Chemicals News

Zero USV, the company behind the Oceanus12 fleet, providing the first global network of over-the-horizon, high-endurance uncrewed fully autonomous surface vessels (USVs) for charter, has officially welcomed Leeway Marine onboard as its first global operations partner. This partnership represents a landmark step in expanding Zero USV’s worldwide presence, with Leeway Marine now set to offer the company’s Oceanus12 USV for charter throughout Canada and the wider North American region....

The world’s first commercial-use ammonia-fueled vessel, Sakigake, has successfully completed a three-month demonstration voyage, during which the vessel engaged in tugboat operations in Tokyo Bay and achieved a GHG-emission reduction of up to approximately 95%. The vessel was completed by Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha and IHI Power Systems Co., Ltd., in cooperation with Nippon Kaiji Kyokai as part of a Green Innovation Fund Project under Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology...

Knutsen NYK Carbon Carriers AS, a subsidiary of Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha and Knutsen Group, has obtained Approval in Principle from ClassNK for the design of liquified CO2 carriers that use the elevated pressure method to store and transport liquefied carbon dioxide at ambient temperature. ClassNK has carried out a design review of this ship in accordance with the Rules for the Survey and Construction of Steel Ships, 'Part N', and has issued an Approval in Principle after confirming that t...

Alfa Laval has signed its first contract for the ammonia fuel supply system, FCM Ammonia, reinforcing its position as a frontrunner in developing solutions for decarbonizing the maritime industry.  The FCM Ammonia will be installed onboard seven LPG/ammonia carriers for Tianjin Southwest Maritime. Ammonia-powered shipping The FCM Ammonia will be installed on a CSSC Huangpu Wenchong shipyard in ChinaAs a front-runner in enabling the use of ammonia, Alfa Laval has achieved a significant mi...

Efficient installation and commissioning of onboard equipment is critical in the newbuild construction process. This has been demonstrated with successful sea trials for the first davits installed by Vestdavit on a series of US Navy fleet refuelling vessels being built by General Dynamics NASSCO. Proven performance PLRH-5000 davits excel in trials aboard USNS Robert F. Kennedy, ensuring smooth naval operations and newbuild deliveriesThe pair of high-specification PLRH-5000 rescue boat davits...

Shipowners and operators of EU vessels must take steps to ensure that all new firefighting suits on board comply with changes to European regulations which enter into force from June 2025, according to urgent advice from VIKING Life-Saving Equipment. The leading life-saving equipment solutions provider is recommending fleet managers undertake a full risk assessment of their firefighting suits to verify compliance with requirements applying under MED regulations (EU) 2024/1975. New firefighting...

Pioneering marine and protective coatings brand International®, part of AkzoNobel, celebrated its 35th year anniversary in China during an event in Shanghai in October 2024. First registered and founded in 1989 in partnership with Shanghai Huayi Fine Chemicals and China State Shipbuilding Equipment & Materials Corporation Ltd, International Paint of Shanghai Co., Ltd. has since established three production facilities in China, 17 distribution centres, and employs over 100 technical serv...

Propspeed, a globally renowned innovator of underwater foul-release coatings, announced it has appointed Nautilus Yacht Equipment as its single-entry point for all Propspeed existing and future partners in Greece and Cyprus, effective January 1st, 2025. Focusing on yachting and light-commercial customers, Nautilus will act as importer, local warehouse, and a training and service centre for Propspeed in this growing market.  Nautilus's commitment Nautilus has been a trusted Propspeed part...

Ulsan Port Authority (UPA) has announced that it signed an equity investment agreement worth US$17.6 million with Hyundai Oil Terminal Corporation on 1 August 2024, to establish Korea’s alternative marine fuel supply chain centred on Ulsan Port. The investment is a follow-up to the 'Plan to Establish an Alternative Marine Fuel Supply Chain' announced at the government's emergency economic ministerial meeting in November 2023, with UPA taking the lead to strengthen the competitiveness of K...

