SOVs – Analyzing Current, Future Demand Drivers
At a high-level, there are three solutions to transferring technicians from shore bases to offshore wind farms for construction and O&M activities: crew transfer vessel (CTV), helicopter, and SOVs/CSOVs.SOVs and CSOVs generally house 60-120 technicians offshore for a few weeks at a time, allowing them to transfer to structures on integrated heave compensated gangways, by daughter craft or on CTVs. The vessels are also equipped with cranes, storage, and small workshop areas.SOV: Service operations vessels…
Guangzhou Port Group’s e-tug to Sport Schottel Propulsion
SCHOTTEL will equip Guangzhou Port Group’s latest e-tug with two RudderPropellers type SRP 360 in the LE-Drive variant. The new harbor tug measures 37.9 x 10.5m and will be mainly used for berthing assistance, escorting and towing in the Port of Guangzhou, China. Each SRP has an input power of 1,500 kW and a propeller diameter of 2.2m. The 360-degree steerable thruster combines maximum maneuverability and bollard pull with outstanding efficiency during free sailing, providing…
Situational Awareness System Battles Cognitive Fatigue in Watchkeepers
Today’s evolving maritime security risks pose all-too-familiar threats to international shipping, and as just one of the many causes of fatigue, they add to the cognitive burden already faced by watchkeepers. But Groke Technologies can boost safety onboard, says co-founder and CEO Juha Rokka.Life at sea is already physically and mentally demanding. Crewing levels are tight, work hours are long and irregular, watchkeepers are required to perform administrative tasks while on the bridge…
MOL Takes Delivery of Dual-Fuel LPG and Ammonia Carrier Newbuild
Mitsui O.S.K. Line (MOL) has taken delivery of the newly built dual-fuel LGP and ammonia very large gas carrier (VLGC) Aquamarine Progress II, which will sail under charter with a Japanese LPG importer and distributor.Ordered by MOL’s company Aramo Shipping (Singapore), the Aquamarine Progress II has been delivered by Namura Shipbuilding.The Aquamarine Progress II will sail under a time charter contract with GYXIS Corporation, a Japanese LPG importer and distributor.The vessel is 230 meters long, with the breadth of 36.6 meters.
Wärtsilä Secures China’s Largest-Ever Methanol Newbuild Order
Wärtsilä will supply the methanol-fueled auxiliary engines for five new container vessels for COSCO Shipping Lines and seven new container vessels for Orient Overseas Container Line.Each vessel will operate with three 8-cylinder and two 6-cylinder Wärtsilä 32M engines. This is the Chinese maritime sector’s largest order to date for methanol-fueled newbuild vessels. The order was booked by Wärtsilä in December 2023.To complement the solution, the ships will be equipped with the Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) exhaust cleaning systems and alternators.
Cobham Satcom Secures Contract with China TranTech
Cobham Satcom and China TranTech Technologies have signed a contract which includes the largest delivery of SAILOR XTR Ku VSAT antennas to the Chinese market so far, supported by an extensive training and global service program.China TranTech is a subsidiary of China Transport Telecommunication Information Group Company Limited (CTTIC) and the only maritime satellite safety communication provider in China.SAILOR 1000 XTR Ku antennas deliver dependable, high-speed connectivity that vessel crews need to optimize remote marine operations at sea.
Houthis Target MSC Ship in Gulf of Aden
Yemen's Houthis said they targeted the MSC Darwin ship in the Gulf of Aden on Thursday, as the Iran-aligned group resumed attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea region in solidarity with Palestinians fighting Israel in the Gaza war.The Houthis also fired a number of ballistic and winged missiles at several targets in Israel's port city of Eilat, the group's military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a televised speech on Thursday.The Liberian-flagged MSC Darwin VI ship was in the area of the attack…
US Navy Announces First Mine Countermeasures Mission Package Embarked on USS Canberra
The U.S. Navy embarked the first Mine Countermeasures Mission Package (MCM MP) aboard USS Canberra (LCS 30), April 18, service officials announced. With the MCM mission package now onboard LCS 30, the Navy anticipates the first MCM Mission Package deployment in Fiscal Year 2025.As part of the embark process, the Navy installed sensors, unmanned vehicles, support containers and the software that enables Sailors to execute MCM operations from an Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship.
