First of UECC's Three LNG Battery Hybrid PCTCs Launched

The first of three liquefied natural gas (LNG) battery hybrid pure car and truck carriers (PCTC) commissioned by Norwegian shipping company United European Car Carriers (UECC) was launched this week at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai. The remaining two vessels are scheduled for delivery in 2022."With the launch of our first LNG battery hybrid PCTC, we are ushering in a new era for UECC and short sea shipping in Europe," said Glenn Edvardsen, UECC CEO.
Second Casualty Recovered from Capsized Lift Boat, 11 Still Missing

A second unresponsive person has been recovered from the water near a lift boat that capsized in the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Friday.A Coast Guard helicopter crew spotted the person in the water at 7:10 p.m. on Thursday while searching the area about 8 miles south of Port Fourchon, La. The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Benjamin Daily, also in the area searching, recovered the unresponsive…
Algoma Fined for US Dumping Violations

Canadian shipping company Algoma Central Corporation was fined $500,000 in the U.S. after pleading guilty to dumping wastewater into Lake Ontario.One of the Great Lakes operator's dry bulk carriers, the Algoma Strongfield, was built in China and delivered to Canada on May 30, 2017, by a crew from Redwise Maritime Services, B.V., a vessel transport company based in the Netherlands.During the delivery voyage…
US Interior Dept Revokes Trump Energy Policies, Focuses on Climate

The U.S. Interior Department on Friday sought to erase the Trump administration's pro-fossil fuels legacy from the nation's public lands by revoking a suite of policies that boosted drilling and mining and ordering that climate change be put at the forefront in future agency decisions.The moves come as the Democratic Biden administration moves rapidly to implement policies aimed at decarbonizing the U.S.
Hidrovias do Brasil Orders Electric Pushboats

South American logistics operator Hidrovias do Brasil S.A. has ordered a fleet of diesel/battery electric pushboats from Belov Engenharia Shipyard, in Salvador, Brazil. Construction has commenced, and the first vessel is scheduled for delivery in 2022.Designed by Robert Allan Ltd. of Vancouver, B.C., Canada, the innovative vessels are expected to be the world’s first battery electric shallow draft…
Suez Canal to Allow Two Ever Given Crew Members to Go Home

Two crew members aboard the cargo vessel that blocked global shipping in the Suez Canal last month will be allowed to return to India owing to urgent personal circumstances, the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) said on Thursday.The Ever Given has been anchored in a lake between two sections of the canal since being dislodged on March 29 and is caught in a legal dispute linked to a $916 compensation claim made by the SCA against the ship's Japanese owner.The SCA said it was "sparing no effort to ensure
Cruise Execs, Health Experts Meet to Discuss Restart Plans

Cruise industry executives met with health experts and White House staff earlier this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Friday, following criticism of its guidelines on restarting voyages.The discussion, which centered around how the pandemic-battered industry could get back into business, comes after the CDC said passengers and crew would need COVID-19 vaccine shots and more frequent testing…
Quark Takes Delivery of New Expedition Cruise Ship Ultramarine

U.S.-based Quark Expeditions has taken delivery of its new polar expedition cruise ship Ultramarine from the Brodosplit Shipyard in Croatia.The 128-meter Ultramarine has accommodations for 199 passengers in 103 cabins, plus 140 crew members. It features two twin-engine helicopters and two heliports as well as 20 quick-deploy Zodiacs for off-ship adventuring.Andrew White, president of Quark Expeditions…
IACS Announces LR's Nick Brown as Incoming Council Chair

The International Association of Classification Societies has named Lloyd’s Register CEO Nick Brown as its Incoming Council Chair.Brown will take up the role on July 1 this year, marking the first time that the IACS Chair has been chosen by the Association’s Members and not by rotation, a move that follows governance changes announced in December last year. As part of those changes, Brown’s term of office will run until December 31…
IMIA Acquires Main Industries

International Marine and Industrial Applicators, LLC (IMIA), a portfolio company of an investment affiliate of J.F. Lehman & Company (JFLCO), announced it has acquired Main Industries, Inc.Headquartered in Hampton, Va., Main Industries provides preservation, scaffolding and environmental containment services to the marine vessel new construction and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) markets. The company supports the U.S.
Cummins Introduces New EPA Tier 4 Engine

