Commanders of U.S. warship removed after cargo ship collision; seven sailors killed in June collision. The U.S. Navy has removed the two senior officers and the senior enlisted sailor on a U.S. warship that almost sank off the coast of Japan in June after it was struck by a Philippine container ship, the Navy said on Friday. Multiple investigations have yet to apportion blame for the accident that killed seven U.S. sailors aboard the guided missile destroyer the USS Fitzgerald. However, the punishments are the first public admission by the U.S.

Pentalver Transport Limited has commenced work on Phase two of its container facility at DP World London Gateway. Work started to expand the container yard, located on Berth Seven of the logistics hub, on Monday, August 15. Pentalver opened the first phase of the facility in 2015, following a successful interim operation in support of customers who has commenced container operations at the new port. Phase two of the development will add 40% additional capacity to the Pentalver…

Environmentally friendly and compliant BWT technology company  Optimarin gave a demonstration of its long-term system reliability onboard Neptune Subsea’s IMR vessel Larissa in the same week that a report from ABS revealed problems with almost half of installed ballast water treatment (BWT) systems. Optimarin has installed more than 300 of its systems worldwide, with over 500 units ordered. The 334 m3 capacity system onboard the SX130 Ulstein design Larissa was one of the first, installed during its construction by Zhejiang Shipbuilding in 2010.

Specialized Marine Services (SMS), a JV between the Ports Development Company (PDC), which is the private sector owner and developer of King Abdullah Port, and the National Port Services Company, delivered 1,460 maritime services  in 2016. It expects 30% increase expected by the end of 2017. SMS is the primary supplier of marine services, such as marine guidance, in King Abdullah Port. Its team includes highly qualified and skilled maritime guides with vast experience in dealing with the largest international vessels, most of which have visited the King Abdullah Port.

Both subsea compression trains at Statoil’s Åsgard field have achieved more than 25’000 operation hours with an availability close to 100%. The world’s first subsea gas compression facility features two MAN Diesel & Turbo HOFIM motor-compressor units. The Åsgard subsea compression system has officially reached the highest Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7 with both trains surpassing 10’000 operating hours. The subsea facility demonstrated an availability close to 100 % - the very few interruptions were caused by failure of the power supply from the vessel.

Global Capex on FLNG facilities is set to grow at a 9% CAGR over the 2018-2023 period, with expenditure forecast to total $37.6bn, said Douglas-Westwood report. Given the strong fundamental drivers – increasing gas consumption due to economic growth, fuel switching, and energy security – the outlook for the import vessels will remain strong over the 2018-2023 period. Despite near-term concerns due to challenging market conditions, the incentive to use FLNG units to develop gas reserves in remote places remains compelling.

Incheon Port Authority (IPA) announced that a regular container route ‘Thailand-Vietnam Services (TVX)’ launched by five shipping companies – Namsung Shipping, Dongjin Shipping, Pan Continental Shipping, Pan Ocean and CK Line – was newly opened. Starship Pegasus (1,800 TEU) provided for the TVX entered the Incheon New Port SNCT early in the morning on August 16 for the first time. Starship Pegasus is one of the three ships operated for the TVX. The three ships (1,800 TEU) will be operated by Namsung Shipping, Dongjin Shipping and Pan Continental Shipping for 9 months.

MAN Diesel & Turbo and AKA have received an order in connection with the building of a multi-purpose supply vessel for a federal Russian agency. Delivery is scheduled for March 2018 in St. Petersburg and marks the first successful collaboration between the two partners since MAN Diesel & Turbo bought a 40% share in AKA – the electric-and-hybrid-systems company – in June 2017. the drive control and power-management systems. "This specialist vessel, with its unique operational demands…

South Korea’s leading container carrier Hyundai Merchant Marine Co (HMM) is considering launching a regular liner service via the Arctic Sea, a move that could cut transits between Asia and Europe considerably, reported Pulse. South Korea’s largest ocean carrier is considering a trial operation from as early as 2020. A number of local logistics companies have ventured into the Arctic routes, but did not last due to lack of ships and crew expertise to navigate against the ice-packed waters.

Maersk Line, the world's biggest container shipper, is venturing into trade finance, as it seeks to fill a lending gap left by indebted banks pulling out of the crisis-hit shipping industry. Moving into traditional bank territory and further down the shipping value chain, Maersk Line, part of A.P. Moller-Maersk, is offering to finance shipments and remove the paper trail from financing deals. Maersk says it has no need to ask for collateral - one of the biggest headaches for banks and customers in trade finance deals - because it is carrying the goods on its vessels.

Ocean carrier Pacific International Lines (PIL), terminal operator PSA International and IBM plan to utilize blockchain for better security, efficiency and transparency in supply chain business networks and trade finance. Three companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today to explore and trial proof of concept (POC) blockchain-based supply chain business network innovations. The MOU was signed by Ms Lisa Teo, Executive Director (Corporate Development) of PIL; Mr Oh Bee Lock…

Lloyd's Register (LR) has joined the Quadriga sustainable shipping project – an initiative from Hamburg-based Sailing Cargo, which aims to build the world’s biggest sailing cargo ship. The project outlines a plan to build a 170-meter car carrier, capable of carrying between 1,700 and 2,000 cars, which will be equipped with four DynaRig masts and will operate on hybrid propulsion with sails and diesel-electric engines, and an optional battery system for peak loads. The vessel will…

Maritime software, services and data analysis provider NAPA said it has updated its performance monitoring and reporting systems to enable simple, straightforward compliance with EU Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) legislation. Users of NAPA Shipping Solutions, ClassNK-NAPA GREEN and NAPA-DSME Power can easily generate MRV reports and include their performance monitoring software as their data collection method in the monitoring plan due on August 31, 2017. From January 1…

The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has supported the safe arrival of HMS Queen Elizabeth into Portsmouth by providing specialist marine geospatial and hydrographic expertise and data capabilities. Following initial dredging operations to make Portsmouth’s navigation channel and entrance deeper, hydrographic data was collected by the survey launch HMS Gleaner using modern multibeam echosounder technology to confirm the available water depth. As well as providing advice during data collection…

The Q3 2017 tanker market is proving vexatious for owners still struggling with the effects of fleet oversupply. But in its latest monthly forecast, Maritime Strategies International (MSI) observes that changing trade patterns could help stabilize the market toward year-end and into 2018. With all-OPEC crude exports setting record highs in July, the cartel’s attempts at lowering production are clearly open to question. There was a reduction in flows from OPEC’s Gulf producers while China’s imports tumbled to seven-month lows in July.

