Equipment News

Blank Rome’s maritime attorneys have represented clients in some of the largest maritime casualties in the last 20 years, including the Staten Island Ferry allision with a maintenance pier in New York, the blow out and eventual loss of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, the sinking of the El Faro during Hurricane Joaquin, and the collision between the Navy Destroyer USS John S. McCain and the tanker ALNIC MC in the Singapore Strait. These casualties have resulted in the catastrophic loss of life…

Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine has announced the launch of NAVIGAT 2500 and 3500, its next generation high accuracy, maintenance-free Fiber Optic Gyro (FOG) compasses.Suitable for all types of vessels, the NAVIGAT family of compasses provide heading measurement in all kinds of dynamic conditions with compatibility to Sperry Marine CompassNet, the first networked heading management system.NAVIGAT 2500 and NAVIGAT 3500 are based on solid-state technology with no moving parts, offering compact size and low weight.

Commercial diving company Subsea Global Solutions (SGS) said it has acquired the commercial diving division of T&T Salvage Asia, Pte Ltd. (TTSA), enhancing SGS’ capabilities in Singapore and strengthening its position in the Asia-Pacific region.Paul Peters, CEO of SGS said, “This is a strategic addition to our recent acquisition of Underwater Contractors Pte. Ltd. Singapore (UWC). Creating a single platform under the SGS umbrella with the most advanced technologies, special repair equipment…

Inland Dredging Company helps keep commerce flowing on America’s inland waterway system.Dyersburg, Tenn. based Inland Dredging Company completed dredging projects spanning eight states and across four U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Districts. Beginning in July and finishing in December (2019), Inland Dredging crews dredged ports and harbors along the Mighty Mississippi River, Ouachita River, Red River, Black Warrior River, Atchafalaya River, Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway, and the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway from Apalachicola to Morgan City.Richard Jackson…

When President Xi Jinping made his first state visit this year to Myanmar and signed new infrastructure contracts, there was no indication of the obstacle about to trip up China's plan for railways, ports and highways around the world: the coronavirus.Travel restrictions to prevent the spread of the disease, which has now killed more than 1,800 people, have idled much of the world's second-largest economy and choked key elements of Xi's signature Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).Chinese workers cannot get to overseas projects…

European technology giant Wärtsilä will be supplying hybrid scrubber system packages for Norwegian Cruise Line's (NCL) Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway.According to a press note from Wärtsilä, the scrubber systems have been ‘specially customized to meet the specific needs’ of the two cruise ships – which included adapting ‘to meet the ships’ restricted space availability’.The scrubber systems will enable the 325 meters long cruise vessels to be in compliance with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) sulfur restriction legislation while operating on heavy fuel oil (HFO).

Dutch shipbuilding giant Damen Group said that its Damen Shipyards Sharjah (DSS) in the United Arab Emirates held a keel-laying ceremony for a new landing craft (LST 100) ordered by the Nigerian Navy.A press release from Damen said on February 17, 2020 said that the ceremony took place in the Sahrjah Hamriyah Free Zone on December 9, 2019.The start of the vessel’s construction was attended by Nigeria’s Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas.Damen has designed the Landing Ship Transport 100 (LST 100) for a range of duties including amphibious operations…

While owners have long recognized the link between clean hulls and lower fuel costs, lack of reliable data has slowed investments in optimizing hull performance. But with improved sensor technologies and data analysis tools, hull performance is getting a second look. Owners seeking to lower fuel costs and comply with pending regulations on emissions and invasive species often look to equipment manufacturers to meet their needs. From new efficient engine designs to alternative fuels, scrubbers to ballast water treatments systems, owners face some expensive decisions.

The world’s first adaptive ferry transit conducted during normal service took place last week on a vessel fully loaded with passengers and vehicles, demonstrated fully automatic control from dock to dock, Kongsberg Maritime  announced. The landmark crossing, a key step forward in the integration of autonomous technology into everyday shipping operations, was made possible by collaboration between shipping company Bastø Fosen, KONGSBERG and the Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA).The…

With the announcements that New York Waterway, a ferry operator running 32 boats around New York and New Jersey waters, had been largely shut down by the U.S. Coast Guard just prior to Thanksgiving, 2019, the reactions ranged from surprise to outright shock. There was also a great deal of grumbling, as commuters, the major customer group, endured delays on New York Waterway’s extensive network across the Hudson River, bringing New Jersey commuters into New York’s business districts.So, what happened?

Engines manufacturer MAN Energy Solutions has launched a new digital platform designed to enable the integration and exchange of original equipment manufacturers’ (OEM) data to promote industry collaboration in realizing the benefits of digital technology.The new platform, mýa, provides asset owners with a single, secure interface to data from multiple equipment manufacturers across the marine, power, and energy industries, among others.“Given the unique transformational challenges most industries are facing today…

Operator Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (Singapore) on Monday pleaded guilty in federal court to maintaining false and incomplete records relating to the discharge of bilge waste from the tanker vessel Topaz Express, a felony violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships.According to court documents and information presented in court, the defendants illegally dumped bilge waste from the Hong Kong-flagged Topaz Express directly into the ocean, without properly processing it through pollution prevention equipment.

