The Guide News

The FBI said on Monday it opened a criminal probe into the collapse of a Baltimore bridge in March when a ship crashed into a bridge support, while local officials confirmed the recovery of a fourth body from the incident.FBI agents boarded the cargo ship Dali to conduct court-authorized law enforcement activity regarding the crash, an FBI spokesperson said. The spokesperson said there was no other public information available and the bureau will have no further comment.The body…

Saipem and Fincantieri have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to evaluate commercial and industrial opportunities for cooperation in the field of autonomous subsea vehicles (AUV) and their integration with surface and underwater units.The MoU is among the initiatives aimed at promoting and developing Italy’s national excellence in the underwater sector.The agreement aims to enable the two companies to participate in major programs in the Italian and international markets in the area of surveillance and control of critical underwater infrastructure and rescue activities…

Jeffrey G. Sipes has been named chief executive officer at engineering and construction firm S&B, parent company to naval architecture and marine engineering firm TAI Engineers.“S&B has a remarkable record of growth and success over the past sixty years, and we look forward to decades of further success. The markets we serve are changing, creating new opportunities for growth. Jeff is the leader who can successfully guide the company to capitalize on these opportunities. He brings extensive experience and a deep understanding of both S&B’s markets and the company’s distinctive capabilities…

Norwegian ferry operator Fjord1 has ordered a series of four autonomous zero-emission ferries to operate the Lavik-Oppedal crossing on the northwest coast of Norway.The newbuilds were designed by Norway-based HAV Design and will be built by Tersan Shipyard in Turkey.According to HAV Design, which will deliver ship design and an engineering package for all four vessels, said the design is based on a future-oriented operating concept developed alongside Fjord1. The ferries will…

As the offshore oil and gas industry transitions to more sustainable practices, drilling rig operators are faced with demands to implement greenhouse gas (GHG) abatement measures as part of their workload. Being the owner of the first ever drillship that secured DNV’s Abate(P) notation, Scotland-based offshore drilling contractor Stena Drilling discusses everything the company is doing to make its drill-ships ‘greener’.The first step to reducing its carbon footprint for Stena…

With a fleet of nine U.S.-flag RoRo ships, American Roll-On Roll-Off Carrier Group (ARC), is the U.S.’ premier commercial RoRo carrier of U.S. government and military cargo. As the world becomes an increasingly contentious place, Eric P. Ebeling, President & CEO, ARC, discusses the vast capabilities of the ARC fleet and logistics network, as well as the challenges and opportunities ahead for U.S.-flag ships in the international trade.By the numbers’ is a simplistic means to gauge the size and shape of any shipping company…

Light Structures’ SENSFIB Hull Stress Monitoring System received the ABS SMART(SHM) Tier 3 Product Design Assessment (PDA) certificate.The SENSFIB Tier 3 Smart Structural Health Monitoring system employs an industry-leading, fiber optic, sensor-based approach for structural health assessment and prediction, calibrated and verified using high-fidelity data for improved accuracy and reliability.The system provides information about the stresses on a vessel’s hull from cargo loading…

The International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF) has launched its #SARyouOK? Guidance and Best Practice Framework.The #SARyouOK? initiative is supported by the Trinity House DFT Maritime Safety Fund and aims to promote awareness of mental health and wellbeing issues and break down the attached stigma for those working in the maritime search and rescue (SAR) sector.This initiative provides comprehensive guidance on mental health and wellbeing for maritime SAR services. The aim…

A.P. Moller - Maersk (Maersk) announced it has appointed Charles van der Steene as the new Regional President for North America, effective February 1, 2024. With the move, van der Steene will join the company’s Executive Leadership Team.A logistics industry veteran, van der Steene joined Maersk in 2011 with deep global experience in commercial leadership, operations and general management. He previously led Maersk’s commercial organization in North America and most recently headed up Maersk’s Global Commercial Excellence and Transformation organization.Narin Phol…

The Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), the national association representing the U.S. shipbuilding, maintenance and repair industry, announced its new Board of Directors leadership and the incoming chairs of the SCA Partners Committee. The announcements kicked off the Association’s Annual Meeting on May 17 in Washington, D.C.Brad Moyer, Vice President of BAE Systems Ship Repair, is ascending from his Vice Chairman post to  Chairman of the Board, assuming the position from Ben Bordelon…

Classification society DNV has entered into a joint development project (JDP) with Singapore-based shipping company SDTR Marine to cooperate on a carbon capture and storage (CCS) feasibility study for the latter’s 85,000 dwt Kamsarmax bulk carrier.As part of the JDP, DNV and SDTR Marine will collaborate on a techno-economic analysis of CCS implementation aboard the bulk carriers. Utilizing DNV's FuelPath, the study aims to evaluate the economic viability of different fuel and technology approaches under various fuel and CO2 price scenarios.

