Putin Pledges Russian Superiority in the Arctic with New Icebreakers
President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday Russia wanted to retain its "superiority" in the Arctic and that it planned to renew its icebreaker fleet to bolster its presence there.Moscow has stepped up its efforts to tap the region's commercial potential, including by increasing freight traffic on the Northern Sea Route, which runs from Murmansk in the Russian Arctic to the Bering Strait near Alaska.In recent years Russia has also reopened abandoned Soviet military…
First Flag State Joins Getting to Zero Coalition
The Isle of Man Ship Registry has become the first flag state to join the Getting to Zero Coalition, an industry-led alliance working toward decarbonizing the international maritime shipping sector.Established in 2019, the coalition is a partnership between the Global Maritime Forum, the Friends of Ocean Action and the World Economic Forum. Its members include more than 120 organizations from the maritime…
Baltic Index Hits Over Four-month Low
The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index fell to a more than four-month low on Tuesday as weak demand from China dragged down vessel rates across all segments.The Baltic dry index, which tracks rates for capesize, panamax and supramax vessels, was down 21 points, or 1.6%, at 1,263, its lowest since mid-June.The lack of demand from China has pulled out freight rates from a period of little movement seen in the third quarter and sent prices to multi-month lows, said Peter Sand, the chief shipp
Aker Arctic Designs New Swedish and Finnish Icebreakers
Aker Arctic Technology Inc announced Tuesday it has signed a contract with the Swedish Maritime Administration (SMA) and the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency (FTIA) to develop new icebreakers to meet new challenges in Baltic Sea escort operations.The “next generation” icebreaker design will be capable of assisting the larger merchant ships entering Finnish and Swedish ports, incorporate latest environmental technologies and be ready for future fossil-free fuels…
The Shipowners' Club Promotes Hamblin
P&I insurer The Shipowners' Club announced it has appointed its chief information officer, Mark Hamblin, to its management board.Hamblin’s appointment comes after eight years working for the club, in which time he has become integral to the successful IT function, developing strategies and systems that have enhanced the club’s fundamental operations. Hamblin’s appointment to the board signifies the…
Marcelo Penna, Safeway Design Trimaran SOV for Offshore Wind Sector
Spanish engineering company Marcelo Penna Engineering and the Dutch offshore gangway specialist Safeway have designed what they say is "an intelligent Service Operation Vessel" for the offshore wind industry."The outcome of the collaboration is the DP2 MP625 SOV combined with the recently introduced Safeway Gannet 3D motion-compensated offshore access system with its unique features such as ‘zero impact…
Damen Shipyards to Build Nine Ferries for Aqualiner-Swets
Dutch shipbuilder Damen Shipyards has signed a contract to build nine passenger vessels for Dutch ferry joint venture Aqualiner-Swets.The nine vessels will be used to provide the public transportation service between Rotterdam and the Drecht cities on behalf of the Province of South Holland and the region from 2022.Of the nine vessels, six are hybrid and carbon fiber Waterbuses which will serve the fast ferry Intercity routes primarily between Sliedrecht…
U.S. Tells Eni Repairs to Venezuela Floating Oil Facility Not Barred by Sanctions
The United States has assured Italian oil company Eni SpA that efforts to prevent a spill at a floating crude facility in Venezuela would not run afoul of sanctions, the company, and the U.S. State Department said on Monday.Images in recent months showing the Nabarima floating storage and offloading facility (FSO), part of the Petrosucre joint venture between Eni and Venezuela's state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela…
Cruise Line Viking Installs First COVID-19 PCR Lab at Sea
A cruise ship has been fitted with the world's first at-sea PCR laboratory to test passengers and crews for COVID-19 as cruise lines look for ways to safely resume voyages amid the prevailing coronavirus pandemic. The full-scale lab installed aboard Viking's luxury cruise ship Viking Star has capacity to perform daily non-invasive saliva tests for every passenger and crew member, the company said on Monday.Viking's announcement comes days after the U.S.
Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Suspend Cruises Through Year End
Cruise operator Royal Caribbean Group said on Monday it would stop all its cruises through the end of the year, extending previous suspensions, as coronavirus infections continue to increase globally.The company's announcement comes days after the U.S.
