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Inea News

02 Mar 2022

Distressed Venezuelan Supertanker Discharging Oil Cargo in Asia - Sources

A U.S.-sanctioned Venezuela-owned supertanker that had mechanical problems since January is transferring its 2-million-barrel cargo of heavy crude to other vessels in Asia, according to three people familiar with the matter.The very large crude carrier (VLCC) Maximo Gorki left Venezuela in November amid an export push designed to generate funds for cash-strapped state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), which has been under U.S. trading sanctions since 2019.Aging infrastructure problems, including a lack of oil storage and vessels, frequent refinery outages and export port congestion, are undermining PDVSA's increased oil production, impeding efforts to boost revenue, according to company documents and sources.

19 Jan 2021

US Blacklists Tankers, Oil Traders Undermining Venezuela Sanctions

The United States on Tuesday sanctioned a network of oil trading firms, individuals and vessels that have helped Venezuelan state-run oil company PDVSA sell crude mainly to Asia despite Washington's sanctions on the South American nation.The measure targets a network that the U.S. Treasury Department says helped the administration of President Nicolas Maduro, whose 2018 re-election Washington called a sham, broker the sale of hundreds of millions of dollars in Venezuelan oil."Those facilitating the illegitimate Maduro regime's attempts to circumvent United States sanctions contribute to the corruption that consumes Venezuela," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a news release.The Treasury said its Office of Foreign Assets Control…

01 Oct 2020

PDVSA to Install Ship-to-ship Hub Away from Shore

Š Vladimir / Adobe Stock

Venezuela's state-run oil firm PDVSA is informing customers about a new hub for doing ship-to-ship transfers for exports in a location away from shore, a shift that could mean higher costs and less supervision, according to three sources.More than two-thirds of Venezuela's oil exports leave from the Jose terminal on the country's eastern coast, a large and heavily supervised facility with two monobuoys for exports and connected through pipelines to several crude upgraders.But with U.S.

03 Sep 2020

PDVSA, Eni Looking at Options to Offload Oil from Idle FSO

Venezuela's state-run PDVSA and Eni are looking at options to safely offload crude from a floating storage facility on Venezuela's eastern coast that has remained idle for over a year due to U.S. sanctions, according to sources close to the discussions and a statement from the Italian oil company.The companies suspended output at their joint venture Petrosucre shortly after Washington imposed sanctions on PDVSA in January 2019, depriving the partnership of its main crude buyer, PDVSA's U.S.-based refining subsidiary Citgo Petroleum.About 1.3 million barrels of Corocoro crude stored at the FSO (floating storage and offloading facility) have remained stuck in the vessel…

09 Mar 2020

Venezuelan Detains More than 30 PDVSA Workers

At least 38 workers from Venezuela's state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela’s, including the president of maritime subsidiary PDV Marina, were detained on accusations of trafficking fuel, Venezuelan Interior Minister Nestor Reverol said on Saturday, describing the accusations as "treason."The move comes just days after other state officials were detained and amid a shakeup at PDVSA after President Nicolas Maduro last month named a committee to restructure the OPEC nation’s oil industry, which is struggling under U.S. sanctions designed to force Maduro’s ouster, as well as years of mismanagement, corruption, and declining cash flow.On Friday…

20 Aug 2019

Fire Hits PDVSA Tanker at Amuay Bay

A fire swept through the engine room of a tanker owned by Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA on Monday while it was anchored at Amuay Bay near the country's largest refinery, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday.The extent of the damage to the Panama-flagged Aframax tanker Proteo was not immediately clear. But it highlighted the poor state of much of the fleet belonging to PDV Marina, PDVSA's shipping subsidiary, at a time when U.S. sanctions are complicating its ability to lease vessels from third parties.Even before this fire, the Proteo had been inoperative, one of the sources said."The vessel is currently inoperative.

26 Jun 2019

First European Dual-Fuel Dredger Conversion

The ‘Samuel de Champlain‘ (picture courtesy Dragages-Ports)

Damen Shiprepair & Conversion has signed off on the conversion of a dredger to dual-fuel operation on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and marine gas oil (MGO), and which is powered by MAN 35/44DF engines.The conversion of the ‘Samuel de Champlain’ is the first of its kind in Europe and is part of an EU-supported initiative to promote LNG propulsion in short-sea vessels operating along the European Atlantic coast.The 117m, 8,500m³ trailing suction hopper dredger is owned by Rouen-based GIE Dragages-Ports and operated by Port of Nantes-Saint-Nazaire.

