Selected News

SCHOTTEL said it will equip four new 1810-series ASD stock tugs from the Dutch Damen Group with the SCHOTTEL RudderPropeller type SRP 270. The new multipurpose tugs will have a bollard pull of 30 tonnes each and ensure excellent maneuverability with a compact size of just 18.25 meters in length and a beam of 10.23 meters.The power rating of the SRP 270 amounts to 1,000 kilowatts per unit, with a propeller diameter of 1.9 meters. Each tug will be equipped with two units. SCHOTTEL DuroVario LS slipping clutches will allow for smooth acceleration and improved handling of the thrusters.

Norwegian shipyard Myklebust Verft has been selected to build a pair of innovative hydrogen-powered passenger ferries ordered by Norwegian transport company Torghatten Nord.The design, produced by The Norwegian Ship Design Company for operations in the challenging waters of the Vestfjordstrekninga fjord in the Arctic Circle, received approval in principle (AIP) in August 2022 from Lloyd's Register, who has signed on to class the first-of-their-kind vessels.At 117 meters long with a 120-car capacity…

Damen Naval has selected Kongsberg Maritime Sweden to deliver controllable pitch propellers and shaft lines for the four Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) frigates for the Netherlands and Belgium.As part of this contract, Kongsberg will supply four shipsets of its controllable pitch propeller systems and associated equipment including blades, hubcaps, hubs, and shaft lines.The four ASW frigates will replace the current Karel Doorman-class multi-purpose frigates. They will be deployed for a wide variety of tasks, with anti-submarine warfare as their main purpose.

Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, part of technology group Wärtsilä, will supply cargo handling and fuel supply systems for three new large sized ethane gas carrier (VLEC) vessels being built for Purus.The ships are under construction at the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) yard in South Korea.In line with the Purus’ emphasis on achieving net zero carbon emissions for its fleet by 2030, the new vessels are designed to be as efficient as possible in all respects.The Wärtsilä cargo handling…

Daphne Technology has been selected by Trafigura for its first commercial deployment of PureMetrics™ emissions measuring system, scheduled for the summer of 2024.The system will be deployed aboard an LNG carrier chartered by Trafigura and managed by Latsco LNG LLC.PureMetrics directly measures and accurately reports real-time tonnes of GHG emissions to the environment, eliminating inaccurate reporting based on fuel consumption estimates. The system features a combination of an array of sensors…

Optimarin AS, a Norwegian supplier of ballast water treatment systems (BWTS), announced it has agreed to acquire the Hyde Marine UV business from the Italian multinational Industrie De Nora S.p.A.

Esgian reports on new contracts for Borr Drilling and Shelf Drilling (North Sea) jackups in its Week 15 Rig Analytics Market Roundup. Additionally, Energean has selected a drillship for its upcoming drilling campaign offshore Morocco. South America remains vital to the floating rig market, with ExxonMobil moving ahead on a sixth development on the prolific Stabroek block offshore Guyana and Petrobras reporting a new discovery in Brazil's Potiguar Basin.Report Outline:ContractsBorr Drilling has announced new contract commitments for three of its premium jackup rigs…

On 11 March, MV Svenja discharged her cargo of nine modules, marking the completion of the JSI Alliance’s scope of work in the Basrah Refinery Upgrading Project in Iraq for JGC Corporation.The Alliance dedicated two vessels to the project: the Jumbo Kinetic with her two 1,500t cranes, and the MV Svenja with two 1,000t cranes. Together, the vessels undertook transport of 84 modules using JCG's specially designed lifting frame. The two vessels were selected due to their having the required capabilities for lifting and transporting the modules…

Kongsberg Maritime announced it has been selected by shipbuilder Austal USA to supply its Promas propulsion system to the latest ship in the U.S. Coast Guard’s Heritage Class Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) program.This initial contract is to supply Kongsberg Maritime equipment for the fifth ship, Coast Guard Cutter Pickering, which is the first to be built by Austal USA at its yard in Mobile, Ala.Built to replace the Coast Guard’s medium endurance cutters, the OPC program is expected to run up to 25 ships. The OPC vessels will be able to provide long range patrol capability.

A recent article in The Wall Street Journal claims that the assessment by 74% of poll respondents in election swing states who believe inflation moved in the wrong direction last year is incorrect. The piece went on to state that the respondents’ perceptions were “contradicted by hard economic data”.Like many of us, I just love “hard data”, especially when it’s “economic”.One great aspect of “hard data” is that we must assume it’s correct; otherwise, how could it be “hard”? In fact…

U.S. shipbuilder Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc (ESG) on Wednesday announced it is teaming up with Dutch shipbuilding group Royal IHC to design and construct a highly automated hopper dredge for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).The diesel-electric vessel, contracted for the Department of Defense, will be constructed at ESG's Allanton and Port St. Joe facilities in Florida for scheduled delivery in 2027.The new 6,000-cubic-yard-capacity medium-class hopper dredge (MCHD) will be based at the Corps’ Philadelphia District…

Wärtsilä reports it has signed a long-term Guaranteed Asset Performance agreement with CSBC-DEME Wind Engineering Co Ltd (CDWE), a joint venture between CSBC Corporation and DEME Offshore. The agreement covers CDWE’s new 216 meters-long installation vessel, the Green Jade. Marco Kanaar, CEO of CDWE, owner of the Taiwan-designed and -built offshore heavy lift DP3 installation vessel Green Jade says: "High utilization of our Green Jade is of utmost importance to our business which is why we have selected the Wärtsilä thrusters and engines for its reputation for excellent quality and reliability.

