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ABS chairman and CEO, Christopher J. Wiernicki, said he sees a universal, global carbon tax on shipping on the horizon, as alternative blue fuels made with carbon capture emerge as a growing part of the maritime industry's ongoing energy transition.“We need to recognize that there is an intermediate step in the energy transition,” Wiernicki said during an appearance at the CERAWeek energy conference. “Last year the conversations were focused on going from oil to a green fuel economy.

Esgian reports that drilling contracts have been announced this week for operations in Brazil and the Philippines, and new discoveries have been confirmed in the UK and Namibia in its Week 11 Rig Analytics Market Roundup.ContractsCOSL Drilling has emerged as the winner for Petrobras' moored semisubmersible tender with the 4,600-ft Nanhai 8 (also known as Nan Hai Ba Hao).Noble has secured a high-dayrate drillship contract with Prime Energy in the Philippines.Drilling Activity and…

The 16th Meeting of the Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships concluded with some progress made on the finalization of mid-term measures, and without a decisive shift in the landscape of positions and preferences.This meeting was the first convening of the IMO following the adoption of the Revised GHG Strategy in July 2023.Although it was already agreed in the Revised GHG Strategy to adopt both a GHG Fuel Standard (a mandate on GHG intensity of fuel/energy)…

BIMCO, Bangladesh, India, Norway, Pakistan and the ICS have submitted a paper ahead of the 81st Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) meeting on March 18-22 that highlights the need to resolve possible conflicts between the Hong Kong Convention and the Basel Convention.The Hong Kong Convention will enter into force on June 26, 2025, and the co-signatories of the paper ask for clarification and assurance that shipowners and parties operating in compliance with the Hong…

The cost of shipping goods through the Red Sea is rising as Yemen's Houthis step up attacks on ships they deem connected to Israel with fears of a spillover that could disrupt global supplies sailing through the region, industry sources said.Yemen's Houthis said on Tuesday they hit a Norwegian commercial tanker with a missile in their latest protest against Israel's invasion of Gaza, underlining the risks of a conflict that has shaken the Middle East.Around 23,000 ships pass through the narrow Bab al-Mandab Strait connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden…

The physicist Max Planck (actually born as Marx Planck) is best known for the development of his universal constant that defines physics at the most basic level. It is an important number, and today it even defines the kilogram and therefore most engineering units. Regardless, in my daily life I have little use for it.Max Planks is less known for his Principle, which, to me, is much more useful and I encounter it almost on a daily basis. Max Planck provided this Principle in his Scientific Autobiography (and Other Papers…

Offshore services vessels are designed for myriad activities in the maritime industry. But as multifunctional assets, they not only offer utilitarian capabilities that are indispensable for commercial diving, subsea construction, mining, and countless other activities, they can simultaneously serve critical crisis response functions in the aftermath of a disaster.Chaos Ready Inc., a new non-profit marine industry initiative, quantifies and coordinates these versatile resources…

The maritime industry is often criticized as being slow to adopt new technologies. While ship building is an age-old industry, it is also varied: fishing, commercial, inland, marine construction, energy, passenger, recreation, defense, and the list goes on. Each sector serves a different purpose, and bespoke vessels fulfill different missions, operate in different environments, and are subject to different regulatory profiles. As a result, our industry abounds with unique solutions…

A group of Japanese organisations have claimed a world-first with their initiative to advance standardized, zero emission shore power systems.Japanese ports and coastal industrial zones are responsible for about 60% of the country's CO2 emissions and are therefore a target for decarbonization, with Japan aiming to be carbon neutral by 2050. Shore power is attracting particular attention because approximately 40% of CO2 emissions in ports come from diesel generators on docked ships.

The Bangladesh Government has confirmed that it will ratify the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships in the next few weeks, allowing for the Convention to enter into force.BIMCO’s Secretary General and CEO, David Loosley visited Bangladesh as part of an industry delegation to discuss the benefits of the Convention entering into force. “BIMCO is delighted that Bangladesh has confirmed their commitment to ratifying the Convention in the very near future.

U.K.-based shipowner Lomar Shipping announced it has acquired three Supramax bulk carriers as part of its ongoing bulker fleet expansion program.The company, a subsidiary of New York-based Libra Group, said it has taken delivery of the 57,038-dwt Oslo Trader (ex Ariadne, built in 2010), while the 2012-built 56,702-dwt Lima Trader (ex Universal Bangkok) and 57,075-dwt Rome Trader (ex Haut Brion), built in 2011, will be delivered later this month.All three Dolphin 57 vessels are Chinese-built, increasing Lomar's bulk carrier fleet to nine ships.

