Maritime Industry Top News
US Navy Seizes Weapons Shipment from Dhow in the Arabian Sea
The U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet said its guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey (CG 61) seized an illicit shipment of weapons from a stateless dhow in international waters of the North Arabian Sea on May 6-7.USS Monterey and its embarked U.S. Coast Guard Advanced Interdiction Team (AIT) discovered the illicit cargo during a routine flag verification boarding. The vessel was apparently sailing from Iran bound…
Ever Given Insurer Says Egypt's Reduced Claim is Still Too High
UK Club, an insurer of the container ship that blocked the Suez Canal in March, said on Monday a reduced compensation claim made by the Egyptian authorities for almost $600 million to free the vessel and cover related losses was still "exceptionally large".The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) adjusted its claim from an initial $916 million in an effort to settle out of court, SCA head Osama Rabie told private TV network MBC Masr on Saturday.The Ever Given…
New Legislation Seeks Timely Updates for Crew Families During Maritime Emergencies
New legislation introduced in the wake of the fatal Seacor Power tragedy would require commercial vessel owners to provide timely notifications to crew members’ families throughout search and rescue operations.The Vessel Response Plan Improvement Act was introduced by Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) after the 234-foot lift boat capsized in the Gulf of Mexico with 19 crewmembers on board last month. Six crew members were saved…
Air Lubrication System Gets AIP from Bureau Veritas
Bureau Veritas (BV) said it has been working with GILLS PTE LTD in Singapore to assess the performance of its air lubrication system designed to improve ship efficiency and decrease fuel burn by reducing the drag of an underwater hull. GILLS, which stands for gas injected liquid lubrication systems, deploys NACA profiles to create self-generating micro-bubbles for ‘turbulent modulation’ which has a ‘hull-tightening’ effect, reducing drag and energy requirements.
Ship Recycling: India Situtation Worsens, Prices Continue to Rise
Despite the escalating COVID-19 crisis unfolding across the sub-continent, ship recycling markets have remained remain firm.India has been hardest hit by this second wave of COVID-19, and the country is now recording over 400,000 new daily cases and more than 4,000 deaths. Pakistan, Bangladesh and Turkey are also recording increasing cases. Bangladesh has extended its nationwide lockdown for another week…
Superior Unveils Mobile Ship Loading Conveyor
Superior Industries, a U.S.-based manufacturer and global supplier of bulk material processing and handling systems, recently developed a new model TeleStacker Conveyor for loading dry bulk cargo ships. This multipurpose, highly mobile conveyor incorporates truck unloading and ship loading capabilities into a single machine.“Since expanding our TeleStacker Conveyor to marine-based applications in the early 2000s…
OPINION: Regulating Grey Water ... the Time is Now
The IMO’s MARPOL Annex IV is being revised to confirm the lifetime performance of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs). This may finally bring about grey water regulation – a necessity that is long overdue.Black Water and Grey WaterA ship’s sewage (black water) is collected from toilets, urinals and hospitals. The IMO’s MARPOL Annex IV prohibits its discharge, except when treated by an STP or discharged at > 12nm from the nearest land.
US Navy Commissions USS Miguel Keith (ESB 5)
The U.S. Navy commissioned its newest Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) ship USS Miguel Keith (ESB 5) Saturday, at Naval Air Station North Island, Coronado, Calif.Built by General Dynamics NASSCO, the 785-foot USS Miguel Keith is the third ESB variant of the Expeditionary Transfer Dock platform (ESD). Expeditionary Mobile Base was previously known as Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB) in the Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) program.
Dredging: Important Developments Will Impact Business
For dredging company officials, the first quarter of 2021 was a pretty good start to a new year. In a tough business, challenges and pitfalls are always expected. But from a bigger picture perspective—markets, regulations and policies—company officials couldn’t be faulted if a bit of optimism infused their worldview.There are a number of reasons for this. Many are well known and don’t need to be detailed here. Just quickly, though, WRDA 2020 would be at the top of the list.
