Charterers News

Commodities trader Trafigura has placed an order to HD Hyundai Mipo Dockyard for the construction of four Medium Gas Carriers (MGC) that will be capable of using low-carbon ammonia as a propulsion fuel.The vessels will carry LPG or ammonia will be built at HD Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in Ulsan, South Korea.The first ship will be delivered in 2027. Each vessel, when delivered, will be equipped with a dual-fuel low-carbon ammonia engine, supporting Trafigura’s commitment to reduce the…

German shipowner Windward Offshore has ordered 3D Electric Controlled Motion Compensated (ECMC) cranes from Seaonics for two Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (CSOVs) being built by Norwegian shipbuilder VARD.The order marks Seaonics' first equipment delivery to Windward Offshore, a company founded by Blue Star Group, Diana Shipping and SeraVerse, in collaboration with and under the leadership of SeaRenergy Group.The first CSOV is scheduled for delivery in the second half of 2025…

Flex LNG on Friday announce that the charterer of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier Flex Endeavour has exercised an option to extend the firm period of the time charter by 500 days, from the third quarter 2030 to the first quarter of 2032. As announced on November 23, 2022, in connection with the extension of three ships, the charterer has one further option to extend the time charter period by one additional year to 2033.Øystein Kalleklev, CEO of Flex LNG Management AS…

The International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (INTERCARGO) and RightShip have launched the Dry Bulk Centre of Excellence (DBCE), an independent, not-for-profit industry organisation dedicated to the administration of the Dry Bulk Management Standard (DryBMS) framework.DryBMS was developed by INTERCARGO and RightShip, with input from experts and stakeholders across the sector, as an industry tool to raise standards and best practices across safety, security, environmental performance, and social welfare in the dry shipping sector.

St. Johns Ship Building on Wednesday announced it has signed a contract with Seapath for construction of a series of six ABS deck barges in support of their Jones Act leasing business.The barges will be built at St Johns Ship Building’s facility in Palatka, Fla. and will be dispatched to multiple charterers along the US East Coast.Seapath is a subsidiary of the Libra Group, which is also parent to St. Johns’ holding company, Americraft Marine Group.Joshua Lubarsky, CEO of Seapath, said, “Domestic maritime transportation is the backbone of the US transportation system.

RightShip, an ESG-focused digital maritime platform, has launched Zero Harm Innovation Partners program aimed at supporting the development and adoption of technologies dedicated to achieving a zero-harm maritime industry.According to RightShip, zero-harm maritime industry can be achieved by enabling enhanced collaboration and connection between shipowners and managers, and innovative technology providers.The program invites technology providers and innovators to showcase products on RightShip’s platform that contribute towards enabling a zero-harm maritime industry.Besides traction…

Inspection intervals for liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier membrane tanks could be safely extended thanks to monitoring technology and predictive maintenance, according to a study led by GTT Group, Lloyd’s Register and Shell International Trading and Shipping Company Limited.The International Gas Carriers (IGC) Code and IACS UR Z16 rules require LNG carrier cargo tanks to be inspected internally every five years. This joint study explored whether this interval could be extended…

Insurance broker Marsh and Lloyd's of London underwriters have expanded a marine war insurance program backed by Ukraine from grain shipments to all non-military cargo, such as iron ore and steel, Marsh said on Friday.Marsh, Lloyd's and Ukrainian state banks launched an initial program in November to cut the cost of claims for damage to ships and crew transporting grain through the Black Sea corridor, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine two years ago."Expanding insurance to cover ships carrying all non-military cargo is extremely important for Ukraine…

NAPA introduced NAPA Studios, an initiative designed to foster cross-industry partnerships to deliver new data-driven solutions and insights on some of the most imminent ship design, safety and operational challenges faced by the maritime industry.NAPA Studios will harness NAPA's own digital tools and experience, while working directly with individual shipyards, shipowners, charterers, and other supply chain stakeholders in tailored projects. This offering will, for example, enable shipyards to make a greater use of ships’ operational data to improve future designs, while other projects will support shipowners and charterers in assessing…

2023 was the first year of real recovery for owners in the offshore supply market and yet we have barely skimmed the surface of what’s to come.The market is still on an upward trajectory with charter rates accelerating month-by-month, availability changing day-by-day, leading to earnings doubling and, in some segments, tripling since the lows of 2020. Current rates will remind many of the glory days of pre-2014 with the demand for OSVs projected to remain elevated for years to come.In general…

BIMCO has published two standard Quiet Enjoyment Letters (QELs), the first standard form QELs available to the industry, to offer a tool that can ensure the charterers’ uninterrupted use of a ship if the owner defaults under the financing facility. The QELs will be provided by the lender to the charterer to ensure that the charterer, who does not have a contractual relationship with the lender but only with the owner, can continue to “quietly enjoy” the ship in case of the owner’s default.

