Shimizu News

The end may be in sight, but the race for bigger cranes is still having an impact on offshore wind project efficiency.The industry has already felt the need for upgrading crane lifting capacity on existing offshore wind installation vessels: NOV is upgrading the cranes on Cadeler’s existing O-class wind turbine installation vessels (WTIVs), and a gantry crane extension will soon make Van Oord’s Svanen one of the largest floating heavy-lift installation vessels.It’s a newbuild phenomenon too. NOV has developed a telescoping leg encircling crane for Shimizu’s GustoMSC-designed WTIV Blue Wind.

Ocean Network Express (ONE) has announced its Transpacific service starting from February 2025 which will deploy 16 core weekly services.“The emphasis will be on quality end-to-end direct services with high schedule reliability.

NOV’s telescopic leg crane has recently received recognition for its exceptional contribution to the offshore industry. At the Offshore Support Journal (OSJ) Industry Gala Dinner & Awards on February 7, the crane won the OSJ Innovation of the Year Award 2024, acknowledging its significant impact on offshore support vessel design, build, and operational aspects over the past year, marking a milestone for the heavy lift industry.This award follows another win at the Maritime Awards Gala on November 6…

Japan's Mitsui O.S.K. Line has concluded a time charter contract with Shimizu Corporation for two crew transfer vessels (CTV) for an offshore wind farm at Ishikari Bay New Port. "This marks the MOL Group’s first entry into the CTV business. In addition, one of the CTVs, The KAZEHAYA, owned by MOL, is the first CTV in Japan managed and operated under International Safety Management (ISM) Code, which is the international standard of ship safety management system, certified by Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK )," MOL said.MOL Group company MOL Coastal Shipping, Ltd.

Japan's Nippon Yusen subsidiary NYK Cruises Co said on Friday that its luxury cruise ship Asuka II was returning to port after a passenger tested positive for the coronavirus.The ship's 295 passengers and 425 crew members will reach Yokohama, just south of Tokyo, around Saturday noon, an NYK Cruises spokeswoman said.All passengers tested negative prior to the cruise, but the company conducted another round of tests at its boarding reception on Thursday, she said.The infected passenger is stable and recovering in a cabin that has been isolated, NYK said in a statement, adding that only one other person had been in close contact.The ship had been scheduled to stop at Aomori and Hokkaido prefectures and return to port on May 5.In February last year…

Japan's Kawasaki Heavy Industries is aiming to replicate its success as a major liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker producer with hydrogen, a key element that may help decarbonize industries and aid the global energy transition.A A$500 million ($385 million) pilot project, led by Kawasaki and backed by the Japanese and Australian governments, plans to ship its first cargo of liquefied hydrogen from Australia to Japan this spring, which the firm hopes will mark the dawn of a new…

ABB will equip Japan-built self-elevating wind turbine installation vessel with its power and control technologies.The company said Tuesday that the 28,000-GT jack-up unit on order from builder Japan Marine United Corp, and due for delivery to Shimizu Corp. in 2022, will feature ABB's closed ring configuration for the vessel’s dynamic positioning (DP) operations This will enable safe and predictable performance with high tolerance in the event of the power plant fault."Whether applied to newbuilds or retrofits…

PaxOcean, Singapore-based builder focused on offshore rigs, semi-submersibles and specialized offshore vessels, has signed a contract with Japanese general contractor Penta-Ocean Construction to construct a self-elevating platform (SEP) for use in the offshore wind sector in Japan.Scheduled for completion in Q3 2022, the SEP is of a GustoMSC design, equipped with four tubular legs and four azimuth thrusters.According to a press release from the subsidiary of Kuok Singapore Limited, it is fitted with a 1,600-tonne leg encircling crane, a large clear deck area of approximately 3,800 sqm, with accommodation designed for 80 persons.Chief Executive Officer of PaxOcean Holdings…

A panel of experts advising Japan's government on a disposal method for radioactive water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant on Friday recommended releasing it into the ocean, a move likely to alarm neighboring countries.The panel under the industry ministry came to the conclusion after narrowing the choice to either releasing the contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean or letting it evaporate - and opted for the former. Based on past practice it is likely the government…

National Oilwell Varco (NOV) said that it was awarded a contract to design and build equipment for one of the world's largest offshore wind turbine installation vessels. Financial details were not disclosed.According to a press release, NOV, through its subsidiary GustoMSC, landed the contract from Japanese engineering and construction firm Shimizu Corp. to design and build a ship that will be used to install turbines for a 9 GW wind farm off the coast of Japan.The 28,000-ton ship will be constructed at the Japan Marine United shipyard in Yokohama, where it will be designed to accommodate 130 people and include a crane that can move cargo up to 2,500 tons.

Taiwanese ocean shipping company Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation enhances its Intra-Asia service network by launching a new Japan–Thailand service (JT1) effective from September 11th, 2019.The JT1 service will call at Shimizu, Tokyo, Yokohama, Pusan, Laem Chabang. It will directly link Laem Chabang with Japanese ports and Pusan.The new weekly service will be added to Yang Ming’s network through a space swap program with Ocean Network Express Pte. Ltd.With the launch of JT1 complementing the existing two Japan–Thailand services, JTC and JTX, Yang Ming will provide customers with more convenient and reliable services between Japan and Thailand.Yang Ming will also launch a new service, East India and North Europe Express (code: IEX).

