Amsterdam News

EST-Floattech has been selected by KOTUG International to provide its containerized energy storage solution with Octopus Series energy modules for the E-Pusher 1 (Type M), the world’s first fully electric pusherboat operated by Cargill.The vessel was built by Padmos, and EST-Floattech worked with the yard, Sea and Shore, and Gebhard Electro to realize the system. The container is ESTRIN-Certified and has a capacity of 2MWh. It was designed and constructed in a little over half…

Around 10 of CMA CGM’s vessels are set to receive modifications and upgrades as part of the agreement the French shipping giant made with Dutch shipbuilder Damen Shipyards, aimed at increasing the efficiency of the ships.The upgrades and modifications will deliver fuel efficiencies of more than 10%, according to Damen.The upgrades will take place at Damen Shiprepair Dunkerque (DSDu) and Damen Shiprepair Amsterdam (DSAm), which between them have some of Europe’s largest dry docks…

DNV announced it has merged its existing cyber security business with two recently acquired companies, Nixu and Applied Risk.The merger brings together more than 500 cyber security experts to safeguard IT and industrial control system environments across multiple industries, including maritime and offshore energy. It follows DNV’s acquisition of Amsterdam-based industrial cyber security specialist Applied Risk in 2021, and the conclusion of DNV’s acquisition of Helsinki-headquartered cyber security services leader Nixu in December 2023.“Cyber security is a defining risk for the coming decade.

Navico Group, a division of Brunswick Corporation, announced a multimillion-dollar investment in its Lowell, Mich. facility to create two Centers of Excellence in metal fabrication and electrification. The investment is intended to increase quality, capacity and efficiency, as well as improve product manufacturing capabilities, the company said.“Navico Group is committed to being a leader in metal fabrication and electrification for the industries we serve, and this investment is a testament to that” said Brett Dibkey, Navico Group President.

The Xeneta Summit has heard the ocean freight shipping industry will find new ways of working together in the face of a volatile market.Stanley Smulders, Director of Marketing & Commercial at Ocean Network Express (ONE), took part in a keynote Q&A with Xeneta CEO Patrik Berglund during the Summit in Amsterdam this week to discuss the major challenges facing the industry.While there are rough seas ahead, Smulders maintains growth is still on the horizon.He said: “The current market is at best volatile…

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, then they go home…

New York State Canal Corporation has donated one of its retired workboats to be displayed as part of a new educational exhibit set to open in Amsterdam, N.Y. in spring 2024.The vessel, Tender 4, was built in 1926 by American Boiler Works in Erie, Pa., and went on to serve nearly a century for the Canal Corporation, a New York State public-benefit corporation responsible for the oversight, administration and maintenance of the state's canal system.One of nine tenders built for the Canal Corporation in the 1920s…

With the completion of shore power installation on Volendam, Holland America Line's entire fleet is now shore power-capable. Volendam completed installation in Vancouver, British Columbia, and connected to the port's shoreside electricity for the first full day on Sept. 27.The cruise line began converting ships to have shore power connectivity in 2006 with its four Vista Class ships; its Pinnacle Class ships (Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam and Rotterdam) all were built with shore power systems installed…

Electric vehicles are crisscrossing the globe to reach their eager buyers, but the battery technology involved in the zero- emission automobiles is exposing under-prepared maritime shippers to the risk of hard-to-control fires, industry, insurance, and emergency response officials said.That risk has been put under the spotlight by the burning car carrier [Freemantle Highway] drifting off the Dutch coast. The Dutch coastguard said the fire's cause was unknown, but Dutch broadcaster…

Amsterdam took a first step toward banning large cruise liners under broader plans to reduce mass tourism and pollution, officials said on Friday.Once implemented, the measures adopted by the city council would bring the Dutch capital into line with other high-profile European cities, including Barcelona, Dubrovnik and Venice, that have already cut cruise liner numbers or are considering doing so.The council approved the proposed ban on Thursday. "The motivation ... was to reduce the number of tourists…

The World Court on Thursday rejected a lawsuit by Nicaragua seeking to define and expand its deep sea economic rights beyond those previously established in a long-running maritime border dispute over a trio of Caribbean islands with Colombia.Judges at the United Nations-linked World Court, or International Court of Justice, found that Nicaragua's offshore rights to 200 nautical miles (370 km) had previously been established, and rejected its call to extend the boundaries."Irrespective of any scientific and technical considerations…

Cargill will charter the world’s first fully electric pusher boat and barges to transport cocoa beans in the Netherlands.The company will use Kotug International’s zero emission E-Pusher and E-Barges to transport cocoa beans from the Port of Amsterdam, the largest cocoa import port in the world, to its cocoa factory in Zaandam. The fully electrified pusher and barges eliminate both emissions and noise pollution for inland shipping.The E-Pusher 1 was christened this week, marking the official start of the operations with the vessel for Cargill…

