Surveillance & Maritime News for January 2023

Ocean Policy Research Institute (OPRI) of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation and seven companies launched “Satellite VDES Consortium” after the inaugural meeting which was held on October 13, 2022. OPRI joined the consortium as a secretariat.  OPRI has been conducting research to promote satellite VDES, the next-generation maritime communications infrastructure, with the aim of fostering cooperation between the ocean and space. Based on the results of these studies, OPRI also relea...

Global reefer trade and the customers’ needs have always been a key priority at Blue Water. For this reason, it is important to be present where the customers are. The opening of a new office in Gdansk further strengthens the growth journey that Blue Water is currently carrying out. Frozen foodstuff production Poland has an increasing potential within frozen foodstuff production and export, which is why Blue Water considers it a great opportunity to strengthen the company’s positi...

Survitec’s Maritime Protection brand has registered a significant increase in orders for Inert Gas (IG) systems over the past two years, following a surge in orders for newbuild vessels with LNG-burning engines. This increase is partly attributed to the global shipping industry seeking to meet decarbonisation targets by moving away from high polluting heavy fuel oil (HFO) towards alternative, cleaner marine fuels. Increase in orders for Inert Gas (IG) systems These engines need to be fi...

When Rikke Nielsen, founder of Lykkeliga and former professional handball player, received a phone call from the Blue Water founder and chairman, Kurt Skov, with the message that any gifts for the 50-year company anniversary should be replaced with a request to support Lykkeliga, the joy was overwhelming. “I was surprised and naturally very thankful for this helping hand. Kurt and Blue Water have shown interest in the development of Lykkeliga during recent years, however, I was still surp...

The French Navy has taken delivery of the first of six H160s that will perform search and rescue (SAR) missions. The aircraft is part of the interim fleet that will be delivered by the partnership formed between Airbus Helicopters, Babcock, and Safran Helicopter Engines. Critical search and rescue missions “The delivery of the first H160 to a military customer is a major milestone for the H160 programme,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters. “This is the first public s...

Grand Départ Copenhagen Denmark (GDCD), a company set up in Denmark to handle and plan the Danish Tour start, chose Blue Water to plan all air transport out of Denmark. In the autumn of 2021, Blue Water began planning the transports. Right from the beginning, GDCD emphasised the importance for this event taking place in Denmark and the ability of the airlines to solve the task on the highest international level. Early in the process, they had a detailed plan for the aircraft and operator...

The global trade and the customers’ needs have always been a benchmark for Blue Water Shipping. For this reason, the company has opened two new offices in Istanbul and Izmir, Turkiye. Both offices will offer a wide range of transport and logistics solutions, including Sea, Rail, Air, combined Sea & Air, Road Solutions as well as Courier & Parcel services. Furthermore, a dedicated team will handle Fair & Exhibitions logistics, while another local team of specialists will handle...

A Safety Award was presented by Thomas Bek, COO of Energy, Ports, and Projects, Blue Water recently. It was awarded to Victor Pay, Transport & Field Operations Manager from the Technical Engineering Department, Blue Water Singapore for his remarkable excellence towards HSSEQ (Health, Safety, Security, Environment & Quality) stopping the job before it was handed to Blue Water’s scope of work. Factory operations  Victor Pay was supervising a lifting operation remotely fr...

Blue Water’s Aid & Development Logistics team was contacted by a customer regarding the transport of a special shipment from Shanghai, China to the NGO Hope Walks in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The transport faced challenges due to container shortages in Shanghai and fully booked vessels as a consequence of COVID-19. However, Blue Water succeeded in finding a container as well as booking space on the required vessel thus saving the transport. Medical supply delivery  The contact wit...

As part of the SEA-EU (European University of the Seas) European Alliance for promoting and strengthening scientific collaboration between the University of Brest and five other multidisciplinary universities, the catamaran ‘Oceanograf’ undertakes her first oceanographic research cruise. During the cruise, she will be calling at four European ports: Gdansk/Poland, Kiel/Germany, Brest/France and Cadiz/Spain. Modern research vessels Owned by the Faculty of Oceanography of Gdansk, &l...

