Maritime Law & Regulations News

Dutch dredging and marine services giant Boskalis has acquired the U.S.-based maritime emergency response specialist Ardent Americas.Ardent, created by the 2015 merger of salvage divisions of Svitzer and Crowley, specializes in emergency preparedness and response, wreck removals, subsea services and decommissioning for the offshore oil and gas industry. Ardent Americas was a subsidiary of Ardent Global Marine Services, headquartered in IJmuiden, the Netherlands.Boskalis has also…

The Philippine Coast Guard's new offshore patrol vessel BRP Gabriela Silang arrived in Manila ready for service on Tuesday after several weeks of convoying and a first operational mission.Built by OCEA, the 84-meter type OCEA OPV 270 vessel left the French shipyard at the end of December with Philippine Coast Guard crew on board, for an arrival in the Philippines initially scheduled for January.The flagship of the Philippine Coast Guard fleet, shortly after leaving the French coast…

Several passengers on an Indonesian ferry jumped into the sea and swam ashore after authorities sought to block the vessel docking due to fears of suspected coronavirus cases, as tensions rise over the spread of the disease across the archipelago.The ferry traveling from via Indonesian Borneo and the island of Sulawesi was blocked when trying to make port in Maumere in the eastern island of Flores, amid fears three crew members on board had contracted the novel coronavirus.Passengers flung themselves into the sea in life vests and swam ashore as authorities debated whether the ship, the Lambel

Riyadh’s Public Investment Fund may have found the perfect time to board ship. The country’s sovereign wealth fund has built an 8% stake in Carnival, the cruise group at the waterborne epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. The company’s shares, down 83% for the year as of Friday, jumped more than 25% on Monday after it persuaded bond and stock investors to stump up $6.25 billion last week – albeit at a pricey 11.5% coupon for senior secured debt.Carnival’s bosses reckon they now have enough cash for at least 12 months…

Golar LNG Ltd said on Tuesday that it received a force majeure notice from a BP Plc unit seeking to delay taking delivery of a floating liquefied natural gas facility by a year.The notice is the latest force majeure claim issued in the LNG sector that is struggling with a seasonal plunge in demand as well as the spread of the coronavirus outbreak, which has further hammered the consumption of the super-chilled fuel globally.BP is expecting a one-year delay due to the pandemic and currently sees no possibility in reducing the duration of the new timing…

Hedge fund managers sensed oil prices were nearing a turning point last week, and for the first time in more than two months started to add long positions in anticipation prices would bounce from an unsustainable low.Overall, hedge funds and other money managers were still net sellers of 19 million barrels of petroleum in the six most important futures and options contracts in the week ending on March 31.But they initiated 40 million barrels of new purchases as well as 59 million barrels of fresh sales, according to position records published by ICE Futures Europe and the U.S.

What might not be so obvious in this COVID-19 environment, which we have grown to associate with shortages, is that counterintuitively there are issues beginning to appear dealing with the opposite situation. The Journal of Commerce has reported that “[t]he container shipping industry is marshaling a response to signs of a building import backlog as some retailers and manufacturers fail to pick up containers because warehouses are full or closed due to not being deemed essential…

Norwegian offshore vessel owner Havila Shipping has struck a debt restructuring deal with lenders, conditional upon approval from formal bodies. At January 1, 2020, Havila's outstanding debt was NOK 4,222 million (around $410 million), which for each vessel will now be split into an interest-bearing tranche and a non-interest-bearing tranche. The sizing of the interest-bearing tranche is based on the expected debt service capacity of each vessel during the restructuring periodDebt higher than the expected interest-bearing tranche will be non-interest-bearing.

The U.S. government said on Monday it has not yet received requests to waive a 100-year-old law on shipping goods between domestic ports, despite some interested parties who say temporarily lifting the regulation would help energy companies hurt by the oil price plunge.Kelly Cahalan, a spokesperson at the U.S Customs and Border Protection agency of the Department of Homeland Security, said no requests to waive the Merchant Marine Act, better known as the Jones Act, have been received.U.S.

Vietnam has lodged an official protest with China following the sinking of a Vietnamese fishing boat it said had been rammed by a Chinese maritime surveillance vessel near islands in the disputed South China Sea.The Vietnamese fishing vessel, with eight fishermen onboard, was fishing near the Paracel Islands on Thursday when it was rammed and sunk by the Chinese vessel, Vietnam's foreign ministry said in a statement posted on a government website on Saturday.All the fishermen were picked up by the Chinese vessel alive and were transferred to two other Vietnamese fishing vessels operating nearb

Malaysian authorities said on Sunday they had intercepted a boat ferrying a group of 202 people believed to be ethnic Rohingya.Malaysia, which does not recognize refugee status, is a favored destination for ethnic Rohingya fleeing a military-led crackdown in Myanmar and squalid conditions at refugee camps in Bangladesh.The boat was found adrift around one nautical mile from a luxury beachside resort on the holiday island of Langkawi, off the west coast of the Malaysian peninsula, the Malaysian maritime enforcement agency said in a statement.The group included 152 men, 45 women and 5 children.

