American Bureau News

Future Propulsion & Setting the Course to Low-Carbon Shipping

The pace at which the maritime industry transitions to low- and zero-carbon fuels will have the single biggest impact on its global carbon footprint, more than predictable shifts in commodity demand, advances in ship technology and operating practices, or new designs.That is a key finding of a comprehensive new report, Setting the Course to Low-Carbon Shipping, from the American Bureau of ShippingThe report looks at the decarbonization of shipping via two distinct scenarios: a ‘standard’ scenario…

ABS’ Wiernicki: “COVID-19 will function as threat, a disruptor and catalyst for change”

As COVID-19 and a historically weak energy market wreaks havoc on the maritime industry, Christopher J. Wiernicki, CEO, American Bureau of Shipping, tells Maritime Reporter & Engineering News in its May 2020 edition that “COVID-19 will function as threat, a disruptor and catalyst for change, driving class further away from calendar maintenance towards predictive operations. The industry will accelerate its digitally driven movement into condition-based approaches and real-time…

Younger Wins Engineering Award

Buck Younger, Vice President of Engineering with VT Halter Marine, was named the Marine Engineer/Naval Architect of the Year by the Mobile Area Council of Engineers (MACE). VT Halter Marine, Inc. (VT Halter Marine), is a company of ST Engineering North America. VT Halter Marine also sponsored the two MACE scholarship winners.In April 2019, VT Halter Marine announced that the U.S. Department of the Navy awarded the company as the prime contractor of a $745,940,860 fixed-price incentive-firm contract for the detail design and construction of the U.S.

Matson Promotes Three

U.S. carrier Matson announced it promoted three executives to the company's senior leadership team, effective immediately.Branton "Bal" Dreyfus, Vice President, Alaska, has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Alaska in recognition of Matson's growing scope of operations, continuing investment in and long-term commitment to serving Alaska. Dreyfus will continue to report directly to Matt Cox, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.Capt. John "Jack" Sullivan, Vice President, Vessel Operations and Engineering…

US-flagged LNG Bunker Barge Launched

America’s first offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) barge has been launched for owner Q-LNG Transport, Mississippi shipbuilder VT Halter Marine announced on Wednesday.The Q-LNG 4000 barge, designed to carry 4,000 cubic meters of LNG, with dimensions of 324’ x 64’ x 32’.6”, will be operated as part of an articulated tug and barge (ATB) unit designed to meet the requirements of American Bureau of Shipbuilding (ABS) and the International Gas Carrier code as an LNG bunkering barge.Its tug, the Q-Ocean Services, is scheduled to launch late October.

VT Halter, Q-LNG Name First LNG ATB

VT Halter Marine, Inc., a ST Engineering North America company, held a vessel naming ceremony for America’s first offshore Liquefied Natural Gas Articulated Tug and Barge (LNG ATB) unit.The Q-LNG 4000 (barge) and the Q-Ocean Services (tug) were officially named in a ceremony that included U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith and U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo, along with Shane Guidry, CEO of Q-LNG, and Tom Vecchiolla, President and CEO of ST Engineering North America.Over the last four years…

ABS Spotlight on Female Mariners

The maritime classification society American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) celebrated International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) World Maritime Day with a month of activity putting women in the spotlight to inspire current employees as well as future generations of mariners. The theme for 2019’s World Maritime Day, an official United Nations day, is “Empowering Women in the Maritime Community.”“I am proud that ABS has strong women leaders across all areas of the organization who are recognized and accomplished professional trailblazers as well as mentors for the next generation of leaders…

Ardmore Appoints Dr. Tikka to Board of Directors

Ardmore Shipping Corporation (NYSE: ASC) (“Ardmore”) has announced the appointment of Dr. Kirsi Tikka to the company’s Board of Directors.Dr. Tikka has over 30 years of shipping experience having recently retired from the American Bureau of Shipping  (“ABS”) in July 2019. She joined ABS in 2001 and held various specialist and leadership positions within ABS including as ABS Executive Vice President Global Marine, Europe Division President, and as Vice President and Chief Engineer, Global.