As a new decade starts, offshore wind development continues to progress. Actually, it’s probably more accurate to write that the development of the development of offshore wind (OFW) continues to, uh, well, develop.Apologies for that mild sarcasm. But even a quick look-back at OFW always raises the same familiar question: is the glass half empty or half full?Consider developments in the east coast leader in offshore wind: New York.In a webinar in December New York’s NYSERDA –…

Integrated marine and subsea solutions provider Unique Group has announced the acquisition of the Australian-company Western Advance’s Marine Division.The provider of services and solutions for the offshore, subsea and life support industries also announced the appointment of Chris Forde as its new regional vice-president.Western Advance’s integration with Unique Group ties in with the Group’s strategy to enhance its portfolio of autonomous solutions for marine, offshore and subsea industry operations in the region.Harry Gandhi…

Island Offshore took delivery of Island Victory, a new offshore installation vessel, at VARD Langsten today (Friday, February 7, 2020).Upon delivery the vessel will head straight into operation, spending a couple of weeks in the spot market, before commencing a series of contracts – in the Barents Sea and the Gulf of Mexico – securing work for the vessel potentially throughout October this year.“We experience great interest for this vessel,” said Tommy Walaunet, Managing Director, Island Offshore Management AS. “Having jobs lined up in coming months, confirms this and is highly appreciated.

While it is generally agreed that the nascent offshore wind energy market in the U.S. will be a newbuild market, there is a repair and conversion possibility for some stacked OSVs.Though estimates on the pace of the offshore wind energy market in the U.S. vary widely, the direction is clear: offshore wind will be a huge marketplace for construction and support vessels to be deployed in U.S. waters over the next decade. The starting point for estimated vessel demand is the raft of projects along the U.S. East Coast, and to a lesser extent, in the Pacific waters, now in the pipeline.

The marine contractor in the international offshore oil and gas and renewables industry Heerema Marine Contractors (HMC) contracted Ulstein Verft shipyard in 2018 to provide design and engineering services to convert their deepwater construction vessel Aegir into a fast sailing heavy lift vessel (HLV).The vessel is now converted into a dedicated offshore heavy lift vessel. Aegir’s already massive 4,000-ton main crane and the fact that her hull design is based on Ulstein’s SOC 5000 heavy-lift vessel design…

MAN Energy Solutions launched a monitoring device for industrial lube oil.The MAN Fluid Monitor for lube oil is a light and robust system developed to meet the needs of the owners of industrial installations where lube-oil quality is a critical setting. It is said to enable owners to actively monitor – on an ongoing basis – the degradation and contamination of lube oil and protect their industrial assets. The fluid monitor immediately detects even the tiniest anomalies in the lube-oil systems of four stroke engines…

Finnish corporation Wärtsilä will supply its hybrid power conversion system for three new roro ferries being built at the Nanjing Jinling shipyard in China for Finnlines, part of the Italian Grimaldi Group. The order with Wärtsilä was placed in Q4 2019.The hybrid solution, which includes a 5000 kWh energy storage system, will enable these ships to operate with zero emissions while in port, and to meet the Registro Italiano Navale (RINA) Green Plus class notation. They will also…

German propulsion manufacturer SCHOTTEL announced it has been awarded a contract from Alabama shipbuilder Master Boat Builders to supply a total of six rudderpropellers for a pair of new tugs being constructed for U.S.-based Seabulk Towing Inc, a subsidiary of SEACOR Holdings Inc.Both Robert Allan Ltd.-designed newbuilds will feature the Advanced Rotortug (ART) design triangular propulsion system.The tugs will be propelled by three SCHOTTEL Rudderpropellers type SRP 430 FP with a propeller diameter of 2.4 meters, each driven by a 1,771-kilowatt diesel engine.

Marine lubricants and greases supplier Total Lubmarine has introduced its new WT SUPRA Coolant, an environmentally friendly inhibitor concentrate featuring the manufacturer's patented carboxylate technology.The new coolant, Total Lubmarine says, delivers extended service life and superior corrosion protection, providing a path to reduce operating costs, increase reliability, mitigate engine risks and reduce environmental impact.“We offer a solution to help increase operating performance and protection for both engine manufacturers and operators alike…

Online e-procurement portal for marine spares and equipment ShipParts.com is taking part in a project to investigate how additive manufacturing, more commonly known as 3D printing, could revolutionize the way in which spare parts are procured and delivered.ShipParts.com has been operating for some five years, and has built up a client base of more than 1,800+ buyers and around 17,000+ sellers actively trading on the platform. Sellers are from all corners of the globe, including European…

According to VesselsValue, the recent events have resulted in an increasingly pessimistic short term outlook for the Tanker market, after a positive autumn and winter."In short, factors contributing to supply growth and demand constriction have combined to bring down Tanker rates," it said.Last summer, the US put sanctions on a number of Chinese Tanker owners. Due to the opaque ownership structures of the fleets, charterers stayed well clear of any vessel possibly related, thus…