A newly established consortium is going to develop a network for low Earth orbit satellites delivering ice chart data to ships at sea. A new research project called MARIOT (Maritime IoT) is going to develop a low Earth orbit satellite network based on the new VDES (VHF Data Exchange System) technology. The consortium behind the project is headed by the Danish satellite operator Sternula. The satcom developers GateHouse, Space Inventor, and Satlab as well as Aalborg University…

Mk II ME-GI and Otto-cycle ME-GA recently added to two-stroke portfolio MAN Energy Solutions reports that its portfolio of two-stroke, dual-fuel engines has accumulated 1 million operating hours.Bjarne Foldager – Senior Vice President, Head of Two-Stroke Business at MAN Energy Solutions – said: “This significant milestone owes everything to the dual fuel strategy we have laid over the past decade.”MAN Energy Solutions’ ME-GI (-Gas Injection) and ME-LGI (-Liquid Gas Injection) engines form the core of its two-stroke…

Houston-based Kirby Corporation said Thursday it has completed the acquisition of Savage Inland Marine’s inland towboat and tank barge fleet. The total consideration paid was approximately $278 million and was financed with additional borrowings. Savage’s fleet consists of 46 inland towboats and 90 tank barges with approximately 2.5 million barrels of capacity. Savage primarily moves petrochemicals, refined products, and crude oil on the lower Mississippi River, its tributaries…

EU antitrust regulators have halted their investigation into world No.

Carnival Corp, the world’s largest cruise operator, said it has raised $6.25 billion by issuing new debt and equity on Wednesday, borrowing at a high cost to weather the economic storm of the coronavirus pandemic.Despite having its cruise ships idled to comply with coronavirus travel restrictions, the company was able to attract enough investors that its capital raising was oversubscribed several times over, albeit at a steep price, sources told Reuters.Carnival priced $4 billion in bonds maturing in 2023 - upsized from the $3 billion originally planned - with a yield at par value of 11.5%…

U.S.-based offshore vessel owner Hornbeck Offshore Services announced it will file chapter 11 after defaulting on payment obligations.The New York-listed company said in an SEC filing that it has reached an agreement with lenders and holders of the company’s unsecured 5.875% and 5% senior notes pursuant to which the creditors have agreed to forbear, until April 20, from exercising certain of their rights and remedies with respect to certain defaults.Hornbeck said it is in the…

If one ever needed proof that, no matter how dire the situation, there is always a silver lining, look no further than the crude tanker market, which has seen it day rates skyrocket in the face of a global pandemic that has effectively ground world commerce to a crawl.As is the case with other gravity defying business phenomena, geopolitics is a central factor, in this case a battle between Russia and Saudi Arabia to flood the world with oil in the face of declining demand and…

Vitol Marine Fuels Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of the Vitol Group, has acquired 100% of Singapore-based bunkering specialist Sinanju Tankers Holdings.The Singapore Bunkering license holding entity has been renamed Vitol Bunkers (S) Pte Ltd and from 1st April 2020 all bunker deliveries will be carried out by Vitol Bunkers (S) Pte Ltd.Through the transaction, Vitol has acquired an expert bunker tanker manager and operator with extensive experience of physical bunker supplies in the port of Singapore…

The U.S. government and Florida were working on a plan on Wednesday to allow thousands of cruise ship passengers exposed to an onboard coronavirus outbreak to disembark, a day after President Donald Trump urged the governor to drop his opposition to their docking.Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis said he was not opposed to them docking in his city. But he said a clear protocol was needed to protect residents of his South Florida city from infection.“There can be no missteps in this process…

BIO-UV Group has received IMO & USCG type approval for its next generation low flow rate ballast water treatment system range.The BIO-SEA L Easy-to-Fit system had to undergo new type approval testing as it incorporates a completely new UV-reactor, designed to meet market demand from the luxury yacht, expedition cruise and offshore vessel segments, where ballast water pump flow rate capacities are often under 100m3/h.Benoît Gillmann, BIO-UV GROUP CEO and Founder said: “We are pleased…

ChartWorld announced the acquisition of Maritime Services Ltd. in Vancouver as the latest addition to the maritime digital navigation group.Steven van de Schootbrugge, ChartWorld’s CEO, commented, “We have seen double-digit growth in the North American region in recent years due to our navigation solutions that cover everything from hardware as a service, SAAS, electronic charts, support and service. Our customers can ensure their ECDIS and digital navigation systems are automatically updated and are always compliant with shore-based oversight…

Australia is pushing foreign-flagged cruise ships to leave its territorial waters amid the coronavirus pandemic, walking a diplomatic tightrope as it also tries to bring home citizens trapped on ships abroad.Western Australia state Premier Mark McGowan on Wednesday called on the federal government to kick out the German-owned MV Artania after the crew was reported to have asked the Australian Border Force (ABF) for permission to stay until April 14.“If what’s required is to clean the ship as a condition of getting it underway, well then do that ...

Norway-based offshore vessel owner Siem Offshore has received some breathing room after reaching an agreement with its banks.The company last week warned that the extreme fluctuations in the financial markets over the past weeks „have resulted in a further deterioration in the company's liquidity situation“ and that Siem Offshore was in discussions with its banks to seek to alleviate the situation.In a statement on Wednesday morning, Siem Offshore said that it had "with effect…

Norway's offshore service vessels (OSVs) supplier Solstad Offshore and its creditors have agreed on a draft restructuring plan, which includes converting 10 billion crowns ($962.17 million) of debt into equity, the company said on Tuesday.The large majority of stakeholders, including secured lenders, leasing companies, industrial shareholders and key bondholders plan to sign a binding agreement by the end of April, the Oslo-listed firm added in a statement."We are entering a period…

Greece plans to sell majority stakes in four ports as part of a privatization plan agreed with its lenders after the country exited the bailouts in 2018, a document of its privatization agency (HRADF) showed on Tuesday.HRADF will sell majority stakes in the share capital of Alexandroupolis, Igoumenitsa, Heraklion and Volos ports, the agency said in an invitation to hire financial advisers for the sales released on this website.China's COSCO has bought a 51% stake in Piraeus Port, the country's biggest, in 2016.

