China Says Coal Imports Failed Environment Standards

Some coal imported into China had failed to meet environmental standards, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Wednesday in response to reports of dozens of shipments of Australian coal stalled in Chinese ports."In recent years Chinese customs have conducted risk monitoring assessments on the safety and quality of imported coal, and we found that many coal imports have failed to meet environmental standards," foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said when asked about the Australian…

Wallem Inks Deal with Navigate Response

Wallem Shipmanagement appointed Navigate Response to enhance its global media response capability, tasked to deliver crisis communications support and training to its global operations on shore and at sea.“Wallem Shipmanagement is committed to investing in technology that primarily enhances the safety of our seafarers and improves security, productivity and efficiency. In Navigate Response we recognize a similar commitment to leveraging digital solutions to deliver world-class crisis communications and on-line training…

Emission Reduction Tech: RightShip Debuts Maritime Emissions Portal

As the maritime community collectively fights to reduce emissions, RightShip and Pilbara Ports Authority have developed a pilot program that allows ports around the world to review their emissions profiles and develop management strategies. After partnering with The Australian Marine Environment Protection Association (AUSMEPA), and winning a $250,000 Google Impact grant in 2016, RightShip and AUSMEPA have developed a Maritime Emissions Portal (MEP), which will provide leading emissions inventory data to ports around the world.Available now for commercial use…

Pilot Thomas Logistics Expands Gulf Coast Reach

Fuel, lubricants and petroleum solutions provider Pilot Thomas Logistics (PTL) and its family of companies including Radcliff/Economy, Maxum Petroleum and Economy Boat Store, announced that PTL has received authorization from MSD Victoria to perform over the water transfers in the Houston-Galveston and Texas City Sectors. The authorization expands and extends the service area that now encompasses the entire Western Gulf Coast from Brownsville, Texas to Lake Charles, La."We’ve had early operational success in Brownsville…

Bulk Cargo Logistics and Solving the Commodity Conundrum

The long-established processes and practices associated with bulk commodity shipping present distinct challenges. For cargo owners, they mean a lack of transparency – leading to significant inefficiency and waste. OceanSMART Managing Director Bryan Phillips explains how new technologies that digitize these methods are poised to change the entire industry.The movement of cargoes from source to destination involves so much more than a seller-buyer relationship: there are multiple…

Wilson Sons: Inside Brazil’s Workboat Goliath

Wilson Sons is the largest integrated port and maritime logistics operator in Brazil, operating more than 80 workboats. Marcio Castro, Executive Director Tugboat Division, discusses with Maritime Reporter the size, shape & technical direction of the fleet.Mr. Castro, to start, how did you come to a career in maritime?I graduated in System Engineering at Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ), I also have an MBA in Business Administration (Coppead/UFRJ). I joined Wilson Sons in 2003…

IMO Approves Extra Steps to Curb Shipping Emissions

The United Nations shipping agency on Tuesday approved measures to boost energy efficiency in vessels as part of efforts to reduce the industry's carbon footprint, a UN spokeswoman said.Countries approved the additional regulations to reduce the carbon intensity of commercial ships at this week's virtual Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) session of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).Green groups opposed the approval, saying it would allow the shipping sector's share of emissions to keep rising over the next decade…

Ports of Indiana Names Hermer as COO, Hall as General Counsel

Ports of Indiana announced the promotion of Andrea Hermer from general counsel to chief operating officer, along with the addition of James Hall, as the new general counsel. Hall will take over responsibilities for corporate governance, compliance, and legal counsel allowing Hermer to take on her new role and responsibilities as the chief operating officer.Hermer has served successfully as general counsel for the Ports since August 2013. This new position will provide a new platform for Hermer to continue making contributions to the success of the Ports.

