Etc News

At a high-level, there are three solutions to transferring technicians from shore bases to offshore wind farms for construction and O&M activities: crew transfer vessel (CTV), helicopter, and SOVs/CSOVs.SOVs and CSOVs generally house 60-120 technicians offshore for a few weeks at a time, allowing them to transfer to structures on integrated heave compensated gangways, by daughter craft or on CTVs. The vessels are also equipped with cranes, storage, and small workshop areas.SOV: Service operations vessels…

Green hydrogen producer Lhyfe has launched the first Green Hydrogen Marketplace, on its online portal Lhyfe Heroes.Since 2017, Lhyfe has been working to accelerate decarbonization through major innovations such as the world’s first industrial-scale green hydrogen production site directly connected to a wind farm in 2021, the world’s first pilot platform for producing green hydrogen at sea in 2022, and the digitalization of the sector, since 2022, with the Heroes digital platform…

My brother and I had a discussion about methanol where we concluded that methanol is a promising sustainable liquid fuel for transportation devices when batteries cannot do the job. While Methanol is initially not carbon zero, as long as we focus on developing zero carbon electrical energy, eventually we can produce zero carbon green methanol. Once there is plentiful green methanol, existing methanol vehicles will automatically become zero carbon transportation.The core argument…

Jennifer Carpenter joined The American Waterways Operators (AWO), the national trade association representing the inland and coastal tugboat, towboat and barge industry, in August 1990 and became its president and CEO in January 2020. She highlights some of the greatest focus areas for the 80-year-old trade group—simultaneously looking at both the present day and the road ahead.The towboat, tug and barge industry is in a period of rapid evolution. How is AWO—now in its 80th year…

Crowley Maritime Corporation has owned and operated a lot of vessels since its founding in 1892. But the latest vessel to join its fleet is unlike any other that has come before it.Crowley’s new harbor tug, eWolf, is unique in that it runs 100% powered by batteries, not diesel engines, meaning it produces zero emissions and nearly no noise. Not only is the vessel the first fully electric tug in the Crowley fleet, but it is also the first of its kind in the United States.Faced with stricter regulations and commercial pressure to prioritize environmental…

Between January 2023 and February 2024, TDI-Brooks conducted an extensive site investigation program in two offshore wind blocks in state and federal waters. The projects involved surveying in excess of 20,000 line-kms of analogue and either single or multi-channel seismic in lease blocks and cable routes along the coasts of New York and New Jersey. Various tasks were carried out at different stages, such as offshore geophysical surveys, UHRS detailed surveys, archaeological identification surveys…

The Mongla Port Authority in Bangladesh has taken delivery of its new tug, M.T. Joymoni.The newbuild is a RAmparts 3200-CL designed by Canada's Robert Allan Ltd. and built by Cheoy Lee Shipyards, in China.The RAmparts 3200-CL was designed by Robert Allan Ltd. in 2008 exclusively for Cheoy Lee Shipyards, with the first tug, Ocean Pioneer, delivered to Ocean Sparkle in India in 2011. Based on the RAmparts series, the hull form was developed to provide a high performance, multi-function tug in a shallow draft configuration, with bollard pull of up to 85 tonnes, the designer said.M.T.

As freight markets push further on, global ship recycling markets remain deprived of tonnage, making it an increasingly suffocating environment for ship recyclers to operate in, reports cash buyer GMS.Bangladesh and Pakistan rely heavily on imported ship’s steel, not only for domestic / large-scale infrastructure projects, but also for its comparatively ‘healthier’ and ‘rust-free’ condition than other forms of imported scrap metal / steel (HMS 1, HMS 2, shredded steel, etc.)Therefore…

It is sad and worrying that the Frigast committee now proposes to scrap the Danish International Ship Register (DIS) scheme, says Danske Rederier (Danish Shipowners). The organization therefore makes a clear call to the government not to implement the proposal, as it will have major negative consequences for Danish shipping.The so-called Frigast committee published its recommendations for changes to the existing business support schemes this week. Among other things, the committee…

The maritime industry accounts for more than 90% of global trade and employs over 3 million people in the United States, and like other modes of transportation, our industry encounters unique risks. Waterfront workers are exposed to various hazards such as heavy machinery, hazardous substances, extreme weather and long hours. If not properly managed, these hazards can result in serious injuries, illnesses and even fatalities. That is why ensuring the safety of waterfront workers is a top priority for all of us who work in the maritime industry.

