Shipping News

Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company (ACSC) held a meeting with Konstantin Palnikov, the General Director of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS), which is one of the well-known classification societies. During the meeting, the current state of cooperation between ACSC and RS was discussed. Chairman of the Shipping Company Rauf Veliyev informed the guests about the work carried out in the Shipping Company for the last 4 years. It was noted that maintaining the technical condition of the fleet vessels is one of the main conditions for the implementation of strategic objectives.

Members should be aware that the USCG has increased the marine casualty property damage thresholds for reportable marine casualties that take place in US waters or involve US-flag ships. These changes took effect on 18 April 2018. A marine casualty is any incident involving a ship that occurs on navigable waters of the US and/or involves a US ship that results in any of the following: Loss of life, injury (beyond first aid), grounding, bridge allision, main propulsion loss, loss of any component that reduces a ship's maneuverability, an occurrence that affects the ship's seaworthiness (i.e.

Iranian officials responsible for implementing IMO standards on air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from shipping are undergoing IMO training at a national workshop in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran (18 April). Around 30 participants from the country’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO), Department of Environment and numerous ports are taking part. They are being trained on the IMO treaty restricting air pollution from ships as well as ship energy-efficiency measures – MARPOL Annex VI.

The Navy will commission its newest amphibious transport dock, the future USS Portland (LPD 27), during a 10 a.m. PDT ceremony Saturday, April 21, at the Port of Portland, Marine Terminal 2 in Portland, Oregon. Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan will deliver the ceremony's principal address. Bonnie Amos, wife of the 35th Commandant of the Marine Corps, retired Gen. James F. Amos, serves as the ship's sponsor. "USS Portland enters service in a period of dynamic security challenges…

Global shipping fleet must cut sulfur emissions by 2020. Wartsila received record orders for sulfur scrubbers last year. Shipping industry hopes that so-called sulfur scrubbers are a quick-fix solution to compliance with drastic emissions reduction demanded by 2020 are somewhat misguided, one of the world's biggest manufacturers of the equipment told Reuters. The International Maritime Organization's (IMO) cut to the amount of sulfur the world's fleet can emit will have massive implications for shippers, oil refiners and even crude oil producers.

The RMS St. Helena, Britain’s last working postal ship, was for nearly three decades the main source of contact between one of humanity’s remotest islands and the outside world.Now the ship, cherished by the 4,500 residents of British-ruled St. Helena, will start a new life as a floating armory, packed with automatic weapons, bullet-proof jackets and night vision goggles, all stored for maritime security operatives.Renamed the MNG Tahiti, the 340-foot ship will undergo some tweaks…

Mexico has hosted a five-day workshop on International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code), which sets out preventive security measures in case of threats to ships and port facilities. Designated authority and port facility security officers had the chance to improve their knowledge and understanding through practical exercises as well as class-based training in how to implement the relevant provisions of the ISPS Code, SOLAS Chapter XI-2 and related guidance.

The 20,000 TEU containership Cosco Shipping Gemini was officially named and delivered. The vessel was built by the Chinese shipyard Dalian Shipbuilding Industry (DSIC) for Chinese owner Cosco Shipping Lines. Chief Financial Officer of Cosco Shipping, Sun Yueyin, attended the naming ceremony. She named the vessel and cut the ribbon. President and Deputy Party Secretary of China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC), Sun Bo; Party Secretary of Cosco Shipping Lines, Qian Weizhong…

Norwegian cruise ferry operator Hurtigruten has signed a Letter of Intent with Rolls-Royce to upgrade up to nine vessels to hybrid power.The main engines on up to nine cruise ships will switch from diesel to gas power, and the upgrade will also include installation of a hybrid battery system.The deal comprises the supply of equipment to six existing passenger cruise vessels, with an option for a further three. The ships will completely change their power system with the installation of new Rolls-Royce liquefied natural gas (LNG) engines as part of a new hybrid system.

Soya bean trade lanes may change due to the ongoing trade war. The shipping of soya beans from the US to China is one of the most significant ‘one commodity’ cargoes that may become affected by the trade war between the US and China. Soya bean trade lanes will be affected if the Chinese buyers shy away their traditional suppliers because of the extra cost from the proposed tariff on US soya beans. A move that may favour Brazilian ones further, which also hold a higher protein content.

The Lockheed Martin-led industry team hosted the christening ceremony for the 17th Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard on Saturday. Ship sponsor Jill Donnelly christened LCS 17, the future USS Indianapolis , in Navy tradition by breaking a champagne bottle across the ship's bow. "As a native Hoosier and the daughter of two World War II veterans, there is no greater honor than to serve as the sponsor of the future USS Indianapolis ," Donnelly said.

Norwegian Cruise Line has taken delivery of the 168,028-gross-ton cruise ship Norwegian Bliss from shipbuilder Meyer Werft during a ceremony in Bremerhaven, Germany, marking the conclusion of an 18-month building period.Norwegian Bliss is the third vessel in the line’s Breakaway Plus class and the first cruise ship specifically designed for Alaska cruising.The ship features a two-level competitive electric-car racetrack that sits at the top of deck 19; it is the largest at sea and a first for any North America-based cruise ship.

