Maritime Industry Top News
ABB Turbocharging Launches Digital Tools to Save Fuel
ABB Turbocharging has launched a new digital solution designed to offer shipowners simplified management of propulsion efficiency and CO2 emissions monitoring and reporting, and potentially unlock up to 20% fuel savings.The new digital suite, called Tekomar XPERT marine, comprises three modules—engine, hull and propeller, and emissions—which, combined, provide actionable insights into ship performance to help shipping companies make better operating decisions and potentially reduce fuel usage.
New Zealand Suspends Antarctic Patrol Ship Project
New Zealand’s Ministry of Defense said it has suspended plans to build an Antarctic and Southern Ocean patrol vessel because planned spending is being reassessed due to the impact on the government’s budget of costs related to the COVID-19 pandemic.The Ministry of Defense in mid-2021 issued a request for information on the cost and potential design of a Southern Patrol Ocean Vessel, reinforced to cope with ice.
Edda Wind's New CSOV Launched in Spain
Norwegian offshore wind vessel operator Edda Wind last Saturday launched Commissioning Service Operation vessel (CSOV) C490 at Astilleros Gondan Shipyard in Spain. The vessel will serve the Dogger Bank offshore wind farm in the UK.The newbuild is a purpose-built CSOV of a similar design as all five vessels being built at Gondan plus additional two vessels ordered at Colombo Dockyards, Sri Lanka. Together with the two SOVs being built at Astilleros Balenciaga…
Russia Allegedly Seizes Ships Carrying Ukrainian Grain
Ukrainian prosecutors have opened an investigation into the alleged forceful seizure by Russian troops of five ships carrying Ukrainian grain in the port of Berdiansk, the general prosecutor's office said on Monday.The criminal case is being handled by prosecutors in southern Zaporizhzhia region, it said. Russia did not immediately comment on the statement by the general prosecutor's office.(Reuters - Reporting by Natalia Zinets, Writing by Alessandra Prentice, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
Wärtsilä Propulsion Solutions Chosen for New Faroe Island Trawler
Wärtsilä said it booked an order in February to provide a range of propulsion solutions for the Finnur Fridi, a new pelagic fishing trawler under construction at the Karstensen shipyard in Denmark. The vessel is being built for Faroe Island based Krossbrekka P/F, a member of the Vardin group.The 88-meter-long trawler will operate with a Wärtsilä 31 main engine, recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s most efficient four-stroke diesel engine.
Fincantieri Wins US Navy Minesweeper Fleet Maintenance Contract
Fincantieri Marine Systems North America (FMSNA) has been awarded the maintenance contract for the U.S. Navy’s “Avenger”-class minesweepers. The program has a combined value up to more than $78 million.The Navy operates eight “Avenger”-class vessels, which are homeported in Bahrain and Japan. All of the vessels have diesel engines produced by Isotta Fraschini Motori, another Fincantieri’s subsidiary, of which FMSNA technicians are experts.
Russian Billionaire's Yacht Detained in Gibraltar
A luxurious super-yacht linked to the owner of Russia's largest steel pipe maker, who is currently under British and European Union sanctions, docked in Gibraltar…
Armach Robotics Set to Take the Pole Position on Ship Hull Maintenance, Intelligence
Melding advanced software, intelligence, robotics and navigation, Armach Robotics – a spinoff of Greensea Systems – leads a step change in ship hull cleaning and maintenance with its Robotics as a Service model. Ben Kinnaman, the CEO of Greensea Systems, explains.Ben, to start us off, please give us a background on Armach Robotics? Where did the idea come from and where are we today?Greensea Systems is a software company, well-known for our software platform on ocean robotics.
Reach Subsea Set to Complete Acquisition of iSurvey
Norway-based subsea services company Reach Subsea is set to close the acquisition of the offshore survey company iSurvey, first announced in mid-February.As previously reported, Reach Subsea said on February 17 it had agreed to buy the offshore survey services firm iSurvey in a transaction valued NOK 135 million. Separately, it was announced that Wilhelmsen had acquired a 21% stake in Reach Subsea.The…
Low Water Hampers Rhine River Shipping in Germany
Low water after recent dry weather continues to prevent cargo vessels from sailing fully loaded on the river Rhine in Germany, traders said on Monday.Low water is hampering shipping in much of the river in Germany south of Duisburg and Cologne to southern regions around Maxau, traders said.Shallow water means vessel operators impose surcharges on freight rates, increasing costs for cargo owners.The Rhine is an important shipping route for commodities including grains, minerals, coal and oil prod
Eye on Maritime Design: Can Wind Propulsion Work by Keeping it Simple?
