Navigation and Wind Farms: Competing Ocean Uses Raise Existential Questions
“Wind Turbines: The Bigger, the Better” -USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, August 24, 2023Last December the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) published a proposed sale notice regarding new development areas for utility scale wind projects in the central Atlantic Ocean. The notice includes an upfront issue: the need to mitigate conflicts with U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) activities. BOEM explains that in certain areas the Air Force has set an airspace floor of 1,000 feet above sea level and the Air Force asked BOEM to keep structures below that height.
'Hydrogen Hubs' to the Fore
The path to decarbonization is defined by partnership and fueled by government funding. This month we examine the players, partnerships, and evolution of Hydrogen Hubs in the Gulf of Mexico.The Green Shipping Challenge, organized by the United States and Norway at COP 27 held in late 2022, brought about dozens of announcements on maritime decarbonization. Among these was a joint statement from the Blue Sky Maritime Coalition (BSMC) – a consortium of North American shipowners and…
Floating Offshore Wind: New Seascape, New Challenges
Offshore wind energy planners are giving close review to fixed-tower systems in order to extend lessons learned to floating wind towers, under development now. In the U.S., floating towers have been most closely associated with plans for new wind energy areas (WEA) in the Pacific, off of California and maybe Oregon and Washington. But important research is also taking place in Maine, at the University of Maine, because of deep ocean Atlantic areas there, and floating towers may also be used in the Gulf of Mexico.As most readers likely know…
IMO 2020: Hydrogen's Future in Maritime
Hydrogen fuel cell technology to Satisfy Future IMO RequirementsWith an ongoing push by the maritime community to reduce ship emissions to satisfy IMO MARPOL Annex VI regulations and limit the sulfur content of ships from 01 January 2020 to 0.5 percent world-wide, many ship owners are starting to consider hydrogen fuel cell technology to satisfy evolving emissions regulations. To date, hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent on research programs to utilize hydrogen fuel cells for transportation. Several maritime powers including the European Union, the United States and Japan have initiated pilot programs to assess the feasibility of maritime hydrogen to reduce emissions while maintaining cost parity with traditional propulsion technology.
INSIGHTS: Lorry Wagner, Ph.D., President, LEEDCo
Dr. Lorry Wagner has served as president of the Cleveland-based Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation (LEEDCo) since May of 2010.LEEDCo is the public private partnership behind the effort to construct Icebreaker Wind, a 6 turbine 20.7 megawatt offshore wind energy demonstration project in Lake Erie, 8 miles off the shore of Cleveland. LEEDCo has received funding from the U.S. DOE under its Advanced Technology Demonstration Projects award and has partnered with Fred. Olsen Renewables of Norway. Dr.
The Evolving ATB Jones Act Business Model
Today’s ATB play seemingly has legs for the long haul, as operators build and market needs fluctuate. The refined product trades are always in flux. Similarly, the supply patterns for products (and for chemicals derived from oil refining) are subject to constant change. At the same time, the distribution of refined petroleum products sees great benefit from the efficiency of Articulated Tug Barges (ATBs), which have the flexibility to adjust to dynamic supply programs between refineries and myriad distribution facilities dotting the coastline. It wasn’t always like that.
US DOE Discouraged Direct China Investment in US LNG Export
The U.S. Department of Energy discouraged U.S. liquefied natural gas exporters from allowing direct Chinese investment in their projects for fear of political backlash, according to Michael Smith, chief executive at Freeport LNG which is building a plant to export U.S. overseas. (Reporting By Edward McAllister)
US DOE Approves Oregon LNG Export Project
The U.S. Energy Department said on Thursday it has approved Oregon LNG to export liquefied natural gas, as the Obama administration works through applications to export fuel from the domestic drilling boom to markets in Asia and Europe. Oregon LNG, which is controlled by Leucadia National Corp , has been authorized by the department to export up to 1.25 billion cubic feet per day of the fuel. The Astoria, Oregon-based project still needs approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. (Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by Chris Reese)
Does e-Learning Work?
It’s time to put that question behind us. Once a question has been carefully analyzed and a reliable answer has been found, it is time to use this new knowledge to help answer the next series of important questions. This is the current situation in some parts of the maritime industry surrounding the question of whether eLearning works. To illustrate, some months ago there was a familiar discussion on an online maritime group debating whether eLearning works. Arguments on both sides cited anecdotes and conjecture on topics for which we already have solid answers informed by real research.
U.S. DOE Gives Preliminary Nod to Cameron, LA LNG Exports
Energy Department Conditionally Authorizes Cameron LNG to Export Liquefied Natural Gas. The Energy Department announced today that it has conditionally authorized Cameron LNG, LLC (Cameron) to export domestically produced liquefied natural gas (LNG) to countries that do not have a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States from the Cameron LNG Terminal in Cameron Parish, Louisiana. The Cameron application was next in the order of precedence after the Energy Department conditionally authorized additional volume from Freeport’s proposed LNG facility in November 2013. Subject to environmental review and final regulatory approval…
Carneiro to Head Tesla’s Brazil Operations
Randall P. Bergeron, President, Tesla Offshore LLC has announced that Donizeti Carneiro has joined Tesla Offshore LLC as the company’s area manager for South America, with an office in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. For the past 13 years Donizeti has been involved with the Brazilian offshore oil and gas industry, ten of those years managing C&C Technologies’ efforts in that area. At the beginning of his professional career, Donizeti worked as a civil engineer and after five years he pursued a PhD degree in Geophysics and shifted his career to mining, oil and gas and applied Geophysics projects.
US LNG Exports: Pangea Project Gets Green Light
US Department of Energy grants Pangea LNG Project permission to export LNG from its South Texas LNG Project, Corpus Christi Bay. The U.S. Department of Energy has granted Pangea long-term, multi-contract authorization to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) to free trade agreement (FTA) nations. Pangea LNG will be authorized to export up to 8 million metric tons per annum (mtpa) of LNG produced from domestic gas fields for a 25-year term commencing on the date of its first export. That amount is equal to 1.09 Bcf/day of natural gas. Pangea LNG has also filed an application with DOE requesting authorization to export LNG to any country with which the U.S. does not have a free trade agreement in effect. That application, which was filed in December, is pending.
Oil Jumps, Fueled By U.S., Russian News
Oil prices raced higher yet again on Wednesday, prompted by a report for the U.S. DOE which notes a fall in U.S. gasoline stockpiles and by news from Russia that it intended to slash exports of refined products. Brent crude for September was trading at $19.90 a barrel.
