Development of India's National Waterways

Under the National Waterways Act, 2016 of India, a total of 111 waterways have been declared as National Waterways (NWs). Out of these 111 NWs, NWs-1, 2 and 3 are operational and cargo and passenger vessels are moving on them, while for NW-4, the development works under Phase-I from Muktyala to Vijaywada started in 2017. Further, for development of NW-5, preparation of DPR including Front End Engineering…
ABS Approves New VLEC Concept

ABS, a leading provider of classification and technical services to the global marine and offshore industries, granted Approval in Principle (AIP) for a new very large ethane carrier (VLEC) concept developed by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd. “As demand for different types of liquefied gases increases, concepts like this will expand the infrastructure and enable more efficient transportation to get products to market…
Port Canaveral Welcomes Höegh Sydney

Port Canaveral staff were on hand to welcome the captain and crew of the Höegh Sydney roll-on/roll-off (RO/RO) vessel on her inaugural visit to the Port. The Sydney’s arrival at Port Canaveral is the first U.S. port call for the vessel on a transit that originated in East Asia. The Höegh Autoliners vessel represents the fourth vehicle carrier to call on Port Canaveral and the first auto imports to arrive direct from Asia.
ABS Grants AIP for LNG Power Vessel

ABS has granted Approval in Principle (AIP) to Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd., for its LNG Power Vessel. The vessel is designed in accordance with the applicable requirements of ABS Rules and IMO Regulations. “ABS provides the marine industry reliable guidance to enable innovative technology development in support of more efficient operations,” said ABS Vice President for Global Gas Solutions Patrick Janssens.
NIMASA Employs 20 Outstanding Seafarer Cadets

Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Dakuku Peterside announced the decision of the Executive Management of the Agency to offer automatic employment to twenty (20) beneficiaries of the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) Cadets that passed out with distinctions in their various fields of study. The Director General who made this known during…
Euronav to buy Gener8 Maritime

Tanker operator Euronav is to buy U.S. rival Gener8 Maritime to create one of the world's top oil shipping fleets, the companies said on Thursday, in an all-stock deal worth an estimated $490 million. Tanker companies have faced tough conditions in recent months, partly due to a glut of ships available for hire, and as a result have been looking for ways to build scale and cut costs. The Euronav deal…
Shipbuilding First: Wison Delivers Barge-based FSRU

A shipbuilding first was recorded with Exmar took delivery of the world's first barge-based FSRU and secures long-term employment for the unit. Final delivery of the world’s first barge-based floating LNG storage and re-gasification unit (FSRU) from the Wison Shipyard in Nantong, China. The unit has a re-gasification capacity of up to 600MMSCFD and a storage capacity of 26,000 m³ of LNG. This delivery…
UK's New $4.2 Bln Aircraft Carrier Has a Leak

Britain’s biggest ever warship, the new 3.1 billion pound ($4.2 billion) aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, has a leak and needs repairs, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said on Tuesday. The 65,000-tonne ship is hailed as Britain’s most advanced military vessel and was only commissioned by the queen two weeks ago but it has a problem with a shaft seal that was identified during sea trials, the MoD said.
USCG Releases Final Statement on El Faro Sinking

The U.S. Coast Guard has released its final action memo on the loss of the S.S. El Faro and its 33 crew members during a 2015 hurricane near Crooked Island, Bahamas. In the final action memo, Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft approved the findings of fact, analysis and conclusions detailed in the Marine Board of Investigation’s Report of Investigation (ROI), essentially marking it as the official Coast Guard position on the cause of the marine casualty.
Ferry Sunflower is Test Bed for "Intelligent Awareness"

The maritime industry increasingly moves towards autonomy, and Rolls-Royce has been a major driver of the initiative globally. Today Rolls-Royce announced a deal with Japanese multi-modal transport company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), to collaborate in the development of its intelligent awareness system. Specifically the intitiative will be trialled onboard the 165-m passenger ferry Sunflower, owned and operated by Mitsui O.S.K.
Goss, Martus Receive Thomas Crowley Awards

Crowley Maritime Corporation’s Zoe Goss, director, marine recruiting and development, and Ray Martus, vice president, vessel construction management, have been honored with 2016 Thomas Crowley Awards, the company’s highest honor for its employees. Goss and Martus each received a limited-edition bronze sculpture that depicts company founder Thomas Crowley ferrying goods in a row boat across San Francisco Bay in the early 1890s.
Wärtsilä Acquires Trident B.V.

