Biden Administration Names Lessley as MARAD Deputy Administrator
Lucinda Lessley has been named Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD), the Biden Administration announced Thursday among a number of key appointments to its Department of Transportation (DOT) leadership team.Lessley will lead MARAD until an Administrator is nominated by the Biden Administration and confirmed by the Senate. She takes over from Doug Burnett, MARAD's Chief Counsel…
Wagner Named Managing Director of SCHOTTEL Middle East
With effect from April 1, 2021, Dirk Wagner will take over as Managing Director at SCHOTTEL Middle East (SME) assuming the responsibilities of Andrew Bull, who will be leaving the company to pursue other interests outside of SCHOTTEL.Wagner has extensive experience and expertise in the area of ship propulsion. He joined SME when it was founded in 2011. Since then, he has been able to put this expertise…
Sovcomflot, Total Ink Timecharter Deal on LNG Transport
PAO Sovcomflot (SCF Group) and Total have concluded a time charter agreement for up to seven years for a newbuild 174,000-cubic-meter-capacity liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier, scheduled to be delivered Q3 2023 and to be owned and operated by SCF, with options for up to two additional vessels.The new vessel will be the latest in a series of SCF’s new-generation conventional Atlanticmax LNG carriers…
Boluda Towage Acquires Iskes Towage & Salvage
Boluda Towage SL on Thursday signed an agreement to acquire Iskes Towage & Salvage's port towage activities in Eemshaven, the Netherlands; Lubeck, Germany; and Lisbon, Portugal, as well as its offshore activities, together with the management and office staff in the head office in IJmuiden, the Netherlands.Iskes will remain a separate entity under Boluda's headquarters in Valencia, Spain, and it will continue to manage the aforementioned harbor towage activities.
China Low-sulphur Marine Fuel Exports Hit New Heights
China's exports of clean marine fuels rose in December to a record since shipments began a year ago, taking 2020 exports of the ship fuel to 15.45 million tonnes, customs data showed on January 20, 2021.Chinese oil refineries began exporting very low-sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) in January to comply with emission rules set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), after Beijing granted tax incentives to boost production and help create a regional bunkering hub.
ABS Grants AIP for DSME’s Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Technology
Classification society ABS informs it has granted approval in principle (AIP) to solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology developed by South Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd. (DSME).Granting of AIP follows two joint development projects between ABS and DSME, the latest to develop SOFC technology to replace at least one of three diesel generators typically on board a very large…
Permitting for Big US Offshore Wind Farm to Resume 'Very, Very Soon' -Avangrid CEO
The developer of the first major U.S. offshore wind farm said on Wednesday it will soon apply for a federal permit from President Joe Biden's administration, after former President Donald Trump's government abruptly canceled its initial application last month.Vineyard Wind will resubmit its construction plan to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management "very very soon," Avangrid Inc CEO Dennis Arriola said in an interview, without specifying an exact date.
