International Maritime Organization News

Euronav planning LSFO STS at Malta

Euronav has chartered a tanker to bring a 30,000 tonne cargo of low-sulphur fuel oil from northwest Europe to Malta, where its megatanker, Oceania, has been parked offshore since Jan.

Former SKANReg Leader to Retire

Nigel Smith, inaugural International Registrar of the London-headquartered St Kitts & Nevis International Ship Registry (SKANReg), is retiring in May after 47 years in the shipping industry. Smith, 62, is a former seagoing engineer officer, technical superintendent, shipyard agent and marine consultant. He has also served on various bodies of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology, which includes being a member of the ruling Council since 2005. In the late 1990’s…

Prioritizing Consistent, Reliable Ballast Compliance

As the Ballast Water Management Convention (BWMC) deadline for compliance approaches, the market is visibly gearing up to address the snowballing demand across the board.Ballast water treatment system (BWTS) manufacturers are sizing up the competition as ship owners weigh up their immediate needs, against a sustainable future for their vessels. With the conversation reaching a crescendo, now more than ever it is vital that manufacturers are transparent about their provisions and focus on how best to meet the needs of the customer.

Partnership to Test Sustainable Marine Bio-Fuel Oil

IKEA Transport & Logistics Services, CMA CGM, the GoodShipping Program and the Port of Rotterdam have announced they will cooperate in a first of its kind partnership to test and scale the use of sustainable marine bio-fuel oil. The test will commence with a landmark bunkering of the marine bio-fuel oil on a CMA CGM container vessel on March 19th, representing a major step towards the decarbonization of ocean freight.The test is being facilitated by the GoodShipping Program, a sustainable initiative dedicated to decarbonizing ocean freight…

IMO Calls For Empower Women in Maritime

On International Women’s day 2019 (8 March), the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has put the spotlight on women in the maritime sector.This year, IMO’s World Maritime Day theme was "Empowering Women in the Maritime Community", giving particular resonance to this year’s International Women’s Day celebrations, the UN Body said.The global 2019 theme for International Women’s Day - Think equal, build smart, innovate for change - focuses on innovative ways in which gender equality and the empowerment of women can be advanced…

Scrubber Safe for Environment: Carnival

Carnival Corporation has released the results of an independent, two-year scientific scrubber wash-water study.The study shows the company’s advanced air quality systems (i.e. scrubbers) are in compliance with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2020 requirements, which include regulations for cleaner air emissions and strict wash-water quality standards.The study also concluded that the wash-water samples from scrubbers were below the limits set by several major national and international water quality and land-based water discharge standards…

German Ports Sign-Up to Arctic Commitment

The ports of Bremen and Bremerhaven, Germany, have joined an ambitious campaign to a ban on heavy fuel oil (HFO) from Arctic shipping – along with more than 80 companies, organisations, politicians, NGOs and explorers.Bremenports GmbH & Co. KG, operates the twin ports Bremen and Bremerhaven, which rank as the fourth busiest container port in Europe, and the world’s 16th biggest.“Bremenports is proud to sign up to the Arctic Commitment. Heavy fuel oil has no place in Arctic shipping.

First Mega-Boxship Retrofit to LNG Ordered

Hapag-Lloyd pilot gas-conversion leads the way for emissions reduction and decarbonizationMAN Energy Solutions has signed a contract for the conversion of a 15,000 TEU container vessel to dual-fuel operation. The container vessel MV SAJIR is owned by Hapag-Lloyd, a leading liner shipping companies, and normally serves a route from Asia to northern Europe via the Suez canal. The pilot project will entail the conversion of an existing, HFO-burning MAN B&W 9S90ME-C engine to a dual-fuel MAN B&W ME-GI (-Gas Injection) prime mover capable of running on HFO and LNG.

