Maritime Industry Top News
New Cutter Suction Dredger Named in Bulgaria
An official naming ceremony was held in Bulgaria last Thursday for Yantra, a new cutter suction dredger (CSD) built to help maintain Danube water depths. Damen supplied the modular CSD 500 dredger following a European tender.The naming ceremony was performed by the Dutch ambassador to Bulgaria, Bea ten Tusscher. As Godmother of the dredger she stated that the task to be performed by the dredger – keeping the Bulgarian stretch of the Danube navigable – is an important one.
World’s First Large Containership Converted to LNG Propulsion
The 15,000 TEU Brussels Express is the first large containership in the world to have been converted to liquefied natural gas (LNG) propulsion, German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd said on Monday, as operators look to LNG fuel to reduce their environmental footprint.In September 2020, the ship went into the Huarun Dadong Dockyard in Shanghai where the conversion was performed. MAN Energy Solutions converted the ship's MAN B&W 9S90ME-C engine…
Dutch Gov't Awards $2.56B for Rotterdam Carbon Capture Project
The Dutch government on Tuesday confirmed that it has awarded 2.1 billion euros ($2.56 billion), nearly half of its 2021 annual budget for sustainable projects, to a project aimed at capturing and storing carbon emissions from Rotterdam Port, Europe's largest.The "Porthos" project, being developed by an industrial consortium that includes Royal Dutch Shell, ExxonMobil, Air Liquide and Air Products…
Russia is Building its First Full Stealth Naval Ship
Russia is building its first naval ship that will be fully equipped with stealth technology to make it hard to detect, the RIA state news agency reported on Tuesday.The hull of the Mercury naval corvette dubbed project 20386 has already been built and the vessel is expected to be delivered to the navy next year, RIA reported, citing two unnamed sources in the shipbuilding industry.The warship will be armed with cruise missiles…
Baltic Dry Index Slides for 10th Straight Session
The Baltic exchange's main sea freight index slipped for the 10th straight session on Tuesday, pressured by a decline in capesize rates.The Baltic dry index, which tracks rates for capesize, panamax and supramax vessels ferrying dry bulk commodities, shed eight points, or 0.3%, to 2,420.The capesize index fell by 74 points, or 3%, to 2,393, its lowest since March 31.Average daily earnings for capesizes, which typically transport 150,000-tonne cargoes of coal and steel-making ingredient iron ore,
Ocean Infinity Acquires Ambrey
After it in recent months acquired MMT and Abyssal, marine robotics and offshore survey company Ocean Infinity has now acquired maritime services company, Ambrey for an undisclosed fee.UK-based Ambrey offers offshore services including, security, crisis and risk management, intelligence, insurance, fleet operation, and vessel design and build.With a management team of over 150 full-time staff globally together with over 1350 contractors and crew…
Sanmar Delivers Tier lll Tug to Norwegian Operator
Sanmar has delivered its first Tier lll tugboat to Buksér og Berging AS, the first of two environmentally-friendly tugs ordered by the Norwegian operator. Built at Sanmar’s shipyard at Altinova in Turkey, the new tug has been named Bamse by its owners.Based on the TRAktor 3000-Z design from Canadian naval architects Robert Allan Ltd, the 30.45m LOA Bamse has a molded beam of 12.8m and navigational draft of 6.35m.
Carnival to Restart Cruises from US Ports in July
Carnival Corp will restart its namesake cruise line trips from U.S. ports this summer for fully vaccinated guests, the company said on Monday.Peer Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd also said it would add more trips from multiple U.S. ports, including starting a trip from the West Coast.Carnival said it would require guests to have received the COVID-19 vaccine 14 days prior to the cruise and have proof of vaccination.
FMC Accepting Applications for National Shipper Advisory Committee
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) said it is accepting applications from qualified members of the international trade community wishing to serve on its newly formed National Shipper Advisory Committee (NSAC).The federal advisory committee will provide information, insight and expertise pertaining to conditions in the ocean freight delivery system to the Commission. Specifically, the committee…
Halter Marine Awarded Contract for T-AGS 67
Pascagoula, Miss. shipbuilder Halter Marine has been awarded a $149,053,160 fixed-price-incentive (firm target) modification to definitize contract number N00024-19-C-2208 for the detail design and construction of one oceanographic survey ship (T-AGS 67), the U.S. Department of Defense announced on Friday.The shipyard has delivered the seven previous survey ships in the Pathfinder-class, the first of which, USNS Pathfinder (T-AGS-60), entered service in 1994.