C-Job Naval Architects Appoints Gitte, Verweij

C-Job Naval Architects said that Mario Gitte has been appointed Vice President Engineering and Edward Verweij has been named Vice President Sales. Together they will be the executive management team that will run the company’s new branch office in Houston, Texas.Gitte is a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of Texas and previously served as Senior Principal Engineer in the Advisory Services Group at American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). Mario is a graduate from the United States Coast Guard Academy who prior to joining ABS worked at a shipyard in south Louisiana.

Bay Shipbuilding Cuts Steel on Great Lakes Freighter

The U.S. Great Lakes freighter fleet are well-renowned for being a 'mature' group of ships, a point magnified yesterday when Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding started construction on the first U.S.-flagged Great Lakes bulk carrier built in more than 35 years. The shipyard and the owner, The Interlake Steamship Company, hosted a ceremonial first-cut-of-steel event Wednesday, August 14, signalling the start of construction.The new River-Class, self-unloading bulk carrier is believed to be the first ship for U.S. Great Lakes service built on the Great Lakes since 1983.

Boxship Operators Opt for Navis Loading Computers

Twenty newly built container vessels in the size ranging from feeder segment 2,300 TEU to 15,100 TEU have been selected to be equipped with MACS3.Oakland, CA and Flensburg, Germany—July 2nd, 2019—Navis, the leading provider of maritime software solutions for efficient and compliant cargo and vessel performance, has announced that it has been selected as a partner for liner operator, Yang Ming and ship owner and ship manager ChinaNavigation and Eastern Pacific. Through this partnership…

ABS Launches Sustainability Center in Singapore

The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has launched a Global Sustainability Center in Singapore as s decarbonising shipping becomes mission critical for the industry classification society.The ABS Global Sustainability Center's mission is to help maritime transition to a sustainable, lower emissions industry, said a statement.“Decarbonizing shipping is a challenge that will compel the industry to reach new technology frontiers. At the same time, it is an opportunity to transition to a more sustainable world economy enabled by efficient…

Opportunities for Boat Building in Eastern Cape

Transnet National Ports Authority’s (TNPA) Port of Ngqura has hosted the testing and launch of the first ever locally manufactured aluminium vessels by PE-based boat builder, Legacy Marine. As the company’s ship yard is based in Perseverance, the low bridges blocked the route to the Port of PE in the past, restricting the building of larger vessels. When the new Port of Ngqura stepped up as an alternative port, it contributed to the expansion of boat building in the Eastern Cape.“Now that the port is available for new vessel launches…

For JAXPORT, LNG Spells Success

‘A thousand firsts’ and a constantly growing list of players underscores the rapid development of LNG as a fuel – especially along the East Coast of the United States.Click on the headlines for the phrase “LNG Bunkering” and you immediately learn that it is an industry of a thousand firsts and a constantly growing list of players.“Russia's Novatek ships first LNG cargo to China via Arctic; Yamal LNG ships first LNG cargo to Spain; Qatar ships first LNG to Japan, signs accord; Japan orders its first LNG bunker vessel…

21 Graduate from Webb Institute

On Saturday, June 16, 2018, Webb Institute awarded 21 Bachelor of Science degrees at its 122nd Commencement Ceremony. Each graduating student received a dual degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. Webb’s commencement ceremony included inspirational remarks from Webb’s President R. Keith Michel and keynote speaker, Dr. Kirsi K. Tikka, Executive Vice President and Senior Maritime Advisor at American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and former Webb Institute Professor of Structural Engineering. Dr.

Maersk: New Cargo Guidelines After Containership Fire

Maersk has implemented new guidelines on dangerous goods stowage that aim to improve safety practices across its fleet in the wake of the fire aboard containership Maersk Honam that killed five crewmembers earlier this year.Following the deadly fire, Maersk evaluated more than 3,000 United Nations (UN) numbers of hazardous materials in order to further understand and improve dangerous cargo stowage on board container vessels and developed a new set of principles called Risk Based Dangerous Goods Stowage.Together with the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS)…

Samsung Heavy Industries Builds Smart Ship On AWS Platform

Amazon Web Services (AWS), an Amazon.com company, announced that Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) selected AWS as its preferred cloud provider to support its digital transformation.Samsung Heavy Industries is turning to AWS’s expansive infrastructure, unmatched performance, scalability, and industry-leading services to gain competitive advantage in the smart shipping industry.Samsung Heavy Industries leaves the heavy lifting of its infrastructure to AWS, the world’s leading cloud…

