Maritime Law & Regulations News

German-Spanish  wind turbine manufacturing giant Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) has agreed a $225m deal to buy 8.9GW of the European onshore service business of embattled Germany-based rival Senvion along with its smaller rival’s blade factory in Portugal.Senvion´s European service assets will strengthen Siemens Gamesa´s capacity and potential in an important segment. The acquisition of a Service fleet of 8.9GW from Senvion will take Siemens Gamesa to a total of nearly 69GW under maintenance…

Russian energy company Gazprom said that six companies of the Group – Gazprom Dobycha Astrakhan, Gazprom Transgaz Samara, Gazprom Transgaz Saratov, Gazprom Transgaz Tchaikovsky, Gazprom Transgaz Ufa, and Gazprom Transgaz Volgograd – will join the tax monitoring regime on January 1, 2020.The conglomerate, which carries on the business of extraction, production, transport, and sale of natural gas, is actively working to integrate the Group's companies into the tax monitoring system.The…

A proposed “Blue Fund” to help combat illicit ship pollution in the Mediterranean is set to be studied by States and stakeholders working to protect the Mediterranean marine environment.According to a press note from  International Maritime Organization (IMO), this was agreed at a meeting of the regional network for law enforcement officials of the Mediterranean, known as Mediterranean Network of Law Enforcement Officials relating to MARPOL within the framework of the Barcelona Convention (MENELAS) - organized by REMPEC…

Auditing International Maritime Organization (IMO) Member States to assess how effectively they administer key IMO instruments is an important part of the Organization’s work to create a regulatory framework for the shipping industry that is universally adopted and implemented.To support this process, new audit team leaders were trained under IMO’s Member State Audit Scheme (IMSAS) at a course held at IMO Headquarters, London (14-17 October).The course involved thirteen auditors…

Clean Arctic Alliance has welcome MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company's decision to avoid Arctic shipping route as a new short cut between northern Europe and Asia.Clean Arctic Alliance lead advisor Dr Sian Prior was responding to the announcement that shipping company MSC “will not explore or use the Northern Sea Route between Europe and Asia for container shipping” and that it believes that shipping lines should focus on reducing the environmental impact of existing shipping…

The Cook Islands and Sao Tome and Principe have become the latest States to become Party to the Cape Town Agreement on fishing vessel safety.These small nations deposited their instruments of accession during the Torremolinos Ministerial Conference on Fishing Vessel Safety and Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing (21-23 October).At the same time, they joined 44 other countries (46 in total) signing the Torremolinos Declaration, a non-legally binding political instrument.By signing the Declaration…

An Iranian tanker damaged in the Red Sea two weeks ago has entered Iranian territorial waters, the official IRNA news agency reported on Monday, citing information from the National Iranian Tanker Company.The tanker will dock at Kharg Island in two days, the report said.Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said last week that the tanker, the Sabiti, had been hit by at least two rockets, and there is video footage of the incident.The attack was undoubtedly carried out by a government and there would be consequences…

Two large-capacity Sovcomflot tankers using cleaner-burning LNG as a primary fuel, Mendeleev Prospect and Lomonosov Prospect, have successfully completed their respective voyages eastbound along the Northern Sea Route (NSR).Lomonosov Prospect has reached Cape Dezhnev, the easternmost end of the NSR, at 05:50 Moscow time on October 16, 2019. Mendeleev Prospect did the same three days later, at 13:00 Moscow time on October 19, 2019. Both vessels, bound for China with a cargo of crude oil from the Port of Primorsk…

Acknowledging the need to be a leader in the transition to a lower carbon future and eventually net zero emissions, global trade association Interferry convened its 44th annual conference on the theme of innovation - exploring the potential to transform every aspect of the ferry industry. The drive towards zero-emission ferries captured major attention among a record 420 delegates drawn to London earlier this month by a wide-ranging technical, operational and commercial agenda.

Semco Maritime AS (Norway) has signed a framework agreement with the Armed Forces.Semco Maritime AS has entered into a framework agreement with the Norwegian Defense Logistics Organization (FLO)The agreement covers the navy / coastguard vessels at Haakonsvern base and all assignments under this agreement will be handled from Semco Maritime’s shipyard at Hanøytangen.The agreement, which has a duration of four years, has an option of an additional three yearsThe agreement has a…

Singapore state investor Temasek Holdings is offering to buy control of conglomerate Keppel Corp in a S$4.1 billion ($3 billion) deal that could hasten a consolidation in the rig building sector which is battling the effects of low oil prices.The announcement, which confirmed what two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters earlier on Monday, boosted shares in rig builder Sembcorp Marine by 12% on expectations of a likely shake-up in the industry. Shares in Sembcorp's parent Sembcorp Industries rose 10%.Keppel's offshore and marine unit…

Qatari shipping and maritime company Qatar Gas Transport Company (Nakilat) reported a 10.5% year-on-year increase in net profit to QR728mn (USD 200 million) in the first nine months of this year.Nakilat, which has the largest LNG shipping fleet in the world, comprising 69 vessels, said in a press note that its positive financial performance can be primarily attributed to better operational performance in managing its liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)…

Dutch shipbuilding giant and Maris Projects, a player in marine and oceanographic data management services,  have joined forces to tackle the issue of invasive Sargassum seaweed in the Caribbean region – including the Dutch Caribbean Islands.The partners are working towards the developments of a holistic solution. The work of the two companies is expected to greatly increase knowledge of bio-processing, leading to the design of efficient and scalable technologies with the capability to deliver both environmental and socio-economic benefits.A significant – and to date…

Ammonia and hydrogen are promising potential fuels of the future in a de-carbonized shipping industry, which has to switch to alternative, zero carbon fuels in order to meet the targets set out in the initial  International Maritime Organization (IMO) strategy on reduction of GHG emissions from ships, an IMO symposium on sulfur 2020 and alternative fuels heard on Friday (18 October).Setting the scene, IMO's Edmund Hughes said the initial GHG strategy, adopted in 2018, had sent a clear signal that shipping will need to adapt.