Virtual Conference to Focus on Transatlantic Marine Renewables

Marine industry experts from Portugal and Canada are staging a special Blue Economy conference to spark transatlantic business growth. WavEC Offshore Renewables is teaming up with the Embassy of Canada to Portugal to host ‘Advancing the Blue Economy through Intercontinental Collaboration’. It runs on December 09 and 10.The two-day online event includes a world-class roster of speakers. They will share knowledge on floating offshore wind, alongside latest advances in wave power…

INTERVIEW: RDML John Okon, Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command

Recently  the United States Navy  and NOAA signed an agreement to jointly expand the development and operations of unmanned maritime systems in the nation’s coastal and world’s ocean waters. RDML John Okon, Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, shares his insights on the direction and pace of the use of unmanned maritime systems for the Navy’s future.How and when you realized that yours would be a career dedicated to Oceanography?Interesting, I never started out to have a career in Oceanography, but rather in Broadcast Meteorology.

Golden Ocean Names Svensen as Chief Commercial Officer

Dry bulk shipping company Golden Ocean Group Limited announced Wednesday that it has appointed Lars-Christian Svensen as Chief Commercial Officer of Golden Ocean Management AS effective December 1. Svensen, who is based in Oslo, most recently worked for Western Bulk, an asset-light dry bulk operator, where he was responsible for South Atlantic and U.S. Gulf chartering operations.Ulrik Andersen, Chief Executive Officer of Golden Ocean Management AS, said, "We are extremely pleased to welcome Lars-Christian to our team.

Time to Launch Carbon Plan for Shipping is Now, Industry Says

The shipping industry must act now in order to meet U.N. targets to cut carbon emissions by 2050, leading officials said on Wednesday, ahead of a meeting next week that will seek to advance a plan.The U.N. agency the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has said it aims to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions from ships by 50% from 2008 levels by 2050.About 90% of world trade is transported by sea. Carbon emissions from shipping in the six-year period to 2018 accounted for 2.9% of the world’s CO2…

Partners Aim to Help Shipowners Meet Hazardous Materials Regulations

Maritime and offshore specialist IT firm SRO Solutions is launching a new partnership with international inspection agency SGS and maritime digitization specialist NautilusLog to help shipowners meet this year’s Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM) deadline, and manage ongoing IHM maintenance.Owners of European-flagged vessels of 500 GT and over have until December 31, 2020 to create an IHM. In order to comply with the new EU-Ship Recycling Regulation, the presence of materials such as leaded paint and asbestos must be noted, along with its location on the ship and the volumes involved.

Report Highlights Regulators' Failure to Protect Seafarers

Seafarers are left unprotected by systemic failures in the implementation of the regulatory regime for work and rest hours at sea, a newly published report finds.The World Maritime University's (WMU) new report,  "A Culture of Adjustment", by Dr. Raphael Baumler, Yvette deKlerk, Dr. Michael Ekow Manuel and Dr. Laura Carballo Piñeiro confirms previous research that suggested recording malpractices are widespread, which seriously questions the capacity of the current regulatory…

Sivandran Named Managing Director of BMT Asia

Suba Sivandran has been appointed the new Head of Asia for BMT based in Singapore, a move that coincides with the organization’s growth initiative in the region launched this month. He will oversee all commercial operations with a focus on driving new business into more complex, emerging markets including defense, offshore renewable energy and marine infrastructure engineering and advisory offerings.With more than a decade of consulting experience throughout Europe and the APAC region…

Baksaas Appointed DNV GL’s Chair of the Board

Former Telenor CEO Jon Fredrik Baksaas has been appointed as DNV GL’s new chair of the board, the Norwegian-headquartered classification society announced.Best known for his 13-year tenure as president and CEO of the telecoms firm, Baksaas started his career with DNV (as it was then known) and spent six years at the company before leaving in 1985. He has also served as member of the DNV Council for 12 years.“DNV GL is a company that is well positioned to take a role as a trusted voice to tackle the global transformations the world is facing.

