MetalCraft Delivers High-performace RIBs in Mississippi
Shipbuilder MetalCraft Marine said it delivered two 34-foot high performance patrol RIBs to be used by the Mississippi Department of Natural Resources Police in the coastal bay areas and offshore checking on commercial and sport fishing compliance.Each boat is equipped with triple Suzuki 300-horsepower outboards, enabling the vessels to reach speeds up to 64 miles per hour.According to MetalCraft, the Interceptor hulls are noted for their "Soft Dry Ride"…
Great Lakes Wins Jacksonville Harbor Dredging Contract
Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation has been awarded a $105 million Base and Option B contract award on the Jacksonville Harbor Construction Dredging, 47-Foot Contract C Cut-42 Project, the U.S.' largest dredging services provider announced Friday.Great Lakes said it expects the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to award additional option work items on the contract by mid-2021 with a value of $11.5 million…
Charleston Will be the Deepest Harbor on the US East Coast
This September, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District awarded the final two dredging contracts on its harbor deepening project, which will make Charleston’s harbor the deepest on the East Coast.The contract awards also coincided with the arrival September 20 of the CMA CGM Brazil, a 15,072-TEU containership stretching 1,200 feet long, and the largest containership to ever call on the East Coast and Charleston harbor.Charleston was the last stop on its East Coast itinerary…
Metal Shark Builds Custom Tender for R/V OceanXplorer
Shipbuilder Metal Shark reports it has delivered a new research tender to OceanX, a New York-based nonprofit ocean exploration initiative and media organization.The custom 38-foot Defiant-class welded aluminum monohull pilothouse vessel will be carried aboard the recently-launched one-of-a-kind scientific research, media production and exploration vessel, the R/V OceanXplorer. The combined marine research and media vessel OceanXplorer is both a floating…
Trafigura Proposes Carbon Levy on Marine Fuels
Commodities trader Trafigura on Friday proposed a carbon levy of $250-$300 per tonne of carbon-dioxide (CO2) equivalent on shipping fuels to make zero and low carbon fuels more economically viable and competitive.The International Maritime Organization (IMO) wants to halve the sector's greenhouse gas output by 2050 against 2008 levels.
Partners Set Out to Develop Hydrogen-powered Tugs
Norwegian engineering and equipment company TECO 2030 ASA said it has signed a letter of intent with Austrian-based powertrain deveolper AVL List GmbH and Dutch shipping company Chemgas Shipping B.V. for the use of fuel cell technology as the main energy source for tugboats in the Blue Danube hydrogen project and similar projects.The Blue Danube project is among Europe’s most ambitious hydrogen projects.
Iran's Oil Exports Jump in September Defying Sanctions
Iranian oil exports have risen sharply in September in defiance of U.S. sanctions, three assessments based on tanker tracking showed, throwing a lifeline to the Islamic Republic and its collapsing economy.Exports have shrunk from over 2.5 million barrels per day (bpd) since the United States withdrew from a nuclear deal with Iran and reimposed sanctions in 2018. Still, Iran has been working to get…
Baltic Index Hits Over Two-month High
The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index on Friday hit an over two-month high on higher vessel rates across segments, and along with the capesize index posted its highest weekly rise since mid-June.The Baltic dry index, which tracks rates for ships ferrying dry bulk commodities and reflects rates for capesize, panamax and supramax vessels, was up 62 points, or 3.9%, at 1,667 points.The index gained 28.6% this week.The capesize index gained 161 points…
Innovation with AI: A Sparring Partner for the Maritime Sector
The maritime sector keeps talking enthusiastically about it: artificial intelligence (AI). But what is it really? What is the role of technology in the maritime sector at this moment, and what does it mean for the future? Yves de Vos, Project Manager and Artificial Intelligence Expert at Shipbuilder, explains.“The term Artificial Intelligence is often misused because a lot of tools are not intelligent at all.