Freight rates eased further on Friday, especially for the largest oil tankers, promising some recovery for West African oil prices which had touched multi-year lows. VLCC freight costs eased more rapidly than smaller Suezmaxes, making it less advantageous to ship on the latter. Prices for Suezmaxes were estimated around world scale 190-200, with one European buyer estimating further relief to around 150 by the end of next week.Nigeria's NNPC cut its November official selling price for Bonny Light crude to dated Brent plus 58 cents per barrel and for Qua Iboe to plus 63 cents per barrel…

The Office of Merchant Mariner Credentialing published changes to five Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circulars (NVICs) concerning qualification for certain Merchant Mariner Credential Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, as amended (STCW) endorsements.NVICs 04-14, 08-14, and 09-14 were revised to provide guidance on renewal of STCW endorsements for Proficiency in Survival Craft, Proficiency in Survival Craft-Limited, Basic Training, and…

Shell Marine has published a new White Paper that offers ship owners and operators the critical guidance they need on cylinder oils and engine care to transition successfully through the IMO global cap on fuel sulphur content from January 1, 2020.‘IMO 2020 Ready’ from Shell Marine sets out the commercial, operational and technical challenges faced by customers before, during and after the regulatory deadline. The publication gives in-depth guidance on the cylinder oils best suited…

SAFE Boats International (SAFE), delivered boats 17, 18 and 19 to the marine division of the New York Fire Department during the month of August. Since 2006 SAFE has successfully built and delivered a variety of boats to FDNY ranging in size from a 27’ full cabin vessel with firefighting equipment all the way up to the 64’ “Bravest” with three separate fire pump stations that went into service in 2011.The three latest additions to the FDNY fleet are 33’ full cabin boats. They are the 11th, 12th and 13th boats of that size and configuration.

A Singapore company has paid a NOK 7 million ($763,000) fine after it was caught trying to illegally export a barge carrier vessel from Norway for scrapping on the beaches in Pakistan, Norwegian authorities said.In 2017, inspectors from the Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA) detained the Harrier, previously named Tide Carrier, when it suffered an engine failure and started to drift outside Jæren in Rogaland. Wirana Shipping Corporation, a company which buys discarded ships and sells them to scrap yards at beaches in India and Pakistan…

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, which tracks rates for ships ferrying dry bulk commodities, extended losses for a sixth consecutive session on Friday, on weak demand across all vessel segments.The Baltic index, which reflects rates for capesize, panamax and supramax vessels, dropped 6 points, or 0.3%, to 1,855. The overall index posted its fifth weekly loss in six, closing 3.6% lower.The capesize index was down by 17 points, or 0.6%, at 3,064, falling for a sixth straight session.

U.S. crude exports to Asia, which have slumped due to record freight costs, stirred on Thursday as rates slid and the premium in Asia for Russia's ESPO Blend oil sent buyers back to U.S. grades, according to market sources.Oil shipping costs for United States Gulf Coast to Asia cooled this week from record highs on the prospect of more vessels becoming available. Nearly 300 oil tankers globally were placed off limits due to U.S. sanctions on Iran and Venezuela.Seventeen supertankers returned to service in October after being sidelined for overhauls, as 11 entered drydocks.

A global network of maritime technology cooperation centers has completed an impressive array of pilot projects over the past three years, helping to drive forward the changes which are required to reduce GHG emissions from shipping.Five regional Maritime Technology Cooperation Centres (MTCCs) have been established under the Global Maritime Technology Cooperation Centers (GMN) Project, which is funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Maritime Organization (IMO)…

European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) congratulates Port of Barcelona (Spain), Port of Vigo (Spain) and Port of Baku (Azerbaijan) for getting EcoPorts’ environmental management standard (PERS).Isabelle Ryckbost, ESPO’s Secretary General, handed over the PERS certificates to the ports’ representatives during the Green Port Congress in Oslo.“I would like to congratulate Port of Barcelona and Port of Vigo for renewing EcoPorts’ environmental standard and Port of Baku for obtaining it for the first time.

The International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS) is mandatory instrument addressing the safety and security of ships, ports, cargo and crew, says International Maritime Organization (IMO).According to the UN body, it contains detailed security-related requirements for Governments, port authorities and shipping companies to ensure preventive measures can be taken if a security threat is determined.Maldives has become the latest country to receive maritime security training from IMO on the ISPS Code…

The GMN global network of maritime technology cooperation centers has completed numerous pilot projects over the past three years, helping to drive forward the changes which are required to reduce GHG emissions from shipping. A global network of maritime technology cooperation centers has completed an impressive array of pilot projects over the past three years, helping to drive forward the changes which are required to reduce GHG emissions from shipping.Five regional Maritime…

Two shipping companies incorporated in Liberia pled guilty today in federal court in Wilmington, Delaware, to failing to notify the U.S. Coast Guard of a hazardous condition on one if its vessels and to violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) by presenting false documents to the Coast Guard that covered up vessel oil pollution.Jeffrey Bossert Clark, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware announced the plea agreement.

