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Bella News

24 Jan 2024

Seaside LNG Performs US Gulf Coast's First Ship-to-ship LNG Bunkering

Seaside LNG's bunkering barge Clean Jacksonville is now operating in Galveston, Texas. (Photo: Seaside LNG)

Seaside LNG announced its liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering barge Clean Jacksonville delivered fuel to Carnival cruise ship Carnival Jubilee in Galveston, Texas, marking the first ship-to-ship LNG bunkering delivery along the U.S. Gulf Coast.The bunkering operation took place on December 30, 2023, after months of careful coordination with all parties involved, including the Port of Galveston, Seaside LNG said.The 2,200 cubic meter bunkering barge Clean Jacksonville, previously stationed in Florida


06 Mar 2023

Philippines to Deploy Subsea ROV to Pinpoint Location of Stricken Tanker

Illustration only ©Victor Ivin/AdobeStock

Philippine authorities believe they have found the location of a tanker that sank off a central province last week, the environment ministry said on Monday, amid a race to assess the extent of an oil spill and contain further environmental damage.The tanker, the MT Princess Empress, is thought to be lying at about 1,200 feet (366 meters) below sea level, off Oriental Mindoro province, though the information still needed to be verified, the ministry said in a statement.A remotely operated vehicle would be deployed to help determine the exact location of the tanker


23 Sep 2021

JAX LNG and TOTE Complete US' First Renewable LNG Bunkering

A file photo of the LNG bunker barge Clean Jacksonville at JAXPORT's Blount Island Marine Terminal (Photo: JAX LNG)

JAX LNG, a small-scale LNG facility located along the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Fla., recently completed the first fueling of a marine vessel in the United States with a blend of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and renewable LNG (RLNG).JAX LNG loaded the RLNG/LNG blend into the Clean Jacksonville bunker barge to fuel the Isla Bella. The Isla Bella is the world’s first LNG-powered container ship and was put into service by TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico in 2015. Element Markets supplied the renewable natural gas (RNG) used to produce the RLNG via renewable thermal certificates (RTCs).

01 Oct 2020

PDVSA to Install Ship-to-ship Hub Away from Shore

© Vladimir / Adobe Stock

Venezuela's state-run oil firm PDVSA is informing customers about a new hub for doing ship-to-ship transfers for exports in a location away from shore, a shift that could mean higher costs and less supervision, according to three sources.More than two-thirds of Venezuela's oil exports leave from the Jose terminal on the country's eastern coast, a large and heavily supervised facility with two monobuoys for exports and connected through pipelines to several crude upgraders.But with U.S.

01 Sep 2020

Owners of Iranian Fuel Seized by US Assert Rights to Cargoes

The owners of four Iranian fuel cargoes that were confiscated by U.S. authorities last month mounted a challenge to the seizure, asserting their rights to control the cargo, according to a court filing on Tuesday.The U.S. Justice Department last month announced the seizure of 1.116 million barrels of fuel it said was destined for Venezuela. The oil industries of Venezuela and Iran, both OPEC nations, are under U.S. sanctions, and Iran earlier this year irked Washington by sending gasoline cargoes to Venezuela.In the Tuesday filing with the U.S.

14 Aug 2020

US Seized Four Iranian Fuel Cargoes Bound for Venezuela

The United States said on Friday it had confiscated four Iranian fuel shipments that had been bound for Venezuela, disrupting a key supply line for both Tehran and Caracas as they defied U.S. sanctions.U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran should not be sending cargoes to Venezuela and added that the seized shipments were bound for Houston, Texas, a major U.S. oil shipping hub and suggested they may have already arrived."They're going to Houston. And, they're there," Trump told a White House news conference. "We're moving them, and moved, to Houston."The U.S. Justice Department said the seized cargo was now in U.S. custody "with the assistance of foreign partners


14 Aug 2020

Four Tankers Carrying Iranian Fuel Cargoes to US for Seizure

Tankers carrying Iranian fuel cargoes covered by a U.S. warrant for seizure are sailing to the United States after talks between U.S. authorities and ship owners, a U.S. government source and a shipping source said on Thursday.Iran had planned to transport the gasoline to Venezuela, a supply line that both Tehran and Caracas have flaunted in defiance of U.S. sanctions. Washington has imposed sanctions on both countries to choke oil exports and deprive their governments of their main source of revenue.Iranian action against another ship on Wednesday in the Gulf was in retaliation against the Greek owner of some of the vessels that were carrying the fuel cargoes, the government source and two shipping sources said.U.S.

02 Jul 2020

US Files Suit to Seize Iranian Gasoline on Tankers Headed to Venezuela

U.S. prosecutors late on Wednesday filed a lawsuit to seize the gasoline aboard four tankers that Iran is shipping to Venezuela, the latest attempt by the Trump administration to increase economic pressure on the two U.S. foes.The government of Venezuelan Socialist President Nicolas Maduro has flaunted the tankers, which departed last month, to show it remains unbowed by U.S. pressure. The United States, has been pressing for Maduro’s ouster with a campaign of diplomatic measures and punitive measures, including sanctions on state oil company PDVSA.Gasoline shortages in Venezuela, like Iran a member of OPEC, have grown acute due to the U.S. sanctions, and the country has undergone an economic collapse.

