Yangzijiang Shipbuilding, Mitsui in Shipbuilding JV
A Japanese and a Chinese shipbuilding group have today signed a joint venture, set to start in April 2019, to build and sell merchant ships. Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Tokyo, President and CEO: Tetsuro Koga), in partnership with Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings), Ltd. (Head Office: Jiangsu Province, Chairman: Ren Yuanlin) and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Tokyo, President and CEO: Tatsuo Yasunaga)…
Hurricane Michael Races Northeast, Leaving Devastation in Florida
Hurricane Michael, the third most powerful storm ever to strike the U.S. mainland, headed northeast on Thursday, weakened but still set to soak Georgia and the Carolinas after devastating the Florida Panhandle.By 6 AM on Thursday, heavy rain and wind had reached as far north as Charlotte, North Carolina and the Western North Carolina mountains. The center of the storm was located over Augusta, Georgia, moving north rapidly at more than 20 MPH in a north / northeast heading.
Stena Bulk Forms Chemical Tanker JV with Bay Crest Management
Golden-Agri Stena, a joint venture between Sweden based tanker shipping company Stena Bulk and Indonesia’s largest palm oil producer Golden Agri-Resources, has started a new joint venture with Japan's Bay Crest Management for the the operation and commercial management of chemical tankers.The new joint venture, GSB Tankers, will commence operation on January 1, 2019, managing 18 chemical tankers to start…
ABB’s Next Generation DP System
Your marine pilot of the future, here today.At this year’s SMM trade event in Hamburg, Germany, industrial digital technology specialist ABB introduced what could be the future of dynamic positioning, not just for traditional DP users, but also for the full spectrum of navigation tasks. ABB Ability Marine Pilot Control is a next-generation dynamic positioning (DP) system that simplifies ship maneuvering with an intuitive touch screen-based user interface and enables safer…
EPA: VGP Will Not be Reissued This Year
The EPA has provided updated advice on the reissuance of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Vessel General Permit (VGP).The 2013 VGP will not be reissued prior to its December 18, 2018 expiration date, but will be administratively continued and remain in effect until a new permit is issued. Owners/operators of vessels operating under the…
New Seafarer Training Center Opens in Phuket
Galileo Maritime Academy has this month announced the completion of its new architect designed professional crew training center and crew residence in Phuket, Thailand.The “T” shaped buildings comprise state-of-the-art training and recreation rooms, a seafarer medical center, a culinary arts and hospitality school, a three meter deep survival training pool and first class accommodation for 30 students.This central complex is located just above Yacht Haven Marina…
HHI to Build FPS for LLOG Exploration
South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has been awarded a contract to build a floating production system(FPS) for LLOG Exploration of the U.S..HHI, the world's biggest shipbuilder by orders, said in a stock exchange announcement that the offshore facility order is worth $454 million from the Louisiana-based, privately-held LLOG Exploration.The floating production storage and offloading…
Major Hull Section for American Harmony Moved To Launchways
American Harmony’s lower bow section has moved from Fabrication Building #4 at Chesapeake Shipbuilding to the Assembly Launchways. The second new ship in American Cruise Lines five-ship, modern riverboat series is well on its way to completion.American Harmony, like American Song (which just made its inaugural sailing earlier this month), will be equipped with every technical advancement and offer the best in contemporary design including a magnificent five-story glass atrium.