Lloyd’s Maritime Academy launched a new portfolio of courses focusing on Technology and Innovation. “Digitalization is becoming part of everyday life within shipping where techniques from other industries such as big data and cyber security are being adopted," said Paul Napper, Course Developer at Lloyd’s Maritime Academy. "It’s important that people working within maritime have a strong understanding of these techniques and the positive impact they can have. Maritime assets such as ships are expensive therefore…

The main cruise ship operators in French waters have agreed on measures to limit pollution caused by their vessels, including hooking up to the power grid instead of keeping their engines running during stopovers.The "Blue Charter" agreement signed in Marseille by Costa Cruises, MSC Cruises, Royal Carribean Cruises and Ponant also pledged to use less-polluting fuel when manoeuvring in harbours as well as other measures to reduce emissions.The four signatories transport 95% of the passengers and account for 85% of the stopovers in Marseille…

Malaysia needs to boost its naval capabilities to prepare for possible conflict in the South China Sea, its foreign minister said on Thursday, even as Southeast Asia's third-largest economy pursues non-militarisation of the disputed waterway.Tensions have escalated in recent weeks, especially after a U.S. Navy destroyer sailed near islands claimed by China last month as a challenge to what the U.S. Navy described as excessive Chinese territorial claims in the region.Foreign Minister…

Malaysia is negotiating with countries sending their plastic waste to the Southeast Asian nation to take back the trash and is waiving storage fees to clear hundreds of containers of scrap stranded at ports across the country for months, officials say.Malaysia last year became the world's main destination for plastic waste after China banned imports of scrap.The Southeast Asian country upped scrutiny after huge inflows and stopped many containers that looked to unload scrap in Malaysia without the required permits…

At approximately 6:20 AM this morning, the Office of Congressman Elijah E. Cummings Released the Following Statement:At approximately 2:30 A.M. on Thursday October 17, 2019, Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (MD-07) passed away at Gilchrist Hospice Care, a Johns Hopkins affiliate, due to complications concerning longstanding health challenges. More details will be forthcoming.The energetic Cummings was best known in maritime circles for his time spent as chair of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation where…

Navios Maritime Partners L.P., an international owner and operator of dry cargo vessels, managed to repay a major loan amounting to USD 418.5 million by combining three types of refinancing.Angeliki Frangou, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Navios Partners stated, “We are pleased with the refinancing of the Term Loan B as we devoted a great deal of effort to achieving this result. Through a combination of cash, commercial bank debt and sale and leaseback transactions, we…

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, which tracks rates for ships ferrying dry bulk commodities, fell to a one-week low on Wednesday, on weaker demand for all vessel segments.The Baltic index, which reflects rates for capesize, panamax and supramax vessels, was down 1 point at 1,897, extending losses to a fourth session.The capesize index fell 10 points, or 0.3%, to 3,194. The average daily earnings for capesizes, which typically transport 170,000-180,000 tonne cargoes such as iron ore and coal…

U.S. sanctions imposed last month on subsidiaries of vast Chinese shipping fleet Cosco have given an unexpected boost to European refiners as less crude oil from the North Sea and West Africa heads east, traders and analysts said.Freight rates have soared as oil producers scramble for non-blacklisted vessels, discouraging longer-distance voyages.Complex refining margins for advanced facilities capable of extracting even more valuable products like diesel and gasoline, have been especially strong in Europe, industry sources said.The U.S.

Marlink and Intelsat have announced that the companies have agreed to a multi-year renewal and expansion of their partnership to provide broadband services to maritime vessels around the world. The multi-year agreement will deliver additional throughput to vessels via multiple layers of space-based coverage, ensuring that ship owners and operators have the flexibility and access to reliable, high-quality, always-on connectivity.Initiated in 2014, the partnership between Marlink and Intelsat enabled Marlink to enhance its extensive portfolio of maritime VSAT services.

The twists and turns of any marine casualty investigation can be unpredictable, but what is predictable is the potentially crushing cost to defend your license, livelihood and professional reputation.It was early afternoon on a late summer day in a busy commercial and fishing port in coastal New England. The captain of an offshore supply vessel was returning to his company’s dock and was lining up to transit past the harbor’s fixed storm mitigation gate when he decided to ‘bail out’ on his approach because the tide was ebbing and the outbound current of approximately two knots was offsetting his vessel to the east. No stranger to these waters…

The White House is warning Chinese shipping companies against turning off their ships' transponders to hide Iranian oil shipments in violation of U.S. sanctions, two senior administration officials said."We've been messaging very heavily to the shipping companies, you don't want to do this, it's not worth it," said one official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. "It's incredibly dangerous and irresponsible behavior."China is the largest remaining buyer of Iranian oil after U.S. President Donald Trump reimposed sanctions on Tehran's main export. Trump tightened U.S.

The Maritime And Port Authority (MPA) of Singapore has stripped marine fuel services provider Inter-Pacific Petroleum (IPP) of its bunker craft operator licence in the port of Singapore, effective immediately.Inter-Pacific will not be allowed to operate tankers used to load marine fuel, known as bunker fuel, onto ships in the Port of Singapore, MPA says in a statement.As part of MPA’s ongoing efforts to ensure the integrity of bunkering in Singapore, checks were conducted on Inter…

The Gulf of Guinea remains a high risk area  for piracy and armed robbery, according to the International Chamber of Commerce International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) report for the third quarter of 2019. The region accounts for 86% of crew taken hostage and nearly 82% of crew kidnappings globally, it said.In July a general cargo vessel was hijacked approximately 120nm SW from Brass. Ten crew members were kidnapped from the vessel and released four weeks later. In August a bulk carrier and a general cargo vessel were boarded within hours of each other at Douala anchorage…

International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s rules and regulations for suppressing unlawful acts against the safety of navigation can be seen in the wider context of the global fight against terrorism.The United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (UNCTED) carries out assessment visits to countries to assess their compliance with various international security instruments and UN Security Council resolutions.IMO took part in a follow-up visit to the United Kingdom (7-11 October) together with experts from Interpol…

