Louis Dreyfus News

Wind propulsion company bound4blue has completed the installation of two suction sails on a newbuild vessel for Klaveness Combination Carriers (KCC).The two 24-metre eSAILs were installed on the MV Baltazar at New Yangzi Shipbuilding in China, with the vessel expected to begin operations in the third quarter of 2026.The project marks the company’s first installation of suction sails manufactured locally in China and is among the early applications of the technology on combination carriers.“This is a landmark project in many respects.

LD TravOcean, a subsidiary of Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) Group, has acquired a DP2 multipurpose support vessel as part of efforts to expand its subsea capabilities.The vessel, SIDDIS Mariner, will be renamed TVO Mariner and is scheduled for delivery in summer 2026.The company said the acquisition is aimed at enabling the delivery of integrated subsea solutions combining vessel operations, equipment and expertise.The vessel will support activities including telecom cable work…

Louis Dreyfus Company B.V. (LDC) appointed Sébastien Landerretche as the Group’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective March 18 and based in Switzerland.Landerretche joined the Group in 2004, leading global ocean freight research, based in China. He subsequently held several key leadership roles based in Singapore, including Regional Head of Oilseeds and Regional Head of Freight for Asia, until his appointment as Global Head of Freight in 2015, based in Switzerland. Prior to LDC, Sébastien worked in financial controlling positions at EDF and RSM, in China.

Wind propulsion specialist bound4blue has completed the first installation under its agreement with Maersk Tankers, fitting four 24-meter eSAIL suction sails on the medium-range tanker Maersk Trieste as part of a wider fleet retrofit program.The installation marks the first phase of a contract agreed in December 2024 covering 20 eSAIL units across five Maersk Tankers MR vessels, representing bound4blue’s largest order to date.The four eSAIL units were installed at EDR Shipyard in Belgium following preparatory work carried out at Yiu Lian Shipyard in Shenzhen, China.

bound4blue and Amasus Shipping have completed the installation of a 22-meter eSAIL on the general cargo vessel Fluvius Tavy at Astander Shipyard in Santander, Spain. The project marks the companies’ second installation, reinforcing both the scalability of suction sail technology and the growing confidence of shipowners in wind propulsion as a mainstream decarbonization solution.The latest adoption of bound4blue’s autonomous suction sails follows a previous installation on board Amasus’ Eems Traveller…

The Louis-Dreyfus family, shareholder of Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA), and InfraVia Capital Partners, a leading independent private equity company in Europe, have completed the strategic transaction in which InfraVia, through its InfraVia European Fund VI, has acquired an 80% majority stake in LDA.The Louis-Dreyfus family retains a 20% share, with Edouard Louis-Dreyfus remaining President of the group.Further to this operation, Louis Dreyfus Armateurs will soon be renamed LD Armateurs (LDA).Effective July 1…

bound4blue has underlined the business case for adopting eSAIL wind propulsion technology, with today’s release of BVS assessed operational fuel savings on the Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) owned Ville de Bordeaux Ro-Ro.The vessel, chartered by Airbus, had three 22-meter bound4blue suction sail units installed in 2024. BVS assessed the savings over a year, showing an average daily fuel saving of 1.7 metric tons, with peak savings of as much as 5.4 metric tons per day.These savings…

The final inter-array cable has been installed at Îles d’Yeu and Noirmoutier (EMYN) offshore wind farm in France, being developed by Les Éoliennes en Mer Services.The 61st and final inter-array cable was installed on June 22 at the EMYN offshore wind farm, Louis Dreyfus TravOcean said on social media.The accomplishment paves the way for a transmission capacity of 512 MW.Geoquip Marine’s Geoquip Elena, converted into a Cable Laying Vessel (CLV) with a bespoke project-specific deck layout used in the operation…

Dutch offshore equipment supplier SMST has been selected by Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) for the delivery of two sets of mission equipment, with an option for a third set, for service operation vessels (SOVs) ordered by Vattenfall.The Telescopic Access Bridges (TAB-L1), Access and Cargo Towers (ACT) and the 5t Motion Compensated Cranes (MCC-M) will be supplied to LDA’s newbuild SOVs.The by Salt designed vessels, to be built at Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Company (ZPMC)…

Singaporean shipbuilder Strategic Marine has delivered two new Crew Transfer Vessels (CTVs) to Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA), expanding its high-specification offshore wind support fleet.The newly delivered StratCat 27 vessels, sister ships to Acti’Vent and Esti’Vent, will be deployed in the growing offshore wind sector in France and Europe.Built at Strategic Marine’s Singapore shipyard, the 27-metre aluminum catamarans are based on the proven design and can accommodate 24 technicians each."In line with our commitment to deliver operational excellence…

Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Technip Energies to work together to develop the ammonia cracking component for LDA’s FRESH solution, a ship-based processing and storage facility for low-carbon ammonia and hydrogen.The 170-meter-long vessel features a substantial storage capacity of 45,000 cbm for imported ammonia and can convert it into hydrogen using an innovative cracking plant integrated on the vessel deck.FRESH, short for Floating Renewable Energy Solutions for Hydrogen…

