Maritime Industry Top News
American Cruise Lines Adds Sixth Ship to Pacific Northwest
American Cruise Lines now has six ships in the Pacific Northwest for 2021, with four of them operating on the Columbia and Snake Rivers.One of the line’s riverboats American Harmony completed its recent journey from the East Coast to the Pacific Northwest via the Panama Canal. The newest addition to American’s Columbia River fleet comes at the same time that the line is preparing to introduce two more new riverboats to the Mississippi River.Upon arrival in Astoria…
Royal Caribbean Advance Bookings Rise with Eyes on Vaccinations
Royal Caribbean Group said on Monday it was seeing an uptick in future bookings, following a disastrous year for the cruise operator, as travel enthusiasts look to sail again at a time governments globally have started mass vaccinations.The company’s shares, down 44% last year, soared 9% in morning trading, as Royal Caribbean said it recorded a 30% increase in new bookings since the beginning of the…
Maersk Backs Plan for Green Ammonia Plant in Denmark
Shipping group Maersk said on Tuesday it was among a group of companies backing a plan to build Europe's largest green ammonia plant in Denmark as part of its ambition to shift to carbon-neutral ship fuel.The project, led by fund management firm Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), will convert green power from North Sea offshore wind parks to zero-carbon ammonia that can be used to power ships and as agricultural fertilizer.Maersk said last week it would accelerate plans to decarbonize sea
Cargill, Maersk Tankers Launch Bunker Procurement Service
Cargill and Maersk Tankers are aiming to unlock more competitive and transparent bunker pricing and improved customer service through a new strategic partnership combining their bunker volumes, offering a new bunker procurement service to tramp shipping companies and trading houses. The initial goal is to procure bunker fuel for Cargill and Maersk Tankers’ combined fleet, while aiming to attract additional customers in the coming months.
Tech File: COBRA Battery System Receives Class Certification
With DNV GL certification obtained in February 2021, the COBRA battery system from Becker Marine Systems can be used for a wide range of inland waterway and maritime shipping applications, and due to demand, Becker is expanding COBRA production at its Winsen (Luhe) location.Tailor-made for maritime, the COBRA system now has full certification including IEC 62619 and IEC 62620 and can now be installed on board inland waterway and ocean-going vessels.
Carnival Cashes In On COVID Rebound
Cruises are renowned for their gargantuan all-you-can-eat buffets. Cruise company Carnival is stuffing its face again with a $1 billion equity raise – its third such helping after Chief Executive Arnold Donald feasted on a combined $2.5 billion in share offerings late last year. It’s not clear that Donald needs the financial calories this time round: Carnival had cash to ride out 15 months of zero sales…
Tech File: Enhanced Active Heave Winch Control
Hawboldt Industries installed an ABB winch drive with in-built active heave compensation (AHC) software at the heart of a new winch and offshore crane for the research vessel Kilo Moana, giving University of Hawai‘i Marine Center scientists a reliable means of deploying water sampling equipment at depths up to 5,000 meters in even the roughest sea conditions.Kilo Moana is a 60-meter Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull (SWATH) ship owned by the U.S.
CWind's Next-Gen Offshore Wind Crew Transfer Vessel Launched
CWind, offshore wind crew transfer specialist, on Tuesday announced the delivery of what it described as "the world’s first hybrid-powered Surface Effect Ship (SES)," the CWind Pioneer crew transfer vessel.CWind said that the crew transfer vessel, with 24 passenger capacity, was developed in response to an industry-wide push to develop and deploy innovative technologies that reduce CO2 emissions, while cost-effectively servicing windfarms located further offshore.
RECOTUG: Development Starts on 'World-First' Remote-Control Tugboat
Svitzer, Kongsberg Maritime and the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) signed a deal to jointly develop the RECOTUG, touted as the world’s first commercial tug to be fully operated from a remote operations center on shore.Each organization delivers a unique perspective: Svitzer brings operational experience; Kongsberg brings remote control systems and autonomous technology; and ABS brings guidance for…
Europe's Largest: CIP to Launch Offshore Wind-powered Ammonia Plant in Denmark
Danish energy infrastructure investments firm Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners is looking to build what it says is Europe’s largest production facility of CO2-free green ammonia, with the final product aimed at the shipping and agriculture sector as a means to reduce emissions.The project will be located in the town of Esbjerg on the west coast of Denmark, where the facility dubbed "Power-to-X-facility" will convert power from offshore wind turbines to green ammonia.