Britain said on Tuesday it would complete a plan next year to achieve net zero emissions from all forms of transport, as climate change activists targeted the transport ministry.Britain is the first G7 country to commit to a net zero greenhouse gas emissions target for 2050."From driving our cars, to catching a train or taking a flight abroad, it is crucial that we ensure transport is as environmentally friendly as possible," said transport secretary Grant Schapps.Due to be complete next year, the plan will set out in detail what government, business and society must do to deliver the signific

USDA Study Underscores Value of Inland Waterways to U.S. Agriculture.On August 28, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and Assistant Secretary of the Army (ASA) for Civil Works R.D. James toured Mel Price Locks and Dam in Alton, Illinois, and held a Town Hall Meeting to discuss the importance of the waterways,  agriculture and the U.S. economy. At the event, Secretary Perdue briefed agricultural and waterways stakeholders on a newly released study – Importance of Inland Waterways to U.S. Agriculture – from the U.S.

Hungarian prosecutors are expected to charge the captain of a cruise ship that struck and sank a small tourist vessel on the River Danube, killing 28 mostly Korean tourists, after police finished their investigation, officials said on Tuesday.The tourist boat Mermaid, with 35 people on board, sank in seconds in May after the river cruiser hit it from behind under a bridge in the Hungarian capital during heavy rain, in the worst disaster on the Danube in more than half a century.Lawyers for the Ukrainian cruiser captain, identified by police as 64-year-old C. Yuriy from Odessa, who has been in custody since he was arrested after the incident, have said he is devastated but did nothing wrong.

France wants the European Union to work on creating a tax on airplane and ship fuels as part of a push to rein in carbon emissions, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Tuesday.Le Maire said the tax would complement plans supported by France and Germany for a carbon border tax that would shield European companies from competition from countries with lower emissions standards."It's incomprehensible that carbon emissions targets were set for cars and not for airplanes and ships.

The United States Coast Guard Marine Safety Alert 06-19 (USCG MSA 06-19) outlines a February 2019 incident aboard a deep draft commercial vessel that called on the Port of New York / New Jersey after experiencing a significant cyber incident that impacted their shipboard network. The Safety Alert stated in part:“An interagency team of cyber experts, led by the Coast Guard, responded and conducted an analysis of the vessel’s network and essential control systems. The team concluded that although the malware significantly degraded the functionality of the onboard computer system…

United States based commodities trader Hudson Shipping Lines (HSL) became a member of the Trident Alliance as part of the company’s ongoing ‘green’ initiatives.The shipping company is increasing its commitment to cleaning up the shipping industry in conjunction with two environmental organizations. Hudson has recently joined the Trident Alliance as a member.“The shipping industry has a tremendous opportunity to improve its impact upon the world with the IMO 2020 sulfur cap. Hudson…

The shareholders of the dry bulk shipping company based in Athens, Greece, DryShips,  voted in favor of the proposal to authorize and approve the previously announced agreement and plan of merger with SPII Holdings.SPII, a company controlled by DryShips’ chairman and CEO, George Economou, would acquire the outstanding shares of common stock, USD 0.01 par value, of the company that it does not already own for USD 5.25 per share in cash, without interest.In connection with the completion of the transaction…

The GEF-UNDP-IMO GloFouling Partnerships project has concluded its inaugural Research and Development Forum and Exhibition on Biofouling Management, in Melbourne, Australia (1 to 4 October).Bringing together experts, regulators and industry representatives to discuss the latest advances in research, regulations and technologies related to marine biofouling across all maritime sectors, this is set to become the project’s biennial “signature event”.Over 170 participants and 40 speakers took part in a program that focused on how biofouling affects different maritime industries…

The maritime authorities of the Government of Mexico have agreed to place a high priority on ratifying three important  International Maritime Organization (IMO) legal conventions, following a workshop in Mexico City.Mexico has said it will work towards ratifying the 2003 Fund Protocol, the 2001 Bunkers Convention and the 2007 Nairobi Wreck Removal Convention. It will also consider accession to the 2010 HNS Convention. The Governments of Guatemala and Honduras expressed similar intent.Both the Fund Protocol and the Bunkers Convention deal with compensation following oil spills from ships.

The Port of Rotterdam Authority has announced that it has participated in ‘Noah’s Train’ as part of the Rail Freight Forward (RFF) initiative, a collaborative effort to cut freight transport emissions by 30% by 2030.The longest mobile work of art and ambassador of the RFF initiative, Noah’s Train, is an initiative launched by several European railway companies to promote freight transport by rail. Gathered in the Rail Freight Forward coalition, they defend a common goal: reducing…

The amendments to an international treaty aimed at preventing the spread of potentially invasive species in ships’ ballast water came into force yesterday (October 13), the International Maritime Organization (IMO) said.Ships regularly take on sea water, in tanks, to ensure their stability. Known as ballast water, this can contain many aquatic species, including in microscopic or larval form. These can become invasive and harmful if the ballast water is released, unmanaged, in…

Iran on Monday urged regional powers to use diplomacy to reduce tensions including Yemen's war, but cautioned that an Iranian tanker damaged in the Red Sea last week had been hit by rockets and there would have to be consequences.Addressing a news conference, President Hassan Rouhani reiterated policy towards the Trump administration, ruling out bilateral talks unless Washington returns to a landmark nuclear deal and lifts crippling U.S. economic sanctions.Tensions in the Gulf have risen to new highs since May 2018…

