Healthcare News

ABB has been selected by Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) to supply a comprehensive grid-to-propeller solution for the new double-ended, hybrid-electric ferry that will provide essential services between the town of Lincolnville and the island community of Islesboro in the United States.ABB’s scope of supply covers the hybrid-electric propulsion and energy storage system. ABB’s Onboard DC Grid power distribution system will ensure optimal use of energy sources, while…

The MSC Foundation, the MSC Group and Mercy Ships International have joined forces to build a new hospital ship.On 8 April, the chairman of MSC Group and MSC Foundation, Capt. Gianluigi Aponte, MSC Group President and Member of the MSC Foundation Board, Diego Aponte, and Mercy Ships Founder, Don Stephens, finalized an agreement to kickstart the new project with a generous anchor donation from MSC Foundation.The new purpose-built hospital ship will expand the impact of Mercy Ships’ life-changing surgeries…

Ukrainian seafarers are experiencing increased levels of loneliness and depression amid fears of conscription if they return home as the war enters its third year, seafarer charity Stella Maris warns.Stella Maris regional port chaplains for Southampton and Southern ports, Charles Stuart and Gregory Hogan, who make multiple daily ship visits report Ukrainian seafarers are under increasing strain.“The initial stresses have been replaced by something else,” Hogan says. “At first…

DNV announced it has merged its existing cyber security business with two recently acquired companies, Nixu and Applied Risk.The merger brings together more than 500 cyber security experts to safeguard IT and industrial control system environments across multiple industries, including maritime and offshore energy. It follows DNV’s acquisition of Amsterdam-based industrial cyber security specialist Applied Risk in 2021, and the conclusion of DNV’s acquisition of Helsinki-headquartered cyber security services leader Nixu in December 2023.“Cyber security is a defining risk for the coming decade.

Stolt-Nielsen said that, after 23 years as Chief Executive Officer, Niels G. Stolt-Nielsen will step down from his role as CEO on September 1, 2023, and will assume the role of Chairman of the Board of Stolt-Nielsen Limited. He will be succeeded as CEO by Udo Lange.Lange, who will join Stolt-Nielsen as Chief Executive Officer on September 1, 2023, has more than 20 years of experience in the international trade industry, with expertise in freight forwarding, express and parcel logistics and airline catering.

Britain said on Wednesday it had leased a barge to house 500 migrants on its southern coast as part of efforts to reduce the use of costly hotels as temporary accommodation while asylum claims are being processed.Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made cracking down on illegal migration one of his top priorities ahead of an election expected next year and has set out plans to bar the entry of asylum seekers arriving in small boats across the Channel.The vessel, the Bibby Stockholm, will be berthed in Portland Port in Dorset and will accommodate 500 single adult males, Britain's interior ministry said.Migrants will be moved aboard "in the coming months" and it will be operational for at least 18 months…

Hornblower Group announced Karen DiFulgo has joined the company as Chief People Officer, responsible for leading the strategic and operational human resources initiatives across the company’s global portfolio. She will report to Adam Peakes, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Hornblower Group.DiFulgo comes to Hornblower from Benchmark Global Hospitality, where she served as the Chief People Officer. Prior to Benchmark, DiFulgo held senior roles in a variety…

Marine Group Boat Works (MGBW), a family-owned boat repair and construction facility, is pleased to announce that 30 of its boatbuilders recently graduated from MGBW’s in-house Welding Certification Program. The Welding Program was launched in 2021 with support from a Small Shipyards Grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD). In total, $859,250 was spent to develop the curriculum, secure an instructor, equip the welding classroom and…

Chevron Corp on Saturday received a U.S. license allowing the second-largest U.S. oil company to expand its production in Venezuela and bring the South American country's crude oil to the United States.The decision grants broader rights for the last big U.S. oil company still operating in U.S.-sanctioned Venezuela. However, it restricts any cash payments to Venezuela, which could reduce the oil available to export.License terms are designed to prevent state-run oil firm Petróleos de Venezuela, known as PDVSA PDVSA.UL, from receiving proceeds from Chevron's petroleum sales, U.S. officials said.

Global healthcare specialist VIKAND said the new Philippines office it opened with four staff members earlier this year has grown to 19 team members in a little over five months, demonstrating the the demand for crew mental and physical healthcare solutions in the seafarer hub.Peter Hult, VIKAND CEO, said, “Opening the office in Manila is an important milestone for VIKAND as it puts us at the center of one of the largest seafaring communities in the world. It means we can collaborate with stakeholders at a local level to better serve the healthcare needs of crew…

British marine air lubrication company Silverstream Technologies announced it has appointed Andrew Derodra as Chief Financial Officer.Derodra’s career spans senior finance and strategic roles in multiple sectors including FMCG, healthcare and software. He brings experience as CFO in FTSE-listed, private equity-owned and founder-led businesses, including in the delivery of shareholder value, equity and debt financing, and M&A.Derodra joins Silverstream as it scales up to deliver a decarbonization solution for application across the global maritime industry.