Panama Canal Sets Record Annual Cargo Tonnage
The Panama Canal closed its 2018 fiscal year with a record tonnage of 442.1 million Panama Canal tons (PC/UMS), which represents a 9.5 percent increase from the previous year, the Panama Canal Authority reports.With this tonnage, the Panama Canal surpasses the cargo projections of 429.4 million PC/UMS tons for FY 2018, as well as the 403.8 million PC/UMS tons registered in FY 2017."The Panama Canal continues to exceed our expectations…
Ancient Shipwrecks Found in Greek Waters Tell Tale of Trade Routes
Archaeologists in Greece have discovered at least 58 shipwrecks, many laden with antiquities, in what they say may be the largest concentration of ancient wrecks ever found in the Aegean and possibly the whole of the Mediterranean.The wrecks lie in the small island archipelago of Fournoi, in the Eastern Aegean, and span a huge period from ancient Greece right through to the 20th century. Most are dated to the Greek…
Port Condition Zulu Set for North Carolina Ports
The Captain of the Port for North Carolina set Port Condition Zulu for the Ports of Morehead City and Wilmington at 3 a.m., Thursday, due to winds from Hurricane Michael.Port Condition Zulu is a dangerous condition in which tropical storm force winds are possible within 12 hours. In Port Condition Zulu the port is closed, and all port operations are suspended. In the messy wake of Florence, North Carolina's…
CMA CGM Says No Plans to Take Over Ceva Logistics
French shipping company CMA CGM has no plans to launch a full takeover for Ceva Logistics after the Swiss transport company on Thursday said it had rejected a $1.5 billion takeover offer from a third party.CMA CGM, Ceva's biggest shareholder with a 25 percent stake, has now been allowed to increase its holding to one third -- the trigger point where it would have to launch a full takeover under Swiss…
LNG Report: Floating Liquefaction & Regasification
International Maritime Associates has completed a 12-month study of the global market for floating gas liquefaction plants and floating LNG regasification terminals. The 150+ page study, published by World Energy Reports, is the most detailed analysis yet made of this growing business sector. Project Success EvaluationThe IMA study is the first professional effort to systematically look at the universe…
Fredriksen's Flex Raises $300 Mln for LNG Newbuilds
Flex LNG, controlled by Norwegian-born billionaire John Fredriksen, has raised $300 million in a private placement of shares to help pay for five new vessels costing $918 million, it said on Thursday.Fredriksen's companies typically add high-yield bond issues and bank loans at a later time to pay the cost not covered by share sales.When the vessels are delivered from the yards of South Korea's Daewoo (DSME) and Hyundai (HHI) in 2020 and 2021, Flex LNG will have a fleet of 13 ships, Flex said.Fre
Boskalis Nominates van Noort as New CFO
Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. has nominated Carlo van Noort to be appointed as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Boskalis at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM) in May 2019.
US Oil Exports to Asia May Slide Further
Rising shipping rates have increased the costs of shipping oil from the United States to Asia and may further the restrict the flow of U.S. oil to the region later this year, multiple trade and shipping sources said on Thursday.Freight rates for tankers that carry crude oil have soared globally, buoyed by peak seasonal demand, weather disruptions and higher bunker fuel costs, the sources said.The cost…
US Navy Returns to Israeli Port in Sign of 'Deep Alliance'
A U.S. Navy warship has docked in the southern Israeli port of Ashdod, the first such visit there in almost 20 years, in what officials from both sides hailed as a sign of their strong ties in the face of shared adversaries like Iran.Foreign navies generally prefer northern Haifa as their Israeli port of call, so the destroyer USS Ross's arrival at Ashdod potentially signaled Washington's interest in broadened berthing options for its Mediterranean Sixth Fleet."This visit has significance.
AXA XL Launches North America Workboat Insurance
AXA XL's North America marine insurance business is expanding its reach in the marine insurance market with a new policy specifically designed and delivered to address workboat risks.“Our new workboat policy represents the continued extension of our risk appetite and underwriting expertise to address a wider array of marine risks,” said Anne Marie Elder, AXA XL Chief Underwriting Officer for Marine in the North America.
Huntington Ingalls Industries Promotes Schwartz
U.S. shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) has promotedf Garry Schwartz to president of its Mission Driven Innovative Solutions (HII-MDIS) group, part of its Technical Solutions division. He will be based in the Fairfax office and will be responsible for the overall leadership, performance, culture and growth of the HII-MDIS business.Schwartz was most recently the vice president and general manager of the training, cyber and engineering business unit within HII-MDIS.
Maritime Administration Issues RFP for NSMV Training Vessels
Vessel Construction Manager Will Deliver National Security Multi-Mission Vessel. Today, the Maritime Administration (MARAD) released a Request for Proposal (RFP) to solicit for a Vessel Construction Manager (VCM) to deliver a new class of training ships referred to as a National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV). The VCM selected by MARAD will contract with a qualified shipyard to ensure that commercial…