A Brazilian court has barred crew members from disembarking from the Costa Fascinosa cruise ship anchored with no passengers at the port of Santos after some of their mates developed coronavirus symptoms, city authorities said on Monday.All passengers on the ship, which has a capacity for 3,800 passengers and crew, were disembarked on March 17 at Santos and only the crew remained in quarantined.Santos is Latin America's largest port and where most of Brazil's agriculture commodities are exported.Last week…

Supertanker freight rates are on the rise for a second time this month as producers, refiners and traders scramble to secure ships to transport crude or store a fast-growing global glut of oil, industry sources said.Freight rates for very large crude-oil carriers (VLCC) along the Middle East Gulf to China route were assessed at about $180,000 a day on Monday, up from some $125,000 on Friday and a weekly low of about $90,000 a day on Wednesday, according to several ship broking sources.Its difficult to say whether or not the rates will be sustained…

What will COVID-19 mean for the offshore wind industry? An industry not yet spinning on its own.Epitomized by the roller coaster ride that defined the stock market over the last few weeks, unpredictability has emerged as one of the few certainties of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis. Every industry has seen the effects of the pandemic, from hospitality, to travel, and even to the renewable energy sector. Indeed, even though the US offshore wind industry is not yet fully established…

The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) is advising vessel operators to exercise extra caution and safe navigation practices after multiple instances of significant GPS interference have been reported over the last year by vessels in port and underway in the eastern and central Mediterranean Sea, the Persian Gulf, and the Port of Shanghai, China.The incidents have resulted in lost or inaccurate GPS signals affecting bridge navigation, GPS-based timing, and communications equipment…

Nigeria will only allow cargo vessels that have been at sea for more than two weeks to dock in its ports to prevent the spread of coronavirus, President Muhammadu Buhari said on Thursday.Health experts fear a widespread outbreak in Africa's most populous country of 200 million people which could overwhelm its creaking healthcare system.Nigeria has closed its land borders and international airports in the last week to curb the spread of the virus.Buhari said on Twitter he had issued a directive that "only cargo vessels that have been at sea for more than 14 days be allowed to dock in our ports…

Ferry operators stuggling financially due to the COVID-19 pandemic will need government backing to help offset billions of dollars of unsustainable losses, Interferry says.The trade association is asking governments globally to include the ferry industry in their respective COVID-19 financial aid packages so that ferry operators can continue providing essential services, and to ensure that critical infrastructure and personnel are available once the global economy begins to recover.Specifically…

The European Union will launch a new Mediterranean naval and air mission in April to stop more arms reach warring factions in Libya, EU diplomats said on Thursday, with Greece agreeing to take in any migrants rescued at sea.The decision, which was delayed by divisions over migrants, followed warnings by EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell that the bloc risked becoming irrelevant if it could not act, potentially leaving Libya's fate to Turkey and Russia."Greece has allowed disembarkation (of rescued migrants) in its ports…

Marinfloc has introduced its combined Exhaust Gas Recirculation Bleed Off water treatment system and Bilge water separator. The solution is approved by both DNV GL and MAN Energy Solutions and fulfills the requirements of MEPC 107(49) and MEPC 307(73). The approval means that only one separator is required instead of two. Reducing the amount of equipment needed on a vessel will provide shipyards, engine makers and ship owners with a significant cost saving solution. Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) is used to reduce NOx as per the Tier III requirements when use with compliant fuel.

Cargo shipping companies will be exempt from antitrust rules against anti-competitive agreements for a further four years until 2024 because this leads to lower prices and better consumer services, EU antitrust regulators said on Tuesday.First adopted in 2009 and extended for five years in 2014, the consortia block exemption regulation will be prolonged for four more years to April 2024, the European Commission said in a statement.It allows liner shipping operators with a combined market share below 30% to cooperate to provide joint liner shipping services…

Two decades into the 21st century, we’re seeing a growing and pernicious threat to global information security: ransomware. Even non-technical folk have loosely heard of it, but the broader implications haven’t yet penetrated the public consciousness. In different industries, that general lack of awareness could be a big problem—and the maritime sector is a good example.Ransomware hits at the confluence of two critical trends in modern technology: the ever-increasing integration of IT systems into daily life, and the interconnectedness of those IT systems.

The company which owned Spirit of 1770, a passenger vessel that caught fire and burnt to the waterline with 42 paying customers and four crew members on board while returning from a voyage to Lady Musgrave Island on May 11, 2016, has been fined $25,000 for reckless operation of a commercial vessel.The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) investigated the incident and recommended a charge against the company, Panforta Pty Ltd – trading as 1770 Great Barrier Reef Cruises Pty Ltd.

Total Lubmarine’s Talusia Universal (BN57) has received a No Objection Letter (NOL) from WinGD for all fuels (liquid and gas) with a sulphur content 0.00%S - 1.50%S.The NOL was awarded with no restrictions following the successful completion of two rigorous tests carried out on two different vessels fitted with W6X72 engines.The tests were conducted on split engines comparing Talusia Universal with a BN40 reference Cylinder Lube Oil (CLO). One test carried out with compliant VLSFO <0.5%S, the other one with compliant ULSFO <0.1%S for 2350 and 2000 running hours respectively.“Following both tests, Talusia Universal performed significantly better than the reference CLO for deposit control and general piston cleanliness…

The U.S.