The brand-new research project will be carried out by the Seafarers International Research Centre at Cardiff University and will focus on women working on cargo ships. It aims to explore their welfare needs and the extent to which these are currently met. “We recognise that seafaring is a male-dominated industry and that creates an assumption that the welfare needs of women seafarers may be similar to those of men. However, with this new research project, we want to explore that assumptio...

With the continued expansion of Stena Line’s operations in the Baltic Sea, on 19 January, 2022, the new ferry - Stena Baltica has made its maiden voyage on the Ventspils‒Nynäshamn route. Henceforth, it will share this route with Stena Scandica, replacing Stena Flavia, which will join Stena Livia on the Liepāja–Travemünde route. Stena Baltica Stena Baltica is identical to the Stena Scandica, which has operated between Ventspils and Nynäshamn since the summer of 2021....

The Seafarers’ Charity congratulates their trustee, Natalie Shaw on the announcement that she will receive an MBE. This is an exceptionally well-deserved award. Natalie has a wealth of experience in the maritime sector, including in her current role, as Director of Employment Affairs, at the International Chamber of Shipping. She is a powerful advocate for seafarer safety and well-being. They are thankful to have Natalie as a trustee and delighted by the news that her commitment to seafar...

The Seafarers' Charity, the largest grant-awarding maritime charity, has unveiled its new website, making it easier to apply for grants and explaining the complete network of support provided. The Seafarers’ Charity works with delivery partners to support seafarers across the world, reflecting the global nature of seafaring. Support and care for seafarers Their diverse work over 2020 has included the COVID-19-focused Seafarers International Relief Fund, as well as their continued...

Global Survival Technology solutions company, Survitec has completed the acquisition of Blue Anchor Fire & Safety Ltd, one of Scotland’s major providers of survival solutions providers to the fisheries, maritime and offshore energy industries. The investment, part of Survitec’s expansion strategy, follows the acquisition in May of Norway’s Hansen Protection, a renowned provider of personal protective equipment. Acquisition of Blue Anchor Fire & Safety Ltd Baba Devani...

The Seafarers’ Charity - a provider of grants and support to the maritime community - has received funding for a pilot project to develop safety management onboard fishing vessels to the standard of the Fishing Safety Management Code. The new service is called Fishing First Safety Management by SafetyFolder and aims to improve safety in the UK fishing fleet and, at the same time, increase supply chain transparency. Auditable safety standard The Seafarers’ Charity’s Chief Exe...

Neste, the provider of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel as well as a forerunner in renewable and circular solutions for the polymers and chemicals industry, further accelerates the implementation of its growth strategy by establishing an R&D centre in Singapore. With this investment, Neste aims to increase its R&D and innovation capabilities globally, and drive collaboration with partners in the Asia-Pacific region, especially in Singapore. Production capacity “Nes...

Neste and Hesburger, a Finnish restaurant chain, will engage in significant circular economy collaboration. Used cooking oil from more than 300 Hesburger restaurants in Finland and in the Baltics will be recycled to produce renewable diesel. As a result of the collaboration, Hesburger will begin using Neste MY Renewable Diesel™ in the majority of its transport vehicles in Finland, reducing the greenhouse gas emissions in these transports by up to 90% compared to fossil diesel use. Produc...

Golden Ocean Group Limited, one of the world’s largest listed dry bulk shipowners announces the sale of two older Panamax vessels, Golden Opportunity and Golden Endurer, and an agreement to construct four Kamsarmax vessels. Sale price The aggregate sale price of the vessels is $37.2 million, and the Company expects to record a gain from sale of approximately $4.9 million in Q3 2021 and $5.0 million in Q4 2021 and receive net cash proceed of approximately $22.2 million in Q4. The net cas...

Neste has signed a renewable power purchase agreement with Statkraft, Europe’s largest producer of renewable energy. Statkraft will begin the wind power deliveries to Neste’s Porvoo refinery in Finland in mid-2022. Neste is committed to combat climate change and reduce climate emissions both globally and locally. To support this, the company has two climate commitments. The signed agreement supports Neste’s commitment to reduce the carbon footprint of its production and to rea...