Wärtsilä said it has been contracted to deliver the ship design for a new processing and transportation vessel to be built at the Balenciaga shipyard in Spain on behalf of Hav Line AS of Norway. In addition to the design, Wärtsilä will also supply an integrated solution comprising a 10-cylinder Wärtsilä 31 main engine, auxiliary engines, propulsion machinery, the propulsion remote control system, and the electrical and automation system. The delivery of the Wärtsilä solutions will be during autumn 2017 and the vessel is scheduled for delivery in summer 2018.

The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) believes the benefits achieved from adopting mandatory use of Mass Flow Meters (MFMs) for marine fuel oil deliveries in Singapore must be protected by effective enforcement, and that using approved MFMs to measure quantity being loaded onto bunker tankers as well as that delivered to ship would address a missing link in supply chain integrity. The Singapore regulation that came into effect on 1 January 2017 was widely perceived…

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has revoked the bunker craft operator licence of Panoil Petroleum, effective 14 August 2017. Panoil  will no longer be allowed to operate as a bunker craft operator in the Port of Singapore. "As part of MPA’s on-going regulatory efforts to ensure the safety, reliability and quality of bunker supplies in Singapore, checks were conducted on Panoil Petroleum Pte Ltd between January and March 2017," said a statement from MPA. MPA’s checks revealed that unauthorised alterations were made on board five bunker tankers operated by Panoil.

Oil producer Saudi Aramco has selected Chelsea Technologies Group (CTG), designer and manufacturer of sensors for the maritime sector, to provide benchmark testing for compliance with ballast water standards. This follows Saudi Aramco’s announcement that all ships calling at its ports and terminals will be required to provide ballast water samples, in order to demonstrate compliance with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Ballast Water Management Convention (BWM Convention).

In 1869, the U.S. Navy’s first research facility—the Naval Torpedo Station—was built on Newport, Rhode Island’s Goat Island. This rich history continues today, as the state is home to the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, which provides the technical foundation to ensure the U.S. Navy’s undersea superiority. Fitting for “the Ocean State,” we have identified more than 170 Rhode Island organizations that touch undersea technology—and we believe that is a conservative count. We are a cluster leader not just in New England but indeed in the entire country.

Lars Ljungström has been appointed to vice president of finance and chief financial officer (CFO) for Volvo Penta of the Americas, effective July 2017. Ljungström will provide strategic leadership over finance, planning, budgeting and reporting for North, South and Central America and the Caribbean. He will also oversee coordination of IT systems and services, as well as legal and sales operations. Prior to this appointment, Ljungström was CFO at GKN Aerospace Engine Systems, where he was responsible for finance and IT…

Voith Turbo, a manufacturer of a wide range of products for the marine industry, said it has completed its first major refurbishment project in a brand new U.K. facility. The complete overhaul of a 26-metric-ton Voith Schneider Propeller (VSP) has been carried out for Red Funnel, the Isle of Wight ferry company based in Southampton, at Voith’s Croydon workshop. The refurbishment follows Voith’s investment in specially designed jigs, fixtures, machinery and lifting equipment capable of handling Voith Schneider propellers, gearboxes and other ancillaries.

Rolls-Royce and Sanmar Shipyards in Turkey have signed a contract for the delivery of eight MTU Series 4000 engines for four new terminal tugs, including an option for a further four engines. The tugs will each be fitted with two 16V 4000 M73L MTU engines, each delivering an output of 2,700 kW (at 1,850 rpm). The MTU brand is part of Rolls-Royce Power Systems. Sanmar and MTU have been working closely together since 2009. Knut Müller, Head of the Marine and Government Business Division at MTU…

Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) rejected U.S. criticism that it flew a drone unsafely near a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Gulf and it defended its right to carry out air patrol missions in the area. On Monday the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command said that an Iranian drone had come within 1,000 feet (300 meters) of a U.S. aircraft carrier while it was in international waters in the Gulf conducting flight operations. Spokesman Lieutenant Ian McConnaughey said the Iranian drone "conducted an unsafe and unprofessional approach" as it passed by the USS Nimitz without navigation lights late on Sunday. Iran's IRGC…

An upgraded vessel control software package is delivering measurable operational efficiency gains to Stena Line for the freight ferry Stena Scotia within a month of commissioning, says ABB, whose DEGO IV advanced speed governor and actuation system onboard has been enhanced so that control over the vessel’s propulsion system minimizes roll and rudder movements, delivering a new way of saving fuel while also improving crew comfort. ABB’s fourth generation DEGO software collates data from sensors monitoring 60 shipboard parameters in real time…

BMT Group Ltd. (BMT) is set to launch a number of innovative warship designs at DSEI event in London. BMT reports that its platform designs have enjoyed a number of successes this year, most notably seeing the HMS Queen Elizabeth carrier (QEC) head out of the Firth of Forth and undergo her maiden sea trials, as well as welcoming RFA Tidespring, the first MARS tanker to the U.K. BMT’s VENATOR-110 which combines lean, manned and adaptable capability with the affordable procurement cost and dimensions of a Light Frigate will also feature on the stand.

Russia was now pitching itself as an important transporter of European gas to Asia, reports  Sputnik quoting Danila Bochkarev, a senior fellow at the EastWest Institute in Brussels. The Russian supertanker Christophe de Margerie is en route to South Korea, sailing the Northern Sea Route with a load of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Norway. The shipment is a major step for Russia’s Sovcomflot to enter the global gas transportation market said the report. The Northern Sea Route…

The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) has offered a concession to  IBISTEK Limited, a Ghanaian firm towards the development and operations of a container and multi-purpose terminal at the Port of Takoradi. This is part of the Port Authority’s Master Plan and development efforts to equip the Port of Takoradi for future demands. The concession related project works and installations will be executed at a cost of $370million. The terminals, in the long term, could have the…

In maritime satellite communications, an industry sector defined by change, Tore Morten Olsen, President Marlink Maritime is a rock: a model of continuity and a wealth of knowledge. He has 22 years of experience in the satellite communications sector, starting out as a technical product manager in 1994 and moving on to hold several senior management positions with Telenor, Marlink and Astrium Services / Airbus Defense and Space and now Marlink again. While various sectors of the marine industry are suffering…