Regulations for Cargo Lifting Safety on the Anvil

Draft mandatory regulations to make lifting appliances such as onboard cargo cranes safer are being developed by the Sub-Committee on Ship Systems and Equipment (SSE).According to a press note from International Maritime Organization (IMO), the Sub-Committee aims to finalise the draft SOLAS regulations and related guidelines covering design, construction, installation and maintenance of onboard lifting appliances and anchor handling winches.The rules are intended to help to prevent accidents and harm to operators and damage to ships…

Frieght Cost Set to Rise Due to IMO 2020

With less than ten months before the IMO 2020 regulation on sulfur oxide emission goes into effect Jan 1, carriers and shippers alike are facing an 'uncomfortable uncertainty' over its potential effects on costs and freight rates as they enter the 2019-2020 trans-Pacific contracting period.The International Maritime Organization 2020 (IMO 2020) regulation on sulfur oxide emission will translate into an increase in freight rates, said Seabury Maritime, the global maritime and transportation investment & merchant banking and industry advisory firm…

IMO 2020 to Cost USD10bln

The new 0.5% sulfur cap on fuel content for the global maritime industry means the container-shipping industry will need to offset up to $10 billion in incremental costs, starting Jan. 1, 2020, when the cap is slated to take effect, said a study.IMO 2020 regulations is promulgated by the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization (IMO).The new report by the global consulting firm AlixPartners also finds that the new fuel rule could expose carriers on just eastbound Asia…

Euronav to Deploy ULCC for LSFO Storage

Euronav, one of the largest tanker companies in the world, will deploy one of its two ultra large crude carriers (ULCC) to store cleaner marine fuel ahead of a major regulatory change in 2020, the Belgium-headquartered group said on Friday.From January 2020, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) will ban ships from using fuels with a sulphur content above 0.5 percent, compared with 3.5 percent now, in one of the biggest changes in the oil market in decades.Only ships fitted…

Inside Cruising’s LNG Plunge

Back when most owners were still debating how to handle the 2020 sulfur cap, or whether the deadline would even stick, Carnival forged ahead with a massive bet on LNG for cruise-ship propulsion. That early move is now starting to pay off.AIDAnova, the first cruise ship to ever be powered at sea by LNG, set sail on its maiden voyage from Tenerife in the Canary Islands on December 19, 2018. Speaking with Maritime Logistics Professional six weeks later, Carnival Corporation senior vice-president of maritime affairs Tom Strang gave his early verdict: LNG works.“It’s good news.

Canadian Legislation Concerns ICS

The Canadian Senate is giving consideration to legislation that would have the effect of establishing a moratorium on the shipment of crude oil in the waters of Northern British Columbia (Bill C-48: An Act respecting the regulation of vessels that transport crude oil or persistent oil to or from ports or marine installations located along British Columbia’s north coast).“Such a dramatic step could lead to serious concerns being raised by Canada’s international trading partners” said ICS Deputy Secretary General, Simon Bennett.

Schulte Group Acquires Stake in TecHullClean

Schulte Group acquires TecHullClean to expand its range of IMO-compliant underwater inspection, repair and maintenance solutionsSchulte Group, Hamburg, Germany, acquired a majority stake in TecHullClean Limited (THC), a Singapore registered underwater inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM) technology company headquartered in Singapore and Algeciras, Spain and with further subsidiaries in Spain, Gibraltar and Ghana.THC specializes in underwater hull cleaning, inspection and propeller…

Maersk, PBF Logistics in Low Sulfur Fuel Deal

Maersk and PBF Logistics LP announce agreement for production and storage of 0.5% sulphur fuel on the U.S. East CoastPBF Logistics terminal facility in New Jersey to deliver approx. 10% of A.P. Moller – Maersk’s annual fuel demand as Maersk continues preparations for the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2020 global sulfur regulation.A.P. Moller - Maersk and PBF Logistics LP announced an agreement for Maersk to source and PBFX to process crude oil at CPI Operations LLC…

BIMCO to IMO: "Use Real Data"

BIMCO, the largest of the international shipping associations representing shipowners, has proposed that the Fourth International Maritime Organization (IMO) Greenhouse Gas Study does not include unrealistically high gross domestic product (GDP) growth projections to predict future transport demand - and thereby emissions - of the shipping industry.“It is imperative that the industry – and the world – base discussions and actions to reduce emissions from shipping on credible and realistic projections.

