Surveillance & Maritime News for July 2023

The volume of cargo transshipment at the Aktau port in Kazakhstan grew by 23% to over two million tonnes this year. Located on the northeastern shore of the Caspian Sea, the Aktau port, with three dry cargo and three oil terminals, holds utmost international importance in the system of distant cargo transportation. With a total throughput capacity of nearly 12 million tonnes, the Aktau port mainly exports grain and petroleum products. Author’s quote Kairat Kaliolla, chief mana...

The design of a pioneering, fully autonomous ship framework has received approval in principle (AIP) from ABS. The fully autonomous ship framework named APExS-auto (Action Planning and Execution System for full autonomous) was developed by Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK), Monohakobi Technology Institute (MTI) and Japan Marine Science Inc. (JMS) as part of the fully autonomous ship programme MEGURI 2040. APExS-auto framework ABS worked with MTI and JMS to review the APExS-auto framework by...

RMI, a solutions partner that supports operations in complex environments worldwide, has reinforced its position as a pioneer in medical provision for offshore wind following the launch of a new assessment centre to support workers on the first major U.S. offshore wind farm project – Vineyard Wind. The company, which specialises in protecting the health and well-being of workers on remote and diverse sites, has been operating out of a temporary assessment centre in New Bedford, Massachuse...

MAN Energy Solutions has announced that it will begin developing retrofit solutions for medium-speed marine engines as part of a research association including WTZ Roßlau gGmbh and TU-Darmstadt. The three-year research project, ‘CliNeR-ECo’, is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) with initial work having already commenced at the beginning of 2023. CliNeR-ECo aims to develop concepts for diverse, medium-speed, marine engines tha...

The United States Coast Guard says it is committed to Nigeria’s quest to implementing the International Ships and Ports Security (ISPS) Facility Code in line with acceptable global best practice. Lt. Cdr. Jonna L. Clouse who is leading a team from the US Coast Guard in Nigeria for peer review, disclosed this while on a working visit to the headquarters of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA. She noted that engaging NIMASA on a constant basis is to ensure more Po...

Representatives from across the UK’s maritime sector and shipbuilding industry have made recommendations to the government after assessing progress on a key strategy launched last year. The National Shipbuilding Strategy Refresh, launched in March 2022, set out the UK Government’s vision for a productive, competitive and innovative shipbuilding sector. It set out a 30-year shipbuilding pipeline for cross-government orders, pledged to support green shipbuilding technologies and build...

Babcock is delighted to have successfully achieved certification to The Carbon Trust Route to Net Zero Standard – Taking Action tier. The verification and certification process involved a quantitative assessment of carbon emissions, as well as a qualitative assessment of governance, carbon measurements, implementation, and stakeholder engagement. Babcock attains The Carbon Trust certification Babcock have committed to delivering Net Zero across their own operations (Scope 1 and 2) by 20...

Shipping and logistics challenges are the biggest hurdles facing e-commerce companies launching into new markets. Vendors can overcome these obstacles by forming the right connections with carrier companies, according to nShift, a provider of delivery management software. International expansion International expansion represents a major growth opportunity for online retailers and webshops as demand for e-commerce soars around the world. In Southeast Asia, for example, the e-commerce market i...

e5 Lab Inc. (President: Michihiko Nakano), Marindows Inc. (President: Yasumasa Suetsugu), e-Mobility Power Inc. (President: Naoko Yotsuyanagi), CHAdeMO Association (President: Takafumi Anegawa), The Japan Ship Technology Research Association (Chairman: Seiichi Tanaka), Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (President: Toru Kitamura), and Development Bank of Japan Inc. (President: Seiji Jige) have established the "Promotion Council for Zero Emission Chargers for Ships (provisional name)" (hereaf...

Shipowners face an ultimatum in 2023, upgrade their Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) technology to comply with new laws or scrap their vessels. CII data from 2022 must have been calculated and reported to the Data Collection System (DCS) verifier and sent by March 21, 2024, and 30% of ships simply don’t have the technology onboard to do it.  New carbon targets The move comes as the International Marine Organization (IMO) in July announced new carbon targets, which include a 20% red...