French shipping group CMA CGM has committed to buy the logistics operations of family-run conglomerate Bollore for an enterprise value of 5 billion euros ($5.5 billion), the two companies said on Monday.CMA CGM granted the Bollore group an option to sell it the logistics business, which generated more than 7 billion euros in revenue last year and employs 13,500 people.Bollore said it would decide whether or not to exercise the option after consulting employee representatives.The…

French shipping group CMA CGM is offering 5 billion euros ($5.48 billion) for the logistics unit of Bollore, the family-run conglomerate said on Tuesday.For Bollore a deal would mean cutting ties with its biggest business while offering cash-rich CMA CGM a chance to bolster its bid to offer end-to-end transportation services and supply chain management.The business posted more than 7 billion euros in revenue last year and has 15,000 employees.News of the indicative offer, made on a cash free and debt-free basis, boosted Bollore's shares.Bollore disclosed it following a report in shipping publi

Crowley has invested in REPOWR, a logistics-technology start-up, bringing a technology platform for equipment and asset usage and sharing to the supply chain industry.The platform enables companies to seamlessly share logistics equipment, increasing performance while reducing the environmental impact of ownership. Through the partnership, the companies will advance sustainable solutions for supply chain management for a wider market.REPOWR has developed the collaborative asset-sharing platform to connect logistics companies with more data and analytics to reduce underutilized assets.

This story spans a long period of time, but begins with a note I received recently on an earlier column from a reader named Allan Berger. He commented on the OODA loop concept in my “Pondering Truths in Design” column in the September MREN issue.He provided his approach that closely follows the OODA loop concept, which follows the principle of always gathering all the facts before speaking. That led to a discussion on decision making. Decision making is an extremely important concept that sets the course of human development, and is central to effective engineering.

French conglomerate Bollore, run by the family of billionaire Vincent Bollore, said on Wednesday it had completed the sale of its Bolloré Africa Logistics arm to shipping company MSC Group.The Bolloré company added the transaction was on the basis of a 5.7 billion euro ($6.1 billion) enterprise value.“The Bolloré Group will remain strongly involved in Africa, notably through Canal+, and will also continue to develop on this continent its activities in many fields such as communications, entertainment, telecommunications and publishing,” added the company in a statement.The Bolloré company hold

Supermajor Shell anounced its subsidiaries in Switzerland, the UK, US and Sweden have entered into agreements to acquire the environmentally considerate lubricants (ECLs) business of the PANOLIN Group.The transaction includes the PANOLIN brand, ECL product formulations, intellectual property, technical expertise and technology, international customer base and portfolio of products – for hydraulics, gears, universal tractor transmission oils, biodegradable engine oils (HDEO), turbine oils…

Schottel azimuth thrusters will propel four newly built wind turbine installation vessels (WTIVs) for Ouyang Offshore in Shanghai.The first vessel will be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2022, and these vessels will be able to install giant 16 MW wind turbines.To ensure DP mode maneuverability and precise positioning, each vessel will be outfitted with two electrically driven Schottel Rudder Propeller type 430 azimuth thrusters and two Schottel Transverse Thrusters type STT 4."For 70 years…

Classification society Korean Register (KR) and Ulsan Port Authority (UPA) have signed an MOU to support methanol-fueled ships and establish the South Korean port as a low-carbon, eco-friendly energy hub.The agreement was made in response to the low-carbon energy transition underway in the shipping and port industries. Methanol is a clean burning marine fuel which produces 99% less sulfur oxides (SOx), 80% less nitrogen oxides (NOx) and 25% less greenhouse gases compared to conventional…

The Swedish-built Combat Boat 90 (CB 90) has established itself with military forces around the world as both a warrior and a workhorse. The 52-foot boats first entered service in 1991 as troop carriers with the Swedish Marines, which is still procuring them. There are more than 250 operating worldwide today.These rugged boats are optimized for high-speed / shallow-draft operations in and around Sweden’s many coastal islands, but they have also proven to be ideal for a variety of other applications and operating environments.The CB 90 is 52 feet long, with a draft of just 2 feet 7 inches.

The MTR100 is a look at the 100 leading companies, technologies and people in the global subsea sector. In the September/October edition, Marine Technology Reporter published the 17th Annual MTR100. Today's spotlight is on Armach Robotics, launched by Greensea Systems Inc.Armach Robotics (Armach) is setting out to revolutionize proactive in-water cleaning of ship hulls by using of small, autonomous robots. Proactive in-water cleaning is the frequent removal of early stage biofouling through gentle means, reducing the problem at its earliest stages.

L3Harris Technologies reports the U.S. Navy has exercised an option on its previously awarded contract to produce enhanced submarine imaging masts and spares.L3Harris said it will provide two configurations of its Type 20 low-profile mast to meet the Navy’s operational requirements. Production will be performed at L3Harris’ Northampton, Mass. facility, with initial deliveries scheduled to begin in 2024.L3Harris describes its Type 20 mast as a modular non-hull-penetrating imaging…

Danfoss Power Solutions’ Editron division will power a new hybrid-electric buoy-laying vessel for the Armement des Phares et Balises, the French government’s department responsible for signaling dangers and marking shipping routes along the French coast. The vessel will be used to maintain and replace navigational buoys around the island of Corsica.In 2019, the French Inter-Ministerial Committee for the Sea committed to a series of measures aiming to decarbonize its marine industry. One of those measures is the decarbonization of vessel propulsion and onboard energy.