Oliver Named Interim Head of UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Damien Oliver has been appointed as the interim Chief Executive of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). Damien will begin his new role on Monday 17 October, which follows the current MCA Chief Executive Brian Johnson’s retirement.Chairman and board member Christopher Rodrigues said, “Damien has had a number of high-profile roles within the MCA since joining in 2001 and he will bring a wealth of maritime experience and knowledge.
US Navy Destroyer Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee Passes Acceptance Trials
HII announced that its Ingalls Shipbuilding division completed acceptance trials for Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123).“Completing a successful sea trial is always a significant accomplishment for our combined Ingalls and Navy team, and DDG 123 performed well,” Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson said. “We are committed to this partnership and look…
US Navy Jet Flew Across Baltic Hours After Nord Stream Burst
A U.S. Navy reconnaissance aircraft flew near the site of the ruptured Nord Stream 2 pipeline in the Baltic Sea hours after the first damage emerged, according to tracking reviewed by Reuters, a flight Washington said was routine.Russia's Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines burst on Sept. 26, draining gas into the Baltic Sea off the coast of Denmark and Sweden. Seismologists registered explosions in the area…
Thoma-Sea to Build New Cameron Ferries
Tthe Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) announced this week that it received an apparent low bid from Houma, La. based Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors for the construction of two new ferry boats for the Cameron crossing in Cameron Parish. The bid was $49,706,865.Designed by Elliott Bay Design Group, the new boats will be 190’ x 50’ x 13’ and will replace the M/V Cameron II, which was built in 1964.
Corvus Energy Opens Test Area for Hydrogen Fuel Cells
Corvus Energy, a producer of battery systems for the ocean space, opened a new test area for hydrogen fuel cells at its production site in Bergen, Norway.As part of the H2NOR project, Corvus is working toward the development and production of sustainable, large-scale maritime-certified hydrogen fuel cell systems, with Toyota on board as key partner and supplier of mass-produced fuel cell technology.In…
Ocean Group Acquires Verreault Shipyard
Ocean Group announced it has acquired the Verreault shipyard, located in the municipality of Les Méchins, in the Gaspé Peninsula, on Canada's east coast.Founded in 1956, Verreault Shipyard specializes in ship repair and conversion. With this transaction, Ocean Group adds capacity and grows its workforce by a hundred. The Gaspé Peninsula shipyard is equipped with a 244-meter-long and 56-meter-wide dry dock.
Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Holds Keel Laying Ceremony for Liquefied CO2 Carrier
Japan's Mitsubishi Shipbuilding held a keel laying ceremony on Friday to mark the start of construction for a demonstration test ship for transport of liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO2).The LCO2 will be used in conjunction with initiatives by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) for its carbon capture utilization storage and transportation demonstration projects.The ceremony…
Shippers Focus on LNG, Biofuels, Methanol to Meet Emissions Targets
Shipping and commodities firms will commission more ships partly powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) next year while ramping up trials for biofuel bunkering as they seek to cut emissions from ship operations, senior executives said this week.The shipping industry is seeking to reduce its reliance on oil as it tries to meet carbon emission reduction targets set out by the U.N.'s International Maritime…
Allseas' Vessel Trio Goes Hybrid with Kongsberg Maritime Help
Allseas is fitting its pipelay vessels Solitaire and Audacia, as well as the multi-purpose vessel Fortitude, with hybrid power technology from Kongsberg Maritime.The…
Safety Concerns: Norway Inspects Europipe II Subsea Gas Pipeline to Germany
Norway has deployed a specialist vessel to inspect a subsea gas pipeline to Germany because of safety concerns after suspected sabotage last month on two Nord Stream…
Nord Stream Probe Finds Evidence of Detonations, Swedish Police Say
A crime scene investigation of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines from Russia to Europe found evidence of detonations, strengthening suspicions of "gross sabotage", Sweden's Security Service said on Thursday. Swedish and Danish authorities have been investigating four leaks after the pipelines, which link Russia and Germany via the Baltic Sea and have become a flashpoint in the Ukraine crisis, were damaged at the start of last week.
