Construction Begins for Congo's First Deep-water Port
Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi on Monday launched the construction of the country's first deep-water port, a $1.2 billion project that has drawn criticism for being built on the edge of a protected wetlands.Banana Port, to be built by Dubai's port giant DP World, will border Congo's Mangrove Marine Park, a nature reserve that contains a variety of vulnerable or endangered plant and animal species.The port at Banana, a sandy spit of land at the mouth of Congo River, will
Detyens Wins MSC Oiler Overhaul Contract
Detyens Shipyard has been awarded a contract for the regular overhaul and dry-docking of Military Sealift Command’s (MSC) fleet replenishment oiler USNS John Lenthall (T-AO 189), the Pentagon announced. The $16,596,347 firm-fixed-price contract (N3220522C4009) is for a 91-calendar day shipyard availability and includes a base period and seven options which, if exercised would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $17,360,293.
Final Deadline for Subchapter M Phase-in Drawing Near
The U.S. Coast Guard on Monday issued a reminder to towing vessel owners and operators that the July 19, 2022 deadline for 100% Subchapter M phase-in is fast approaching. At that time, all towing vessels meeting the applicability criteria found in 46 CFR § 136.105 will be required to have on board a valid Certificate of Inspection (COI) issued by the Coast Guard.Per 46 CFR 136.202, towing vessel owners…
New Intermodal Facility Coming to Port of Mobile
The Alabama Port Authority board of directors recently approved a $2.042 million purchase of 272 acres in Montgomery, Ala., to construct an inland container intermodal transfer (ICTF) facility. The project will extend intermodal rail service from the Port Authority’s container intermodal terminal at the Port of Mobile in support of Alabama regional growth in manufacturing, retail, distribution, and…
New Push Tug Delivered to Vane Brothers
Baltimore-based Vane Brothers announced it has take delivery this month of the final boat in a series of four 3,000-horsepower Salisbury Class push tugs. Named the Charles Hughes, Vane’s newest addition is the 20th Maryland-built towing vessel to join Vane Brothers’ fleet since 2008.Designed and constructed by Chesapeake Shipbuilding Shipbuilders and Naval Architects of Salisbury, Md., Vane’s Salisbury Class push tugs have a molded depth of only 10.5 feet…
Iranian Oil Tanker to Discharge 2 Million Barrels in Venezuela
An Iranian supertanker carrying about 2 million barrels of condensate this week began discharging at Venezuelan state-run oil company PDVSA's main oil port, according…
Green Ferry Refit is First of Its Kind in Canada
A newly retrofitted electric ferry is the first in Canada to be powered completely by a zero-emissions, lithium-ion power and propulsion system containing no diesel fuel components.In 2018, PortsToronto issued a request for expression of interest (RFEOI) to reduce air and noise emissions from its 96-foot Marilyn Bell I, used for transporting passengers, vehicles and supplies the very short distance (90-second trips) to and from Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport on Toronto Island.St.
Tech File: Kongsberg Brings Training from the Cloud
The shipping industry is facing a significant competence and capacity gap in the years to come with more advanced instrumentation, ships becoming more complex to operate, new regulations and requirements to fuel-types and sustainable operations. We also see that due to the pandemic there are challenges for seafarers traveling to training centers to keep their certificates current and many experienced seafarers are changing profession.
Canadian Icebreaker's Thordon Bearings Stand the Test of Time
A Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) icebreaker is helping to keep shipping moving on the Great Lakes throughout the winter with a set of Thordon Bearings’ propeller shaft bearings that were fitted more than 30 years ago.Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) Griffon, the oldest vessel of the CCG’s Type 1100 series, was retrofitted with a set of four Thordon XL polymer stave bearings in 1990, 20 years into her service life. Sister ships received Thordon bearings from new throughout the 1980s.
KM to Supply Azimuth Thrusters to Sanmar Shipyards
Kongsberg Maritime announced it has signed a contract with Sanmar Shipyards in to deliver US205SFP and US255SFP thrusters for installation on new Azimuth Stern Drive (ASD) tugboats the Turkish shipyard is building for Svitzer.One of the tugs, a 60-ton bollard pull (BP) vessel, is the first of a game-changing, next-generation design by the renowned towage company Svitzer and the internationally recognized naval architects Robert Allan Ltd.
