Maritime Industry Top News
LNG to FSU Conversion Completed at Sembcorp
Ship managers Synergy Group converted a 1992-built, 126,000 cubic meters capacity Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) carrier into a Floating Storage Unit (FSU). The conversion was performed at Sembcorp Marineâs Admiralty Yard in Singapore.Synergy will manage, maintain and operate the FSU, which has a projected lifespan of 15 years. It will be deployed in Myanmar where it will be manned by a Synergy crew ofâŠ
Malaysia Starts LNG Bunkering Ops. Makes First Delivery
Malaysia, through state oil firm Petronas, has ventured into the liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering business and made its first delivery in the southern state of Johor this week, the country's marine department said on Tuesday.The maiden operation involved supplying 1,150 tonnes of LNG from bunkering vessel MV Avenir Advantage, which Petronas leased from Future Horizon, to vehicle transport vessel Siem Aristotle at the Pasir Gudang port on Monday."This makes Malaysia among a few first-mover c
Gulf Copper Wins USNS Comfort Maintenance Work
Gulf Copper and Manufacturing has been awarded a firm-fixed contract for a value is $7.49 million, including options, from Military Sealift Command for the mid-term availability repair on the hospital ship USNS Comfort.The work will be performed pier side in Norfolk, Va. commencing in February 2021.USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) is an 894-foot U.S. Navy Mercy class hospital ship used to provide on-site emergencyâŠ
Argentina Grains Port Workers Strike Over Wages
Argentine grain port workers launched surprise strikes to protest stalled wage talks, their labor union said on Monday, delaying shipments from one of the world's top exporters."We are going to make surprise halts as much as we consider it necessary," said Juan Carlos Peralta, a spokesman for the URGARA union, which represents inspectors who check the quality of grains before they are loaded onto ships."It is a strike in one of the richest sectors in Argentina.
Working Out the Electionâs Impact on the US Workboat Industry
By the time this article is published, voting will have concluded in the 2020 United States presidential election. Based on the possibility of legal challenges to the election, however, it may be some time before we know who will be occupying 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue on January 20, 2021. Additional uncertainty may linger with regard to control of the Senate. However, beyond the general spectacle of American politics, an important question remains: What does this election mean for the U.S.
Golden Ray Salvors Begin Cutting Operations
A specialized heavy lift crane vessel began cutting the first bow section of the capsized car carrier Golden Ray on Friday as salvage crews enter the next phase of operations to remove the overturned vessel from Georgia's St. Simons Sound.The Korean-owned Golden Ray, which capsized after leaving the Port of Brunswick in September 2019, will be dismantled in place and removed in sections. Salvors have installed 16 lifting lugs on the wreck to provide connection points for the U.S.-flagged VB 10âŠ
Report Highlights Regulators' Failure to Protect Seafarers
Seafarers are left unprotected by systemic failures in the implementation of the regulatory regime for work and rest hours at sea, a newly published report finds.The World Maritime University's (WMU) new report, "A Culture of Adjustment", by Dr. Raphael Baumler, Yvette deKlerk, Dr. Michael Ekow Manuel and Dr. Laura Carballo Piñeiro confirms previous research that suggested recording malpractices are widespreadâŠ
CMA CGM Tenere Carries Out Its First LNG Bunkering
CMA CGM is carrying out the first LNG bunkering of the CMA CGM Tenere, the first of six 15,000-TEU, liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered containerships chartered by the CMA CGM Group, the French container line announced Monday.In Rotterdam, 12,000 cubic meters of LNG will be pumped into the CMA CGM Tenereâs tanks by Totalâs Gas Agility, the worldâs largest LNG bunker vessel, while the containership carries out cargo handling operations concurrently.
New CO2 Vessel, Tank and Cargo Handling Concept Unveiled
A new tank concept for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and carbon dioxide (CO2) transportation promises to more than double current vessel cargo capacity, representing a step forward in the development of maritime transport solutions for the expanding carbon capture and storage (CCS) market, which will require maritime transport of liquefied CO2 to scale up rapidly. The new design, which is based on existingâŠ
Biden Expected to Roll Back Trump's Offshore Energy Rollbacks
Joe Biden could erase much of President Donald Trumpâs four-year legacy of energy and climate deregulation with the stroke of his pen, according to regulatory experts, but replacing it with something new and durable may prove trickier.Trumpâs rollbacks are on shaky ground because most were done not through Congressional lawmaking but via presidential executive orders that can be easily torn up by a new administration.
