Energy Infrastructure News

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 of…

Brent Oil Hits Highest Price This Year on Fresh Supply Threats

Global oil benchmark Brent on Tuesday rose above $89 a barrel for the first time since October, albeit briefly, as oil supplies faced fresh threats from Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy facilities and escalating conflict in the Middle East.Brent futures for June delivery were up $1.35, or 1.5%, at $88.76 a barrel by 11:40 a.m. EDT (1540 GMT) after touching a peak of $89.08.U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures for May rose $1.27, or about 1.5%, to $84.98 after touching a peak of $85.46…

Russian Oil Arrives in Cuba After Year-Long Hiatus

Cuban state-run media said at the weekend that 90,000 metric tons of Russian oil had arrived in the cash and fuel-short country to help alleviate power outages and gasoline shortages.In 2022, Russia resumed some oil shipments to the Communist-run Caribbean island after they ceased with the collapse of the Soviet Union.However, according to shipping data no Russian oil left the country for Cuba last year even as Russian media reported in June an agreement was reached between the two governments to supply 1.64 million metric tons of oil and derivatives annually.Jorge Piñón…

Exxon, Enbridge Sued by Competitor

Exxon and Canada-based crude pipeline operator Enbridge were sued in Illinois federal court on Tuesday over claims they barred a competitor from building a terminal to ship oil by barge from the Chicago area to refineries in the Midwest and Gulf of Mexico.The antitrust lawsuit from energy infrastructure developer Ducere seeks more than $11 million in damages for work the Illinois company said it already paid for on the project and for lost future profits.Exxon, Enbridge and their…

MOL to Supply FSRU for New Polish LNG Import Terminal

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has been selected by Gaz-System as the preferred shipowner to time charter out a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) for the planned LNG import terminal in the Gulf of Gdańsk in Poland.Polish gas transmission system operator Gaz-System is the project developer and operator behind the future LNG terminal.This is Poland's first such FSRU and is a strategically important piece of energy infrastructure which will enhance the country's energy security.The FSRU is expected to be berthed at a mooring platform approximately 3km from the shore…

Russian Oil Facilities Hit by Drone Attacks, Fires

Russia energy infrastructure has been hit by drone attacks and fires in the past month, adding to uncertainty in global oil and gas markets already rocked by the conflict in the Middle East.Russia and Ukraine have targeted each other's energy infrastructure in strikes designed to disrupt supply lines and logistics and to demoralise their opponent as they try to get the edge in a nearly two-year-old war that shows no sign of ending.Following are recent major incidents at Russian oil facilities in the past month:* A Russian appointed official said on Jan.

Drone Attack: Russia Suspends Operations at Ust-Luga

Russian energy company Novatek said on Sunday it had been forced to suspend some operations at a huge Baltic Sea fuel export terminal due to a fire started by what Ukrainian media said was a drone attack.The giant Ust-Luga complex, located on the Gulf of Finland about 170 km (110 miles) west of St. Petersburg, is used to ship oil and gas products to international markets. It processes stable gas condensate - a type of light oil - into light and heavy naphtha, kerosene and diesel to be shipped by sea.It was not clear how long the disruption would last…

US Plugs in First Large Offshore Wind Farm as Developers Play Catch-up

The U.S. offshore wind industry reached an important milestone on January 2 when Vineyard Wind 1, the country’s first large scale project, supplied first power to the Massachusetts grid.“As the nation’s first utility-scale offshore wind farm this is a fairly momentous event,” Ken Kimmell, Chief Development Officer for Avangrid, the Iberdrola subsidiary co-developing the project with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), told Reuters Events.The turbine will be joined by 61 additional turbines to provide 806 MW of power to the grid by the end of the year…

Longitude Engineering to Design Bibby Marine's New Electric SOV

Bibby Marine announced it has tapped Longitude Engineering to design its first-of-kind zero-emission electric service operation vessel (SOV).The "eSOV" project, as the project partners are calling it, was first announced in September 2023 and recently awarded £20 million under the U.K.'s Zero Emission Vessel and Infrastructure (ZEVI) competition as stakeholders across the marine and offshore industries strive for cleaner vessel operations.Nigel Quinn, Bibby Marine CEO, said, “This project is the natural progression of our decarbonization journey…

Energos Acquires Two FSRUs from Dynagas

Offshore LNG infrastructure company Energos Infrastructure has completed the acquisition of two floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs) from the affiliates of Greek Dynagas.The two 174,000 m3 closed-loop FSRUs, built in 2021, will be renamed Energos Force and Energos Power, said Energos Infrastructure, a joint venture majority-controlled by Apollo and minority shareholder New Fortress Energy.Earlier in 2023, the FSRUs commenced long-term charter contracts with the German…

Esgian: Rigs on the Move in Asia and Europe

This week Esgian’s Week 50 Rig Analytics Market Roundup notes developments in the semisub sector including that Shell has decided to exercise its option on Stena Don in the North Sea but not on Deepsea Bollsta in Namibia. Meanwhile, a new contract for the Transocean Barents will see it operate in the Black Sea, and jackup Shelf Drilling Perseverance will move to Vietnam.ContractsShelf Drilling has secured a contract award for the 400ft Shelf Drilling Perseverance jackup rig with PetroVietnam Domestic Exploration Production Operating Company Limited (PVEP POC).