Japanese natural gas utility and supplier Shizuoka Gas signed an LNG sale and purchase agreement with Clean Energy in China for the delivery of chilled fuel from the Shimizu LNG terminal in ISO containers.Shizuoka Gas has been seeking further utilizations of Shimizu LNG terminal since 2017 when it made a success of reloading LNG through the reloading facility.According to Japanese gas company, this is the first binding term contract in Japan to transport LNG through ISO tank containers to China where gas demand is rapidly increasing.LNG to be supplied from Shizuoka Gas would be delivered to Taishan Gas Group and Rizhao Public Transport…

South Korea's Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) announced that it started its first ‘Ultra-Freezer’ service from Busan, Korea to Barcelona, Spain, based on its rich experience in the high-tech reefer container service. Ultra-freezer service refers to transportation of goods in – 60ºC, which are above the limit of regular reefer containers (– 35ºC to -40ºC). High technology and skilled personnel are also needed in the ultra-freezer service, as ultra-freezer containers need to maintain the very low temperature during shifting, loading, and discharging process. Due to such reasons, freight rates of ultra-freezer service are 4 to 8 times higher than regular reefer containers.

China's LNG demand soars as tankers from the Americas divert to China. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is being re-exported to China from Japan and tankers are being diverted from as far away as Brazil, with traders rushing to find cargoes in the face of a supply crunch in the world's No.2 economy as winter bites. Following an unprecedented drive to switch millions of households to natural gas from coal for heating, China's imports of LNG have surged as utilities struggle to meet soaring demand as winter gets off to a colder start than usual. "We expect to see many more LNG cargo diversions to China over the winter period," said Saul Kavonic, an analyst at energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie in Singapore. "Given China's ...

The members of THE Alliance announced the details of the plan for their product starting from April 2017. THE Alliance plans to deploy a fleet of more than 240 modern ships in the Asia /Europe, North Atlantic and Trans-Pacific trade lanes including the Middle East and the Arabian Gulf/Red Sea. The start of THE Alliance as the most integrated liner shipping consortia is scheduled for April 2017 (subject to completion of all relevant regulatory requirements). “The product of THE Alliance is a milestone which will significantly improve the service offering for all shippers on the East West trade lanes“, said the member carriers Hapag-Lloyd, “K”Line, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Nippon Yusen Kaisha and Yang Ming in a statement.

Facing less-than-expected market demand, members of the G6 Alliance announced additional void sailings within the container shippers’ Asia-Europe service, suspending its Loop 6 service until further notice. The G6 Alliance, which consists of APL, Hapag-Lloyd, Hyundai Merchant Marine, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Nippon Yusen Kaisha and Orient Overseas Container Line, said it continues to offer various services between Asia and Europe covering major port pairs with weekly sailings. The shippers said further service adjustments are possible as the G6 Alliance continues to review its product profile…

An experimental offshore floating wind farm project sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has been underway since March 2012. Participating in the project is a consortium comprised of Marubeni (project integrator), the University of Tokyo (technical advisor), Mitsubishi, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Japan Marine United, Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding, Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal, Hitachi, Furukawa Electric, Shimizu, and Mizuho Information & Research.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. today announced that MOL cooperated in the transport of the “Tachinepta” float (*1) Samba Carnival (*2) Components of the float, weighing about 5 tons in all, were placed into 15 containers and loaded aboard an MOL-operated containership. The vessel departed the Port of Shimizu on November 25, 2014, and arrived at Santos, Brazil on January 7. The Tachinepta was then assembled by craftspeople who traveled to the site from Goshogawara City, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. When the magnificent float was completed for the opening of the Carnival on February 13, it measured more than  featured in the  that began in Sao Paulo, Brazil on February 13. The year 2015 marks the 120th anniversary for signing the Treaty of Amity, Commerce and Navigation between Japan and Brazil.

AAL said the move aims to provide services and on-ground operational support directly to customers in the country, building on AAL’s presence in Asia and driving its continued international development as a global carrier. Based in Tokyo, AAL Japan will focus on providing services to key industries, particularly the EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) sectors, where Japan has a reputation for the export of high-end quality products. AAL Japan will provide a range of transportation and logistics services…

Launched in March 2012, the Fukushima experimental offshore floating wind farm project sponsored by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is nearing the installation phase as preparatory works for the installation of the 7MW oil pressure drive-type wind turbine on the three-column semi-sub floater at Onahama port, Fukushima, are almost completed and delivery from Nagasaki to Onahama has started today. Participating in the experiment is a consortium comprised of Marubeni (project integrator)…

A consortium made up of Marubeni (project integrator), the University of Tokyo (technical advisor), Mitsubishi, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Japan Marine United, Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding, Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation, Hitachi, Furukawa Electric, Shimizu, and Mizuho Information & Research has been participating in an experimental offshore floating wind farm project sponsored by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry since March 2012. At present, the construction of the three-column semi-sub as part of the second phase has been successfully completed.

A consortium comprising of Marubeni (project integrator), the University of Tokyo (technical advisor), Mitsubishi, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Japan Marine United, Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding, Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation, Hitachi, Furukawa Electric, Shimizu and Mizuho Information & Research have been participating in an experimental offshore floating wind farm project sponsored by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry since March 2012. At present, the installation work of 2MW downwind-type floating wind turbine…

EDHEC-Risk Institute announced that eight new members have joined its international advisory board, which brings together scholars, representatives of regulatory bodies as well as senior executives from business partners and other institutions. The role of the international advisory board is to validate the relevance and goals of the research program proposals presented by the institute’s management and to evaluate research outcomes with respect to their potential impact on industry practices. The 47 members of the board also advise on the objectives and contents of projects deriving from the expertise of the institute, thereby ensuring that graduate and executive programmes remain at the forefront of developments in the marketplace.