Neste is the first company in Finland to provide a service for companies and other organizations to monitor their climate emissions caused by the use of transport fuels. According to Neste’s industry survey conducted in August 2021, the use of Neste MY Renewable Diesel™ has increased rapidly for example in the public sector, goods transport, and the manufacturing industry, while growth has remained moderate in other sectors. Reduce greenhouse gas emissions Road transport accounts...

Continuing the strengthening and expansion of its services in the Baltic Sea, the Swedish ferry company - Stena Line is deploying two new large and modern ferries on the route between Ventspils in Latvia and Nynäshamn in Sweden in 2021. The first of the two vessels, Stena Scandica, arrived in the port of Nynäshamn in the morning of 27 July, 2021, when it completed its overnight maiden voyage from Ventspils. The vessel adds another 70% more cabins and 30% more freight capacity, when co...

Neste, the provider of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel and the 4th most sustainable company in the world, launches Neste MY Renewable Diesel™, in the Belgian market. The fuel, produced from 100% renewable raw materials, is brought to the Belgian market in collaboration with the channel partner EG Group. Neste MY Renewable Diesel enables customers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90% over the fuel’s life cycle compared to fossil diesel. Another important st...

Shanghai Hudong Container Terminal, Shanghai Pilot Terminal, and new SITC Container Lines held a signing ceremony for the joint construction of the "Port, Navigation, Pilot" boutique route in the conference room of Hudong Terminal. This time, Hudong Wharf selected SITC's VTX3 from many routes as the pilot of the "port, shipping, and piloting" boutique route. VTX3 boutique routes Leaders conducted in-depth exchanges to provide first-class resources and personnel support for boutique routes At...

FESCO Transportation Group (FESCO) moved six Konecranes rubber tyred gantry cranes (Е-RTG) between Global Ports terminals. As part of the contract, FESCO performed a full range of works on the transportation of cranes from JSC Ust-Luga Container Terminal (ULCT) in the port of Ust-Luga to the terminal of JSC First Container Terminal (FCT) in the port of St. Petersburg.  Oversized heavy equipment The cranes were transported in the assembled condition using tug and barge system. A total of...

On August 6th, 2020, NYK Line, Japan Marine United Corporation, and Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) signed a joint R&D agreement for the commercialisation of an ammonia-fueled ammonia gas carrier (AFAGC) that would use ammonia as the main fuel, in addition to an ammonia floating storage and regasification barge (A-FSRB). Background CO2-free hydrogen Since carbon dioxide (CO2) is not emitted when ammonia is burned, it is viewed to have promise as a next-generation fuel that could mitigate sh...

MAN Energy Solutions successful ME-GI (-Gas Injection) engine has set a new industrial standard for two-stroke propulsion engines aboard among others LNG carriers, container vessels, car carriers, and bulk carriers. The ME-GI engine provides ship-owners and operators with a peerless solution within environmentally friendly and high-efficiency, two-stroke technology, without the greenhouse emissions such as methane slip that are characteristic of competing engines. Multi-fuel combustion With t...

HMM announced that the company has signed sales and purchase agreement with CMA CGM for the sale of its 50% stake, minus one share, in the Total Terminal International Algeciras (TTI Algeciras), a container terminal in the south of Spain. 50% stake sale of TTI Algeciras Shares of TTI Algeciras are owned by HMM and HT Algeciras, which is a special purpose company that is wholly controlled by HMM. HMM directly owns a stake of 50% minus one share, with the remaining 50% stake plus one share held...

Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) has been working with BIMCO, ICS, INTERCARGO & INTERTANKO, in collaboration with Nigerian Authorities, in order to improve maritime security and better understand the challenges faced by seafarers.　 Post a series of successful meetings with the Nigerian Government, an Industry/NIMASA Joint Working Group (JWG) has been formed of key stakeholders. The working group held their first meeting on 28 May, 2020 and will focus on: National and reg...

Wan Hai Lines is pleased to announce its plan to expand its existing service network between China and Southeast Asia by launching a new weekly service from Central China to Thailand & Vietnam on 15th May 2020. The service, named CTV by WHL and IAL, IA-98 by Sealand Maersk Asia will be operated with 3 vessels with an intake of 1,200 TEU. Comprehensive service coverage Wan Hai Lines will deploy 1 vessel while its partners Interasia Lines and Sealand Maersk Asia will operate the other two v...