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Energy Independence News

01 Feb 2024

European Ethanol Producers Challenge EU Maritime Legislation

© Grecaud Paul / Adobe Stock

European renewable ethanol producers have launched a legal challenge to the EU’s FuelEU Maritime Regulation on the grounds that it fails to properly recognise the proven benefits of sustainable crop-based biofuels and has therefore violated several key EU legislative procedures.Companies representing nearly all of the EU’s production of renewable ethanol are seeking to annul a section of the legislation that considers crop-based biofuels to have the same emission factors as the least favourable fossil fuel pathway.

29 Sep 2023

US Plans Sharp Reduction in Offshore Oil and Gas Lease Sales

Credit: scandamerican/AdobeStock

The Biden administration on Friday unveiled a plan to phase down oil and gas auctions in federal waters with the release of a long-awaited leasing schedule that includes a maximum of three sales in the Gulf of Mexico through 2029.The Interior Department's plan includes by far the lowest number of sales since the agency began producing Congressionally-mandated five-year oil and gas leasing schedules in 1980. Previous programs have ranged between 11 and 41 sales, according to Interior's U.S.

22 Aug 2023

NOIA Unhappy About Rice Whale Protection Recommendations

© Matthew Cross / Adobe Stock

National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) President Erik Milito has said that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issue of a Notice to Lessees (NTL) with recommended restrictions on ongoing industry activities within the expanded Rice's Whale habitat area imposes “unwarranted restrictions on U.S. energy production at a time of continued inflation with prices rising at the pump for consumers.”With likely fewer than 100 individuals remaining, Rice's whales are one of the most endangered whales in the world.

31 Jul 2023

Greening the U.S. Federal Fleet

(Credit: U.S. Navy)

The international shipping industry as a whole is responsible for 2% to 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and if nothing changes, those will increase by 250% by 2050, according to the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Sobering numbers like these have made reducing emissions across the sector a focus for governments, shipbuilders, environmentalists, vessel owners and technology suppliers alike.The United States federal ship fleet, excluding combat ships, consists of various types of vessels utilized for civilian purposes. This fleet of vessels makes the U.S.

25 May 2023

First US-Built Offshore Wind Substation Sets Sail

©Orsted

Offshore wind developers Ørsted and Eversource marked the sailaway of the first U.S.-built offshore wind substation, which departed a Texas fabrication facility Wednesday. The substation is transiting across the Gulf of Mexico and then up the East Coast for installation at the South Fork Wind project site in a few weeks.Kiewit Offshore Services, Ltd. (Kiewit), the largest offshore fabricator in the U.S., designed and built the substation, which will be deployed at Ørsted and Eversource’s South Fork Wind project serving Long Island


28 Mar 2023

Asso.subsea Partners with GAP Consortium for crucial Greece-Egypt Interconnection

©Asso.subsea

The GAP Consortium and Asso.subsea have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation on the two-gigawatt (2 GW) electrical interconnection between Greece and Egypt (Greece-Africa Power Interconnector – GAP).The GAP, founded by the Eunice Energy Group, is a transnational consortium between Greece and Egypt that aims to contribute to regional energy security and stability by facilitating intercontinental clean energy transfer. As part of the consortium, Asso.subsea


23 Jan 2023

St. Johns Lays Keel for Second Atlantic Wind Transfers CTV

Representatives from USCG, St. Johns Ship Building, Americraft Marine, Atlantic Wind Transfers, Chartwell Marine, EMS, BEE, MAN Engines, Hamilton Waterjets and ZF participated in a keel laying ceremony at St. Johns Ship Building in Palatka, Fla. (Photo: Chartwell Marine)

Palatka, Fla. shipbuilder St. Johns Ship Building held a keel laying ceremony on January 18 for the second in a series of up six new aluminum crew transfer vessels (CTVs) for Rhode Island-based Atlantic Wind Transfers (AWT) to service the offshore wind farm industry."This is another milestone for Atlantic Wind Transfers as we lay the keel for our second crew transfer vessel at St. John’s as AWT continues to expand its CTV fleet to support offshore wind construction and O&M in the U.S., said AWT founder Charles A. Donadio Jr.

14 Nov 2022

Fortunes Return to the Sea as the Wind Blows Offshore

© Cavan / Adobe Stock

The results of fortunes and failures are often described as a “perfect storm”. The COVID pandemic, domestic inflation, labor issues and current geopolitical events have brought that description to a peak. A promise of a “new normal” emerged post pandemic, with a vision of alternative energy, alternative fuels and alternative supply chain logistics to help toward solving some of the problems, heralding a world of change with reduced emissions, government support and the end of fossil fuels as we know them in energy and marine operations.With those promises came big movements in the U.S.