ESVAGT and HAV Design have selected Brunvoll as the supplier of a propulsion and manoeuvring system for another Service Operations Vessel (SOV). The delivery will be a repeat of the contracted vessel from 2022, known as 'The world's first green fuel SOV'.  Both vessels are built by Cemre Shipyard and will enter into a 10-year charter for Ørsted at their U.K East Coast Hub. Propulsion and manoeuvring system The delivery from Brunvoll consists of a complete propulsion and manoeuvrin...

Atlas Copco has completed the acquisition of the cryopump service and distribution business of ZEUS Co., Ltd. The business provides service and sales distribution for the Vacuum Technique business area’s CTI and Polycold products in South Korea. The seller of the business, ZEUS Co., Ltd (ZEUS), is a company listed on the KOSDAQ Korea Exchange. The business unit that Atlas Copco is acquiring from ZEUS is located in Gyeonggi-do, south of Seoul, and has 59 employees. In 2021, the business h...

Babcock’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Cavendish Nuclear, and Joint Venture partners - Amentum and Fluor, have been awarded the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant Decontamination and Decommissioning Contract in Piketon, Ohio, USA. In addition to demolishing and disposing of gaseous diffusion plant facilities, the team will deploy mature, proven technologies to address water treatment and soil remediation. The contract was awarded to Southern Ohio Cleanup Company, a Limited Liability Company (...

The first LNG carrier in a series currently under construction by Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) in Korea has completed gas trials. Originally ordered in Quarter 2 (Q2) 2021 and scheduled for delivery in July 2023, the ship is powered by MAN B&W ME-GA dual-fuel engines capable of running on fuel oil and LNG, and comes with Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) for emission reduction. ‘ME-GA opti’ – new control feature MAN Energy Solutions has always played a leading role in de...

Babcock has entered into a strategic agreement with HII to collaborate on naval and civil nuclear decommissioning and construction opportunities in the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States of America (USA). Both companies will apply their complementary capabilities to existing nuclear decommissioning contracts for US ships and UK submarines, to share best practices and provide the opportunity to upskill and enhance both organisations’ capability for the benefit of the US and UK progr...

The steel-cutting ceremony to mark the start of construction of PIL's first 14,000 TEU container ship was held at Jiangnan Shipyard on the morning of 11 July. PIL CEO Lars Kastrup attended the ceremony to commemorate this significant milestone alongside representatives from American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and Jiangnan Shipyard. Both Mr. Kastrup and Deputy General Manager of Jiangnan Shipyard Hu Hongyu initiated the steel-cutting ceremony, which was followed by a signing ceremony between PIL,...

Babcock International Group (Babcock) and Zero Petroleum (Zero) have signed an agreement on the opening day of the Royal International Air Tattoo, to advance the testing and development of Zero® synthetic, 100% drop-in liquid fuels, which are made from just air and water. The partnership between Babcock and Zero will explore how synthetic fuels can be used to power a range of addressable platforms including infrastructure and powertrains so as to achieve net zero targets. Sustainable energ...

The Port of Hamburg remains a permanent fixture on the shipping lines' routes for the Megamax class. On Saturday, July 15th, the ‘ONE Innovation’, the first 24,000 TEU vessel of the ONE shipping company, will come to Hamburg. With a length of 400 m and a width of 61.40 m, it has a capacity of 24,136 TEU. This makes it one of the few container ships that have so far exceeded the magic capacity limit. Minimising fuel consumption "The shipping company's decision to call at the Port...

Energy market analytics company - Aurora says that Britain is not on track to meet the UK government’s renewables targets without innovation. Aurora’s report echoes recent analysis from the Climate Change Committee, whose Chair - Lord Deben said that ‘the government is failing in much of its implementation’ of its targets. The Public Accounts Committee also recently said it is ‘sceptical’ over whether expansion plans for nuclear, solar and wind is credible....

The UK government announced a series of steps for the coming years to expand its Emission Trading Scheme, including for the first time bringing domestic shipping into the program. Experts highlight that it is another example of individual countries taking steps to reduce emissions in the lack of international agreements for industries, such as shipping that reach beyond domestic borders. The announcement that shipping will be required to participate in the program starting in 2026 comes as the...

