Maritime Industry Top News
Towboat Pushing Barges Strikes Pleasure Boats in Texas
Six people were rescued from the water after a towboat pushing barges struck two pleasure boats near Goat Island, Texas, Saturday.U.S. Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston watchstanders received notification at 9:26 p.m. via VHF-FM channel 16 that the towboat and barge collided with two recreational boats, one with two people aboard, the other with four people aboard. in the Galveston Bay. The captain…
NOAA Proposes New Vessel Speed Regulations to Protect North Atlantic Right Whales
NOAA Fisheries announced proposed changes to vessel speed regulations to further protect North Atlantic right whales from death and serious injuries resulting from collisions — part of a multifaceted approach to stabilize and recover this endangered population. The changes would expand the current mandatory seasonal speed restrictions of 10 knots or less in designated areas of the ocean and extend to most vessels measuring 35 to 65 feet in length.In addition…
Shipping Arrangements Into Ukraine Still Not Ready
Key arrangements including procedures for ships still need to be worked out before empty vessels can come in and pick up cargoes from Ukraine using the new grains corridor, a senior London marine insurance market official said on Monday.Turkey and the United Nations brokered a grain-and-fertilizer export agreement between Russia and Ukraine last month - a rare diplomatic breakthrough in a conflict…
Maersk Sees Global Supply Chain Woes for Longer; Lifts 2022 Guidance
Maersk raised its 2022 profit guidance for a second time on Tuesday after beating quarterly revenue expectations as congested global supply chains that have boosted freight rates persist longer than expected.The shipping industry has seen record profits in recent quarters due to a surge in consumer demand and pandemic-related logjams holding up containers in key ports in China, Europe and the United…
Supertanker Rescues Syrian Refugees at Sea
A Greek-registered supertanker recently came to the rescue of a group of Syrian refugees stranded without water, food and fuel in the Mediterranean Sea.Late in the evening on May 27, 2022, Samaris Konstantinos from Brittania forwarded an email that the club’s emergency line received from the NGO ‘Watch the Med’ in regard to a rescue request nearby the Euronav very large crude carrier (VLCC) Antigone.
Ship Carrying First Ukrainian Grain on Track for Safe Arrival
The first ship carrying Ukrainian grain to world markets since Russia's invasion blocked exports more than five months ago is on track to safely arrive in Istanbul on Tuesday night, Turkey said, amid Ukrainian fears it could still run into problems.The vessel's departure on Monday from the Ukrainian port of Odesa for Lebanon via Turkey under a safe passage deal has raised hopes of further such departures…
Obstacles to Overcome Before Ukraine Grain Deal Eases Global Food Crisis
The first ship carrying Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea since Russia invaded Ukraine more than five months ago left Odesa on Monday under a safe passage agreement that has raised hopes hundreds of other vessels will follow.But there are many hurdles to overcome before millions of tonnes of Ukrainian grain depart from its Black Sea ports, which handle most of the corn, wheat, barley, sunflower…
Svalbard Tour Boat Ushers New Technology—And a New Business Model
Tore Hoem, adventures director at Hurtigruten Svalbard, has lived on Svalbard, the remote Norwegian archipelago just a few hundred miles from the North Pole, for more than two decades, long enough to witness the sea ice retreat significantly and more rain creep into the early and late snow season.These alarming effects of climate change are among key drivers behind the Hurtigruten Group’s sustainability efforts…
US Senate Bill Could be Death Blow for Biden Anti-drilling Pledge
U.S. President Joe Biden vowed during his 2020 election campaign to end federal oil and gas drilling as a major step in his strategy to fight climate change.The U.S. Senate Democrats' $430 billion spending bill agreed this week could kill that pledge. If it passes, it would effectively guarantee continued drilling rights auctions on federal lands and waters for at least another decade.Still, with Congress set to begin a summer recess by the end of next week…
Hull for Callan Marine's General Arnold Launched
Galveston, Texas-based dredging contractor Callan Marine announced construction is progressing on its new 32” cutter suction dredge General Arnold, with the hull recently launched and house set.Under construction at the C & C Marine and Repair shipyard in Belle Chasse, La., the General Arnold is on schedule for launch in 2023 and will join Callan Marine’s other 32” CSD, General MacArthur.At 290’ feet in length and 72’ feet wide…
Cadeler to Install Foundations at Ørsted's Hornsea 3 Offshore Wind Farm
Danish offshore wind installation contractor Cadeler on Monday said it has signed an agreement with Ørsted for the installation of offshore foundations at the Hornsea 3 offshore windfarm, off the east coast of the U.K.Scheduled to begin in 2026, the offshore installation campaign will mark the first for Cadeler's new $345 million F-class jack-up installation vessel being built by China's COSCO Heavy Industries for expected delivery in the fourth quarter of 2025.
