Norway's Myklebust Verft to Build World's Largest Hydrogen Ferries
Norwegian shipyard Myklebust Verft has been selected to build a pair of innovative hydrogen-powered passenger ferries ordered by Norwegian transport company Torghatten Nord.The design, produced by The Norwegian Ship Design Company for operations in the challenging waters of the Vestfjordstrekninga fjord in the Arctic Circle, received approval in principle (AIP) in August 2022 from Lloyd's Register, who has signed on to class the first-of-their-kind vessels.At 117 meters long with a 120-car capacityâŠ
H2 Energy and DFDS Publish Hydrogen Propulsion Feasibility Study
Over the past year, H2 Energy and DFDS have worked together on a project to analyze the feasibility of retrofitting large ferries with a hydrogen propulsion system.The project, supported by the Danish Maritime Fund, has led to the publication of a hydrogen propulsion feasibility study.With support from the Danish Maritime Fund, DFDS, H2 Energy and Lloyds set out to uncover the technical and operational feasibility of hydrogen propulsion systems by analyzing the main aspects ofâŠ
Dali Incident Could Be Largest Ever Single Marine Insurance Loss
Britannia, the insurer of container ship the Dali, is working with the vessel's owner and U.S. authorities on the investigation into the collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, the insurer said on Thursday.The bridge collapsed on Tuesday after the Dali suffered a power outage and struck a pylon, causing huge disruption in the port."We are working closely with the vessel's owner and manager and the relevant U.S. authorities as part of the investigation into the casualtyâŠ
Insights: Cherrie Felder, VP, Channel Shipyard Companies
For Cheryl âCherrieâ Felder, the path to the maritime industry was both untraditional and seemingly meant to be. After studying African art, she began her career working in a museum in New Orleans before landing a role directing professional rodeo in the Big Easy.âIt was a lot of fun, and I learned a whole lot,â Felder said. âBut as you may imagine, New Orleans is not a rodeo town. After the third year, the board of directors decided, okay, that's it. No more rodeo.âAnd thatâs when Felderâs doorway to the maritime industry swung openâŠ
TotalEnergies Renews Contract for Bibby WaveMaster 1 SOVâs Services
Bibby Marine has secured a three-year contract extension with long-standing client TotalEnergies EP Nederland for its âwalk-to-workâ service operation vessel (SOV) Bibby WaveMaster 1.The three-year charter extension will begin in the first quarter of 2025, and the vessel will be deployed on the Dutch continental shelf in the Southern North Sea.The SOV will continue to accommodate and transport service engineers and maintenance personnel, supporting gas production activities acrossâŠ
Jayson Robinson Named VP of Vigor Fabrication
Jayson Robinson has been named Vigorâs Vice President of Fabrication, taking the helm of the complex and marine fabrication divisions with facilities in Clackamas and Portland, Ore., as well as Vancouver, Wash. Robinson joined Vigor, a Titan company, as the director of quality in 2018 and has been serving as the assistant vice president since last fall.âJayson has been a key part of several highly-successful projects at Vigor during his tenure,â said Titan CEO Jim Marcotuli. âHis leadership and expertise will be critical as we enter a period of potential growth for this part of our business.
