Maritime Industry Top News
Insights: Blake Powell, JMS Naval Architects
Blake Powell, president at JMS Naval Architects, discusses his career, company and latest trends in naval architecture and marine engineering.Please give a brief professional bio, including education, experience and overview of current duties as president of JMS Naval Architects.I earned my degree in Naval Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley where I attended on a Navy ROTC scholarship and was commissioned as a Diving and Salvage Officer after I graduated.
Hydrogen-powered Vessel H2 Barge 2 Delivered
Holland Shipyards Group announced it has delivered H2 Barge 2, the second hydrogen-powered vessel for Future Proof Shipping.The vessel has undergone a complete retrofit from traditional internal combustion technology to cutting-edge hydrogen fuel technology. The project involved removing the main engine and reduction gearbox, replacing the diesel engine driving the bow thruster and diesel generators with a new modular propulsion system.
Maersk to Spin Off Svitzer
Denmark's A.P. Moller-Maersk said on Thursday it will spin off its towage and marine services activities and plans to list the new company on the Nasdaq Copenhagen stock exchange.Maersk has sought to streamline its business in recent years, spinning off oil rigs and other units that did not fit with its core shipping and logistics operations.The anticipated first day of trading for the shares of the new companyā¦
DNV Updates āGo-To Standardā for Offshore Energy Operations
DNV has published a substantial revision to the āgo-to standardā, DNV-ST-N001, for the design and planning of marine operations for the transport, installation and removal of offshore wind farms, subsea cables and oil and gas assets.The new major changes reflect the changing nature of the offshore industry in line with its support of the energy transition, ensuring that the standard remains relevantā¦
Wärtsilä Books Ammonia Fuel System Order for Two Exmar Gas Carriers
Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, part of technology group Wärtsilä, will deliver the fuel supply system for Exmarās two new medium size gas carriers that will operate with ammonia fuel.The ships are being built at the Hyundai Mipo Dockyards (HMD) in Korea for ship owner Danish shipowner Exmar LPG, a joint venture between Exmar, a multi-disciplinary maritime and offshore solutions provider, and Seapeak, oneā¦
New RoPax Vessel Delivered to Stena RoRo
Stena RoRo announced it has taken delivery of the 10th vessel in its E-Flexer series from the CMI Jinling, Weihai Shipyard. The vessel, named Ala'suinu, will be on a long charter agreement with the Canadian state-owned Marine Atlantic and operate a ferry line in eastern Canada between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.āWe are very excited to welcome the Alaāsuinu to our service,ā says Gary O'Brien, Chair, Board of Directors, Marine Atlantic.
Container Market Growth Modest in 2023
In 2023, the container market grew 0.2% year-on-year, ending at 173.8 million TEU. Compared to 2019, before the COVID pandemic hit, the market grew 1.5%.āContainer market growth has lagged behind overall economic development significantly, as the world economy has grown 10% since 2019,ā says Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.Highlighting the challenge for liner operators, the container fleet capacity in 2023 grew 21% vs 2019 and 8% vs 2022.
Denmark Primed to Become European CO2 Hub
With its new CCS-strategy, the European Commission has outlined a common direction for the capture, utilization, and storage of CO2 in the EU. The strategy highlights Denmark as a pioneer in the field, and Danish Shipping predicts that Denmark could play a central role.The strategy, named the "Industrial Carbon Management Strategy," sets the framework for the ambition to build an internal market for CO2, benefiting both the climate and employment.