14 Jun 2019

Defense Show Set for Denmark in September

Major naval and maritime exhibition set for Copenhagen Sept. 3-6, 2019; MAST NOCO 2019 will be the biggest military conference in Denmark everThe maritime world will meet at MAST NOCO 2019 in Copenhagen September 3-6, 2019. MAST, which stands for Maritime Systems and Technologies, encompasses a series of global conference and exhibitions. The year’s MAST NOCO 2019, which takes place at the same time as the Northern Coasts (NOCO) 2019 multinational naval exercises, will be the biggest military equipment exhibition and conference ever held in Denmark.

16 May 2019

Northern Sea Wolf to Cover Central Coast route

The new ferry between Bella Coola and Port Hardy will be starting up on Saturday, said the British Columbia Ferry Services Inc (BC Ferries)According to a news release , the Northern Sea Wolf will begin service on the Central Coast route on May 18, after finishing sea trials and dock fits during April and May.Built in 2000, the vessel was bought in Greece in 2017 after the province announced it was reviving the route that had been cancelled in 2013.The corporation says the Northern Sea Wolf has finished sea trials and dock fits successfully in April and May in Port Hardy, Bella Bella, Bella Coola, Shearwater and Ocean Falls.On May 3, the Northern Sea Wolf left BC Ferries’ refit facility in Richmond and headed north to conduct dock trials at the ports it will serve (Port Hardy


12 Dec 2018

2018 Green Apple Spill Exercise

Committed to providing tugboat and towing vessel operators with a platform to meet regularity requirements and collaborate with local resources, the annual event also reminds us that Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance.On September 28 2018, American Marine Associates, LLC (AMA) coordinated and hosted the 3rd annual Green Apple Spill Response Exercise in Bayonne, NJ. The Green Apple Spill Response exercise was established specifically for the tugboat and towing vessel industry operating in New York Harbor.

17 Oct 2018

TOTE Touts 'LNG-as-Fuel' Experience

Peter Keller, Executive Vice President, TOTE. (Photo: Greg Trauthwein)

Build it and they will come mentality serves TOTE well on ‘world first’ LNG ContainershipsAs the marine industry collectively struggles to find solutions to the mounting mandates to cut emissions, U.S. owner TOTE, which broke ground three years ago with the world’s first LNG-fueled containership, has more than 36 months experience operating almost exclusively on LNG. To date it has been a rousing success.As environmental mandates for ships continue to get stricter, particularly


08 Oct 2018

TOTE’s Top Tips for LNG Success

Peter Keller, Executive Vice President, TOTE. Photo: Greg Trauthwein

U.S. owner TOTE, which broke ground three years ago with the world’s first LNG-fueled containership, has more than 36 months experience operating almost exclusively on LNG. We recently interviewed Peter Keller, Executive Vice President, TOTE, for a feature story coming in the October 2018 edition of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News. Until then, here are some tips from Keller for ship owners considering the switch to LNG.1.Relationship: “One of the things we’re very positive about is the relationship with MAN at all levels, from senior leadership to the support.

28 Sep 2018

Coast Guard, Industry Partner on LNG Inspector Training

file Image: TOTE's new LNG-fueled vessel receives (LNG) bunkers. CREDIT: TOTE

The Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) Natonal Center of Expertise, industry experts provide technical training for future LNG fueled vessel inspectors.The Coast Guard’s Liquefied Gas Carrier National Center of Expertise (LGC NCOE) partnered with Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville to coordinate a four-day “LNG as Fuel Workshop” Sept. 17-20, 2018, for future inspectors of LNG fueled vessels, with support from industry experts and the Coast Guard’s Marine Safety Center.Together, this team of LNG as fuel specialists provided Coast Guard marine inspectors from across the U.S.

19 Sep 2018

LNG as Fuel: TOTE’s Keller Discusses ‘Lessons Learned’

Peter Keller, Executive Vice President, TOTE

In a recent interview with Peter Keller, Executive Vice President, TOTE, Maritime Reporter & Engineering News discussed lessons learned after three years of experience running two containerships – Isla Bella and Perla del Caribe – on LNG, the world’s first containerships with LNG fueled engines. Built in San Diego at NASSCO, powered by MAN ME-GI dual fuel engines and classed by ABS, Keller discusses ‘lessons learned’ today"When you're dealing with natural gas the safety culture is important. It's cryogenic, you don't want to spill it.

