K Line Conducts 1,000 Mile Autonomous Voyage Trial
Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K LINE) and the Nippon Foundation have demonstrated autonomous navigation on a roro for a round-trip route of approximately 1,000 miles (1,600km) between Hitachi Port and Kushiro Port.The 11,413gt Hokuren Maru No. 2 sails the route routinely in service for operator Kawasaki Kinkai Kisen. Three autonomous voyages have been undertaken since October 1, 2023.“We confirmed that recognition…
MHI and Orica Collaborate on Hydrogen and Ammonia
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Orica have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore potential opportunities for collaboration on emission reduction initiatives.The collaboration covers various areas of mutual interest, including:• exploring technology deployment opportunities for renewable hydrogen and renewable ammonia production near Orica's facilities in Newcastle and Gladstone, Australia•…
Tanker Safe After US Navy Responds
A U.S. Navy warship responded to a distress call from a commercial tanker in the Gulf of Aden that had been seized by armed individuals and is now safe, U.S. officials said on Sunday.The tanker, which had been carrying a cargo of phosphoric acid, was identified as the Central Park by the vessel's company. The officials did not identify the attackers.In a statement, the U.S. military said the USS Mason, with help from allied ships, demanded that the commercial ship be released by the attackers.
Engine Room Fire Investigation Highlights Due Diligence Failings
A fire on board a multi-purpose vessel chartered by the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) while transiting the Southern Ocean highlights the risks and challenges of operating in harsh, remote conditions.On April 5, 2021, the 145 meter MPV Everest was en route from Antarctica to Hobart with 37 crew and 72 Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) staff on board when a fire broke out in its port engine room.The…
Report: New Gas Supply Needed in All Australian Net Zero Pathways
Australia will still need substantial gas production 26 years from now to ensure reliable and affordable energy in 2050, even under a net zero scenario, according to The future role of natural gas in Australia and the region.EY was commissioned by Australian Energy Producers to provide an independent assessment of the future role of natural gas in Australia and the region to inform Australia’s Future Gas Strategy.
Portuguese Navy Signs Contract with Damen Shipyards
The Portuguese Navy has contracted Damen Shipyards Group for the design, construction and outfitting of a multi-purpose vessel.The contract was signed by Director of Ships Rear Admiral Jorge Pires and Damen Shipyards Group CCO Jan Wim Dekker. The project follows a European tender process and is funded by the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) that is part of NextGenerationEU (the…
HEMEXPO Appoints New Board of Directors
The Hellenic Marine Equipment Manufacturers and Exporters organisation (HEMEXPO) has appointed a new Board of Directors following the association’s General Assembly Meeting on November 21.Konstantinos Fanouriadis, CEO of FARAD S.A., Athanasios Athanasopoulos, CEO of UTECO ABEE and Ilias Mallios, Export Manager of SeaBright S.A. were re-appointed to the board, joined by Stefanos Chartomantzidis, Chief Commercial Officer of Prisma Electronics.
New CEO Nominated for Royal Van Oord
The Supervisory Board of Van Oord intends to nominate Govert van Oord as the new CEO of Van Oord. The formal appointment will take place at Van Oord's Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on April 11, 2024.The Board is pleased to be able to transfer the leadership of the family business from the 4th to the 5th generation Van Oord family.Govert van Oord has been with Van Oord since 2002 and has worked for the company in the Middle East, Spain and Brazil, among others.
