World's First Methanol Hybrid Fuel Cell Tug Taking Shape
Towage and marine solution services firm Svitzer on Thursday launched the second phase of its project to design the world’s first methanol hybrid fuel cell (MHFC) tug.Svitzer, part of A.P. Moller-Maersk, has conducted technical studies to establish the feasibility of this type of vessel accommodating the real-world operational requirements of a tug. Work will now begin between Svitzer and naval architect company Robert Allan Ltd. to design the world’s first MHFC tug.
China Demand Drives 7% Jump in Minor Ore Exports
“Driven by continued growth in minor ore demand in China, global seaborne minor ore exports rose 7% y/y in the first seven months of 2023, vastly outpacing the 2% y/y growth in overall dry bulk exports,” says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.Accounting for 51% of seaborne minor ore exports, bauxite exports also led year to date growth with a 9% y/y increase. Bauxite is refined into alumina…
Joseph Schulte Container Ship to Reach Istanbul Thursday Evening
The Joseph Schulte container ship is in Romanian waters and set to reach Istanbul this evening, said a spokesperson for Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM), which owns the ship jointly with a Chinese bank, on Thursday. The departure from Odesa of the Hong-Kong-flagged Joseph Schulte, trapped in the port since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 last year, followed the latest Russian attack on the country's grain export infrastructure.
NYK to Develop Japan's First Bunkering Boom for Ammonia
NYK and TB Global Technologies (TBG) have signed a basic agreement to jointly develop Japan's first bunkering boom for ammonia ship-to-ship fuel supply.NYK and TBG say they will significantly enhance the safety of supplying ammonia, which is highly toxic, to ships by employing TBG's technology to ensure that the liquid does not leak.A bunkering boom is a device consisting of rigid pipes and hoses that connect a bunkering vessel to the other vessel to supply fuel.
US Coast Guard Proposes 2024 Great Lakes Pilotage Rates
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has published a Proposed Rule in the Federal Register outlining U.S. Great Lakes pilotage rates for the 2024 shipping season.The new rates seek to generate revenue for each of the three U.S. Great Lakes pilot associations by implementing hourly charges for pilotage services according to geographic area. Pilotage rates are paid by vessel operators serving Great Lakes ports.The Coast Guard proposes to increase the overall cost of U.S.
New API Expected to Enhance Operational Efficiency for Shipowners
RightShip, NYK, and Solverminds have announced their collaboration on a product that links NiBiKi, the NYK Group’s common platform for ship-management operations, with RightShip’s data platform, to transform the workloads of ship owners and managers.This new technology, Port State Control (PSC) Submission application programming interface (API), initially launched on RightShip’s e-commerce platform RightSTORE…
Lawmakers Urge Biden to Resolve Offloading Delay of Seized Iran Oil Tanker
U.S. lawmakers from both political parties have urged President Joe Biden and members of his administration to resolve a months-long delay in the transfer of a cargo…
Panama Canal Extends Transit Restrictions through September 2
The Panama Canal Authority on Wednesday notified shippers it is extending through September 2 restrictions for vessels to transit through the waterway and keeping the number of vessels authorized to pass per day to a maximum of 32.The Canal restrictions, implemented in recent months as the rainy season in Panama has come late this year, could add more pressure on consumer goods prices, according to maritime firms and experts…
MARAD Designates Two New Marine Highway Routes
Two new routes have been designated under the U.S. Marine Highway Program (MHP), U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced this week during a visit to Alaska.The newly designated M-11 in Alaska will add over 6,500 miles to the marine highway system, and the M-79 route extends the reach of the Ohio River system by nearly 250 miles in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. These designations allow any eligible applicant on these routes to apply for future U.S.
Fish Factory Vessel Leaking Ammonia in Tacoma
A 77-year-old fish factory vessel with a checkered history is reportedly leaking ammonia in Tacoma, Wash.The U.S. Coast Guard said on Wednesday it is responding to the incident on board the U.S.-registered Pacific Producer, a 169-foot-long seafood processing vessel with a long string of health, safety and labor violations.Coast Guard and Washington Department of Ecology crews in HAZMAT suits are currently working to locate leak.