First Ship Departs Baltimore Through Limited Access Channel
The first commercial vessel transited through a newly opened channel in the Port of Baltimore following the deadly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.The Fort McHenry Limited Access Channel (LAC) was opened as a temporary solution to provide passage for a limited number of commercial vessels into the Port of Baltimore and a departure opportunity for some deep draft vessels currently unable to leave the harbor since the bridge collapse.The channel—the fourth to be opened…
Dredge Sunk by Undetected Flooding from a Through-hull Pipe
A company’s lack of requirements for crew to regularly check below-deck compartments led to undetected flooding and the eventual capsizing of a dredging vessel last year on the Mississippi River, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday.Wood Resources' owned and operated non-propelled dredging vessel WB Wood capsized on the early morning of Jan. 16, 2023, during dredging operations. Before the capsizing, the dredge had been in the same location for nine days, pumping sand from the riverbed to a pit on the west bank.
Britain Says Its Navy Shot Down Houthi Missile Targeting Merchant Ship
The U.K. on Thursday said its Royal Navy had shot down a missile fired by the Iran-backed Houthis from Yemen targeting a merchant vessel in the Gulf of Aden."The UK continues to be at the forefront of the international response to the Iranian-backed Houthis’ dangerous attacks on commercial vessels, which have claimed the lives of international mariners," British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said in a statementThe crew of the Royal Navy warship HMS Diamond used a Sea Viper missile system to shoot down the missile…
New Cranes & Offshore Wind Efficiency
The end may be in sight, but the race for bigger cranes is still having an impact on offshore wind project efficiency.The industry has already felt the need for upgrading crane lifting capacity on existing offshore wind installation vessels: NOV is upgrading the cranes on Cadeler’s existing O-class wind turbine installation vessels (WTIVs), and a gantry crane extension will soon make Van Oord’s Svanen one of the largest floating heavy-lift installation vessels.It’s a newbuild phenomenon too. NOV has developed a telescoping leg encircling crane for Shimizu’s GustoMSC-designed WTIV Blue Wind.
US Offshore Wind: Outlook Strong Despite Construction Productivity Issues
While construction productivity issues continue to present immediate challenges for the U.S. offshore wind industry, the long-term outlook remains strong for the nascent sector, according to a recent report from business intelligence and consulting firm Intelatus Global Partners. Intelatus' most recent monthly report on the U.S. offshore wind industry identifies a number of factors hindering offshore construction activities--from weather delays to the scheduling and availability of necessary vessels."Construction vessel productivity to date has been below expectation…
Seeing the Ship as a System Changes Everything
Shipping must engage with the decarbonization realities that lie ahead by changing the way it crafts maritime legislation to reflect its place in the interconnected, interdependent world economy, says Eero Lehtovaara, Head of Regulatory & Public Affairs, ABB Marine & Ports.ABB Marine & Ports Head of Regulatory & Public Affairs, Eero Lehtovaara has carved out an unusual - and possibly unique - role in the maritime industry over recent years, as a ‘stakeholder’ simultaneously mindful of the perspectives of owners…
Old Checklist Led to Helicopter Incident
The tail rotor of an Agusta A109 struck a handrail while landing on a bulk carrier as the pilot did not detect the obstacle, and the ship’s crew were using an older version of the vessel’s helicopter operations checklist, reports the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB).An ATSB investigation report details that the A109E helicopter was conducting marine pilot transfer operations to the bulk carrier Tai Keystone, which was about 240 km north-east of Mackay, Queensland, on December 6…
ClassNK Releases Route Correction Factors Calculation Tool
