The Enterprise News

As U.S. shale oil boomed last decade, an oil pipeline company pitched an ambitious multi-billion-dollar export port off the Texas coast to ship domestic crude to buyers in Europe and Asia.In April, Enterprise Products Partners' SPOT became the first project to receive a license from the U.S. maritime regulator for a deepwater port that could load two supertankers, each of which can carry up to 2 million barrels of oil at a time.But multi-year regulatory delays, a loss of commercial backers and slowing U.S.

For 15 years the Maritime Risk Symposium (MRS), an annual three-day event, has brought together government and maritime industry leaders, port representatives, international and domestic researchers and solution providers to examine current and emerging threats to maritime security. World events highlight that maritime security is increasingly at risk during the current period of great-power competition and ongoing conflicts. The active competition between nations who are not…

Enterprise Products Partners said on Tuesday it had received a deepwater port license for its Sea Port Oil Terminal (SPOT) in the Gulf of Mexico from an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation.The project, located near Freeport, Texas, would become the biggest offshore oil export terminal in the U.S. after completion with a capacity to load two supertankers at a time and export 2 million barrels of crude oil per day."The receipt of the license is the most significant milestone to date in the development and commercialization of SPOT…

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has launched the first pilot trial for electric harbor craft charging point at the Marina South Pier (MSP).The charging point was awarded to the Pyxis Energy, Pyxis Maritime, and SP Mobility partnership. Pyxis’s fleet of electric harbor craft operating at MSP will serve as the base offtake to ensure optimization of the charging infrastructure.The Pyxis and SP Mobility partnership has deployed a 150kW land-based direct current fast charger with a Combined Charging System 2 connector at MSP.

Fugro Pioneer is ready to be equipped with methanol engines after successfully converting the main components on board, the company reports, a plank in its path to reach Net-Zero operations by 2035.The geophysical vessel was converted in the Netherlands as part of the Fugro-led consortium MENENS (Methanol as Energy Step Towards Emission-free Dutch Shipping) with a grant from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO).The vessel adjustments to the Fugro Pioneer allow two of its four original engines to be replaced by methanol engines…

Espen Andersen, a pilot boat driver for DanPilot, the independent public enterprise owned by the Danish state, takes his love of maritime and LEGOs to new heights, creating a LEGO model of the pilot boat he sails for Svendborg, Denmark-based company. Andersen has registered the pilot boat for LEGO Ideas, a forum where fans can submit suggestions for upcoming LEGO sets. If the idea is to become a reality and be considered for a new production at LEGO, the pilot boat needs to receive 10,000 votes.“At DanPilot, many passionate seafarers work on dedicated hobby projects.

Mohammad “Ali” Usman has been hired as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the Federal Maritime Commission and appointed to be a member of the Senior Executive Service.Usman will serve as director in all areas of information technology (IT) and as the primary IT technical advisor to the Managing Director.He assumes his new duties effective immediately.“Well functioning, publicly accessible, and secured information systems are vital to being able to meet the mission of a government agency in the 21st Century. Mr.

The Singapore government has recounted the achievements of Maritime Singapore to date to highlight the nation’s successes as a maritime hub in 2023:Total business spending by key maritime companies overseen by MPA exceeded S$4.8 billion, up from S$4.3 billion in 2022. Twenty-five maritime companies established or expanded their operations in Singapore last year. These included maritime services companies and companies setting up sustainability desks in Singapore as part of their…

HII announced today that its Newport News Shipbuilding division (NNS) recently began topside testing of the electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) on aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN 79).EMALS, first integrated into USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), replaces the existing steam catapults currently in use on the U.S. Navy’s Nimitz-class aircraft carriers.Following successful “no-load” testing on catapults one and two, known as the ‘bow cats,’ the NNS team, alongside the John F. Kennedy crew, has now started “dead-load” testing.

A maritime technology company based in Aberdeen has been awarded funding from Scottish Enterprise to support the development of an app-based version of its breakthrough draft survey technology. Tymor Marine’s DRFT MRKS software uses artificial intelligence with deep learning applied to video capture to provide an accurate measurement of the weight and load of a vessel.The grant funding from Scottish Enterprise will allow Tymor’s team to build on the operational capabilities of the software…

The competitive landscape in shipbuilding has changed dramatically, as ‘Industry 4.0’ capabilities driven by the digital revolution have given the edge to those that scout and adopt solutions that deliver on the promise of increasing efficiency while cutting costs. Juan Prieto discusses the CADMATIC suite of solutions for North American shipyards seeking to capture the competitive edge.Digital technologies are evolving at breakneck speed, unlocking tremendous efficiency gains for shipbuilders.

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries have released a final joint strategy to protect and promote the recovery of endangered North Atlantic right whales while responsibly developing offshore wind energy.The strategy builds on existing mitigation measures to protect North Atlantic right whales from the potential impacts of offshore wind development and was developed to support the Biden-Harris administration's goal of deploying 30GW of offshore wind by 2030.North Atlantic right whales are approaching extinction.

