Hong Kong Ends Quarantine Curbs on Port Calls by Non-cargo Vessels
Hong Kong providers of shipping services are breathing a sigh of relief after authorities announced they would ease strict quarantine restrictions imposed last July on vessels calling at the Asian shipping hub, trade sources said.From Tuesday, crew of non-cargo goods vessels visiting Hong Kong for shipping services, including bunkering and provision supplies, will be exempt from the curbs, subject to conditions, the Marine Department told shipping firms in a letter.“This is a long overdue relaxa
Deutsche Bank Set for $1 Bln Windfall from Zim Bets
Deutsche Bank is on course to make up to $1 billion on a long-shot bet on Israeli shipping firm Zim after it surged in value on the back of record-high global freight rates, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.Citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, the report said that Mark Spehn, a distressed debt trader at the German bank, had wagered less than $100 million over the past five years on building a position in the company through bond and bank loans as shipping rates fell.
NYK Pushes Forward its "Sail GREEN;" to Build a Dozen LNG-Fueled PCTCs
NYK signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the consecutive building of LNG-fueled PCTCs at Shin Kurushima Dockyard Co., Ltd. and Nihon Shipyard Co., Ltd. Twelve new ships are planned to be built, six ships each at the two shipyards, for delivery successively from fiscal 2025 to fiscal 2028.The dozen ship is in accordance with the PCTC fleet replacement plan to achieve NYK’s environment management target, which is to reduce CO2 emissions per ton-kilometer of transport by 50% by 2050.
Bodies Wash up on Yemen Coast after Migrant Boat Reportedly Sinks
A number of bodies washed up at Ras al-Arah on Yemen's Red Sea coast on Monday from a suspected migrant boat that sank offshore, a local official said.The stretch of coast is notorious for the smuggling of migrants from the Horn of Africa into Yemen.Residents in Ras al-Arah said bodies had washed up at dawn on Monday. A boat sank around 18 nautical miles off the coast of al-Mokha, the local official said.The perilous sea journey from Horn of Africa countries including Ethiopia…
Damen Delivers Fast Crew Supplier for Allseas' Pioneering Spirit Vessel
Dutch Damen Shipyards Group has delivered a Fast Crew Supplier (FCS) 1605 to offshore installation firm Allseas to support its Pioneering Spirit vessel, the largest offshore construction vessel in the world.The FCS 1605 vessel will perform fast crew and personnel transfers to and from the Pioneering Spirit. Damen secured the contract for the vessel, named Ricochet, on March 15. "The delivery was fast as a result of Damen’s practice of building its vessels in series for stock.
Proserv Acquires Dron & Dickson's Abu Dhabi Business
Oil and gas services company Proserv Controls, has acquired the Middle Eastern operations of Dron & Dickson Electromechanical Contracting (DDEC) LLC, for an undisclosed fee. DDEC is a UK-based specialist in the supply, assembly, and maintenance of hazardous areas and industrial electrical equipment."The deal reinforces and expands the breadth of offering and capability that Proserv delivers in the Middle East and North Africa…
NRF Asks White House to Address Port Congestion Challenges
A retail trade group is asking President Joe Biden and other top administration officials to help address challenges retailers are facing from continued supply chain disruptions that are leading to congestion at U.S. ports.“The supply chain disruption issues, especially the congestion affecting our key maritime ports, are causing significant challenges for America’s retailers,” National Retail Federation president and CEO Matthew Shay said in a letter to the White House.
Grandweld Delivers Four Crewboats for HSM
UAE shipbuilder Grandweld Shipyards reports it has delivered four crew boats for Saudi-based offshore oil and gas services provider High Seas Marine Industrial Services Co. (HSM).The newbuilds were handed over within a span of 14 months, despite the numerous challenges of the pandemic. They will be used to support HSM client Saudi Aramco.Grandweld said the newbuild project involved design specifications unlike existing market requirements…
Intellian Opens R&D Center in South Korea
Intellian has opened its new Research and Development Center in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, a new home for the engineering team with the latest product and quality verification facilities, helping to accelerate product development. In particular, antennas using emerging phased array technology will benefit from a new compact test range to assist with development and testing.The expansion also allows production to be significantly increased in the existing Innovation Center…
Shipping Influx Infuriates Israeli Environmentalists
The first cargo ships from Dubai that docked last year in the Mediterranean port of Haifa were met by celebration in Israel. Flags waved. Reporters gathered. The prime minister walked the pier and gave a speech about the fruits of making peace.There was zero fanfare, however, when oil tankers began arriving at the smaller Israeli port of Eilat on the Red Sea in an arrangement with Emirati partners.
