Chung News

General Dynamics NASSCO, a subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) won a contract by the U.S. Navy for the maintenance, modernization and repair of USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) and USS James E. Williams (DDG 95). The contract for an initial $15.6 million includes options that, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value to $753.8 million.Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia, and San Diego, California. If all options are exercised, work will continue through November 2030.

Taiwan hopes to deploy at least two new, domestically developed submarines by 2027, and possibly equip later models with missiles, to strengthen deterrence against the Chinese navy and protect key supply lines, the head of the program said.Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has made the indigenous sub program a key part of an ambitious project to modernise its armed forces as Beijing stages almost daily military exercises to assert its sovereignty.President Tsai Ing-wen…

Lloyd’s Register (LR) and the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR) have awarded design approval to HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) and Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD) for the development of the world’s first 22,000cbm multi-gas carrier as part of a joint development project for LCO2 carrier design and development. The vessel will be capable of carrying liquified carbon dioxide (LCO2), liquid petroleum gas (LPG), ammonia (NH3) and vinyl chloride…

ABS and HD Hyundai signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to continue working together on marine autonomy projects. Building on shared efforts to expand the development of autonomous navigation technology into critical vessel machinery and safety systems, the organizations met again at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas to finalize the agreement covering four areas:Artificial Intelligence-based Autonomous Machinery Health Management Function (HiCBM)Artificial…

A U.S. warship sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Thursday, part of what the U.S. military calls routine activity but which has riled China.In recent years, U.S. warships, and on occasion those from allied nations such as Britain and Canada, have sailed through the strait, drawing the ire of China, which claims Taiwan against the objections of its democratically elected government.In a statement, the U.S. military said the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer…

The Shearer Group, Inc. (TSGI) announced a new addition to its naval architecture, marine engineering & marine surveying firm. Ryan Hentschel has joined TSGI as a naval architect.Hentschel holds a Naval Engineers degree and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His studies focused on naval construction and marine engineering with an emphasis in naval ship design, systems engineering, and DoD acquisition. He is also a certified Engineer-In-Training in the state of Texas.Prior to TSGI…

Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) announced it intends to order an ammonia dual-fuel gas carrier that will be built at South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) for delivery as early as 2025, as shipowners explore emissions-reducing alternative fuels on their path to decarbonization.At the Posidonia trade fair in Athens on Monday, the Singapore-headquartered shipowner signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with HHI, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) stating the dual fuel ammonia tanker—which could be midsize…

Tru-Marine launches TruCare, designed to transform the technical management of marine turbocharger maintenance and repairs.“TruCare is a disruptive digitization approach in managing asset maintenance onboard vessels in a completely different way," said James Loke, Group Chief Executive Officer, Tru-Marine. "More importantly, it is our response to the urgency of decarbonization imposed by world maritime and the Singapore government’s raised climate ambition to net zero by or around 2050.”Designed for turbochargers onboard all ocean-going vessels…

Wärtsilä Voyage has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) to further strengthen their collaboration in smart port innovation and digitalization. The main objectives of this strategic partnership are to initiate, develop and promote innovative solutions that accelerate digitalization; foster interoperability in e-navigation and ship-to-shore secure data communications to enable port-to-port optimization and establish reliable…

Singapore based shipping company Pacific International Lines (PIL) is installing satellite communication, or VSAT, on its entire fleet as part of its digitalization efforts to enhance seafarer wellbeing and improve productivity on board its ships. Communications technology group Singtel said it is one of the partners providing PIL with communications and cybersecurity solutions for 33 vessels in PIL’s fleet.“As a progressive company, PIL is constantly looking for ways to achieve business excellence and optimize operational efficiency.

The Port of Corpus Christi Authority has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) as part of the Port’s commitment to decarbonization and energy transition initiatives.The agreement between the two parties is intended to advance collaboration between the Port of Corpus Christi, NREL and Port tenants by identifying scalable energy transition and decarbonization projects that require techno-economic-analysis, modeling, testing and validation efforts unique to NREL’s capabilities.