SeaCURE Ballast Water Management System (BWMS), the electrochlorination based solution from Evoqua Water Technologies, has completed all biological efficacy U.S. Coast Guard Type-Approval tests. Tests were carried out under the supervision of classification society Lloyd’s Register and the independent laboratory NSF International will now compile test data for submission to the USCG for imminent approval. Matt Granitto, Business Manager, Ballast Water, said, “We are delighted…

Kongsberg Maritime said the Canadian Coast Guard has chosen its high resolution EM 712 multibeam echo sounders for the medium icebreakers CCGS Pierre Radisson and the CCGS Des Groseilliers. Gathering critical hydrographic data can be a challenge in the Canadian Arctic. The innovative, retractable design of the new EM 712 echo sounder systems optimizes performance of the sounder when deployed and protects it when the vessel is breaking ice. When deployed, the high-resolution EM…

A three-year, €6.5 million ($7.7  million) research project has been launched to address safety and efficiency in Arctic ship operations. Funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 program, SEDNA sets out to develop a risk-based approach to Arctic navigation, ship design and maritime operations. Recent years have seen a rapid increase in shipping operations in Arctic regions, as ice cover has reduced due to global warming. While this offers the potential to save significantly on voyage times…

Bumi Armada Bhd’s wholly-owned unit, Bumi Armada Caspian LLC, has signed a supplementary agreement worth RM576 million (USD 134 million) with Lukoil-Nizhnevolzhskneft LLC (Lukoil) for an additional engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) scope of work in Russia. Back in December 2013, Bumi Armada had bagged a 10-year, US$262 million contract from Russia’s Lukoil-Nizhnevolzhskneft Ltd. Bumi Armada said the additional scope will involve BAC’s marine spread…

The Hague-based LNG giant Shell has announced two significant milestones for its liquefied natural gas (LNG) marine fuels business in northwest Europe. Shell's ultra modern bunkership Cardissa Western LNG BV Trading Rotterdam BV (Shell) has arrived in Rotterdam. This seaworthy ship enables Shell to supply customers across Europe with liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Gas Access to Europe (Gate) terminal in Rotterdam. The Cardissa can transport 6,500 m3 of LNG. Shell also finalised…

Ecochlor's patented BWTS has received USCG Type Approval. The Ecochlor BWTS uses a two-step process that includes filtration and treatment with chlorine dioxide (ClO2). It is completely effective on all aquatic invasive species regardless of water turbidity, salinity or temperature. “The Ecochlor BWTS works just as effectively as it did when first installed in a ship in 2004 without any fundamental changes," said Tom Perlich, President and Founder. "Since that first system was sold…

The leading NGO for the global cargo handling industry ICHCA will use its 65th anniversary conference in October to tackle risks to the cyber and physical security of the global cargo chain, said a press statement. Following the Petya attack in June, one of the biggest cyber-attacks ever experienced in global shipping which crippled A.P. Moller-Maersk’s computer systems worldwide for 5 days, the need to protect against both cyber and physical threats to critical maritime infrastructures has been topmost on the minds of many in the cargo handling industry.

dship Carriers, the multi-purpose project carrier belonging to the deugro Group, is expanding its fleet, adding three heavy-lift MPP vessels in July/August 2017, which will primarily be used for trade lanes between Asia, the Persian Gulf, and Europe. MVs Holandia, Helvetia, and Gallia were named after vessels that the Press family owned and operated in the 1980s. “With a combined lifting capacity of 240 metric tons and dead weight of 12,780 metric tons, these vessels are well-suited to support our growing client base and the contracts we have been awarded…

ABS published a report providing insights into how industry is progressing with ballast water management (BWM) systems. Based on input provided by owners and operators with BWM systems on board their vessels, the report covers a range of topics, including installation, commissioning and operations of BWM systems. “It is important to share with all stakeholders the outcome of the ABS organized workshop on the issues and best practices with ballast water management systems,” says ABS Executive Vice President for Global Marine Dr. Kirsi Tikka.

Vryhof, a provider of anchoring and mooring solutions, said it is expanding its global footprint with its companies Deep Sea Mooring (DSM) opening a new office in Aberdeen and Vryhof Anchors appointing Singapore-based Franklin Offshore as its exclusive representative for selling Vryhof solutions in a number of Asia Pacific countries. “In an industry that has seen considerable negativity over the past year, this is a real statement of intent by Vryhof on our ambitions to expand our products and services in new markets and meet increased demand,” said Wolfgang Wandl, CEO of Vryhof.

A U.S. Navy destroyer carried out a "freedom of navigation operation" on Thursday, coming within 12 nautical miles of an artificial island built up by China in the South China Sea, U.S. officials told Reuters. The operation came as President Donald Trump's administration seeks Chinese cooperation in dealing with North Korea's missile and nuclear programs and could complicate efforts to secure a common stance. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the USS John S. McCain traveled close to Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands, among a string of islets, reefs and shoals.

Brazilian company GranInvestimentos and Dutch company Royal IHC are joining forces to deliver integrated life cycle solutions to customers in the oil and gas sector. Through this partnership, both companies are set to increase their operational and service activities, and expand their presence in Latin America. The association came into effect when IHC acquired a 50 percent share of GranEnergia – a subsidiary of GranInvestimentos that is active in the oil and gas market. The new partnership will be named GranIHC Services. It will provide integrated services to customers in the oil and gas industry in the fields of offshore maintenance and repair, logistical services and infrastructure facilities.

The new Simrad A2004 is a dedicated autopilot controller designed to meet the needs of workboat, commercial fishing and passenger vessels. The A2004 is suited for vessels that don’t require SOLAS Heading Control Systems but do require a proven autopilot interface backed by Continuum software for accuracy and ease of use. The autopilot’s information is presented on a wide-angle and zero-fog color display and is engineered for responsiveness and ease of use with a precision rotary control dial and dedicated buttons for instant access to steering modes…

After completing its sea trials, AUDAX, the third dual fuel tug ever built in Europe, has been delivered to its owner, the Norwegian company Østensjø Rederi A/S. The first tug of this kind built in Europe, DUX, was delivered by the company last May, and the second one, PAX, was delivered in July. Designed by Canadian company Robert Allan Ltd. these state-of-the-art vessels, with 40.2 meters length and 16 meters beam, will provide tug services to Norwegian state-owned energy company Statoil, at the far-north terminal located at Melkøya under severe weather conditions.

