Maritime Industry Top News
Nord Stream Breaches a Stark Reminder of Undersea Infrastructure Vulnerabilities
On the night of September 26, near the end of the calm season on the Baltic, a broiling kilometer-wide circle disturbed the face of the sea and a huge mass of methane erupted into the air. The gas formed a cloud that crossed Europe, in what’s considered the greatest single release of this potent greenhouse gas ever recorded.It was caused by four breaches of Russia’s Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, located in or near the territorial seas of Denmark and Sweden.
Ballast Water Management is Reducing the Flow of Invasive Species into the Great Lakes
Freshwater ecosystems are threatened by a host of environmental stressors from human activities. Among the most insidious and impactful of these is invasion by non-native species.Over the past two centuries, established populations of nearly 190 non-native species of invertebrates, fishes, plants and microbes have been discovered in the Great Lakes basin. They were introduced through several sources and pathways including canals…
Russia is Prepared to Quit Black Sea Grains Deal
Moscow has submitted concerns to the United Nations about an agreement on Black Sea grain exports, and is prepared to reject renewing the deal next month unless its demands are addressed, Russia's Geneva U.N. ambassador told Reuters on Thursday.The agreement, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in July, paved the way for Ukraine to resume grain exports from Black Sea ports that had been shut since Russia invaded.
Wärtsilä to Integrate Voyage Business with Marine Power
Wärtsilä Corporation announced it is integrating its Voyage business into Marine Power as a business unit.The President of Wärtsilä Voyage Sean Fernback will leave the company and he will be succeeded by Hannu Mäntymaa with immediate effect. Mäntymaa, currently VP, Performance Services in Wärtsilä Marine Power, will take over to lead the integration process until year-end and will join Wärtsilä’s Board of Management for the interim period.
Svitzer Names Paterson UK Managing Director
Effective January 1, 2023, Michael Paterson joins as new Managing Director for Svitzer UK, replacing Kasper Karlsen who has acted as interim MD since June. Paterson joins Svitzer from a role as Operations Director at Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), with a history in maritime gained from 26 years in the Royal Navy. Managing Director of Svitzer Europe, Lise Demant, said, “Michael will be a huge asset for Svitzer Europe.
Exxon's Russian Oil Output Collapsed after Rejecting Local Tanker Insurance
Oil output at the giant Exxon-led Sakhalin-1 Russian Pacific project collapsed following the U.S. major's refusal to accept local insurance for tankers after Western insurers pulled out due to sanctions, several industry sources told Reuters. Western insurers withdrew cover from tankers operated by state-run Sovcomflot, Russia's biggest shipping group, which was sanctioned following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. "Exxon has refused to take Sovcomflot's tankers," one industry source said.
Survitec Names New CEO
UK-based survival technology solutions provider Survitec has appointed Robert Steen Kledal as the company’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)."As CEO, Robert will be responsible for setting Survitec’s strategic direction. He will lead the Survitec Executive team and sit on the Survitec Board," Survitec said."At the start of the year, Survitec launched a new organizational structure designed to make…
US Grants LNG Shipping Waiver for Puerto Rico after Hurricane
The Biden administration late on Sunday approved a waiver of U.S. shipping rules to address Puerto Rico's urgent need for liquefied natural gas (LNG) after Hurricane Fiona. The Homeland Security Department (DHS) issued a waiver of the Jones Act, a century-old law that requires goods moved between U.S. ports to be carried by U.S.-flagged ships "to address Puerto Rico’s needs as recovery efforts from Hurricane Fiona continue," the department said.
