New Container Barge Launched for Matson
Matson's new flat-deck container barge was christened and launched during a ceremony at the Greenbrier Gunderson Marine shipyard in Portland, Ore. on Saturday, April 23, 2022.The new barge, christened Haleakala, will be deployed in Matson’s Neighbor Island service in Hawaii starting this summer, connecting cargo to and from the U.S. West Coast through its hub terminal in Honolulu.With a carrying capacity of 620 TEU and room for 72 refrigerated containers…
World's First Emissions-free Containership Yara Birkeland Christened
Yara Birkeland, the world’s first electric, autonomous container vessel, was christened in Norway on Friday.The battery-driven vessel completed its maiden voyage in November 2021 and is due to enter service this year, transporting fertilizer across the fjord from Yara International’s Porsgrunn plant to Brevik port, eliminating the carbon emissions of 40,000 diesel truck loads per year, Yara said. Initially…
Bulker Runs Aground in Lake Michigan
A commercial bulk carrier has run soft aground on a sand bar in Lake Michiganite, at the entrance to Muskegon, Mich. the U.S. Coast Guard said.U.S. Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan and Marine Safety Detachment Grand Haven are responding to the 750-foot motor vessel Kaye E. Barker, which ran aground late in the evening on April 28 while transiting inbound toward Muskegon with a load of stone aggregate.
Port of Antwerp Overcoming Loss of Russian Shipping Export Trade -CEO
The Port of Antwerp is adapting to losing shipping trade with Russia and its merger with the neighboring Port of Zeebrugge is set to boost overall volumes in coming years, the group's chief executive said on Thursday.Global shipping companies including leading container lines have cut business ties with Russia due to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and the imposition of Western sanctions. While food and medical shipments are still allowed…
Costlier Smaller Tankers Deployed to Move Displaced Russian Oil to China
Traders are deploying smaller, costlier vessels to ship displaced Russian oil from European ports to China, in a rare move as Western sanctions on Moscow force them to use unconventional methods to transport the product.About 5 million barrels of Russian Urals crude was scheduled to load in April and May destined for China on four Aframax-sized tankers that each carry 730,000 barrels and two Suezmax-sized vessels each holding around 1 million barrels…
Sanctions Tighten Screws on Russia's Sovcomflot as Ship Insurers Cut Cover
Western ship insurers are terminating cover for Russia's leading shipping company Sovcomflot as multiple sanctions start to bite, companies involved say, adding to the growing challenges for the state-owned company and Moscow's efforts to export oil and gas.Russia's maritime sector is seeing the wind down of multiple services, including ship certification by leading foreign providers - vital for accessing…
HII Launches Virginia-class Submarine New Jersey
HII announced that Virginia-class submarine New Jersey (SSN 796) was recently launched into the James River at the company’s Newport News Shipbuilding division.The 7,800-ton submarine, which had been in a floating dry dock since being transferred from a construction facility in March, was submerged and moved by tugboats to the shipyard’s submarine pier for final outfitting, testing and crew certification.“Achieving this construction milestone is a very rewarding event to our shipbuilding team…
Höegh Autoliners Orders Four More 'Zero-carbon Ready' Car Carriers
Höegh Autoliners announced it has signed a contract to build an additional four new multi-fuel and zero-carbon ready Aurora class vessels on the same terms and specifications as the first four vessels.Höegh Autoliners said its intention is to finance the vessels by a combination of equity and debt, and noted that it is exploring several sources for credit and expect to conclude the financing well ahead…
Paramount Launches New Gulf Of Guinea Patrol Vessel
A new high-speed, multipurpose naval vessel Tuguemi has been christened in Hamlet Quay in Elliot Basin, Cape Town, South Africa, builder Paramount Maritime announced. The 35m Sentinel vessel is optimized for coastal patrols and cargo transfer duties, among a myriad of other mission assignments that the multipurpose vessel can perform. It will be deployed in the greater Gulf of Guinea region, a recognized hotspot in 2022 for oil and gas piracy…
Two New Tugs Handed Over to Ri Zhao Port
A pair of new tugs has been delivered to Ri Zhao Port, Shandong, China in February and March of this year, followed by an official naming ceremony held at owner’s fleet base last week.The newly completed RAmparts 3400 ASD tugs Ri Gang Tuo 1 and Ri Gang Tuo 2 were designed by Robert Allan Ltd. and constructed at Rizhao Kingda Shipbuilding Heavy Industry Co. Ltd., for operations in Rizhao Port on the coast of the Yellow Sea…
Second Dual-fuel VLCC Delivered to AET
Tanker operator AET said it has taken delivery of its second liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel very large crude carrier (VLCC) Eagle Vallery, built by Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) in South Korea.Following the delivery of Eagle Valence, one of the world’s first dual-fuel VLCCs, Eagle Vallery is the sister vessel in this series of two built for long-term charter to TotalEnergies with Eaglestar as appointed shipmanager.On delivery, Capt.