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.

Esgian's last roundup of the year for the Week 52 puts spotlight on new developments for Dolphin Drilling semisub, Seadrill drillships, as well as Shell’s plans for Australia and ONGC’s new tender for jackups in India.ContractsDolphin Drilling has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with an undisclosed operator for the 1,500-ft semisubmersible Borgland Dolphin to undertake a 500-day drilling campaign in the UK. The drilling campaign is planned to begin directly after the firm part of the contract period with EnQuest, which was announced in late November 2023.

As the maritime and offshore industries cumulatively search for ways to attract the 'next generation,' Saipem has come up with an innovative approach that gives thousands of students the ability to virtually visit work in the offshore environment: two days on board a naval vessel engaged in the construction of a large wind farm in the North Sea. This is the experience that almost 27,000 elementary and middle school students from over 850 cities were able to live thanks to an exclusive virtual and interactive school trip organized by Saipem…

At COP28, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach unveiled a strategy for a green and digital shipping corridor across the Pacific Ocean.The strategy follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding by MPA, Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach during Singapore Maritime Week in April 2023. The signing formalized the partnership, which is supported by C40 Cities, with the aim of establishing a green and digital shipping…

Thordon Bearings and Wärtsilä have announced the formation of the Blue Ocean Alliance to develop and promote a stern tube-less ship concept.The Blue Ocean Alliance brings together Thordon Bearings, Wärtsilä, the School of Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), naval architect SDARI (Shanghai Merchant Ship Design & Research Institute CSSC) and ABS.The companies say that the concept of a ship design that does not require a…

U.S.-based offshore wind developer Vineyard Offshore on Monday announced it has named Alicia Barton as the company’s new CEO, starting in January.Barton will take over for Lars T. Pedersen, who has led the company since it was founded in 2022 and before that led the team developing Vineyard Wind, the first commercial-scale offshore wind project in the United States, now under construction.“I had the pleasure of working with Alicia during the very early days of the Vineyard Wind project and know she brings an outstanding mix of skills and talent to Vineyard Offshore,” Pedersen said.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore has joined as an associate member, bringing regulatory and technological expertise to further support MTF’s objectives.Today, the Maritime Technologies Forum (MTF), whose founding members include ABS, DNV, Lloyd’s Register, ClassNK, Japan’s Maritime Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the Norwegian Maritime Authority and the U.K.’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency, welcomed the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) as an associate member…

Colonna's Shipyard said Wednesday that its President & CEO, Tom Godfrey, would retire effective December 31, 2023. Randall Crutchfield has been named to replace Godfrey as the company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Crutchfield is currently Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer (COO). Additionally, Jordan Webb, currently Executive Vice President of Shipyard Operations, will become President & General Manager. Both appointments are effective January 1, 2024.“Randall…

Shipbuilder Chantier Naval Forillon in Gaspé, Quebec has received an order to build a new Near-Shore Fishery Research Vessel (NSFRV) for the Canadian Coast Guard.Expected to join the Canadian Coast Guard fleet as early as 2027, the new vessel will be the agency's first-ever diesel-electric hybrid vessel with a battery energy storage system, designed to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels.Announced last week by Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard…

Equinor has announced the name of its floating offshore wind project off the coast of California, Atlas Wind. The lease area, which lies 60 miles from Morro Bay, has the capacity to provide over 2GW of reliable, renewable power, enough to power 1.7 million California homes once complete.California is poised to become a growing force in the US energy transition with a nation-leading target of 25GW of offshore wind energy by 2045. Approximately two-thirds of the United States’ offshore wind energy potential lies in deep coastal waters…

ABS and Singapore-based shipyard Seatrium Limited have achieved the assignment of a structural health monitoring notation for a self-elevating drilling unit (SEDU).ADMARINE 686 is the world’s first SEDU to receive the ABS SMART (SHM) Notation, recognizing its ability to monitor and analyze the condition of a range of key structural elements, supporting physics-based analysis and simulation for a holistic structural health assessment and prediction of drilling and maritime assets.Seatrium…

The Saildrone Voyager, a 10-meter commercial uncrewed surface vehicle (USV), is the first autonomous asset built to ABS Class using the ABS Requirements for Autonomous and Remote Control Functions. ABS presented the Class certificate to Saildrone at its headquarters in Alameda, Calif.The Voyager is a marine vehicle developed by Saildrone, a provider of ocean data for climate, mapping and maritime security applications using uncrewed autonomous assets. ABS issued approval in principle (AIP) to the Voyager earlier this year…