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Oil Tanker Fire Sparked by Lithium-ion Battery Explosion -NTSB
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on Thursday cited thermal runaway of a cell within a handheld radio’s lithium-ion battery as the cause of a fire on an oil tanker docked in Baton Rouge, La.The Liberian-registered oil tanker S-Trust was docked at the Genesis Port Allen Terminal on November 13, 2022, when a fire on the bridge was sparked by one of the cells in a lithium-ion battery for an ultra-high-frequency handheld radio exploding, the NTSB's investigation found.
Cyprus Outlines Plan for Maritime Corridor to Get Aid to Gaza
The president of Cyprus outlined a proposal on Thursday to open a maritime corridor to help deliver more aid to Gaza, a plan which he said could be operational quickly but which diplomats said faced challenges.Under the plan presented by President Nikos Christodoulides at a humanitarian conference in Paris, aid would be sent by sea to Gaza from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, the closet European Union member state about 370 km (230 miles) away."We hope immediately to implement it…
In Brazil's Amazon, Cargill Grains Ports Meet Local Resistance
For centuries, riverside communities, including the "quilombola" descendants of enslaved Africans who escaped from plantations and ranches, have shared Xingu Island in Brazil's Amazon Basin.Its inhabitants live in brightly painted wooden houses overlooking rivers where small boats crisscross between islands and Abaetetuba city on the mainland to trade fish, seeds and fruits gathered from the Amazon forest in their backyard.In 2016…
US Awards More than $653 Million for Port Projects
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced over $653 million to fund 41 port improvement projects across the nation under the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP).The investments—part of the largest dedicated funding for ports and waterways in history, nearly $17 billion through the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—are intended to help grow capacity and increase efficiency at coastal seaports…
SCHOTTEL to Propel Windcat Offshore's Latest Walk-to-Work CSOVs
The first three new Walk-to-Work Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (CSOVs) built by the Dutch Damen Group for Windcat Offshore will be powered by full propulsion packages from SCHOTTEL. With vessel sizes of 87 metres by 20 metres, each CSOV will come with high-comfort accommodation for 120 passengers, and will provide a large warehouse and deck as well as various recreational areas and a hospital. The vessels will be powered by hydrogen and use a DP-2 control system.
Israel to Pay Compensation for Ships Damaged in Gaza War
Israel will provide compensation for ships that are damaged due to the war in Gaza and the government is taking steps to minimise risks for vessels using the country's ports, government advisories said.Israel has vowed to annihilate the Hamas Islamist group after its fighters stormed through Israeli towns from Gaza on Oct. 7, killing 1,400 people and seizing more than 220 hostages in the worst attack…
Europe's Offshore Wind Power Goal Hits New Snag: Security
As Europe turns to renewable sources to diversify energy supplies away from Russian oil and gas, a peaceful marine scene conceals a billion-dollar security headache.Rising above the Baltic Sea less than 10 km (6 miles) off the coast of Denmark, 161 wind turbines spin slowly. They supply around 4% of the country's power, sent to shore through two cable connections.The turbines have no barriers or surveillance."Our technicians are only here until five o'clock in the afternoon…
World's Ghost Fleet in Focus Over US Russian Price Cap Crackdown
U.S. penalties on shippers transporting Russian oil in breach of the G7's price cap could push more Russian cargoes onto vessels referred to as the ghost fleet and away from mainstream tankers, shipping sources and analysts told Reuters.The cap bans Western companies from providing maritime services for Russian seaborne oil exports sold above $60 a barrel.It was designed to keep oil flowing to markets while reducing Russia's energy earnings that it can use to finance its war on Ukraine…
Tango FLNG and Excalibur FSU Set to Begin Journey from Dubai to Eni's Congo LNG Project
The sailaway ceremony for the Tango floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) unit and Excalibur floating storage unit (FSU) was held Saturday to mark the vessels' sail away from Dubai to Congo, where they will serve Eni's Congo LNG project, whose first phase will start in December 2023.Tango FLNG, which has a liquefaction capacity of approximately 1 billion cubic meters per annum of gas (BCMA), will be moored 3 kilometers offshore along with the Excalibur FSU upon their arrival to Congo.EXMAR is se
Offshore Wind Developers Likely to Cancel Some Contracts After NY Decision
Developers in the U.S. offshore wind industry will likely cancel some power sales contracts in New York after the state last week denied passing on more of the costs to consumers, but major projects off Massachusetts and Rhode Island are set to start up later this year.Several states and U.S. President Joe Biden's administration consider offshore wind to be a key part of their plans to transition away from fossil fuels for energy…
Securing Federal Grant Resources for US Ports
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.