WSC Calls for Strengthened Commitment on Renewable Fuels
The European Commission's recommendation for the EU's 2040 climate targets, calling for a 90% net GHG emission reduction, are ambitious and critically important, especially following updates suggesting that EU 2030 goals may not be met, says the World Shipping Council (WSC).The climate targets point to the importance of providing renewable marine fuels for maritime sector decarbonization. Committing the EU to production of zero-GHG fuel pathways is essentialā¦
Australian Welfare Organizations Call for Suspension of Live Animal Exports
The Australian Alliance for Animals has written an open letter to animal exporters imploring them to voluntarily suspend all live animal exports to or through the Red Sea while the risk of attack remains and to suspend any extended journeys to the Middle East via the Cape of Good Hope.The move follows the recently aborted voyage of the Bahijah. The livestock carrier sailed from Australia for Israelā¦
Sweden Ends Nord Stream Sabotage Probe
Sweden on Wednesday dropped its investigation into the explosions in 2022 on Nord Stream pipelines carrying Russian gas to Germany, saying it lacked jurisdiction in the case but had handed evidence it had uncovered over to German investigators.The multi-billion-dollar Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines transporting gas under the Baltic Sea were ruptured by a series of blasts in the Swedish and Danish economic zones in September 2022ā¦
Panama Canal Does Not Plan Transit Restrictions Before April
The Panama Canal sees no need for further vessel transit restrictions until at least April, when its authority will evaluate water levels at the end of the dry season, Deputy Administrator Ilya Espino told Reuters.A severe drought last year forced the canal to reduce the number of vessels allowed to pass per day. In December, rains in the last quarter of the year allowed the waterway to suspend further restrictions that would have been applied in January.In recent monthsā¦
S&P Downgrades Orsted on U.S. Offshore Risks
S&P downgraded Danish wind power giant Orsted to BBB on Wednesday, citing higher leverage on its balance sheet and major U.S. impairments in 2023 due to supply chainā¦
Maersk Operations Disrupted in Some Locations in Americas
Shipping company A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S is experiencing computer network issues that are disrupting operations in some locations in the Americas, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday.Maersk said there was "no indication" of malicious or cyber activity, the report said, citing an emailed statement.Maersk did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.(Reuters - Reporting by Devika Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich)
Smyril Line Orders Methanol-ready RoRo Ships at CIMC Raffles
Smyril Line announced it has signed a contract with the CIMC Raffles shipyard in China for the construction of two new vehicle carrier vessels.The ro-ro ships will each be 190 meters in length with 3,300 lane meters for trailers. They have been designed in close cooperation with naval architects Knud E. Hansen for year-round seaworthiness in the North Atlantic. Smyril Line plans to place the vessels into service on its current networkā¦
Shipbuilder Dakota Creek Industries Seeks Apprentices
Anacortes, Wash. shipbuilder Dakota Creek Industries announced it has opened the application process for its three-year paid apprenticeship program.Slated to begin on July 1, 2024, the formalized, structured program offers both on-the-job training (OJT) and related supplemental instruction through a combination practical, classroom and technical training."Essential skills taught during the program are tailored to meet or exceed industry standardsā¦
TAI Engineers Names Kalla Director of Production Design
Naval architecture and marine engineering firm TAI Engineers, owned by S&B, announced it has appointed Amer Kalla as director of production design, based in Houston."We are excited to have Amer Kalla join the TAI team. His wealth of experience and expertise will play a crucial role in advancing our production design capabilities and contributing to the success of our projects,ā said Kris Karri, senior vice president of operations and chief engineer at TAI Engineers.
NYK Stolt Tankers Orders Six Chemical Tankers
NYK Stolt Tankers, a joint venture between NYK Line and Stolt Tankers, has placed an order with Nantong Xiangyu Shipyard in China to build six 38,000 deadweight tonne stainless steel chemical tankers for delivery between late 2026 and 2029.The newbuilds will be sisters to a series of six vessels Stolt Tankers ordered at Wuhu Shipyard in November. The ships feature 30 cargo tanks, offering a range ofā¦
US, UK Ship Investors Hit by Soaring Red Sea Insurance
War underwriters have raised the premiums they charge to U.S., British and Israeli firms by as high as 50% for ships transiting the Red Sea and some providers are avoiding such business due to targeting of the vessels by Yemen's Houthis, sources said.Attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthis since November have slowed trade between Asia and Europe and alarmed major powers. The Houthis say they are actingā¦
Edda Wind Names Øverlie CFO
Norwegian offshore wind vessel owner Edda Wind announced it has appointed Hermann Hovland Øverlie as its new chief financial officer (CFO) following the resignation of Tom Johan Austrheim. Øverlie will join Edda Wind March 1, 2024.Øverlie is currently senior vice president of business development at Flex LNG and was previoulsy CFO at Amar Group. Øverlie has also extensive experience from financial/liquidity planningā¦
