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Basf News

05 Dec 2023

Vattenfall, BASF Partner on Nordlicht 1 and 2

Iimage courtesy Vattenfall and BASF

Vattenfall and BASF are in advanced and exclusive discussions to partner on the Nordlicht 1 and 2 projects through a sale of 49 percent of the project shares to BASF. Both parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding to formally express their joint ambition. The Nordlicht wind park zone is located 85 km north of the island of Borkum in the German North Sea and consists of two separate sites: Nordlicht 1 with a capacity of 980 MW and Nordlicht 2 with 630 MW. Vattenfall develops and constructs the Nordlicht sites.

19 Apr 2023

HMM Plans Onboard Carbon Capture Field Test

© ShDrohnenFly / Adobe Stock

Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) has announced plans to conduct field tests of an onboard carbon capture system following a feasibility study of the technology for container ships.The project is being conducted with Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) and PANASIA in the second half of this year.The feasibility study revealed that the system could be installed without changing the existing equipment of the ship and does not hinder the stability of vessel operation.The collected CO2 will be liquefied in a pressurized tank and used for manufacturing dry ice on land.Earlier this year…

19 Aug 2022

Rhine Water Too Low Even for Some Empty Vessels

© Thomas Bethge / Adobe Stock

Water levels on Germany's Rhine river are so low that some vessels cannot sail even when empty, a shipping cooperative said on Friday, although long-awaited rain has begun to ease bottlenecks on one of the country's main commercial routes.Weeks of drought across Europe and beyond have added to supply chain problems as vessels have had to lighten their loads to ensure they can travel along depleted water channels."Empty ships can no longer sail in some cases," Roberto Spranzi, director of the DTG shipping cooperative that operates about 100 cargo vessels on the Rhine…

12 Aug 2022

Shipping Disruption Continues as Rhine Water Levels Drop Again in Germany

Credit: Björn Wylezich/AdobeStock

Water levels on the river Rhine in Germany have fallen again in dry weather on Friday, with some vessels no longer able to sail, shipping operators and brokers said.Rhine cargo shipping continues, but with vessels sometimes forced to sail three-quarters empty with cargo owners often needing to pay for four vessels to transport their loads instead of one.Economists estimate Rhine disruption could knock half a percentage point off Germany's economic growth this year. The reference waterline level at the chokepoint of Kaub near Koblenz was at 42 centimetres on Friday…

08 Aug 2022

River Rhine Level in Germany Drops Further, Ships Only Part-loaded

Rhine river in Cologne - Photo by Bartolomej Tomić (File Photo)

Water levels on the Rhine in Germany fell again during hot dry weather over the weekend and cargo vessels cannot sail fully loaded, vessel brokers and commodity traders said on Monday.Shallow water is causing problems for shipping on the entire river in Germany. The Rhine is one of the key channels linking Germany's industrial heartlands with the North Sea ports from which products are exported to world markets.Freight shipping on the river continues, but with vessels sometimes forced to sail three-quarters empty.

05 Aug 2022

Rhine Water Level Falls Again in Germany, Raising Freight Costs

© Dynamoland / Adobe Stock

Water levels on the Rhine in Germany continue to fall in hot weather, sending shipping costs higher because vessels cannot sail on the river fully loaded, vessel brokers said on Friday.Freight shipping on the river continues but with vessels sometimes forced to sail 75% empty.Low Rhine water will also hit output from two German coal-fired power stations in the coming months.The water level is particularly low at the chokepoint of Kaub near Koblenz. The reference waterline level at Kaub was only 56 centimeters on Friday…

02 Mar 2022

Wintershall Dea Writes Off $1.1B Nord Stream 2 financing

File Photo: A vessel connecting pipe sections above water at Nord Stream 2 project in 2019 - Nord Stream 2 / Axel Schmidt

German oil and gas firm Wintershall Dea, one of the five co-funders of Nord Stream 2, on Wednesday said it is writing off its 1 billion euros ($1.11 billion) financing in the gas pipeline that was suspended last week.The management board of Wintershall Dea said on Wednesday it would no longer be advancing or implementing further projects in Russia and would be stopping payments to Russia immediately.The company, co-owned by BASF and Russian billionaire Mikhail Fridman's investor group LetterOne, said it would remain involved in the existing Yuzhno Russkoye and Achimov natural gas production pr

27 Jan 2022

Tech File: SHI Develops onboard Carbon Capture System

An SHI-built LNG carrier. Photo courtesy Samsung Heavy Industries

SHI reports that it has successfully developed an 'Onboard Carbon Capture' system which can be applicable to LNG fueled vessels with PANASIA, an eco-friendly and energy system expert, and received Approval in Principle from KR, Korean classification society, for the first time in Korea.This approved green technology separates and collects carbon dioxide among exhaust gas of LNG, which is burned in a ship engine or generator, using an Amine based liquid absorbent. SHI and PANASIA have jointly developed the technology since 2020…