US Navy Accepts Delivery of Future USS Kingsville (LCS 36)
The U.S. Navy accepted delivery of the future USS Kingsville (LCS 36) at Austal USAâs shipyard in Mobile, Ala., March 1.Kingsville is the 18th Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) constructed, and is the first ship ever named after Kingsville, Texas.The LCS class comprises fast, optimally manned, mission-tailored surface combatants that can operate in both near-shore and open-ocean waters to counter 21st-century coastal threats.Kingsville successfully completed Acceptance Trials on February 1 and will be commissioned later this summerâŠ
Maritime Emissions Reduction Center Launched in Athens
The Lloydâs Register (LR) Maritime Decarbonization Hub is collaborating with five leading shipowners as founding members in the establishment of a not-for-profit Athens-based global Maritime Emissions Reduction Center (M-ERC) that will focus on optimizing the efficiency of the existing fleet.The M-ERC is being created with the goal of removing technical, investment and community barriers for the uptake of solutions to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the existing global fleetâŠ
MPA and IACS Collaborate on Maritime Initiatives
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to collaborate on various maritime digitalization and decarbonization initiatives.The LOI was signed by Teo Eng Dih, Chief Executive of MPA, and Nick Brown, Council Chairman of IACS, at the sidelines of the 33rd session of the IMO Assembly in London this week.Under the LOI, both parties will consider the development of technical standards and unified requirements to ensure that new maritime solutions are safely implemented.
Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore Joins the Maritime Technologies Forum
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore has joined as an associate member, bringing regulatory and technological expertise to further support MTFâs objectives.Today, the Maritime Technologies Forum (MTF), whose founding members include ABS, DNV, Lloydâs Register, ClassNK, Japanâs Maritime Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the Norwegian Maritime Authority and the U.K.âs Maritime and Coastguard Agency, welcomed the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) as an associate memberâŠ
Committed Owners Supporting Green Financing Landscape
Hamburg-based ship finance platform oceanisâs Q4 State of Ship Finance Report comes with a thank-you to shipping companies that are committed to the green transition.Over the past decade, oceanis has seen large changes to the ship financing landscape towards greener projects. The most obvious green financiers are the Poseidon Principles banks, the initiative launched in 2019 whose signatories manage 70% of the worldâs shipping loans. At the same time, many other banks and funds are moving away from financing âbrownâ assets and trades.
MAN Energy Solutions and Doen WaterJets Partner for Australian Military Tender
MAN Energy Solutions and Doen WaterJets (DOEN) have agreed to join forces to offer a fully integrated propulsion system solution to the Australian Armyâs LAND 8710 Littoral Manoeuvre Vessel Phase 1A (LMV-M) program.The program aims to acquire a medium landing craft suitable for a range of missions in Australiaâs northern waters and beyond.The cooperation spans the full product lifecycle including propulsion system design, integrated logistics support and commissioning, throughâŠ
Fairbanks Morse Acquires American Fan
Defense contractor Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD), a portfolio company of Arcline Investment Management (Arcline), has acquired American Fan, a axial and centrifugal fan manufacturer based in Fairfield, Ohio.âNow more than ever, Fairbanks Morse Defense remains committed to expanding our growing array of OEM equipment to ensure that our fleet is always mission-ready,â said George Whittier, FMD CEO. âAmerican Fan has a long track record of delivering high-quality products to the U.S.
Massachusetts Offshore Wind Farm Dodges Lawsuits over Environmental, Fishing Concerns
A U.S. judge has rejected challenges to federal environmental permits and construction approvals for a $4 billion offshore wind farm near Massachusetts, which commercial fishing groups have claimed will harm whales and impair their businesses.U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston last Thursday tossed the final two federal district court lawsuits directly challenging the Vineyard Wind project roughly 15 miles south of Marthaâs Vineyard, which would be the first commercialâŠ
Markey Wins Deal to Refurbish Winches for NOAA Research Vessel
Seattle-based deck machinery company Markey Machine said it has recently secured a contract from Bollinger Mississippi Shipbuilding for winch refurbishment aboard NOAA research vessel Ronald H. Brown. The three Markey oceanographic winches that have been aboard for 27 years will receive varied upgrades.âNOAA is working to maximize the service life of each of its vessels, in part by investing in mid-life repairs,â said Jamie LeCompte, NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown project manager.
