Baltic Dry Index Rises on Higher Rates for Larger Vessels
The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, rose on Monday as rates for larger vessel segments increased.The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax, supramax shipping vessels, was up for the fourth consecutive session, gaining 43 points, or about 3.5%, at 1,256.Market conditions are expected to improve for the rest of 2022 and further in 2023 as the EU's ban on Russian coal will add tonne miles…
GTT Develops Balast Water-Free LNG Feeder & Bunker Vessel Concept
French firm GTT has developed a versatile LNG feeder & bunker vessel concept for worldwide operation without the use of ballast water.Every day, many ships carry on board a considerable quantity of seawater as ballast over the oceans. Technically, this is needed in empty or partially loaded conditions, in order to maintain seaworthiness, reach sufficient draft for propeller immersion, and avoid excessive…
Amplify Energy to Pay $5M to Settle Criminal Charges over California Oil Spill
California officials [last] Thursday said Amplify Energy Corp agreed to plead no contest to six criminal charges and pay nearly $5 million in penalties and fines in connection with a crude oil spill last year that killed birds and fouled beaches.The announcement was the latest legal effort to hold the Texas-based oil company accountable for a subsea pipeline leak that released some 558 barrels (25…
Exmar Pens LNG Carrier Deal with Eni. Closes Tango FLNG Sale
Belgian shipowner Exmar said on Friday it had signed a 10-year charter deal for the liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessel Excalibur with Eni as the Belgian shipowner…
Edda Breeze CSOV Visits Oslo
Edda Breeze, the first of seven of Norway-based Edda Wind's offshore wind service vessels, is visiting Oslo this week.Edda Wind took delivery of the CSOV earlier this year. The vessel was built by Astilleros Gondán shipyard in Spain.The vessel is 88.3 meters long with a beam of 19.7 meters. It can accommodate up to 120 persons onboard.Kenneth Walland, CEO of Edda Wind, said: "It is special for us to take Edda Breeze to Norway, where Edda Wind was established in 2015.
Iran Guards Seize Foreign Ship for Smuggling Diesel
Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards have seized a foreign vessel in the Gulf for allegedly smuggling 757,000 liters of diesel out of the country, the Iranian state news agency IRNA reported on Saturday.The unnamed vessel's seven crew members, who are foreign nationals, have been handed over to legal authorities, IRNA reported without elaborating on the nationalities of the ship or its crew.Iran, which has some of the world's cheapest fuel prices due to heavy subsidies and the plunge in value of it
Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding Breaks Ground on New Facility
Great Lakes shipbuilding and repair yard Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding broke ground on a new 19,000 sq. ft. machine shop at its Sturgeon Bay, Wis. location on Friday.Inside the future 300-ft. long building, shipbuilders will have access to two overhead cranes capable of lifting 5 and 30 tons, respectively. At the other end of the building there will be offices, restrooms, a lunchroom and a tool room.
MacGregor to Supply Deck Handling Solutions for Van Oord's New WTIV
MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has been chosen to supply two auxiliary offshore telescopic cranes for Van Oord’s new generation wind turbine installation vessel. The new vessel will mainly operate to support European wind farms.The vessel is being built by Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore Ltd, and is a new generation of wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV). The 175-meter offshore installation vessel will…
Alfa Laval and WinGD Partner on Methanol Fuel Solution
Alfa Laval and Swiss engine designer WinGD have established a joint program in which Alfa Laval will develop the fuel supply system for WinGD methanol engines. The agreement was signed on September 8 at the SMM exhibition in Hamburg, Germany.To support shipping decarbonization, WinGD has announced that its engines will be able to run on methanol as of 2024. In making that promise reality, the company has turned to Alfa Laval for the development of a fuel supply solution.
Gibbs & Cox Chief Executive Christopher Deegan Passes
Christopher Deegan, former president and chief executive of the venerable naval architecture firm Gibbs & Cox, has passed away, the company shared on social media."It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of our former president and chief executive of Gibbs & Cox, Christopher Deegan’s passing. Chris joined Gibbs & Cox as the vice president of engineering in 2013 after an outstanding career as a Navy civilian program manager and senior executive service leader.
