Marine News' 2024 US Shipbuilding Report
If nothing else, building vessels in the U.S. is a complicated business.In a session on the domestic shipbuilding marketplace, at Marine Moneyâs late-November 2023 conference held in New Orleans, Ben Bordelon, president and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards (with more than a dozen facilities, in Mississippi and Louisiana), described his companyâs architecture as a âthree-legged stool approach: commercial newbuilds, government newbuilds and repair/conversion capabilitiesâ.On the same panelâŠ
Norway's Myklebust Verft to Build World's Largest Hydrogen Ferries
Norwegian shipyard Myklebust Verft has been selected to build a pair of innovative hydrogen-powered passenger ferries ordered by Norwegian transport company Torghatten Nord.The design, produced by The Norwegian Ship Design Company for operations in the challenging waters of the Vestfjordstrekninga fjord in the Arctic Circle, received approval in principle (AIP) in August 2022 from Lloyd's Register, who has signed on to class the first-of-their-kind vessels.At 117 meters long with a 120-car capacityâŠ
US' FTA Announces $316 Million for Ferry Service Modernization
The U.S. Department of Transportationâs Federal Transit Administration (FTA) on Wednesday announced the availability of $316 million to support and modernize passenger ferry service in communities across the country.Ferry transit is a critical mode of transportation in many regions throughout the United States. Across the country, there are approximately 3 million ferry riders each month.âI have seen firsthand how, for many Americans in many different parts of the country, ferries are the best and sometimes only way to get where they need to go,â said U.S.
SMM 2024 Exhibition Halls Already Nearly Fully Booked
The SMM 2024 trade show will run from September 3-6 this year, and organizers are expecting more visitors and exhibitors than last time; the exhibition halls are nearly fully booked.âWe are expecting more than 2,000 international exhibitors from 70 nations,â says Claus Ulrich Selbach, Business Unit Director Maritime and Technology Fairs & Exhibitions at Hamburg Messe und Congress. âWe are overwhelmed by the response. We are actually setting-up an additional hall to accommodate all requests.
Optimarin Acquires Hyde Marine Business from De Nora
Optimarin AS, a Norwegian supplier of ballast water treatment systems (BWTS), announced it has agreed to acquire the Hyde Marine UV business from the Italian multinational Industrie De Nora S.p.A.
Decarbonization is a Major Challenge for US Ports -Report
A large number of ports across the United States are making headway toward ambitious decarbonization targets, but many are running up against significant challenges that threaten their progress, according to a new report from classification society ABS and trade group the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA).Financial constraints, low technology readiness and physical space limitations are among key obstacles identified the ABS and AAPA report, "Port Decarbonization Survey: Trends and Lessons Learned"âŠ
Optimizing Blast and Paint Processes in New Construction Shipbuilding
The efficacy of surface preparation and coating application in the new construction shipbuilding industry is fundamentally anchored in a well-coordinated, integrated approach. This intricate process, essential for achieving top-tier corrosion control, is methodically segmented into five crucial stages:Raw material entryPainting the modulesSmall partsPainting of erection joints at the module levelFinal paint and ship's completion. Each stage is crucial in its own right but achievesâŠ
Singapore Alliance Building Electric Tug and Supply Boat
The Coastal Sustainability Alliance (CSA), an industry collaborative effort led by Kuok Maritime Group (KMG), has announced the start of construction of its first fully electric PXO-series tug (e-tug) and supply boat (e-supply boat) by PaxOcean Group.The zero-emissions vessels are among the first and largest local electric harbour craft designed for operation in Singaporeâs coastal waters. They are targeted for deployment in 2025, ahead of the nationâs goal for all new coastalâŠ
Cruise Industry Reports Record Passenger Volumes
The global cruise industry reported record passenger volumes in 2023 as the sector continues its rebound following the lows of the COVID-19 pandemic.Cruise ships carried 31.7 million passengers in 2023, up 7% from previous highs recorded in 2019, according to latest figures published by the trade group Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).Most increases were in the United Statesâwhich remains, by far, the world's largest cruise marketâwith an incremental increase of 2.7 million passengersâŠ
Seaspan Launches Second LNG Bunkering Vessel
This week, Seaspan Energy launched the second of its three 7600m3 liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering vessels, the Seaspan Lions, named after the twin peaks of the North Shore, or known as Ch'ich'iyúy Elxwíkn (âTwin Sistersâ or âTwo Sistersâ) to the Squamish Nation.This series of vessels is named after iconic West Coast mountains and the first two vessels, the Seaspan Garibaldi ("Nch'kay") and the Seaspan Lions (Ch'ich'iyúy Elxwíkn), will be delivered in 2024 with the thirdâŠ
New Study Offers Safety Recommendations for Green Shipping Corridors
A new report offers safety recommendations for ship owners and port authorities seeking to establish green shipping corridors.As the shipping industry continues to make progress toward its decarbonization goals, a number of green shipping corridors are being being set up as maritime routes that help to enable the use of low- and zero-emission lifecycle fuels such as methanol, ammonia and hydrogen, as well as other green technologies. To date, more than 30 green shipping corridorsâŠ
Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Receives Order for Ammonia Fuel Supply System
Mitsubishi Shipbuilding, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, has received an order from Japan Engine Corporation (J-ENG) for an ammonia fuel supply system and ammonia gas abatement system.The fuel supply system will supply ammonia fuel to ammonia-powered marine engines developed by J-ENG, and the abatement system will safely treat any surplus ammonia. Both are remotely controlled automatically by an integrated control system. Mitsubishi Shipbuilding will deliver the modules to J-ENG in 2025.Going forwardâŠ
Accelleron and BEMAC Partner on Digital Solutions for Engines and Turbochargers
Data gathering and transmission for Accelleronâs digital optimization solutions and service agreements will be automated under a new agreement signed by BEMAC and Accelleronâs Japanese joint venture company Turbo Systems United.The MaSSA-One platform has become a core part of BEMACâs portfolio of ship technologies alongside its power distribution and control systems. The advanced platform collects and stores a wide array of data, including from engines, cargo handling and navigation, and shares the data with shoreside services to provide ship support applications.