NAPA Viewer Aims to Enhance 3D Ship Design Process
A new streaming technology will support 3D model based approval (3DMBA) by providing all stakeholders with a live interactive web application to better collaborate on ship design.NAPA announced the launch of NAPA Viewer, its new collaborative web application, designed to provide users throughout the ship design process with visibility of the most current 3D ship model via a browser, and the ability to directly comment on the model.
Fincantieri Marinette Marine Names Vandroff CEO
Fincantieri Marinette Marine and its board of directors announced that Mark Vandroff will be taking over as CEO effective July 7, replacing Jan Allman who has led the Wisconsin shipyard since 2014.“Our company’s continued growth afforded us an opportunity to expand our senior leadership team and to better organize to exceed our customer’s needs,” said Dario Deste, CEO of Fincantieri Marine Group. “Jan…
Biden to Nominate Carlos del Toro for SECNAV
U.S. President Joe Biden intends to nominate Carlos del Toro for secretary of the Navy, the White House announced on Friday.Del Toro is a retired U.S. Navy commander with nearly 40 years’ experience in national security and naval operations, budgeting and acquisition.Over the course of a 22-year career in the U.S. Navy, Del Toro held a series of critical appointments, including Senior Executive Assistant…
Bollinger Bids to Build Offshore Patrol Cutters
Louisiana shipbuilding group Bollinger Shipyards has placed its bid to build the second round of vessels as part of the U.S. Coast Guard's Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) program.If selected, Bollinger would construct and deliver a total of 11 ships to the U.S. Coast Guard over the next decade, helping to sustain the Bollinger workforce through 2031, the company said.Bollinger has been actively involved in every step of the U.S.
Ailing Tug Crewman Medevaced Off New Jersey
An ailing tugboat crewmember was medically evacuated approximately 10 miles north of Manasquan Inlet, N.J. on Friday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay Command Center in Philadelphia received an alert that the individual was suffering from abdominal pain while aboard the 33.5-meter tugboat Saint Emilion.A 47-foot Motor Life Boat crew from Coast Guard Station…
Helsinki Shipyard Begins Building Third Ship for Swan Hellenic
Helsinki Shipyard said the first steel has been cut for the third vessel in a series of new luxury expedition cruise ships for British cruise line Swan Hellenic.Ordered in October 2020, the new vessel is scheduled to be delivered at the end of 2022. Like its two sister ships already on order, the vessel is designed for the global cruise market, with an emphasis on high-latitude cruises.“The order for…
Maryland Port Administration, Port of Baltimore Joins CDMCS
The Maryland Port Administration (MPA), Port of Baltimore, officially joined the Council for Dredging and Marine Construction Safety (CDMCS), a national unified safety voice for the dredging and marine construction industry.The Port of Baltimore is one of the busiest seaports in the United States, handling every type of cargo at its public and private terminals. Currently, Baltimore is in the execution phase of more than $200 million in marine construction…
US Shipyards Support $42.4 Billion in GDP
The United States' private shipyards support $42.4 billion in gross domestic product (GDP), a new report finds.The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) report, The Economic Importance of the U.S. Private Shipbuilding and Repairing Industry, measures the economic importance of the shipbuilding and repair industry at the national and state levels for calendar year 2019.In 2019…
Baltic Dry Index Hits One-month High
The Baltic exchange's main sea freight index rose for the fourth straight session on Monday to its highest in a month, supported by higher rates across vessel segments.The Baltic dry index, which tracks rates for capesize, panamax and supramax vessels ferrying dry bulk commodities, gained 87 points, or 3%, to a peak since May 13 at 2,944.The capesize index rose by 197 points, or 5.9%, to 3,543.Average daily earnings for capesizes, which typically transport 150,000-tonne cargoes of coal and steel
Biden Administration Proposes Offshore Wind Lease Sale near NY, NJ
The Biden administration on Friday said it was seeking buyers for offshore wind energy leases in the shallow waters between Long Island and New Jersey as part of its effort to ramp up the share of offshore wind generation over the next decade.In a statement, the U.S. Department of the Interior said the proposed sale for offshore wind development on the Outer Continental shelf in the New York Bight has "the potential to unlock over 7 gigawatts of offshore wind energy…