MarTID: Take the 2023 Survey on Maritime Training Practices
Vessel owners/operators, Maritime Education and Training Institutes and Seafarers are encouraged to participate in the 2023 MarTID survey of maritime training practices.The survey is designed to take only 20 to 30 minutes to complete, but the insights are invaluable in the quest to learn more granular detail on the current focus and future shifts in the way in which seafarer training is delivered,…
Odfjell to Install Suction Sails on a Chemical Tanker
Odfjell announced it will install bound4blue's eSAIL wind-assisted propulsion technology system on a chemical tanker, making it the first tanker vessel in the world to harness this groundbreaking technology.bound4blue’s eSAIL system utilizes a wind-assisted propulsion system known as a suction sail to reduce fuel consumption and emissions."Since 2020, we have been studying sail technologies as a potential energy efficiency measure for our fleet…
Norden and Teck Announce Emission Reduction Freight Contract
Danish shipping company Norden and Canadian mining company Teck Resources announced an agreement to reduce CO² emissions in Teck’s steelmaking coal supply chain.The agreement is expected to reduce annual emissions from Teck shipments handled by Norden by 25%, or up to 6,700 tonnes of CO², equivalent to removing over 1,400 passenger vehicles from the road.Norden said it will achieve emission reductions by utilizing a range of solutions…
Baltic Dry Index Hits Over One-month High on Gains Across Vessel Segments
The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index rose to a more than one-month high on Wednesday, helped mostly by steady gains in rates for the panamax and capesize vessel segments.The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax and supramax shipping vessels carrying dry bulk commodities, rose 67 points, or 5.8%, to 1,233.The capesize index gained 104 points, or 6.5%, to 1,701.Average daily earnings for capesizes, which typically transport 150,000-tonne cargoes carrying commodities
Washington State Ferries Awards Vigor Contract to Convert Its Largest Vessels to Hybrid-electric Power
Washington State Ferries has tapped local shipyard Vigor to convert up to three of its Jumbo Mark II class ferries to low-emission hybrid-electric power.Vigor's $150 million winning bid for the contract came in about $16 million under the second place bid from another Washington shipyard, but was still approximately $30 million above the state’s $120 million estimate for the project. Vigor has been awarded approximately $100 million for the conversion of two vessels…
Artemis Technologies Unveils 'Revitalized' Crew Transfer Vessel
Artemis Technologies on Thursday announced what it described as "the latest evolution" of the Artemis EF-12 Crew Transfer Vessel (CTV) and daughter craft, featuring a revitalized design that, the company says, raises the bar for crew comfort and operational excellence during offshore missions."The Artemis EF-12 CTV has been designed for everyday crew transfer operations, providing seamless transportation for personnel between port or vessel and offshore installations…
ZIM 2Q Revenues Plunge 62%
Pain in the containershipping sector is not uncommon in 2023, and Israel's ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. (NYSE: ZIM) is no exception, today reporting 2Q and six month results:Net loss for the second quarter was $213 million, negatively impacted by a non-cash after tax item of $51 million related to the redelivery of certain vessels.Operating loss (EBIT) for the second quarter was $168 million…
Anchor Handler Construction: What to Expect as Floating Wind Picks Up
A fleet of newbuild specialized anchor handlers will be required to help build up the emerging floating offshore wind industry. But since the industry is still in its early days, many unknowns have made it difficult for shipyards and their partners to gear up to build this fleet. This article explores complex market demand and technical drivers that help give a better understanding of anchor handler…
Cargo Ship Leaves Ukrainian Port Despite Russian Threat of Attack
A container ship set off from Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa on Wednesday in a test of Russia's threat to attack shipping after it abandoned a deal last month allowing Ukraine to export grain.The departure of the Hong-Kong-flagged Joseph Schulte, which had been in the port since Feb. 23, 2022 - the day before Russia's invasion - followed a new Russian attack on Ukraine's grain export infrastructure.Russian air strikes damaged grain silos and warehouses at one of the Danube river ports…
Ukraine says Russian Drones Threatened Danube Port
Ukraine's air force on Wednesday said a large group of Russian army drones entered the mouth of the Danube River and headed toward the Izmail river port near the border with Romania.Social media groups reported hearing air defence systems firing in the area near two Danube ports - Izmail and Reni.The governor of southern Odesa region, Oleh Kiper, asked residents of Izmail district to take shelter at around 1:30 a.m.