Robotic Pipe Cutting Provides the Answer for JDN Group
While the average person may have a little trouble placing the name Jan De Nul, as in “JDN Group”, that’s not necessarily the case throughout parts of Europe and in nautical circles. There the Belgium-based company is known for its dredging capabilities and high-profile projects in Dubai and the Suez Canal.In addition to dredging, JDN is building a reputation as a global player in its other business segments: offshore services, civil engineering, and environmental.
Aurelia’s 100% Hydrogen-powered Design Gets RINA Approval
Aurelia Green Ship Concept Design's newly unveiled ship design featuring 100% hydrogen propulsion has received approval in principle (AIP) from RINA based on the newly published RINA Rules for Hydrogen Fueled Ships and the RINA Guide for the Approval in Principle of Novel Technologies.The new design concept is the ACD01 1000, a RoRo vessel with electric propulsion using highly compressed H2 as fuel.
Baltic Dry Index Rises on Panamax Gains
The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index rose on Friday and recorded its best week in about four months as panamax rates marked their biggest weekly gain in more than eight years. The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax, and supramax shipping vessels, was up 35 points, or about 3%, at 1,213. The index recorded a weekly gain of about 11.7%, its highest since mid-May.The capesize index snapped its three-day falling streak, gaining 20 points, or about 3%, to 672.
Ingalls Begins LPD 31 Fabrication
HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division started fabrication of the U.S. Navy’s newest San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock Pittsburgh (LPD 31) on Wednesday. The start of fabrication signifies that the first 100 tons of steel have been cut for the ship.“The start of fabrication on LPD 31 demonstrates our ability to continue manufacturing quality ships for our Navy and Marine Corps partners,” said Mike Pruitt, Ingalls Shipbuilding LPD program manager.
Kongsberg Digital and Shell Marine Partner to Spur Decarbonization
Kongsberg Digital, a subsidiary of KONGSBERG, and Shell Marine signed an memorandum of understanding (MoU) to work together on new ways to accelerate decarbonization initiatives and assist the energy transition in the maritime industry.During the international maritime trade fair SMM this week in Hamburg, Kongsberg Digital and Shell Marine signed an MoU to strengthen their service offerings to the maritime industry by developing joint solutions…
Natgas Pipeline Explodes in Lake Lery, Louisiana
The U.S. Coast Guard said on Thursday that it was responding to a natural gas pipeline explosion at Lake Lery, La., and there have been no reports of injuries, casualties or pollution at this time.The Coast Guard received a report of a large fire at Lake Lery, it said in a release."The pipeline has been secured.
Romanian Navy Ship Hit by Drifting Mine in Black Sea
A Romanian Navy vessel hit a drifting mine it was trying to defuse in bad weather on Thursday, but the crew of 75 were unharmed by the explosion, the defense ministry said.Mines began floating in the Black Sea after Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, and Romanian, Bulgarian and Turkish military diving teams have been defusing those drifting in their waters.The ministry said the ship was alerted about a mine drifting about 25 nautical miles northeast from the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta…
Putin to Discuss Black Sea Grain Deal with Turkey's Erdogan
The Kremlin said on Friday that it expected President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan to discuss the implementation of a deal on Ukrainian grain exports, which both have criticized, when they meet in Uzbekistan next week.Putin said on Wednesday that Russia and the developing world had been "cheated", and that he would seek amendments to the terms of the deal, which expires in November…
New Zealand Seeks Industry Input on Possible Regulatory Changes
New Zealand's maritime regulatory, compliance and response agency said it is seeking feedback from the sector and other interested parties on three key pieces of work.Dialogue has been opened on Part 53, which relates to pilot transfers, and Part 23, which considers amendments to requirements for lifeboat drills, Maritime NZ said. Consultation is also set to begin on New Zealand’s work toward acceding to the Cape Town Agreement (CTA)…
World’s First Zero-emission Cruise Ship Ordered
Northern Xplorer has signed a letter of intent (LoI) with Portuguese shipbuilder West Sea for the construction its maiden vessel, said to be the world’s first zero-emission cruise ship.West Sea intends to build the 250-passenger vessel at its facility in Viana do Costello north of Porto for expected delivery at the start of the 2025/2026 cruise season.“As a shipbuilder focused on advanced vessels and high quality, we very much look forward to working together with Northern Xplorer.