US Navy Testing Unmanned Capabilities Aboard USNS Apalachicola
The future USNS Apalachicola (EPF 13) is performing a series of planned test events assessing autonomous capabilities integrated into the shipboard configuration, demonstrating that a large ship can become a self-driving platform.Known as Unmanned Logistics Prototype trials, each test event increases the perception capabilities and complexity of behaviors demonstrated by the autonomous systems. Test evolutions to date include point-to-point autonomous navigation…
Keppel O&M Wins $54.5 Million in Floating Production Contracts
Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd (Keppel O&M)’s wholly-owned subsidiaries, Keppel AmFELS in the U.S. and Keppel Shipyard in Singapore, have been awarded contracts worth around S$75 million (US$54.5 million) for the refurbishment and completion of two floating production units (FPU). The first contract is by Keppel AmFELS with Salamanca FPS Infra, LLC for the refurbishment of a floating production unit to be operated by LLOG Exploration Offshore…
On Navy Day, Putin Says US is Main Threat to Russia
President Vladimir Putin on Sunday signed a new naval doctrine which cast the United States as Russia's main rival and set out Russia's global maritime ambitions for crucial areas such as the Arctic and in the Black Sea.Speaking on Russia's Navy Day in the former imperial capital of St Petersburg founded by Tsar Peter the Great, Putin praised Peter for making Russia a great sea power and increasing the global standing of the Russian state.After inspecting the navy…
Drought Adds to Capacity Problem for Dutch River Barges
Low water levels in the Rhine are worsening capacity shortages at Dutch river barges, a spokeswoman for the industry said on Monday.Demand for the largest barges, in the class of 135 meters, has surged as German users seek to import more coal, said Maira van Helvoirt of Netherlands Royal Inland Shipping (KBN).However, due to low water levels on the Rhine, many can only carry half their normal loads or less.In addition, out of the roughly 150 such ships usually on Dutch waterways, 15 have recentl
Greensea Advancing Autonomous Hull Cleaning for the US Navy
Marine software company Greensea Systems Inc. said it has recently been awarded a contract for a two-year Phase II Option Period by the U.S. Navy’s Office of Naval Research to continue the technology development for an autonomous hull cleaning vehicle. This is a continuation of the work that Greensea has been conducting through a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program since 2018.“The objective…
Fears Grow in the Ship Recycling Market
Fears and concerns across the sub-continent recycling markets continue to grow as local currencies across all major ship-recycling destinations continue to worryingly depreciate by the day and some even tougher restrictions reportedly set in place on the opening of fresh Letters of Credit (L/Cs) in Bangladesh this week, as the foreign currency crisis in the country deepens further.In fact, the currencies have been such a source of frustration for the ship recycling community that the U.S.
Tanker Spills Oil on the Mississippi River
A Singaporean-flagged oil tanker discharged oil on the Lower Mississippi River near Kenner, La., on Thursday.U.S. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans watchstanders received notification at 6:08 p.m. that the Hafnia Rhine discharged oil during a fueling operation with a fuel barge at Ama Anchorage, mile marker 115. Watchstanders dispatched Coast Guard pollution responders to the scene.The tanker crew secured the oil discharge…
Romania Defuses Drifting Mine off Black Sea Coast
Romania's military carried out late on Sunday a controlled explosion of a naval mine that had drifted close to the country's Black Sea shore, the defense ministry said.Mines began floating in the Black Sea after Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, and Romanian, Bulgarian and Turkish military diving teams have been defusing those drifting in their waters.Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of planting them.The Black Sea is crucial for shipment of grain, oil and oil products.
First Ukraine Grain Ship Leaves Odesa Following Export Deal
A ship carrying grain left the Ukrainian port of Odesa for Lebanon on Monday under a safe passage agreement, Ukrainian and Turkish officials said, the first departure…