Louis Dreyfus Armateurs, a 170-year-old French family-owned company operating across a broad swath of maritime and offshore energy, recently announced a shipbuilding order and fleet expansion with the order for a series of three next generation SOVs, a series that will lean on five years of experience operating some of the first Hybrid-Electric SOVs. Gaël Cailleaux, Renewables General Manager, LDA takes a deep dive into the company, the investment in the future fleet, and the…

Spanish wind propulsion system supplier bound4blue has installed ‘world’s largest’ suction sails onboard the juice carrier MV Atlantic Orchard, chartered by Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) and owned by Wisby Tankers.The four bound4blue’s 26-meter high eSAILS were installed in under a day per unit, as planned. When sailing, the 2014-built vessel, which was originally a dry bulk vessel before undergoing a conversion in 2020, will now enjoy simplified FuelEU Maritime compliance, taking advantage of the Wind Reward Factor…

Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) and MaDfly have deployed a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) in open sea conditions, marking a breakthrough in offshore in-water surveys.The operation was conducted on the service operation vessel (SOV) Wind of Hope next to the Hornsea 2 wind farm in England, marking a significant advancement in offshore inspection technologies.The innovative in-water survey was performed by MaDfly’s expert team under the supervision of the classification society Bureau Veritas.According to LDA…

BERG Propulsion is offering the shipping industry its first opportunity to select propeller shafts made using the climate neutral GreenForge® production process.Three Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) ro-ro vessels due in service from 2026 to carry aircraft parts across the Atlantic are already set to take advantage of sustainable wind power, courtesy of their rotor sails, while their hybrid propulsion, power management and control technology is coming from BERG.In addition, BERG will supply propeller shafts made from recycled scrap steel…

A Russian missile attack on Tuesday damaged a grain vessel in the Black Sea port of Odesa, killing four people, Ukrainian authorities said.A ballistic missile struck the MJ Pinar bulk carrier that was loading wheat for Algeria, killing four Syrian nationals and injuring one other Syrian and a Ukrainian, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said on Telegram."Russia is attacking Ukraine's infrastructure, including ports, which are involved in ensuring the world's food security…

bound4blue and Odfjell have partnered to complete the first installation of a wind propulsion system for the chemical tanker specialist, with four of bound4blue’s eSAILs retrofitted on the 49’k dwt Bow OlympusThe 22-meter-tall suction sails will help the advanced vessel achieve significant fuel savings, unlocking commercial, environmental and regulatory advantage. A tailored two-step installation process was deployed to accommodate the vessel’s schedule, with the installation completed in just two days.Firstly…

China suspended on Tuesday the soybean import licenses of three U.S. firms and halted imports of U.S. logs, stepping up its retaliation for additional U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods.Earlier in the day, China also imposed import levies covering $21 billion worth of U.S. agricultural and food products including soybeans, wheat, meat and cotton.The three U.S companies affected by the license suspensions are farmer-owned cooperative CHS Inc, global grains exporter Louis Dreyfus Company Grains Merchandising LLC and export grain terminal operator EGT…

Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) and InfraVia, a private equity company in Europe, have entered into exclusive negotiations for InfraVia to acquire a majority stake in LDA, a group specializing in high value-added industrial marine services.LDA currently specializes in three growing segments, transportation and logistics of industrial equipment, mainly through dedicated Ro-Ro vessels, maintenance of offshore wind farms, and installation and maintenance of submarine telecom and power cables.With a worldwide presence…

French ship owner Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) has selected SALT as the naval architect and Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Company (ZPMC) as the shipyard for the construction of three new service operation vessels (SOVs) ordered by Vattenfall.SALT, an offshore vessel designer and long-time partner of LDA, has been entrusted with the development of the new SOVs.ZPMC has been chosen as the shipyard for the construction of the new SOVs.The new SOVs will integrate high-end European components…

LD Tide, a joint venture between Louis Dreyfus Armateurs and Tidal Transit, has been selected to supply a Crew Transfer Vessel (CTV) for the operation and maintenance services of the 488 MW offshore wind farm, being developed by Ocean Winds in France.The new vessel is scheduled to start operations mid-2025 at the Eoliennes en Mer des Îles d’Yeu et de Noirmoutier (EMYN) offshore wind farm.Following an international call for tenders, Siemens Gamesa has selected LD Tide to provide…

Transportation of soybeans and corn on barges along the Brazilian Amazon's Tapajos River, which had been suspended in early October due to dry weather, resumed at 50% capacity this week, operators said on Wednesday.Shipping began again on that waterway, which receives grain cargos from Brazil's biggest farm state Mato Grosso and nearby areas, as rain raised river levels, said Amport, an association representing port terminals and cargo transshipment operators of the Amazon basin.Barge shipping on the Madeira River, another Amazon waterway, returned to normal this week, Amport said. Grain transportation on the Madeira had been halted in September…

bound4blue, a leader in maritime’s Wind Assisted Propulsion Systems (WAPS) segment, appointed Daniel Mann as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). He joins the team after four years as VP Business Development at Silverstream Technologies, and more than 25 years supporting and growing various maritime and energy businesses worldwide, which includes a decade at Rolls-Royce Marine, plus five years at Siemens, and more than two years at MAN Energy Solutions.In his new position Mann will…