Maritime Industry Top News
Partners Group to Buy UK-based Offshore Vessel Firm North Star
Partners Group, a global private markets firm, has agreed, on behalf of its clients, to buy North Star, a UK-based operator of emergency response and rescue vessels, which has recently also dived into the offshore wind sector with several orders made for essential offshore wind maintenance services vessels, from Basalt Infrastructure Partners for an undisclosed price.Aberdeen-based North Star has a…
Indonesia Allows 37 Coal Ships to Depart as Export Ban Eased
Indonesia said on Thursday it would allow 37 vessels loaded with coal to depart, in the strongest sign yet that the world's biggest thermal coal exporter is relaxing its ban on shipments.A senior cabinet minister said in a statement the ban implemented on Jan. 1 had been eased for miners that have met a requirement to sell a portion of their output for local power generation, after the state utility…
MMA Offshore Upgrades Vessel to Support Taiwanese Offshore Wind Market
Australian offshore support vessel operator MMA Offshore has completed a subsea conversion program on the MMA Crystal vessel to support the Taiwanese offshore wind market.The new additions to the vessel feature subsea equipment including a work-class ROV, a 50Te A-frame, and a survey and positioning system.Following the conversion, the 70.5 meters long MMA Crystal is set to begin its journey to Taiwan…
Technology to Ship Hydrogen Ready by 2025, KSOE Says
Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE) expects to have the technology to transport hydrogen by ship by 2025, an executive said, targeting a breakthrough in supplying a fuel touted by supporters as offering a major source of clean energy.The development by KSOE, the shipbuilding arm of Hyundai Heavy Industries Group, one of the world's biggest shipbuilders, comes amid growing global interest in rolling out hydrogen as a cleaner fuel alternative.
EU Shipping Plan Leaves Millions of Tons of CO2 Unregulated
European Commission proposals to bring shipping into the bloc's carbon market contain exclusions for small commercial and military vessels that would leave millions of tonnes of CO2 emissions unregulated, an NGO study showed on Thursday.With about 90% of world trade transported by sea, global shipping accounts for nearly 3% of the world's CO2 emissions. So far, the industry has avoided the EU's system of pollution charges.Under proposals announced in July 2021…
Great Lakes Limestone Trade Up 11% in 2021
Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 29.5 million tons in 2021, an increase of 11% compared to 2020, according to trade group the Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA). 2021’s loadings were also 4.8% above the trade’s five-year average.Loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 23.5 million tons, an increase of 11.4% compared to 2020. Shipments from U.S. quarries were also above their five-year average by 2.4%.Shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 6 million tons…
Suez Canal Targets 15% Share of Global Energy Trade by 2040
Egypt's Suez Canal aims to have a 15% share of global energy trade by 2040, up from 8% in 2019, the canal authority said on Wednesday.The increase would come from "adopting flexible marketing policies", it said in a statement.(Reuters - Reporting by Moamen Said Attalah; Writing by Mahmoud Mourad; Editing by)
Princess Cruises Pleads Guilty to Violating 'Magic Pipe' Probation
Carnival Corp.'s Princess Cruises has again pleaded guilty to violating its probation imposed as a result of its record $40 million criminal conviction for its "magic pipe" environmental crimes.The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Tuesday that Princess failed to establish and maintain an independent internal investigative office as required after pleading guilty to felony dumping and attempted cover-up charges in April 2017.
TOWT Orders Sailing Cargo Ship from PIRIOU
French shipyard PIRIOU said it has been award a contract for the design studies and construction of an 81-meter sailing cargo ship for sailing freight transport company TransOceanic Wind Transport (TOWT). Wind-powered sailing cargo ships are gaining interest across the maritime industry as shipping companies seek ways to limit their environmental impact.Guillaume Le Grand, chairman of TOWT-Transport wind transport…
U.S. Plans Record Offshore Wind Sale
The Biden administration on Wednesday outlined a range of measures to speed the growth of clean energy on the U.S. power grid, including the government's largest-ever sale of offshore wind leases in waters off the coast of New York and New Jersey.The announcement, which seeks to advance President Joe Biden's ambitious climate change agenda, comes as sweeping legislation to support those goals is stalled in Congress.