Blakeley BoatWorks Delivers Towboat to Plimsoll Marine
In December 2021 Blakeley BoatWorks completed construction of Green Wave, a fully compliant, state-of-the-art Subchapter M inland push boat. Owned by Plimsoll Marine, the vessel will operate within the Cooper Consolidated fleeting footprint, the largest fleeting footprint on the Lower Mississippi River. All three companies are part of the Cooper Group of Companies.Designed by Farrell and Norton and built by Blakeley BoatWorks over the course of a year…
Offshore Wind: Edda Wind Orders Three Commissioning Service Operation Vessels
Norwegian offshore wind services company Edda Wind has ordered three more Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (CSOV) in addition to the six vessels the company has under construction. The vessels are designed for service operations during the commissioning and operation of offshore wind farms. The three vessels will be prepared for the installation of zero-emission technology in the same way as the first six vessels…
Norsepower's Rotor Sail Gets AIP from RINA
Norsepower said it has been granted approval in principle for its Rotor Sail technology solution from classification society, RINA.The Norsepower Rotor Sail solution is a modernized version of the Flettner rotor – a spinning cylinder that uses the Magnus effect to harness wind energy to propel a ship, allowing the main engine to be throttled back to improve fuel efficiency and to obtain a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, without compromising the service speed.
US Helps Fund Oakland Port Project
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Sunday it will help fund a new container yard for agricultural exports at California's Port of Oakland, as the government, ports and food companies scramble to ease costly shipping delays.The multimillion-dollar project is set to open in March, and officials said it could be replicated elsewhere.Strong U.S. demand for goods from Asia during the pandemic has boosted imports, clogging West Coast ports.
CMA CGM to Buy Majority Stake in Delivery Firm Colis Prive
French shipping giant CMA CGM said it had struck a preliminary agreement to acquire a majority stake in French delivery firm Colis Prive, as it continues to build up its logistics business.CMA CGM is to buy 51% of Colis Prive from current owner Hopps Group and will have an option of increasing its stake further. The value of the planned transaction was not disclosed.Marseille-based CMA CGM has been investing in non-maritime services, similar to its container shipping rivals.
Augusteijn Takes the Helm at Stolt Tank Containers
Stolt-Nielsen Limited appointed Hans Augusteijn as President, Stolt Tank Containers (STC), effective February 1, 2022.Augusteijn succeeds Michael W. Kramer, who will assume the role of Executive Vice President, Marketing and Business Development at Stolt-Nielsen Limited.Augusteijn spent 17 years at Maersk in various leadership roles related to container shipping and logistics before joining Stolt Tankers as Director of Strategy in 2019.
18 Crew Members Rescued after Ships Collide off Dutch Coast in Storm
The Dutch coastguard rescued 18 crew members from a ship that collided with another vessel in the North Sea on Monday during a storm off the coast of the Netherlands.The vessel…
Marine Coatings: APC Reports Maritime Sales Up 40% in '21
Advanced Polymer Coatings (APC), the owner of the MarineLINE cargo tank coating brand, announced its most successful year of trading with maritime sales growing by 40% in 2021.By it's own reckoning the Ohio-headquartered company says it accounts for more than 12% of the global cargo tank coating market, specified on more than 700 ships, with 56 ships coated equating to over 750,000 sq. m. of MarineLINE applied in 2021.Growth is being driven by a rapidly changing shipping landscape…
Cool Summer: Northern Sea Route Remains Closed for the First Time in 12 Years
Weathernews Inc. Global Ice Center announced its review of Arctic Ocean sea ice conditions during 2021. Due to the cool summer temperatures in July 2021, sea ice did not see much melt and the minimum sea ice area for the year was the largest in the past seven years at 4.61 million km2.Weathernews Inc. Global Ice Center said Monday that both the Northeast (Russian side) and the Northwest (Canadian side) Passages of the Northern Sea Route remained closed.
Container Shipping: Rates Dip in January, Fundamentals Strong says Xeneta
Long-term contracted ocean freight rates fell 3.6% in January, according to the latest Xeneta Shipping Index (XSI) Public Indices, the second consecutive monthly rates decline following 14 straight months of increases. Despite the recent stumble, contracted rates stand 98.1% up year-on-year.“The logistics chain remains stressed,” said Patrik Berglund, CEO of Oslo-based Xeneta, “with demand outstripping supply…