The 175 member states of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) have unanimously agreed on an ambition to reach net-zero GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions from international shipping close to 2050. The previous strategy aimed for a 50% reduction in emissions by 2050. However, the new one is far more ambitious. The IMO is now targeting at least a 20% reduction by 2030 and 70% by 2040, compared to 2008 emission levels. The new strategy also includes striving for even higher reductions than th...

Ocean Network Express (ONE) is pleased to announce the Latin-East-Coast Europe Express (LUX), a new weekly service connecting Europe and the Mediterranean to the East Coast of South America, providing ONE’s valued customers with greater coverage, connectivity, and flexibility. The LUX represents ONE’s first dedicated service connecting Europe and the Mediterranean to the East Coast of South America. Northbound transit time The service is designed to provide a competitive northbou...

Babcock and the Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) have signed an initial contract for the multi-year refit of the second of the UK’s Vanguard Class nuclear submarines, HMS Victorious. The initial full cost recovery agreement, which will be replaced with a contract on the same terms for the full programme before the end of the year, enables Babcock to begin deep maintenance of the complex submarine at its facility at Devonport. Truly collaborative effort HMS Victorious plays a vital role i...

The Port of Rotterdam Authority welcomes the ambition of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to be climate-neutral by 2050. The Port of Rotterdam Authority views the new agreements set out by the 175 IMO Member States as an important foundation for climate-proofing the shipping sector. Reduction of GHG emissions The Port of Rotterdam Authority is hereby responding to the amendment of the ‘Greenhouse Gas (GHG) strategy on reduction of GHG emissions from ships’, which the...

MAN Energy Solutions has announced the successful first running of a test engine on ammonia at its Research Centre Copenhagen (RCC). The company reports that the successful combustion was performed on a MAN B&W two-stroke 4T50ME-X type and produced positive results with particularly promising data regarding pilot-oil amount and combustion stability. First ammonia engine test completed Gunnar Stiesch, the Chief Technical Officer, MAN Energy Solutions, said: “This marks a major milest...

The maritime sector has just become one step closer to clean, emission-free shipping, thanks to collaboration between FincoEnergies and the Port of Amsterdam, which has resulted in a permit for FincoEnergies to supply bio-methanol to maritime consumers within the Amsterdam port area. FincoEnergies is the first operational supplier of this specific product in The Netherlands. Thanks to a fully sustainable production process (well-to-wheel), a certified CO2 reduction of no less than 92.4% can be...

An existing close partner of Mersey Maritime, Nautilus International represents 20,000 maritime professionals in its capacity as a global trade union. They include ship masters, officers, cadets, ship pilots, harbourmasters, seafarers of all kinds, and shore-based workers. Employment opportunities As one of the industry cluster organisations in the maritime sector, recognised both nationally and internationally, Mersey Maritime represents hundreds of businesses of all sizes across 30-plus s...

OceanWise announced the company has moved its team and operations into a new larger office located in Alton, Hampshire, United Kingdom (UK).  Due to the company’s recent rapid expansion and their growing team, they have moved their main office from the Butts Road area of Alton over to Delta Park. OceanWise moves to new larger office in Alton The new larger office, which is still in Alton, Hampshire, has better access, a much larger workshop area and larger office space.  The...

In efforts to support Germany’s energy transition agenda, P&O Maritime Logistics will use its Multi Carrying Vessels (MCVs) to transport modular units for offshore wind power stations, which will be used to build the new Wind Farm in North Sea, Germany. Expected to commence power production in 2025, the 900-megawatt wind farm will be a key contributor to achieving Germany’s energy transition goals of fulfilling 80% of its electricity needs from renewable sources by 2030. Multi...

In a pioneering safety development, ABS is using advanced modelling and simulation technologies to develop emergency response methods to assist ports and crew in responding to ammonia leaks or spills. It is the first step towards a comprehensive and fast ammonia release response system, capable of predicting the behaviour of an ammonia plume and directing emergency mitigation services accordingly. Significant operational challenges Thanks to its potential for zero-carbon emissions, ammonia is...