Bremen News

Underwater welding is one of the most demanding and hazardous tasks in the maritime and offshore world, relying heavily on a small, highly specialized pool of industrial divers. As port infrastructure ages and offshore structures expand, demand for underwater repair continues to outpace available manpower. A new research project out of Germany aims to fundamentally change that equation.Led by the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence, the MARIOW (Maritime AI-Guided…

A consortium of GE Vernova and Singapore’s Seatrium has secured a major contract from Dutch-German grid operator TenneT to deliver the BalWin5 offshore grid connection, a 2.2 GW high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission system designed to bring North Sea wind power to Germany’s electricity network.BalWin5 is expected to provide enough renewable electricity to supply about 2.75 million households, forming part of Germany’s strategy to accelerate offshore wind deployment and…

Scot Tankers of Istanbul has praised the action taken by a master after suspect packages were discovered onboard the MT Scot Bremen.The Maltese-flagged product tanker was enroute from the Port of Pecem, Brazil, and arrived off the coast of Ostend, Belgium, on June 20.While awaiting pilot boarding at the anchorage, on June 22, the master discovered that five ratings on board were concealing suspected packages. He immediately cancelled the scheduled pilotage and notified Belgian police and customs authorities.

The future of the two insolvent German shipyards, Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) and Nobiskrug, looks brighter as Lürssen Group moves to place a formal bid to take over the facilities of the Nobiskrug shipyard, while Heinrich Rönner Group agrees to buy the FSG.The insolvency administrators, Christoph Morgen of Brinkmann & Partner and Hendrik Gittermann of REIMER, said they would accept the offers in the week following the official opening of insolvency proceedings.Lürssen…

The Liebherr portal slewing crane of type LPS 600, the first of its kind in Germany, has been delivered J. MÜLLER Weser to enhance its bulk and general cargo operations at the port of Brake.The project marks the first rail-mounted portal crane at the port of Brake, designed for an extended 650-metre travel path in one direction, with features like larger cable drum and video monitoring at the portal, amongst others.The LPS 600 features a 61-metre boom, a motorised grab control…

The 73-meter-long German oil and chemical tanker Annika caught fire on October 11 whilst northeast of Kühlungsborn, Germany, in the Baltic Sea. The Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) Bremen, operated by the German Society for the Rescue of Shipwrecked People (DGzRS), led the response.The sea rescue boat Wilma Sikorski rescued all seven crew members shortly after the fire was reported, and Reuters reports that the fire was extinguished and the vessel is now safely into the port of Rostock.The vessel was carrying around 640 tonnes of oil…

Port strikes at five key five German ports may cost $6 billion (£4.71 billion) in lost trade according to data and analytics company Russell Group.Of this $6 billion, analysis by Russell’s ALPS Marine has identified that commodities such as cars & people carriers ($399 million/£313 million), good transport vehicles ($129 million/£101 million) and pharmaceuticals ($717 million/£559 million) have been disrupted by the strikes. The strikes in Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Bremen, Brake and…

Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding and Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry in China have ordered four MAN 10L32/44CR main engines in connection with the construction of a quartet of 41,000 dwt oil-and-chemical tankers for Bremen-based German Tanker Shipping (GTS).The construction of the 199-meter Swedish Fartygskonstruktioner AB-designed newbuildings is set to start at Xiamen Shipbuilding with delivery scheduled from mid-2025 onward. The order includes options for an additional two vessels.Each…

One body has been recovered and two people have been rescued in a search and rescue mission after two freighters collided in the North Sea off the coast of Germany, the maritime emergency authority said on Tuesday. The Verity, which the Central Command for Maritime Emergencies said had sunk, had been on its way from Bremen to the English town of Immingham. The Polesie was sailing from Hamburg to La Coruna in Spain. It was not immediately clear what the vessels were carrying, if anything.

Several people are missing after two freighters collided near the German North Sea island of Heligoland, the central command for maritime emergencies said on Tuesday.The Polesie and Verity vessels collided at around 0300 GMT about 12 nautical miles (22 kilometres) southwest of Heligoland, likely causing the Verity to sink, central command said in a statement. One person was rescued from the water and is receiving medical treatment, while several others are still missing, it added.The rescue operation includes a rescue cruiser…

Denmark-based engineering and contracting group Semco Maritime has agreed to acquire German firm Wind Multiplikator, specialized in managing offshore wind farms and projects and providing engineering and consulting services.The transaction also includes all activities in offshore service provider OWS Off-Shore Wind Solutions, which is part of Wind Multiplikator Group. The combined Wind Multiplikator Group focuses on offshore wind O&M related activities, including major component…

Libra Group's shipping subsidiary Lomar Shipping announced the appointment of Marius Bujor as its new Technical Director. Based in the company’s Bremen office, he succeeds Stylianos Papageorgiou who has been promoted to the position of Managing Director of lomarlabs, a new venture to collaborate with deep-tech start-ups.Bujor has been with Lomar for eight years, having joined in 2014 as a Technical Superintendent. He became a Fleet Manager four years later, and was promoted to Deputy Technical Director in late 2022, as Lomar prepared for the launch of lomarlabs.