Australian shipbuilder Austal said on Tuesday it had rejected an A$1.02 billion ($662 million) takeover offer from South Korea's Hanwha Ocean as it was unlikely to be approved by Australian and U.S. regulators due to the sensitivity of its operations.The Western Australia-based firm said it had received a bid at A$2.825 per share, representing a premium of 28.4% to Austal's last closing price.Austal's shares rose 8.2% in early trade, while the Australian S&P/ASX200 index was flat.The…

Australian shipbuilder Austal said on Tuesday it had rejected an A$1.02 billion ($662 million) takeover offer from South Korea's Hanwha Ocean as it was unlikely to be approved by Australian and U.S. regulators due to the sensitivity of its operations.The Western Australia-based firm said it had received a bid at A$2.825 per share, representing a premium of 28.4% to Austal's last closing price.Austal's shares rose 8.2% in early trade, while the Australian S&P/ASX200 index .AXJO…

NYK and Japan Marine United Corporation (JMU) have joined forces to develop a method for estimating a ship’s performance in actual seas before construction is completed.The aim of the two companies is predict a vessel's performance in actual seas before the conclusion of a shipbuilding contract and aid in the reduction of GHG emissions by procuring highly fuel-efficient vessels.In conventional shipbuilding contracts, the guaranteed speed is set and agreed based on the relationship between the ship's speed and horsepower in calm waters…

MAN Energy Solutions and Svitzer have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) focused on the development of a methanol-fuelled version of the MAN 175D engine. Designated 175DF-M (Dual Fuel-Methanol), the MoU targets the finalisation of a field-test agreement based on which a dual-fuel engine and plant equipment will be installed on board one of Svitzer’s newbuild tugs.Svitzer has a long-standing relationship with MAN Energy Solutions, especially recently with the MAN 175D engine.

2024 marks another year for development of a biennial WRDA bill—Water Resources Development Act, critical legislation for the Nation’s waterways, ports and harbors. WRDA encompasses a range of issues, from environmental regs to energy use to agriculture and, of course, a focus on projects critical for economic growth.Because these are dynamic and timely issues, Congress and the maritime sector like to keep WRDA on a two-year reauthorization timeline. Indeed, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, December and January, held three WRDA information hearings.

One of the largest of the international shipping associations BIMCO has reported increased threats associated with maritime shipping amid Red Sea risks related to Houthi strikes and rise of piracy activities offshore Somalia.Since November 2023, the threat to shipping has increased as the Houthis started attacking ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Simultaneously, piracy activity off the East coast of Somalia has risen and since December, two bulk carriers and several fishing ships have been hijacked.

Norwegian firm Brunvoll has been selected as a supplier of the propulsion and maneuvering system for one of Esvagt’s new offshore wind service operation vessels (SOV).Esvagt’s new SOV will be controlled by Brunvoll’s propulsion and thruster control system, BruCon PTC.The vessel will be outfitted with two azimuth propulsion thrusters, two retractable azimuth thrusters, and a tunnel thruster.Once completed, the new vessel will enter operation for Vestas on the Hollandse Kust West VI wind farm in the North Sea. The wind farm will feature 54 wind turbines and can deliver 760 MW.

Saipem has signed a letter of intent for the development of CO2 offshore transportation and storage facilities as part of the Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP) and Net Zero Teesside Power (NZTP) projects for the East Coast Cluster in the UK.Saipem signed a Letter of Intent, received by the Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP), a joint venture between the operator BP, Equinor, and TotalEnergies, and Net Zero Teesside Power (NZT Power), a joint venture between BP and Equinor.The…

SAAM reported net income of US$501 million in 2023, representing its best-ever results thanks to the sale of its port and logistics assets to Hapag-Lloyd, which generated a net gain of US$422 million.Sales for the year totaled US$540 million and EBITDA was US$160 million, surpassing the prior year by 17% and 9%, respectively."The sale of our port terminal and inland logistics operations leaves us in a solid position to move forward on the path we have set for ourselves: to lead the consolidation process in the towage industry and grow in air cargo logistics services.

As a part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) published a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for $500 million in Federal Fiscal Year 2024 funding through MARAD’s Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP).Investments made under the PIDP focus on modernizing the Nation’s coastal and inland waterway ports as well as strengthening its supply chains and economic security for generations to come.

Singapore’s Strategic Marine and Taiwan’s Prosperous Wind Shipping have delivered the hybrid-ready support vessel for the Yunlin offshore wind farm in Taiwan.The StratCat 27 hybrid-ready vessel is designed for the transfer of technicians and cargo, essential for the construction, operation, and maintenance of offshore wind farms.Owned and operated by Prosperous Wind Shipping, the vessel will be able to meet the specific needs of the offshore wind industry in Taiwan.Set to start operations at the Yunlin offshore wind farm in April 2024…