Traders Scout for Tankers to Store Diesel as Virus Spreads

Oil traders are scouting for newly built supertankers to store diesel for the next few months as they brace for lower demand in Europe amid renewed restrictions aimed at battling the COVID-19 pandemic, shipping and trade sources said.Trading companies, including oil majors, are making enquiries to charter very large crude carriers (VLCC) to carry diesel with 10 parts-per-million (ppm) sulphur for up to six months, they said, indicating that diesel floating storage could rise again.Several such supertankers…

Costa Cruises Completes Italy's First LNG Bunkering

Carnival Corporation's Costa Cruises brand said its liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered flagship Costa Smeralda has become he first vessel to bunker LNG in Italy.Carried out in the port of La Spezia and completed at 6 p.m. on Sunday, the operation was supported by the Italian Coast Guard, Port Authority of Eastern Ligurian Sea, local authorities and Shell, which is the LNG supplier partner for Costa Group and its parent company, Carnival Corporation.The operation took place with the ship berthed at Molo Garibaldi pier…

Tech to Fight Container Fires

Fire safety has become a major concern in the container shipping industry, in particular, with vessels of 20,000-TEU and more entering the market. A fire in just one container can have catastrophic implications for the whole of the cargo. The very nature of container shipping means that the cargoes are in general finished goods of high value. Insurer Allianz gives the example of a March 2018 fire onboard the Maersk Honam southeast of Oman. At the time the ship was carrying 7,860 containers, corresponding to 12,416 TEU.

FMC Grants Temporary Relief Requested by CMA CGM

The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission voted to grant the temporary relief sought by CMA CGM from certain service contract and tariff filing requirements following last month's cyber attack affecting the carrier's servers.Earlier this month, the French shipping company sought relief from Commission regulations as part of its efforts to respond to a malicious cyberattack it experienced in September.The Commission said Wednesday it granted the request for exemption from relevant service contract filing requirements and relevant tariff publishing requirements.

Port Technology: 3 Ways Propane Equipment Boosts Productivity, Bottom Line

Propane port-side equipment offers superior performance, versatilityThe relationship between U.S. ports and America’s economic vitality is undeniably important. Martin Associates, a leading provider of economic and strategic assessments of the world’s transportation systems, analyzed the economic impact of U.S. seaports in a 2018 study, revealing just how critical port operations are. According to the firm’s 2018 National Economic Impact of the U.S. Coastal Port System report, the total economic value that U.S.

Offshore Equipment Hydraulic Maintenance Tip-of-the-Day: Tribology

Tip #1: Tribology - Assume All Hydraulic Components are Designed EquallyBelieve it or not, maintenance begins during the design phase. Moving parts create friction, and friction can lead to wear, ending in premature failure, especially when tribology is ignored. In order to have a long-lasting hydraulic system, it is critical to specify operating conditions and environment during the project start. When all conditions are considered, it is possible to select the right component…

OneOcean Adds Electronic LogBooks to Its Platform

Maritime compliance and navigation services firm OneOcean announced the launch of LogCentral, a secure, easy-to-apply digital tool that aims to make collecting and sharing vessel data quick and simple.“LogCentral is a genuine breakthrough, not just for optimizing the usage of electronic logbooks but also for driving fleet-wide efficiencies,” says Martin Taylor, Chief Executive Officer of OneOcean. “Data goes through comprehensive validation at point of entry to massively improve accuracy.

South Africa a Hotspot for Cargo Crime -Report

South Africa ranks among the top countries in the world, and first on the African continent, for BSI’s forecasted losses due to cargo theft, according to a report from freight transport insurer TT Club and business improvement company BSI.Historically, there is an inverse relationship between crime and economic growth in South Africa. However, this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the impacts of lockdowns and a decline in the economy, an additional layer was added to that relationship.The economic decline…

Training Tips for Ships Tip #17: Getting Serious About Assessing Skills

Ours is both a knowledge-based and skill-based industry. We know this. Yet our training does not address both aspects equally. And until it does, we are needlessly sacrificing safety and performance. There is more we can do.Maritime workers require a high degree of both knowledge and skills to perform efficiently and safely. Knowledge enables officers and crew to react intelligently to novel situations and to operate safely in challenging environments. Yet knowledge, while necessary, is not sufficient for safe and performant operations.