Global investment firm The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) and private equity firm Stellex Capital Management today announced they have closed on their acquisition of Vigor Industrial LLC and MHI Holdings LLC. In addition, Carlyle and Stellex announced they have appointed Jim Marcotuli as CEO of the newly created company comprising Vigor and MHI, effective today.Marcotuli brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in the defense and manufacturing industries. He has served in a number of executive and operating roles with Carlyle portfolio companies and in industries spanning defense…

Carnival Corporation announced its Germany-based brand, AIDA Cruises, has partnered with leaders from the maritime and engineering sectors to pilot the world’s first fuel cell system designed to power large passenger vessels. As early as 2021, AIDA Cruises will trial this innovative fuel technology on AIDAnova, becoming the cruise industry’s first brand to trial fuel cells on a large cruise ship.The research project, named “Pa-X-ell2,” is designed to develop fuel cells that are powered by hydrogen derived from methanol…

The global shipping industry is facing requirements for substantial reductions in emissions and for creating a more sustainable transport in order to meet UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. At Kormarine 2019, 15 Danish suppliers of marine technology and services will be exhibiting their solutions that can help shipowners accelerate the move towards sustainability. According to Mark Lerche, Head of Marine, Danish Export Association, organizer of the Pavilion of Denmark at Kormarine 2019…

The technology group Wärtsilä and Norsepower, a provider of low maintenance, software operated, data verified auxiliary wind propulsion systems, have signed a service cooperation agreement. This will enable Norsepower to order service work from Wärtsilä, while Wärtsilä can pursue and sell Norsepower Rotor Sail projects with support from Norsepower. The agreement was signed in Q3 2019.With the growth of Norsepower’s manufacturing capacity and the anticipated increasing demand for its Rotor Sails…

The BWM Convention amendments formalizing the implementation schedule for the D-2 standard are now in force. Amendments to an international treaty aimed at preventing the spread of potentially invasive species in ships' ballast water entered into force on October 13, 2019.Ships regularly take on sea water, in tanks, to ensure their stability. Known as ballast water, this can contain many aquatic species, including in microscopic or larval form. These can become invasive and harmful if the ballast water is released…

Social media, cameras, sensors and more generate huge amounts of data that can overwhelm analysts sifting through it all for meaningful, actionable information to provide decision-makers such as political leaders and field commanders responding to security threats.Sandia National Laboratories researchers are working to lessen that burden by developing the science to gather insights from data in nearly real time.“The amount of data produced by sensors and social media is booming — every day there’s about 2.5 quintillion (or 2.5 billion billion) bytes of data generated…

Taiwan’s maritime industry leaders met to debate decarbonization, digital technologies and the future of safety at the annual ABS Taiwan National Committee meeting.“As the leading class organization in Taiwan, ABS is able to call on the expertise of leaders to inform our approach to meeting industry challenges such as meeting IMO 2030 and 2050 objectives while ensuring safety standards are not compromised and keep pace with technological challenges,” said Christopher J. Wiernicki, ABS Chairman, President and CEO, who actively participated in the Committee program.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said an Iranian tanker damaged in the Red Sea on Friday had been hit by at least two rockets, and there is video footage of the incident.Iranian authorities reported that the Iranian-owned oil tanker, the Sabiti, was struck off Saudi Arabia's coast. There has been no independent report on the cause of the damage.Iran's rival Saudi Arabia has said it was not behind any attack on the tanker.

A Panama-registered cargo ship was found sunk in waters near Tokyo on Sunday after authorities lost track of it as Typhoon Hagibis lashed Japan, the transport ministry said, while a newspaper said at least five of the 12 crew were killed.The Yomiuri newspaper said four crew were rescued, while three crew were still missing. The crew were from Myanmar, China and Vietnam, the ministry said. The coastguard could not immediately be reached for comment.The ship had been anchored off the coast of Kawasaki city, south of Tokyo, but contact was lost on Saturday, the ministry said.Reporting by Chang-Ran Kim

Germany's Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy  Peter Altmaier and coastal states agree package of measures for shore-generated power.Instead of burning fossil fuels to generate shipboard electric power, in future vessels in port should be using renewable shore-based energy. The German government is now launching appropriate measures to promote shore-generated power.Along with the premiers of Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg and representatives of the state governments of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania…

Ensuring that trade and travel by sea are as secure as possible is a key element of IMO's work and mandate.International Maritime Organization (IMO) took part in the Global Maritime Security Conference held in Nigeria (7-9 October) to look at maritime security challenges in the Gulf of Guinea as well as potential solutions to address maritime threats in the region.IMO's Assistant Secretary-General Lawrence Barchue, speaking on behalf of IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim, highlighted…

The visit of the cruise ship AIDAprima on Saturday, October 12, marked the end of the oceangoing cruise season in Kiel, and what a season it was with ship visits and passenger numbers up over 2018.In total the port was visited 174 times (2018: 169) by 32 different cruise ships with a total tonnage of 15 million GT (2018: 11.5). For the first time the port exceeded the 800,000 cruise passenger threshold (embarked or left a ship at the terminals) in Kiel (+ 33.6 %). The cruise and…

The Department of Homeland Security, in close coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard, granted extraordinary relief to the Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) for the Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) under the authority of Public Law (P.L.) 85-804.ESG submitted a request June 30, 2019, for extraordinary relief after their shipbuilding facilities sustained significant damages from Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 storm, in October 2018.Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin K. McAleenan…

Nearly 300 oil tankers globally have been placed off limits as companies fear violating U.S. sanctions against Iran and Venezuela, driving freight rates to new highs, industry sources said.The move has taken roughly 3% of the global oil tanker fleet out of the market, according to industry sources and data on Refinitiv Eikon, sending rates soaring to secure tankers to ship oil, particularly to Asia."Freight rates are going through the roof and people are getting very nervous with the cost of shipping…

China National Offshore Oil and Gas Company (CNOOC) is on the hunt for liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers to charter, several industry sources told Reuters, looking to replace ships it had previously hired that are linked to a Chinese company sanctioned by the United States for allegedly transporting Iranian oil.The company, COSCO Shipping Tanker (Dalian), is one of four Chinese firms on which the Trump administration imposed sanctions on Sept. 25, in what it described as the biggest sanctions taken by the U.S.

