Project Steering Committee News

A global network of centres of excellence in marine technology was officially launched on Monday (4 December) at the headquarters of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The Directors of five regional Maritime Technology Cooperation Centres (MTCCs) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish the global maritime technology centre network. The network of MTCCS - in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Pacific - is the mainstay of the GMN maritime technology project, run by IMO and funded by the European Union. The MTCCs are expected to provide leadership in promoting ship energy-efficiency technologies and operations, and the reduction of harmful emissions from ships.

Being followed by an albatross is considered to bring good luck to mariners but the birds themselves aren’t always so lucky when trying to pick up a free feed from fishing boats. To better protect seabirds from fishing gear, AFMA has been working with the fishing industry to develop new devices for fishers to use. Following successful sea trials of two new devices led by the South East Trawl Fishing Industry Association (SETFIA) and the Great Australian Bight Fishing Industry Association (GABIA), the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) has approved two new seabird mitigation devices, the “bird baffler” and “sprayer”, for use by fishers. The sea trials showed dramatic reduction in seabird interactions when using either of these two devices.

​Stakeholders have been updated on progress made by the safe and environmentally sound ship recycling in Bangladesh (SENSREC) project - Phase I. The project is being executed and implemented by  International Maritime Organization (IMO)  and funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), in partnership with the Ministry of Industries of Bangladesh and Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (BRS). At a recent workshop (15 June), updates were given on the various parts of phase I of the project, including completion or near completion of various studies and ongoing training activities. The Dissemination Workshop was jointly organized by the IMO…

ARENA today announced $770,000 funding for Swinburne University of Technology to develop modelling on the performance of wave energy farms. The wave energy industry is emerging world-wide and there are few multiple device installations operating today. Predicting the best way to arrange future projects will help to better understand how different technologies will behave in certain circumstances. The modelling aims to discover the best ways of positioning wave arrays so that devices move in synergy with one-another, creating greater efficiencies. Swinburne is collaborating with interested Australian wave energy companies, which will sit on a project steering committee and have offered funding support and staff resources.

In his speech at the LNG Export & Export & Infrastructure Conference Federal Maritime Commissioner Doyle gives insights on the consequences of the adoption of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as a marine fuel in the United States. I am a Commissioner with the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission. The Federal Maritime Commission is an independent regulatory agency responsible for regulating the nation’s international ocean transportation for the benefit of exporters, importers, and the American consumer. I should emphasize that my thoughts and comments here are mine and mine alone – they do not reflect the position of the Commission, and they should not be construed to represent the positions of any of my fellow Commissioners.

Following execution of a Letter of Intent (LOI) by EXMAR with LNG Partners, LLC and LNG BargeCo BVBA for the long-term charter of a floating liquefaction and storage unit (FLSU) to serve the BC LNG Project near Kitimat, British Columbia, Canada, EXMAR and LNG Partners announced today that they have taken a number of additional steps to solidify their alliance. As a focal point for the alliance, the two companies have invested in a joint venture company appropriately named Marching Prospect Limited. The new company will acquire interests in the BC LNG Project upstream of the FSLU. In addition, EXMAR has made a loan of $50,000,000 (CAD) to finance a nonrefundable deposit for construction of the FSLU.

The Coast Guard Captain of the Port hosted a Model Port Boston meeting in which the project's partners signed a charter outlining its mission and goal. The model port project, officially named Boston - A Model Port, is one of several Operation Safe Commerce projects underway across the country. In Boston, the project represents a coalition of state, local and federal agencies, and private sector businesses united to enhance port and transportation security while facilitating commerce. The model port project gathers and provides information regarding current security and safety practices in supply chains and critical port activities; assists in collaborative efforts to develop and share best practices for the safe and secure movement of people…

Self-Regulation of the global ship management sector has taken a step nearer reality following the announcement that a method has been developed to set an industry-wide standard for operational key performance indicators (KPI) governing the management of today’s ships. A pilot project initiated by a Sponsor Group made up of the International Ship Managers’ Association (ISMA) together with 18 of the world’s leading ship managers and owners has identified a methodology to establish common standards for measuring, calculating and reporting KPIs to the industry. The move is significant in that it is the first time since the establishment of ISMA in the late 1980s that the global ship management industry has come together to agree how to self-regulate.

Implementation of the Marine Electronic Highway (MEH) Demonstration Project in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore is set to begin shortly, following the signing of a $6.86 million grant agreement between the Global Environment Facility (GEF)/World Bank and the International Maritime Organization (IMO). transiting ships, while being also capable of incorporating marine environmental management systems. marine environment protection and the sustainable development and use of the coastal and marine resources of the Straits' littoral States, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. In addition to the $6.86 million assigned to IMO for the regional MEH demonstration project…