United Kingdom News

The Surface Navy Association will hold its 31st National Symposium January 15-17, 2019 at the Crystal City Hyatt Regency Crystal City Hotel in Arlington, Va.The symposium will feature senior Navy leaders delivering keynote remarks, focused on the theme of “Ready, Agile, Focused: Own the Fight!”Featured speakers include Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Bill Moran; Commander, Naval Surface Forces/Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Vice Adm. Richard A. Brown, USN; Director, Surface Warfare (N96) Rear Adm. Ronald A. Boxall; and Director, Expeditionary Warfare (N95) Maj. Gen.

International search and rescue plans are crucial, so that, no matter where an accident occurs, the rescue of persons in distress at sea can be coordinated successfully.The worldwide ratification and implementation of International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR Convention) is a key component in efforts to ensure the safety of international shipping.Costa Rica is the 112th State to accede to the treaty, whose signatories now represent more than 80% of world merchant shipping tonnage.Rafael Ortiz Fábrega, Ambassador of Costa Rica to the United Kingdom, met IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim at IMO Headquarters…

The logistics and service provider to the offshore energy industry Peterson UK Limited has concluded a new long-term agreement with Associated British Ports Holdings (ABP) to establish a new operational and logistics base to the Port of Lowestoft.ABP, which owns and operates 21 ports in the United Kingdom, said that the new agreement will see Peterson operate a wide range of warehouse, cargo and logistic services from the port, including fuel bunkering to support the oil & gas and renewable energy sectors being supplied from their Lowestoft Supply Base.Paul Smith…

Britain's opposition Labour Party on Monday criticized the government for awarding a 14 million pound ($18 million) contract to a ferry company with no ships to provide backup freight cover in the event of a no-deal Brexit.Labour's transport spokesman, Andy McDonald, said the transport ministry had failed to carry out proper checks on the company, Seaborne Freight."The Department for Transport's claim that it carried out due diligence is increasingly incredible given the mounting evidence of a lack of relevant expertise or experience," McDonald said."Our economy depends on these trading routes continuing to function yet [Transport Secretary] Chris Grayling is prepared to rely on amateurs in the event of a no deal…

Accountant and shipping adviser Moore Stephens says shipping will continue to attract investors in 2019 if it fulfills its ESG (environmental, social and governance) responsibilities.In the latest issue of Bottom Line, the Moore Stephens shipping sector newsletter, Richard Greiner, a partner in the firm’s Shipping & Transport team, says, “It has been suggested that the future is very much like the present, only longer. Should that prove to be the case for the shipping industry…

Britain's transport minister has defended awarding a 14 million-pound ($18 million) contract for shipping goods after Brexit to a new ferry company that owns no ships.The government last week awarded three contracts to charter extra ferries to ease congestion if the United Kingdom fails to secure a trade deal before leaving the European Union in March.The smallest contract was won by Seaborne Freight, a British business that has never previously operated a ferry route, raising concern about whether the new service would be ready."I make no apologies for supporting a new British business," Transport Minister Chris Grayling told BBC radio on Wednesday. "We have looked very carefully at this business.

Most yacht crew are compensated every payday, via wire transfer or check. But for some yachties, the only way to get paid is the hard way: by filing a lawsuit in federal court and literally arresting the megayacht for back pay owed.While many captains and crew are reluctant to initiate expensive litigation to arrest the boat they’ve served on, pursuing their seaman’s lien is the best route for compensation. If the legitimate amount due is well over $10,000, crew should stand on their rights and act on their valid claim immediately.

Swedish state-owned power company Vattenfall has reached a final investment decision for the 605MW Kriegers Flak offshore wind farm in the Danish waters of the Baltic Sea.Vattenfall has made the final investment decisions for the offshore wind farm Kriegers Flak in Denmark. Further action for Vesterhav Syd & Nord is awaiting the result of the appeal process. The two projects amount to a total value of 1.7 billion euro (USD 1.95 bln)" said a statement from the Europe's generator of electricity and heat in Denmark…

The global transport company Ocean Network Express (ONE) and PSA Singapore (PSA),the flagship terminal of the global port group PSA International, will join hands to form a joint venture  company  based at Pasir  Panjang Terminal in Singapore.Subject to regulatory approvals, the joint venture terminal is scheduled to commence operations in the first half of 2019 and operate four mega container berths with a combined annual handling  capacity of 4 million TEUs, said a press release from the global container shipping company headquartered in Singapore.Pasir Panjang Terminal…

The independent power producer EDF Renewables North America and  Shell New Energies US,  offshore wind company in the U.S,  have formed a 50/50 joint venture, Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind to develop a lease area within the New Jersey Wind Energy Area (WEA).The area, spread over 183,353 acres and located off the coast of Atlantic City  on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), has the potential to produce about 2,500 megawatts of offshore wind energy - enough to power close to one million homes…

French utility Engie and Spanish partner EDP Renovaveis (EDPR) announced their alliance with the Japanese group Sumitomo Corporation to build the French offshore wind farms of Dieppe-Le Tréport and Yeu-Noirmoutier.As part of the alliance, Sumitomo Corporation acquires a 29.5% equity stake in the French offshore projects (Dieppe Le Tréport and Yeu Noirmoutier) and will bring to the consortium its proven and complementary offshore wind expertise in terms of development, construction…

