Columbia News

The Baltic Exchange, the a membership organisation for the maritime industry, and freight market information provider for the trading and settlement of physical and derivative contracts, has launched a new assessment to track the cost of operating vessels.Initially covering a range of dry bulk vessels, the service will also be expanded to tankers and other sectors.The Baltic Operating Expense Index (BOI) will be published quarterly and based on assessments from three leading independent third-party ship management companies: Anglo-Eastern…

Carnival Corporation's Germany brand AIDA Cruises and Corvus Energy have signed a deal to retrofit the AIDAperla with a 10MW battery pack, the largest to date set to be featured on a cruise vessel."The order is for a 10MWh Energy Storage System (ESS) to be installed on board AIDAperla in 2020. AIDAperla, built in 2017, has the capacity of 3300 passengers and a crew of 900," said the British Columbia-based developer of maritime energy storage solutions.When installed on AIDAperla…

Norwegian-Canadian marine propulsion energy storage solutions provider Corvus Energy has opened its a new battery manufacturing facility in Bergen, Norway. The automated factory is equipped with a digitized production line based on nine robotic stations and has the capacity of up to 400 MWh per year.“There is an electric revolution going on in the maritime sector, and we want to deliver the best solutions in the industry," said Geir Bjørkeli, CEO, Corvus Energy. "The Corvus team in Vancouver developed the groundbreaking battery solution that accelerated adoption of zero-emission and hybrid marine propulsion systems, particularly in Norway.

Marking its first foray into the US, Singapore-based port operator PSA International has completed the acquisition of Penn Terminals located on the Delaware River in the U.S. from Macquarie Infrastructure Partners, a fund managed by Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets.Penn is a privately owned multipurpose marine terminal on the Eastern Coast of the USA. Penn’s terminal, warehousing and stevedoring services have enabled it to handle its clients’ cargo since 1986.“This acquisition represents PSA’s very first foray into the USA.

In Washington state, Tidewater Transportation and Terminals inaugurated a $12.5 million ethanol unloading and storage site in Pasco to serve the Columbia and Snake River regions.On Tuesday, August 27, more than 60 area notables, members of the business community, and terminal personnel gathered mid-afternoon for a ribbon cutting ceremony and celebration of the company’s state-of-the-art, onsite ethanol unloading and storage facility in Pasco.The facility consists of a 24-hour ethanol unit train railcar unloading rack with 24 new unloading stations and associated rail spurs.

British Columbia Ferry Services (BC Ferries) informed that its President & CEO Mark Collins is the latest executive to join the BC Safety Charter, a move that highlights the company’s commitment to improving and promoting workplace safety.The signing ceremony took place this morning at BC Ferries’ head office in Victoria, British Columbia, said a press release from the provides all major passenger and vehicle ferry services for coastal and island communities in the Canadian province of British Columbia.“Safety is our highest value.

HaiSea Marine, a joint venture partnership between the Haisla First Nation and Seaspan ULC, today announced the signing of a contract award with LNG Canada to design, build and operate escort tugs and harbor tugs required for LNG Canada’s LNG export facility in Kitimat, British Columbia.The value of the contract award is approximately $500 million over 12 years and will result in employment for approximately 70 mariners and six onshore staff, plus other roles for employees of the partner organizations.“HaiSea Marine is majority-owned by the Haisla…

Corvus Energy, a provider of energy storage solutions for marine, oil & gas and port applications, announced that DNV GL and Corvus Energy have completed the DNV GL Manufacturer Product Quality Assessment (MPQA) and have signed a Manufacturing Survey Arrangement (MSA), resulting in streamlined quality control processes and faster customer deliveries.Under the terms of the MSA, Corvus Energy has been granted the ability to witness the Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) at its plant in Richmond…

1.54 billion liters of grey water were generated by ships off the British Columbia coast in 2017 - the equivalent of more than 600 Olympic-size swimming pools, said a study.World Wildlife Fund Canada says cruise ships traveling between Washington state and Alaska are responsible for dumping "the vast majority" of the potentially toxic grey water that ends up off the B.C. coast each year.Cruise ships accounted for 1.37 billion (almost 90%) of the 1.54 billion liters of grey water generated off the B.C.

Singapore-based port operator PSA International has completed the acquisition of Halterm Container Terminal in the Port of Halifax, Canada, from Macquarie Infrastructure Partners."PSA International Pte Ltd concluded the purchase of the terminal from Macquarie Infrastructure Partners after formal approval by regulatory authorities, " said a PSA news release issued on Wednesday night.Halterm is the only container terminal in Eastern Canada that can serve mega container vessels.