Wärtsilä Voyage will deliver the next generation navigational simulator for Singapore’s Center of Excellence in Maritime Safety (CEMS) to prepare seafarers for shore-based remote management of vessels and autonomous ship operations. CEMS is a collaboration between the Singapore Maritime Institute (SMI) and Singapore Polytechnic, supported by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. The next generation simulation platform will be based on the Wärtsilä NTPRO (Navi-Trainer Professional…

Taiwan's state-owned refiner CPC Corp has started cleaning up an offshore oil spill caused by a pipeline that cracked during the discharging of oil from a vessel at its Talin refinery, the company's spokesman said on Wednesday.The oil leak occurred on Tuesday at 2:18 a.m. (1818 GMT) and was likely caused by bad weather, the company said in a statement. CPC immediately halted oil discharge following the incident, it added.The incident will not affect the refinery's operations and…

Pacific International Lines (PIL) appointed Goh Chung Hun as General Manager, Fleet Division, effective from February 1, 2021, succeeding Captain R.S. Minhas from 15th February 2021. Goh will be overseeing the management of PIL's fleet, including technical, marine operations, safety and crewing at PIL.Goh brings nearly 30 years of fleet management, technical, marine operations and seafaring experience. Prior to joining PIL, he was Director (Shipping) / Director (Marine) at the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA)…

Classification society DNV GL said it has teamed up with shipbuilder HHI Group to develop the next generation of environmentally friendly, "future-proof" tanker designs.In a recent "Green Tankers towards 2050" industry webinar, DNV GL and HHI Group presented the results of new joint research and explained how eco-friendly maritime solutions can help shipowners and managers to cope with stricter environmental regulations now and in the future.The joint research was initiated by a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed in 2019…

Bureau Veritas Marine Singapore (BV), in collaboration with PSA Marine,  completed a remote marine survey for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual fuel harbor tug, PSA Aspen. Supported by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), the project marks the first time a harbor tug registered under the Singapore Registry of Ships has undergone a fully accredited annual survey conducted remotely, without a surveyor physically present onboard the vessel.Marine services provider…

Lockdowns to slow the coronavirus pandemic are pummelling gas demand in the world's biggest buyers of liquefied natural gas (LNG), pushing Asia's spot prices to record lows and forcing some suppliers to start cutting output. Economies worldwide have ground to a halt as virus containment measures have taken their toll, slashing gas demand for power generation, heating, cooking, vehicles and chemical manufacture. The world's biggest LNG markets - Japan, China, South Korea, and India - are all seeing a drop in demand. Asia's spot LNG prices dropped to $1.85 per million British thermal units (mmBtu) last week, the lowest ever, as cargoes have flooded the market. "At prices in the $2/mmBtu range ... some producers are getting close to not recovering cash costs of their operations.

Taiwan reported 22 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, almost all of them sailors who were on a navy visit to the small Pacific islands state of Palau, which said there was “little chance” it was the source of the infection.Taiwan’s government on Sunday said 700 navy personnel were being quarantined and tested and there were 24 positive cases altogether. Of those, three cadets had been to Palau, one of only 15 countries to maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, and one of the…

A special coating from Japan's Nippon Paint and US-based technology company Corning Inc, has been developed to protect workers from picking up viruses from painted surfaces.Nippon Paint's Antivirus Kids Paint, developed specifically for frontline hospital use, incorporates Corning Guardiant Antimicrobial Particles – a nascent technology designed to safeguard against viruses from adhering to hospital surfaces.Experts estimate that viruses can remain viable on some surfaces for several days…

The U.S.

Severe congestion at Chinese ports is easing, say officials and industry participants, although a logjam of refrigerated containers has disrupted supplies of fresh and frozen food and pushed up freight rates outside China.Thousands of refrigerated containers carrying meat, seafood and fruit from around the world to China have been stuck for weeks at the country's ports after Beijing extended its Lunar New Year holiday and cities around the nation restricted free movement to curb…

Singapore shipping company Pacific International Lines (PIL) has announced that it is quitting the Transpacific market as part of an optimization strategy. The shipping line has been participating in a half-dozen trans-Pacific services, mostly in slot-charter arrangements.PIL’s last Transpacific sailing will be in March 2020.The company said it has taken the decision as part of a wider strategic review of its business. Henceforth, PIL will focus on further strengthening its position in the North-South Trade such as Africa, Middle East / Red Sea, India Sub-Continent, Latin America and Oceania.PIL is one of the world’s top 10 container ship operators and is the largest shipowner in Southeast Asia.

The coronavirus's effect on energy markets is worsening, as the sharp fall in demand in China, the world's largest importer of crude, is stranding oil cargoes off the country's coast and prompting shippers to seek out other Asian destinations.More than 1,360 people have died from the coronavirus in China, which has disrupted the world's second largest economy and shaken energy markets, with international benchmark Brent crude oil down 15% since the beginning of the year.Major international energy forecasters expect demand to fall in this quarter…