Tech File: SOLID
Commercial vessel operators are increasingly leveraging high-tech sensors and the data they provide to achieve greater efficiency and better their bottom line. A condition-based monitoring system offered by Fincantieri Marine Systems N.A. (FMSNA) is engineered to contribute toward both objectives.“FMSNA decided to develop and launch the SOLID because we wanted to help customers save money by avoiding unnecessary maintenance and repair costs…
Royal Bodewes Launches Latest Newbuild for Scotline
Dutch shipbuilder Royal Bodewes on Friday launched and christened the latest newbuild in a series for U.K.-based shipping company Scotline.The 90-meter, 4,800 DWAT Scot Isles is Scotline's fourth vessel from Royal Bodewes in recent years, and a sister to the box-shaped singledeckers Scot Carrier, Scot Explorer and Scot Ranger, with Ice Class 1A and enclosed bridge.The British-flagged vessels are classed by Lloyd's Register and are ice class 1FB FS (Finnish and Swedish)…
Austal USA to Design New T-ATS for the US Navy
Austal USA said it has been awarded a $3.6 million functional design contract to prepare for construction of the new Navajo-class Towing, Salvage and Rescue Ship (T-ATS) for the U.S. Navy.The Mobile, Ala. shipbuilder will prepare a functional design for the T-ATS, an 80-meter steel monohull vessel with multimission capability to support a variety of towing, salvage, search and rescue, oil spill response, humanitarian assistance and surveillance activities.
China's Imports Grow at Fastest Pace in a Decade
China's imports grew at their fastest pace in 10 years in May, fueled by surging demand for raw materials, although export growth slowed more than expected amid disruptions caused by COVID-19 cases at the country's major southern ports.While a brisk recovery in developed markets has bolstered demand for Chinese products, a global semiconductor shortage, higher raw material and freight costs, logistics…
Concordia Damen Launches First of 40 New Barges
The first of 40 inland waterway barges that are being built by Concordia Damen has been launched at the casco yard in Serbia. Concordia Damen signed the contract for the environmentally friendly vessels late last year.The vessels, known as the Parsifal Tankers, will be chartered by Shell and operated by the VT Group/Marlow. They will carry mineral oils between Antwerp, Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Rhine…
ERMA FIRST Acquires Marine Water Treatment Specialists RWO
Greek headquartered ballast water equipment manufacturer ERMA FIRST said it has acquired German marine water treatment specialist RWO GmbH.RWO provides water and…
Ferry Runs Aground in New York
A ferry ran aground with 118 passengers and seven crew-members aboard in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Saturday evening.Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector New York command center received a report that the 150-foot Seastreak ferry Commodore ran aground and was taking on water in Bushwick Inlet near the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, at approximately 4:17 p.m.The ferry, which runs routes between New York and New Jersey…
Island Offshore Takes Delivery of New PSV
Norwegian offshore vessel owner Island Offshore earlier this month took delivery of the platform supply vessel Island Discoverer. The vessel was completed by VARD Langsten this spring.“It is always exciting to take delivery of a new ship, and we are proud and grateful that our fleet is being expanded. We look forward to putting Island Discoverer to work in a market that is showing signs of improvement after many demanding years.
First Post-COVID Cruise Ship Leaves Venice Amid Protest
The first cruise ship to leave Venice since coronavirus restrictions were eased set sail on Saturday, but some local residents protested over the return to normal, unhappy about the passage of giant liners through the historic lagoon city.Hundreds of people rallied on land and small boats fluttering flags saying "No big ships" surrounded and followed the 92,000-tonne MSC Orchestra as it departed Venice port en route for Croatia and Greece.
Trafigura, Yara Sign Deal on Ammonia for Shipping Fuel
Global commodities trader Trafigura and Norway's Yara said on Monday they had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aiming to supply the marine industry with carbon emissions-free ammonia for fuel.Yara will supply Trafigura with clean ammonia and together the two firms will jointly conduct research and develop marine fuel infrastructure and market opportunities for both "green" and "blue" ammonia, they said.Ammonia, a hydrogen-carrying chemical used as a fertilizer but also in other applica