NY Will Not Change Offshore Wind and Power Sales Contracts
New York regulators on Thursday denied requests by developers of offshore wind projects and dozens of land-based renewable projects seeking billions of dollars in additional funding for existing contracts to sell power.The state denial could force developers to cancel some money-losing contracts and cancel or delay projects to sell power in New York as it has for some offshore wind developers in Massachusetts.The…
Vessels Run Aground in the Rivers of the Drought-hit Amazon Region
A barge carrying three trucks and 2,000 empty cooking gas cylinders lies stranded on the vast sand banks of a diminished Rio Negro river after running aground last month, highlighting the plight of river transport in the Amazon region hit by severe drought.Officials warned that low river levels risk disrupting grains exports from nearby farm states. On the Madeira, they said barge routes used by grain firms such as Cargill…
Near Collision, Tense Encounter as Beijing Flexes Muscles in South China Sea
The crew of the Philippine coastguard boat watch anxiously as an imposing Chinese vessel draws near and cuts off its path, coming within a metre of collision in a vast stretch of open water in the South China Sea.The captain of the BRP Sindangan shuts off the engine and activates the reverse throttle. China's coastguard issues a warning via megaphone to leave as the Filipino crew watch closely on a…
The Headwinds of US Offshore Wind Development
On March 29, 2021, President Biden announced his ambitious plan to deploy 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind power – enough energy to power 10 million U.S. homes – by 2030. The plan would leverage authorities under the Department of Interior, Energy, and Commerce to guide “more than $12 billion per year in capital investment in projects on both U.S. coasts, create tens of thousands of good-paying, union jobs…
USS Jack H Lucas (DDG 125) Commissioned
DDG 125 is named for Pfc. Jack Lucas, who served in the U.S. Marines during World War II, earning the Medal of Honor for his heroism at Iwo Jima, when he was just 17 years old. He is the youngest Marine, and the youngest service member in World War II, to be awarded the United States' highest military decoration for valor. In 1961, he returned to military service as a captain in the U.S. Army and trained younger troops headed for Vietnam.
Stolt-Nielsen Confirms Strong Third Quarter
Stolt-Nielsen Limited has reported unaudited results for the third quarter ending August 31, 2023 including a net profit of $90.1 million with revenue of $694.4 million.This compares with a net profit of $8.3 million, with revenue of $721.9 million, in the second quarter of 2023. The second quarter included an incremental loss provision of $155.0 million (net profit impact of $105 million) related…
Russia Says IMO Losing Impartiality
The U.N. shipping agency is departing from its impartial role due to "external pressure" and is being used in the interests of "a minor group of beneficiaries", which is impacting the fair treatment of all member countries, Russia said in a submission to the global shipping regulator published this week.The London-based International Maritime Organization (IMO) is responsible for regulating the safety…
Obituary: Captain David J.F. Bruce
Captain David J.F. Bruce, Permanent Representative of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and Senior Deputy Commissioner of Maritime Affairs, RMI Maritime Administrator passed away on Friday, 29 September 2023. He was a loving husband to Alison for 53 years, father to Gwendoline, and grandfather to Alison and Alexander. Captain Bruce had a storied career and connection with the sea…
Offshore Wind: Support Vessel Bottlenecks Loom in the US
An offshore wind industry is growing in the U.S. with an aim to meet the Biden Administration’s goal of 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind by 2030, and eventually 110 GW by 2050.But as is the case for any new industry that is building up, there are going to be bumps along the way. The U.S. offshore wind industry is currently grappling with rising costs amid unprecedented supply chain issues and inflation…