Swift COVID-19 Vaccines Urged for Largest US Ports Amid Cargo Backlogs
Members of Congress have joined state and local leaders in urging California officials to hasten COVID-19 vaccinations for workers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the nation's two busiest, hit hard by pandemic workforce disruptions and surging imports.As of Wednesday, 27 arriving container ships stood anchored off the twin ports complex waiting for berths to clear at terminals piled high with cargo from previous shipments…
Wärtsilä, Carnival Ink Waste Treatment Systems Deal
Finnish marine equipment manufacturer Wärtsilä said it signed a framework agreement with Carnival Corporation covering the supply and installation of Wärtsilä’s waste water and dry waste treatment systems for up to 32 vessels across many of global cruise ship operator’s brands. Wärtsilä said its Membrane Bioreactor waste water treatment plants for handling of black and grey waste water surpass the…
Biden Announces Return to Global Climate Accord, New Curbs on US Oil Industry
U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced America's return to the international Paris Agreement to fight climate change, the centerpiece of a raft of day-one executive orders aimed at restoring U.S. leadership in combating global warming.The announcements also included a sweeping order to review all of former President Donald Trump's actions weakening climate change protections, the revocation of a vital permit for TC Energy's Keystone XL oil pipeline project from Canada…
MARAD to Award $19.6 Million in Small Shipyard Grants
The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) said it will award $19.6 million in federal funding to support efficiency improvements and modernizations at America’s small shipyards.The investments awarded annually by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s MARAD through the Small Shipyard Grant Program help U.S. shipyards and their workers to reap the benefits of increased production capabilities, and boost yards’ competitiveness in the global marketplace.Since its inception in 2008…
US Coast Guard 'Alarmed' By Mariners Turning Off AIS
The U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday issued a warning to mariners and commercial fisherman about the dangers and legal consequences of switching off their Automated Identification Systems (AIS), citing concern over a growing number of vessels operating with the tracking equipment disabled.The Coast Guard said it has been alarmed in particular by the increase of commercial fishing and crabbing vessels disabling their AIS…
DESMI's BWMS for Bulkers Gains IMO, US Type Approval
DESMI Ocean Guard A/S said a new configuration of its CompactClean ballast water management system (BWMS) geared specifically for bulk carrier vessels has been approved by both the U.S. Coast Guard and the Danish Maritime Authority.The CompactClean Bulker configuration, an additional product line to the existing CompactClean product lines, is designed for higher flowrates during de-ballast solving one of the main operational issues faced by bulk carriers complying with ballast water regulations…
Fertilizer Makers Eye Alternative Ship Fuels for Green Growth
Two of the world's biggest fertilizer producers, CF Industries Holdings Inc and Yara International Asa, are seeking to cash in on the green energy transition by reconfiguring ammonia plants in the United States and Norway to produce clean energy to power ships.The consumption of oil for transportation is one of the top contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change, and fertilizer…
Crowley Wins Arctic Fuel Distribution Contract
The U.S. Defense Logistics Agency-Energy (DLA-Energy) has awarded Crowley Solutions a five-year, $15 million contract for fuels transportation and distribution services for the Canada North Warning System locations supporting the nations’ joint security efforts.Serving the Canadian arctic region, Crowley will provide ocean transportation of Aviation Turbine, Kerosene Type Jet A-1 w/FSII & CI to stations across the region, leveraging decades of experience in the Arctic.
Fruergaard to Take Over as CEO of Pacific Basin
Hong Kong-headquartered dry bulk shipping company Pacific Basin announced Wednesday that Martin Fruergaard will take over as CEO, replacing longtime chief executive Mats Berglund, who has decided to retie. Fruergaard, the current CEO of Danish gas shipping company Ultragas, will relocate to Hong Kong and join Pacific Basin in early July. He brings to the role significant maritime leadership experience…
Allseas' Subsea Mining Ship Project is Moving Forward
Swiss-based Allseas has awarded Dutch subsea technology company Seatools the contract for the delivery of the complete electrical, hydraulic and control system for Allseas’ deep-sea mining nodule collector.Driven by the green energy transition, the interest in high-grade seafloor polymetallic nodule deposits has risen in the past few years due to the depleting terrestrial deposits for metals such as copper, nickel, manganese and cobalt.
Elon Musk's Firm Buys Two Offshore Rigs to Serve as Launchpads for SpaceX Rockets
Two offshore drilling rigs, previously used for oil and gas exploration beneath the seabed, could soon help with space exploration.Namely, according to multiple reports this week…
Capesize Market Starts Strong in 2021 -BIMCO
BIMCO says the year 2021 has started strongly for the capesize market with 1,427 journeys completed or underway in the first 20 days of the year, a 10.4% increase…
World’s First Tiltable Rotor Sails Installed
Auxiliary wind propulsion systems provide Norsepower said it installed the world’s first tiltable Rotor Sails for SEA-CARGO, a logistics provider in the North Sea market.According the analysis conducted by Norsepower and SEA-CARGO, installation of the two 35-meter tall Rotor Sails on board the SC Connector, a 12,251 gross tonne (GT) sidedoor RoRo vessel, can achieve a fuel consumption, fuel cost and carbon emissions reduction of up to 25%.