Euronav Sells and Leases Back VLCC Newton
Belgian tanker operator Euronav said Tuesday it had entered into a sale and leaseback agreement for the very large crude carrier Newton with China's Taiping & Sinopec Financial Leasing Ltd Co. The VLCC was sold for $36 million."The transaction produced a capital gain of about $2.4 million. After repayment of the existing debt, the transaction generated $19 million free cash," Euronav said.The company has now leased back the 2009-built…
Samsung Heavy Settles Brazil Graft Investigation for $149M
South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries agreed to pay 812 million reais ($148.56 million) in a leniency deal with Brazilian authorities to settle corruption investigations, federal prosecutors said late on Monday.On its website, the prosecutor's office said the deal was part of a global negotiation between the company and U.S. and Brazilian authorities to settle alleged crimes over contracts…
Austal USA President Perciavalle Resigns
Craig Perciavalle resigned as president of Austal USA on Monday amid investigations into the shipbuilder's littoral combat ship (LCS) program for the U.S. Navy.Chief financial officer Rusty Murdaugh has been named interim president of the Mobile, Ala. shipbuilder, a subsidiary of Australia-based Austal.According to Austal, the separate ongoing investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice, the Securities Exchange Commission…
HamiltonJet Launches Electro-Hybrid Drive (EHX) Demo Boat
Waterjet propulsion specialist HamiltonJet said its new Electro-Hybrid Drive (EHX) demonstrator boat is now in operation, having successfully passed its Maritime New Zealand Certificate of Survey.ARIA, a 15-meter aluminum hydrofoil-assisted catamaran, is fitted with HamiltonJet’s new Electro-Hybrid Drive (EHX) system unveiled last year. According to the manufacturer, the system offers all the advantages of electric drive with the full capabilities of diesel…
Lebanese Court Removes Investigator Who Charged Politicians Over Beirut Blast
A Lebanese court on Thursday dismissed a judge who had charged top politicians with negligence over last year’s Beirut port explosion, infuriating families of victims who said it showed that the state would never hold powerful men to account.Judge Fadi Sawan had led the investigation into one of the largest non-nuclear blasts in history. In December, he charged three ex-ministers and the outgoing prime…
Meyer Werft Cuts Steel for P&O Cruises' Latest Newbuild
With the steel cutting, German shipyard Meyer Werft has begun building the new cruise ship Arvia, the latest newbuild for P&O Cruises. Representatives of the British cruise line accompanied this milestone via video link from the U.K.Due for delivery in 2022, the 180,000 GT Arvia will be the fourth cruise ship in the P&O Cruises fleet built by Meyer Werft.The vessel will run entirely on cleaner burning…
LR Announces Maritime Executive Leadership Appointments
Among his first key appointments since taking the helm of Lloyd’s Register (LR) in January, Chief Executive Nick Brown has named three new members of LR’s executive leadership team: Mark Darley as Business Director, Marine and Offshore, Andy McKeran as Business Director, Maritime Performance Services and Philippa Charlton as Chief Marketing Officer.“LR recognizes that maritime stakeholders must rise to the demands of changing technology and the drive to decarbonize our industry.
Stuck in Port, Royal Caribbean Posts $1 Billion Quarterly Loss
Royal Caribbean Group reported a billion-dollar net loss for the fourth straight quarter on Monday, as the cruise operator continued to be affected by a coronavirus-triggered halt to voyages.Cruise operators have been shoring up cash reserves by issuing new shares, selling assets or raising billions of dollars in debt over the last few months as the virus outbreak brought the industry to a virtual standstill.With its ships not sailing…
Container Shipping Looks Strong in 2021 - BIMCO
In the full year of 2020, global container shipping volumes fell by 1.2% compared with 2019, much less than feared even before the pandemic was first declared, and much recovered compared with the 6.8% drop recorded in the first six months of the year. Volumes in the second half of the year were up 4.2% from 2019. Much of this growth was concentrated on just a few trade lanes, with congestion and imbalances…
Fincantieri Marine Systems, Motor-Services Hugo Stamp Enter Team Deal
Fincantieri Marine Systems North America (FMSNA) has entered into a teaming agreement with Motor-Services Hugo Stamp (MSHS). MSHS distributes a wide range of products…