Highly sought after types of oil best suited to making cleaner shipping fuel are suddenly finding they are a tougher sell for thirsty East Asian markets, traders say, in an unintended consequence of U.S. sanctions on a Chinese shipping fleet.With just over two months until environmental rules are set to mandate the biggest changes to ship power in over a century, certain rare types of West African oil have soared in value but have had to be marked down due to the higher costs of transport.The United States imposed sanctions on units of China's COSCO on Sept.

Japan's Tokyo Gas rejected delivery of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker on Thursday after the vessel suffered a power outage after entering Tokyo Bay, a company spokesman told Reuters on Friday.The 157,000 cubic metres tanker, Energy Atlantic, loaded a cargo from Corpus Christi LNG Terminal on Sept.

Global Energy Group has reached an agreement with Repsol Sinopec Resources UK to take over the long-term operation of the Nigg Oil Terminal jetty under a new lease with Crown Estates Scotland.Since cessation of production from the Beatrice oil field, Repsol Sinopec has been exploring reuse options for the facilities at Nigg Oil Terminal, including the jetty.Under the agreed deal, the jetty will be operated as an extension to the Port of Nigg which has already established itself as a leading deep-water port servicing oil and gas…

Singapore-listed operator of offshore support vessels PACC Offshore Services Holdings (POSH) has agreed to acquire the 50 per cent stake held by Sembcorp Marine (SMM) in harbour services provider Pacific Workboats Pte Ltd (PWPL) for over US$679,400 in cash.PWPL is a 50:50 joint venture between POSH and Dolphin Shipping Company, a 100% owned subsidiary of Sembcorp Marine Limited. The 50% stake actually belongs to Dolphin. PWPL offers harbour services in Singapore and across the region.The Acquisition is expected to complete by end 2019…

Mariners looking for insurance have a new option that is touted as being fast and affordable, cared for immediately in an online format that is designed to be more expedient than ever.360 Coverage Pros launched a new Marine License Insurance Program for mariners that offers an entirely online buying experience combined with low monthly payment options and instant proof of coverage.Until now, the process of securing a marine license insurance policy involved requesting quotes,…

A study published by researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) shows that polystyrene, one of the world’s most ubiquitous plastics, may degrade in decades or centuries when exposed to sunlight, rather than thousands of years as previously thought. The study published October 10, 2019, in the journal Environmental Science and Technology Letters.“Right now, policy makers generally assume that polystyrene lasts forever in the environment,” says Collin Ward, a marine chemist at WHOI and lead author of the study. “That’s part of justification for writing policy that bans it.

A supertanker owned by a subsidiary of COSCO Shipping Tanker (Dalian), which is under United States sanctions for alleged transportation of Iranian oil, has docked in Singapore to discharge its Middle East crude cargoes, shipping data on Refinitiv Eikon showed on Thursday.Coswisdom Lake, a very large crude carrier capable of holding 2 million barrels of oil, docked at Exxon Mobil Corp's terminal on Jurong Island late on Wednesday.Coswisdom Lake is owned by Pan Cosmos Shipping & Enterprises Co, which is a fully owned subsidiary of COSCO Dalian, according to a document issued by Cosco Shipping Energy Transportation on Oct. 1.Reporting by Florence Tan, Shu Zhang and Roslan Khasawneh

Greece has trimmed an investment plan by Piraeus Port Authority (PPA) to boost operations at one of Europe's largest harbours, rejecting proposals for a new container terminal.PPA, majority owned by China's COSCO Shipping , had submitted to Greece's shipping ministry an 800-million-euro plan, which included a new cruise ship terminal, a mall and four hotels in the port.PPA had also proposed to build a fourth container terminal that would boost Piraeus' total throughput to 10 million…

Copenhagen Malmö Port (CMP) and Danish shipping and logistics company DFDS have reached an agreement to establish a shore power facility in Copenhagen, which means that the Crown Seaways and Pearl Seaways vessels will be able to receive electricity from land.A shore power facility will reduce emissions of air contaminated particles such as NOx, SOx and particulate matter, which goes hand in hand with the ambitions of both CMP and DFDS to actively contribute to a greener Copenhagen.CMP and DFDS are engaged in a joint effort…

Intercontinental Exchange, operator of global exchanges and clearing houses and provider of data and listings services,  reported new milestones in the trading of the TTF natural gas and JKM LNG (Platts) contracts.In September, TTF Futures and Options hit an all-time monthly volume record of more than two million lots (2,023,848), equivalent to 1,484 TWh. TTF Futures set a new daily volume record on September 10 of 193,695 lots, equivalent to 142.1 TWh.TTF is the most liquid European natural gas benchmark…

The Panama Canal has closed the 2019 fiscal year (FY19) with a record tonnage of 469 million Panama Canal tons (PC/UMS), a 6.2 percent increase compared to FY2018.With this figure, the waterway exceeds the 450.7 million PC/UMS tons projection for FY2019, as well as the record tonnage of 442 million PC/UMS tons registered in the previous fiscal year. These record-setting results reflect the Canal workforce's commitment to efficiency and ongoing investments in infrastructure, which will allow the waterway to meet the growing demand and offer a reliable and safe service to customers.