Greece-headquartered Star Bulk will halt sailings through the Red Sea after Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis attacked two of its ships in recent days, the group's CEO said.The Houthis have targeted commercial vessels with drones and missiles in the Red Sea since mid-November in what they describe as acts of solidarity with Palestinians against Israel in the Gaza war."Going forward, we will not be passing the Suez Canal any more because we are obviously a target of the Houthis - being a public company registered in the U.S.," Star Bulk CEO Petros Pappas told a Feb.

In a well-timed decision given the current situation in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the UK Supreme Court recently handed down judgment in Herculito Maritime Ltd v Gunvor International BV [2024] UKSC 2, a decision that arose from seizure of a ship by Somali pirates.Key factsThe vessel MT Polar was chartered to carry a cargo of fuel oil from St Petersburg to Singapore. The most direct route would be via the Suez Canal and Gulf of Aden.The Gulf of Aden was within the “high risk area” for piracy when the charter was agreed.

Alternative fuels, green steel and renewable energy are fundamental to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction during the life cycle of a vessel, an industry-first cradle-to-grave study on a newbuild LNG carrier has revealed.Carried out by Lloyd’s Register, Knutsen, HD Korea Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE), and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), the analysis has highlighted the environmental output at each stage of a vessel’s life.Namely, the six-month study, which began in June 2023…

In a climate of increasing complexity, with new regulations, environmental concerns and commercial considerations, how can owners and operators control their fleets, and futures, from dry land? NAVTOR’s Tor Håkon Svanes believes the answer lies in innovation and integration – developing solutions that evolve in line with the needs of a dynamic global industry.“There are smarter ways to do things.”Tor Håkon Svanes, the NavFleet Product Manager at NAVTOR, is referring to a recent chat with a new customer.The unnamed fleet manager…

With only a few days to go until EU’s Emission Trading System (EU ETS) kicks in for the shipping industry from 2024. Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) reportes it has developed a comprehensive range of carbon compliance and EU ETS management services designed to support owners and operators mastering the complex regulation requirements and to reduce their carbon footprint and related costs.“Our approach not only encompasses EU ETS management and compliance services but also seeks to optimise ship and fleet performance to reduce CO2 emissions and financial exposure…

Software company NAPA will install its electronic reporting and data integration system, NAPA Logbook, across Anthony Veder's fleet of LNG and gas carriers.This shift from manual to electronic logbooks facilitates onboard record-keeping, significantly reducing crew workloads while also streamlining voyage reporting and regulatory compliance. Voyage reports, such as noon and bunkering reports, as well as notices of readiness, departure, and arrivals, are now fully automated. This eliminates duplication and facilitates communication between all stakeholders…

NAVTOR, an e-Navigation and performance technology provider to the maritime industry, said Wednesday it was aiming to simplify CII compliance with the latest release of its NavFleet ship operations platform. Featuring an advanced Emissions Simulator, designed to help shipping companies predict and optimize environmental impact and performance across entire fleets, NavFleet 1.8 delivers operational insights built on high-quality, dual-validated data, the company said.The result…

Maritime players plotting pathways to data collaboration with digital projects in line with new BV-backed research study.Digital technologies are increasingly being leveraged by shipping players to facilitate data collaboration among different actors in areas like ship design, vessel performance and port calls as a new Thetius research study backed by Bureau Veritas (BV) shows this will be vital to drive decarbonization, an OrbitMI-hosted panel heard at the recent Shipping Insight event in the US.“Data-powered…

Norway-based offshore vessel owner Rem Offshore said Wednesday it had secured multiple long-term contracts for its vessels. "The contracts have been signed on market terms and will ensure high fleet utilization in the coming years," Rem Offshore said.The 2013-built Rem Inspector subsea vessel has been awarded contracts for work on offshore wind projects in Taiwan. The contracts have a total duration of just over one year with start-up in the fourth quarter of 2023, with an undisclosed client.Since 2019…

Danish offshore vessel owner Maersk Supply Service has selected the Fleet Data IoT platform from Inmarsat Maritime, a Viasat business, to help optimize the performance of its first vessel battery installation onboard the Maersk Minder anchor handler.The solution will also allow Maersk Supply Service to evaluate how best to optimize the use of zero-emission energy storage systems across its fleet. According to Inmarsat, an end-user API gathers data from onboard equipment, automatically organizes it with time-stamps…

Belgian oil tanker firm Euronav on Thursday beat analysts' expectations and more than doubled its core profit in the third quarter from the same year-ago period, helped by higher sales and high freight rates.The market for very large crude carriers (VLCC) "has improved due to increased frequency of loadings from higher USA crude production", Euronav said in a statement. Although freight rates fell modestly during the quarter, they still remained strong when compared to historic averages since 1990, Euronav added.

Maritime clean technology company Silverstream Technologies and equipment and technical services provider Franman have signed an agency agreement to support sales of the Silverstream System within Greece.Under the agreement, Franman will act as a representative for Silverstream in the Geek market and reach more potential end users of the technology to explore how it could be incorporated across their fleets.Noah Silberschmidt, founder and CEO of Silverstream Technologies, said…