People living in remote and isolated Amazonian communities will now have access to primary healthcare, thanks to the support of a medical ship operated by Vine Trust and restored using coatings from AkzoNobel. Vine Trust’s new vessel, named MV Forth Hope, is expected to deliver more than two million medical consultations over the next 20 years to isolated communities on the Peruvian Amazon. Outfitted with dental facilities, an operating theater, consultation rooms and a pharmacy…

McAllister Towing announced the arrival in N.Y. of the tug Capt. Brian A. McAllister, the first EPA Tier IV tug on the U.S. East Coast according to the company. Capt. Brian A. McAllister is powered by 3516E Tier IV Caterpillar engines with twin Schottel SRP4000FP units. Packed into its 100 x 40 ft. hull is 6,770 hp and more than 80 metric tons of bollard pull. Combining that power with a Markey class III escort winch on the bow and a Markey 2.25-in. wire winch on the stern puts the the tug in a class of her own.

Euploia Drydocks & Services Ltd signed a collaboration agreement with Pompe Garbarino S.P.A.. Euploia Drydocks and Services Ltd wish to broaden professional horizons by representing Exclusively in Greece one of the most well-established companies in the field of centrifugal and positive displacement Pumps for Marine & Offshore, Navy and Industry. Pompe Garbarino S.P.A. is worldwide leading company which specializes in the production of centrifugal and positive displacement pumps for marine & offshore, navy and industry. The customers of Pompe Garbarino S.p.A.

BIMCO has launched the first of a range of updated eLearning courses tailored to meet shipping professionals’ needs, using the very latest content authoring technology and platform. The first short documentary course is NYPE 2015, which is based on one of the most popular individual contracts available through BIMCO, only takes an hour! The other two courses, one covers Time chartering and the other Voyage chartering, provides the latest details in depth. They are for anyone wanting…

Nordic American Tankers Limited (NAT) announced that it has entered into two Time Charter arrangements (TCs) with Shell Oil for a period of 18 months for each vessel, commencing in August/September this year. The terms of the confidential contracts include upside for both parties as well as downside protection. NAT now has three TCs with Shell. NAT has six TC arrangements with large oil companies - from three months up to 18 months. "We are pleased to announce these important…

The azimuthing stern drive (ASD) format has become the norm for a great many tugs working in vessel assist around the world’s ports. They now far outnumber the full tractor tugs with the azimuthing drives set forward under the house as do they the cycloidal drive tugs. Often, the ASD tugs are dedicated ship-handling units with a single hawser winch forward. However, a lot of owners, looking to maintain diversity of applications and markets are adding a towing winch aft as well.

A 2.5-ton capacity SP Radiolink plus load cell measures tension on a line stretching across a lagoon, upon which a dredge travels at a biosolids management facility, part of the City of Eugene Waste Water Dept., in Oregon, U.S. The RLP was added to inventory at the start of the latest six-month biosolids management season in March, where it replaced a dynamometer that was not suited to working in the elements. The load cell is connected to a land-based lateral move system that allows the dredge to move from side to side as well as forwards and backwards to harvest biosolids in the lagoon.

Ballast water treatment systems manufacturer Ecochlor, Inc. has named Steve Candito as its new CEO, effective August 8, 2017. Candito succeeds retiring CEO, Charlie Miller, who will assist during the transition. Tom Perlich, Ecochlor Founder and President, said, “Charlie has been instrumental in Ecochlor’s growth over the last 15 years. During his tenure, we have put together a skilled and experienced team, and find ourselves positioned as a global front-runner in the BWT industry.

NASA and the Norwegian Mapping Authority are partnering to develop a state-of-the-art satellite laser ranging station 650 miles from the North Pole that will produce high-precision locations of orbiting satellites, help track changes in the ice sheets and improve the efficiency of marine transportation and agriculture. The Arctic station will be the latest addition to a global network of space geodetic stations, which measure and monitor the size and shape of Earth, its orientation in space, the exact location of points on its surface and how these locations change over time.

A group of 14 South Korean shippers are joining forces to form the first domestic alliance, aiming to restore the country’s shipping sector, reported Yonhap. Under the name “Korea Shipping Partnership (KSP)”, the new shipping consortium will be led by Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) and supported by Korea Shipowners Association (KSA). HMM, Pan Ocean Co. and 12 other shipping companies that are mainly involved in routes in the Asian region will cooperate to boost their profitability on routes to Vietnam, Indonesia and other countries through restructuring efforts.

Cummins Connected Diagnostics is now available to customers using Zonar's smart fleet management solution, delivering information to operations managers that can help optimize the performance of their fleets. By obtaining data through Zonar's V3TM telematics control unit, Cummins Connected Diagnostics wirelessly connects engines to Cummins for immediate diagnosis of engine fault alerts. Using unique Cummins algorithms, Connected Diagnostics prioritizes engine fault information and translates it into clear, actionable recommendations that are immediately sent to operations managers. With this report, fleet managers can quickly intervene when service is needed immediately, or can proactively schedule a service event to prevent progressive damage to a vehicle.

In February 2017, DSC Dredge, based in Reserve, La., delivered its first-ever dredge equipped with a Tier 4 Final C32 ACERT Caterpillar engine to a minerals company located in the U.S. The Shark Class Dredge features an 18-inch hull-mounted dredge pump and 300 hp cutter drive assembly, and has a dredging depth capability of 56 feet. DSC supplied stainless steel hydraulic fittings and used anti-corrosion building practices, as the dredge will be working in a corrosive environment.

Forland Subsea AS said it has entered a time charter contract for the multipurpose offshore vessel Forland Inspector. The vessel, formerly known as Lewek Inspector, will be used for subsea operations, including remotely operated vehicle (ROV) support and crane work. The charter has commenced, and is for nine months firm plus three months options.

 On July 27, 2017, Teekay Offshore (TOO) CEO Ingvild Sæther announced the contract signing for two Suezmax-size, DP2 shuttle tanker newbuildings, with options to order up to two additional vessels.   The vessels are scheduled to be delivered in 2019 and 2020 and provide shuttle tanker services in the North Sea in support of Statoil.   The newbuilds will be constructed based on TOO’s new Shuttle Spirit design which incorporates technologies to increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions, including liquefied natural gas (LNG) propulsion.

Blue Ocean Solutions (BOS) has introduced new Engine Performance Software designed to provide ship operators with a holistic insight into the operating condition and efficiency of the ship’s engine. The software verifies the fuel savings gained from BOS’ Emulsified Fuel System (EFS), and will be delivered as an add-on to the EFS at no additional cost. The software also evaluates the engine condition against factory test data and establishes current trending profile (patent pending) for preventive maintenance, restoring fuel efficiency and reducing emissions. “We are dedicated to improve continuously and add value to our customers through innovations. We are also planning to provide a fleet optimization suite to achieve profit maximization.

