreement.Frontline on January 9 said that a $4.2 billion deal to merge with rival Euronav NV was terminated, a combination that would have created the world's largest publicly listed tanker company."Euronav is requesting to suspend such termination pending a determination on the merits pursuing primarily the specific performance of the combination agreement.

President Joe Biden named former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu to oversee implementation of the $1 trillion infrastructure plan, the White House said on Sunday.Landrieu, also a Democratic former Louisiana lieutenant governor, led New Orleans from 2010 to 2018. He played a key role in helping the city rebound from the devastating Hurricane Katrina in 2005.Biden, who will sign the infrastructure bill into law on Monday, named Landrieu senior adviser responsible for coordinating implementation of the bill that includes big jumps in spending on roads…

This article will focus on U.S. sanctions on Russia/Ukraine. The Russia/Ukraine sanctions program is a complex mix of comprehensive, noncomprehensive and “sectoral” sanctions. It includes both primary sanctions aimed at U.S. persons and secondary sanctions aimed at non-U.S. persons. It encompasses broad sectors of the Russian economy and significant dealings with sanctioned individuals and entities, while generally permitting most transactions with Russia. Accordingly, it stands alone in U.S.

This article will focus on “noncomprehensive sanctions,” which target “Specially Designated Nationals” (SDNs), but otherwise do not prohibit most trade between the U.S. and the target country (if any). While there are multiple noncomprehensive sanctions programs, we will focus on three: Venezuela (which can be thought of as quasi-comprehensive), Global Magnitsky (human rights) and Hong Kong. Russia also has a substantial noncomprehensive sanctions program, which we will address in a later article.NONCOMPREHENSIVE SANCTIONS PROGRAMS: IN GENERALThe U.S.

“Your true pilot cares nothing about anything on earth but the river, and the pride in his occupation surpasses the pride of kings.” -Mark Twain, Life on the Mississippi (1883).That statement made by the great chronicler and river pilot over 137 years ago is arguably as true today as it was then. But what has changed dramatically in the almost century and a half since then is the variety and complexity of the daily challenges that river pilots confront on our increasingly busy inland waterways.

As the focus on carbon emissions comes to the fore across all industries, Keppel O&M, which supports the circular economy concept and is a ship conversion leader, is able to help companies reduce their indirect emissions. Proof of this was delivery of the world’s first FLNG conversion solution that dramatically reduced the carbon footprint of the project as compared to new construction. There’s a second conversion project currently underway, and by the way: it’s faster to market…

California Dreamin': In CA, offshore wind has unlimited potentialWhen it comes to States promoting renewable, non-fossil electricity generation, California surely leads the list, from utility-scale regional grids to individual rooftop solar panels.In fact, a December 2018 update from the California Energy Commission (CEC) estimates the state may already have exceeded an initial renewable generation goal of 33% by 2020. CEC estimates that in 2018 that generation number was already 34%.

Tug owners are cutting emissions and increasing automation. Subject to technology choices, ‘greener’ tugs are a global phenomenon today, while the autonomous tugs of tomorrow are starting to emerge. David Lee S,enior Account Manager, New Build, ABB Marine & Ports, discusses tugs of the future.Around the world, there is a growing appetite for hybrid and electric technology in tugboat operations. In the Asian and European towage markets, owners are responding to increasingly stringent regulations on air emissions in ports by investing in cleaner, more efficient propulsion.

Singapore's Keppel Offshore & Marine has said that converted FLNG vessels save approximately 33% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to an FLNG new build, citing a study by environmental consultants, Environmental Resources Management (ERM).Commissioned by Keppel O&M, the study by ERM assesses the converted and new build FLNG across three stages of the project life cycle, namely the end of life of the LNG tanker, repurposing, or shipbuilding of the FLNG, and maintenance…

International accountant and shipping adviser BDO said total operating costs in the shipping industry are expected to rise by 2.5% in 2019 and by 2.7% in 2020.Responses to the firm’s latest annual Future Operating Costs Survey revealed that insurance is the cost category likely to increase most significantly in both 2019 and 2020. In the case of protection and indemnity insurance, the predicted increase is 2.0% for each of the years under review, while hull and machinery insurance…

Global downstream gas and LNG logistics company Atlantic Gulf & Pacific (AG&P) has made a strategic equity investment in Norway-based Kanfer Shipping.Kanfer is a developer of small-scale LNG sea transportation, maritime break-bulk solutions, floating storage facilities as well as LNG bunkering. Together, Kanfer and AG&P will make LNG more accessible and commercially viable for downstream customers in new and growing natural gas markets."Kanfer has captured the attention of the global LNG maritime infrastructure industry with its patented, barge design that makes breaking bulk cargoes of LNG easier, faster and more efficient," said a…