Libra's global ship owning and management unit Lomar Shipping last week delivered the chemical tanker Apollo to new owner Navigator Line Ship Management and Operation, in Sharjah, UAE.Built in 2003, the 24,000 DWT vessel was sold for close to $10 million as part of Lomar's ongoing fleet renewal program, the company said.The vessel was the oldest of six chemical tankers, including four 38,000-dwt chemical/products tankers, that joined the Lomar fleet following the October 2022 acquisition of Germany’s Bremen-based tanker specialist Carl Büttner Group…

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.

Boluda Towage's tug Bremen Fighter passed all administrative procedures and inspections to officially operate, as of February 21, its maritime salvage activity under the German flag.Bremen Fighter is displaying the official German coast guard colors, with a commitment to protect maritime safety in the eastern Baltic Sea, under the command of German Federal Waterway Authorities. Bremen Fighter, an offshore tug, is the most powerful tug in the Boluda Towage fleet.Earlier , the German…

Alternatives to fossil fuels are emerging throughout the maritime universe, and vessels working in U.S. rivers, waterways and harbors are at the cusp on this trend. While the alternative fuels spectrum is wide, battery power and electrification—a technology that has seen a decade of shipboard applications already—is particularly suited for smaller vessels.Crowley Maritime Corp will be taking delivery of a completely electric tugboat, dubbed eWolf; the boat- which will include kit for advanced vessel control tied to an electric propulsion system from ABB…

The Worldwide Ferry Safety Association (WFSA) has announced the winners of the 8th Annual International Student Design Competition for a Safe, Affordable Ferry.Dr. Roberta Weisbrod, WFSA’s Executive Director, said: “This year, the students were tasked with designing a RoPax ferry to carry around 300 passengers, many of whom prefer the use of outdoor hammocks, plus vehicles and cargo on the Amazon River between Manaus and Tefé ona trip that is to last 20 hours. Because of the continuing spread of Covid 19 in Brazil and its transmission via river transport…

Bremen-based ship owning and ship management company Harren Bulkers announced it has acquired its first Handysize bulk carrier. The company's fleet now counts 23 ships.The 37,000 dwt Pabari (ex Western Aida) was built in 2012 at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, in South Korea. With an overall length of 186.96 meters, 28.60-meter beam and 15.6-meter depth molded, Pabari is currently the smallest ship in the Harren Bulkers fleet. The chartering is done by OneBulk from Hamburg.Joachim Zeppenfeld…

Driven by the need to organically protect maritime Task Groups from the threat of sea mines, the Royal Australian Navy is introducing a deployable Mine Counter-Measures (MCM) capability under the first phase of Project SEA 1778.The Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) SEA 1778 deployable Mine Counter-Measures (MCM) capability is both a small step forward in the spiral development process and a “technological leap” into autonomy.”The RAN is looking to replace its four legacy Huon-class minehunter coastal ships (MHCs) with a new deployable MCM capability.

Cooperation strengthens chemical platform; underpins strategy to operate more sustainable, non-fossil fuel cargoes  Ardmore Shipping Corporation announced a new partnership with Carl Büttner, taking on the commercial management of four chemical tankers on behalf of the Bremen-based shipowner.The vessels Aurelia, Avalon, Apollo and Admiral are 24,000 deadweight tonne (DWT) chemical tankers, and will operate alongside Ardmore’s own chemical tanker fleet. This move signals a doubling of the number of similar sized chemical tankers under Ardmore’s management.Gernot Ruppelt…

Just several months after the launch of Harren Bulkers, three 93,000 tdw Post-Panamax bulkers have been secured for the company's fleet on a long-term basis.The newly formed Bremen-based shipping company on Wednesday announced the acquisition of the 2011-built Post-Panamax bulker Topas. The ship will be named Pablo, and with an overall length of 229.2 meters (38-meter beam, 14.9-meter draft) it is currently the largest ship in the Harren Bulkers fleet. The two 2012-built sister…

Shipbuilding group Damen said it has delivered the 111-meter Damen Stan Pontoon 11226 RD mega-barge Tomsk to heavy lift and project cargo shipping company Combi Lift. The barge will be used in the construction of Gazprom’s Amur Gas Processing Plant near Russia’s eastern border, transporting some of the largest components to the site.This contract follows a 19 vessel order placed with Damen by Combi Lift that was delivered in May 2018. It was comprised of four Multi Cat 2608SD workboats, four Pusher Tugs 2612SD, four Side Floaters 8605SD and seven 89-meter Stan Pontoons 8916SD.

iXblue said it has been selected by Naval Group to supply navigation systems for two Gowind corvettes intended for the international market. These two future combat corvettes will be fitted with Marins navigation systems and Netans data distribution and processing units.Based on fiber-optic gyroscope (FOG) technology, iXblue navigation solutions already equip more than 650 surface ships and underwater platforms in 40 navies and coast guards, including major programs such as the French Navy's future FDI…