Backhoe Dredge Arrives in Port Hedland
A Hall Contracting backhoe dredge arrived in Port Hedland last week.Due to its low clearance hull design, the dredge was transported from the Middle East on board a semi-submersible heavy load carrier.After arriving at anchorage, the heavy load carrier was submersed, allowing the dredge to float off.Now anchored at the Port of Port Hedland, prep work is underway on the dredge before dredging works commence at the Spoilbank Marina in early July.Over the next few months…
Port Houston Awards $450 Million in Contracts for Channel Expansion
The Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority met in a special session and awarded two of the largest contracts in the organization’s history. The Commission approved the staff’s recommendation to award Weeks Marine and Curtin Maritime Corporation contracts totaling $430 million to complete the remaining Galveston Bay segments of the Houston Ship Channel expansion project.“It’s an exciting day…
John Day Dam Storing Water to Minimize Lower Columbia River Flooding
Federal water managers are changing release and storage schedules at several Pacific Northwest dams because of a late season and strong atmospheric river that began June 9. Significant amounts of rainfall have fallen across the Columbia River Basin filling reservoirs and rivers.To assist in managing river stages at Vancouver, Wash., the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Northwestern Division, is increasing storage behind the John Day Dam in Eastern Oregon.
VLS Environmental Solutions Acquires Plaquemine Point Shipyard
Marine services company VLS Environmental Solutions, LLC announced it has acquired barge cleaning and repair yard Plaquemine Point Shipyard (PPSY). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.Based in Plaquemine, La., PPSY is located just outside of Baton Rouge and provides full-service barge cleaning and repair along the Mississippi River. PPSY will operate within the VLS Marine Services division…
Union Calls 24-hour Warning Strike in German Ports
German trade union ver.di called on several thousand employees at German ports to take part in a 24-hour warning strike from Thursday morning, potentially further increasing difficulties at already strained ports.Workers in Emden, Bremerhaven, Bremen, Brake, Wihelmshaven and Hamburg were called on to take part, after a fourth round of wage negotiations fell through.
Maersk Sees No Let Up In Surging Cost of Shipping Goods
The cost of shipping goods has surged 25-30% since the start of the pandemic due to array of inflationary pressures that are "unlikely to abate in the short term," world No.
Russia, Turkey to Pursue Talks on Ukraine Grain Exports
Russia and Turkey agreed to pursue talks on a potential safe sea corridor in the Black Sea to export grain from Ukraine after discussions in Moscow, the Russian and Turkish defense ministries said on Wednesday.In a statement, Turkey's defense ministry said a Turkish dry cargo vessel, the Azov Concord, had also safely left Mariupol as a result of the talks, and added the ship was the first foreign ship to leave the port since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb.
Echandia, Toshiba Partner On Fuel Cells for Maritime
Echandia, a developer of energy solutions for maritime electrification, has entered into an agreement to deepen its collaboration with Toshiba. The partnership agreement will focus on the development of fuel-cell technology combined with batteries to accelerate electrification of the maritime sector.The two companies have a long history of collaboration. Historically, Echandia has built its Lithium…
BMT Delivers Life Extension Program for Hospital Vessel ‘MV Africa Mercy’
BMT was appointed to support Mercy Ships with a life extension program to extend the operational life of the Hospital ship MV Africa Mercy.Following the successful completion of the initial extension program, the vessel is now operational ahead of the next stage of upgrades that will deliver further improvements and allow the vessel to operate until 2035.Described as an essential lifeline for communities in Africa in need of medical facilities…
First Steel Cut for TUI Cruises' LNG-powered Cruise Ship
The first steel cutting ceremony was held for the first of two LNG-powered ships for the cruise ship operator TUI Cruises.Shipbuilder Fincantieri said Wednesday that the construction start-up ceremony had taken place in the presence of Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI, and Luigi Matarazzo, General Manager Merchant Ship Division of Fincantieri, in San Giorgio di Nogaro (Udine) at Centro Servizi Navali, a company…