Metis Cyberspace Technology is expanding its portfolio of data acquisition, real-time performance monitoring and intelligent analytics solutions to include the needs of service operation vessels (SOVs), following collaborative project with Danish vessel owner Esvagt.The move follows a collaborative project covering fleet performance optimization with Esvagt.The SOV fulfils multiple roles - as transport ship, accommodation vessel, warehouse and workshop - presenting a challenge when it comes to assessing overall efficiency.Following an Esvagt initiative…

On January 17, the NYK Group and Stolt Tankers held a ceremony in Singapore to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the start of the companies’ parcel chemical tanker joint venture in Asia and the Pacific.A parcel tanker is a multipurpose chemical tanker capable of carrying many types of cargo, including chemical products, kinetic vegetable oil, etc.The ceremony was attended by Yuji Nishijima, executive officer of NYK; Bjarke Nissen, managing director of Stolt Tankers; and Masahito Hirano…

Global container shipping line Evergreen Marine Corporation has signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with X-Press Feeders, the world’s largest independent common carrier, to place its containers on X-Press Feeders’ new dual fuel green methanol vessels. X-Press Feeders is planning to run these vessels on green methanol and operate them within Europe.The two companies moreover will work together to launch a feeder network, which will be the first in Europe to be powered by green methanol.Initially…

The Borders, Trade, and Immigration Institute, a Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence, led by the University of Houston, announced the creation of the annual Port of the Future Award for “Excellence in Port Communications and Community Relations.”  Each year, this award will be presented at the annual Port of the Future Conference, held the first week of April, in Houston, Texas. Finalists may be invited to participate on the Conference panel “Port Communications and Community Relations.”  This year’s Port of the Future Conference will be held April 2-4…

MAN Energy Solutions has won the contract from Royal Boskalis to supply 3 × MAN 49/60 engines for a 31,000 m³ Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger (TSHD).Each engine will come accompanied by an exhaust-gas after-treatment system, namely an MAN Low-Pressure Selective Catalytic Reduction (LP-SCR) system, that ensures IMO Tier III compliance. The newbuilding will be built at Dutch shipbuilding company, Royal IHC, at its Krimpen aan den IJssel yard and is expected to enter service in mid-2026.The TSHD will be diesel-electric powered with two Azipods to allow vessel operation even at shallow draught.

NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations will hold two hiring events in the Gulf Coast region to recruit professional mariners to work aboard NOAA’s ocean research ships. The first event will be in Mobile, Alabama on Jan. 23 and the second is in New Orleans on Jan. 25.NOAA operates a fleet of 15 hydrographic survey, oceanographic research and fisheries survey vessels. NOAA ships operate in the U.S. and around the world. The ships are run by a combination of NOAA commissioned officers…

Japanese shipping company NYK has unveiled plans to conduct full-scale trials of long-term use of biofules for its existing heavy oil-fired vessels starting from 2024.Considered to have net-zero CO2 emissions, biofuels are produced from biological sources (biomass), such as waste cooking oil. Usable in heavy oil-fired engines, biofuels are considered to be one of the critical solutions to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.In this trial, NYK will use biofuel continuously for three months on multiple vessel types.

ClassNK has released amendments to its Rules and Guidance for the Survey and Construction of Steel Ships dated December 22, 2023.ClassNK is constantly revising its Rules and Guidance in order to reflect the latest results from relevant research and development projects, feedback from damage investigations, requests from industry as well as changes made to relevant international conventions, IACS Unified Requirements (UR), etc. More specifically, some of the amendments made this time are as follows:Responding to requests from relevant industries…

Despite short-term obstacles driven by high inflation and interest rates coupled with supply chain issues, we maintain that the foundations supporting long-term offshore wind activity remain solid. As we prepare for the new year, let us look at 10 factors that will shape the offshore wind sector in 2024.1. A Continuously Dynamic Energy TrilemmaThe dynamic relationship of the three key drivers of affordable energy, energy security and energy transition was clearly evident in 2023 as energy affordability and security were generally more prominent themes than the transition.

NAVTOR  announced a breakthrough revamp of its Passage Planning module. Featured in the latest release of NAVTOR’s NavStation planning software (version 6.3), the new module offers expanded automation and auto-calculations, effectively slashing both administration time and the potential for human errors, compliance with the very latest industry standards, enhanced data utilisation, the ability to revise and update plans (rather than creating new ones after voyage deviations/changes)…

A dredge building boom that has been underway in the United States for several years is still going strong as the market remains highly completive for solid project workloads in both the public and private sectors.According The Mike Hooks Report, an analysis of the FY22 U.S. federal dredging market compiled in September 2023 by Michael Gerhardt, senior director of government affairs at Mike Hooks, LLC, 52 Jones Act dredging companies were awarded federal dredging contracts in FY2022.

As the world looks to renewable energy sources to combat climate change and reduce reliance on fossil fuels, offshore wind has emerged as a promising frontier in the United States. A report by the University of California Berkeley released in August concluded that due to the nation’s long coastlines with sustained winds in many areas and falling turbine costs, offshore wind could feasibly supply between 10% and 25% of the country’s energy demand by 2050.While that may paint a rosy picture of a cleaner…

Cargo owners seeking to determine their Scope 3 emission liabilities from the logistics chain must contend with multiple calculation methods from different shipping lines that will affect their costs exposure to the EU ETS for shipping. To resolve this conundrum for its clients, pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) owner and operator UECC has adopted a standardised methodology based on an existing and trusted industry framework.The EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), set to be phased in for shipping from January 1…