Maritime Resilience and the Human Element at MRS2020

Has the age of maritime discovery and exploration actually ended? Perhaps not exactly. As the history of maritime resilience and the human element shows, as far back as the 1500s and earlier, from using new navigational aids and improved ship designs, to coastal and inland route sailing, to navigating on open seas with uncertain charts, wayward icebergs, dense fog and luckily at times, clear starry nights, mariners have faced human element and maritime resiliency challenges. "Short of food and water…

DNV GL's Veracity Partners with Høglund

Høglund Marine Solutions and Veracity by DNV GL have signed a collaboration agreement to explore how the combined strengths of Høglund’s onboard integration and data capture capabilities, and Veracity’s platform architecture and eco-system can help shipowners accelerate their digital initiatives.Høglund is a well-established provider of advanced marine technology to the global shipping industry, specializing in integrated automation and energy solutions. By collaborating with the independent data platform provider Veracity…

Martijn van den Berg joins Zuyderzee Capital

Zuyderzee Capital, the specialized investment and advisory services company focused on maritime and logistics, announced a new strategic initiative intended to broaden the overall consulting service offering to its client base: Operational & Administrative Advisory.Martijn van den Berg joins the firm as Director responsible for the new business unit.Martijn joins Zuyderzee Capital having spent more than 24 years at ABN AMRO Bank and its predecessors including many years in the…

MARAD Launches Port Planning and Investment Toolkit

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) has set up a new online resource intended to help U.S. ports plan, evaluate and finance freight transportation projects.The new Marine Highway module of the Port Planning & Investment Toolkit (Toolkit) was produced as part of a cooperative agreement between MARAD and the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) and is designed to be easy-to-read, easy-to-understand and easy-to-execute, helping to guide ports toward fruitful investments.The goal of the Port Planning & Investment Toolkit is to provide U.S.

Port of Virginia Cycling In New Chassis Fleet

The Port of Virginia’s continual investment in new equipment is helping to build one of the youngest chassis fleets in the U.S., with the average age of chassis in the port’s pool being 3.5 years old.Experts in the field estimate the average age of an intermodal chassis to be 15-years to 20-plus-years-old. But with a continual cycle of adding new units and retiring old ones, the port is ensuring a young, safe, road-worthy chassis fleet for the motor carriers servicing the port.In fiscal year 2020 (July 1…

How the Major Dry Bulk Commodities Drive the Freight Market into Q4

The world is in the midst of the second coronavirus wave and with that comes the natural question of how the current dynamics will play out for the dry bulk shipping market. Demand and the subsequent cargo flow of the major dry bulk commodities are critical for the freight market, as we enter the final quarter of the year.Iron ore…has without question performed well this year, on occasion even better than gold, driven by the robust demand generated by China, as the world’s leading iron ore consumer.

Plug & Play: 'Microgrid in a Box' Promises to help Power Maritime's Future

As the maritime industry searches for the means to meet ever tightening emission regulations, battery power sits at the center of future paths to decarbonization. Sterling PBES launched CanPower, an all-encompassing energy storage system (ESS) microgrid. The CanPower 'Microgrid in a Box' promises to add energy storage to virtually any vessel, without the need for complex design and build times.According to Sterling PBES, two of the main hurdles facing shipowners wishing to install ESS’ are the physical footprints of the systems and the complexity of the installation.

MOL Fined for Emissions Violations in California

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines has paid $253,300 in penalties to the California Air Resources Board for violating the Ocean-Going Vessel At-Berth Regulation, which requires cargo ships to reduce emissions while docked at the state’s busiest ports, including Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, Hueneme, San Francisco and San Diego.The violations were discovered during routine audits of the company’s 2017 and 2018 vessel fleet visits to the Port of Oakland. CARB’s investigation revealed that from 2017 to 2018, Mitsui O.S.K.

World's First LNG-powered Very Large Containership Delivered

Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries has delivered the world's first very large containership powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Singapore's Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS), the South Korean shipbuilder announced Wednesday.The LNG-powered, 14,800 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) capacity CMA CGM Tenere is one of six containerships in a series being built for EPS by Hyundai Samho, a unit of shipbuilding giant Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co. The six neo-Panamax box…

IMO Head Urges Governments to Resolve Crew Change Crisis

International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Kitack Lim is urging governments to take swift action to resolve the crew change crisis that has left several hundred thousand seafarers stranded at sea and unable to be repatriated despite the expiry of their contracts.It is estimated that more than 300,000 mariners are stuck at sea, and a similar number of seafarers have been unable to join ships and relieve them due to restrictions imposed by several governments in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic…

