Line Network News

I will readily confess that 20 years ago I was not convinced that EV’s were the answer to sustainable energy. Instead, I had long been a fan of hydrogen. I was well aware that there were technical issues associated with hydrogen, but was equally aware that, for total sustainable energy, a transportable fuel is needed and hydrogen seemed to be the way to go.I envisioned hydrogen generation from sustainable sources (wind, solar, etc) and the use of hydrogen with fuel cells in cars, ships and with gas turbines in airplanes.

The coronavirus pandemic and ongoing U.S.-China trade tensions threaten the peak holiday shipping season for the Port of Los Angeles, which just suffered its slowest May in more than a decade, Executive Director Gene Seroka said on Wednesday.The busiest U.S. port and the No. 1 U.S. gateway for ocean trade with China logged its slowest May since the "Great Recession" of 2009.May volume fell 30% from last year after business shutdowns aimed at controlling COVID-19 infections and U.S.

The world's largest shipbuilding company Hyundai Heavy Industries Co (HHI) has become the first to obtain a Lloyd’s Register (LR) approval for a digital component as it received green light to use the technology for its Integrated Smartship Solution (ISS).According to LR, digital type approval delivers an assurance system to provide confidence in the market for the supply of digital components and offers all the benefits of traditional type approval; reassurance on supply chain quality and robustness within the marine environment. Digital type approval can apply to both components within information technology (IT) and operational technology…

Stena Line has achieved a milestone in its fleet investment program with the launching ceremony of the first of its next generation of RoPax vessel taking place at the Avic Weihai Shipyard in China. The first new vessel will be named Stena Estrid* and she took to the water for the first time on January 16, 2019, and is on schedule to enter service on the Dublin to Holyhead route in early 2020, the first of three new E-Flexer vessels bound for the Irish Sea by 2021. All three vessels…

Stena Line, one of the largest ferry operators in the world, has reached an important milestone in its major new fleet investment programme with the steel cutting of a third E-Flexer RoPax ship to be deployed on its Irish Sea routes.The ferry operator linking key ports in Europe said that this means that all three of Stena Line’s new E-Flexer ships, planned to enter into service on the Irish Sea during 2020 and 2021, are on schedule and under construction at the AVIC Weihai Shipyard in China.The first of the new vessels will commence operation on the Holyhead to Dublin route in early 2020, with the remaining two ships to be introduced…

It has now been decided that Ulstein Verft will be constructing Color Line’s new hybrid vessel. The environmentally sound ship will be servicing Sandefjord – Strømstad from summer 2019. Ulstein won the contract in competition with several other yards. “It is very gratifying that the Norwegian shipbuilding industry has proven its competitiveness internationally, and that Color Line contributes to the further development of the Norwegian maritime industry,” says CEO Trond Kleivdal at Color Line. “We are very pleased that Color Line decided to proceed from a Letter of Intent to a firm contract on the construction of this hybrid vessel. This is an important milestone for us, and we are looking forward to the further cooperation with Color Line”, states CEO Gunvor Ulstein at Ulstein Group.

Color Line and Ulstein sign a firm contract on construction of the world’s largest plug-in hybrid vessel. Ulstein said it has won a contract to build Color Line’s new hybrid passenger vessel to service Sandefjord – Strømstad from summer 2019. The ship will be constructed at Ulstein Verft in Norway. “It is very gratifying that the Norwegian shipbuilding industry has proven its competitiveness internationally, and that Color Line contributes to the further development of the Norwegian maritime industry,” said CEO Trond Kleivdal at Color Line.

Israeli ocean carrier ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. (ZIM) has sunk to the red in the first quarter of 2016 after staying in the black for almost a year. ZIM swung to a $56 million net loss in the first quarter from a $12 million profit in the previous year and revenue was down by a fifth as slumping freight rates negated a market-beating increase in container volume. The adjusted EBIT margin was negative 2.6% for the three months ended March 31, 2016. Israeli container shipping company carried 577 thousand TEUs in Q1, reflecting a 3% increase compared to Q1 2015 ZIM maintained its competitive position in terms of EBIT margins, vis-à-vis the industry, in spite of severe market conditions and historically low freight rates.

Although Cosco Pacific, the Hong Kong-listed subsidiary of China’s biggest shipping company China Cosc,  is expanding in the Mediterranean area after taking part in the acquisition of port in neighbouring Turkey, it faces stiff competition, reports SCMP. Cosco Pacific is investing in Turkish ports after forming a joint venture with China Merchants Holdings International (CMHI) and CIC Capital for the acquisition of equity interests in Fina Liman and Kumport. Its subsidiary Piraeus Container Terminal S.A., which operates Piers II and III at the Port of Piraeus, Greece’s largest port. According to data released the container handling at the two terminals have recorded a year-on-year decline in the second quarter and grew only 0.7 per cent in the first eight months…

Originally developed to guide Allied convoys safely across the Atlantic, the use of synchronized low frequency radio signals as a navigational aid revolutionized modern maritime navigation in the 1940s. Faced with operating ships and aircraft over vast areas, researchers pioneered the use of radio signals to aid navigation in regions where poor weather conditions made traditional methods—such as dead reckoning and celestial navigation—exceptionally difficult. This system was eventually named LORAN.