French marine services group Bourbon Corporation, which has been in a court restructuring process after its business was impacted by volatile energy markets, said it had received a takeover offer for its assets."As part of the reorganization proceedings opened since August 7, 2019 by the Marseilles Commercial Court to the benefit of Bourbon Corporation and its affiliate Bourbon Maritime, Court Administrators have received a takeover offer," Bourbon said in a statement on Wednesday."This offer - made by a company owned by a group of French banks - concerns assets and activities of Bourbon Corpo

About one-third of the oil tankers owned by COSCO Shipping Tanker (Dalian) have shut off their ship-tracking transponders since the United States imposed sanctions on the company for allegedly shipping Iranian crude, shipping data showed.From Sept. 30 to Oct. 7, a total of 14 COSCO Dalian ships, six of which carry some oil, stopped sending location data from their automatic identification system (AIS), ship tracking data on Refinitiv Eikon showed. The U.S. imposed the sanctions on Sept.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday called on the European Union to condemn Iran and hold Tehran accountable after he said oil from Iranian tanker Adrian Darya had been offloaded in Syria."Oil from the #AdrianDarya1 has been offloaded in Syria, proving that Iran lied to the UK and Gibraltar ... EU members should condemn this action, uphold the rule of law, and hold Iran accountable," Pompeo wrote in a post on Twitter.The United Kingdom seized the tanker in July off the coast of Gibraltar in July.

Australian shipbuilder Austal Ltd and U.S. private equity firm are considering a joint bid for a strategically located but debt-laden Philippine shipyard, the facility's trustee said on Wednesday.Hanjin Philippines, a unit of South Korea's Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction Co Ltd, in January defaulted on $1.3 billion in loans, of which $900 million is owed to South Korean banks and the rest to five Philippine lenders.Austal and Cerberus are interested in the distressed shipyard…

Almost a third of companies who ship goods to Britain through the Netherlands have failed to complete the necessary paperwork for their trucks to embark on ferries after Brexit, the Dutch transport association TLN said on Wednesday."The registration is absolutely necessary, without it trucks will be sent away at terminals after Brexit," TLN spokesman Elmer de Bruin said.The Netherlands is home to Europe's largest seaport in Rotterdam, making it a major hub for trade with Britain.To keep the traffic across the North Sea flowing after Brexit…

The Ship Recycling project at the Turku Repair Yard in Naantali in Finland has been completed.In the three-year project, funded by Tekes, six vessels were dismantled and recycled on an experimental basis. The background of the project is the EU Ship Recycling Regulation, which states that after 2018, EU-flagged or European-owned vessels can only be recycled on shipyards approved for that purpose.In the past, majority of the world’s fleet has ended up being scrapped in Asia under conditions that do not meet European safety and environmental standards.

Ports of Stockholm has been nominated as a finalist for the 2019 C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Award. The prize is awarded in seven categories to provide global recognition for cities demonstrating climate action leadership.Ports of Stockholm has reached the final for the power installations at the Värtahamnen port as one of three nominees in the Air quality category.“It is really great that we have reached the final, as our power installations have been a focus area this year.

The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA), the cargo operating partnership of the ports of Tacoma and Seattle, has teamed up with Washington State Ferries, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Puget Sound Partnership to identify ways to protect the endangered orca population.The Partnership co-convened a workshop of a broad range of experts and interests to identify ways to reduce underwater noise in effort to support recovery of the endangered population…

Russia's liquefied natural gas (LNG) producer Novatek is in talks to tranship its Yamal cargoes in Norway or Russia's Murmansk because it is unsure of the impact of U.S. sanctions on the Chinese COSCO tankers it uses, a Novatek official said.The United States imposed sanctions on Sept. 25 on state-owned COSCO's subsidiaries, COSCO Shipping Tanker (Dalian) Co and COSCO Shipping Tanker (Dalian) Seaman & Ship Management, for allegedly ferrying Iranian crude.U.S.-listed ship owner Teekay LNG said last week its shipping joint venture in Russia, Yamal LNG, had been "blocked" by the U.S.

Marcon International has announced to report the recent sales of the following two U.S. flag tugs as sellers continue to upgrade their fleets.The U.S. flag, 4,800 HP twin screw, flush-deck, articulated pusher tug “Java Sea” has been sold by Kirby Offshore Marine of Houston, Texas to private buyers. The tug was originally built by the well-respected Main Iron Works of Houma, Louisiana as the “Patriot” (Hull 360) - a 3,000 HP, EMD 12-645E6 powered, conventional twin screw tug with a raised 49.3’ height of eye pilothouse.

The American Club has released its latest loss prevention guidance, Bunkering – A Compendium, together with website access to a comprehensive approach to loss prevention initiatives demanded by new regulations and generally by supplying guidance on operations and management.The Compendium is intended to give guidance not only in respect of issues arising from the new MARPOL regulations coming into effect on January 1, 2020, but also in regard to best practice generally in the conduct of bunkering operations.Joseph E.M.