Man Overboard from Bulker Near Southwest Pass
The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a man overboard from the Hong-Kong-registered bulk carrier Shandong Fu Xin approximately 97 miles southeast of Southwest Pass…
Shipping Industry Pushes to Rescue Remaining Seafarers Trapped in Ukraine
Just under 500 seafarers remain stuck onboard 109 ships at Ukrainian ports - skeleton crews who were left on board to enable their crew mates to be evacuated amid the conflict with Russia, shipping officials said on Friday.Those remaining should be allowed safe passage out too, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) association said.Two seafarers have been killed and six merchant vessels have…
Fast and Comfortable: Damen, Ampelmann in Crew Change Joint Venture
Dutch shipbuilder Damen Shipyards and offshore gangway specialist Ampelmann have launched the joint venture OceanXpress to provide offshore crew change solutions in the North Sea area. "This collaboration will see the introduction of a new service to the offshore access market that neatly combines the engineering feats of Damen’s Fast Crew Supplier (FCS) 7011 Aqua Helix with the S-type motion compensated gangway system from Ampelmann…
Turkish Shipyard to Build Esvagt's 'Green' SOV Bound for Ørsted's Offshore Wind Farm
Danish offshore vessel owner Esvagt and its compatriot Ørsted earlier in April announced an investment in what they said would be the world’s first service operation vessel (SOV) that can operate on green fuels. On Friday, April 29, Turkish Cemre shipyard said it had won the contract to build the SOV.The design of the vessel has been developed by the Norwegian design company HAV Design in cooperation with ESVAGT, and the vessel will be the third turn-key project Cemre will build for Esvagt.
Belgium's Exmar Loss Deepens as it Seeks LNG Ship Charterer
Belgian shipowner Exmar reported a wider loss in the first quarter of 2022 as it continued to seek a user to charter one of its giant liquefied natural gas (LNG) ships.Exmar, which offers maritime and offshore services, reported a consolidated loss after tax of $7.7 million in the first three months, against a loss of $2.2 million a year earlier.Earnings were hit by two of Exmar's mammoth floating storage and regasification units (FSRU) being out of use during the quarter…
NOIA Welcomes U.S. Offshore Wind Plans for Oregon and Central Atlantic. Warns of Looming Lease Sale Ban
U.S. National Ocean Industries Association has welcomed this week's news that the U.S. government is looking to open more areas - off Oregon and in the Central Atlantic - for offshore wind development, but has also called for a "legislative fix" to a prohibition on new offshore wind lease sales on the east coast that takes place July 1.NOIA President Erik Milito said: "Interior pursuing the first wind…
Japan Finds Wreck of Missing Tourist Boat 'Kazu I'
Japan located on Friday the hull of a tour boat off its northern coast, media said, six days after the vessel disappeared in an accident that killed at least 14 people on a sightseeing trip.The hull of the "Kazu I" was identified in waters about 100 meters (328 ft) deep off the Shiretoko peninsula on the northern island of Hokkaido in footage from an underwater camera of Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force…
First Ukrainian Corn Cargo Leaves Romanian Black Sea Port
A cargo carrying over 71,000 tonnes of Ukrainian corn finished loading in the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta on Thursday, the first since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb.
In Offshore Energy, the Winds of Robotic Change are Blowing
Whether we realize it or not, robotics and robotics systems are starting to impact our daily lives. From warehouse picking systems through to high-end medical devices through to your mowbot lawnmower. Each tends to be specialized to its own task and a similar trend is now starting to play out in the offshore wind space, where it’s hoped that robots can make operations safer and more efficient.According to a report…