New AI-powered Predictive Maritime Intelligence Solution Unveiled

Predictive maritime intelligence company Windward announced the release of its next-generation Maritime Predictive Intelligence solution powered by Maritime Artificial Intelligence Analytics (MAIA️). Consisting of 10 billion datapoints and 300 behavioral analysis models, MAIA️ is designed to empower organizations to make smarter and faster decisions and optimize operations.According to Windward, recent sanction advisories from both the OFSI in the U.K. and OFAC in the U.S. highlight the need for a new global standard in maritime operations…

Japan Trio Begins Work on an Ammonia-Fueled Tugboat

As the marine industry works to find the ‘fuel of the future’ to address increasingly stringent emission regulations, an interesting development from a trio of marine powers in Japan seeks to develop the world’s first ammonia-fueled tugboat. The joint research and development agreement was signed by NYK, IHI Power Systems Co., Ltd., and ClassNK recently to put the world's first ammonia-fueled tugboat into practical use.With the entry into force of the Paris Agreement in 2016, global momentum for decarbonization has increased…

Heavy Lift Tech: Salerno Container Terminal gets Low Consumption, High Comfort

The port of Salerno in southern Italy has been an important trading center since ancient times, and Italian port terminal operator Salerno Container Terminal SPA (SCT) has been a regular customer of Liebherr Port Equipment, today operating 11 Liebherr machines, including six Liebherr reachstackers. SCT has been active in the Port of Salerno since 1977 and in line with port terminal operators globally, SCT is continually pressed to run an efficient and environmentally clean operation…

IHC Delivers New Dredge to Cameroon's Port of Douala

Royal IHC said it handed over the 3,000m³ trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) Mont Mandara to Cameroon’s Port Authority of Douala (PAD) on August 20. The delivery completes the PAD fleet, following its acquisition of an IHC Beaver 50 cutter suction dredger and a DMC workboat in 2019.The new TSHD is an IHC Easydredge from IHC’s standardized range of dredging vessels suited for common maintenance and land reclamation projects. The Mont Mandara offers flexibility to PAD as it can be customized to adapt to its dedicated working environment.

S.African Court Allows Livestock Ship to Sail amid Cruelty Concerns

A South African court ruled on Tuesday that a Kuwaiti firm could ship thousands of sheep to the Middle East, dealing a blow to animal welfare activists seeking to ban such exports on concerns that extreme heat could kill the animals en route.In the high court case, South Africa’s National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) sought an interim injunction to prevent Kuwaiti livestock exporter Al Mawashi from sailing a vessel loaded with sheep out of South Africa’s East London port.In papers filed with the court…

Senegal Port Seeks to Remove Stored Ammonium Nitrate

The port of Senegal's capital Dakar on Thursday said it had requested the removal of around 2,700 tonnes of highly explosive ammonium nitrate stored in its complex—the same volume of the chemical that caused Beirut's devastating port blast this month.The unidentified owner of the stockpile has found a warehouse to store the industrial chemical outside the city, according to the general directorate of the port, which sits next to Dakar's densely populated downtown."He is currently working with the environment ministry to obtain approval to urgently remove this cargo…

LISCR Expands Its Leadership Team

The Liberian Registry said it has augmented its leadership team to help keep pace with nearly 12% over the last 12 months. The Liberian International Ship and Corporate Registry (LISCR) has added to its ranks Thomas Klenum as Senior Vice President of Maritime Operations, and Reynaldo Garibaldi as Senior Vice President of Maritime Operations and South America.Klenum, based at the Registry’s headquarters, is in charge of the Regulations and Standards, Investigations, and Fleet Security and Certifications Divisions.

Odfjell Names Jensen as Chief Sustainability Officer

Norwegian tanker shipping company Odfjell SE said it has appointed Øistein Jensen to fill the newly created Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) executive position. Jensen, currently Odfjell’s Chief of Staff, takes on the new role and will lead Odfjell SE’s company-wide work on environmental, social and governance matters (ESG).“Our appointment of a Chief Sustainability Officer reflects our firm commitment to ESG and the responsibility we take as a global operator. We are pleased that Øistein Jensen has accepted this challenge.

