Surveillance & Maritime News for July 2022

Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KONGSBERG) has entered into an agreement to acquire Lithuanian smallsat mission integrator and bus manufacturer - NanoAvionics. The planned acquisition expands KONGSBERG’s space offering to also have products and technology for manufacturing small satellites. NanoAvionics is a globally renowned smallsat mission integrator and bus manufacturer with significant global growth in recent years, including expansions into the United Kingdom and the United State...

Pacific International Lines (PIL) is pleased to announce the award of a contract to Yangzijiang Shipbuilding for the construction of four 8,000 TEU Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) dual-fuel container vessels. These vessels will each be equipped with an ammonia intermediate ready fuel tank. The four vessels will be delivered progressively in 2025. Contract for 8,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel vessels We have decided to place an order for an additional four 8,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel vessels for two key reas...

Tokyo-based Classification Society – ClassNK has released the latest version 2.0.0 of ‘PrimeShip-PSC Intelligence’, a mobile app to assist the improvement of Port State Control (PSC) performance and ship management systems, provided free of charge. ‘PrimeShip-PSC Intelligence’ app Based on the database of PSC reports inputted by ship managers, ship owners and ClassNK, ‘PrimeShip-PSC Intelligence’ mobile app provides various functions, in order to help...

The Clock Building of the Port of Valencia will host next Wednesday 6 July the conference ‘Short Sea Shipping in the Port of Valencia: A competitive, innovative and environmentally responsible option’ in which experts from the maritime-port sector will analyse the logistical and environmental benefits of short sea shipping. The event is organised by the Spanish Association for the Promotion of Short Sea Shipping SPC Spain in collaboration with the Port Authority of Valencia (PAV)....

The WESMAR HD860 runs in two different modes; a narrow beam searches long-range in searchlight fashion or a wide beam to bottom type the sea floor ahead. It’s a dramatic and very effective tool for fishing, being deployed with high success by captains in Dutch Harbor, Washington, Oregon, and California coasts, and as far south as Mexico.  Fishing vessels “The HD860 is just one of the money-making pieces of gear for vessel owners that we’ll be demonstrating,” said...

The international marine specialist recruitment company - Marine Resources (Marine Resources Recruitment Ltd) have joined forces with the former President of the Chicago-based National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), Dr. Thomas Dammrich and the former Editor and Owner of International Boat Industry magazine - Nick Hopkinson. This partnership aims to offer businesses in the leisure marine industry assistance with identifying and recruiting key management personnel. Bespoke head-hunting...

The Normal Amsterdam Water Level (NAP) has been used as the basis for Vessel Traffic Services in the port of Rotterdam for approximately 200 years now. On 1 July, 2022, the Port of Rotterdam Authority will abandon the Normal Amsterdam Water Level (NAP) in shipping communication. Effective from July 1, 2022, the Port of Rotterdam Authority will use the Approximate Lowest Astronomical Tide (ALAT) as a reference for water depths and water levels in the admission policy. Internationally,...

Nor-Shipping 2023, which is scheduled to take place from June 6 to June 9, 2023, looks set to build on the success of Nor-Shipping 2022 event, with strong early sales and commitments from numerous national pavilions to return to the exhibiting fold. A total of 14 countries have so far secured dedicated pavilions to showcase local expertise, including Singapore and Japan at Nor-Shipping 2023 exhibition. In addition, individual organisations, such as Siemens, ABB, DNV (with two stands), NCE Marit...

In early June 2022, representatives of shipping companies and Customs authorities from across the globe came together, in order to discuss ways to step up the fight against drug trafficking. The Conference was organised by the World Shipping Council (WSC) and the Container Control Programme (CCP), which is a joint initiative between the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the World Customs Organization (WCO). UNODC 2021 World Drug Report According to the UNODC 2021 World Drug Report, aro...

It’s been another bumper month for long-term contracted ocean freight rates, as the cost of securing container shipments climbed by 10.1% in June 2022. Following on the heels of a record 30.1% hike in May 2022, this now means rates stand 169.8% higher than this time in 2021, with just two months of declines in the last 18 months. Despite a degree of macro-economic uncertainty clouding the horizon, all major trades saw prices moving up, with some corridors showing significant gains. Xenet...