General Dynamics Mission Systems' new TACLANE®-10G (KG-175X) in-line network encryptor is now certified by the National Security Agency (NSA) to secure information at the Top Secret level and below. The NSA certification authorizes U.S. government organizations to order the new 10G encryptor. "The NSA certification of TACLANE-10G is another step forward for General Dynamics Mission Systems' cyber defense capabilities. General Dynamics keeps our customers connected while ensuring their security and advancing their operations. Securing sensitive and critical information is yet another example of how we support our customers," said Chris Marzilli, president of General Dynamics Mission Systems.

General Dynamics Mission Systems makes its debut as General Dynamics' newest business unit at the Surface Navy Association's (SNA) 27th National Symposium. General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems and General Dynamics C4 Systems combined to form General Dynamics Mission Systems on January 1, 2015. "This restructuring has allowed us to create a real powerhouse. We are stronger together and offer a more robust portfolio of products, services and solutions that help customers successfully execute their missions in today's dynamic environment," said Chris Marzilli, president of General Dynamics Mission Systems. "Our exhibits at SNA highlight our collective capabilities from which the U.S. General Dynamics Mission Systems will deliver greater capability more efficiently.

General Dynamics C4 Systems’ cyber-defense products team recently delivered the 100,000th TACLANE®-Micro (KG-175D) in-line network encryptor to the U.S. Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR). SPAWAR develops, delivers and sustains communications capabilities for warfighters, keeping them connected wherever they are around the world. Introduced in 2007, the rugged TACLANE-Micro is one of the most popular in-line network encryptor certified by the National Security Agency (NSA) to protect information classified Top Secret and below. The TACLANE-Micro provides cyber defense for networks operating in U.S. government agencies, embassies and military command and operation centers worldwide.

Maersk Line today published its Sustainability Progress Update for 2013, showing a 3.8 million tonnes CO2 reduction in a year where the business grew 4.1%. “2013 was a good year for Maersk Line – financially as well as in terms of our sustainability performance” says Søren Skou, CEO of Maersk Line. “Our fuel efficiency improvements helped cut CO2 as well as air pollutants like SOx and NOx. In 2013, Maersk Line took delivery of the first four of 20 Triple-E vessels. These vessels will set a new standard for energy efficiency. However, the main driver for the strong CO2 performance was the major overhaul of Maersk Line’s network. One of…

Following the success of a previous vessel sharing agreement, Danish carrier Maersk Line announced the establishment of a new Vessel Sharing Agreement (VSA) with French-based CMA-CGM utilizing both the Panama and Suez Canals, which will commence in May 2009. Additionally, further adjustments to the Maersk Line network will provide customers with significant benefits. This new VSA follows almost a year of successful cooperation between the two companies in a trans-Pacific agreement, and represents further rightsizing of capacity in the trans-Pacific trade. Demonstrating a new perspective on service to North America, Maersk Line and CMA-CGM provide two strings with new services for customers.

Schlumberger, a global technology services company, announced today it has launched three new fully licensed and operational satellite Teleport facilities. These facilities in Houston, Macae (Brazil) and Singapore supplement the established Aberdeen Earth Station to provide complete global satellite coverage for the Schlumberger DeXa.Net global, secure connectivity offering. These facilities are strategically located to link VSAT (very small aperture terminal) services to offshore rigs, ocean vessels and land-based operations, delivering voice, data and video services throughout the globe. All four of the Schlumberger teleport facilities are further linked via the DeXa.Net high-speed…

Having emerged in recent years among Europe's top echelon of builders of RoRo vessels, Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) has put down a new marker for the industry by anticipating demand for a future generation of RoRo ferries incorporating a capacity for 6,000 lane-m of freight. Closely following its formalization of an order from North Sea and Baltic RoRo specialist DFDS for a fifth newbuild capable of loading 4,000 lane-m of road trailers, rolltrailers, cassettes, and other cargo, the German shipyard has unveiled its proposal for a 6,000 lane-m carrier. The Flensburger offering, which has already attracted the interest of operators looking to achieve further scale economies on high-volume routes…

Maersk Sealand and P&O Nedlloyd announced the upgrade of the direct KNSM service between North Europe and Morocco. To replace existing smaller tonnage, the companies will, beginning at the end of November 2005, phase in two larger and faster vessels, each with a capacity of over 400 TEU (at 14 tons/TEU). The upgraded service will include Bremerhaven, Germany in a new weekly fixed day rotation of Bremerhaven; Casablanca (Morocco), Agadir (Morocco), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Bremerhaven. The companies say the new transit times are improved, including Agadir to Rotterdam in 4 days, and Bremerhaven to Casablanca in 5 days. The KNSM service will be connected to Maersk Sealand's Scandinavia and Baltic feeder systems at Bremerhaven.