Project Cargo and Heavy Lifts in the COVID-19 Environment

The year 2020 has presented a litany of challenges to the safe movement of global project cargo. While heavy lifts and engineered cargo movements always present challenges from a rigging and execution standpoint, we have also faced exceptional challenges on other fronts. These have included cancelled vessel bookings, port facilities as well as prefabrication/modulization yard closures, lack of vessel and facility access as well as travel restrictions. At Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS)…

OCIMF Offering Remote Inspection Option

The Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) said it is now providing a remote inspection option as an additional tool within its Ship Inspection Report (SIRE) program as a temporary measure to help guard against the spread of COVID-19.Rob Drysdale, Managing Director, OCIMF, explained, “In some circumstances, COVID-19 is limiting the ability of an OCIMF inspector to be physically present on board a vessel to carry out a vessel inspection. To ensure our inspection regimes continue…

Ocean Influencer: Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, President, World Maritime University (WMU)

The July/August edition of Marine Technology Reporter, the 15th Annual "MTR100", recognizes Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, president of the World Maritime University (WMU) in Sweden, as a leading "Ocean Influencer." She is a leader on issues impacting the international shipping industry, maritime law and gender equality in ocean-related fields. She is a distinguished academic in the field of international law, justice drives her motivation for social and environmental change on a global scale.Born and raised in the Commonwealth of Dominica…

ARA Taps Coolbaugh as Ohmsett Facility Manager

Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) announced Dr. Tom Coolbaugh has joined the team as the Program/Facility Manager for Ohmsett – The National Oil Spill Response Research & Renewable Energy Test Facility. He will have oversight of the day-to-day operations, maintenance and testing at the facility, while ensuring facility users’ needs are met.Dr. Coolbaugh recently retired after 32 years with ExxonMobil Corporation, most recently as the Technology and Advocacy Advisor in the Emergency Preparedness and Response organization.

Hapag-Lloyd Nearly Doubles H1 Profit

German container shipping line Hapag-Lloyd nearly doubled net profit in the first half of 2020 and kept its full-year outlook intact but warned that the coronavirus crisis bears indiscernible risks for its operations."We have not put the pandemic behind us. Compared to a normal situation, customers' booking behaviour is volatile," Chief Executive Rolf Habben Jansen told Reuters.Transport volumes at Hapag-Lloyd, the world's number five in the industry, were down 3.5% year-on-year…

IMO Updates Virtual Meetings Calendar

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has published its remote meetings calendar for the rest of 2020 after its initial agenda of IMO Council and Committees sessions was scrapped due to the coronavirus pandemic.The first scheduled meeting is set to be a simultaneous, remote extraordinary sessions of all Committees (expected to be held 16-18 September), to address procedural matters. This follows decisions of the IMO Council's thirty second extraordinary session (summary here C.ES 32)…

Beirut Blast a Wake-up Call on Dangers of Ammonium Nitrate

The devastating explosion in Beirut should be a wake-up call for countries on the dangers of ammonium nitrate, which caused the blast, experts say.Lebanese authorities said 2,750 tonnes of the industrial chemical had been stored for six years at Beirut port without safety measures. That stockpile exploded on Tuesday, killing more than 150 people, injuring thousands and leaving about a quarter of a million people homeless.Commonly used in fertilizers and as an industrial explosive…

Shipping's Share of Global Carbon Emissions Increases

Carbon emissions from shipping rose in the six-year period to 2018 and accounted for 2.89% of the world’s CO2, a study released on Tuesday showed, amid growing pressure on the industry to bring levels down.About 90% of world trade is transported by sea and UN shipping agency - the IMO - aims to reduce the industry’s overall greenhouse gas emissions by 50% from 2008 levels by 2050.The report - the fourth in a series commissioned by the IMO - said shipping's share of global CO2 emissions increased to 2.89% in 2018 from 2.76% in 2012, when the last study period ended.CO2 emissions grew to 1,056 m

