Salt News

Since our last market update in the subsea space about a year ago both our current market view and forecasts have strengthened significantly.While the demand picture is looking solid and arguing for a strong multi-year upcycle, the supply side has also started to wake from its slumber albeit ever so slightly at the time of writing. Moreover, we register an interesting dynamic on the shipowner side, where everyone is trying to position themselves for the impeding market boom.Please note that vessel definitions and abbreviations in this part of our industry can vary…

Norway-based Edda Wind on Tuesday announced it has taken delivery of a newly built service operation vessel (SOV) from Spanish shipbuilder Astilleros Balenciaga.The vessel, C416—to be renamed Edda Goelo at a later stage—was delivered on March 26. It will be the permanent vessel in the contract with Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy at the Saint-Brieuc wind farm in France, running until Q2 2028. C416 is of Salt 0358 design and the sister vessel of Edda Brint, delivered from Astilleros Balenciaga in October 2022.

Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) has unveiled a concept for a first-of-its kind service operations vessel (SOV) that runs on liquid hydrogen.The French-headquartered company said it has been working alongside Norwegian naval architecture firm Salt Ship Design as well as main equipment suppliers, fuel providers, class and flag authorities, and others to produce the concept—with support from the European Commission.The groundbreaking SOV, currently in the concept design phase, would be able to operate 95% of the time with zero carbon emissions, only releasing water during standard operations.

Spain-based Gondan Shipbuilders has started the construction of an advanced remotely operated unmanned surface vehicle (USV) for a company made up of DeepOcean, Solstad and Østensjø Rederi alliance called USV A/S.The project focuses on improving subsea operations, targeting a reduction of CO2 emissions by more than 90% compared to conventional methods.The new USV will be used for underwater maintenance and inspection missions.Designed by Salt Ship Design, the vessel will feature a hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system…

The specialized deepwater oil & gas and floating offshore wind segments will share many of the same stakeholders and supply chains, competing for increasingly scarce resources.To receive a full version of Inteletus analysis, click hereThe established floating production segment is forecast to experience continued growth through this decade, driving demand for, among other things, moorings, subsea systems, umbilicals, risers, flowlines and the large anchor handlers and subsea support vessels that will install and maintain the elements.At the same time…

American shipping companies are spending more than $120 million to repair and maintain their fleets of Great Lakes bulk carriers this winter.The fleet of U.S.-flagged ships, known as "lakers", can move more than 90 million tons of cargos annually, including iron ore, stone, coal, grain, salt and sand. Each year after the shipping season draws to a close, these vessels enter shipyards and repair facilities around the Great Lakes for a period of winter maintenance and repair. This…

Cargo volumes moved by U.S.-flag Great Lakes freighters in 2023 increased 6.5% compared to 2022, according to latest figures from trade group the Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA).The 81.4 million tons of cargo transported by the U.S. laker fleet 2023 was 1.2% above the fleet’s five-year average, LCA said.Iron ore cargos totaled 42.4 million tons, an increase of 13.4% compared to a year earlier, while limestone shipments increased by 3.9% to 24.6 million tons. Sand shipments increased by 12.4%.Coal cargos were down 9.7% to 8.4 million tons.

When discussing ship design, the maritime industry has been tossing around a number of new terms and definitions. Sustainability, alternative fuel “ready”, digitization and lifecycle are a few of the terms becoming more commonplace amid the industry’s search for zero emissions solutions. As IMO MEPC 80 meetings push emissions reduction to meet “well to wake” requirements, we will learn much of the challenge is tied to energy and infrastructure ashore. Electrification and the development…

When people hear about underwater reefs, they usually picture colorful gardens created from coral. But some reefs are anchored to much more unusual foundations.For more than a century, people have placed a wide assortment of objects on the seafloor off the U.S. coast to provide habitat for marine life and recreational opportunities for fishing and diving. Artificial reefs have been created from decommissioned ships, chicken transport cages, concrete pipes, rail cars and more.We study how ocean-dwelling fish use artificial reefs in the U.S. and beyond.

Norwegian ship designer and builder Vard has confirmed the Danish subsea cable company NKT is behind the order for the construction of the new cable laying vessel.The contract, valued between $218-270 million (€200-250 million), was signed mid December 2023 by Vard and NKT HV Cables, a Swedish-based turn-key power cable manufacturer and installation company, which is part of NKT.The hull for the cable laying vessel will be built at Vard Tulcea in Romania and outfitted and delivered…

The Australian Border Force (ABF) has apprehended 30 illegal foreign fishers and seized and destroyed three fishing vessels as part of an ongoing operation targeting illegal fishing off the coast of Western Australia.ABF's Maritime Border Command in partnership with the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) detected and apprehended the vessels found to be fishing illegally in the Kimberley Marine Park between December 23 and 26, 2023.The illegal fishing crews have been…

Analysts and commentators are quick to point out that fossil fuels will power maritime equipment, and indeed dominate the fueling marketplace, well into the future. However, they will do so alongside new fuels, and new technologies, that will be introduced to the maritime sector in the coming years. In its September, 2023 report “Beyond the Horizon: View of the Emerging Energy Value Chains”, the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) explains that, “During the recent 80th meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 80)…