Höegh Autoliners announced it is partnering with Norwegian green energy provider North Ammonia for the supply, distribution, delivery and consumption of green ammonia, a carbon free fuel produced using renewable energy.Under the deal, North Ammonia—established by Grieg Maritime Group and Arendals Fossekompani in 2021—will supply Höegh Autoliners with green ammonia from its planned production facility in Arendal in southern Norway.Höegh Autoliners currently has on order eight ammonia…

Swan Hellenic has taken delivery of SH Diana, its third expedition cruse ship built by Helsinki Shipyard.The 125-meter-long, 12,100 GRT newbuild is the largest ship in the Swan Hellenic fleet. Accommodating 192 passengers, SH Diana is slightly larger than 152-passenger SH Minerva and SH Vega launched from Helsink Shipyard in in December 2021 and July 2022 respectively.The Finnish shipbuilder in December sold the ship to Swan Hellenic at auction after the original buyer, Russian-owned GTLK Europe…

DNV has appointed Anette Roll Richardsen as Director of its Cyber Security business in Norway.DNV said Roll Richardsen would lead a growing team of IT and operational technology security experts as the company rapidly scales to safeguard its customers from emerging cyber risks to critical infrastructure. "Named among Europe’s 50 Most Influential Women in Cybersecurity by SC Media, Roll Richardsen has a track record in leading expert teams in securing society from cyber threats.

Swedish shipping company Furetank announced its employee Therese Boman has taken the next step in her career, becoming a captain of the tanker Fure Vinga.Boman started off as a chief officer when she joined Furetank two years ago. All the way from graduating school and joining her first ship as a junior officer, she has strived to grow the experience, knowledge and time at sea needed to reach the highest position of a ship."I always knew I wanted to become a captain. Since I started at Furetank, the management has continuously trusted me to step by step take on more responsibility.

TFG Marine, majority owned by commodities trader Trafigura, aims to increase its marine fuel sales volume by up to 20% this year through expansion in Africa, the UK and the Mediterranean, a senior company executive said.The fuel supplier is looking to expand its volumes to 11-12 million tonnes, up from about 10 million tonnes in 2022, its head of bunkering Kenneth Dam told Reuters on the sidelines of the Fujairah Bunkering and Fuel Oil Forum (FUJCON) 2023.It plans to expand operations in several existing and new markets…

Climate change, rising sea levels, land reclamation and offshore energy are all factors underpinning business models at Europe’s dredge and marine engineering majors. They are adopting strong sustainability credentials as their operations come under closer environmental, social, governance (ESG) scrutiny and new opportunities open up in the US offshore wind sectorThe relatively small number of global marine engineering and dredge firms face more observation of their business models than ever before.

Russia has in recent months tried to gain intelligence to sabotage critical infrastructure in the Dutch part of the North Sea, Dutch military intelligence agency MIVD said on Monday.A Russian ship has been detected at an offshore wind farm in the North Sea as it tried to map out energy infrastructure, MIVD head General Jan Swillens said at a news conference.The vessel was escorted out of the North Sea by Dutch marine and coast guard ships before any sabotage effort could become successful…

The insolvency of a major storage terminal planned in northwest Europe has supported regional tank storage rates for diesel and gasoline, just as European traders rush to fill up diesel tanks ahead of a Feb. 5 ban on Russian fuel.Earlier this month, the district court in Rotterdam declared the insolvency of the long-delayed HES Hartel Tank Terminal, to be developed in Europe's major trading port of Rotterdam.The terminal would have offered 1.3 million cubic metres of storage capacity for gasoline…

In Havila Kystruten AS v Abarca Compania de Seguros AS,¹ in which Watson Farley & Williams LLP represented the successful Norwegian shipowner, an English court has provided helpful and very detailed guidance on a number of issues relating to the parties’ rights to terminate shipbuilding contracts as well as the nature and scope of refund guarantees.BackgroundRefund guarantees are the lifeblood of shipbuilding, providing invaluable security to owners/buyers who must usually cash fund a significant proportion of the price of newbuildings during the construction phase (usually at least 40%)…

My father was on the new construction team of the 1958 SS Rotterdam V, a visually iconic passenger liner that is presently a static hotel and event space in Rotterdam Harbor. When she entered service, her looks were much discussed and generally compared to her very graceful older running partner, the 1936 SS Nieuw Amsterdam II.I have pictures of both vessels in my office and I think the older vessel is the prettier vessel. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but, regardless…

Titan has unveiled plans to build and operate a liquified biomethane plant in the Port of Amsterdam allowing supply to ships and trucks.The production project for 200,000 tonnes of LBM per year is said to be the world's largest.BioValue, one of the largest biogas suppliers in the Netherlands, has been contracted for the exclusive off-take of all on-site produced biogas, and Linde Engineering has signed on to perform the basic engineering.BioValue will supply a significant part of the biogas required for the total LBM production.