ClassNK has released a new tool, WAve Climate Data Aggregation for Ships (WACDAS), for calculating the route correction factors essential for ensuring the safety of container lashing and supporting container stacking optimization.The move follows ClassNK’s release of its Guidelines for Container Stowage and Securing Arrangements (Edition 3.0) last year. WACDAS enables the easy calculation of route correction factors necessary for utilizing the approved lashing software compatible…
China Harbors Ship Tied to North Korea-Russia Arms Transfers
China is providing moorage for a U.S.-sanctioned Russian cargo ship implicated in North Korean arms transfers to Russia, according to satellite images obtained by Reuters, as U.S. concerns grow over Beijing's support for Moscow's war in Ukraine.Britain's Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) think tank said the Russian vessel Angara, which since August 2023 has moved to Russian ports thousands of containers believed to contain North Korean munitions, has been anchored at a Chinese…
Avenir LNG Orders Two LNG Bunker and Supply Vessels from Chinese Shipyard
UK-based small-scale liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplier Avenir LNG has entered into a shipbuilding contract with Nantong CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering in China, a subsidiary of CIMC Enric, for two new LNG bunker and supply vessels.The two 20,000 cbm LNG bunker and supply vessels are scheduled to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2026 and the first quarter of 2027.The newbuildings will feature new Type C tank designs, lower boil off rates, the latest engine technologies…
Babcock Takes Charge of Type 23 Frigate Upkeep for Royal Navy
Babcock has been awarded the contract to manage the Type 23 class frigate Refit Support Group, allowing the company to take end-to-end responsibility for vessel upkeep and regeneration in preparation for handover to the ship’s crew.This innovative change follows more than five years of close working between the Royal Navy-led Refit Support Group and Babcock.It frees up UK Royal Navy personnel for front line operations and creates new and exciting roles for 40 Babcock engineering technicians and managers at its Devonport facility…
Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck: MSC Needs More Mariners, New Ships
Founded as the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) and renamed Military Sealift Command in 1970, MSC today not only support the Navy, but we are the Department of Defense's provider of all sealift. Maritime Reporter & Engineering News recently interviewed Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck, U.S. Navy, for insights on the service today and it’s needs to grow in the future.What makes MSC so vital to the Navy’s fleet and our military forces around the world?When we look at the history of contested logistics in World War II…
Damen Launches New Cargo Vessel for German Shipping Company
Damen Shipyards has launched a Combi Freighter (CF) 3850 at the Ba Son Shipyard in Vietnam, built for German shipping company Reederei M. Lauterjung.The CF 3850 is the first in a two-vessel order from Reederei M. Lauterjung. Following this order, Damen’s client has placed an order for a third CF 3850.The vessels are to be named MV Arion, MV Hestia and MV Neptune.Upon delivery, MV Arion and MV Hestia will enter into a long-term charter with Amadeus Schiffahrts- und Speditions, a subsidiary of HGK Shipping.
MOL and Gaz-System Sing Long-Term FSRU Charter for New Polish LNG Terminal
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has signed a long-term time charter party agreement for one floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) with the Polish gas transmission system operator Gaz-System, which is the developer and operator behind the future LNG terminal.The FSRU will be constructed by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard and is expected to be completed in 2027. Thereafter, the FSRU will be managed by the MOL group.The FSRU is being built for the project that involves the…
MPCC Secures Funding for Two Dual-Fuel Methanol Containerships
Norwegian shipowner MPC Container Ships (MPCC) has signed a $55 million pre and post-delivery ECA covered financing agreement with Deutsche Bank and SINOSURE for its two dual-fuel methanol newbuildings.The vessels are scheduled for delivery towards the end of 2024 and are secured by 15-year time charter agreements with North Sea Container Line (NCL). The loan matures in 2036, according to MPCC.Chinese-based shipyard Taizhou Sanfu Ship Engineering is in charge of the construction…