03 Oct 2022

Belgium's Elia Presents Plans for 'World's First' Artificial Energy Island

Credit: Elia

Belgium's transmission operator, Elia, has presented its draft plans for what is expected to be the world’s first artificial energy island. The energy island, called the Princess Elisabeth Island, will be located almost 45 km off the Belgian coast and will serve as the link between the offshore wind farms in the second offshore wind zone (which will have a maximum capacity of 3.5 GW) and its onshore high-voltage grid. Elia, which presented the plans in the presence of federal ministers Tinne Van der Straeten (Energy) and Vincent Van Quickenborne (North Sea)


31 Oct 2022

CEO in Focus: Allard Castelein, Port of Rotterdam

Image courtesy Port of Rotterdam Authority/ © Ernst Bode

The Port of Rotterdam has blazed a path for ports globally in terms of automation, digitalization and decarbonization. As he enters the final year of his tenure, Allard Castelein, CEO, Port of Rotterdam, says there is still much work to do.While many global organizations are adept at ‘talking the talk’, the Port of Rotterdam stands out as ‘walking the walk’ in regards to real investment and innovation in robotics, digitalization and infrastructure improvements to facilitate the efficient, effective transfer of ship’s cargo for distribution globally.

08 Aug 2022

Gallery: DolWin kappa Offshore Substation Sails Away

©TenneT

Dutch/German grid operator TenneT said Monday that the 900 MW offshore substation platform DolWin kappa had sailed away from the Dragados Offshore shipyard in Cádiz, Spain. "TenneT will soon be reliably bringing even more green wind power from the German North Sea to land via the direct current connection DolWin6," TenneT said in the announcement of the sailaway which took place on August 5, 2022."After only three years of construction, the platform is now on board the transport barge “Iron Lady” and on its way to the Dutch port of Rotterdam.

26 Jul 2022

Port Report: Rotterdam Throughput Stays Strong Despite Russia Decline

NYK LINE container ship loaded by gantry cranes in the Port of Rotterdam. Copyright VanderWolf Images/AdobeStock

The volume of total cargo throughput in the port of Rotterdam was 0.8% higher in the first half of the year (233.5 million tonnes) than in the same period in 2021 (231.6 million tonnes). In many segments, the war in Ukraine led to significant changes. For example, imports of both LNG and coal rose very sharply as an alternative to reduced European imports of Russian gas by pipeline. The throughput of crude oil increased, with oil products falling off. Throughput of iron ore, agricultural


17 Aug 2022

St. Johns Ship Building Starts Building CTV for US Offshore Wind Farm

Credit: Incat Crowther

Florida-based St. Johns Ship Building has started construction of a Jones Act-compliant crew transfer vessel which will serve the Vineyard Wind 1 offshore wind farm in the U.S. Atlantic.The shipyard informed of the keel laying ceremony for the Incat Crowther 30 design crew transfer vessel on Thursday via social media. An image shared to accompany the post shows the ceremony was held on June 30."We could not be happier to have Hornblower and their partners return to St. Johns Ship Building to build the vessels that will help America move closer towards energy independence and a cleaner


10 Jun 2022

US Announces $59 Million to Spur Biofuels Usage

© Gary Peplow / Adobe Stock

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $59 million to accelerate the production of biofuels and bioproducts to reduce emissions in industries such as maritime.The department said it is focused on applied research, development and deployment to improve the performance and reduce the cost of biofuel production technologies and scale-up production systems in partnership with industry. "By reducing costs and technical risks, these efforts can help pave the way for the biofuels industry to deploy commercial-scale integrated biorefineries," the DOE said.