Cummins Inc. launched the QSK60 EPA Tier 4 / IMO III at Cummins Marine’s virtual showcase on Wednesday, April 14. The new EPA Tier 4 compliant selective catalytic reduction (SCR) aftertreatment system is being paired with the QSK60 engine to address the impact of stricter emissions regulations on commercial marine markets in North America. The new system mitigates downtime and improves total cost of ownership, the manufacturer said.
Clean Crude? Oil Companies use Offsets to Claim Green Barrels

In January, Occidental Petroleum announced it had accomplished something no oil company had done before: It sold a shipload of crude that it said was 100% carbon-neutral.While the two-million-barrel cargo to India was destined to produce more than a million tons of planet-warming carbon over its lifecycle, from well to tailpipe, the Texas-based driller said it had completely offset that impact by purchasing…
Bubble Tech Helps Methane Carrier Save 6.6% net on Fuel, Emissions

Retrofit of air lubrication technology achieves verified performance of 6.6% net savings during initial testing.Silverstream Technologies' air lubrication system, the Silverstream System, has reportedly delivered 6.6% fuel and emissions savings during testing on the Shell-chartered 170,000 cbm LNG carrier Methane Patricia Camila.The Silverstream System is designed to enable fuel and emissions efficiencies by producing a thin layer of microbubbles along the full flat bottom of the vessel…
BW LPG Sells Very Large Gas Carrier for 'Attractive' Price

Singapore-based gas carrier operator BW LPG has sold Very Large Gas Carrier (VLGC) BW Empress.BW Empress was built in 2005 and has a carrying capacity of 77,330 CBM. "The sale has generated approximately US$ 40 million in liquidity and an expected net book gain of approximately US$ 10 million. The sale and delivery of the vessel to its new owner for further trading was completed on 15 April 2021," the Oslo-listed company said Friday.Anders Onarheim…
Harland & Wolff to Build NnG Offshore Wind Farm Jackets in Methil, Creating 290 Jobs

InfraStrata's Harland & Wolff has won a contract with Saipem to build and load out eight wind turbine generator (WTG) jacket foundations for the EDF Renewables and ESB Energy-owned Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind farm project, located in the outer Firth of Forth in Scotland.The contract value is around £26million (~$35,7 million), with the contract scheduled to start from July 1, 2021.The works for fabrication…
Search Continues for 12 Missing from Capsized Lift Boat

The U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday it is still searching for 12 people missing from a lift boat that capsized in extreme weather conditions Tuesday in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.Coast Guard vessel and air crews have worked with other local agencies to scour the area overnight Wednesday and through the day Thursday in search of the dozen missing from the Seacor Power, which overturned in rough seas and hurricane force winds approximately 8 miles south of Port Fourchon, La.
GTT Upgrades its NO96 Technology to Reduce Boil Off Rate

French engineering firm GTT said it has developed the NO96 Super+, an evolution of the NO96 Cargo Containment System (CCS), to help reduce the evaporation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes during operations, Having recently received an approval in principle (AIP) from classification society Bureau Veritas, the new NO96 Super+ technology integrates insulating Reinforced Polyurethane Foam (R-PUF) panels instead of plywood boxes…
Great Lakes Iron Ore Trade Up Slightly in March

Iron ore shipments on the Great Lakes totaled 1.3 million tons in March, a near match to 2020. However, loadings trailed the month’s five-year average by 13.5%, according to the Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA).LCA, which represents the U.S.-flag Great Lakes fleet, said the iron ore trade stands at 3.9 million tons year-to-date, an increase of 26.3% compared to last year. Iron ore shipments are 12.2%…
Facing Maritime’s Challenges, S.M.C.'s Kozdron reasons “That's why we are here: Engineers.”

Based in Shanghai, Krzysztof Kozdron – or “KK” as he’s known to many of his Chinese colleagues, clients and friends – is the Managing Director of Schulte Marine Concept (S.M.C.). As S.M.C. passes a milestone in ship construction project management, Kozdron shares his insights on shipbuilding and repair activities throughout Asia.Starting in 1973 to today, Schulte Marine Concept has managed 600 ship construction…
Baltic Dry Index Scales Over 1-year Peak

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, which tracks rates for ships ferrying dry bulk commodities, rose to its highest level since September 2019 on Thursday as demand strengthened across vessel segments.The Baltic dry index, which tracks rates for capesize, panamax and supramax vessels, rose 145 points, or 6.7%, to 2,323, its highest since Sept. 12, 2019.The capesize index advanced 232 points, or 7.4%, to 3,383, its highest level since Oct.