Brunvoll has signed a contract with Tersan Shipyard for the delivery of propulsion and manoeuvring systems for two stainless steel chemical product tankers. Tune Chemical Tankers (TCT), which also is a part of Tersan Group will be the owner of the vessels. The contract also includes an option for two additional vessels. Brunvoll’s delivery for the vessels consists of a complete shaft line solution with a reduction gearbox and a controllable pitch propeller, a tunnel thruster, and Brunvoll...

Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity has been selected as the International Maritime Organisation's World Maritime Day theme for 2025, which will culminate in the celebration of World Maritime Day on 25 September 2025. The IMO Council, meeting for its 132nd session, endorsed the theme following a proposal by IMO Secretary-General Mr. Arsenio Dominguez. Management of ocean resources The theme reflects the ocean’s vital role in the world economy, with more than 80% of glo...

Stolt Tankers is expanding implementation of Shipshave’s In-Transit Cleaning of Hulls (ITCH) solution across its fleet after seeing significant fuel savings of over 10% from initial trials of the innovative technology to boost energy efficiency, reduce its carbon footprint and cut emission costs. Fleet sustainability As the world’s largest operator of chemical tankers, Stolt Tankers is adopting a range of technologies to enhance the sustainability of its fleet towards the goal of r...

ClassNK has commenced joint research with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to establish an evaluation method for the compatibility of ship materials with liquefied oxygen (LOX). The aim is to contribute to suppressing fire accidents on ships handling liquefied hydrogen, where LOX could be generated, and to reasonable material selection. Liquefied hydrogen carriers To construct a supply chain for hydrogen, which is expected to be a clean energy source in a decarbonised society, th...

Siemens Smart Infrastructure is expanding its fire safety offering on Building X through newly launched applications and an application programming interface (API) to increase transparency, decrease response time in case of incidents, and enhance maintenance processes for service providers. Building X Building X is a digital building platform that supports customers to digitalise, manage, and optimise their building operations. This leads to an enhanced user experience, increased performance...

According to the new “Value of Reliability” survey from ABB, over two-thirds of industrial businesses experience unplanned outages at least once a month, costing the typical business close to $125,000 per hour. Despite this, 21 percent of businesses surveyed still rely on run-to-fail maintenance. Managing maintenance The survey, conducted by Sapio Research in July 2023, gathered responses from 3,215 plant maintenance decision-makers globally across the energy generation, plas...

DNV has published new guidelines for the safe installation of onboard carbon capture and storage (OCCS) systems on board ships, amid growing pressure on the shipping industry to develop effective technologies to reduce emissions as part of the ongoing maritime energy transition. Different methods for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will be necessary to achieve international, regional, and national emissions targets. Post-combustion OCCS on board trading ships is expected to be among the...

B.F.E. Bonney Forge is one of the first European companies to secure certification for a spare part intended for field operations through the application of AM technology. This achievement signifies a major milestone in the manufacturing landscape, one that demonstrates the potential of this innovative technology to reshape the future of pressure equipment under the Pressure Equipment Directive 2014/68/EU (PED). CE-certified pressure vessel The collaboration builds upon the successes of the s...

AkzoNobel is supporting the marine industry to mitigate emissions and help shipowners navigate upcoming additional costs, or risk facing an additional six-figure levy annually once new EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) legislation comes into force from 2024. The EU ETS carbon levy will affect all CO2 emissions on shipping journeys to and from an EU port, including when the vessel is docked. Emissions on voyages in and out of the EU will be ‘taxed’ at 50% unless the journey is less t...

Internacional Marítima is a Brazilian company leader in marine and port support services, with over 35 years in the market and for over five years using WEG paints in its fleet. The vessel - BLG 2, originally destined to launch jack-ups of up to 8000 tonnes and reclassified to support work in ocean navigation, will be receiving a new paint job for restoration and protection in a 9,000 m² area of side, bottom and deck. WEG supplies paint for the vessel - BLG 2 WEG is supplying more...