Groke Technologies Unveils Situation Awareness Tool for Fleet Managers
Groke Technologies, the Finnish technology company behind the Groke Pro Situational Awareness System, has introduced a new solution designed to give ship managers shoreside an unparalleled view of the surrounding area of all the vessels in their fleet.Groke Fleet gives ship management teams more detailed information on which to better evaluate, enhance and control the navigational safety and efficiency of their vessels.Unlike traditional fleet awareness solutions, which tend to be based only on periodically updated AIS dataâŠ
Manta Installs Shore Power Systems for Finnlines Vessels
Manta Marine Technologies (formerly known as Yara Marine Technologies) has completed installation and commissioning of onboard shore power systems for three Finnlines vessels: the Finnlady, the Finnmaid and the Finnstar.The installations, onboard RINA-classed Finnlines RoPax vessels Finnstar, Finnmaid and Finnlady support Finnlinesâ commitment to decarbonize itsfleet and reduce the environmental impact on shore-side communities.Thomas Doepel, Finnlines Deputy CEO Finnlines, saidâŠ
The Maritime Industry Has Unique Cybersecurity Challenges
With supply chain attacks on the rise, and nation-state attackers constantly looking for new ways to disrupt national security and economic stability, one of the most vulnerable areas is the security around our maritime operations. The Biden-Harris Administration's recent Executive Order to fortify the cybersecurity of U.S. ports underscores this concern, spotlighting the urgency of addressing vulnerabilities in a sector that drives over $5.4 trillion in economic activity annually.
Americraft Marine Appoints Peter Fetten as Chairman
Americraft Marine, one of the maritime subsidiaries of Libra Group that owns and operates a Jones Act shipbuilding facility in Palatka, Fla., has announced the appointment of Peter Fetten as Chairman of Americraft.A seasoned leader with four decades in the marine engineering and shipbuilding sectors, Fetten will help shape the strategic direction of Americraft Marine as it works to advance U.S. shipbuilding and the demand for Jones Act vessels. Americraft Marine's St. Johns Ship BuildingâŠ
On Board the eWolf: The First Electric Tugboat in the US
Crowley Maritime Corporation has owned and operated a lot of vessels since its founding in 1892. But the latest vessel to join its fleet is unlike any other that has come before it.Crowleyâs new harbor tug, eWolf, is unique in that it runs 100% powered by batteries, not diesel engines, meaning it produces zero emissions and nearly no noise. Not only is the vessel the first fully electric tug in the Crowley fleet, but it is also the first of its kind in the United States.Faced with stricter regulations and commercial pressure to prioritize environmentalâŠ
Metal Shark Debuts Prowler Autonomous Vessel and Frenzy Micro-USV
Louisiana-based boat builder Metal Shark has unveiled Prowler, its new autonomous, amphibious, and semi-submersible military craft engineered to meet the current and near future warfighting requirements of the U.S. military and its allies. The company is also debuting Frenzy, a high-performance, low-cost, amphibious micro-USV (uncrewed surface vehicle) with a payload carrying capacity of up to 14 pounds.âProwler represents the sum total of everything weâve learned while building 400-plus autonomous and remote operated vessels for our military customers over the past decadeâŠ
ClassNK Hands Out Type Approval Certificate for Corvus Energyâs Ship Battery System
ClassNK has issued a type approval certificate for the lithium-ion storage battery system ORCA Energy, developed by Corvus Energy.Following an application from Corvus Energy, ClassNK carried out an examination of ORCA Energy based on the rule and the âGuidance for the Approval and Type Approval of Materials and Equipment for Marine Useâ.The guidance applies to tests and inspections of materials and equipment for marine use for which advance approval or type approval by ClassNK is required by the relevant requirements in its rules.Upon confirming it complies with the prescribed requirementsâŠ
ClassNK Announces Executive Appointments
ClassNK has carried out a regular reshuffle of its full-time executives, underlining its commitment to charting the maritime industryâs shift through a period of significant transformation. President & CEO Hiroaki Sakashita and Senior Executive Vice President (SEVP) Junichiro Iida continue in their current roles, while Executive Vice President (EVP) Hayato Suga is promoted to SEVP. Additionally, Dr. Toshiro Arima, Masaki Matsunaga, and Dr. Yoshiya Yamaguchi have been appointed as new EVPs.In his remarksâŠ
RINA Nods Yes for Kindon's Green Methanol Offshore Production Platform
Italian classification and marine engineering consultancy RINA has issued an approval in principle (AiP) to Kindon New Energy Technology for its green methanol offshore production platform solution.Produced entirely offshore, the methanol is derived from renewable CO2 through DAC (Direct Air Capture) technology and green hydrogen from offshore wind power water electrolysis technology.The platform will produce 0.1 MTPA of green methanol via process that synthesizes methanol fromâŠ
Chance Maritime Technologies' MC-29 USV Completes Long-endurance Testing
U.S.-based Chance Maritime Technologies, a startup and service provider of uncrewed vessel technology, reports it has completed long-endurance commissioning trials of its MC-29: a 29-foot-long, mission-capable USV that operates at high power with long endurance. The vehicle completed over 40 total operational days, which included 24 operational days of 24-hour operation in Vermilion Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.This new class of utility vessel offers kilowatts of continuously available payload powerâŠ