Baltimore Bridge Collapse Highlights Need to Protect Critical Foundations
The collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge has highlighted what engineers say is an urgent need to better protect the piers holding up spans over shipping channels as the size of cargo ships has grown in recent decades.Federal authorities continue an investigation into why a massive cargo ship lost power and crashed into a pier of the Francis Scott Key Bridge early Tuesday, bringing down the structure and killing six workers who had been filling potholes atop it.The Maryland Transportation Authority did not respond to questions about whatâŚ
Baltimore Rescuers Lose Hope for More Survivors from Bridge Collapse
Rescuers have lost hope of finding more survivors of the Baltimore bridge collapse, the coast guard said, as efforts switched on Wednesday to looking for bodies of the missing and more answers to why a container ship smashed into the span.Search divers were expected to return near dawn to the waters surrounding the twisted ruins of the bridge in Baltimore Harbor to search for six workers missing and now presumed dead.The disaster has forced the indefinite closure of the Port of Baltimore, one of the busiest on the U.S.
Divers to Search Baltimore Harbor
Search divers were expected to return near dawn on Wednesday to the waters surrounding the twisted ruins of a bridge knocked down in Baltimore Harbor by a faltering cargo ship, leaving six workers missing and presumed dead.The disaster also forced the indefinite closure of the Port of Baltimore, one of the busiest on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard, and created a traffic quagmire for Baltimore and the surrounding region.As the odds of their survival vanished, the search for the six workers was suspended on Tuesday eveningâŚ
Six Presumed Dead After Baltimore Bridge Collapse
Six workers were missing and presumed dead from a bridge that collapsed in Baltimore Harbor early on Tuesday after a massive cargo ship crippled by a power loss rammed into the structure, forcing the closure of one of the busiest ports on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard.With dive teams facing increasingly treacherous conditions in the darkened, wreckage-strewn waters, active search-and-rescue operations were suspended about 18 hours after the accident, U.S. Coast Guard and MarylandâŚ
Cargo Ship Lost Power Before Slamming Bridge in Baltimore
A massive cargo ship smashed into a bridge while sailing out of Baltimore early on Tuesday, sending cars and people into the river below and closing one of the busiest ports on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard.Rescuers pulled out two survivors, one of whom was hospitalized, and searched for more in the Patapsco River after huge metal spans of the 1.6-mile (2.57 km) Francis Scott Key Bridge crumpled into the icy water around 1:30 a.m. (0530 GMT).The ship reported a power issue before impactâŚ
Predictive Tech Could Extend Tank Inspection Intervals on LNG Carriers
Inspection intervals for liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier membrane tanks could be safely extended thanks to monitoring technology and predictive maintenance, according to a study led by GTT Group, Lloydâs Register and Shell International Trading and Shipping Company Limited.The International Gas Carriers (IGC) Code and IACS UR Z16 rules require LNG carrier cargo tanks to be inspected internally every five years. This joint study explored whether this interval could be extendedâŚ
IMOâs PPR11 Agrees Guidance on Key Environmental Issues
The IMOâs Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR 11) agreed new guidance on several key environmental issues.Meeting from February 19 to 23, 2024, the following guidance will now be submitted to the Marine Environment Protection Committee for approval this March (MEPC 81) and October (MEPC 82):⢠the safe transport of plastic pellets by sea⢠best practices for cutting black carbon emissions from ships operating in or near the Arctic⢠reducing risks of use and carriageâŚ
Greek Frigate Departs to Join EU Red Sea Mission
Greece's frigate Hydra departed for the Red Sea on Monday to participate in a mission to protect merchant ships from attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militia, a defense ministry official said.Earlier on Monday, the Greek government approved the country's participation in the European Union naval mission dubbed Eunavfor Aspides in the Red Sea.Many commercial shippers have diverted vessels following attacks by the Houthis who control much of Yemen and say they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians as Israel and Hamas wage war in Gaza.Greece's security council approved a proposal by
MARAD Designates More Centers of Excellence for Maritime Training
The U.S. Department of Transportationâs Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced the designation of 32 Centers of Excellence (COE) for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education. The designated COEs consist of 50 maritime training locations across 17 states and Guam. The designation recognizes and promotes support to post-secondary maritime training programs that prepare students for careers in the maritime industry.âOur country depends on a highly-skilled mariner workforce to strengthen both our economy and our national security,â said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
American Queen Voyages Up for Sale as Hornblower Gets New Majority Owner
A global alternative investment firm Strategic Value Partners has entered into agreement with Hornblower Group to acquire the majority ownership of the company in exchange for significant equity investment. As part of the agreement, Crestview Partners retained minority ownership in the business, and the decision was made to sell or wind down the companyâs overnight cruises unit American Queen Voyages.Aside from significant minority stake in the business, Crestview will become the sole owner of Journey BeyondâŚ
African Union Bans Donkey Skin Trade
