Condition News

On the back of freight markets that are finally facing their first set of 2024 jitters, the industry is gradually witnessing an increasing number of units being proposed for a recycling sale, all of which are being confirmed via the sudden influx of tonnage at the Indian and Bangladeshi waterfronts this week, reports cash buyer GMS.This coms just as the Pakistani market (as expected) starts to fall behind on its domestic arrivals. At this rate, India looks set to sneak past the Pakistani market in the rankings…

U.S. troops have begun construction of a maritime pier off the coast of Gaza that aims to speed the flow of humanitarian aid into the enclave when it becomes operational in May, the Pentagon said on Thursday.President Joe Biden announced the pier in March as aid officials implored Israel to ease access for relief supplies into Gaza over land routes. Whether the pier will ultimately succeed in boosting humanitarian aid is unclear, as international officials warn of the risk of…

Suez Canal Authority rescue teams prevented Tanzanian-flagged cargo ship Labatros from sinking before passing through the waterway, the canal's authority said on Tuesday.The ship's 12 crew members were safe and work is currently underway to inspect the technical condition of the ship, the statement added.(Reuters - Reporting by Yousri Mohamed, Writing by Nayera Abdallah, Editing by Louise Heavens)

Brunvoll has been contracted to deliver the propulsion, maneuvering and autonomy systems for two hydrogen powered ferries for Torghatten Nord AS.The ferries will operate the harsh route to and from Lofoten in Norway, the Bodø-Verøy-Røst-Moskenes route. The hydrogen fuel cell ferries were designed by The Norwegian Ship Design Company AS. Both ferries included in the contract will be delivered from Myklebust Yard in 2026.The Brunvoll contract includes two azimuth propulsion thrusters, BruCon Propulsion & Thruster Control System, BruCon Auto-Crossing system and BruCon Condition Monitoring System.

“Wind Turbines: The Bigger, the Better” -USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, August 24, 2023Last December the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) published a proposed sale notice regarding new development areas for utility scale wind projects in the central Atlantic Ocean. The notice includes an upfront issue: the need to mitigate conflicts with U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) activities. BOEM explains that in certain areas the Air Force has set an airspace floor of 1,000 feet above sea level and the Air Force asked BOEM to keep structures below that height.

At least one contractor was killed after a fire struck an offshore platform operated by Mexico's national oil company Pemex, the firm said in a statement on Sunday, adding that two others were in "grave" condition.A total of nine workers suffered injuries in the blaze on Saturday afternoon that struck the company's Akal-B platform, located in the southern Gulf of Mexico, where most of Pemex oil output originates.Five of the nine were Pemex employees while the rest were contractors from local service providers Diavaz and COTER.A day earlier…

Wärtsilä reports it has signed a long-term Guaranteed Asset Performance agreement with CSBC-DEME Wind Engineering Co Ltd (CDWE), a joint venture between CSBC Corporation and DEME Offshore. The agreement covers CDWE’s new 216 meters-long installation vessel, the Green Jade. Marco Kanaar, CEO of CDWE, owner of the Taiwan-designed and -built offshore heavy lift DP3 installation vessel Green Jade says: "High utilization of our Green Jade is of utmost importance to our business which is why we have selected the Wärtsilä thrusters and engines for its reputation for excellent quality and reliability.

Kimberly Lutz and America’s Watershed Initiative (AWI) are making every effort to sustain the Mississippi River for generations to come.The Mississippi River is one of the world’s largest river systems and is arguably America’s most critical waterway. Flowing over 2,350 miles, spanning, at points, up to eleven miles, and discharging approximately 593,003 cubic feet of water per second into the Gulf of Mexico, the Mighty Mississippi is awe inspiring in terms of its natural characteristics as well as its commercial impact on both the American and global economies.

The owner, operator and charterer of the container ship that struck Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge on Tuesday are likely to face lawsuits over its collapse and the people killed or injured, but legal experts say U.S. maritime law could limit the companies’ liability.U.S. laws pertaining to open-water navigation and shipping, which are created through court decisions and by acts of Congress, could restrict the kinds of lawsuits filed against the registered owner of the Singapore-flagged ship…

The pilot of the container ship that knocked down a highway bridge into Baltimore Harbor had radioed for tugboat help and reported a power loss minutes earlier, federal safety officials said on Wednesday, citing audio from the ship's "black box" data recorder.The head of the National Transportation Safety Board also said that Francis Scott Key Bridge, a traffic artery over the harbor built in 1976, lacked structural engineering redundancies common to newer spans, making it more…

A container ship smashed into a four-lane bridge in the U.S. port of Baltimore in darkness on Tuesday, causing it to collapse and sending cars and people plunging into the river below.Rescuers pulled out two survivors, one in a "very serious condition," and were searching for more in the Patapsco River after huge spans of the 1.6-mile (2.57 km) Francis Scott Key Bridge crumpled into the water.The ship "lost propulsion" as it was leaving port, and crew on board notified Maryland officials they had lost control of the vessel, ABC News reported, citing an unclassified U.S.