09 Sep 2018

TOTE Maritime Happy with ME-GI Engine

American shipping company, TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico, has returned very positive reports on its LNG-powered containerships, ‘Isla Bella’ and ‘Perla del Caribe’ as they approach the third anniversary of commencing operations, said a press release.It said that the 3,100-teu sister ships serve the route between Jacksonville, Florida and San Juan, Puerto Rico and are notable for being propelled by the first ME-GI dual-fuel engines produced by MAN Energy Solutions.Tim Nolan, President and CEO of TOTE noted: "The relationship between MAN and TOTE has been strong with excellent collaboration from the top level all the way to the engine room, and that continues. TOTE is proud to be an LNG first mover.

06 Sep 2018

Brazil Minimum Freight Rates Hurt Port Cargos -Association Chief

Brazil's policy of setting minimum freight rates is reducing the volume of cargo at Brazilian ports as farmers and agricultural exporters have difficulty arranging transportation at higher cost, according to the head of a Brazilian ports association.The country instituted minimum rates for freight above the previous market rate as part of a deal to end a truckers' strike over high diesel prices in May. The strike paralyzed the country's roadways, preventing agriculture exports


21 Aug 2018

Russian Firms, Vessels Hit with US Sanctions over N. Korea Oil Transfers

The United States on Tuesday announced sanctions on two Russian shipping companies and six vessels it said were involved in the transfer of refined petroleum products to North Korean vessels in violation of United Nations. restrictions.Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov called the sanctions as well as other U.S. steps over alleged hacking, groundless, and promised a response.The U.S. Treasury identified the shipping firms as Vladivostok-based shipping companies Primorye Maritime Logistics Co Ltd (Primorye) and Gudzon Shipping Co LLC (Gudzon). It also named six Russian-flagged vessels: Bella, Bogatyr, Neptun, Partizan, Patriot and Sevastopol."Ship-to-ship transfers with North Korea-flagged vessels from Russia or elsewhere of any goods being supplied


21 Aug 2018

U.S. Sanctions Russian Firms, Vessels Over N. Korea Oil Transfers

The United States on Tuesday announced sanctions on two Russian shipping companies and six vessels it said were involved in the transfer of refined petroleum products to North Korean vessels in violation of U.N. restrictions.The U.S. Treasury identified the firms as Vladivostok-based shipping companies Primorye Maritime Logistics Co Ltd (Primorye) and Gudzon Shipping Co LLC (Gudzon).It also named six Russian-flagged vessels: Bella, Bogatyr, Neptun, Partizan, Patriot and Sevastopol."Ship-to-ship transfers with North Korea-flagged vessels from Russia or elsewhere of any goods being supplied, sold, or transferred to or from (North Korea) are prohibited under the U.N. Security Council resolutions on North Korea and are sanctionable under U.S. law," U.S.

21 Aug 2018

North America’s First LNG Bunker Barge Delivered

Clean Jacksonville is the the first LNG bunker barge built in North America (Photo: Conrad Industries)

The first liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunker barge to be built in North America has been delivered in Jacksonville, Fla., said U.S. shipbuilder Conrad Industries.The new 2,200 cubic meter bunkering barge, Clean Jacksonville, will service TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico’s LNG-powered Marlin Class containerships, the Isla Bella and Perla del Caribe, which operate between Jacksonville and San Juan, Puerto Rico.The new barge enters operation as the maritime industry increasingly explores


10 Aug 2018

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Isla Bella (Photo: General Dynamics NASSCO)

Significant moments in naval architecture & marine engineeringOn October 16, 2015, U.S. shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO delivered the world's first liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered containership, Isla Bella, to domestic ship owner and operator TOTE Maritime. The 764-foot-long Isla Bella and its sister ship Perla del Caribe currently serve the Florida-Puerto Rico trade.Today, LNG continues to pick up steam across the industry. In November 2017, French carrier CMA CGM announced that its nine new 22


17 Jun 2018

Yang Ming Wins the 2017 Blue Circle Awards

Taiwanese ocean shipping company Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp was granted the “2017 Blue Circle Awards” by Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA). This is the third time Yang Ming being recognized for its environmental commitment by VFPA since 2015. Bella Yang, President of YANG MING SHIPPING (CANADA) LTD., represented Yang Ming to receive the honor. The Blue Circle Awards is a recognition reserved for the highest level of participation in the EcoAction Program by VFPA intended to promote marine carriers excelling in environmental stewardship and encourage carriers to execute a variety of fuel, technology and environmental management options which help improve the environment.

28 Dec 2017

LNG: Maritime's Fuel of the Future

©Philip Plisson, courtesy CMA CGM

The move to LNG as fuel in the maritime sector picks up steam, as CMA CGM announced plans to outfit nine of its new 22,000 TEU containerships with LNG fueled engines. A trend that started in the United States is spreading to the world, as global containershipping giant CMA CGM announced its intention to outfit its series of new 22,000 TEU containerships with LNG-fueled engines. The move to ‘clean fuel’ in the maritime sector has been rapid, spurred by new rules from the International