Nauti-craft technology is not only making waves (well actually, quite the opposite!) here in Australia, but is also being developed in some exciting projects overseas. In Wilhelmshaven, a seaside town on the Jade Bight on Germany’s North Sea coast, nauti-craft technology will soon be put to work onboard the WB18, a collaborative project between nauti-craft and German boat-building company, Wallaby Boats. The 18m vessel will fill the role of pilot vessel at the port of Wilhelmshaven, ensur...

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), the innovator in global cruise travel with a 55-year history of breaking boundaries announced the next season of its visual storytelling platform, "EMBARK with NCL," with the first episode, "Caribbean Adventures," premiering Thursday, June 30, 2022, at 8 p.m. ET at their website and on Facebook. High-calibre offerings Following its successful first season, which garnered nearly 3 million views and showcased the Company's fierce resiliency as it returned to c...

The Port Authority of Valencia (PAV) and the Provincial Council of Valencia have organised the first ‘Cruise Tourism’ training course, aimed at municipal technicians and tourism agents. A meeting point to expand the tourist offer, offered by the destination of Valencia for cruise passengers, with sustainable experiences in municipalities of the province, beyond the city of Valencia, and to work to deseasonalise cruise tourism that calls at the Port of Valencia, in Spain. From the p...

Air Products and Gunvor Petroleum Rotterdam have signed a joint development agreement for an import terminal in Rotterdam. The agreement responds to the accelerating demand for green energy sources to meet climate objectives and the need to diversify energy sources. The import terminal is expected to provide green hydrogen to the Netherlands in 2026.  Green hydrogen Green hydrogen is key to the energy transition. It has significant potential to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors, such as...

HPC and PT Melchers Melindo Indonesia, part of the international business development group Melchers, have signed a contract with the port operator PT Krakatau Bandar Samudera (PT KBS) to provide an independent study aimed at validating the potential of extending the capacity of Krakatau International Port to handle cargo in addition to dry bulk and break-bulk commodities. Krakatau International Port Situated on the West coast of Java, the Krakatau International Port faces the Sunda Strait,...

The Spanish Association of Purchasing, Contracting, and Procurement Professionals (AERCE) has organised a visit to the Port of Valencia, one of the largest economic players in the Valencian Community and Spain. The delegation was made up of some thirty purchasing managers and technicians from different companies who were able to get to know the day-to-day activity of the port and the operation of the commercial area of Valenciaport, as well as the opportunities for companies offered by the Span...

Rolls-Royce is entering the hydrogen production market and acquiring a 54% majority stake in electrolysis stack specialist Hoeller Electrolyzer, whose innovative technology will form the basis of a new range of MTU electrolyser products from its Power Systems division. Hoeller Electrolyzer, based in Wismar, Germany, is an early-stage technology company that is developing highly efficient polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) stacks, under the brand name Prometheus, for the cost-effective productio...

Vestdavit has extended its range of boat-handling systems with a new telescopic davit specially designed and developed for a technically demanding retrofit contract with the Royal Danish Navy. The Norwegian davit supplier has secured the coveted award to deliver a total of eight TDBS 8000 systems for the launch and recovery of fast rescue boats that will be installed on four existing Absalon and Iver-class naval frigates. DNV-approved solution The advanced davit is uniquely designed to functi...

VSTEP announces that Viking Cruises has chosen to facilitate their professionals with VSTEP’s state-of-the-art and CESNI-compliant simulation products. With this partnership, Viking Cruises enables learning by simulation at a large scale for all their sailing professionals. Viking Cruises is facing, like many other inland shipping companies, a shortage in personnel. By investing in their own simulation solutions, they gain control over their learning paths and reaching their training obje...

May saw the highest ever monthly increase in long-term contracted ocean freight rates, as the cost of locking in container shipments soared by 30.1%. The unprecedented hike, revealed in the latest Xeneta Shipping Index (XSI®) Public Indices for the contract market, means that long-term rates are now 150.6% up year-on-year. In 2022 alone, costs have climbed by 55%. “This is a staggering development,” comments Xeneta CEO Patrik Berglund. “Just last month we were looking at a...