NOIA Responds to COP28 Non-Binding Pact

COP28 has concluded with agreement on a text named The UAE Consensus that aims to set out a climate agenda to keep 1.5°C within reach. The UAE Consensus calls on parties to transition away from fossil fuels to reach net zero, encourages them to submit economy-wide Nationally Determined Contributions, includes a new specific target to triple renewables and double energy efficiency by 2030, and builds momentum towards a new architecture for climate finance.The UAE Consensus followed a year of inclusive diplomatic engagements and two weeks of intense negotiations.

New Blue Sky Report Outlines N. America Roadmap to Net Zero Maritime Transport

The Blue Sky Maritime Coalition (BSMC) has released a new report titled, Roadmap to Net-Zero Emissions: North American Waterborne Transportation, which envisions industry-wide decarbonization by 2050 and identifies the guiding principles and key actions that will help the maritime value chain meet that vision.By understanding what success in 2050 looks like for each stakeholder, the roadmap works backwards to identify the steps and pathways needed to bring that future to reality.

Europe's Offshore Wind Power Goal Hits New Snag: Security

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…

Offshore Wind: Newly Formed Consortium Orders Two CSOVs from VARD

The Windward Offshore consortium said Monday it had ordered two state-of-the-art Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (CSOV) from VARD to "establish a sturdy basis for its maritime asset services focusing on bolstering the burgeoning offshore wind industry."Winward Offshore is a consortium currently under establishment and is led by SeaRenergy Group in collaboration with Blue Star Group, Diana Shipping Inc., and SeraVerse GmbH."Windward Offshore will play a key role in the energy transition by providing integrated offshore wind service solutions.

Exxon Mobil Finds Buyer for Adriatic LNG Terminal Stake

Exxon Mobil Corp chose BlackRock as the potential buyer for its majority stake in Italy's main liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal, the U.S. oil producer said in a statement.The stake sale drew interest from infrastructure funds and international groups as Italy is expected to increase its LNG imports to partly replace the gas it used to get via pipeline from Russia.In March, Exxon said it was considering selling its 70.68% interest in the offshore Adriatic LNG Terminal…

Big Money Needed to Develop US Offshore Wind Ports

Much has been written about potential bottlenecks in store for various parts of the U.S. offshore wind industry, from vessels to monopiles. A new report published by the Business Network for Offshore Wind (BNOW) outlines the need for significant investment in and development of port infrastructure to support the industry in its goal of 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind power by 2030 and 110 GW by 2050.The good news is that more than 35 new offshore wind port projects have gone into development or began commercial operations in the U.S.

Joint Venture to Develop First LNG Ship Bunkering Hub in US Gulf

A joint venture is developing the first dedicated liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering facility for ships in the U.S. Gulf amid efforts by the maritime industry to find cleaner fuel solutions, executives said on Thursday.Shipping, which accounts for nearly 3% of global CO2 emissions and is under pressure from investors and environmental groups to accelerate decarbonisation, is exploring a number of other technologies including ammonia, methanol and wind in an effort to move away from dirtier bunker fuel.

Fowler Appointed to Lead Crowley Shipping

Crowley has appointed James Fowler as senior vice president and general manager of its Crowley Shipping business unit that serves U.S. and international maritime and logistics sectors.Fowler most recently served as managing director of marine and stevedoring operations for Cooper Marine and executive vice president for Blakeley BoatWorks, both headquartered in Mobile, Ala.“As Crowley advances its next generation of maritime services, James Fowler is ideally suited to bring the vision and leadership to help our customers…

14th Annual Maritime Risk Symposium to be Held Nov. 14-16 at SUNY Maritime

The 2023 Maritime Risk Symposium (MRS) will be held Nov. 14-16, 2023, as an in-person event, hosted by Maritime College, State University of New York (SUNY) at the Maritime Academic Center. The theme of the 14th annual event is “Managing Impacts of Supply Chain Disruptors, Renewable Energy, Emerging Technology on the Maritime Transportation System (MTS)” with a focus on offshore infrastructure risk and disruptors. Founded in 1874, Maritime College is the oldest maritime college in the United States, providing mariner training for 150 years.

Poland's Orlen, Gaz-System Sign Gas Deal for Planned Floating Terminal

Poland's Orlen has signed a contract with state-owned pipeline operator Gaz-System for the regasification of up to 58 liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes per year at a planned floating gas terminal, the energy company said on Friday.Poland has turned to seaborne LNG as well as gas piped from Norway via Denmark and the Baltic Sea to replace supply from Russia.The planned terminal is to be built on the Baltic Sea near Gdansk by the end of 2027 with an initial regasification capacity…

Damen Delivers New Vessel to Bohlen & Doyen Bau

Dutch shipbuilding conglomerate Damen announced it has delivered a new shallow draft vessel to the German energy infrastructure construction company Bohlen & Doyen Bau GmbH, a subsidiary of Friedrich Vorwerk. The new Multi Cat 1908 SD workboat, named Scholle, is the first marine asset to be bought by the company in many years.The 19.4-meter vessel has been bought for use on a multi-year project supporting transmission system operator TenneT on its offshore grid connection systems in the North Sea.

Engie, Svanehøj Team Up to Make LNG Storage on FSRUs Safer

Svanehøj and energy researchers at Engie Lab Crigen have joined forces to develop more effective safety measures regarding LNG storage on FSRU.According to Svanehøj , stratifications and roll-overs pose significant safety risks when natural gas is liquified and stored in a cryogenic state. "Recognizing the crucial importance of roll-over prediction software for LNG storage on FSRUs, Svanehøj and Engie Lab Crigen have joined hands to address this critical concern. Limited knowledge…