Carl Stephen Patrick Hunter Joins Board of Trustees at RINA

Coltraco Ultrasonics Chief Executive, Carl Stephen Patrick Hunter, has been welcomed onto the Board of Trustees at The Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA), an internationally renowned professional institute at the heart of surface and sub-surface ship design.Formed in 1860 and established by Royal Warrant RINA occupies a central and essential role at the heart of British and global maritime with 70% overseas members and Consultative Status at the International Maritime Organisation.Commenting on the appointment…

US Delays New VGP Requirements Until March 2019

While waiting for the new Vessel General Permit (VGP) to be finalized, operators must file a Notice of Intent with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prior to December 18, 2018 in order for vessels to continue to operate under their current VGP also after this date.According to a recent Regulatory Update published by the classification society American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), the EPA has further delayed the release its new Vessel General Permit (VGP 3.0).The proposed…

Tim Bush Promoted to Crowley VP, Deputy General Counsel

Crowley Maritime Corp. has announced that Tim Bush has been promoted to vice president and deputy general counsel. In his new position, Bush will help support the company’s growth as a provider of solutions for the U.S. government and various public-sector agencies. He will be based in Houston and report to Michael Roberts, senior vice president and general counsel. “Tim is an outstanding lawyer, and adds a great deal of value to the Crowley team,” Roberts said. Bush will continue to serve as Crowley’s lead attorney on several large projects for the U.S government…

NAMEPA to Honor Founding Chairman Maitland

The North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) announced that Clay Maitland will receive the organization’s Lifetime Achievement Award at an awards dinner in New York on October 26. Maitland, who is a Managing Partner of International Registries, Inc (Marshall Islands Ship Registry), is being recognized for his many industry accomplishments including being a NAMEPA co-founder. “Clay is one of the finest examples in our industry of a successful businessman who expends nearly as much energy on philanthropy,” said NAMEPA Chairman Joe Hughes.

Oil Tank Inspection: Cyberhawk Gets ABS Certification

As the maritime world increasingly turns to unmanned and autonomous systems to carry out difficult and dangerous work, one drone innovator has received certification from a leading classification society to this end. Cyberhawk Innovations reports that it has been certified as an External Specialist by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) in providing inspections for internal tanks using UAVs. Achieving ABS recognition means that the data captured by Cyberhawk’s UAVs can now be…

Women in Maritime: New UK Taskforce Established

Setting out to increase fairness, equality and inclusion within the maritime sector, Maritime UK has established a Women in Maritime Taskforce, a move welcomed by the U.K.’s new Maritime Minister, Nusrat Ghani MP. “I am delighted to see Maritime UK taking action to attract more women into our maritime industries, and I welcome this taskforce as an important first step,” said Ghani, who is only the second woman to hold the Department for Transport portfolio for the U.K.’s £40 billion maritime sector.

Annual Towing Forum Returns to SUNY Maritime

For nearly 20 years, leaders of the tug and barge industry in the region have converged on SUNY Maritime College in the spring to discuss current issues and initiatives facing the industry. This year will be no different; the 18th annual Towing Industry Forum will include presentations about safety management systems, wind farms and their impact on marine traffic, and a federal study regarding route planning and access to East Coast ports, among other topics. The forum, organized by the college’s Department of Professional Education and Training, will be from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

SUNY Maritime to Honor Capt. Robert Johnston

Capt. Robert Johnston ’69 will be awarded an honorary doctoral degree from the State University of New York at SUNY Maritime College’s May commencement ceremony. Johnston will receive the degree and give the commencement speech, addressing the class of 2018 and offering them advice and wisdom as they begin their careers and the next chapter of their lives. “Capt. Johnston is widely respected for his business acumen and comprehensive understanding of the maritime industry,” said Rear Adm. Michael Alfultis, president of SUNY Maritime. “In addition to his contribution to our industry, Capt.

Dorian LPG to Repower Up to 10 VLGCs

Ship owner Dorian LPG Ltd. said it will look to upgrade the main engines of up to 10 of its very large gas carriers (VLGCs) to dual fuel technology utilizing liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as fuel.The ship owner has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with marine service provider Hyundai Global Service Co., Ltd (HGS) to undertake research and preliminary engineering studies for the project.The initiative follows the conclusion of a study announced in September 2017…