China October Iron Ore Imports Dip
Chinaâs iron ore imports slipped 1.7% in October from a month earlier, but still hovered well above 100 million tonnes, official customs data showed on Saturday, propped up by firm demand at Chinese mills and shipments from major miners.The worldâs top iron ore consumer imported 106.74 million tonnes of the steelmaking ingredient in October, 14.9% more than in October 2019, but still below the 108.55 million tonnes brought in during SeptemberâŠ
Gallery: Ulstein Launches Nexans Aurora Cable Layer
Norwegian shipbuilder Ulstein on Sunday launched Nexansâ new cable-laying vessel, the âNexans Auroraâ.The hull of the vessel, built at CRIST, Poland, arrived at Ulstein Verft in June 2020. It has since been fitted with electrical installations, insulation work was carried out, the remaining main equipment (e.g. engines, thrusters, main switchboards, winches) and cable lay equipment was installed. The work at the Norwegian shipyard also included other minor and major installationsâŠ
Methanol-operated Fuel Cell System Gets DNV GL AIP
A methanol-operated fuel cell system from Freudenberg Sealing Technologies has received approval in principle (AIP) from classification society DNV GL, setting the course for further testing aboard the cruise ship AidaNova as soon as 2021.Converting the approximately 100,000 commercial ships on the worldâs oceans to CO2-neutral propulsion systems is one of the maritime industry's greatest challenges.
Singapore Launches Its First 'Cruise to Nowhere'
Hit by cabin fever, hundreds of Singapore residents itching to get out of the tiny country boarded a âcruise to nowhereâ on Friday, a rare chance to sail the seas after the coronavirus pandemic shut down much of the cruise industry.Before starting their short âseacationâ on the 335-meter World Dream, passengers underwent coronavirus swab tests before boarding the vessel, which was operating at half capacity to prevent crowding.Retiree Ang Sen HockâŠ
NAT Expects Tanker Market Lull Will Be Short Term
The recent slowdown in the oil tanker market is expected to be short-lived, shipowner Nordic American Tankers (NAT) said Friday in a letter to shareholders.NAT,âŠ
Baltic Index Edges Higher on Stronger Capesizes Rates
The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, which tracks rates for capesize, panamax and supramax vessels, edged up on Friday on stronger rates for the capesize vessel segment.The Baltic dry index was up 2 points, or 0.2%, at 1,196.However, the index lost 6.9% this week, its fifth straight weekly loss.The capesize index rose 30 points, or 1.8%, to 1,739, but declined about 8.8% for the week.Average daily earnings for capesizes, which typically transport 150,000-tonne cargoes such as iron ore a
Schottel Scores Two-year Supplier Deal for Sanmar's Bigaçay Tugs
Turkish boatbuilder Sanmar Shipyards has signed a framework agreement with Schottel that makes the German propulsion specialist the exclusive supplier of thrusters for the Bigaçay class tugs for two years.âThe agreement puts Sanmar in a position of a contractual partner offering the latest propulsion technology with Schottel exclusively providing our shipyards with two 2,700 kW rudderpropellers type SRP 560 CP for each vessel of the Bigaçay tugboat classâŠ
Concordia Damen Bags Order for 40 Dual-fuel Tank Barges
Dutch shipbuilder Concordia Damen said Friday it has signed a contract for 40 eco-friendly dual-fuel barges with institutional investors advised by J.P. Morgan Asset Management. The barges will be chartered by Shell and operated by the VT Group/Marlow. Frachtcontor Capital Partners was the broker for the deal.The 110- by 11.5-meters vessels will have liquefied natural gas (LNG) propulsion and extreme shallow draft capabilities â 2âŠ
Austal's Vietnam Yard Delivers Its First Newbuild
Shipbuilding group Austal announced Friday that its Vietnam yard opened in 2018 has delivered its first vessel fully constructed at the Vung Tau shipyard.The 94-meter high-speed catamaran A.P.T James was officially handed over from Austal Vietnam to the National Infrastructure Development Company (NIDCo), to be used for maritime transport services on the Trinidad and Tobago âsea bridgeâ route betweenâŠ
EU Eyes Huge Hike in Offshore Wind Capacity to Meet Climate Goals
The European Union is considering a plan to increase its offshore wind energy capacity five-fold this decade and 25-fold by 2050, as it seeks to become climate neutral by mid-century, according to a draft policy.The 27-nation EU, which is already home to 42% of the world's offshore wind capacity, says the technology now produces clean power at a lower price than any fossil fuel-based source.A draft of the European Commission's strategy for offshore renewable energyâŠ