Venezuela's Oil Exports Fall to New Low
Venezuela's oil exports fell to a historic low of 359,000 barrels per day (bpd) in October as most of state-run PDVSA's long-term clients paused trade to meet a U.S. deadline to halt business with the firm, according to data seen by Reuters on Monday.The United States set an October-November deadline for PDVSA's long-term customers - including Italy Eni, Spain's Repsol and India's Reliance Industries…
HHI Awarded Digital Twin Certification for Fuel Tank Safety
Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has developed a Digital Health Management system (DHM) for safety and operational efficiency of IMO Type-B LNG fuel tanks, and this new industry-first system has achieved Approval in Principal (AIP) of its “Digital Twin READY” Type-B LNG fuel tanks.This AIP was achieved through cooperation with the Liberian Registry (LISCR) as Flag State, and Lloyds Register (LR) as Class Society through JDP.
US Sanctions: Spotlight on Russia
This article will focus on U.S. sanctions on Russia/Ukraine. The Russia/Ukraine sanctions program is a complex mix of comprehensive, noncomprehensive and “sectoral” sanctions. It includes both primary sanctions aimed at U.S. persons and secondary sanctions aimed at non-U.S. persons. It encompasses broad sectors of the Russian economy and significant dealings with sanctioned individuals and entities, while generally permitting most transactions with Russia. Accordingly, it stands alone in U.S.
Maintenance Projects to Begin at Port Everglades
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will soon begin work on two important maintenance projects at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Port officials say they do not foresee any interruption of services during the construction. The South Jetty, located at the north end of Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park, will be restored to its original profile and cross section. A notice to proceed was issued to the contractor in October 2020.
IMO SG Emeritus William O’Neil Passes Away
William A. O’Neil, Secretary-General Emeritus of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), has died in the United Kingdom, aged 93.O’Neil was elected Secretary-General of the IMO for a first term of Office beginning in 1990, a second term beginning in 1994, a third term beginning in 1998 and a further two-year term from 2002 to 31 December 2003. He was the second longest serving Secretary-General…
Charterers Preventing Crew Change Must Be Held Accountable -INTERCARGO
In a number of instances, charterers in the dry bulk sector have been preventing much needed crew changes from taking place during the period of the charter, despite the ship owner agreeing to accept the associated costs, says INTERCARGO, the body representing the interests of dry bulk sector operators.In these instances, charterers have been seen to simply ignore relevant provisions and charter party clauses that could be employed.
US Shipyards: Always on the Job Hunt
American shipyards form an important economic engine, supporting nearly 400,000 jobs, $25.1 billion of labor income and $37.3 billion in gross domestic product (GDP), according to figures from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD).It’s a good thing, then, that U.S. shipyards were deemed essential businesses amid COVID-19 and have remained up and running throughout the pandemic.
VIDEO: SkillGrader Takes Officer, Crew Skills Assessment to the Next Level
Marine Learning Systems introduces SkillGrader, a mobile application designed to enable vessel operators and training institutions to objectively evaluate officer and crew skills, and to generate instant reports on workforce insights.“SkillGrader completes the learning technologies picture," said Murray Goldberg, founder and CEO of Marine Learning Systems. "For some time now, we have had tools to help teach and assess knowledge – the Learning Management System…
Austal Builds Patrol Boat for Tonga
Shipbuilder Austal Limited announced that its Austal Australia division has delivered the eighth Guardian-class Patrol Boat (GCPB) to the Australian Department of Defense.The vessel, VOEA Ngahau Siliva, was gifted by the Australian Government to the Kingdom of Tonga during a handover ceremony at Austal Australia’s Henderson shipyard on Friday.Austal Chief Operating Officer and CEO Designate Patrick…
More Ecospeed Protection for Eckerö RoRo Ferry
In 2019 Finnish shipping company Eckerö coated the open cargo deck of their roro passenger ferry Finbo Cargo with Ecospeed. This was done to protect the deck against damage from cars and cargo. One year later the deck was still in excellent condition, in strong contrast to previous years. As a result, Eckerö decided to coat the ice belt and most of the hull with Ecospeed to offer it the same lasting protection.“We coated the weather deck with good result…