Island Tug and Barge, a subsidiary of Tidewater Canada, said that its  second new articulated tug barge (ATB) push tug Island Regent entered service at the end of June pushing the double hulled refined petroleum products barge, ITB Reliant.The West Coast's largest bulk transporter of refined petroleum products said that the vessel was christened June 20th at Island Tug’s facility in Burrard Inlet and is the second of two, twin Z-drive, ATB push tugs for service on the West Coast…

SCHOTTEL has been chosen as propulsion supplier for two new build Ro-Ro ferries under construction at Damen Shipyards Mangalia, Romania. Each of the vessels ordered by Canadian Seaspan Ferries Corporation will be propelled by two SCHOTTEL Combi Drives and two SCHOTTEL Transverse Thrusters. The new ferries will join the company’s first two hybrid vessels, “Seaspan Swift” and “Seaspan Reliant”, which were commissioned just over two years ago. Seaspan Ferries currently operates a fleet of seven ferries out of four terminals in British Columbia…

FortisBC Energy Inc will export Canadian LNG produced by its small-scale LNG terminal in British Columbia to China starting in 2021.The Canadian natural gas utility, which has operated its Tilbury LNG plant since 1971, said in a press release that it has signed a two-year contract to ship 53,000 tonnes per year of super-cooled gas by the summer of 2021 to Chinese LNG distributor Top Speed Energy Corp.According to the agreement about 60 ISO containers (standard-sized shipping containers)…

Reliable performance was a prime prerequisite for the new transporter recently built for the Gitga’at First Nation community located in a remote region of northwest British Columbia.That’s one of the main reasons why Volvo Penta diesels were specified for the new boat.The new 55-ft. aluminum transporter, built in the Adrenalin Marine shipyard in Delta, British Columbia, is powered by a pair of Volvo Penta 13-liter 700 hp diesels. The engines were supplied by Surrey-based Cullen Diesel Power Ltd…

The United States and China will become the world's biggest liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporters and importers, respectively, in five years, according to projections by the International Energy Agency (IEA).U.S. LNG exports are expected to rocket to over 100 billion cubic meters (bcm) in 2024, dislodging current market leaders Australia and Qatar, Jean-Baptiste Dubreuil, senior natural gas analyst at IEA, said on Tuesday.He was speaking at a presentation sponsored by Columbia…

Woodfibre LNG, a liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility planned for Howe Sound on the southern B.C. coast,  has received its facility permit from the British Columbia (BC) Oil and Gas Commission (OGC).“Following a rigorous process, Woodfibre LNG has received our Facility Permit issued from the BC OGC, one of the key permits required for construction and operation of the project. This is a positive step forward as we work to build the cleanest LNG export facility in the world…

Jennifer Allen is a U.S. military veteran who lives with PTSD. She is also a recent MERTS graduate pursuing a career in the maritime industry.MERTS (Marine and Environmental Research and Training Station) is a small campus situated just east of Astoria on the banks of the Columbia River. It is part of Clatsop Community College and houses a variety of programs including a robust maritime curriculum offering U.S. Coast Guard certifications and associate degrees.“Before coming to MERTS I was going through a rough patch,” Jennifer said.

SAAM SMIT Canada Inc. (SST Canada) held a blessing ceremony for a new RAstar 3200-W escort tug named SST Tsimshian Warrior built by Turkey’s UZMAR Shipyard.This new Robert Allan Ltd. designed tug brings formidable capabilities to the west coast of British Columbia, Canada.Principally intended to serve AltaGas’ newly opened LPG terminal, the SST Tsimshian Warrior is both the most powerful tug of its kind on the coast, as well as the most environmentally friendly in Canada.With an IMO Tier III compliant exhaust after-treatment system…

Canada's Island Tug and Barge (ITB) christened the second of two new ATB tugs, the Island Regent, at its headquarters in Burnaby.The Island Regent was designed by acclaimed Robert Allan Ltd. naval architects and marine engineers of Vancouver, B.C. to be paired with ITB’s double-hulled oil tank barge, the ITB Reliant, as an articulated tug and barge (ATB), said a press release from the subsidiary of Tidewater Canada.Bob Curcio, Tidewater President and CEO said: “The first ATB, the Island Raider and ITB Resolution, has performed exceptionally well in its first year of service.

A Liebherr LHM 420 Crane is at the heart of a rapidly expanding shortsea shipping success story. Reliability is the key for a port that’s turned the corner, with nowhere to go but ‘up.’Way back in January of 1996, I moved to Richmond, Virginia from Houston, Texas. Still very much in the maritime business as a cargo surveyor and ship expeditor, the Port of Richmond intrigued me, every time I drove past it on I-95. Eventually, I got a tour of the struggling port, courtesy of then port director and retired USCG Captain Marty Moynihan.

Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE  (AGCS) said that, effective July 1, 2019, Ulrich Kadow will be appointed as AGCS Global Head of Marine. Currently Chief Agent of AGCS Canada, Kadow will take over from current Global Head of Marine and Energy Simon Buxton, who is leaving Allianz. Until a successor in Canada is confirmed, Kadow will maintain a dual leadership role for both the country and Marine Line of Business responsibilities.Kadow has led AGCS’ Canadian business since May 2015, after originally joining AGCS in 2006.

Seaspan Shipyards (Seaspan) hosted an event celebrating the launch of the second Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel (OFSV). In addition to dignitaries from the Government of Canada, the Canadian Coast Guard (Coast Guard), the Government of British Columbia and Seaspan’s supplier network, hundreds of proud employees attended the event with their families.The launch of OFSV 2 is the culmination of years of work by hundreds of dedicated Seaspan employees and supply chain partners from across Canada.

North American energy infrastructure company energy infrastructure company AltaGas celebrated the grand opening of its Ridley Island Propane Export Terminal (RIPET), located in Prince Rupert, British Columbia – the first marine export facility for propane in Canada.The facility began introducing propane feedstock in mid-April, and the first shipment departed the terminal on May 23, 2019 bound for Asia."The completion of this game-changing project and the shipment of our first cargo are historic milestones for AltaGas…