Shipping firm Wallenius Wilhelmsen, which transports cars and other vehicles from factories to markets, has cut its dividend to zero and will mothball up to 10 vessels as demand plunged amid the coronavirus outbreak, it said on Monday.The company also plans to scrap up to four older vessels, it added.Oslo-listed Wallenius Wilhelmsen, which operates around 125 vessels, had originally proposed to pay dividends of up to $60 million, divided into two tranches."The world has changed dramatically over the past weeks, and we are all feeling the effect," Chief Executive Craig Jasienski said in a state

As many markets struggle to find their footing in the face of the global COVID-19 pandemic, a recent podcast with Martin Muhleisen, director of the IMF's Strategy, Policy, and Review department, helps to lend insight and perspective from the view of the International Monetary Fund.Muhleisen  said the impact of the global coronavirus pandemic will be “quite severe,” but temporary, saying that the overall good health of the world economy and high employment rates should help to provide buffers to blunt the impact“I would think that financial institutions more broadly are in a better shape than…

Offshore oil driller Valaris PLC is exploring debt restructuring options as it grapples with a rig accident and a broader collapse in energy prices, people familiar with the matter said on Friday.Valaris has tapped debt restructuring attorneys at law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP for advice on ways to rework its roughly $6.5 billion debt pile, and is exploring enlisting a turnaround firm that specializes in urgently addressing stressed finances to bolster its roster of advisers, the…

American Commercial Lines Inc. (ACL) said on Friday it expects to complete its recapitalization and emerge from Chapter 11 in the coming weeks after the U.S. Bankrptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division confirmed the company's pre-packaged plan. ACL announced it would implement the recapitalization plan in February. Upon emergence, the company will receive $200 million in new capital to support liquidity and investments in the business and will reduce its funded debt by approximately $1 billion…

Leading container shipping firm A.P. Moller-Maersk scrapped its 2020 earnings forecast on Friday, while rival Hapag-Lloyd warned of slowing growth until at least June, as the coronavirus pandemic takes a heavy toll on global tradeThe container shipping industry, a bellwether for international trade, has been blown off course by the new virus, which brought parts of China to a standstill before spreading around the world, leading container lines to re-route cargoes and reduce calls to Chinese ports.Despite lower volume growth…

Singapore-based First Ship Lease Trust (FSL Trust) has appointed Markus Wenker as chief financial officer, to replace Alan Mitchell, who is retiring.Wenker will take over the role and responsibilities May 4, following a handover process.Wenker was most recently head of ship finance at Hellenic Bank from 2016. Previously, he held a number of roles at HSH Nordbank from 2002 to 2016.FSL Trust's current fleet of 16 vessels comprises containerships and a variety of tankers. Of these, 10 vessels are leased to international shipping companies on long-term bareboat charters.

German container shipper Hapag-Lloyd on Friday said the coronavirus outbreak would curb business growth at least until mid-year after reporting a jump in 2019 profit and proposing a higher dividend.Larger rival Maersk on Friday also warned of a first-quarter hit from the outbreak and suspended its 2020 earnings outlook.Hapag CEO Rolf Habben Jansen said that impact from the coronavirus was impossible to determine for the time being, but the company was preparing for a blow to trade."Transport…

The annual Waterfront Conference previously scheduled for May 12 has been postponed and will be rescheduled later in the year in accordance with COVID-19 governmental guidance. The theme of this year’s Waterfront Conference is “Rising to the Challenge,” where we will launch a powerful coalition and campaign to move forward faster and better climate resilience solutions for our region. The medical, social, and economic crisis we currently face with the pandemic is surely acute with outcomes and uncertain solutions. But the long term challenge of addressing the climate crisis for our coastal region is not going away either. We must all keep our heads down and work to meet this critical threat too.

“Freedom” – the absence of subjection to foreign domination or despotic governmentIt has been decades since international relations in the world order dictated true competition for sea control, sea lines of communication, access to world markets, and diplomatic partnerships. However, it is becoming increasingly alarming that nations such as Iran, China and Russia seek to accumulate/consolidate power and re-define international maritime norms, potentially at the peril of diplomatic…

MCA grants temporary ability for Red Funnel passengers to remain in vehicles on select crossingsRed Funnel worked with the U.K. Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to identify exceptional solutions to support the government’s social distancing guidance in response to COVID-19 and respond to passengers’ requests to remain in vehicles during crossings.“We’d like to thank the MCA for working with us to identify solutions to allow our passengers this option during this exceptional time," said Fran Collins, CEO, Red Funnel.

Indonesia's government will revoke rules requiring exporters of coal and palm oil to use domestic shipping companies for shipments, Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan told reporters on Wednesday.Indonesia, the world's biggest thermal coal exporter, issued regulations in 2018 requiring its coal and palm oil exporters to use domestic shipping companies, which were due to come into force this May.The government has since concluded that the rule would be disruptive for exports and President Joko Widodo has ordered it to be revoked…

Bouchard Transportation Co. reports all back pay has been processed as the company continues to work to raise capital that would allow it to return its vessels to service, the company's president and CEO Morton S. Bouchard III said Tuesday in a letter to staff, customers and vendors.The full letter is below:To Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc. Valued Staff, Customers and Vendors:On Monday, March 16, 2020 Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc. as agent on behalf of the individual vessel corporations is pleased to announce that all back pay has been processed. Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc.