New Pilot Boat Arrives in Port of Bunbury
Southern Ports’ new pilot boat Wardan has arrived in Bunbury, Western Australia, for local testing and trials ahead of an official naming ceremony to be held early next year.The boat, built by Hart Marine, combines top-tier technology, safety and comfort in a lightweight structure that renders the vessel resistant to corrosion, guaranteeing longevity and resilience in the harshest of marine conditions.Southern…
Seaspan Shipyards Contributes More Than $5.7 Billion to Canada’s GDP
Under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS), Seaspan Shipyards has contributed more than $5.7 billion to Canada’s GDP through its shipbuilding and repair, refit, and maintenance activities and will contribute an additional $20.7 billion to Canada’s GDP through 2035, according to a recent socio-economic study conducted by Deloitte Canada. The report highlights the significant economic benefits of…
AD Ports Expands Shipping Operations in Kazakhstan
AD Ports Group in collaboration with KazMorTransFlot (KMTF), the national shipping company of Kazakhstan, has announced the acquisition and commencement of operations of two tankers designed for the transportation of Kazakhstan's oil across the Caspian Sea.The two oil tankers were named Liwa and Taraz - after ancient cities in the UAE and Kazakhstan, respectively, and have been acquired under AD Ports…
Panama Canal Announces Special Auction Slot Starting Saturday
The Panama Canal, one of the world's main maritime trade routes, announced on Friday it is launching a special auction slot on Saturday, as it battles a severe drought that has forced it to reduce daily ship crossings."The purpose of this measure is to provide greater opportunity of obtaining a slot for vessels in the Panamax Locks that have been waiting in the transit queue for an extended period," the canal's authority said in a statement.Water levels in Gatun Lake, the rainfall-fed principal
Australian Climate Change Activists Disrupt Shipping at Coal Port
A climate change protest off Australia's east coast disrupted operations at the country's biggest coal export port on Saturday, the port operator said.Climate activist group Rising Tide, which claimed responsibility for the action, said around 1,500 people were at the protest, 300 of them in the shipping channel near the Port of Newcastle, as part of a 30-hour blockade set to run until 4 p.m. (0900 GMT) on Sunday.Climate change is a divisive issue in Australia…
Israeli-Linked Chemical Tanker Seized
Unidentified armed individuals have seized a tanker carrying a cargo of phosphoric acid in the Gulf of Aden on Sunday, the vessel's managing company and a U.S. defence official said.The incident, involving the chemical tanker Central Park, is the latest in a series of attacks in Middle Eastern waters since a brutal war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas broke out on October 7.It followed a seizure of an Israeli-linked cargo ship by Yemen Houthis…
Cargo Ship Sinks Off Greek Island
One person has died and 12 people were missing on Sunday after a cargo ship carrying salt with 14 crew on board sank off the island of Lesbos, the Greek coast guard said.The Comoros-flagged Raptor had departed from El Dekheila port in Egypt and was bound for Istanbul when it reported a mechanical failure and issued a distress call early on Sunday, the coast guard added."One body recovered from the area," a coast guard official told Reuters adding that one person was rescued by helicopter and was
Biden's Clean Energy Agenda Faces Mounting Headwinds
Canceled offshore wind projects, imperiled solar factories, and fading demand for electric vehiclesA year after the passage of the largest climate change legislation in U.S. history, meant to touch off a boom in American clean energy development, economic realities are fraying President Joe Biden’s agenda.Soaring financing and materials costs, unreliable supply chains, delayed rulemaking in Washington…
Damen Wins Order to Build Vessel for Taiwan Offshore Wind Market
Japan-based Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, (MOL) and Taiwan-based Ta Tong Marine Co. have through their joint venture Ta San Shang Marine Co. Ltd. (TSSM), signed a deal with the Dutch shipbuilder Damen Shipyards for the construction of a new service operation vessel (SOV).As TSSM's second Taiwan-flagged SOV, following Asia's first, the TSS Pioneer, which was delivered in 2022, the vessel is scheduled for delivery at the end of 2025 in Vietnam.
Steerprop To Supply Bow Thrusters for Canada’s New Polar Icebreaker
Steerprop has been chosen to supply advanced ice-classed bow thrusters to the Canadian Coast Guard’s new Polar Icebreaker. The ship will be designed and built by Seaspan Shipyards as part of Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy.Steerprop will equip the Polar Icebreaker with two arctic tunnel thrusters specially designed to meet the most demanding ice conditions, even without the protection of tunnel grids.
Coal Shipments to Advanced Economies Down 17%
“In the first 10 months of 2023, coal shipments to advanced economies fell by 17% y/y, as demand for electricity declined and the share of electricity produced using renewable energy rose. Also slowed economic activity and high energy prices affected electricity demand,” says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.Between January and August, electricity production in advanced economies fell by 4% y/y, according to data from the International Energy Agency.
Angad Banga Elected Chairman of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association
Angad Banga of The Caravel Group was elected Chairman of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association at the organization’s annual meeting held on November 22, 2023.Banga succeeds Wellington Koo, of Valles Steamship, who stepped down after completing his two-year term as Chairman.Richard Hext of Swire Shipping was elected Deputy Chairman, succeeding Banga. Qian Weizhong of COSCO Shipping (Hong Kong) and Wang…