Fire Breaks Out on Tanker Near Syrian Coast
A small fire occurred in one of the engines of a tanker off the coast of Syria's Mediterranean port of Banias, state media said.The fire was extinguished by the crew quickly with no casualties, it said."The technical fault took place in one of the engines of the oil tanker near the coast...it caused a small fire and a plume of smoke," state media said.Local radio station FM Sham earlier said an explosion had hit a tanker during maintenance works after it had caught fire a few days earlier while
Traders Book Tankers in Europe to Ship Gasoline Across Atlantic After Colonial Shutdown
Traders provisionally booked at least six tankers to ship gasoline from Europe to U.S. destinations following a cyber attack that shut the United States' top fuel pipeline network, Refinitiv Eikon data showed on Monday.The attack forced the Colonial Pipeline to shut down its entire system on Friday, stoking expectations of gasoline shortages along the U.S. East Coast.Some smaller lines were restarted Sunday…
German Government Calls for More Warship Mergers
More tie-ups and mergers are needed in the warship industry, the German government said on Monday, adding it would play an active role in consolidation in what remains a fragmented sector shaped by political decisions.Cooperation must be intensified in the industry in northern Europe, Norbert Brackmann, the German government's coordinator for maritime economy issues, told a conference, adding further…
Next-gen Patrol Boat Designed to Help Protect the Great Barrier Reef
Australian shipbuilder Norman R. Wright & Sons recently launched Reef Resilience, an Incat Crowther 24 patrol boat that will join Reef Ranger in protecting the Great Barrier Reef.Reef Resilience will service the southern region of the Reef from her home port in Gladstone, while Reef Ranger will continue to service the northern region from Cairns, meaning the entire reef will now benefit from the capability and operability this class of vessel offers.
Tech File: Schottel SRP 710 for KPA Salvage Tug
A pair of Schottel RudderPropellers type SRP 710 have left the German production site in Wismar and are on their way to the Turkish shipyard Med Marine for installation in a new tug. The salvage tug, which has been ordered by Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) will be equipped with main and auxiliary propulsion systems from Schottel . By this, the vessel will achieve an expected bollard pull of more than 120 tons.
Petrobras Orders Seventh FPSO for Buzios Field
Brazilian oil company Petrobras has ordered an FPSO from Singapore's Keppel Shipyard, in what will be the seventh FPSO unit installed in the Búzios field, in the Santos Basin.The FPSO, to be named P-78, will have a processing capacity of 180 thousand barrels of oil per day and 7.2 million cubic meters of gas per day. Keppel is expected to deliver the FPSO in late 2024. Keppel said that the value of the order was $2.3 billion.Keppel O&M will build the topside modules weighing 43…
Alfa Laval to Buy Weather Services Firm StormGeo
Swedish Alfa Laval has struck a deal to acquire weather intelligence and decision support services provider StormGeo.Alfa Lava, specializing in heat transfer, centrifugal separation, and fluid handling, said the acquisition would accelerate its digital services offering and to add an important tool to the decarbonizing toolbox offering. StormGeo provides weather-centric services to more than 2,200 customers globally in a variety of industries…
Solstad Offshore Sells Platform Supplier
Solstad Offshore's subsidiary Farstad Supply has sold its platform supply vessel Far Splendour.According to Solstad, the 74 meters-long vessel was delivered to the new owner on Monday, May 10, 2021."The sale of the vessel will result in an immaterial accounting effect for Q2-2021," Solstad Offshore said.The company did not say who the buyer was, nor for what price the vessel was sold. VesselsValue…
Fratelli Cosulich Orders LNG Bunkering Vessel in China
Italian firm Fratelli Cosulich Group has ordered a liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering vessel. The ship, which will be built in China, at the CIMC SOE shipyard, with its approximately 5,300 tons of DWT will be able to transport over 8,000 m3 of LNG and 500 m3 of MGO for bunkering. The vessel will be equipped by Wartsila, a Finland-based company specializing in the manufacture of propulsion and power generation systems for marine use with Dual Fuel technology.
Seacat's Catamaran to Serve Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm
Seacat Services, an offshore support vessel firm, has signed a long-term charter for the catamaran Seacat Magic with Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm Ltd.Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm Ltd. is a joint venture between SSE Renewables (50%) and RWE Renewables (50%) running the namesake wind farm. SSE Renewables operates the offshore wind farm.The 504MW offshore wind farm has been in operation since 2012…
Valero Charters Tanker for Storage as Cyber Attack Shuts U.S. Pipeline
Valero Energy chartered an oil products' tanker for storage in the U.S. Gulf Coast on Friday amid a cyber attack that shut the Colonial pipeline, the biggest U.S.