24 Dec 2021

Europe Missing Out on Gas with Nord Stream 2 Delay, Russia says

Credit: Nord Stream 2

Europe, struggling with soaring gas prices, is missing out on additional Russian supplies amid delays to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, a top Russian official signaled on Friday.Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said European companies that invested in the project, which is awaiting German and EU regulatory approval, would be able to ask for additional gas on top of their long-term contracts via the route."To my mind, European consumers are very interested in the project to start working, while the companies, which participate in it, they could have submitted additional requests as part of lo

10 Sep 2021

Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Completed, Gazprom Says

Credit; Nord Stream 2

Gazprom said on Friday it had finished construction of the Nord Stream 2 subsea pipeline to Germany, completing Moscow's project to increase its gas export capability and bypass Ukraine, but flows have yet to be cleared by regulators.The much-politicized pipeline will double Russia's gas exporting capacity to Europe via the Baltic Sea and will allow Moscow to circumvent its political foe Ukraine as a major route for its lucrative gas exports to Europe."The head of the management board…

07 Feb 2021

Pipe Laying for Nord Stream 2 Restarts in Danish Waters

File photo: © Nord Stream 2 / Axel Schmidt

The consortium behind the Russia-led Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline has resumed laying pipes in the waters of Denmark, it said on Saturday, despite mounting pressure on the project from Washington.Construction of the link, which would double the capacity of the existing Nord Stream pipeline to 110 billion cubic meters of gas per year, was suspended in December 2019 due to the threat of sanctions from Washington.However the German government has stood by the project and late in December a vessel called the Fortuna…

27 Jan 2021

Biofouling in Niche Areas: Addressing the Blind Spots

Photo courtesy I-Tech

In a recent study that I-Tech conducted with U.K. independent marine coatings consultants, Safinah Group, we estimated that unacceptable levels of hard fouling, predominantly barnacles, across the global commercial could be responsible for at least 110 million tons of excess carbon emissions, with a significant proportion of the fleet suffering from a severe level of hard fouling.It’s a growing risk for owners; in the last few years biofouling has been thrust into the spotlight…

22 Jan 2021

Russian Pipelaying Vessels En Route to Nord Stream 2 Work Site

Russian pipe-laying and other vessels are heading to Nord Stream 2 pipeline construction sites in the Baltic Sea, ship tracking data showed on Friday, amid U.S. pressure to scrap the project that aims to pump more Russian gas to Europe.Work on Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which will land in Germany, was suspended in December 2019 when Swiss-Dutch company Allseas halted pipe laying because of U.S. threats to impose sanctions.Work resumed for a brief period last month on a 2.6-km (1.6-mile) stretch in German waters. A Danish regulator said construction would restart in Danish waters from mid-January, with Russian pipe-laying vessel Fortuna, which had worked in the German zone.Refinitiv Eikon data showed Fortuna was in the region of the German-Danish maritime border.

21 Jan 2021

Stolt Tankers Develops Unique Shallow-draft Tanker for BASF

(Image: Technolog)

Stolt Tankers said it has been commissioned by chemicals company BASF to help design and build a unique new tanker capable of operating when extremely low water levels hamper river shipping on the Rhine.The Rhine, which starts in Switzerland and flows through Germany and the Netherlands before emptying into the North Sea, is a key waterway for transportation in Europe. During dry weather, barges are often unable to fully load, increasing transport costs and delaying products.Stolt…

14 Jan 2021

Report: Nord Stream 2 Set to Resume Pipelaying Works in Danish Waters

The Russia-led Nord Stream 2 consortium said on Thursday that work to lay its subsea gas pipeline to Germany would resume in Danish waters on Jan. 15, the TASS news agency reported, despite pressure from the United States for construction to stop.Russia said on Wednesday it was confident of completing the project, although two sources said the U.S. State Department had this month told European companies suspected of helping to build the pipeline that they faced possible sanctions.Nord Stream 2 has not responded to a [Reuters] request for comment.A Danish maritime regulator said last month construction work would resume in Danish waters in mid-January…

29 Dec 2020

Nord Stream 2 Completes Pipe Laying Works in German Waters

The Russia-led Nord Stream 2 consortium said on Monday it has completed laying pipes for the project in German waters, finishing work on a 2.6 kilometer-long portion of the pipeline, which had been stalled by the threat of U.S. sanctions."We have completed this work," the consortium said in an emailed statement, referring to the pipe-laying in the German economic zone.Earlier on Monday, Refinitiv Eikon data showed the Russian pipe-laying vessel Fortuna has left the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline construction site in Germany's section of the Baltic Sea.The Fortuna earlier this month resumed work on the pipeline, which will pump gas directly from Russia to western Europe, bypassing Ukraine.