Connecting the Dots: From Remote Operations to Full Autonomy
Realizing the full value of digital solutions far exceeds the capability of technology. The technology exists today to help offshore energy and maritime operators radically improve efficiency and cut costs in equal measure. The real trick to driving efficiencies is to take advantage of the latest technologies while at the same time negotiating the necessary culture change within individual organizations, to really reap the benefits.Harvest Technology Group is a relatively young and small Australian company that has caught the attention of a number of offshore and subsea industry heavyweightsâŠ
Maritime Partners Acquires Maersk's USMMI
Maritime Partners, a Louisiana-based provider of maritime financing solutions primarily focused on Jones Act vessels, announced that on September 20, 2023, one of its managed funds acquired Norfolk, Va.-based U.S. Marine Management LLC (USMMI) from Maersk Line, Limited.USMMI owns and operates U.S. flag vesselsâincluding one owned maritime support vessel, three owned tankers, and one bareboat chartered tankerâfor charter to the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command. It also performs operation and maintenance of U.S. government-owned vessels, and currently has one O&M contract supporting U.S.
Biden Nominates Admiral Lisa Franchetti to be First Woman to Lead US Navy
President Joe Biden on Friday nominated Admiral Lisa Franchetti to lead the Navy, an historic step that would break a gender barrier in the U.S. military by making her the first woman to command the service and to become a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.The decision by Biden is a surprise. Pentagon officials had widely expected the nomination to go to Admiral Samuel Paparo, who leads the Navy in the Pacific and who has experience grappling with the growing challenge from China.StillâŠ
Commercial Fishing on the Great Lakes is a Family Affair
Although the number of fishermen who make a living on the waters of the Great Lakes is much diminished from a half century ago, the region's commercial whitefish fishery continues to be viable and profitable.Henriksen Fisheries is one of about a dozen commercial entities in the Wisconsin waters of Lake Michigan, focused on trap netting whitefish in Green Bay and the waters surrounding the Door Peninsula.Charlie Henriksen started his family-owned fishing business in Door County in 1987.Originally from IllinoisâŠ
Volvo Penta Expands Marine Services in Central America
Volvo Penta announced it has entered into a new partnership with SVF Panama, part of the SVF Group, to support its customers with marine services in Panama and Costa Rica.In recent years, Volvo Penta has steadily expanded its service and support network, partnering with companies that specialize in marine operations to provide technical support, field service, maintenance operations and parts supply for its customer base across the marine leisure and commercial sectors.âSVF is an ideal partner for Volvo PentaâŠ
Tugdock and Salamander Offshore Wind Team Up to Accelerate Floating Wind Energy Development
UK-based company Tugdock has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Salamander floating offshore wind farm to collaborate on innovation for floating offshore wind energy in Scotland.Tugdock, based in Cornwall, UK, has patented marine buoyancy technology that enables heavy marine structures to be built or assembled and loaded-out in ports with water depth or space restrictions.Salamander Offshore Wind is a joint venture development project between Simply Blue Group, Ørsted and Subsea7, which is developing a floiating wind farm to be located offshore from Peterhead in North-East Scotland.
DNV Gives Thumbs Up to Moss Maritime's LH2 Ship Transport Solution
Moss Maritime, Norwegian company specializing in design and engineering services to the offshore energy industry as well as other ocean-based sectors and a subsidiary of Italy's Saipem, has secured an Approval in Principle (AIP) from the classification society DNV for a containment system for ship transport of liquefied hydrogen (LH2).Ship transport of liquefied hydrogen is seen as one of the key technical challenges in realizing the energy transition to a carbon-free futureâŠ
Bidenâs Offshore Wind Target Slipping Out of Reach as Projects Struggle
President Joe Bidenâs goal to deploy 30,000 megawatts of offshore wind along U.S. coastlines this decade to fight climate change may be unattainable due to soaring costs and supply chain delays, according to forecasters and industry insiders.The 2030 target, unveiled shortly after Biden took office, is central to Biden's broader plan to decarbonize the U.S. economy by 2050. It is also crucial to targets of Northeast states hoping wind will help them move away from fossil fuelâŠ