A consortium led by zero-emission vessel provider - ACUA Ocean in partnership with zero-emission infrastructure provider and National Maritime UK Marine Hydrogen Working Group partner - Unitrove has won a multi-million pound UK government grant in a major push to decarbonise the maritime sector. The ‘Hydrogen Innovation – Future Infrastructure & Vessel Evaluation and Demonstration (HI-FIVED)’ consortium will receive over £3.8 million of funding to build and showcase...

Air Products and Mabanaft, through its subsidiary Oiltanking Deutschland, announced their intention to build Germany's first large-scale, green energy import terminal in the Port of Hamburg. This joint development agreement is an important step towards the development of a green ammonia import and distribution infrastructure in the Port of Hamburg. The project was announced at a ceremony in Hamburg, which was supported by German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert...

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...

Neste has been selected as a finalist in the contest for the German Sustainability Award for companies 2023. With its ambitious sustainability vision and renewable solutions for the aviation industry, road transport, and polymers and chemicals, Neste was nominated for the final round. The winner will be announced and awarded at ceremonies taking place in Düsseldorf, Germany, on December 1 and 2. German Sustainability Award The German Sustainability Award recognises companies th...

The electrification of HHLA Container Terminal Altenwerder (CTA) is entering its final round. In the future, the tractor units deployed on the journeys between block storage and the container rail terminal or the empty depot will be driven by battery power. In order to further reduce CO₂ emissions at CTA, seven new battery-powered tractor units have been ordered and will replace the previously used equipment that runs on diesel. This terminal process will therefore emit no CO₂, nitrogen oxide o...

Propspeed, the globally renowned innovator of underwater foul-release coatings, has announced that Propspeed has been proven to make vessels more fuel efficient, improve performance and offset fuel costs. Several Propspeed customers have monitored their performance data, before applying Propspeed and after, and have shared that information back to the company. Demand for fuel-efficient vessels “Seeing how shockingly high fuel costs these days are, boaters are looking for any way to make...

Diesel is the fuel of choice for a range of products including generator sets and engines used in marine, rail and construction and mining equipment, but there are alternatives. With concerns about the climate rising, businesses, shareholders and lawmakers are looking at replacement options for diesel in vehicles and power generation applications. Emission reductions across alternative fuels should also be considered when making a selection. Reasons for popularity Diesel has been the fuel of...

The New Zealand coastguard Mana's recently put their new rescue vessel in use. A repurposed Rayglass Protector, previously used as a supporter boat during America's Cup, is now a part of the rescue fleet in Cook Strait, NZ. With the coastguards' big focus on sustainability and safety, OXE Diesel was an obvious choice when it came to powering their new vessel. With twin OXE300's on the transom, there was no need to compromise on low emissions, range or safety. "This new vessel we’re receiv...

    HyCC has launched Project H2era to construct a 500-megawatt green hydrogen plant in the Amsterdam port area. The project, launched in cooperation with the Port of Amsterdam, is a major step forward in the development of the regional hydrogen economy to help decarbonise industry and mobility. Green hydrogen “The use of green hydrogen is crucial to reduce emissions from industries such as steel, chemicals, and aviation,” says Marcel Galjee, Managing Directo...

Chris Cooper has been appointed President of Neste US, effective from 1 July 2022. In his new role, he is responsible for supporting and aligning regional business strategies to deliver strategic growth targets, and he acts as Neste’s primary representative for the external community in the US. At the moment, Chris Cooper is holding the position of Vice President of Americas of Neste Renewable Aviation. Accelerate renewable growth strategy “The US presents important opportunities...

Neste, Covestro, and South Korean petrochemical company SK geocentric are cooperating to enable the production of a major polyurethane raw material based on renewable raw materials via mass balance. The cooperation will see Neste provide SK geocentric with renewable Neste RE™, an ISCC-certified feedstock for polymers and chemicals made from 100% renewable raw materials such as waste and residue oil and fats. Energy consumption SK geocentric will process this feedstock into benzene at th...