Neptune Pacific Line, the provider of ocean freight services between Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, said that it has acquired Pacific Direct Line(PDL) from its Singapore based parent holding company, Pacific International Lines (PIL).The acquisition makes Neptune the new owners of all of PDL’s regional and Fiji based companies. The combined business will seamlessly link transport, warehousing, depots and customs clearance services and fully integrate customers’ supply chains across 18 South Pacific markets…

U.S. passenger vessel operators suffering low ridership and large economic losses amid the COVID-19 pandemic are urging President Donald Trump to include the hard-hit sector in the administration's plans to provide economic assistance to American businesses that have experienced financial hardship due to the coronavirus outbreak.The Passenger Vessel Association (PVA), a trade group representing the domestic passenger vessel industry, shared a letter it sent to President Trump urging him to take immediate action to include U.S.

A shipment of jet fuel was shipped to eastern Libya recently in violation of United Nations sanctions and other international agreements, Libya's National Oil Company (NOC) said on Monday in a statement."The shipment came from the UAE to Benghazi on a ship called Gulf Petroleum 4 and has been in Benghazi port for a number of days," NOC said, adding that it had informed the United Nations. (Reporting by Angus McDowall; Editing by David Clarke)

The coronavirus pandemic has taken its toll on Swdish ferry company Stena Line, who announced Monday that it will cut 950 jobs due to a sharp decline in passenger travel bookings as a result of the outbreak.Stena Line said the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and subsequent travel restrictions imposed by several countries have weighed heavily on bookings, with passenger traffic to Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Germany and Latvia mostly halted. On Saturday, the company completely stopped…

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank (SMTB) joined the Poseidon Principles. The Principles were developed by international shipping banks, in collaboration with leading maritime industry players, to promote greener global shipping. They establish a common, global baseline to quantitatively assess and disclose whether financial institutions’ ship lending portfolios are in line with decarbonization targets.With SMTB’s commitment, Signatories to the Poseidon Principles now represent over $150 billion in loans to international shipping – more than a third of the global shipping finance portfolio.

U.S. oil major Chevron has completed the exit from the Shell-operated Malampaya gas project offshore the Philippines with the sale of its 45% non-operating interest in the field to Udenna Corporation. The sale deal was signed in October 2019.The Malampaya natural gas field lies about 50 miles (80 km) northwest of the Philippine island of Palawan. Net daily production during 2019 averaged 136 million cubic feet of natural gas and 3,000 barrels of condensate.Produced from fields at water depths of about 2…

High levels of occupancy during the first two months of 2020 and strong forward bookings are sustaining momentum for Gibdock, following a surge in demand for the Gibraltar repair yard in the last quarter of 2019.One standout project involving significant complexity saw Gibdock undertake extensive repairs to Juvel at the end of 2019, after the Aker Biomarine fishing vessel suffered extensive fire damage off South America. Over several months, the 99.5-meter-long Juvel required retrofitting across four decks…

The Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA), a non-profit group of nine major ocean freight carriers, has rolled out its cyber security guidance to prepare shipowners and vessels for the International Maritime Organization’s pending cyber security mandate.The best practices outlined by DCSA provide all shipping companies with a common language and a manageable, task-based approach for meeting the IMO’s January 2021 implementation timeframe, DCSA said in a statement.IMO’s…

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced Tuesday that Chad N. Boudreaux has been appointed executive vice president and chief legal officer, effective April 1, 2020. Current Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer Kellye Walker recently announced her decision to pursue another opportunity, and she will depart HII on March 31.Boudreaux is currently the corporate vice president for litigation and chief compliance and privacy officer for HII. As executive vice president and chief legal officer, Boudreaux will report to HII President and CEO Mike Petters.

A Florida couple who was aboard the coronavirus-hit Grand Princess ocean liner has sued the ship’s owner for more than $1 million, claiming the company put profits over safety and did not have proper screening protocols in place.Ronald and Eva Weissberger of Broward County, Florida sued Princess Cruise Lines Ltd, a unit of Carnival Corp, alleging the company caused them emotional distress and trauma as they fear they will develop the COVID-19, a flu-like disease caused by the…

French ferry operator Brittany Ferries said that the takeover of of Condor Ferries  has been completed. The deal, announced last year, had been subject to scrutiny by competition authorities, but work on the transition has been completed."Brittany Ferries is today the proud part-owner of Condor Ferries," it said in a press note.“This is excellent news for Brittany Ferries, our new partners and for Condor Ferries,” said Christophe Mathieu, CEO Brittany Ferries. “We are committed…

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.

The Trump administration will soon issue an advisory warning ports, tankers and shipping industry players against storing Iranian oil in violation of U.S. sanctions, a State Department official said on Monday.David Peyman, the deputy assistant secretary of state for counter threat finance and sanctions, said the United States will also encourage ship captains and others to take photos of anyone conducting ship-to-ship transfers in case those transfers involve sanctioned oil.