Danish shipping company J. Lauritzen has selected Marlink to deploy fully integrated and managed IT services on all Lauritzen Kosan managed gas carriers. The solution will be based on Marlink’s ITLink portfolio, with the KeepUp@Sea platform enabling automation of software and security updates, network and PC health monitoring and remote access for fast issue resolution. Once implemented, Lauritzen Kosan will benefit from a fully standardized ICT setup across its fleet, and have…

Offshore drilling contractor Northern Drilling announced it has cancelled a resale contract for the 7th generation ultra deepwater drillship West Cobalt, which had been scheduled for delivery from South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) in 2021.Northern Drilling, which notified DSME of the cancellation on Monday, said the deal was cancelled for "various reasons including repudiatory breach of contract by DSME".Northern Drilling has made advance payments totaling approximately $49.2 million under the contract…

CCN’s 31-meter motor yacht “Vanadis” is the first hybrid yacht propelled by SCHOTTEL azimuth thrusters (type STP).It is powered by a propulsion system consisting of diesel engines with in-line electric motors. The vessel was built by the Italian shipyard CCN and has already been handed over to its European owner. It will be deployed in Italian waters. The M/Y “Vanadis”, the fourth model in CCN’s Fuoriserie line, is also the winner of the “Green Yachts” category at the World Yachts Trophies 2019.“Electric power is also making its way into the yacht sector…

Confidence in the shipping industry fell in the past three months to its lowest level for two and half years, according to the latest Shipping Confidence Survey from leading shipping adviser and accountant BDO. Yet owners, charterers and managers were more confident than they were at the time of the previous survey in May 2019.The average confidence level recorded by the survey in the three months to end-August 2019 was 5.8 out of a possible maximum of 10.0. This compares to the…

Palau International Ship Registry (PISR) has completed a survey (IMO 2020 Sulphur Regulation | Your Opinion Matters) and the results show more than 44% of ship owners, operators and managers saying they will definitely comply with the forthcoming IMO regulations.The PISR survey was conducted over a six month period starting in April 2019 and asked ship owners, managers and operators for their views on the cap: how they intended to comply; if they believed the implementation date would change…

Oil shipping rates are soaring following a series of sanctions on a Chinese transportation giant and limitations placed on movement of Venezuelan crude oil tankers.WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO SHIPPING RATES?The cost of chartering a supertanker to send crude oil from one country to another is rising sharply. A South Korean importer paid more than $12 million in shipping costs for one crude shipment from the U.S. Gulf Coast. This was followed by Friday's tentative charter of another crude…

Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro said on Tuesday that mysterious oil slicks polluting the country's northeastern beaches were likely to have been left there criminally.Had the oil originated from a shipwreck, as Bolsonaro posited on Monday, it would still be seeping onto the beaches, he said.The oil has washed up in recent weeks on more than a hundred beaches in nine northeastern states from Maranhao down to Bahia. Its origin has yet to be explained.Reporting by Pedro Fonseca

Carbon capture and storage under the seabed is recognized as one tool in climate change mitigation. An International Maritime Organization (IMO) treaty, the London Protocol, provides the basis in international environmental law to allow CO2 storage.This week, a proposal to agree the early application of an amendment to allow sub-seabed geological formations for sequestration projects to be shared across national boundaries will be put before Parties to the London Protocol (LP) and its forerunner…

Occidental Petroleum Corp provisionally chartered a supertanker to ship U.S. crude to South Korea for a new record of $13.25 million in November, three shipping sources familiar with the matter said on Monday.The Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) Maran Andromeda was chartered by Occidental on Friday for an estimated Nov. 20 departure, according to one shipbroker and Refinitiv Eikon shipping data.Global shipping rates, and in particular U.S. Gulf Coast to Asia <TD-LPP-SIN>, have skyrocketed after the United States in late September imposed sanctions on two units of China's COSCO…

Nakilat has acquired the full ownership of four Q-Flex liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers from its joint-venture partner International Seaways, following execution of a sale and purchase agreement for the acquisition of the remaining 49.9% ownership interest in these vessels from INSW. This brings the total number of vessels wholly-owned by Nakilat from 25 to 29 LNG vessels, out of its overall fleet of 74 LNG and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) vessels.With a cargo carrying capacity of 217…

The very large crude oil carrier (VLCC) Tanzawa, the first new NYK-owned vessel to include an SOx scrubber, has been delivered into the NYK fleet. On October 3, a naming and delivery ceremony was held at the Kure shipyard of Japan Marine United Corporation, and attended by Akira Kono, NYK managing corporate officer, and other related parties.The new vessel is equipped with a scrubber that is compliant with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) more stringent SOx emission regulation…

Singapore firms Keppel Corp and Sembcorp Marine said on Monday they had reached settlements with indebted Brazilian firm Sete Brasil over long-standing contracts to build drillships and rigs.Sete, which leased oil rigs to Brazil's state oil firm Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras), filed for bankruptcy protection in 2016 after being engulfed in a massive corruption scandal.Keppel and Sembcorp Marine are among a host of firms caught up in the wide-ranging "Car Wash" investigation.

At least nine people died when a boat carrying dozens of migrants sank off the coast of the island of Lampedusa, south of Sicily, Italy's coastguard said on Monday.The coastguard said rescue vessels had picked up 22 people, and search operations for other survivors were underway after an alert was received late on Sunday night that a boat carrying some 50 people was in difficulty.The U.N. migration agency said the boat had set sail from Tunisia and had been carrying Tunisian and west African migrants.Vessels from the coastguard and customs police had reached the vessel, which overturned in rough seas about six nautical miles from the coast of Lampedusa, the coastguard said in a statement.

Japan rescued about 60 North Korean crew members from a fishing boat that sank after it collided with a Japanese patrol boat that was chasing it out of Japanese waters, the Japan Coast Guard said on Monday.All the crew members that abandoned the fishing boat were rescued and handed over to another North Korean ship, the Coast Guard said.The collision between the North Korean vessel and a patrol ship from Japan's Fisheries Agency took place 350 km (220 miles) northwest of Noto peninsula in central Japan.Following the collision shortly after 9:00 a.m. (0000 GMT), the Fisheries Agency and Coast Guard mobilised seven ships and aircraft to search for North Korean crew members.The Coast Guard did not give details about how the two vessels crashed in the Sea of Japan…