A ship wreck can be a hazard to navigation. Other vessels and their crews can potentially be endangered, and, depending on the nature of the cargo and remaining fuel on board, a wreck may also cause damage to marine environments and other coastal interests. Then there is the issue of costs and risks involved in marking and removing hazardous wrecks.To help resolve these issues, International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s Nairobi Wreck Removal Convention, covers the legal basis for States to remove…

A ship loaded with 4,500t of equipment by BAM Construct UK has been sent on a month-long journey to Antarctica, where it will be used for building a new wharf at Rothera Research Station.The new wharf, being built over the next two Antarctic seasons, will provide safe berthing and efficient unloading for the new polar research vessel the RRS Sir David Attenborough. The Rothera Research Station is a British Antarctic Survey (BAS) base on the Antarctic Peninsula, located at Rothera Point…

Legal experts and port and maritime security officers from Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka have gathered at  International Maritime Organization (IMO)  in London (27-29 November) for a focused sub-regional workshop on implementing transport-related (maritime) counter terrorism instruments.A press note from IMO said that the joint United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and IMO Counter Terrorism/Security sub-regional workshop was a follow-up to three national workshops…

United Kingdom-based petroleum exploration and production company Enquest said it had completed the acquisition of the remaining 75% stake in Magnus, an additional 9.0% stake in the Sullom Voe Oil terminal and supply facility and additional interests in associated infrastructure from BP.The Magnus transaction, as previously announced, is expected to add approximately 60 MMboe of 2P reserves (equating to approximately 30 percent of the Group’s reserve base) as at 1 January 2018…

European Union (EU) leaders approved the agreement on the UK’s withdrawal and future relations with the EU.Tank Storage Association (TSA) recognises that the agreement still needs to go through the UK Parliamentary process before it is approved, but cautiously welcome this positive progress. Tha association said that it is essential for TSA members to ensure access to as frictionless a border with the EU and the Rest of World (RoW) as possible following the 29th of March 2019.

United Kingdom Ambassador to Greece Ms. Katherine Smith visited Energean offshore drilling facilities at Prinos.The Delegation of the British Embassy toured by boat the Prinos Oil Field Platforms and “Energean Force”, the Energean owned drilling rig, which is currently drilling an extended reach well into the Epsilon Oil Field. The Delegation circumnavigated the jack-up rig “GSP Jupiter”, which is currently drilling the first of the three vertical development wells in the Epsilon Oil Field.After concluding her visit to Prinos…

Dutch offshore construction and engineering company Heerema Fabrication Group (HFG) intends to divest a significant part of its activities in the field of design and fabrication of complex steel constructions for the offshore market.HFG has been struggling for some time with insufficient project volume and marginal profitability. In addition, the risks associated with building topsides are high and clients are not prepared to pay for this risk.As a result of the divestment HFG…

Viking's new LifeCraft system, a hybrid system intended to replace lifeboats/liferafts, was recently put to the test and passed some very demanding conditions.Developed over the last 10 years by VIKING Life-Saving Equipment the new evacuation system unites the advantages of modern lifeboats – such as self-propelled maneuverability – with the flexibility, comfort and smaller footprint of today’s liferafts combined with marine evacuation systems.The solution comprises two main elements: four inflatable VIKING LifeCraft survival crafts each with a capacity of 203 persons…

Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB) was contracted by Lindblad Expeditions in December 2015, to construct two (2) new 100 guest passenger cruise vessels for exploratory cruising in Alaska; Baja, California; Pacific Northwest; Costa Rica & Panama, and Belize. Both vessels have joined the Lindblad Expeditions fleet.The first vessel, National Geographic Quest, was delivered in July 2017 and has voyaged to Alaska, Costa Rica and Panama. The National Geographic Venture was delivered on November 1…

Practical efforts to implement ship energy-efficiency measures and promote technology transfer are an integral part of International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s initial strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from ships.A press release from the UN-body said that this is embodied in the global network for energy-efficient shipping under the Global MTCC Network (GMN) project, funded by the European Union and run by IMO.Representatives from the five Maritime Technology Cooperation Centres (MTCCs) in the GMN network recently met for their second annual meeting (22-26 October) in London…

The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO), a government agency has contributed to a new UK government-funded study on navigational requirements for autonomous maritime vessels.According to UKHO, it worked together with partner organisations L3 ASV and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to identify the future data requirements for autonomous shipping, and explore how navigational and wider geospatial data can be used to enable the safe navigation of smart and unmanned autonomous vessels.The study…

The world’s biggest container ship, OOCL United Kingdom, made her maiden call at Malaysia's Westports in Port Klang on her way to China.The OOCL United Kingdom, with a carrying capacity of 21,413 TEUs, is one of the carrier’s six ‘G Class’ vessels and they are currently the world’s largest container ship.The vessel berthed at Container Terminal 8, Westports new container wharf that was completed in 2017.Westports has earmarked nine high-performance ship-to-shore cranes to handle OOCL United Kingdom’s containers.