The century-old Amsterdam canal boat Gerarda Johanna looks like a classic with wood paneling, but beneath its floorboards lies a high-tech underbelly: rows of lithium ion batteries, 66 in all, with an electric drive train powering its propeller.The boat is part of a push by Amsterdam’s new Green Party mayor to ban diesel engines from the center’s ancient canals by 2025, helping the city’s efforts to combat climate change.The transition among commercial vessels is well underway…

The Greek provider of marine dry bulk shipping services Seanergy Maritime Holdings Corporation announced that it received approval, in form of commitment letters, from one of its existing lenders to extend the maturity of two loan facilities.According to the Nasdaq listed pure-play capesize ship-owner said that the loan facilities are secured by the M/V Leadership and M/V Squireship and their respective maturities are extended from March 17, 2020 and November 10, 2021 to December 31…

Research by HR Wallingford at the SeaGen tidal power project site at Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland has shown that the impact of tidal power turbines on marine wildlife may be significantly lower than previously estimated.As questions are asked about the impact of turbine blades on marine wildlife, scientists have developed a sophisticated fish collision model for the burgeoning tidal power industry.The model, developed by HR Wallingford, predicts collision rates more accurately than ever before by incorporating the real swimming behaviors of different species of fish for the first time.

Shares of U.S. cruise operators sunk on Thursday after the Grand Princess ocean liner, owned by Carnival Corp, was barred from returning to its home portof San Francisco on coronavirus fears after at least 20 people aboard fell ill.Shares of Carnival, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and Royal Caribbean Cruises fell between 9% and 12% amid a broader sell-off in U.S. stock markets.Two passengers that were on a previous cruise on the ship had contracted the virus, one of whom died in died in California.In response…

A consortium formed by Germany’s Thyssenkrupp AG and Brazilian planemaker Embraer SA signed a deal on Thursday to deliver four frigates to Brazil’s navy between 2025 and 2028, the companies said in a statement.The contract signed in Rio de Janeiro is part of Brazil’s drive to modernize its navy so it can patrol off-shore resources in the Atlantic, such as Brazil’s vast pre-salt oil reserves.The companies did not disclose the price tag. The Brazilian navy website said the four-ship program will cost about $2 billion.Last year…

Short sea ro-ro operator UECC and marine biofuel company GoodFuels have launched a joint trial of GoodFuels Bio-Fuel Oil (MR1-100 or BFO) on UECC’s ro-ro vessel M/V Autosky, the companies announced Thursday.The three month trial will test 3,000 metric tons of sustainable biofuel on the 140m, 2,080 vehicle carrier – a step in advancing marine biofuel for the ro-ro segment. The biobunkering, which will take place in the Port of Rotterdam, will be the first in a series of bunkering operations between March and May 2020.

A Texas grand jury on Wednesday declined to issue felony indictments against a group of Greenpeace USA activists who closed a key oil export waterway for 18 hours last year by tying themselves to a Houston bridge and dangling over the water.Felony charges had been brought against 31 activists involved in the September 2019 protest. The indictments, sought by the Harris County District Attorney's Office, were under Texas' new critical infrastructure law, which makes it a felony to interfere with oil and gas pipelines and ports…

A large passenger vessel has become the industry’s first to achieve system compliance under classification society DNV GL’s framework for integrated cybersecurity.Today's vessels are increasingly fitted with integrated automation systems and digital solutions. And as vessels’ systems gorw more connected than ever before, new security threats areise, driving the need for closer and earlier collaboration on cybersecurity between all key stakeholders in the newbuilding process.ABB…

Norwegian renewable energy firm Nel ASA has entered into a strategic agreement with the compatriot  engineering and construction services company Kværner to collaborate on green hydrogen projects and the standardization of solutions for large scale hydrogen production plants.In the agreement, the companies have identified a range of projects on which to collaborate on moving forward. Work has already been initiated in order to jointly develop a standardized 20 megawatt H2 production module…

For several months last year, a steady stream of ships was observed dredging sand in a North Korean bay then transporting it to China, a Washington-based think-tank said on Wednesday.The extraction of sand from North Korea to China would violate a 2017 U.N. Security Council resolution that prohibits North Korea from “supplying, selling, or transferring sand”, the Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS) said in a report.The group’s researchers tracked the dredging and transport of the sand through commercial satellite imagery and shipping databases.“Between March and August 2019…

A boat from a conservation group carrying Mexican government inspectors was attacked while monitoring a near-extinct porpoise species in a protected zone of Mexico’s Gulf of California, Mexico’s environmental prosecutor Profepa said.The attack occurred on Tuesday when a boat operated by conservation group Sea Shepherd encountered two small vessels engaged in illegal fishing in the area. Fishermen threw Molotov cocktails as part of the attack.In early February, Sea Shepherd reported…

Seabulk Towing Holdings Inc., a subsidiary of SEACOR Holdings Inc., announced it is participating in a U.S.-based carbon offset project to neutralize carbon emissions from the physical operation of its harbor tugs in 2020.Daniel Thorogood, chief executive officer of Seabulk, said the company’s investment in an accredited carbon offset program is an initial step toward longer-term solutions that improve or eliminate direct emissions from its equipment. Seabulk, through its affiliates…

The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen said it had foiled an attack on an oil tanker off the country's coast, the Saudi state news agency SPA reported on Wednesday.The tanker was sailing towards the Gulf of Aden when it was targeted by four boats, with one of the unmanned vessels "trying to explode it", coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki said in the statement carried on SPA.