While debates rage in regards to safety, insurance and cyber security, the tech powering autonomous maritime operations continues to power ahead.Advances in sensor technology, data analytics and bandwidth-to-shore are fundamentally changing the way shipping works. And as operations are digitalized, they become more automated, Dr. Pierre C. Sames, Director of Group Technology & Research at class society DNV GL, has stated.Governments around the world are looking into unmanned shipping…

American Cruise Lines’ first new ship of 2018, American Constitution, passed Sea Trials last week in Chesapeake Bay.With the U.S. Coast Guard aboard, American Constitution underwent speed trials, an endurance run, and was thoroughly tested in all areas of safety and maneuverability.“The American Constitution passed with flying colors,” said Paul Taiclet, Vice President of Hotel Operations, who was aboard for the Sea Trials. “The ship performed exceptionally well and has a number…

Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) said it is investigating a collision between two tankers in Singapore waters on Tuesday that led to a leak of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from one of the ships.An estimated 1,796 tonnes of butane gas leaked from the LPG tanker involved but this posed no danger to shipping and measures had been taken by the ship's crew to stop the leak, MPA said in a statement."As liquefied butane has a high evaporation rate, MPA has assessed that any leaked butane would have been carried southward away from mainland Singapore…

The shipping industry and oil refineries are not doing enough to prepare for new rules cutting the amount of sulfur that vessels can emit from 2020, according to the head of the International Energy Agency's (IEA) oil industry and market division.The new rules drastically cut the amount of sulfur that the world's ships can emit, from 3.5 percent currently to just 0.5 percent. Ships that install "scrubbers" that remove sulfur as the fuel is burned can continue to use higher sulfur fuels…

Intercargo welcomes the landmark initial strategy for the reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) from ships adopted by IMO. "We firmly believe that IMO is the appropriate body to address the global challenge of GHG emissions, as the competent authority to do so. Shipping is the most efficient transportation mode and, moreover, its regulatory body, the IMO, was the first to address GHG emissions by adopting technical and operational requirements for new and existing vessels with global application as early as 2011.

Maritime cyber security specialist Naval Dome has signed a contract with Piraeus-based Stamco Ship Management to install its maritime cyber defense system aboard 55 Pure Car and Truck Carriers (PCTC).Stamco Ship Management provides technical and commercial ship management services to various companies like NYK, MOL, K-Line, China Shipping, Höegh Autoliners, WWL, Eukor and Glovis.Naval Dome will install the security system onboard the vessels’ bridge, navigation, communication and machinery control systems to deliver maximum…

Maritime Reporter & Engineering New’s Great Ship of 2017 Award was presented to Mr. Yoshikazu Kawagoe, Chief Technical Officer, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines in MOL’s headquarters in Tokyo. A full report on the world’s 3rd largest shipowner will publish soon in the pages of MR. Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. The World’s Largest Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU Max). Japanese shipowner Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) in middle of October, took delivery of MOL FSRU Challenger the…

Silver Ships, Inc. said it has collaborated with industry vendors to create an aluminum demonstration fire/rescue boat.Designed and manufactured for firefighting and rescue applications, the vessel will be used to showcase the capabilities and craftsmanship of Silver Ships along with participating vendors, whose parts and components enhance the mission-ready abilities of the vessel.Steven Clarke, co-owner at Silver Ships, said, “We tried to put as many capabilities as possible into this AM800 fire boat…

Switching to liquefied natural gas (LNG) to fuel ocean-going vessels may not be enough for shippers to comply with long-term emissions regulations and they will have to find additional ways of reducing emissions, JBC Energy said on Tuesday. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) on Friday reached an agreement to cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by at least 50 percent by 2050 compared with 2008 levels. Shipping accounts for 2.2 percent of world CO2 emissions, according to the IMO, the United Nations agency responsible for regulating the shipping industry.

Several ships carrying cargoes of sorghum from the United States to China have changed course since Beijing slapped hefty anti-dumping deposits on U.S. imports of the grain, trade sources and a Reuters analysis of export and shipping data showed.Sorghum is a niche animal feed and a tiny slice of the billions of dollars in exports at stake in the trade dispute between the world's two largest economies, which threatens to disrupt the flow of everything from steel to electronics.The supply-chain pain felt by sorghum suppliers on the Pacific…

The United Nations shipping agency reached an agreement on Friday to cut carbon emissions, following years of slow progress. The compromise plan, which will cut emissions by at least 50 percent by 2050 compared with 2008 levels, fell short of more ambitious targets. Kitack Lim, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), said the adoption of the strategy "would allow future IMO work on climate change to be rooted in a solid basis". The IMO said it would also be pursuing efforts towards phasing out CO2 emissions entirely.