Callan Marine Names Maldonado VP
Galveston, Texas based dredging and marine construction contractor Callan Marine said it has named Joey Maldonado as Vice President of Construction Estimating.A 25-year veteran of the construction and maritime industry, Maldonado has worked for Kingsley Constructors, Keystone Contractors, Orion Marine Group, and Russell Marine, serving as both a Project Estimator and Design Engineer. Maldonado graduated from Wharton College in 1999.“We are very excited to welcome Joey to our Callan work family…
Rescue Boat Resolve Pioneer Upgraded
Salvage, emergency response and marine services company Resolve Marine announced that its vessel the Resolve Pioneer has completed its ABS special survey and U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) certificate of inspection following a drydock at Vigor Industrial in Portland, Ore. The drydock involved various technical upgrades, hull steel renewal, painting, overhaul and cleaning of the vessel.The 207-foot rescue…
Austal USA Cleared to Begin OPC Stage 2 After Eastern Withdraws Protest
Mobile, Ala. shipbuilder Austal USA has been cleared to begin the second stage of the U.S. Coast Guard's (USCG) Heritage-class offshore patrol cutter (OPC) build program following the withdrawal of an award protest filed by an unsuccessful bidder, the USCG said on Thursday.In June, Austal USA was awarded a $208.26 million contract for detail design and long lead-time material for one OPC, with options for production of up to 10 additional vessels.
Ingram Barge Declares Force Majeure Due to Low Mississippi River
Ingram Barge Company, one of the country’s largest barge shippers, said Thursday it was “providing formal notice of a force majeure event” as low water on the Mississippi River disrupted its operations on the major shipping waterway.The declaration would affect the portion of Ingram’s operating network at locations downriver from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Ingram Barge Chief Executive John Roberts said in an emailed statement. (Reuters - Reporting by Karl Plume; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
Sweden's Trafikverket Orders Autonomous Electric Ferries
Holland Shipyards Group said it signed a contract with the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket Sweden) for the delivery of up to four autonomous all-electric ferries. The vessels, which will be built for the agency's ferries unit Trafikverket Färjerederiet, will sail according to autonomy level 2, and will be controlled from the remote control center based in Stockholm.The signed contract includes the delivery of two ferries with four automooring facilities and two charging stations…
AVIKUS' Autonomous Navigation nears Commercialization
AVIKUS, HD Hyundai's autonomous navigation in-house startup, is nearly ready to bring to market its autonomous navigation solution for the pleasure boat market, and plans demonstrations later this month at the 2022 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS). There the company will introduce and showcase Neuboat, an autonomous phase-2 navigation solution for leisure boats featuring the Avikus Navigation…
Norway Limits Access for Russian Fishing Trawlers
Norway said on Thursday it would impose limits on Russian fishing vessels using its ports, in a further tightening of security following last week's suspected sabotage on the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the nearby Baltic Sea.Russian trawlers will now only be allowed to visit three of several dozen ports along the Norwegian coast and must undergo security checks when they do, foreign minister Anniken…
Canadian Coast Guard to Test Biodiesel, Build Hybrid-electric Vessel
The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) announced a pair of initiatives aimed at reducing its greenhouse gas emissions, including the start of a biodiesel testing project and the launch of the next phase in the construction of the Government of Canada’s first hybrid electric vessel.Earlier this month, following the award of a contract to procure biodiesel from Windsor, Ontario based Sterling Fuels, CCG became Canada's first government agency to trial a 20% biodiesel blend in one of its vessels…
Nord Stream Gas 'Sabotage': Who's Being Blamed and Why?
Major leaks that suddenly erupted in the Nord Stream gas pipelines that run from Russia to Europe under the Baltic Sea have generated plenty of theories but few clear answers about who or what caused the damage.Here is what we know and what has been said so far:WHO IS BEING BLAMED?As probes by European authorities continue, the Swedish security police said on Thursday that suspicions of gross sabotage on the pipelines had been strengthened following a crime scene investigation.