For the average person, tracking down a spare part is often merely an annoyance. But for the crew of a Coast Guard cutter, the availability of spare parts can be important to mission completion or greatly affect their work environment. The Coast Guard Research and Development Center in New London, Conn., is currently studying how the use of 3-D printing technology might improve mission readiness through logistical support. Now in the evaluation phase, 3-D printers are available…

Bart Brom will take over as the next CEO of Alphatron Marine Group in Rotterdam, succeeding the company’s co-founder Luuk Vroombout at the start of 2018. After completing his studies in electrical engineering, Brom served in various management and executive positions at maritime electrical engineering companies such as Alewijnse, Bakker Sliedrecht and most recently Eekels Technology, where he is currently director and business unit manager for marine and offshore in Kolham. Brom will continue his career with Alphatron Marine Group as of September 1…

In October of 2014, news of Oceaneering’s purchase of GE Transportation’s newest marine engine offering was making waves. These engines – ones which meet EPA Tier 4i and IMO Tier III Emissions standards – without the need for a Selective Catalytic Reduction system (SCR) exhaust gas after-treatment, had workboat operators everywhere looking at new possibilities. Before that, Harvey Gulf International Marine also entered into a contract to construct a new Multipurpose Field Support Vessel (MPFSV) at Eastern Shipbuilding, this one also powered by GE’s Tier 4 compliant, EGR main engines.

Norway's Statoil will soon start drilling this season's most promising Arctic prospect, Korpfjell, after several disappointing wells in the Barents Sea, the company said on Monday. The majority state-owned company has stepped up drilling in the Barents Sea this year as the government seeks to attract more explorers to its Arctic waters to make up for declining North Sea output. The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate said on Monday Statoil's latest well in the Barents Sea, Gemini North, had found only minor volumes of gas and oil.

Ship owners can expect a rich digitalized offering from Kongsberg Group after the merger of its software-producing, oil-and-gas technology division; its maritime simulation (SIM) business and the company’s renewable energy department. Kongsberg Digital is the successor to these, and among the new entity’s cloudlike offerings are new ways to learn and train, as well as new SIM business models. Behind it all is the ultimate learning academy, one for all the world’s SIM and the Internet of Things — their trademarked digital “ecosystem”, Kognifai.

An Aberdeen-based maritime specialist has launched 500m Zone Management training courses to address concerns raised around offshore installation safety zones. Seacroft Marine Consultants is aiming to raise awareness of the need to control marine operations inside the 500m zone as the HSE highlights worries around the control and monitoring of vessels attending installations. With 97 percent of collisions occurring within the 500m zone involving vessels there on legitimate business…

Wärtsilä said it has been contracted to provide the engines and the complete propulsion package, including the propulsion control system for two new fishing trawlers being built for Murmansk, Russia based Nord Pilgrim Ltd. The ships are to be constructed at the PJSC Vyborg shipyard in Russia. The orders with Wärtsilä were booked in June, 2017. The 80-meter-long trawlers will be reinforced to Ice3 class, thereby enabling them to extend their fishing operations in the Barents Sea and North Atlantic.

Foreign ministers of Southeast Asia and China adopted on Sunday a negotiating framework for a code of conduct in the South China Sea, a move they hailed as progress but seen by critics as tactic to buy China time to consolidate its maritime power. The framework seeks to advance a 2002 Declaration of Conduct (DOC) of Parties in the South China Sea, which has mostly been ignored by claimant states, particularly China, which has built seven manmade islands in disputed waters, three of which are equipped with runways, surface-to-air missiles and radars. All parties say the framework is only an outline for how the code will be established but critics say the failure to outline as an initial objective the need to make the code legally binding and enforceable…

Marine Jet Power, Inc. (MJP) has hired Philip Gibson as Director of Sales, responsible for sales and business development efforts in North, South and Central America. Gibson brings to the role more than 30 years’ military maritime experience, having most recently served as a Regional Sales Manager for Brunswick Commercial & Government Products (Boston Whaler). He retired from the U.S. Navy in 2005 with the rank of Master Chief Petty Officer, where he served as a U.S. Navy SEAL and advisor to the international military and police forces for riverine and counter-drug operations.

The risk of cyber attacks targeting ships' satellite navigation is pushing nations to delve back through history and develop back-up systems with roots in World War Two radio technology. Ships use GPS (Global Positioning System) and other similar devices that rely on sending and receiving satellite signals, which many experts say are vulnerable to jamming by hackers. About 90 percent of world trade is transported by sea and the stakes are high in increasingly crowded shipping lanes.

An Australian Navy survey ship has located a U.S. military aircraft that crashed off the Australian northeast coast at the weekend and left three Marines missing, Defence Minister Marise Payne said on Monday. The navy divers will conduct remotely operated underwater vehicle operations before considering sending down divers, Payne said in a statement. The U.S. Marine Corps had suspended a search for the three Marines missing since the MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft crashed while on regular operations on Saturday.

Egypt's Suez Canal has maintained its classification as the most important and fastest maritime shipping corridor despite the economic challenges faced by the world in 2015 and 2016, reported Xinhua quoting head of the Egyptian Suez Canal Authority Mohab Mamish as saying. A statement from the canal's authority said on Sunday that its revenues stood at $2.938 billion from January to July. Its  revenues jumped to $446.3 million in July from $427.2 million in June, according to Reuters' calculations. In July last year, revenues stood at $429 million.

When Elisabeth Tørstad took the helm as CEO of DNV GL - Oil & Gas in late 2013, the price of a barrel of NYMEX (WTI) crude oil was more than $100. Today, that price has been halved, and the 40-month period between her ascension to the top post and our meeting with her in Houston in May 2017 has been arguably the most tumultuous in the oil industry’s history. Tørstad shares with Maritime Reporter & Engineering News her insights on the market going forward. With the energy slump entering its fourth year…

For thousands of years sailors have looked out to sea, anticipating the motion of their craft from the waves they see coming. The nature of this constant motion, phasing in and out with the groups of waves, influences the safety of operations, from moving about the deck or rigging to transferring people and materials between craft. Waves and the resulting motions are a key factor in deciding whether to perform an operation. Could you do better than your eyeball for predicting when that next big wave is going to knock you off your feet? When the U.S.