The Biden-Harris Administration on Friday announced new funding aimed at improving ferry service across the U.S. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration announced $172.2 million in Fiscal Year 2022 formula funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law improve ferry service and provide more travel options in 35 states and three territories.“Many Americans rely on ferry service as a primary means of travel, making it a critical connection to jobs, healthcare and other daily needs,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

For the poor, small South American country of Guyana, there's no time like the present when it comes to reaping the rewards of its offshore oil jackpot.With sky-high oil prices, a transition to renewable energy on the horizon, and 750,000 citizens desperate for better lives, Guyana is putting its foot on the gas to exploit its vast oil reserves, even if that means sacrificing some longer-term gains.Already locked into contracts with oil firms that have been criticized for being too one-sided…

Shanghai is slowly emerging from a grueling COVID lockdown that has all but immobilized the city since March. Although Shanghai’s port, which handles one-fifth of China’s shipping volumes, has been operating throughout, it has been running at severely reduced capacity. Many shipments have either been canceled, postponed, or rerouted to other Chinese mega-ports such as Ningbo-Zhousan.With the city due to fully reopen on June 1, the port is going to be in overdrive as manufacturers try to fulfil backlogs, with serious knock-on effects around the world.

French shipping firm CMA CGM will take a stake in Air France-KLM as part of an air cargo partnership, betting on growing demand for flying goods around the world as supply chains remain snarled in the wake of the pandemic.CMA CGM will take up to 9% of Air France-KLM, worth about 240 million euros ($252 million) based on Tuesday's closing price, part of a possible capital increase by the airline group for the duration of their partnership that is initially set to run for 10 years…

Hong Kong is in "all-out combat" to contain a surge in coronavirus cases, the city's number two official said on Sunday, with the ramping up of community isolation and treatment units helped by mainland Chinese construction teams.Scenes of people lying outside public hospitals in the rain and chilly weather have shocked many in the global financial hub, leading to an apology from authorities. Officials have now organized facilities to shelter patients amid a drop in temperatures as healthcare facilities are overwhelmed.Officials reported 6…

Container shipping rates from China to the United States have scaled fresh highs above $20,000 per 40-foot box as rising retailer orders ahead of the peak U.S. shopping season add strain to global supply chains.The acceleration in Delta-variant COVID-19 outbreaks in several counties has slowed global container turnaround rates.Typhoons off China's busy southern coast in late July and this week have also contributed to the crisis gripping the world's most important method for moving…

While many challenges remain to deliver the full promise of U.S. offshore wind, so too do opportunities. Robert Galinski, DNV’s Offshore Wind Director, Americas discusses the pace and direction of the U.S. offshore wind market from the perspective of class.While Robert Galinski has served as DNV’s Offshore Wind Director, Americas, for just about one year, he is well-versed and long-tenured in the offshore wind sector in Europe and the U.S. for more than a decade, starting his career in offshore wind managing the fabrication…

Maritime medical operations and public health provider VIKAND said it has entered into a multiyear agreement with Azamara to manage all medical operations aboard its four-ship fleet. Holistically designed for Azamara Quest, Azamara Journey, Azamara Pursuit, and the newest ship in the fleet, Azamara Onward, VIKAND’s comprehensive approach to cruise line healthcare includes medical facility operations, outbreak prevention and mitigation, emergency support, formulary and biomedical equipment management, medical staffing, and ongoing consultation.

Fincantieri-led consortium Raggruppamento Temporaneo di Impresa (RTI) has won a contract to build a second Logistic Support Ship (LSS) for the Italian Navy, which also includes the option for a third ship.The consortium signed the contract with OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Cooperation sur l’Armement) the international organization for joint armament cooperation.The LSS will be fully built at the Castellammare di Stabia shipyard in Italy, with delivery scheduled for 2025. The value of the contract is around  410 million euros ($462,3 million) including the combat system.

As the global cruise industry returns to service, DNV delivers a project for a UVD Robot from Green Instruments and prepares for further demand increase of its Product Assurance service tailored to infection prevention and control for the maritime industry as the benefit of the service is realized.COVID-19 hit the maritime industry hard, in particular, the cruise sector. Since the start of the pandemic, DNV had been called on by vessel owners and operators to support their efforts to address the safety of their passengers, crew, and destinations.

Mercy Ships is known globally for its charitable work performing medical procedures in developing countries. For the first time, the organization has a new ship, Global Mercy, recently delivered from a shipyard in China. Jim Paterson, Marine Executive Consultant, Mercy Ships takes Maritime Reporter & Engineering News inside the construction of the world’s largest civilian hospital ship.Jim Paterson already had a career and Chief Engineer’s Certificate when he joined Mercy Ships nearly 34 years ago, in search of a life change to make a difference.

Since the 1980s there has been a remarkable revival of ferry services in many U.S. waterfront cities, but COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on the most profitable component of these services: the commuter runs. With post-COVID work-at-home arrangements and part-week in-office work, these ferry services have suffered a tremendous loss of income. But there are glimmers of hope that a recovery is likely, although in a different form, in a different world.Commuter runs are often the bread and butter portion of a ferry services…