Maritime Industry Top News
Austal USA Taps Fairbanks Morse Defense to Equip OPC WMSM-919
Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD) on Thursday announced it has been awarded a contract from shipbuilder Austal USA to supply a range of equipment to support the construction of WMSM-919, the U.S. Coast Guard’s next Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC).FMD, which has been expanding its offering as single-source maritime defense contractor, said its cross-company package for WMSM-919 includes two main propulsion diesel engines through Fairbanks Morse Defense…
WCI: 20 Years of Success and Still More to Come
Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) recently held its annual Washington, D.C. meetings that included a Capitol Hill fly-in. WCI members from across the country participated in 100 meetings with House and Senate members to advocate for the nation’s inland waterways to ensure its reliability by modernizing its infrastructure.Meeting with stalwart champions of the inland waterways as well as newly sworn in…
Nord Stream Owners Looking to Seal and Drain Damaged Gas Pipeline to Halt Corrosion
Shareholders of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline operator are discussing how to seal and empty the damaged gas pipeline to halt corrosion from sea water, said the chief financial officer of E.ON, one of the owners.The chief financial officer of E.ON, one of the stakeholders, told reporters at the group's results news conference that it was unclear whether the pipeline would be repaired but that any forthcoming…
Rebuild, Reuse, Recycle: Norwegian Yard Completes Two Retrofit Projects for Brazilian Offshore Vessel Owner
Norway's Green Yard Kleven has completed and delivered two retrofit projects for the Brazilian shipowner Oceanica. Oceanicasub Vlll and Oceanicasub lX have been rebuilt from offshore supply vessels to advanced offshore vessels for ROV- and crane operations."Both rebuilding projects were largely based on reused equipment and focused on sustainability at the request of the shipowner, which is very relevant to our activity.
Marlink, ABS Wavesight Partner to Fast Track Digital Transformation
Marlink and ABS Wavesight signed an agreement to collaborate on using optimized connectivity to support efficient delivery of sustainability services and data to clients’ vessels. The agreement connects Marlink’s blended network with the voyage optimization and vessel management services provided by ABS Wavesight.
Thailand Rushes to Avert Spill After Fatal Accident on Oil Storage Ship
Authorities in Thailand on Thursday were working to avert a leak from a storage vessel carrying 400,000 barrels of crude oil.One crew member was killed after seawater entered the hull of the Benchamas 2 when a seal malfunctioned during maintenance earlier this week.Navy spokesperson Admiral Prokgrong Monthatphalin said multiple agencies were working to recover the body of the dead crewman, fix the…
TORM Buys Three MR Tankers
Danish tanker shipping company TORM on Thursday announced it has entered into an agreement to buy three secondhand MR tankers from an undisclosed seller.The MR eco product tankers were built in South Korea in 2013, now purchased by TORM for a total cash consideration of $48.5 million and the issuance of 1.42 million shares, the company said.Slated for delivery before May 31, the ships will increase…
Keel Laid for Olympic's CSOV in Poland
A keel laying ceremony was held earlier this week for a Construction Service Operation Vessel ordered by Olympic in 2022 from Ulstein.The ceremony was held on March 14 at the hull yard CRIST. This is vessel number two, yard number (yno) 319. The keel for the first vessel, yno 318, was laid on January 31, this year.The two vessels are designed for the offshore wind industry and are based on the ULSTEIN SX222 design with TWIN X-STERN from Ulstein Design & Solutions AS.According to Ulstein…
Marine Propulsion: Inside Schottel's New SRP-D
The increased performance of the fast-responsive Schottel RudderPropeller Dynamic SRP-D was confirmed by external sources. Initial investigations into the effect of thruster response on DP positioning were carried out in cooperation with MARIN, based in the Netherlands, and Polish ship designer MMC. The results obtained demonstrated much-improved position accuracy and enhanced operability of the vessel.Further…
NYK Gives Students a Glimpse Inside PCTC Apollen Leader
To help foster interest and understanding of the maritime industry in the 'next generation,' earlier this week NYK welcomed students and parents from the Jacksonville Japanese School to board Apollon Leader, a pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) that was moored at the port of Jacksonville.The Jacksonville Japanese School opened in 2011 in Florida for children who can speak and understand Japanese at their appropriate grade levels…