Royal Dutch Shell is considering expanding the capacity of one of its German refineries to make oil products that meet an upcoming cap on the sulphur content of fuels used in shipping. In the past few days, Rheinland refinery representatives met local officials and environmental groups to present preliminary plans for an investment at the plant's 140,000-barrels-per-day Wesseling site, Shell said on the refinery's website. Shell is considering "a modernization of the residue processing unit at Rheinland refinery and to enhance the desulphurisation plant there", Shell told Reuters in an emailed statement. Shell declined to give further details on the project, saying it was in the "very early phase of the planning process".

ABS mobile application is purpose-built for the workboat, inland sectors. ABS Nautical Systems, the ABS enterprise fleet management software suite, has launched a new mobile application, NS Workboat. The latest in a line of new tools that ABS has developed to help workboat operators gain compliance with the pending Subchapter M regulations, the ‘app’, which leverages the Nautical Systems enterprise software, is a mobile solution that is purpose-built for the workboat and inland-shipping sectors, where ease of use is of paramount importance.

The first Arc7 ice-class LNG tanker “Christophe de Margerie” has entered the Kara Sea and has started its first LNG cargo voyage through the Northern Sea Route (NSR). The subleased tanker will go through the NSR without the escort of icebreakers and will deliver LNG from Norway to South Korea in 15 days. The utilization of the route from Europe to Eastern and South-Eastern Asia through the NSR halves the transportation time to market compared to the traditional route. The start…

“The future is already here – it’s just not very evenly distributed,” is an observation from William Gibson, the luminary science fiction author, that sums up many of the problems with widespread adoption of technological solutions. This is certainly true of shipping. As we saw at Nor-Shipping this year, it is now expected for most businesses to have a data-driven element, and enthuse about how they are ‘embracing digital.’ But how much of this buzz around digital solutions results in better decision making on the ground?

Ferry operator Stena Line and Caterpillar Marine, together with Pon Power, have entered into a digital partnership where the Cat Asset Intelligence solution will provide vessel monitoring of multiple Stena new builds with planned delivery during 2019 and 2020. The vessels will be optimized for efficiency and flexibility and will be built by AVIC Shipyard in China. Unlike technologies that only monitor individual equipment performance, or focus only on very specific operational parameters…

Classification society DNV GL said its surveyors have carried the group’s first offshore drone survey on the semisubmersible vessel Safe Scandinavia in the North Sea. The 25,383 GT tender support vessel (TSV) Safe Scandinavia is owned and operated by Prosafe, supporting Statoil’s drilling operations off the coast of Norway. Using camera-equipped drones, DNV GL’s drone pilots checked the TSV’s fairleads and their connection with the vessel’s two columns as part of the intermediate survey.

Shipbuilder MV WERFTEN has completed its first newbuild project, having today delivered Crystal Bach, the first of four new Rhine Class luxury river cruise vessels for Crystal River Cruises. Designed specifically for river cruising in Europe, the 135-meter-long and 11.4-meter-wide Crystal Bach will sail along the Rhine, Danube and Main Rivers through the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland, carrying up to 106 passengers in 55 large suites, all designed to be above the water line with horizontal sliding windows.

Rolls-Royce said it has signed a deal with WestSea Yard, part of Martifer Group, to equip an expeditionary oceanic cruise ship for Portuguese based cruise company Mystic Cruises. The vessel, to be called the MS World Explorer, will be the company’s first expeditionary oceanic cruise ship. The MS World Explorer will offer expeditionary cruise itineraries in Antarctica from November to March and this new vessel’s inaugural Antarctic season is already fully chartered to, and being distributed globally by, Polar Cruise Company Quark Expeditions.

At least 10 tankers booked from Mideast to Europe; freight rate for clean tankers up 11 percent from Monday. Oil traders are rushing to secure vessels to ship refined fuel from the Middle East to Europe after a Dutch refinery outage made the route profitable, pushing freight rates to multi-month highs, traders and shipbrokers said on Thursday. At least 10 long-range tankers able to carry 55,000 to 75,000 tonnes of jet fuel and diesel have been provisionally booked to head to Europe, with at least four of them taken by Royal Dutch Shell, two shipbrokers said.

Dutch geo-consultancy  Fugro’s integrated capabilities clinch further work for Sirius at the world’s largest high grade polyhalite deposit. The award of two major new contracts integrating geotechnical and geophysical investigations sees Fugro continue its site characterisation services at Sirius Minerals’ North Yorkshire polyhalite project. A new geotechnical package comprises seven deep boreholes in shaft and tunnel locations at the new UK mine, located 3.5 kilometres south of Whitby in North Yorkshire.

Three weeks after the grounding of Kea Trader on a reef off New Caledonia, the removal of heavy fuel oil from the 2017-built containership is now underway and could be completed next week. According to Radio New Zealand, helicopters are being used to remove fuel from a ship stuck on a reef off New Caledonia. Oil is being moved from the vessel in tanks onto the nearby Chasseloup barge, London-based Lomar Shipping, the ship’s owner, informed. "The swells reportedly prevented the…

Dunkirk's LNG Terminal and Dunkerque-Port signed an agreement for the development of an liquefied natural gas (LNG) station to supply tank trucks. The use of LNG by shipping has grown significantly in recent months with new projects (orders for ships, LNG supply stations, etc). A month after signing the agreement, Dunkerque LNG and Total Marine Fuels Global Solutions (TMFGS) announced that they would supply LNG to the Honfleur, the first French ferry running on LNG, which will ply between Ouistreham and Portsmouth as of 2019.

Manufacturer of marine power generation and climate control products Northern Lights, Inc. has promoted Kit Purdy to Vice President/General Manager.   In his new role Purdy will oversee operations including engineering and quality assurance, research and development, sales/marketing and production.

Crowley Maritime Corp.’s ocean class tugboats and 455-series high-deck strength barges recently played an integral role in the tow-out and installation of Hess’ Stampede tension-leg platform (TLP) in the deep waters of the U.S. Gulf. Demonstrating both nearshore and offshore capabilities, six Crowley vessels worked together alongside other third-party assets to deliver the oversized, overweight platform, tendons and other equipment from the Kiewit facility in Ingleside, Texas, to the site of the Stampede floating production facility, about 150 miles offshore in 3,400 feet of water.

The Maritime Authorities of the Tokyo and the Paris Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) on Port State Control will launch a joint Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on safety of navigation. The aim of the CIC is to check compliance with the applicable requirements of the SOLAS Convention, the overall status of the vessel’s navigation safety, and the competency of crew involved in navigation operations. This inspection campaign will be held for three months, commencing from September 1, 2017 and ending November 30, 2017.