The Russian captain and crew of a cargo ship captured last year in Cape Verde with the biggest cocaine haul ever seized in the country were found guilty of drug trafficking and sentenced to jail on Friday.The 9.5 tonnes of cocaine were seized in February 2019 after the ship, which was traveling to Morocco from South America, docked at the port of Praia for legal reasons following the death of a crew member.An Atlantic archipelago of 500,000 people off Africa’s west coast, Cape…

Yemeni gunmen entered on Saturday a port in the southern city of Aden and prevented a tanker from offloading a diesel cargo because the importing company is affiliated with the government, a Reuters cameraman reported.The gunmen belong to the separatist Southern Transitional Council, according to comments made in the port by their leader, who identified himself as Abu Hammam.He accused the Saudi-backed President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi of profiteering from the fuel trade by excluding other importers and demanded that another ship be allowed to offload fuel in Aden.The southern separatists in Ye

A sailor aboard an oil tanker anchored off Venezuela's coast died on Saturday, three people with knowledge of the incident said, marking the second death in less than a week involving personnel aboard ships serving the crisis-stricken OPEC nation.Juan Carlos Navarrete, a 58-year-old Cuban national serving as a helmsman aboard the Petion Panamax tanker, died after falling overboard while the tanker was anchored in Amuay Bay in western Venezuela, one of the sources, union leader Ivan Freites…

Singapore-based shipping company Unix Line PTE Ltd. pleaded guilty in U.S. federal court to a violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships.Unix Line admitted that its crew members onboard the 16,408 gross-ton oceangoing motor tanker Zao Galaxy knowingly failed to record in the vessel’s oil record book the overboard discharge of oily bilge water without the use of required pollution-prevention equipment, during the vessel’s voyage from the Philippines to Richmond, Calif.According to the plea agreement…

U.S. refiner Citgo said the Gerd Knutsen oil tanker, which had been carrying crude claimed by both the company and Venezuelan parent PDVSA, departed Venezuela's Jose Terminal on Thursday and entered international waters on Friday morning.The tanker over the past week discharged its 1 million barrel cargo, worth some $57 million, in Venezuela after being stranded for over a year off the South American country's coast amid fallout over U.S. sanctions on PDVSA, designed to force out socialist President Nicolas Maduro.The tanker discharged after Citgo…

The U.S. Coast Guard said it is pursuing enforcement action against Bouchard Transportation Company after the shipping company failed to comply with a captain of the port order for one of its two vessels anchored in the Marine Safety Unit Port Arthur, Texas, area of responsibility.According to the Coast Guard, tugs Kim M. Bouchard and Danielle M. Bouchard and their associated barges have been anchored off Texas Point since mid-December with no known plans to move and crews unpaid since January…

Oil tanker firm Frontline warned on Thursday that the coronavirus outbreak will hurt its results in the near term, even as the group reported sharp gains in earnings for the final quarter of 2019.Frontline's net profit for the October-December period rose fourfold year-on-year to an 11-year high of $108.8 million, but still lagging an average forecast of $127.1 million in a Refinitiv poll of analysts."Primarily due to the effect of the coronavirus, we have a near-term macro headwind with a slowdown in oil demand, particularly in China," Chief Executive Robert Hvide Macleod said in a statement.

Japan-based shipping giant NYK has presented its concept for using ammonia as a marine fuel or zero-emission ships as part of the industry’s decarbonization drive.Ammonia does not emit carbon dioxide (CO2) when it is heated and would thus be expected to contribute to the effort to address global warming.In addition, if CO2-free hydrogen is used, zero emissions are said to be achieved. NYK is thus considering the use of ammonia as marine fuel, one of the solutions for decarbonization.The…

Hydro has been awarded contracts from Tersan Shipyard to deliver aluminum solutions for the upper sections of ships under construction for Norwegian shipowner Havila Kystruten AS.Due to be delivered at the end of 2020, the two Norwegian coastal cruise ships, Havila Capella and Havila Castor, will be identical: 124.1 meters long, 22 meters wide and able to carry 640 passengers. The ships will be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and batteries.Hydro was awarded the contract by Tersan Shipyard in Turkey after reviewing lightweight alternatives to steel for the upper sections of the ships.

Tanker charter rates have plunged more than 80% as the coronavirus outbreak slams the brakes on major economies, costing the sector hundreds of millions of dollars in lost business, a senior shipping industry official said.While some of the revenue is gone for good, a trade rebound could put the sector back into calmer waters later this year, International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) Secretary General Guy Platten told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday.The ICS is the main trade association for merchant shipowners and operators…

Canadian power producer Northland Power will acquire Dado Ocean Wind Farm, a development company with multiple early-stage offshore wind development sites in South Korea.Dado Ocean is currently owned by Eui Jeong Hwang, a wind power developer who will continue to support the project as a local partner, working together with Northland to achieve key milestones for the project. The acquisition is expected to close in the coming weeks, subject to customary closing conditions.According to Northland, the acquisition builds on the company's presence in Asia and specifically in South Korea.

Dubai-based port operator DP World announced it has completed the acquisition of Fraser Surrey Docks in Canada from Macquarie Infrastructure Partners (MIP) alongside its partner Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ).The enabler of global trade said in a press release that said the acquisition complements its footprint in Canada, which also includes terminal operations in Vancouver, Nanaimo, Prince Rupert and St John’s, without disclosing the value of the purchase.The integrated coast-to-coast platform provides customers with bulk…

MAKITA Corporation and MAN Energy Solutions have announced that the first ever PBST-branded and -built cluster-3 SCR-HP system has passed its ClassNK approval test at the MAKITA works in Japan.The most compact of its type in the market, the SCR system is one of four – originally ordered in 2018 and 2019 – for vessels featuring MAN B&W two-stroke engines with two now delivered and the others currently en route to customers. An MAN B&W 6S46ME-B8.5 engine will power each vessel, with the SCR-HP system making each vessel Tier III-compatible.

