Tankers Carrying Venezuelan Oil Stuck at Sea
Tankers carrying nearly two months worth of Venezuelan oil output are stuck at sea as global refiners shun the nation’s crude to avoid falling foul of U.S. sanctions…
Carnival's Credit Rating Cut to Junk Status by S&P
Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s on Tuesday downgraded bonds of Carnival Corp to junk status, forecasting continued weak demand for the cruise industry hammered by the COVID-19 pandemic.Standard & Poor’s cut its rating on the world’s biggest cruise operator’s secured bonds to ‘BB+’ from ‘BBB-‘, and its unsecured bonds to ‘BB-‘ from ‘BBB-‘. Both are now regarded as non-investment grade or junk bonds.Carnival’s overall issuer credit rating was also lowered to ‘BB-‘ from ‘BBB-‘.
China Extends Waiver on Port Construction Fees
China’s Ministry of Finance said on Wednesday it would extend a waiver on port construction fees for imported and exported cargoes until the end of 2020 from June 30.The ministry will also extend a reduction in fees paid to the compensation fund for ship pollution until the end of this year.The move is part of Beijing’s efforts to help business resume amid the coronavirus pandemic and to shore up its export industry.(Reporting by Muyu Xu and Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
ABS Grants AIP to Dual Deadweight Bulker
Classification society ABS said it granted Approval in Principle (AIP) to a dual deadweight neo-panamax bulk carrier design from the StandShip Joint Development Partnership (JDP).Available in 86,000- and 95,000-deadweight-ton design options, the bulk carrier is intended to be ready to order ‘off the shelf’ for charterers and operators looking for flexibility. The 229-meter design includes a 38-meter beam…
Malaysia to Detain, Charge Crew of 'Illegal' Vietnamese Boats
Malaysia will detain and charge crew members of Vietnamese vessels caught illegally fishing in its waters instead of turning them away as authorities had done previously, the country's coastguard chief said on Wednesday.Vietnam and its neighbors have for years been involved in disputes over fishing in the resource-rich South China Sea, most of which is claimed by China.
Cardama Shipyard Records 1000th Ship Docking
Founded in 1916 in Vigo, Northwest of Spain, Cardama Shipyard has had a large number of milestones over its 100+ year history. This week Cardama Managing Director Mario Cardama said 2020 heralds another significant landmark for the yard – which remains one of the busiest in Spain – after completing its 1,000th ship docking since 2000.The latest milestone follows a wide range of international projects and tenders secured from many countries throughout the decades including Angola…
LAVLE Launches Proteus ESS
LAVLE launched its flagship Proteus Lithium-Ion .Battery Energy Storage System (Proteus ESS), engineered to overcome the limitations of conventional lithium-ion storage technologiesProteus utilizes LAVLE's battery management system (BMS), which is designed to maximize reliability, lifetime and uptime, and further enhances Proteus' performance and safety characteristics, the manufacturer said.Designed and developed by LAVLE Chief Technology Officer Dr.
Video: Keel Laid For First New US-flag Laker in Decades
A keel laying ceremony on Tuesday marked the official start of assembly on the first new U.S.-flagged Great Lakes bulk carrier to be built in more than 35 years.During the ceremony held by The Interlake Steamship Company and Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, (FBS) the keel was laid within the shipyard’s large graving dock in Sturgeon Bay, Wis. following more than nine months of engineering and prefabrication…
Shipbuilders Council of America Elects New Leadership
The Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), the national trade association representing the U.S. shipbuilding and repair industry, today announced new board leadership. Taking over the helm of Chairman from Terry O’Brien of Austal USA in Mobile, Al., is Ben Bordelon, president and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards from Lockport, La. Joining him to lead the SCA Board is Brad Moyer, Vice President of BAE Systems Ship Repair in Norfolk…
ABB Offering Fixed-price Turbocharger Service Plan
ABB Turbocharging's new holistic service package Turbo MarineCare offers a turnkey solution to maintenance at a fixed price, providing continuous cover from drydock to drydock.Designed for customers with turbochargers for two-stroke engines, the plan covers standard overhaul parts, wear and tear components, unplanned events (including unexpected repairs), labor, waiting and overtime, and intermediate…
Deep Sea Mining Could Destroy Undiscovered Species, Says Ocean Panel