Ship Emissions: ABS Spearheads the Future of EEDI for Ships

A team led by ABS has been awarded a contract by the European Commission (EC) to explore future directions for the IMO’s Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) for ships.The landmark study will look at ways to improve and accelerate the integration of low-carbon fuels and innovative technologies into the requirements of the index, which was originally created to reduce emissions from ships by promoting design improvements and the adoption of more energy-efficient power systems.The EC…

Trafigura Offers COVID-19 Premium

Commodities trader Trafigura Beheer has become the first company to offer a defined Covid premium on an Asian syndicated loan, paying up to an extra 20bp all-in on its latest US$1bn-equivalent financing.The novel pricing structure is a first for Asia, if not globally, and could set a precedent for other price-sensitive borrowers looking to limit the long-term effects of the pandemic on their funding costs.Without the Covid premiums, the terms of Trafigura's new deal are little…

Understanding Marine Autonomy: Today’s Market and Future Concerns

Press coverage of early commercial marine autonomy projects is remarkably broad given the small number of marine industry professionals engaged in bringing these projects to market. The much larger assembly of industry stakeholders are left wondering what marine autonomy means for them. Regulatory, cost, and technical challenges stand in the way of fielding today’s autonomy technologies for most existing fleets and vessel missions. Autonomy is coming whether you’re prepared or not.

Shipowners Struggle to Bring Home Crews Amid Coronavirus Chaos

Shipping companies are still struggling to get hundreds of thousands of crew members back home after many months at sea despite pledges by countries to ease transit restrictions for seafarers, industry officials say.Countries including the UK, the United States, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and the Philippines pledged this month to boost efforts to help seafarers, many of whom have been on ships longer than the 11-month limit laid out in a maritime labor convention.Other countries…

Bureau Veritas Launches Online Maritime Training Courses

Bureau Veritas (BV) says it has launched the BVS eAcademy to provide online learning for marine and offshore energy markets across the globe.Led by BV Solutions Marine & Offshore (BVS M&O), BVS eAcademy offering more than 25 maritime courses developed from BV’s own internal training academy which, since 2016, has delivered more than 20,000 training sessions to more than 1,500 BV staff.Delivered online and on-demand, the course are suitable for maritime professionals, or students looking to develop their awareness and understanding of specific areas of expertise…

Shipping's Switch to Cleaner Fuel Has Been Smooth Sailing -ING Bank

Seven months after the United Nations' shipping agency brought in hotly anticipated new rules to curb emissions, the raft of technical issues and leap in fuel prices that were expected to result have failed to materialize, ING Bank said on Tuesday.Global shipping and oil firms had flagged major concerns over potential disruptions from International Maritime Organization (IMO) rules implemented at the start of 2020, which capped marine fuels' sulphur content at 0.5% against 3.5% previously.However, shipping and marine fuel suppliers say expected technical issues, such as damage to engines from

Marine Scrubbers: Yara Marine Plots the Path Forward, Post-COVID-19

Yara Marine Technologies COO Ina Reksten and Research and Development Manager Shyam Bahadur Thapa reflect on the effects of the coronavirus crisis and share their vision for a future beyond the pandemic.2020 will go down in history as the year that changed everything for many industries, not least the marine exhaust gas cleaning segment. “The coronavirus turned our world upside down virtually overnight,” confirms Ina Reksten, Yara Marine Technologies COO. Driven by the impending IMO 2020 sulfur cap…

Douglas Named CEO of NCB's Exis Technologies

The National Cargo Bureau (NCB) – a US inspection body authorized to certify compliance with Dangerous Goods regulations – has appointed James Douglas to the position of Chief Executive Officer of its group company Exis Technologies, effective immediately. Exis, based in the UK, was purchased by NCB in April 2018 and is a developer of IT systems for the management of dangerous goods in sea transport.Douglas who was previously commercial director at Exis for 11 years said, “Since becoming part of the NCB Group…

Singapore Retains Its Place as World's Top Shipping Hub

Singapore has maintained its position as the world's top shipping hub for the seventh year straight, according to a report published by the Baltic Exchange and Chinese state news agency Xinhua.The Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Center Development (ISCD) Index, now in its seventh edition, assesses factors including port throughput and infrastructure; depth and breadth of professional maritime support services; as well as the general business environment in its attempt to…