Harrison News

The world's farmers face soaring fertiliser and fuel prices as the war in the Middle East escalates, leaving some scrambling for supplies as the spring planting season approaches.The war, which has closed the Strait of Hormuz, has shut down fertiliser plants in the region and severely disrupted shipping routes, potentially curbing supplies to key importers around the world just as farmers in the Northern Hemisphere prepare to plant seeds."It's a mess because it's spring," said Cedric Benoist…

ESAB announced the 12 recipients of the 2025 $5,000 scholarships, awarded through a collaboration with the American Welding Society (AWS) Foundation. The scholarships, made possible by ESAB’s Future Fabricators program, support students across North America pursuing welding certifications and degrees.ESAB developed its Future Fabricators Program to support aspiring welders and fabricators. One of the many ways it moves the industry forward is through funding AWS Foundation scholarships…

HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding hosted a “signing day” for the 2025 graduates of its Shipbuilder Academy at the shipyard Wednesday, April 30. This year, 43 students were offered full-time positions at Ingalls, marking the beginning of their careers with HII.The “signing day” coincided with National Apprenticeship Day, recognizing the importance of connecting individuals to meaningful careers and assisting employers in building a skilled workforce. Through hands-on training, mentorship…

Oil executives called on Thursday for a return to navigation through the Red Sea en route to the Suez Canal following a halt in attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, but said firms were cautiously monitoring shipping conditions and competitors.A Liberian-flagged oil tanker that was attacked last year sailed through the Red Sea this week, the Suez Canal said on Monday, in one of the first voyages since the Houthi rebels last month said they would limit attacks on commercial vessels to Israel-linked ships until the Gaza ceasefire is fully implemented.

A Royal New Zealand Navy vessel ran aground and sank off Samoa but all 75 crew and passengers on board were safe, the New Zealand Defence Force said in a statement on Sunday.Manawanui, the navy's specialist dive and hydrographic vessel, ran aground near the southern coast of Upolu on Saturday night as it was conducting a reef survey, Commodore Shane Arndell, the maritime component commander of the New Zealand Defence Force, said in a statement.Several vessels responded and assisted in rescuing the crew and passengers who had left the ship in lifeboats…

HavocAI Inc., a Providence, R.I. based developer of autonomous uncrewed surface vessel (USV) technology, announced it has closed an $11 million Seed round of funding.The round was led by Scout Ventures, co-led by Trousdale Ventures, and saw additional participation from Outlander VC, The Veteran Fund, BV.VC, Decisive Point, Alumni Ventures, and New North Ventures.HavocAI develops low-cost USVs and software intended to allow a single operator to command and control thousands of…

Search and rescue for missing persons is always challenging for the specialist recovery teams involved, regardless of the environment they’re working in.But the teams looking for the missing aboard the Bayesian yacht which sank off the coast of Sicily leaving several people dead, have faced particularly challenging conditions. Even though the boat lies in relatively shallow water of 50 meters, underwater operations are affected by numerous factors which make them the most complex of search and rescue efforts.Best practice shows that searches should be coordinated…

The German Offshore Wind Energy Foundation said the government's decision to help fund the expansion of an offshore terminal is important to achieve expansion goals for wind energy at sea.In a statement late Friday, the foundation said it welcomed a government move to contribute to the costs of expanding the terminal at the port of Cuxhaven, on the North Sea coast.The government has agreed to finance the 30-hectare (74 acres) expansion of the offshore terminal, together with the state of Lower Saxony and the private port industry…

Fuel flexibility may be a key driver for recent developments in gensets, but the perennial goals of lowering CapEx and OpEx remain.Fuel flexibility is one of the pillars of decarbonization that is being embraced by genset OEMs. Fuel efficiency, a second pillar, goes hand in hand with that because new fuels will be more expensive, but these concerns come in addition to the on-going drive to reduce CapEx and OpEx for shipowners.MAN Energy Solutions introduced its auxiliary MAN 35/44DF CD engine in June 2023. It is designed to be future-proof and will be ready for methanol operation by 2026.

Saudi Arabia wants enhanced maritime security in the crucial Gulf region as part of its rapprochement with long-timerival Iran, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Saturday.Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed in March, in a deal brokered by China, to end a diplomatic rift and reestablish relations following years of hostility that had endangered regional stability including in the Gulf, Yemen, Syria and Lebanon."I would like to refer to the importance of cooperation between the two countries on regional security, especially the security of maritime navigation...

Crowley has appointed Clay Heil as vice president of global government relations, where he will lead the company’s full spectrum of government advocacy across all of the company’s business interests and activities.Based in Washington, D.C., Heil will spearhead Crowley’s engagement with federal, state and local government partners and elected officials on policy and regulatory matters that support the company’s strategic growth. Heil joins Crowley with more than 25 years of legislative and legal experience. In Congress, he worked in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S.