Callan Marine Commences Packery Channel Restoration Project
Callan Marine announced it has commenced operations as the prime contractor to the City of Corpus Christi for the Packery Channel Restoration Project, consisting of repairs to shoreline protection, sidewalks, bollards, storm drains, handrails and other damaged structures. The scope of restoration work includes the demolition and removal of damaged articulating block mat revetment, concrete walkway, and bollard/cable barriers.
ABS Publishes Guide for Methanol-fueled Vessels
Classification society ABS has published a new guide setting out classification criteria for the arrangements, construction, installation and survey of machinery, equipment and systems for vessels operating with methanol or ethanol as fuel.Methanol is widely regarded as one of the leading renewable fuel options that can provide carbon neutral fuel supply and support decarbonization within the maritime industry.
Ingalls Begins Combat System Tests on Destroyer Jack H. Lucas
America' largest military shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) on Wednesday announced its Ingalls Shipbuilding division recently achieved the Aegis light-off milestone on the Navy’s first Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125), marking the start of combat system testing as shipbuilders ready the ship for propulsion tests and eventually sea trials.“I am again very proud of our DDG 51 team and the work they have done…
DFDS' Newbuild Aura Seaways Arrives in Europe
Danish shipping company DFDS said its first newbuild vessel in 30 years has arrived in Europe following a long voyage from the Chinese shipyard Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI).The new ship, Aura Seaways, is the first in a series of two new roll-on, roll-off passenger ferries built by GSI for DFDS. The 230-meter-long vessel, officially handed over to DFDS in China in December, is the first newbuild passenger vessel contracted by DFDS since Scandinavia was delivered in 1982.Last weekend…
Weak Demand Across Vessels Drags Baltic Index to 10-month Low
The Baltic Exchange's dry bulk sea freight index extended losses on Wednesday to a 10-month low, pressured by lower rates across all its vessel segments.The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax and supramax vessels, fell 124 points, or 5.8%, to 2,027, its lowest since March 16.The capesize index dropped 228 points, or 9.8%, to a 10-month low of 2,097.Average daily earnings for capesizes…
U.S. Gulf of Mexico Offers Tremendous Advantages for CCUS, But Regulatory Support Required, NOIA Says
The U.S. National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) on Wednesday released the policy paper, Carbon Capture, Use, & Storage: An Economic, Employment, & Climate Opportunity for the U.S Offshore Region, where it says that while the U.S. Gulf of Mexico offers "remarkable emissions reduction opportunity here at home," the industry needs certainty and predictability in the regulatory system."Along with key policy recommendations…
Wilhelmsen Ship Management Takes a Majority Stake in Ahrenkiel Tankers
Wilhelmsen Ship Management signed a deal to acquire a majority stake in Hamburg-based Ahrenkiel Tankers, resulting in Wilhelmsen Ship Management taking over the management of five tankers and gaining 80% ownership of Ahrenkiel Tankers. The remaining 20% is held by existing owners MPC Capital Group. Ahrenkiel Tankers will be rebranded as Barber Ship Management.It marks the first step by Wilhelmsen Ship…
Nexans to Build 110km Subsea Power Cable for U.S. Offshore Wind Farm
Subsea power cable maker Nexans has received an order to manufacture approximately 110km of high voltage subsea cables to South Fork Wind, a joint venture between Ørsted and Eversource. The 3-phase 138 kV high voltage alternative current (HVAC) subsea export cables will be integrated with two fiber-optic cables and transmit 132 MW of electricity to Long Island, New York.Located 35 miles offshore from Montauk Point…
Shipping Giant Maersk Accelerates Decarbonization Plans
Container shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk now plans to achieve net zero emissions in its business by 2040, a decade earlier than previously announced, on the back of rising customer demand for green transportation and technical leaps.With about 90% of world trade transported by sea, global shipping accounts for nearly 3% of the world's CO2 emissions, and the sector is under growing scrutiny to become cleaner."When we set the target back in 2018…
Hornbeck Offshore to Acquire 10 Vessels from Edison Chouest
U.S.-based offshore vessel owner Hornbeck Offshore Services has agreed to acquire ten high-spec new generation offshore supply vessels ("OSVs") from Edison Chouest Offshore affiliates.Eight of the vessels are U.S.-flagged, Jones Act-qualified, 280 class DP-2 OSVs with capacities of circa 4,750 DWT. The other two vessels are Mexican-flagged 240 class DP-2 OSVs with capacities of circa 3,200 DWT. Upon completion of regulatory drydockings to be conducted by the Edison Chouest Offshore affiliates…