Wärtsilä said it has acquired Netherland based Trident B.V., a specialist in underwater ship maintenance, inspection and repair services. The acquisition is expected to close in January 2018. The enterprise value of the transaction is €17.5 million ($20.8 million) and an additional €3.5 million ($4.2 million) earn-out, based on the business performance in the coming years. The turnover of Trident is approximately €9 million ($10.7 million).
Damen’s BWM in Eight EU Ports

Ship owners are now able to treat their unmanaged ballast water or load cleaned ballast water in eight different Northern European ports using Damen’s unique IMO certified InvaSave ballast water management system. In a cooperation between Damen Green Solutions and Damen Shiprepair & Conversion (DSC), this ballast water reception/bunkering service will be available in Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Brest, Dunkerque, Vlissingen, Den Helder, Stellendam and Harlingen.
Marcopolo Shipyard Restructuring Approved

PT Marcopolo Shipyard (PTMS) has secured the approval for its restructuring plan to to place itself under a Penundaan Kewajiban Pembayaran Utang (PKPU) suspension of debt payment. It means, Batam-based unit of Marco Polo Marine has cleared the final hurdle to proceed with debt restructuring for the holding company and its key shipyard subsidiary under the two schemes of arrangement filed with Singapore's High Court.
MPC Acquires Two Vessels

Oslo-based boxship owner MPC Container Ships has agreed two more secondhand purchases. "MPC Container Ships ASis pleased to announce that it has entered into agreements to acquire “Annika” and “Antigoni”, two 987 and 1,049 TEU vessels built in 2008 at Daesun Shipbuilding, South Korea," said a press statement from the company. The total purchase price for the two vessels is USD 16.1m. Physical takeover of the vessels is expected to take place in January 2018…
Northern Drilling Expands its Fleet

Northern Drilling (NODL) announces the exercise of its option to purchase the semi submersible rig Bollsta Dolphin for a total consideration of USD 400 million. The Bollsta Dolphin is one of the world’s most sophisticated high-end floaters capable of operating in harsh environment areas and in ultra deep waters of up to 10,000 feet. The rig is currently under construction at Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd (HHI) with expected delivery in January 2019.
MacGregor Acquires Rapp Marine

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has signed an agreement to acquire Rapp Marine Group (RMG) in order to strengthen its offering for the fishery and research vessel segment. The enterprise value of the acquisition was approximately €16 million ($19 million). With RMG, MacGregor is able to expand upon its existing portfolio which already includes various deck handling equipment, such as cranes and booms, to now offer complete solutions with advanced winches and related control systems.
Asia Dry Bulk-Capesize Rates to Fall as Cargo Dries Up

Rates from Brazil to China fall by $4/tonne, $6,000/day; queues at Dalrymple Bay to ease, return to normal in January. Freight rates for large dry cargo ships on key Asian routes could slide further from multi-week lows as chartering activity thins during the holiday season and abundant tonnage for January weighs on rates, brokers said. Capesize rates from Brazil to China have dropped by $4 per tonne in the last week, equivalent to a daily earnings fall of about $6,000.
Philippine Ferry Capsizes with 251 Aboard

Four people were killed and seven were missing after a Philippine ferry with 251 people on board capsized during bad weather on Thursday near the capital, Manila, disaster officials and a coastguard spokesman said. Accidents involving boats sailing between the many islands of the Philippines are common. Vessels are often overloaded but the coastguard said that was not the case on Thursday and the ferry had the capacity to carry 286 people.
Second-hand Ship Sales Reach 10-year High

Shipping struggles to recover from worst crisis in 30 years; market for new ships remains weak. Sales of second-hand ships reached a 10-year high on cautious optimism that one of the shipping industry's worst ever downturns is nearing an end. An increase in cargo demand has helped revive confidence this year in a sector that is starting to emerge from a 10-year slump fueled by owners splurging on thousands of new ships. "Second-hand purchases go up when optimism is thriving.