20 Jun 2019

Dredger Converted to Dual-fuel

Photo: Damen

The first European dredger converted to dual-fuel LNG/MGO propulsion has departed Damen Shiprepair Dunkerque (DSDu) to return to work, 23 months after contract signing. The 117m, 8,500 cu. m. trailing suction hopper dredger Samuel de Champlain is owned by Rouen-based GIE Dragages-Ports and operated by the Port of Nantes-Saint-Nazaire. Damen delivered a turnkey package that included engineering, procurement, installation, commissioning and support. Key features included changing of the engines to dual-fuel (LNG/Diesel) models…

14 Nov 2018

ForSea Completes ABB Powered Battery Ferry Conversion

Power on Ferry (Credit Forsea)

Inauguration of Tycho Brahe and Aurora marks successful completion of a high-profile conversion project with ABB’s technology at its heart.The largest emission-free ferries in the world have been officially welcomed into service after guests boarded Tycho Brahe in Helsingborg, Sweden and Helsingør, Denmark on November 9 for a special inauguration ceremony marking completion of an all-electric conversion.“We are delighted that the entire system is in place to support the emissions-free operations we envisaged from the outset,” said Johan Röstin, CEO, ForSea.

09 Nov 2018

HH Ferries Launches Battery-powered Passenger Vessels

Swedish HH Ferries Group has inaugurated the two ferries Aurora and Tycho Brahe as the world’s largest battery-powered passenger ferries on the route between Helsingborg, Sweden and Helsingör, Denmark.A press release from the owner of the ferry route which is marketed under the trademark Scandlines Helsingborg-Helsingör quoted Johan Röstin, CEO as saying: “Today’s official inauguration marks a milestone for HH Ferries Group’s green strategy. The ambitious project reduces the company’s total emissions of CO2, NOx and particles by 65% when the two high-frequency ferries are powered by green electricity."He added: "That is great news for the environment in and around Öresund and for customers and inhabitants in our local area.

29 Jun 2018

European Commission Signs Grant Agreement: Official Start of NAVAIS

Photo: Netherlands Maritime Technology

With the signature of INEA (Innovation & Networks Executive Agency of the European Commission) on the Grant Agreement of NAVAIS, the project officially started on June, 1 2018. NAVAIS is a multiannual research- and innovation program for the shipbuilding industry. The results of NAVAIS will increase efficiency in design and flexibility in production networks. In total, the European Commission will invest € 6.5 million Euros ($7.5 mln) over a period of four years, by means of the Horizon 2020 program, the research- and innovation program of the European Commission.

14 May 2018

Europe’s First LNG Dredger Conversion Underway

(Photo: Damen)

Work has kicked off at Damen Shiprepair Dunkerque to convert the trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) Samuel de Champlain from diesel-electric propulsion to dual-fuel capability combining marine gas oil (MGO) and liquefied natural gas (LNG). A ceremony was held at the yard to mark the first cutting of steel for the prefabrication of a new section of hull that will hold the new generators and other equipment.Present at the occasion were Jean-Pierre Guellec, CEO of GIE Dragages-Ports…

14 Dec 2017

Damen to Convert Dredger to Dual-fuel LNG/MGO

(Photo: Damen)

Damen Shiprepair & Conversion has been awarded a contract to undertake the conversion of a dredger to dual-fuel capability combining LNG and MGO – a first of its kind project in Europe. The contract was awarded by Rouen-based GIE Dragages-Ports with regard to its 117m, 8500m³ trailing suction hopper dredger Samuel de Champlain, and the works will take place next year at Damen Shiprepair Dunkerque. The conversion is part of an EU-supported initiative to promote LNG propulsion in short-sea vessels operating along the European Atlantic coast.

15 Jun 2017

Langh Tech Scrubber Honored

Photo: Langh Tech

The scrubber from Langh Tech received the Baltic Sea Clean Maritime Award at the Baltic Sea Forum in Berlin. The third-place award was handed to Langh Group’s Chairman of the Board, Maritime Counsellor Hans Langh by Professor Kurt Bodewig, European Coordinator Baltic-Adriatic. The Forum was organized in connection with the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) Annual Forum. The Baltic Sea Clean Maritime Award is awarded to innovative and environmentally friendly solutions and ideas, which promote the well-being of the Baltic Sea.

06 Dec 2016

ABB to Power Emission-free Electric Ferries

ABB’s project to convert two HH Ferries’ vessels into the world’s largest emission-free ferries is gathering pace after Öresund Dry Docks was selected to carry out the work. M/F Tycho Brahe and M/F Aurora will both be fitted with 4.16 MW of batteries and the containers with the battery racks will be lifted on board in February 2017. The dry-docking of the first vessel, Tycho Brahe, will begin in April and it will start operating as a fully electric ferry immediately when work is completed. Aurora will undergo the same process in October 2017. This highly innovative project also includes the installation of four fully automated shore-side charging arms and these are currently under construction in ABB´s factories.