Seaspan Corporation enlists help from DNV GL as a partner for EU-Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) of their entire fleet. EU-MRV regulation aims to quantify and reduce CO2 emissions from shipping while creating a new method for benchmarking. Due to the global nature of the maritime business, most vessels will trade in European waters. To prepare, ship owners with a global operation must act by January 2018. “We have all the data necessary for verification in our Fleet Performance System; the fully digital approach of DNV GL allows for our existing data streams to connect directly into DNV GL’s MRV Engine to be managed automatically,” said Ian Robinson, Projects & Technology Director at Seaspan.

Dometic has appointed 18-year company veteran Paul Hickinbotham as its Product Manager EMEA Marine. In this newly created role, Hickinbotham is tasked with helping to drive product innovation and customer responsiveness by channeling the latest consumer feedback and market intelligence for each specific region in both the OEM and after-market sectors through to Dometic’s product development and sales teams. Previously EMEA Director - Sales and Administrations & Commercial Division at Dometic, Hickinbotham will lead a dedicated team from his U.K.

Liebherr Maritime said it will establish full service, spares and sales activities in Australia, New Zealand and the Oceania region to create better support for maritime customers using factory trained and locally recruited engineers. Additionally, Liebherr representative Morrow Equipment Australia will focus on the purchase and rental of tower cranes in the future. Liebherr has been present in Australia since the early ’70s, leasing its first premises in Kilkenny in 1983. Over the years Liebherr invested in the Australian subsidiary…

The WORLDWIDE FERRY SAFETY ASSOCIATION (WFSA) has announced that entries will be now accepted for its annual student competition for the design of a safe and affordable ferry. The  upcoming  contest  is  focused  on  designing a  passenger ferry for  the Singapore  Strait between  Indonesia,  Malaysia  and  Singapore. This  narrow  waterway  sees  dense  vessel traffic, with numerous vessel anchorages creating additional challenges for safe navigation. The previous competitions…

The Maritime Prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea, in liaison with the CMA CGM Group and Les Abeilles (Bourbon Group), organized a towing exercise between a large container ship, the CMA CGM Marco Polo, and the Abeille Languedoc, including an ‘intervention’, ‘assistance’ and ‘rescue tug’ (RIAS), off the coast of Le Havre. Thus on y, July 21, 2017 from 1:00 pm to 4:40 pm off Le Havre, the CMA CGM MARCO POLO simulated engine damage to enable the crew of L’Abeille Languedoc…

In line with its strategy for the development of short lines in the Mediterranean and Black Sea, the CMA CGM Group has rolled out the Black Sea Med Express service, which connects the major countries around the Black Sea (Turkey, Romania and Ukraine) to Algeria and Morocco. The service will be CMA CGM's first to offer a weekly connection between the main ports of the Black Sea and Aegean Sea with the North of Morocco (Tangier and Casablanca) and Algeria (Annaba) in order to develop the activity between The Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea with short lines.

Ecoship, a revolutionary new cruise liner set to feature the latest innovations in renewable energy usage, has been designed by specialist naval design and architecture firm Oliver Design, working from Getxo, Spain. The design was commissioned by Peace Boat, a Japanese NGO nominated for the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize and the promoter behind this ambitious project to design and build the high-range eco-friendly cruise ship. The Spanish firm has been working on the project since 2012 and has now completed the full architectural design of the ship…

Caterpillar Inc. will begin its global, external search for a new chief financial officer after it announced that group president and CFO Brad Halverson has elected to retire in early 2018, concluding a career spanning more than three decades with the company. Halverson will continue working into early 2018 and will help ensure a smooth transition for the new CFO. Prior to becoming CFO, Halverson served two years as vice president of the Finance Services Division, and before that position, he was the corporate controller. Halverson joined Caterpillar in 1988 as an accountant.

Deck officers and captains from Maersk Line have begun a series of ice navigation training courses at Aboa Mare in Turku, Finland. The first course was taught in July, with the rest scheduled to take place during the second half of 2017. The courses fulfill the Polar Code training requirements and are designed according to the particular needs of Maersk Line’s navigating officers, taking into account the Baltic Feeder newbuildings that will be delivered later this year. The Maersk Line officers will receive both Polar Code training as well as knowledge and skills essential to the operation of these newbuildings in ice and winter conditions.

 Eivind Aune has joined designed and manufacturer of industrial lithium-ion energy storage Plan B Energy Storage (PBES) in order to help further develop energy storage markets.   Aune brings to the role decades of experience in Norwegian business. With an MSc in electronics/cybernetics and an MBA in international marketing and trade, Aune has served in several board and CEO positions, having most recently spent the eight last years as an owner and CEO of Sifa Mechanical Production in Selbu, Norway.

Onboard AC power technology company Xantrex informs it has expanded its Freedom series with the launch of four new models. The new series called Freedom X marks the ongoing evolution of the Freedom inverter first launched in 1992. “The Freedom name is synonymous with quality and reliability in the marine industry. The Freedom Marine, Freedom HF/HFS and Freedom SW inverter/chargers set benchmarks in the industry and have been installed in thousands of boats,” said Richard Gaudet, Vice President of Xantrex business at Schneider Electric. The four new models include two inverters and two inverters with built-in charger offer a multitude of features including extended surge for motor loads…

Costa Marine Canvas specializes in producing high end, custom marine furniture, soft goods, enclosures and covers. One of the most difficult of those tasks is creating windscreen enclosures for large and complex fly-bridge structures. A typical flybridge enclosure might have five 5-foot tall panels, ranging in various lengths, and combined to be 20 feet or more. While basic in appearance, each panel consists of 20 or more complex pieces of various materials fastened together by adhesives and sewing to fit and fasten to the bridge structure.

Caribbean shipyard Grand Bahama Shipyard (GBS) said it has completed work on 30 commercial vessels within first half of 2017, predominantly comprised of companies returning to the yard with repeat business including tankers, bulk carriers, containerships, tugs, dive support vessels and drilling support vessels. In what is considered a volatile market, GBS said 2017 has been a great year for repeat customers, solidifying its position as a supporter of the major U.S. East Coast…

Anything but new, the Victaulic method of pipe-joining has been around for a long time. Armed with myriad type approvals from most IACS groups, Victaulic’s output will no doubt (and soon) form a part of your marine equipment for a long time to come. The conservative and staid domestic waterfront, especially where it intersects boatbuilding and repair, recently set sail for increased efficiencies, driven in part by emerging technologies, but also through improved management and new assembly techniques.