While it is starting to look like some clever wind/power sail technologies are starting to appear, too often I have looked at the cargo cranes of geared bulkers and wondered if it makes sense to rig some sort of sail on them.I think the fancier approaches fight the “build a little, test a little, learn a lot” engineering maxim in new technology development, and maybe doing more simple stuff may be…
Australia's First LNG Import Terminal Seen Ready by Late-2023
Squadron Energy, the private company building Australia's first LNG import terminal, expects its Port Kembla facility in New South Wales to be ready to take its first gas shipment by the end of 2023, its commercial director said on Tuesday.Squadron Energy, owned by Australian mining billionaire Andrew Forrest, is vying against four other proposed LNG import projects looking to fill a shortfall in gas supplies expected in southeastern Australia from as early as 2024, and across eastern Australia
Integrated Wind Solutions Orders Another Skywalker-class CSOV in China
Norway-based offshore vessel owner Integrated Wind Solutions (“IWS”) has ordered two Walk-to-Work Commissioning Service Operations Vessels (“CSOV”). The vessels are scheduled for delivery in H1 2024 from China Merchants Industry, Hong Kong. Currently, IWS has two identical vessels on order for delivery in 2023 and option agreements for up to two additional vessels for potentially H2 2024 delivery.The firm yard price for the two vessels is about EUR 48 million per vessel (around $52,76 million).
EU Split on Russia Oil Sanctions, Mulls Other Steps
The European Union's foreign ministers disagreed on Monday on whether and how to slap sanctions on Russia's lucrative energy sector over its invasion of Ukraine, with Germany saying the bloc was too dependent on Russian oil to decide an embargo.The EU and allies have already imposed hefty measures against Russia, including freezing its central bank's assets.Russia's siege and bombardment of Mariupol port…
Dredgers Working to Free Containership Stuck Near Baltimore
Dredgers are working to free a containership that has been stuck for a week after running aground in the Chesapeake Bay near Baltimore.Port of Baltimore executive director William Doyle said dredging operations to free the Ever Forward kicked off on Sunday after the required permits were issued by state and federal agencies."U.S. companies Donjon Marine and Cashman Dredging & Marine Construction will lead the surgical dredging operation…
Greenpeace Protests Against Ships Carrying Russian Fossil Fuels
Greenpeace activists have taken to the sea to protest against tankers carrying Russian fossil fuels to Europe.Traveling in rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIB), kayaks and as swimmers, protesters from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Netherlands and Germany on Sunday went in front of supertankers Waikiki and SFC Baltica in the Baltic Sea, displaying banners with “Oil Fuels War” as Greenpeace calls on…
IT Bug Jams Baltic-North Sea Traffic
A software problem that blocked all ship traffic in the main channel between the Baltic and the North Sea on Sunday was not a hacker attack and has been fixed, a spokesperson for Germany's Kiel Canal Waterways and Shipping Authority said on Monday.The incident was caused by the installation of a new vessel traffic management software system, the spokesperson said.Fixing a small error in the code allowed the channel to go back into full operation after more than 12 hours of outage…
Legislation Introduced to Establish Great Lakes Authority
New legislation introduced in Congress aims to create a federal entity dedicated exclusively to advancing solutions to the challenges faced by the eight states of Great Lakes region.Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin together, contain a large core of the United States’ commercial and defense industrial base, as well as the largest freshwater system anywhere on Earth…
ABS Updates RoRo Vessel Rules in Response to Fires
Classification society ABS announced it has updated its rules addressing electric vehicles on board RoRo vessels in response to "industry concerns" over a number of recent ship fires.U.S.-based ABS said the new requirements introduced within its marine vessel rules apply to supplemental fire detection, alarms and firefighting equipment as well as provisions associated with vehicle recharging. They take effect for newbuild vessels on July 1…
American P&I Club Announces Leadership Change
After 27 years’ service as Chief Executive Officer of Shipowners Claims Bureau, Inc. (SCB), the Managers of the American P&I Club, Joe Hughes will stand down from that role on August 1, 2022. Dorothea Ioannou, currently Deputy Chief Operating Officer of SCB, will succeed Hughes as CEO from that date, making history as the first woman to ascend to the top executive position of an International Group P&I club in the 167 year history of the marine mutuals.At the same time…