03 Oct 2016

PBES Lithium Energy Storage for HH Ferries

Photo: PBES

Plan B Energy Storage (PBES) said it has secured the energy storage supply contract for the two largest battery-powered ferries in the world. Each of the two Scandlines Helsingborg-Helsingör ferries will have 4.16 MWh batteries to provide power for primary propulsion. The fully electric ferries will carry their part of more than 7.4 million passengers and 1.9 million vehicles annually with zero emissions. The energy storage system, designed by PBES with a proprietary liquid cooling system that provides a higher level of safety to marine customers…

21 Jun 2016

ABB to Power Emission-free Electric Ferries

Photo: HH Ferries

ABB informs it will supply the complete power and propulsion systems for two HH Ferries Group vessels to become the world´s largest emission-free electric ferries. The modernizations utilize turnkey ABB solutions including batteries, an energy storage control system and Onboard DC Grid technology. At both ends of the route ABB will supply the first automated shore-side charging stations using an ABB industrial robot, to optimize the connection time and therefore maximize the charging period.

18 Feb 2015

EU Backs Green Ferries Conversion

Image: TEN-T Executive Agency

The EU's TEN-T Program will provide more than €2 million to back the upgrade of two ferries navigating in the Baltic Sea to the mixed use of electricity and fuel. The new hybrid propulsion system will help to reduce the environmental impact of ships, as well as secure the operability and stability of the vessels. The new EU regulation requires all vessels travelling in European waters to cut down the emission of sulphur oxide (SO) from 2015 onwards to decrease environmental pollution.

17 Feb 2015

EU to Support Studies on Upgrading the Port of Hamburg

Photo courtesy of Port of Hamburg

The EU's TEN-T Program will invest over $767,000 in a study on introducing an intelligent traffic management system in the port of Hamburg in Germany. The study is to contribute to an optimized use of the port's infrastructure, reduced traffic-related pollution, faster transport and cargo handling and improved road safety. The study will look into ways to improve the utilisation rates and cost-effectiveness of existing infrastructure and facilities in the Port of Hamburg by introducing an intelligent traffic management system in both the existing and planned truck and car parks.

28 Jan 2015

Sweden-Poland Maritime Link Improved

The EU's TEN-T Program will co-fund with over €2 million the development of the sea ports of Trelleborg (Sweden) and Świnoujście (Poland), to increase their competitiveness and sustainability, as well as improve the maritime link between both countries. The project covers works and studies with the objective to develop the infrastructure and upgrade ICT at the Port of Trelleborg, as well as prepare grounds for the construction of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering facility at Świnoujście. The project will extend the fairway and build two breakwaters and two pier heads at the Port of Trelleborg to ensure safe and efficient ship maneuvers, as well as increase the port's sea-based capacity and accessibility.

22 Jan 2015

EU Backs Dover Strait Sea Connection

Photo courtesy: Ten-T Program

The EU's TEN-T Program will back with over $16.25million the improvement of the sea connection between Dover in The UK and Calais in France. The developments include better traffic management, berth enhancements and a new rail freight connection between Calais and southern France. The project will focus on innovative solutions to adapt and enhance the current transport infrastructure and improve the traffic management across the Strait of Dover. The action will have a positive impact by encouraging modal shift and reducing the carbon footprint of transport…

19 Jan 2015

EU Mulls Green Maritime Transport in Greece

The EU’s TEN-T Program will invest almost €600,000 in a study for the promotion of LNG use in Greek maritime transport. The greener and cheaper LNG could contribute to reducing transport emissions and fuel supply costs in the Aegean Sea, INEA, the European Commission’s Innovation and Networks Executive Agency said in a statement. The study aims to promote LNG for the passenger and shipping transport between the Greek islands. It will bring together a number of key LNG value chain stakeholders with the objective to identify the technical and economic framework for LNG as marine fuel in the South Aegean. Specifically, the group will look into the main supply chain options, required retrofits and infrastructure in ports, ships and shipyards, as well as business plans for each operator.

16 Dec 2014

New Bridge Over Port of Malmö Gets EU Support

Photo courtesy of EU

The EU's TEN-T Program will co-finance with over $1.24 million preparatory studies for the construction of a rail and road bridge over the Port of Malmö in Sweden. The new bridge will help to improve the cargo transfer at the port and improve the national rail capacity. The studies will prepare the construction of the bridge and the adaptation of the rail and road infrastructure at the port area. They will clarify the overall layout of the new transport network and provide detailed plans for the bridge, including an environmental and public welfare study.