Vale Inks Deal with KDI Targetting Emission Reductions
After implementing the vessel-to-cloud Vessel Insight technology to Guaibamax Bulk Carriers in 2020, Vale, iron ore producer and charterer of one of the world’s largest fleet of ore carriers, has signed with Kongsberg Digital to install Vessel Insight on four Valemax vessels, a continuation of Vale's investment in technology for efficient vessels, such as the Valemax and Guaibamax freighter classes.Vale…
Inmarsat Expects Asia Pacific Coverage to Double
Inmarsat’s I-6 F1 satellite has connected to new ground stations in Perth and Merredin, Western Australia, as it aims to provide an upgrade in communications availability for the region.I-6 F1 launched in December 2021 and spent seven months travelling to geostationary orbit above the Atlantic. The spacecraft is now at its final orbital slot above the Indian Ocean, and the company will begin increasing its capacity and transition services to the new satellite throughout 2023…
CK Hutchison to Invest $700M in Two Major Egyptian Ports
CK Hutchison Holdings port unit said on Thursday it would invest about $700 million in two major Egyptian ports, bringing its total investment in the country to more than $1.5 billion.Hutchison Ports said it would invest in the development of a new container terminal in the Red Sea port of Ain Sokhna, and in B100, a new container terminal in the Mediterranean port of Alexandria.In a separate statement…
Exxon Considers Selling Stake in LNG Terminal Offshore Italy
Exxon Mobil Corp is considering selling its majority stake in Italy's main regasification terminal as part of a wider strategy to divest from non-core assets, the company said in a statement on Wednesday. The Rovigo liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal is owned by Exxon's subsidiary ExxonMobil Italiana Gas (70.7%), QatarEnergy subsidiary Qatar Terminal Company Limited (22%) and Snam Spa SRG.MI (7.3%).
UAE's Fujairah Needs to Step Up Investments for New Bunker Fuels -Execs
UAE's Fujairah must step up investments for storage and supply of new alternative fuels as these markets are still lacking traction at the world's third-largest bunkering hub despite the urgency for maritime decarbonization, industry executives said on Wednesday.The maritime industry must seek out alternative fuels to meet carbon emission reduction targets set out by the U.N.'s International Maritime Organization…
China Coast Guard Enters Disputed Waters in East China Sea
China's coast guard entered the waters around disputed East China Sea islets on Wednesday to counter what it called the incursion of Japanese vessels into Chinese territorial waters.Disputed East China Sea islets claimed by China and Japan have long been a sticking point in bilateral ties.
Can Ukraine's Grain Corridor Ease the Global Food Crisis?
Russia has proposed that a U.N.-backed initiative that has enabled grains to be exported from Ukraine's Black Sea ports should be renewed for just 60 days.The deal to free up grain exports from Ukraine's southern Black Sea ports, which expires later this month, has previously been renewed for 120 days and there are concerns a shorter extension could cause logistical issues.Reached in July last year…
New Vessel Enters Service for Fire Island Ferries
Fire Island Ferries has taken delivery of its newest vessel, Fire Island Maid, designed by Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) and built by Metal Shark in Bayou La Batre, Ala.The 70- by 23-foot multipurpose vehicle ferry features a steel hull and aluminum superstructure and is equipped with a hydraulic ramp for loading and unloading heavy equipment. The reinforced deck is capable of supporting fully loaded concrete trucks and general cargo up to 100,000 pounds.
Insights: Robert Schluter, e1 Marine
Robert Schluter served as an officer as part of the marine engineering team on board the U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer USS Mahan DDG-42 out of Charleston before transitioning to the business world and “general, corporate type work”. Today he serves as managing director at the third startup he’s helped build, e1 Marine.The company, a joint venture between Louisiana-based marine equipment lessor Maritime Partners…
ONE Orders 10 Containerships
Japanese shipping company Ocean Network Express Pte. Ltd (ONE) on Wednesday announced it has ordered 10 new 13,700 TEU vessels for delivery in 2025 and 2026, adding more tonnage to the industry's crowded containership orderbook.ONE, which is jointly owned by the Japanese shipping lines Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK), Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha ("K" Line), did not reveal financial…