28 Dec 2020

Fortuna Pipelayer Leaves Nord Stream 2 German Site, Indicating Project Progress

The Russian pipe-laying vessel Fortuna has left the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline construction site in the Baltic Sea, Refinitiv Eikon data showed on Monday, indicating that the 2.6-km stretch of the project in German waters may have been completed.Fortuna was now heading for the north German port of Wismar, the data showed.The Fortuna earlier this month resumed work on the pipeline, which will pump gas directly from Russia to western Europe, bypassing Ukraine. Work had been suspended for a year due to the risks of sanctions from the United States.Nord Stream-2 did not respond to a request for comment on Monday on the latest developments.The pipeline…

23 Dec 2020

Nord Stream 2 to Start Laying Gas Pipes in Danish Waters

The Russia-led Nord Stream 2 consortium is expected to start laying gas pipes in Danish waters after construction was suspended for a year owing to the threat of sanctions from the United States, according to a Danish maritime regulator.Nord Stream 2, designed to double capacity of the existing undersea Nord Stream gas pipeline from Russia to Germany, has become a bone of contention between Moscow and Washington, with the United States seeking to cut Europe's reliance on Russian energy.The United States also plans to increase sales of its own sea-borne liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe.The Danish Maritime Authority has issued notification of pipe-laying works for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline on the Baltic Sea bed from Jan.

14 Dec 2020

Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Construction Works Resume Despite U.S. sanctions

Russia has resumed construction of the politically-charged Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany, laying pipes after a one-year hiatus prompted by U.S. sanctions, the pipeline operator said on Friday.The pipeline, which Washington says compromises European energy security, has become a flashpoint in relations between Russia and the West that have sunk to post-Cold War lows. The Kremlin has called the sanctions "unfair competition".Swiss-Dutch company Allseas suspended the laying of pipes in December 2019 following the threat of sanctions from Washington, leaving Russia to utilize its own resources to construct the 1,230 kilometers (km) pipeline…

15 Dec 2020

Timeline: Nord Stream 2 Gas Pipeline's Difficult Birth

(File Photo: Nord Stream 2 - © Axel Schmidt)

Russia has resumed construction of the politically-charged Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany, laying pipes after a one-year hiatus prompted by U.S. sanctions, the pipeline operator said on Friday.An alleged nerve agent attack on Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny in August was the latest political controversy to hit the nearly-completed Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, as Germany debates whether to halt the project as part of potential sanctions against Russia.Led by Russia's Gazprom with Western partners…

30 Nov 2020

Russia's Nord Stream 2 Set to Resume Pipe-laying Work

© Nord Stream 2 / Axel Schmidt (File Photo)

Russia's Nord Stream 2 said on Saturday it planned to resume pipe-laying work on a 2.6 kilometer (1.62 mile) stretch of the stalled Moscow-backed gas pipeline to Europe in Germany's Exclusive Economic Zone.The 1,230 km pipeline under the Baltic Sea, which Moscow hopes will boost the amount of gas it can pump to Europe bypassing Ukraine, is nearly finished but a final stretch of about 120 km still needs to be laid.Work was halted last December when pipe-laying company Swiss-Dutch Allseas suspended operations after U.S.

07 Dec 2020

Russian Pipe-laying Vessel Stops near Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Site

Russian pipe-laying vessel Akademik Cherskiy stopped on Saturday near the construction site of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea, Refinitiv Eikon data showed on Saturday.The consortium led by Gazprom building the 1,230 kilometers (km) pipeline said last month that work would resume after it was suspended a year ago when U.S. sanctions targeted companies involved in the construction.The U.S. ambassador to Berlin called on the German government and the European Union to put a temporary halt to construction work on the pipeline to send a signal to Moscow.Washington says the pipeline, which has become a flashpoint in relations between Russia and the West that have sunk to post-Cold War lows…

11 Dec 2020

Second Russian Pipe-layer Moves to Nord Stream 2 Gas Pipeline Site

A Russian pipe-laying vessel, Fortuna, has arrived at the construction site of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea, Refinitiv Eikon data showed on Friday, with work on the project set to resume.There are also several procurement vessels near the site, according to the data.The Akademik Cherskiy, another, more modern pipe-laying vessel which had arrived at the site north of the German and Polish coasts last week, has since moved away and is now drifting near the Russian port of Kaliningrad.Nord Stream 2 has repeatedly declined to comment on which vessel will lay the pipes and when exactly works to construct the pipeline, which will run from Russia to Europe across the Baltic Sea…