Mining on the sea floor should not begin before a full assessment of likely environmental impacts can be made, a report commissioned by the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel) said on Wednesday.Environmentalists including Britain's David Attenborough have called for a ban on deep-seabed mining that would extract resources including copper, cobalt, nickel, zinc, lithium, and rare earth elements from nodules on the ocean floor.The International Seabed Authority (ISA)…
US Warship Sails Near Venezuela After Iranian Cargo Ship Arrives
A U.S. Navy ship navigated near the Venezuelan coast on Tuesday in what the U.S. military's Southern Command called a "freedom of navigation operation," a day after a cargo ship from U.S. foe Iran docked at a port of the South American country.In a post on its website, the Southern Command said the USS Nitze, a missile destroyer, sailed in an area outside Venezuela's territorial waters - which extend…
Baltic Index Hits Over 7-month High on Increasing Vessel Activity
The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index touched its highest level in more than seven months on Tuesday, as rates across all vessel segments rose on increasing trading activity.The Baltic dry index, which tracks rates for ships ferrying dry bulk commodities and reflects rates for capesize, panamax and supramax vessels, rose 59 points, or 3.8%, to 1,617, its highest since November 5.The index has soared more than fourfold after slipping to a low of 393 points in May, when coronavirus-induced
USS Kansas City (LCS 22) Commissioned
The U.S. Navy commissioned Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Kansas City (LCS 22) Saturday, June 20.The Navy commissioned Kansas City administratively via naval message due to public health safety and restrictions of large public gatherings related to the coronavirus pandemic and transitioned the ship to normal operations. The Navy is looking at a future opportunity to commemorate the special event with the ship’s sponsor…
Austal USA Graduates 28 Apprentices Into Full-time Positions
Alabama shipbuilder Austal USA said it graduated 28 youth apprentices into full-time paid positions this spring. The apprentices are recent high school graduates from schools throughout Mobile and Baldwin County and completed seven weeks of training at the Alabama Industrial Development Training facility adjacent to Austal’s campus.“Austal USA is excited to have hired 28 Youth Apprentices into full-time Fabrication Trade Assistant positions…
Keep It Steady
Gothenberg, Sweden based Humphree was founded in 2002 by a team of engineers that sought to leverage their expertise in high-speed marine propulsion – or more specifically, hydrodynamics, electronics and digital controls – to create vessel stabilization packages that would be easy to install and use. And thus, Humphree’s interceptors were created.The compact and robust transom-mounted units feature…
Alabama Shipyard to Overhaul USNS Supply
Alabama Shipyard has been awarded a $23,752,381, firm-fixed-price contract for a 96-calendar day shipyard availability for the regular overhaul and dry docking of the USNS Supply (T-AOE 6).Work will be performed in Mobile, Ala., and is expected to be complete by November 2020. This contract includes one base period and 10 options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $26,361,776.
Fairbanks Morse Wins Contract to Supply Main Engines for LPD 31
U.S.-based Fairbanks Morse said it has been awarded a purchase order by Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) to build and deliver the four main propulsion diesel engines that will power the U.S. Navy’s newest San Antonio Class Landing Platform/Dock (LPD) ship, LPD 31. The ship is the second of 13 in the LPD Flight II class of ships.The four sequentially turbocharged 16-cylinder FM | Colt-Pielstick PC…
Europa 2’s Cold Ironing Connection Certified by DNV GL
Ultra-luxury cruise ship Europa 2 has had its cold ironing connection certified by classification society DNV GL following testing of the undisrupted use and compatibility of the shore-to-ship power system in the Port of Hamburg.While idled due to the coronavirus pandemic, Europa 2 has been using cold ironing at the Cruise Center Altona in Hamburg for the past 30 days, reportedly marking the first time a cruise ship has been using cold ironing for a long period of time.Europa 2…
Video: New Container Moves World Record Set in Port of LA
The 18,465 containers moved from the ultra-large container vessel (ULVC) MSC Isabella at APM Terminals’ Pier 400 in the Port of Los Angeles last week set a new world record for most boxes moved during a single port call.The Port of Los Angeles, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, APM Terminals Los Angeles and International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Locals 13, 63 and 94 set the new record total — equal to 34…