Coast Guard R&D Center’s JMTF is a big part of the nation’s environmental research efforts. In 1972, the U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development Center (RDC) established the Fire and Safety Test Detachment (FSTD), which later became the Joint Maritime Test Facility (JMTF), at Coast Guard Sector Mobile in Mobile, Alabama. As part of the unit’s establishment, test facilities were also built on nearby Little Sand Island in Mobile Bay. Since its inception, multiple retired commercial vessels were used as test platforms ending with the State of Maine, which was removed in 2010.

ABB said it is providing the shipboard systems and systems expertise that will support the research voyages undertaken by ‘By the Ocean we Unite’, a charitable organization whose mission is to highlight the damage done by the millions of tons of plastics that end up in the world’s oceans every year. The group has installed a state of the art Marine Advisory System including SPOS Onboard weather routing software from MeteoGroup, on the sailing yacht Fantastiko to help crew route-plan and monitor weather conditions on a research voyage in waters off Rotterdam…

Cohort company EID has been awarded a contract by the Portuguese Navy for the supply of Integrated Communications systems to the Tejo class coastal patrol vessels. The €4.6 million contract encompasses the supply of radio equipment, ICCS, integration engineering and logistic services. The contract also includes additional supplies for the second batch of the Viana do Castelo Oceanic Patrol Vessels, being built by West Sea shipyards in the North West city of Viana do Castelo. “We have been supplying communications systems to the Portuguese Navy ships since 1985.

Classification society Indian Register of Shipping (IRClass) has been accredited for EU MRV Monitoring Reporting and Verification services by Raad voor Accreditatie (RvA). RvA is an internationally reputed, Netherlands based EU notified body for accrediting an organisation as ‘Independent Verifier’ as per ISO 14065 and applicable EU regulation 2015/757. The EU regulation 2015/757 requires ships of above 5,000 GT, visiting EU ports and while in EU ports to monitor and report their CO2 emissions, fuel consumption and transport work.

The Fassmer shipyard in Germany is currently cinstructing a new research vessel to be owned by Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie (BSH), the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency. The new 75-meter-long ship, the Atair, will replace her 30 year old namesake, and will be the first German research vessel operating on liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel. The engines for the new vessel will be supplied by Wärtsilä, who will also supply exhaust cleaning systems based on selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology and the LNGPac system for complete fuel gas handling.

At 488m in length, and longer than four football pitches, Shell’s Prelude FLNG facility was always going to represent a formidable challenge even for the skilled tug masters who were charged with towing the facility from the shipyard in South Korea where it was constructed, and delivering it to its final destination, a remote gas field 475 kilometers off the coast of Western Australia. But practice makes perfect, and HR Wallingford, using its Australia Ship Simulation Center in Fremantle…

Rise in enquiries on booking long-range vessels; shipping rates likely to go up. Traders in Asia are considering shipping diesel and jet fuel to Europe after a fire at that region's largest oil refinery disrupted supplies and boosted fuel margins, five traders and shipbrokers said on Tuesday. Two shipbrokers said they had seen a rise in enquiries on booking long-range vessels to ship the fuels to Europe after Royal Dutch Shell shut most of the units at its 404,000 barrels per day Pernis refinery in Rotterdam following a fire in the power supply system on July 29.

An audience of ship owners, fuel suppliers, traders and maritime technology providers attending the IBC Asia Bunkering conference in Singapore has heard about  International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s latest work on low carbon shipping and air pollution control. IMO’s Edmund Hughes provided an update on the work being carried out by the Organization to support effective and consistent implementation of the 0.50% global limit on the sulphur content of fuel oil which will apply from 1 January 2020.

Oceanteam Solutions has signed a contract with a European cable manufacturer regarding the supply of a transport vessel, turntable and auxiliary equipment for the transport of cables from South Europe to Scandinavia. The project is planned to be executed in summer 2017. Besides supporting the cable transport and loadout with a transport vessel and a turntable, Oceanteam will assist the multiple cable loadouts in the appointed ports by supplying equipment and a professional cable handling crew.

The new $180 million polar research vessel RRS Sir David Attenborough currently under construction at the Cammell Laird Birkenhead shipyard in the Port of Liverpool City Region, U.K. is slated to be equipped with FarSounder's longest range sonar system, the FarSounder-1000. The new, state-of-the-art ship, owned by Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), will enable scientists to explore and undertake science in new areas of the Antarctic and Arctic seas. With the vessel’s ability to embark on longer voyages and explore some of the most remote aquatic regions of the world…

Wärtsilä informs it has been contracted to supply exhaust gas cleaning systems for two new 56,000 DWT Handymax bulk carriers being built at Oshima Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. in Japan for Tokyo based NYK Bulk & Projects Carriers Ltd. (NYK BP). The newbuilds will be the first vessels owned or chartered by NYK Group having exhaust gas cleaning systems installed. By fitting the scrubber systems, the ships will be compliant with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) SOx emissions regulations, which come into force in 2020.

As the maritime industry embraces the digital revolution, companies like GateHouse are poised to prosper. GateHouse in developing software solutions to support optimization, flexibility and mission critical operations for vehicle and vessel tracking, monitoring and satellite communications. We caught up with Michael Bondo Andersen, CEO and founder of GateHouse, for insights on his strategy moving the company forward. Looking at your maritime unit, Big Data is having a transformational impact on global maritime. Please detail your offering.

A second Articulated Tug Barge unit (ATB) Paul McLernan and the 155,000-barrel barge 155-02 for Houston-based tank barge operator Kirby Corporation has been delivered by Sturgeon Bay, Wisc. shipyard Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding (FBS), a subsidiary of Fincantieri Marine Group. Following the delivery of the first ATB in the fall of 2016, the recent delivery completes a contract signed in July 2014. “Our contract with Kirby to build a pair of ATBs was significant for our FBS team,” said Todd Thayse, FBS vice president and general manager.

During the second quarter 2017, Konecranes received an order for 9 RTGs from Port Houston, Texas, USA. This is a repeat order, the first Konecranes RTGs to Port Houston were delivered in 2003. The nine cranes will be delivered to Port Houston Bayport Container Terminal in early fall 2018. Port Houston is an economic engine that produces jobs and economic prosperity for the local and state economy. It is the largest port on the Gulf Coast, the biggest port in Texas and the only port in Houston. Port Houston strives to be America’s hub for the next generation.