Global News
Cargo Ship Lost in WWI Found During UK Wind Farm Survey
Teams working on the geological surveys for a planned floating offshore wind farm to be located off the northeast coast of Scotland are reporting an “added bonus” from their work. They believe they located the wreck of a WWI-era cargo ship in remarkably good condition...
Tentative Contract After Longshore Union Stops Hamburg Port Operations
Germany’s labor union Ver.di and the employers of longshore workers reported today they have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract after months of disputes and “warning strikes.” Today’s agreement after the fifth round of talks came as the union had staged...
New England Selects 2.9 GW of Offshore Wind for Massachusetts/Rhode Island
After what they are calling a rigorous selection process, Massachusetts and Rhode Island announced the results of the first multistate wind power solicitation selecting a total of nearly 2.9 GW offshore wind power. The states are reporting it as a key step in New...
60-Year-Old Ferry Losses Prop as BC Ferries Struggles with Aging Fleet
Canada’s BC Ferries is increasingly feeling the pressure of operating an aging fleet after one of its flagship vessels lost its propeller, leading to service cancelations coming at the end of a busy summer season. The ferry operator that bills itself as one of the...
UK Warns of Impostors Seeking Information from Vessels in the Red Sea
UK authorities overnight issued a warning to all vessels transiting the Red Sea of impostors seeking information from ships and demanding that they begin AIS transmissions. Vessels are being cautioned to use security protocols to confirm the identity of any contacts....
New Concept Ocean Energy Support Vessel to be Built in Spain
Norwegian offshore support company Østensjø has ordered a new concept offshore support vessel to be built in Spain at the Astilleros Gondan shipyard. Called an Ocean Energy Support Vessel (OESV), the company reports it is a more versatile design for a broad range of...
Canadian Shipbuilders Calls for 100 Percent Tariff on Chinese-Built Ships
The Canadian Marine Industries and Shipbuilding Association (CMISA) this week issued a call for the Canadian government to impose a 100 percent tariff on Chinese-built ships as a step to protect domestic capabilities and national security. The move comes after Canada...
Salvage Plan Prepared as Greece Warns of Oil Leak from Sounion
The salvage plan is being prepared with a salvage team organized as they race against time to prevent an environmental disaster in the Red Sea from the burning Greek tanker Sounion. After contradictory statements and images from the various authorities regarding...
Bahamas Formalized Agreement to Create Global Leader in Ship Repair
The government of the Bahamas highlights that it signed a Heads of Agreement with the Grand Bahamas Shipyard to formalize the ongoing work to revitalize the repair facility and expand its capacity. The yard which is owned by Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean...
Third Collision Incident Between Chinese Coast Guard and Philippines
For the third time over the last two weeks, Chinese and Philippine forces have faced down each other’s vessels resulting in a collision and accusations from both sides. The Chinese Coast Guard vessel 5205 and the Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Teresa...
USCG Clears Regent’s Wing-in-Ground Craft for Full-Scale Human Testing
he application of wing-in-ground technology is a step closer to reality as the U.S. Coast Guard approved the application from Regent, a manufacturer of the craft, to test its full-scale prototype including with humans on board. This comes just two years ago Regent...
Cargo Ship Blacks Out and Becomes Wedged Across St. Lawrence Seaway
A Dutch general cargo ship outbound from Canada blacked out Thursday evening in one of the channels of the St. Lawrence Seaway south of Montreal, Canada. The vessel is currently wedged at a 45-degree angle across the waterway blocking navigation. The...
China Launches New Generation of Energy-Efficient Inland Cargo Ships
Chinese officials are highlighting the launch of the first of a new generation of highly energy-efficient inland cargo ships. The vessels feature a standardized design for mass production and will be the leaders in the modernization of China’s inland operations. The...
US Launches Sweeping Sanctions on Russian Economy Including Arctic LNG 2
Timed to coincide with tomorrow’s celebration of Ukrainian Independence Day and to support the G7 initiatives, the United States today announced one of its broadest and most comprehensive sanction packages targeting the Russian economy and companies ranging from China...
Mozambique Leases a Port Terminal to Landlocked Malawi
In a rare move, Mozambique is planning to lease part of its northern port of Nacala to neighboring landlocked Malawi. The deal seeks to boost trade ties between the two countries. To formalize the initiative, Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi and his Malawian...
Indian Dockworkers Set Date for Strike After Three Years of Negotiations
Globally port workers have expressed their frustrations during contract negotiations and called for significant wage increases after working through the pandemic to keep global commerce functioning. The latest problems emerged in India where the six labor unions that...
Volumes Soar at SoCal Ports Setting Records as Shippers Accelerate Pace
Defying forecasts of a potentially slowing U.S. economy, the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach each had record volumes in July in part as imports accelerated to avoid potential disruptions due to the Red Sea as well as a possible fall port strike on the U.S. East...