Norwegian ship designer and builder Vard on Friday announced it has signed a contract to construct a cable laying vessel for an undisclosed customer. The value of the contract is between EUR 200 – 250 million.The vessel is designed by Norwegian company Salt Ship Design AS. The hull for the vessel will be built at Vard Tulcea in Romania and outfitted and delivered from one of Vard’s yards in Norway in Q4 2026. Vard said it will announce further information about the contract at a later stage

On December 13, 193 blocks were auctioned in Brazil’s oil and gas licensing round, signaling strong optimism for the industry, according to Wood Mackenzie.Highlights from these bid rounds included:• The total amount in bonuses was US$85 million• 44 blocks were acquired in the Pelotas Basin, a frontier area. Petrobras will operate 29 and Chevron 15• All Basins managed to attract bids, even Parana Basin• A single Brazilian operator, Elysian, acquired 122 onshore blocks• BP, Equinor…

Brunvoll signed a contract with Westcon Yards for the delivery of a wide array of products to the new fishing vessel for owner M.V. Quantus Limited and Peter & J. Johnstone Limited, based in Peterhead, UK. Included is the Retractable Azimuth Combi Thruster. The vessel is designed by Salt Ship Design and will be delivered from the yard by the end of 2025.The Brunvoll delivery for Quantus will consist of main propulsion and gear, the BruCon Propulsion and Thruster Control (PTC) system…

One person has died and 12 people were missing on Sunday after a cargo ship carrying salt with 14 crew on board sank off the island of Lesbos, the Greek coast guard said.The Comoros-flagged Raptor had departed from El Dekheila port in Egypt and was bound for Istanbul when it reported a mechanical failure and issued a distress call early on Sunday, the coast guard added."One body recovered from the area," a coast guard official told Reuters adding that one person was rescued by helicopter and was taken to the island's hospital.Eight of the crew were Egyptians and the rest were Syrian and Indian

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has completed a major A$15.5 million two-year project to repair and rejuvenate essential aids to navigation (AtoNs) off the coast of Port Hedland, Western Australia.AMSA commissioned the works following Severe Tropical Cyclone Veronica in 2019, which caused significant damage to electrical equipment, access ladders, platforms, day markers and fenders.AMSA has replaced the top of 13 AtoNs, installed new platforms and above water pile sections…

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District is working to delay upriver progression of salt water from the Gulf of Mexico by augmenting the sill initially constructed in July 2023.Construction is underway to increase the existing underwater sill from a depth of -55 feet to a depth of -30 feet. A 620-foot-wide navigation lane will be kept to a depth of -55 feet to ensure deep-draft shipping continues along the nation’s busiest inland waterway.USACE initially constructed…

The maritime industry is exploring whether nuclear fuel can be used to power commercial ships as advancements in technology open up such options, industry officials said. Nevertheless, any possible nuclear fuel solutions for ships are at least 10 years away, they added.Shipping accounts for nearly 3% of global CO2 emissions and the industry is under pressure from investors and environmentalists to find cleaner fuel solutions, which include ammonia, methanol, and wind. Nuclear energy has been used in the past to power military submarines and icebreakers…

Laser systems quickly remove corrosion and scale from metal surfaces with less preparation and mess than traditional techniques.In the maritime industry, corrosion and scale (where rust penetrates a metal surface) can quickly become an issue in an outdoor, salt sea spray laden environment. When sea spray evaporates, it leaves salt behind, leading to saltwater staining and accelerated corrosion.So, most shipbuilders as well as those responsible for maintenance and repair understand the value of treating metal surfaces to remove corrosion…

David Clark Company is best known within the marine market for its wireless and digital headset workboat crew communication systems – the Series 9900 Wireless Marine Headset System and the Series 9100 Digital Marine Headset System. The company has over 20 years of experience designing and manufacturing boat crew communication solutions for a variety of workboats, e.g., patrol boats, fire/rescue craft, and offshore service vessels.But you may not know that David Clark Company started…

China Classification Society (CCS) has issued a first Approval in Principle (AiP) certificate for the marine liquid hydrogen fuel supply system developed by Weishi Energy Technology Hebei.The system design includes a marine liquid hydrogen tank and cold box, supercooled hydrogen storage technology, heat exchange technology, regulated hydrogen supply technology and subcooled hydrogenation technology. Dual-boost functionality ensures rapid system startup, says CCS, and the system…

Edda Wind's recently delivered Edda Boreas Commissioning Service Operation Vessel (CSOV) has started the contract to support commissioning operations at the world’s largest offshore wind farm - the Dogger Bank Offshore Wind Farm in the UK - for the next two years. The giant Dogger Bank offshore wind farm is being built in three consecutive 1.2GW phases; Dogger Bank A, Dogger Bank B, and Dogger Bank C. SSE Renewables is leading the development and construction of Dogger Bank Wind Farm…