Globally renowned company in manned submersibles, U-Boat Worx is excited to announce the launch of a completely new class of submarine – one that has been designed to host the most prestigious and memorable events on the planet. UWEP autonomous submersible The ‘Under Water Entertainment Platform’, or UWEP for short, is a completely autonomous submersible with capacity for up to 120 guests, excluding crew. Guests will experience diving to depths up to 200 metres in comfort and...

April 2022 saw the third consecutive monthly climb in long-term contracted ocean freight rates, with shipping costs rocketing by 11.1% globally to stand 109.9% up year-on-year. The data, revealed in the latest Xeneta Shipping Index (XSI) Public Indices for the contract market, demonstrates how supply chain demand, successful carrier strategies and continued COVID-19 disruption in China are coalescing to ‘pile on the pain’ for shippers worldwide. Xeneta Shipping Index (XSI) Xeneta&...

At the end of April 2022, the shipping company Rederi AB Gotland added another vessel on the Hansa Destinations Nynäshamn–Rostock route. This has doubled the freight capacity and added more departures in both directions. This means that increased goods volumes can be moved from land to sea transport. Eliana Marino and Drotten The new vessel added to the route between Port of Nynäshamn and Rostock in Germany is called the Eliana Marino. The vessel Drotten has operated on the ro...

The first cruise ship of the season will arrive in Stockholm, Sweden, on 10th April, 2022. Despite the troubling international situation, the season has a lot of bookings, with many cruise ships booking extended stays. Stockholm is an extremely popular cruise destination and an obvious choice for shipping companies and travel organisers. World Odyssey is the first cruise ship of this season. She arrives at Frihamnen Port on the morning of 10th April, 2022 and will stay for four days. It is the...

Classification society DNV has updated its recently released Compliance Planner. The digital tool will additionally enable DNV customers to monitor their entire fleets and individual vessels against Flag State compliance requirements. Compliance Planner The tool is continuously updated to reflect the latest decisions of regulators and includes options for compliance International shipping and offshore regulations are expanding in scope and complexity, increasing the burden on ship owners and...

At the Nor-Shipping trade fair, DNV signed a classification contract for two new Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (CSOVs), ordered by the Norwegian pure-play offshore wind operator Edda Wind. The vessels will be built at Colombo Dockyard in Sri Lanka and are designed for service operations during the commissioning and operation of offshore wind farms and are prepared for hydrogen operations. They are scheduled to be delivered under the Norwegian Flag in January 2024 and July 2024. Next-...

DNV has awarded Inocean AS, a Norwegian subsidiary of Technip Energies, Approval in Principle (AiP), and Basic Design Approval for their new INO12™ semisubmersible platform concept. The certificates were presented during the Nor-Shipping trade fair at the DNV stand, by Geir Fuglerud, Director of Offshore Classification at DNV to Øystein D Nilsen, Managing Director of Inocean AS. INO12TM floating offshore wind concept The INO12™ floating offshore wind concept has bee...

Long-term contracted ocean freight rates climbed by 7% in March, pushing shipping prices up 96.7% year-on-year. The rise, revealed in the latest Xeneta Shipping Index (XSI®) Public Indices for the contract market, further boosts the coffers of leading carriers, with Evergreen the latest name to disclose record annual revenues of USD 17.67bn. However, as Xeneta CEO Patrik Berglund points out, the sustainability of such developments remains to be seen. Onwards and upwards Xeneta’s XSI...

After a rare dip in long-term contracted ocean freight rates in December and January, container shipping costs are rising once again, with a 3.9% increase in February. The development, revealed in the latest Xeneta Shipping Index (XSI®) Public Indices, means rates have risen across 15 of the last 17 months. They currently stand 87.9% up year on year. Furthermore, ongoing congestion, high demand, and a new level of geopolitical angst are unlikely to reverse that trend any time soon. “I...

Participants from across the maritime value chain participated in the DNV Conference – The Fuel of the Future. Aimed at advancing the idea that collaboration is the key to success in decarbonising the maritime world, the event attracted more than 6500 registrants and brought together a comprehensive line-up of shipowners, energy majors, financers, and regulators who offered their unique insights on how shipping can be chart the optimal route ahead. Decarbonisation Decarbonisation is t...