German LNG Terminal Operator Sues EU Over Competitor’s Subsidy
Two years after Germany rushed to launch its first onshore LNG import terminals, the operators are struggling to gain the upper hand in the market as they move from temporary operations toward the future energy markets. The operator of the first terminal opened at...
South Africa Commissions New Tugs and Launches in Port Renewal Plan
Transnet National Ports Authority, the government operator of South Africa’s ports, celebrated the commissioning of five new tugboats for the port of Durban on Thursday, August 15. The vessels, along with two launches received last week, are part of the renewal plan...
USCG Polar Icebreaker Healy Returns to Seattle After Fire Suspends Mission
The U.S. Coast Guard’s polar icebreaker Healy returned to Seattle prematurely on August 16, approximately two months into her 2024 mission after having suffered a fire. The Coast Guard's statement is downplaying the incident saying that no one was injured,...
Giant Wind Turbine Installation Vessel Delivered to Cadeler
Cadeler, which already attests to being the world’s largest operator in offshore wind installation, operations, and maintenance services, took delivery today, August 16, on the first of its new larger installation vessels. It comes just three months after the company...
Volumes and Freight Costs Surge as Retailers Accelerate U.S. Imports
Retailers are rushing to get inventories into the United States reports the National Retail Federation in part due to the fears of a U.S. East Coast dockworkers strike and to guard against the ongoing disruptions due to the diversions away from the Red Sea. The result...
Port of Hueneme Partners to Introduce Stack Caps to Reduce Emissions
California’s Port of Hueneme, which is used by commercial shippers for cargo including fresh produce and vehicles as well as the military, is launching a new partnership to reduce at-berth emissions through the use of a capture and control technology. The port is...
Port of Virginia Expands Intermodal Rail to Reach Midwestern Markets
After two years of work, the Port of Virginia's central rail yard project is operational and in service at Norfolk International Terminals. The yard expands the port's ability to compete in Midwestern containerized freight markets, which are served in large part by...
New Research Gives Crews Insight Into Underwater Noise in Real Time
German propulsion company Schottel has completed a research project for Transport Canada and BC Ferries to investigate solutions for underwater noise. Ship noise is a major issue in the Salish Sea because of its effects on the region's endangered orca population. The...
Gearbox Failure, Pilot Error Caused V-22 Crash off Japan
A disintegrating metal gearbox was responsible for the crash of an Air Force CV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft off Japan last November, which killed eight servicemembers and prompted a large-scale subsea salvage response, according to the Air Force. On the...
New Fears India’s Chabahar Port Deal Could Run Afoul of U.S. Iran Sanctions
Almost two months after India signed a 10-year agreement to develop and operate Iran’s Chabahar Port, details have emerged that parts of the deal are being kept confidential to avoid U.S. sanctions. This was revealed last week by the Head of Iran’s Ports and Maritime...
New Strike Threats Loom in August Over Canada’s West Coast Ports and Rails
Labor disputes impacting both the operations of Canada’s West Coast ports and the two leading railroads are due to come to a head in August. Experts warn of the potential of more disruptions as Canada is already dealing with the impact of wildfires near the main rail...
Uniper First to Offer BioLNG from Rotterdam’s Gate Terminal
With demand continuing to grow for green solutions using biofuel options, German energy major Uniper reports it has become the first shipper at Rotterdam’s LNG hub to offer liquified biomethane. The company is calling it a critical step to fully integrate...
Philippine Coast Guard Brings Tanker Spill Under Control
The Philippine Coast Guard and its salvage response partners have been making progress on preventing pollution from the sunken tanker Terra Nova, which went down in rough weather from Typhoon Gaemi on July 25. Terra Nova has an estimated 370,000 gallons of petroleum...
Maryland Briefly Close Bridge as MARAD Reserve Vessel Losses Steering
It has happened again, or maybe officials have just become very sensitive to all reports of a vessel reporting momentary problems. Thursday midday Maryland officials according to a report in the Baltimore Sun suspended all vehicle traffic on the busy Chesapeake Bay...
Investigation Highlights Increasing Dangers to Crews of Heat Exhaustion
A newly released report into the death of a crewmember aboard a Maltese-registered bulk carrier and the hospitalization of three others in July 2023 points to the impact of climate change on crewmembers and the challenges due to their working schedule which does not...
New Fears India’s Chabahar Port Deal Could Run Afoul of U.S. Iran Sanctions
Almost two months after India signed a 10-year agreement to develop and operate Iran’s Chabahar Port, details have emerged that parts of the deal are being kept confidential to avoid U.S. sanctions. This was revealed last week by the Head of Iran’s Ports and Maritime...