Hapag Lloyd CEO: Trade Spats Could Dampen Shipping Growth

An escalation of tariff wars between China and the United States could dampen growth in international container shipping as operators pre-emptively brought forward business in the second half of last year, Germany's Hapag Lloyd said."Many customers tried to get their goods through to the U.S. ahead of time in second half 2018, creating additional growth," Rolf Habben Jansen, chief executive of the company that is the world's fifth biggest shipping liner, told reporters in Hamburg on Tuesday."That points to some business having been brought forward…

Costa Rica Ratifies FAL Convention

Costa Rica is the latest country to ratify the Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL Convention).The International Maritime Organization (IMO) treaty enhances communication between ships and ports to help shipments move more quickly, more easily and more efficiently.Rafael Ortiz Fábrega, Ambassador of Costa Rica, met IMO Secretary-General at IMO Headquarters, London (12 February) to deposit the instrument of accession.FAL matters because, if it goes smoothly, shipments move more quickly, more easily and more efficiently.

Indian Survey on Women in Maritime Begins

A new initiative in light of the International Maritime Organization’s 2019 World Maritime Day theme, ‘Empowering Women in the Maritime Community' is launched in India.Sanjam Sahi Gupta of Sitara Shipping Ltd said that the company has launched three surveys to gather data from employers/owners, women seafarers and women in shore-based positions.Currently, no data is available on women in maritime in India and the shipping industry is missing out on 50% of the potential talent…

Wilhelmsen, Hitachi Deliver XRF Analyzers

Signing a supply agreement with Hitachi High-Tech Analytical Science (Hitachi High-Tech), Wilhelmsen will supply Hitachi High-Tech’s industry-leading handheld XRF analyzers to the maritime market, enabling vessel crews to accurately and efficiently test the sulphur content of their fuel, on the spot.With the International Maritime Organization’s 0.50% global sulphur cap on marine fuels set to come into force on January 1, 2020 and discussions on enforcement strategies and potential penalties for non-compliance gathering pace…

Statement on New Measures to Protect North Atlantic Right Whales

The Chamber of Marine Commerce is issuing the following statement in response to the announcement by Transport Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada on shipping mitigation measures in the Gulf of St. Lawrence to help protect North Atlantic Right Whales.Bruce Burrows, President to the Chamber of Marine Commerce, said: “We are pleased that the government has made some refinements to this year’s mitigation measures that will continue to protect the endangered right whales and at…

Focus on African Maritime Development

As part of its continuing efforts to help African countries improve the sustainability of their maritime sectors and their blue economies, International Maritime Organization (IMO) frequently works with partners to help support their initiatives.This work includes participating in two major annual maritime security exercises in Africa, the first of which, Cutlass Express, is currently underway in Djibouti, Mozambique and the Seychelles (25 January – 7 February).Cutlass Express puts special emphasis on encouraging navies and civilian agencies and different countries to work together…

Empowering Women in the Maritime

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has launched a new logo for its Women in Maritime programme, as part of its mission to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.Programme lead Helen Buni said: "The IMO Women in Maritime programme supports the participation of women in both shore-based and sea-going posts, under the slogan Training-Visibility-Recognition’, through a wide range of gender-specific activities.

Safe Mooring Rule Getting Ready

International Maritime Organization (IMO) work to preventing accidents when ships are being moored at their berth in a port continues this week.According to the UN body,  a draft SOLAS regulation aimed at better protecting seafarers and shore-based mooring personnel from injuries during mooring operations is set to be finalized by the Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Construction (SDC 6).The meeting (4-8 February) also aims to complete draft guidelines on the design of mooring arrangements…

Arctia’s Vessels Get PC3 Notation

Finnish state-owned company Arctia Oy said that its vessels MSV Fennica and MSV Nordica have now both received certificates of compliance with the IMO Polar Code. Both vessels now have a Polar Class 3 (PC3) class notation.According to the owner and operator of Finnish icebreaker fleet, they are among the very few in the world to have this high ice class notation.Arctia Offshore Ltd. is one of the first commercial operators to commit to stricter manning and training requirements…