IUMI: Insurers, Underwriters Must Jump Onboard Maritime's Digital Transformation
Speaking at the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) annual conference, IUMI Data and Digitalization Forum Chair, Patrizia Kern discussed big data, the use of digital technologies, and how the COVID-19 pandemic has put digitalization on the fast track.“Digitalization is not an option anymore - it is here to stay - and the marine insurance sector needs to keep pace," said Kern. "For some time now…
Shell Books Amoureux Tanker to Load Crude at Libya's Zueitina Port
Royal Dutch Shell has provisionally booked a tanker to load a crude cargo at Libya's Zueitina terminal on Oct. 3, potentially the first since January at the recently…
OET Takes Delivery of Final Suezmax from Hyundai
Greek oil tanker company Okeanis Eco Tankers has taken delivery of the Suezmax tanker Nissos Sifnos, concluding the company's newbuilding program.The Nissos Sifnos was delivered from South Korea's Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries in South Korea. The tanker has already started its three-year time charter with an unnamed oil company.This is the second (and final) Suezmax delivery this month from Hyundai…
Phase Two Contract Awarded for New Soo Lock Project
The second phase construction contract for the New Lock at the Soo has been awarded to Kokosing Alberici LLC of Westerville, Ohio, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials announced Thursday.The much-anticipated mega-project will require three phases of construction. Kokosing Alberici's $111 million contract to complete the second phase will stabilize the existing approach walls, allowing modern vessels to tie up and wait their turn to pass through the new lock.
Norfolk Naval Shipyard Commander Relieved
The commander of the U.S. Navy’s Norfolk Naval Shipyard has been ousted amid ongoing performance issues in repairing and modernizing the service's ships.Commander of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Vice Adm. Bill Galinis relieved Capt. Kai Torkelson, due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command, according to statement from the U.S. Navy.Rear Adm. Howard Markle, Director of NAVSEA’s Industrial Operations Directorate (SEA 04)…
Harvey Gulf to Equip Eight More Vessels with Battery Systems
Harvey Gulf International Marine announced Thursday it will install 10 battery systems on board eight of its vessels as the U.S.
Samsung's Ammonia-fueled Tanker Design Gets LR AIP
An ammonia-fueled tanker design developed by South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) has received approval in principle (AIP) from classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR).The project to develop the novel, emissions-slashing aframax tanker was announced in January as maritime stakeholders consider cleaner-burning ammonia and other zero-carbon options to meet the International Maritime…
Iranian Fuel Seized by US Remains in Tankers at Sea
Tankers carrying Iranian gasoline that was confiscated by the U.S. government and became embroiled in a court ownership battle have struggled to discharge in the United States…
Wärtsilä to Refit Canadian Coast Guard Icebreaker
Finland's Wärtsilä reports it has won a contract for the delivery and integration engineering of two retractable thrusters and a dynamic positioning (DP) system for the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) icebreaker CCGS Amundsen.Wärtsilä, which booked the order in July, said it was able to meet the CCG’s requirements to fit the equipment in the existing space of the 98-meter-long Arctic Class 3 Medium Icebreaker, the only vessel in its class to be fitted with retractable thrusters and DP.
Aggressive Killer Whales Batter Sailboats off Spain and Portugal, Maritime Authorities Warn
Orcas behavior of battering sailboats off Spain and Portugal baffles expertsThere are many mysteries in the maritime environment. For Sailors along Spain and Portugal’s Atlantic coastline, there has been a recent series of puzzling incidents involving apparently aggressive orcas.While orcas are not known to attack humans, they can cause damage to boats. In a series of incidents along the Spanish and Portuguese coasts between Gibraltar and Galicia…
Helsinki Shipyard Lays Keel for Swan Hellenic's New Cruise Ship
The keel laying ceremony for the first of Swan Hellenic’s two new ice-class expedition cruise ships took place in Helsinki today. This saw the first 347-ton block of the ship – newly arrived from Klaipeda, where it had been outfitted and painted – being set on the keel over coins to bring good luck in accordance with ancient maritime custom.Swan Hellenic announced during the ceremony that the ship would be christened SH Minerva in honor of the company’s first purpose-built vessel…