Lebanon Claims Israeli Gunboats Violated Its Territorial Waters
The Lebanese army said on Sunday that Israeli gunboats violated Lebanese territorial waters several times on Saturday in an area opposite Ras Naqura near the border between the two countries, an accusation Israel denied.The statement said there were four violations where gunboats entered several hundred meters inside Lebanese waters and that authorities were discussing the violations with a United…
Suez Canal to Offer Ships Bunkering and Catering Services
Egypt's Suez Canal Economic Zone will offer new services to ships including fueling and catering from the first quarter of 2023, state media quoted a Suez Canal official as saying on Friday.The new services will be offered at Port Said and Suez in the northern and southern regions of the canal respectively, the official was quoted as saying, while as many as 20 to 25 services will be available for ships transiting Sokhna Port, including medical evacuation and marine supplies.(Reuters - Reporting
Missing Engine Parts Lead to Ohio River Towboat Fire -NTSB
A missing retaining ring and mounting bracket on the port main diesel engine led to an engine-room fire on a towing vessel near Belleview, Ky., the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said.Florida Marine Transporters' (FMT) towing vessel Capt. Kirby Dupuis was pushing loaded dry cargo barges on the Ohio River when a fire broke out on its portside engine on November 9, 2021. The crewmembers…
Shipping Industry Working to Reduce Harm to Whales
The shipping industry has been taking steps to reduce its impact on endangered whale populations globally."This is an issue that the shipping industry takes seriously, and has resulted in the implementation of measures that aim to prevent collisions between whales and ships, from reducing vessel speed and rerouting to engaging stakeholders to raise further awareness," trade association the International…
VIDEO: Topside Module Construction Starts for Giant ONE Guyana FPSO
The Dutch FPSO leasing specialist SBM Offshore said Friday the construction of the topside modules had kicked off in Singapore for one of the company's largest-ever FPSO units, the One Guyana FPSO."During September this year, two steel strike ceremonies were held in both Keppel FELS and DynaMac yards. This marks a key milestone, which is the start of the fabrication of the marine structures and the topside modules…
Norwegian Police Investigate Drone Sighting Over Gas Plant
Norway police on Friday investigated reports of a drone flying over the Kaarstoe [Kårstø] gas plant in southwest Norway on Thursday, while in Arctic Norway a Russian-Israeli citizen was arrested when police found two drones in his car.The Norwegian military Home Guard has been posted at Kaarstoe and other major energy export facilities since authorities boosted security at Norwegian oil and gas installations after the Sept.
Furetank to Sell Two Dual-fuel Tankers to Neste
Furetank Rederi AB said it has signed an agreement to sell two 17,999 dwt dual-fuel product tankers Fure Valö and Fure Ven to the Finnish company Neste, a producer of sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel. The vessels will be delivered in October and December 2023, when the first of the seven new-buildings already ordered by Furetank and partners are scheduled to be delivered from the shipyard…
Russia Needs Permission for Its Ships to Inspect Nord Stream Damage - Novak
Russia needs permission for its vessels to conduct investigations into explosions that damaged Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Friday. He did not specify who should grant the permission, but Nord Stream AG, the operator of the older Nord Stream 1 pipeline, said last week that the owner of a survey vessel it chartered did not have the greenlight…
Equinor Awards $235,6M in Offshore Vessel Deals
Equinor, a Norwegian oil company, said on Friday that it had recently awarded six offshore vessel contracts to five shipowners. The total value of the contracts, including options, is estimated to be more than NOK 2.5 billion ($235,6 million). The six platform supply vessels will be managed by Simon Møkster Shipping AS (Stril Luna & Stril Mar vessels), Island Offshore Management AS (Island Crusader vessel)…
MST Launches First in a Series of 18 New Patrol Boats
Marine Specialised Technology Group has launched the first in a series of new Police Patrol Craft being built for the UK Ministry of Defense Police (MDP) and the Gibraltar Ministry of Defense Police (GDP)Awarded in March 2021, The Police Patrol Craft (PPC) contract is a six-year program that will see delivery of 18 patrol craft to various Police units around the UK and Gibraltar. The Patrol Craft will be used to ensure protection of major Royal Naval Assets…
Diana Bulker to Start Time Charter with Cargill
Diana Shipping Inc. announced it has taken delivery of a newly acquired secondhand bulker that is due to commence a time charter contract with Cargill.The 2018-built…
Carnival Cruise Line Partners with Philippine Schools
Carnival Cruise Line is partnering with Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA) and STI, one of the largest networks of colleges and schools in the Philippines, to assist Filipinos in taking up maritime studies and working on board the line's fleet of 24 cruise ships.Carnival Cruise Line SVP and Chief Human Resources Officer Bettina Deynes and Vice President for Crew and Travel Operations Richard Brearley were recently in Manila…