KPI Bridge Oil announced it has agreed to acquire OceanConnect Marine, creating one of the largest independent marine fuels service and solutions providers in the worldSubject to the receipt of regulatory approval, the two companies will merge to form a new brand and entity, KPI OceanConnect, with a team of 170-strong operating across 15 locations globally.It is envisaged that KPI OceanConnect will be led by CEO Søren Høll – KPI Bridge Oil’s current CEO - supported by an experienced and diverse management team stemming from both organizations.Søren Høll…

Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company (ASCO) considers environmental protection as one of the key criteria for sustainable development, claimed the company.ASCO constantly pays attention to minimizing the environmentally negative impact of oil sludge, used oils, other liquid and solid emissions resulting from the operation of ships and coastal facilities on water sources, soil and atmosphere. During operations, the ASCO takes necessary preventive measures within its own capabilities.According to the results for 2019…

Japanese shipping major Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has entered into an agreement with Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) to jointly develop a new technology to reduce environmental impact for Floating Storage and Regasification Units (FSRU).The new technology named ‘Cryo-Powered Regas’ will enable to utilize the LNG cold energy, which used to be disposed of, as power generation energy by adopting the Organic Rankine Cycle in the regasification process…

French LNG containment specialist  Gaztransport & Technigaz (GTT) has acquired 100 percent of the share capital of the Icelandic smart shipping specialist Marorka.Based in Iceland and specialized in Smart Shipping, Marorka designs maritime energy monitoring and optimization systems for vessels, allowing them to reduce their environmental footprint. The company’s systems have been installed on more than 600 vessels.The shipping industry has started its environmental transition in January 2020…

Low-sulfur fuel sales rose sharply in Rotterdam in the last quarter leading up to the implementation of International Maritime Organisation (IMO) 0.5pc sulfur cap on 1 January.According to Port of Rotterdam, the demand for LNG, bio and low-sulfur bunkers has increased enormously in Rotterdam over the past year. Total sales in this largest European bunker port fell from 9.5 million m3 to 9 million m3.In the last quarter of 2019, sales of low-sulfur bunker oil with a maximum sulfur content of 0.5% – the so-called VLSFO, very low sulfur fuel oil – increased enormously.

Global demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG), rose by 12.5% to hit 359 million tons last year, according to Royal Dutch Shell’s annual LNG Outlook report.According to the forecast by Shell,  LNG demand was expected to double by 2040 to 700 million tons, with natural gas set to play “a growing role in shaping a lower-carbon energy system.”Asia is expected to remain the dominant region in the decades to come, with South and South-east Asia generating more than half of the increased…

Global integrated container logistics company A.P. Moller - Maersk posted improved earnings and free cash flow for 2019, despite weaker market conditions and global container growth of only 1.4 percent.However, the Danish business conglomerate said that the coronavirus (COVID-19)  would hit its earnings this year as the world's largest container shipping company warned of a "very weak" start to the year.The company expects an EBITDA of around USD 5.5bn, before restructuring and integration costs.

Elengy, a subsidiary of French energy group Engie, has acquired French energy group Total's 27.5% stake in Fosmax LNG, owner of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal at Fos Cavaou in southern France.Elengy now owns 100% of its three LNG terminals: Fos Cavaou, Fos Tonkin and Montoir-de-Bretagne. Until now Fosmax LNG was owned 72.5% by Elengy and 27.5% by Total Gaz Electricité Holding France (TGEHF).The acquisition of the shares is financed mainly by an increase in Elengy’s capital reserved for the Société d’Infrastructures Gazières (SIG).

Danish shipping group A.P. Moller-Maersk said on Wednesday it had agreed to buy U.S. warehousing and distribution firm Performance Team as part of plans to deliver more customized logistics solutions.Maersk said the the value of the deal is $545 million, including lease liabilities of around $225 million.The world's largest container shipping firm aims to boost its earnings from its inland logistics operations, or non-ocean business. In 2018, the ocean transport business accounted for almost 80% of core earnings."This will strengthen our ability to deliver products and solutions that meet our customers' end-to-end supply chain needs…

German container shipping line Hapag-Lloyd raised its 2019 operating profit by 80% to 811 million euros ($875.47 million) as it earned higher freight rates and cut costs, the Hamburg-based firm reported on Wednesday."The main drivers of the positive business developments have been improved freight rates as well as rigorous cost and revenue management," said the company, the world's fifth biggest operator, in a statement on preliminary results.Operating earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) had previously been pegged in a target corridor between 0.5 billion and 0.9 billion euros.Earnings be

International marine technology group Kongsberg Gruppen and  Zero environmental foundation signed a three-year collaboration agreement.The main intentions of the collaboration are to create increased momentum in the shift to renewable and emission-free solutions.Together, we will work to make Norway an important global test arena for the development and realization of new zero-emission solutions for all types of ships, and to spread these solutions internationally.The collaboration will also work to develop electricity and hydrogen infrastructure for emissions-free shipping.

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…

It is often difficult to push through the federal government morass to focus on the issues that actually matter to the inland operator. While 2020 inevitably will be a contentious year in American politics, it is critical to stay focused on the items that will have direct impact on the U.S. maritime industry. From a potential new Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) bill to potential Jones Act challenges, 2020 will be an important year for inland operators to stay politically engaged.Work on WRDAJanuary marked the beginning of Congress’ work in earnest toward introducing a new WRDA bill.