China has called for an end to attacks on civilian vessels in the Red Sea that have dramatically widened the Hamas-Israel conflict and placed Beijing's commercial interests along the Suez Canal at risk.The Iran-backed Houthi militia from Yemen that seeks "Death to Israel" is challenging the ability of the world's biggest trading nation to defend billions in strategic investments in Egypt.Since President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi came to power in 2014, China has stepped up its investment and commercial activities along Egypt's Suez Canal…

The Greater Houston Port Bureau Board of Directors announced Vincent DiCosimo, vice president of government affairs at Targa Resources, will assume the position of the chairman of the board on January 1, 2024. DiCosimo has served as first vice chairman on the Port Bureau’s board for the last three years.Bernt Netland, the outgoing chairman of the Port Bureau Board said, “Vincent has been a part of the Port Bureau’s board for many years and has been active in his role as vice chair. He is an experienced and respected leader in the port region.

AUKUS defense ministers have reaffirmed their resolve to bolster security and stability and ensure that the Indo-Pacific remains a region free from coercion and aggression.A statement was released after Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III hosted Richard Marles MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Australia, and Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Defence, United Kingdom, at the Defense Innovation Unit Headquarters in California on December 1.AUKUS is a trilateral security partnership for the Indo-Pacific region between Australia…

HydroWing is gearing up for deployment of its tidal energy technology, following the recent announcement that it has been awarded a contract for a 10MW tidal stream energy project in Wales.HydroWing was the largest tidal stream project in Wales to be successful in the UK government’s latest Contracts for Difference round. The project will be located at the Morlais tidal energy site in Anglesey, which is managed by the social enterprise Menter Môn. The Morlais site is the UK’s largest consented tidal energy scheme.Richard Parkinson…

Defense contractor Babcock has signed a four-year £750 million (~$916 million) contract with the UK Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA), to deliver the infrastructure required to support and sustain the UK’s submarines for decades to come.As part of the major infrastructure program underway at the Devonport site, Babcock said it would deliver substantial upgrades to existing infrastructure that will support the future capability of the Royal Navy and the…

HII announced its Newport News Shipbuilding division has begun production at an additional campus in Norfolk, Va. to support the shipyard’s continued progress toward more effective and efficient shipbuilding.The Newport News Shipbuilding Norfolk Campus is located on land leased from Fairlead in the Lambert’s Point area, at a development known as Fairwinds Landing. NNS shipbuilders have worked at the site for several months constructing steel panels that will eventually make up units of Gerald R.

A new containership planned for operations in Europe is set to become the world's first to use pure ammonia as fuel.Yara Clean Ammonia and NorthSea Container Line are establishing a joint venture, NCL Oslofjord, to operate the ammonia-powered ship Yara Eyde on routes between Norway and Germany from 2026.The project has been awarded just over NOK 40 million (US$3.6 million) from Enova, a Norwegian government enterprise promoting clean energy technologies.Ammonia is one of several alternative fuels gaining traction in commercial shipping to help cut emissions.

Italian power and telecom cable-making and installation services firm Prysmian Group said Monday it had completed the installation and HV testing activities at Vineyard Wind 1, the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in the US. Located more than 15 miles off the coast of Massachusetts, Vineyard Wind will consist of an array of 62 wind turbines that will generate 800 MW of electricity and power over 400,000 homes. The first turbine was installed last week.As for the Prysmian scope, the project was awarded to Prysmian Group in May 2019 by Vineyard Wind, LLC.

Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) will launch a digital bunkering initiative on Nov. 1, making the city-state the first port in the world to use electronic bunker fuel delivery notes, the MPA said on Monday.The digital notes will replace physical documents containing information on fuel oil deliveries. Under the initiative, fuel suppliers, ship owners, operators, and crew will be encouraged to use mobile and cloud-based applications approved by the MPA to complete and issue bunkering documents.

Australia said a security review of a 99-year lease held by Chinese company Landbridge on the northern port of Darwin, a key focus of its defense strategy, found it was "not necessary to vary or cancel the lease".In a statement, the prime minister's department said: "Australians can have confidence that their safety will not be compromised, while ensuring that Australia remains a competitive destination for foreign investment".It added that monitoring of security arrangements would continue around the northern port…

Marlink renewed its agreement with Intelsat for supply of Ku-band capacity. Via the deal, Marlink will deliver the capacity to users within its hybrid digital network, available to customers across maritime, energy and enterprise sectors. The agreement includes the future use of satellites with a software-defined operating system, improving precision of signal delivery and a highly stable quality of service.The agreement covers global distribution of capacity within the network provided by Marlink and joint development initiatives to prepare users for software-defined satellite (SDS) services.