Crowley has promoted Meaghan Atkinson to be Vice President of Sustainability. In her new role, Atkinson will lead Crowley’s sustainability journey, and drive action to decarbonize across the company’s operations and value chain to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. As vice president, she will lead the company’s efforts to build partnerships across its industries and value chain to fulfill Crowley’s sustainability commitments.In her prior role as Director of Sustainability and Regulatory Affairs…

Nobiskrug signed a new build contract with superyacht brokerage Burgess, along with Harrison Eidsgaard Design, to design and build a six deck 83-m superyacht. Dubbed PROJECT ORKAN the styling comes from the strong trio Harrison Eidsgaard studio, based in London. The vessel will feature a hybrid propulsion system including batteries in order to significantly reduce fuel consumption as well as electronic anchoring to protect sensitive areas.

A damaged oil pipeline component that disrupted output at several offshore U.S. Gulf of Mexico platforms was repaired late Friday, a Louisiana official said, with producers moving to reactivate some of the halted production.A failed flange connecting two onshore pipelines operated by Shell Plc in Louisiana leaked an estimated two barrels of oil. The oil, which spilled onto an area covered with gravel, has been removed, said Chett Chiasson, executive director of the Greater Lafourche Port Commission…

Crews were expected to replace a damaged oil pipeline piece by the end of the day on Friday, a Louisiana port official said, allowing for the resumption of production at seven offshore U.S. Gulf of Mexico oil platforms.A failed flange connecting two pipelines operated by Shell in Louisiana caused about two barrels of oil to leak, said Chett Chiasson, executive director of Greater Lafourche Port Commission. The oil has since been removed.Shell on Thursday shut its Mars, Ursa, and…

Shipbroker Gibson said that it had received a number of resignations from its Suezmax and Aframax broking desks on June 29, according to an email from its managing director Roger Harrison on Thursday.Suezmax and Aframax tankers are usually used in the transport of crude and some oil products."Whilst we are always disappointed to see people leave our company ...

Melding advanced software, intelligence, robotics and navigation, Armach Robotics – a spinoff of Greensea Systems – leads a step change in ship hull cleaning and maintenance with its Robotics as a Service model. Ben Kinnaman, the CEO of Greensea Systems, explains.Ben, to start us off, please give us a background on Armach Robotics? Where did the idea come from and where are we today?Greensea Systems is a software company, well-known for our software platform on ocean robotics. We're also well-known for our unique navigation and autonomy solutions.

Marcus Jadotte has joined Crowley as senior vice president of government relations, leading the company’s advocacy activities across all its businesses.Jadotte will spearhead the company’s continuing advocacy for laws and regulations that support the domestic maritime industry, while expanding awareness of Crowley’s growing defense and civilian government services among federal, state and local officials. He will be based in Washington, D.C.Jadotte comes to Crowley after his tenure as vice president of federal government relations at Raytheon Technologies.

Naval architecture and marine engineering firm The Shearer Group, Inc. (TSGI) announced it has promoted two members of its team.The Houston-headquartered designer of inland towboats, ferries, workboats, marine construction equipment and barges said on Friday it has promoted Joshua S. Sebastian, P.E. to the position of vice president – operations and Harrison C. Brann, P.E. to engineering manager.Sebastian, a 13-year veteran of the firm, has served as TSGI's engineering manager for eight years.

Israel has opened a new shipping port along its Mediterranean coast that will bring much needed competition to a sector plagued by delays and boost the country's standing as a regional trade hub.The 5.5 billion shekel ($1.7 billion) Bay Port at Haifa, which will be operated by Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG), will enable larger classes of cargo ships, carrying 18,000 containers or more, to dock in Israel.The country is selling its state-owned ports and building new private docks in an effort bring down costs and cut above-average wait times for vessels to unload.

Russia on Friday begins laying its first undersea fiber optic communications cable through the Arctic as part of a state-run project to bring high-speed internet to its remote hydrocarbon-rich north after a private-led initiative stalled.Moscow is aiming to improve patchy communications and infrastructure in its far north where it has expanded its military presence and is developing the Northern Sea Route to become a major shipping lane.The cable link, due to be completed in 2026…

One person has died, a dozen are missing and six others have been rescued after a commercial lift boat used to service oil rigs capsized in hurricane force winds south of Louisiana’s Port Fourchon, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Wednesday.Rescuers in Coast Guard cutters, aircraft and volunteer civilian boats were hunting for the dozen missing people in the Gulf of Mexico after the 234-foot commercial vessel, Seacor Power, capsized in rough seas eight miles off Port Fouchon about 4:30 p.m.

Turkey has approved development plans for a huge canal on the edge of Istanbul, Environment Minister Murat Kurum said on Saturday, advancing a project which has attracted criticism over its cost and environmental impact.The step came a year after Turkey held its first tender for the reconstruction of two historic bridges in its largest city where the 45km (28 miles) Kanal Istanbul, championed by President Tayyip Erdogan, is set to be dug.“We have approved the Kanal Istanbul Project development plans and put them out for public consultation.