Vallianz to Build Hybrid Heavy Transport Vessel for Ever-growing Offshore Wind Components
Singapore-based shipowner Vallianz has partnered up with Ulstein Design & Solutions B.V, Shift Clean Energy, and Bureau Veritas to design and build a heavy transport vessel (HTV) that will be "the first of its kind in the global offshore wind industry."The HTV is planned to be deployed for the transportation of structures such as monopiles, jackets, transition pieces and turbine blades to support offshore wind farm projects…
Petrobras Buys Its First Guyanese Crude Cargo
Brazilian state-controlled oil company Petrobras has bought its first cargo of Guyanese crude for refining domestically, the company told Reuters, as South America's…
Mitsubishi Bulker Set to Be First with BAR Tech's WindWings
Mitsubishi Corporation’s Pyxis Ocean is slated to be the first vessel fitted with BAR Technologies’ (BAR Tech) pioneering wind propulsion technology WindWings.The installation, anticipated for deployment at the beginning of 2023, comes as the next step in a collaboration launched in 2019 between Cargill and MC Shipping Ltd. Singapore Branch – the shipping arm of the Mitsubishi Corporation – to increase…
Worker Medevaced from Oil Platform in the Gulf of Mexico
An ailing oil worker was medevaced from a platform 80 miles southeast of Galveston, Texas, Tuesday.U.S. Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston watchstanders received a medevac request stating a 36-year-old crew member aboard the High Island 442 was experiencing coughing, shortness of breath and tightness in his chest. Watchstanders consulted with the duty flight surgeon, who recommended a medevac.A Coast…
Three Injured in Containership Engine Room Blast
Three crewmembers were injured by an explosion in the engine room aboard a containership off the coast of France on Tuesday.The blast on board the Panama-flagged MSC Rachele occurred while the vessel was about 20 nautical miles south of Cape Cépet, en route from from Napoli, Italy to the port of Fos-sur-Mer.The three injured crewmembers were medevaced by the French Navy for immediate medical treatment aboard the amphibious assault helicopter carrier Tonnerre.
Tankers Divert to Trinidad, Maryland After Freeport LNG Blast
At least six tankers set to load liquefied natural gas (LNG) at Freeport LNG this month have been diverted following the June 8 blast that shut the Texas facility…
New Tug Enters Service in Indonesia
A new twin screw tug Karya Pacific 2232 was completed by PT. Karya Teknik Utama (KTU) in June and has wrapped up successful trials off Batam, Indonesia, just south of Singapore.The Karya Pacific 2232 is a TRAder 2700 steel tug designed especially for PT. Karya Teknik Utama by Robert Allan Ltd. The drive is conventional shaft propulsion, with or without nozzles. The Karya Pacific 2232 is fitted with…
Americraft Marine Acquires St. Johns Ship Building
Americraft Marine, a maritime subsidiary of the Libra Group, announced it has acquired U.S. shipyard St. Johns Ship Building.Based in Palatka, Fla., near Jacksonville, St. Johns Ship Building performs new construction and repair of a wide variety of steel and aluminum vessels, including ferries, tugs, deck and tank barges, landing crafts, and general cargo vessels. It is also one several U.S. shipyards…
InTank Opens New Test Facility
InTank has opened its second test facility for factory testing. The testing simulates InVoyage BWT with InTank and InTank FITT. As of June 2022, both test sites have been updated with new robust PLC programming. Both test sites are equipped with audio-video capabilities, so that customers can witness the facilities in video streaming or video recordings. On request, both sites can host owner representative(s), IL, Class, or other witnesses for their InTank or InTank FITT FATs.
Havfram Bags Senegalese Mooring Pre-Lay Contract from MODEC
Offshore services company Havfram announced it has been awarded a contract from MODEC Offshore Production Systems (Singapore) Pte Ltd. (MODEC) for the pre-installation of the subsea mooring system for a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) in 2022.MODEC’s parent company, MODEC, Inc., will supply this facility to Woodside, for deployment in Senegal as part of the Sangomar Field Development Phase 1 project.