Even though the Indian sub-continent ship recycling markets have taken on a collection of smaller vessels of late, the week remains “sleepy” says cash buyer GMS.Virtually no deals have been concluded, and this has put the squeeze on the global ship recycling sector.“Dry bulk charter rates have been pushing on by the week as ship owners monetize the most from this sector. Containers and tankers too remain oddly off the recycling buffet, and this in turn is driving the ongoing dearth of viable candidates into overdrive…

Corvus Energy has developed a DNV-accepted method for data-driven state of health (SOH) testing.SOH tests for marine battery systems are mandatory and give an overall assessment of the condition, performance and safety of the batteries over time. These tests help determine the battery's capacity, efficiency and remaining life. Using data-driven approaches in these tests enhances accuracy and efficiency in monitoring and maintaining marine battery systems. In addition, the test…

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has installed a long-range wind condition measurement device on one of its RoRo vessels in a trial that aims to reduce fuel consumption and contribute to safe operations.MOL partnered with Metro Weather for a demonstration of Doppler LiDAR on Musashi Maru RoRO vessel on the route between Tokyo and Fukuoka.This is the first time in the world that a Doppler LiDAR has been installed on a large seagoing vessel, according to MOL.Using the Doppler LiDAR, MOL and Metro Weather will monitor real-time wind 3D conditions more than 10 km away from Musashi Maru.In addition…

Around 14,500 livestock sailed from Australia to Israel on Sunday for the second time, two months after their first voyage was curtailed by the threat of attack by Houthi militants in the Red Sea.The animals left Fremantle port in Perth on Jan. 5 but halfway to the Middle East, their ship abandoned its route and was ordered home by the Australian government.The turn-back was part of the havoc wrought by the Houthi strikes in support of Hamas militants in Palestine that have forced…

As freight markets push further on, global ship recycling markets remain deprived of tonnage, making it an increasingly suffocating environment for ship recyclers to operate in, reports cash buyer GMS.Bangladesh and Pakistan rely heavily on imported ship’s steel, not only for domestic / large-scale infrastructure projects, but also for its comparatively ‘healthier’ and ‘rust-free’ condition than other forms of imported scrap metal / steel (HMS 1, HMS 2, shredded steel, etc.)Therefore…

Norwegian oil companies resumed helicopter flights to offshore oil and gas fields on Friday following Wednesday's deadly crash off the country's west coast, operator Equinor and airports said on Friday.On Thursday helicopter traffic was halted to oil and gas platforms following the crash in which one person died and five were injured. Norway said it was considering grounding Sikorsky's S-92A aircraft model while investigating the accident."Based on dialogue with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)…

Armada Technologies has secured a hull lubrication contract with LNG carrier company Cool Company Ltd (CoolCo).Under the partnership, Armada will design, engineer, procure, and provide support for the installation and commissioning of its air lubrication system on a CoolCo vessel scheduled to dry dock in 2024. Once commissioned, CoolCo will conduct sea trials and provide documentation to Armada, following ISO or ITTC guidance, to measure the system's performance.Armada CEO Alex…

The American Bureau of Shipping dominates the global market in the classification of Floating Production. Offshore Engineer recently sat with Matt Tremblay, ABS’ Vice President of Global Offshore Markets, at American Bureau of Shipping HQ in Houston for his insights on market drivers and technical trends in this dynamic market.Matt, big picture, how do you see the Floating Production market developing in the coming years?At a macro level, I think we're going to be supply limited over the next five years.

2023 was the first year of real recovery for owners in the offshore supply market and yet we have barely skimmed the surface of what’s to come.The market is still on an upward trajectory with charter rates accelerating month-by-month, availability changing day-by-day, leading to earnings doubling and, in some segments, tripling since the lows of 2020. Current rates will remind many of the glory days of pre-2014 with the demand for OSVs projected to remain elevated for years to come.In general…

A cargo ship abandoned four days ago in the Gulf of Aden after it was hit by missiles fired by Yemen's Houthis is still floating despite taking in water, and could be towed to nearby Djibouti, industry sources said on Wednesday.Shipping risks have escalated due to repeated drone and missile strikes in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait by the Iran-aligned Houthis since November. U.S. and British forces have responded with several strikes on Houthi facilities but have so far failed to halt the attacks.The crew of the Belize-flagged Rubymar abandoned the vessel after it was hit on Sunday…

Light Structures’ SENSFIB Hull Stress Monitoring System received the ABS SMART(SHM) Tier 3 Product Design Assessment (PDA) certificate.The SENSFIB Tier 3 Smart Structural Health Monitoring system employs an industry-leading, fiber optic, sensor-based approach for structural health assessment and prediction, calibrated and verified using high-fidelity data for improved accuracy and reliability.The system provides information about the stresses on a vessel’s hull from cargo loading…

Chinese coast guard personnel briefly boarded a Taiwanese tourist boat near Taiwan-controlled islands next to China's coast on Monday, the government in Taipei said, in an escalation of tensions after China said it would carry out regular patrols.China announced on Sunday that its coast guard would strengthen law enforcement activity around the Kinmen islands following the death of two Chinese nationals fleeing Taiwan's coast guard having entered into prohibited waters too close to Kinmen, which lies opposite the Chinese cities of Xiamen and Quanzhou.Taiwan's coast guard said in a statement th