25 Mar 2022

U.S. to Hold Offshore Wind Lease Sale for Two Areas in the Carolinas

For illustration -  ©Ian Dyball/AdobeStock

The U.S. will hold a wind energy auction for two lease areas offshore the Carolinas on May 11, the U.S. Department of the Interior said Friday, as the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has completed its environmental review.The lease areas cover 110,091 acres in the Carolina Long Bay area that, if developed, could result in at least 1.3 gigawatts of offshore wind energy, enough to power nearly 500,000 homes, the Department of the Interior said."The Biden-Harris administration is committed to supporting a robust clean energy economy


23 Aug 2021

U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Nord Stream 2. Measures Expected to Have No Effect on Project

The sanctions were imposed on ship Ostap Sheremeta, shipowner JSC Nobility and construction company Konstanta -  Image Credit: Peter aus Holtenau

The Biden administration on Friday slapped sanctions on a Russian ship and two companies involved in the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, but opponents of the nearly-completed project said the measures would not stop it.The sanctions were imposed on ship Ostap Sheremeta, shipowner JSC Nobility and construction company Konstanta, the State Department said in a report to congressional committees. A copy of the report was seen by Reuters.U.S. President Joe Biden separately issued an executive


22 Jul 2021

U.S. and Germany Strike Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Deal

Russian pipe-laying vessel Akademik Cherskiy used for the construction of the Nord Stream 2 - Credit: Elena Krivorotova/AdobeStock

The United States and Germany on Wednesday unveiled an agreement on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline under which Berlin pledged to respond to any attempt by Russia to use energy as a weapon against Ukraine and other Central and Eastern European countries.The pact aims to mitigate what critics see as the strategic dangers of the $11 billion pipeline, now 98% complete, being built under the Baltic Sea to carry gas from Russia’s Arctic region to Germany.U.S. officials have opposed the pipeline


14 Jun 2021

Shipping Influx Infuriates Israeli Environmentalists

© evannovostro / Adobe Stock

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. Rather than washing machines and cleaning supplies for consumers, the ships unloaded


11 Feb 2020

USA Ups BOEM Offshore Wind Budget

The Trump Administration has proposed a $189m fiscal year 2021 budget for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), designating just under $27m for offshore wind.The FY 2021 budget includes approximately $26.5 million to advance offshore renewable energy development.In recognition of the role renewable energy can play in securing the Nation’s energy independence and supporting economic growth, BOEM continues to advance renewable energy through its leasing program and streamlining its permitting and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) processes.In addition, the proposed budget increases BOEM’s capacity to undertake research activities and foster stakeholder engagement.According to a press note from BOEM


22 Mar 2019

OP/ED: The Capital Construction Fund

Tom Escher, owner, Red and White Fleet

How to make the Capital Construction Fund work for all vessel owners and operators.The Red and White Fleet is a passenger vessel operator on San Francisco bay with roots back to 1892. We make no secret of the fact that we want to build new vessels with zero environmental signatures, all in an effort to increase employment for shipyard workers, provide new jobs for US mariners, and provide a training ground to support the growth of the U.S. flag deep sea ships. That mission is, today, unnecessarily difficult. The reasons why are easy to see.Not too long ago, H.

14 May 2019

Waterborne Signs MoU with Hydrogen Europe

Hydrogen Europe and the Waterborne Technology Platform signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 13 May 2019  to foster opportunities of hydrogen based fuels as part of zero-emission waterborne transport.The European research and innovation platform for waterborne industries said in a press release that this MoU will help both parties to identify opportunities for hydrogen-related technologies in order to reduce the significant emissions of waterborne transport.Furthermore, the MoU will help them both to explore the contribution of the waterborne sector in scaling up the development of hydrogen technologies in ports and industrial zones, in synergy with other sectors (e.g.

12 Aug 2019

First Major U.S. OWF Delayed

Massachusetts’ first offshore wind project has been delayed indefinitely by the federal government.The $2.8 billion Vineyard Wind project off Massachusetts had planned to break ground on the project by the end of this year, but progress has been halted pending a final environmental review by the U.S. body.On Friday, developer Vineyard Wind announced that to its “surprise and disappointment,” the federal government has postponed approving the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for an 800-megawatt project with a contract to sell power into Massachusetts that has already cleared several dozen regulatory hurdles."While we appreciate that the discussion on cumulative impacts is driven by rapid growth of the industry beyond our project


27 Nov 2019

US Nearing Energy Independence

In just a few months, the U.S. will be fully energy independent and by 2030, the country's total primary energy production will outpace primary energy demand by 30 percent.According to the Norwegian market research consultancy Rystad Energy, this milestone follows a strong period of growth in both hydrocarbon and renewable resources."We forecast that the US will have primary energy surplus – and not a deficit – by February or March 2020, depending on the intensity of the winter season,” says Sindre Knutsson, vice president on Rystad Energy’s gas markets team.“Going forward, the United States will be energy independent on a monthly basis, and by 2030 total primary energy production will outpace primary energy demand by about 30%,” Knutsson added.These developments are already in full swing.