African Heads of State have agreed a landmark moratorium on the donkey skin trade. The agreement was reached on February 18 during the 37th African Union Summit in Ethiopia.Over the last decade, Africa has seen its donkey population decimated due to Chinese demand for ejiao, a gelatine used in traditional Chinese medicine that is made from boiling down donkey skins. Believed to have unsubstantiated health benefits, demand for ejiao has obliterated Chinaâs own donkey populationâŚ
ICCB Orders 14-meter CTV
Irish Commercial Charter Boats (ICCB) has placed an order for a new 14-meter crew transfer vessel (CTV) to support offshore wind operations in Irish and U.K. waters.The vessel, designed by Rockabill Marine Design (RMD), based in Southampton, U.K., will be built by Aluminium Marine Consultants in Isle of Wight.Th custom vessel will be capable of carrying 12 passengers and 1 tonne of deck cargo. Designed in accordance with the MSO P5 passenger boat license and the MCA workboat code 3âŚ
OPINION: 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, 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 âstakeholderâ simultaneously mindful of the perspectives of owners, seafarersâŚ
UK Supreme Court Piracy Ruling Gives Guidance on War Risk Provisions in Charterparties
In a well-timed decision given the current situation in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the UK Supreme Court recently handed down judgment in Herculito Maritime Ltd v Gunvor International BV [2024] UKSC 2, a decision that arose from seizure of a ship by Somali pirates.Key factsThe vessel MT Polar was chartered to carry a cargo of fuel oil from St Petersburg to Singapore. The most direct route would be via the Suez Canal and Gulf of Aden.The Gulf of Aden was within the âhigh risk areaâ for piracy when the charter was agreed.
Dominguez Raises Concern for Seafarers at UN Security Council
Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of the IMO, addressed the United Nations Security Council at its 9,525th meeting reiterating his condemnation of the attacks against international shipping in the Red Sea.âAttacks against international shipping in the Red Sea area are not acceptable,â he said. âShips must be allowed to trade worldwide unhindered and in accordance with international law.âSince the beginning of November, a number of attacks have been launched against international vessels navigating in the Red Sea which hosts around 15% of international shipping trade.
ClassNK Amends Class Rules
ClassNK has released amendments to its Rules and Guidance for the Survey and Construction of Steel Ships dated December 22, 2023.ClassNK is constantly revising its Rules and Guidance in order to reflect the latest results from relevant research and development projects, feedback from damage investigations, requests from industry as well as changes made to relevant international conventions, IACS Unified Requirements (UR), etc. More specifically, some of the amendments made this time are as follows:Responding to requests from relevant industriesâŚ
Structural Safeguards in Coast Guard Suspension and Revocation Proceedings
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.
bp's Search for New CEO to Extend into Next Year
bp's search for a new chief executive is set to extend into the first quarter of 2024, three sources told Reuters, while the board's probe into whether previous CEO Bernard Looney breached the code of conduct in his undisclosed personal relationships with staff drags on.The oil company has been in turmoil since Looney's resignation in September, company sources told Reuters, and the share price has underperformed rival Shell since then amid investor uncertainty over bp's future strategy.bp's shares have dropped 9% since Looney's departure, while Shell's have gained 2% over the same period.
Back to the Drawing Board: Max Planckâs Maxim
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 PapersâŚ
AMSA Bans BBC Jade
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has issued its third ban from Australian waters to a Briese Heavylift GmbH & Co ship this year.AMSA issued the 90-day ban to the Antigua & Barbuda-flagged general cargo ship BBC Jade, after inspectors in Port Alma found 57 tons of explosive substances had been incorrectly stowed on board the vessel during transit.The International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code outlines the minimum international standards for the maritime transport of dangerous goodsâŚ
Singapore to Roll Out Electronic Bunker Delivery Notes from Nov
Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) will launch a digital bunkering initiative on Nov. 1, making the city-state the first port in the world to use electronic bunker fuel delivery notes, the MPA said on Monday.The digital notes will replace physical documents containing information on fuel oil deliveries. Under the initiative, fuel suppliers, ship owners, operators, and crew will be encouraged to use mobile and cloud-based applications approved by the MPA to complete and issue bunkering documents.
ClassNK Contributes to Social Implementation of MASS
ClassNK is taking a leading role in the implementation of safe and efficient maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS) through a program of research, rule-development, technology trials and certification.While the regulatory framework covering MASS remains a work in progress, it is clear that autonomous ship technologies are already having a transformative effect on shipping.By autonomously executing certain functions that would typically be performed by crew â especially tasksâŚ
Maritime Propulsion: The NSMV Power Play
The quest to build a series of five National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMVs), which will serve as training ships for five U.S. maritime academies, has drawn a broad cadre of suppliers. The powerplant was a main focus, helping to evolve the schools from steam power plants to a modern propulsion package.NSMVs being built for the maritime academies is widely lauded as a âwinâ for U.S. shipbuilding, an example of commercial shipbuilding practices applied to a government shipbuilding project.