First Phase of Salvage of Capsized Bulker Completed Reports SAMSA
South African officials reported that the first phase of the recovery effort for the grounded bulker Ultra Galaxy has been completed. With a break in the harsh winter weather, they report progress is being made while cautioning that another cold front is due...
Study: Warming Waters Will Cause Serious Declines in Regional Fisheries
Global fish catches are likely to plunge if the planet warms by just a few degrees, according to one of the most comprehensive attempts to model this understudied topic. The projections are based on the quantity of fish in the sea, rather than focusing on...
Oil Spill Spreads as Second Tanker Sinks in Manila Bay
A second tanker has gone down off the coast of the Bataan Peninsula, threatening even more pollution in the Manila Bay area. According to the Philippine Coast Guard, the tanker Jason Bradley sank off the municipality of Mariveles - at the bay's entrance - on the...
One Knot at a Time
Seals are important for the role they play in containing pressure and eliminating leakage and contamination. Bearings reduce friction and are key components for transferring motion. When functioning properly, seals and bearings are the furthest thing on the chief...
Blaze on two tankers – all crew rescued or involved in firefighting
A total of 62 seafarers from a Hafnia product tanker and VLCC ablaze in the South China Sea have been either rescued or accounted for. Marcus Hand | Jul 19, 2024 The Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said it was alerted to a fire onboard both...
Advancing the maritime industry: the critical need for digital transformation
Ship repair and maintenance businesses have traditionally lagged in new technology deployment. However, the prism through which we view and solve the challenges of these complex physical assets needs updating, writes Peter Jackson, vice president, Business...
Barcelona first Med port to have shore power
The Port of Barcelona’s first phase of an offshore power system will enable two ships to be connected simultaneously at Hutchison’s BEST terminal. Marcus Hand | Jul 18, 2024 The first onshore power supply system (OPS) in the Port of Barcelona was opened on...
Container shipping market outlook for H2 2024
Spot container freight rates have surged to unexpected highs in the first half of 2024 due the Red Sea crisis, what will happen in the remaining months of the year. Marcus Hand | Jul 18, 2024 In a five-part series mid-year we take stock of shipping markets in the...
Hub and spoke versus direct services in container shipping: an analysis
The Red Sea crisis has prompted shipping lines to re-consider the hub and spoke strategy and increase their direct services allowing the carriers to absorb excess capacity and reduce their vulnerability to port congestion. Antonella Teodoro and Nick Savvides | Jul 17,...
US Imports Remain High With Signs of Softening of Container Spot Prices
Container import volumes remain strong at U.S. ports and significantly ahead of 2023 levels despite the first signs of softening in the spot market prices. Yet the outlook remains strong spurred on by the resiliency of the U.S. economy and consumers' willingness...
IMB: Violence Against Crew on the Rise Amidst Drop in Piracy
The safety of crews on merchant ships is increasingly becoming a major concern owing to the rise in violent attacks despite a notable decrease in maritime piracy incidents, according to the latest update from the International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting...
Iran Releases Chevron-Chartered Tanker Held for 15 Months After Taking Oil
Tracking services and the AIS signal from the Marshall Island-flagged tanker Advantage Sweet show the vessel underway and bound for Khor Fakkan in the United Arab Emirates nearly 15 months after the tanker was detained by Iranian forces. The latest AIS data...
How a Gulf of Alaska Test Range Helped Israel Defend Itself From Iran
At the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Kodiak, Alaska, in 2019, the Israelis successfully tested an anti-ballistic missile system that intercepts weapons in space. Now, in the Israel-Hamas War, it’s finally being used in battle, pushing military conflict above the...
Carrier Roosevelt Arrives in Red Sea Area of Operations
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed on July 12 that the supercarrier USS Theodore Roosevelt has arrived in the 5th Fleet area of operations taking over for the carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower which left the Red Sea area in late June...
Shipping Industry Needs to Improve to Prevent Injury and Suicide Says Gard
A new report examining key trends within crew-related insurance claims identifies concerns with an increase in injuries as well as a “worryingly high number” of the percentage of deaths caused by suicide among seafarers. While there is a positive trend in...
Carbon Capture is No Silver Bullet, But Holds Opportunities for Shipping
Can onboard carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology be a viable tool in shipping’s decarbonization journey? Answering this question requires a holistic perspective, accounting for the entire carbon value chain. In short, the technical ability to capture and store...
Report: Abandoned Tanker Sinks Off Yemen
The aging tanker Lavant, which sustained uncontrollable flooding off the southeastern coast of Yemen in June, appears to have disappeared and has likely sunk, multiple intelligence sources have confirmed to Reuters. The 30-year-old ship's loss is considered a...