Not a portion of the globe was left untouched by the Covid-19 pandemic, and in its wake society changed. The consequences of the pandemic made technology a significant focal point; the need for faster connectivity and also the possibility of bypassing physical human input where necessary. The impact of the pandemic on the maritime merchant shipping sector was substantial and a focus on digitalisation is now at the forefront. Mindsets have shifted, as merchant maritime operators pursue a path towards ship digitalisation. The focus is still on providing connectivity for ...

Leading companies from across Europe’s fuel production chain have joined with NGOs to press the European Union’s legislators to provide the clarity and certainty they need to make long term investments in the renewable fuels required for the clean energy transition. In a letter to the EU Council, Parliament and Commission, 47 entities, representing the entire value chain of green fuels including suppliers, users and maritime technology providers, have called for the maintenance of the proposed 2% sub quota of renewable fuels of non biological origin with the final text ...

Investors in middle aged dry bulk tonnage may be cheered by the impact of sustained higher recycled steel values, according to research commissioned by the Baltic Exchange. Analysis of the dry bulk carrier values undertaken by consultancy Zuoz Industrial looks at the potential impact of longer-term higher ship recycling values on five year old tonnage. With recycled steel an increasingly popular choice, thanks to its lower carbon footprint when compared with virgin steel, the paper discusses whether higher steel recycle values are a longer-term trend. Although down 20% since its ...

Short Shipping supply got further squeezed for exporters in 2022 due to chronic land side congestion at major ports and terminals in Europe, reducing PCTC (Pure Car Truck Carrier) ship call frequency and therefore capacity. Terminal space completely maxed out in August at major hubs in the Med and Northwest Europe, including Bremerhaven, Zeebrugge and Antwerp, resulting in record delays for Vehicle Carriers on main Transatlantic and Asia to Europe liner services (as shown in Figure 1.1). A shortage of truck drivers, dockers, microchips, and ships meant cars stayed in ...

Biofuels are a current and accessible fuel option that can help marine customers decarbonize. Yet while biofuels reduce CO2 footprint, they also pose new operational challenges. Alfa Laval is first in the market to address them with biofuel-optimized separators and separator upgrades. Assured compatibility with prominent biofuels Biofuels like HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) and FAME (fatty acid methyl ester) can be used by diesel engines without major engine modifications. They can be a carbon-neutral alternative if produced from the right biomass, but they must still be cleaned effectively to prevent ...

Singapore Bunkering activity has been muted in Singapore so far this week as most suppliers are not supplying during this week’s Chinese Lunar New Year holidays. However, the port has been witnessing some prompt demand for VLSFO, which has pushed the grade’s price up to wide premiums over Fujairah, Zhoushan and other ports. Lead times across all grades have been pushed back due to the holidays, but some suppliers are offering the grades if buyers want to fix, a source says. Lead times for both VLSFO and HSFO stretch to around ...

Seaborne Ukrainian grain flows through the Black Sea jumped during the week Jan. 16-22, with volumes up 82% on the week to reach 893,874 mt, and the average cargo size now trending at the highest levels since the inception of the safe passage agreement, an analysis of UN’s Black Sea Grain Initiative Joint Coordination Centre data by S&P Global Commodity Insights showed Jan. 23. “No improvement, vessels in Odesa, Chornomorsk, Yuzhny are not moving faster than before — big delays at the JCC,” said a chartering broker from the region. ...

Whether it’s a view from the top of a wind turbine, at the helm of a bridge, working on an underwater archaeology site, or with marine mammals, the IMarEST is inviting marine professionals to showcase their working life. The invite comes as the Institute launches its Marine Professionals at Work photography competition 2023 to inform and inspire the next generation of marine professionals. Anshie Patel, Head of Marketing and Communications at the IMarEST, says: “Unless they know someone who works in the marine sector, young people, their parents, and possibly ...

Founder Kurt Skov entrusts the role as chairman of the Blue Water group’s operational board to Jørgen Wisborg For more than 50 years, Kurt Skov has been a leading person in Blue Water Shipping. During the first more than four decades as Chief Executive Officer and more recently as Chairman of the operational board in the transport and logistics group he founded in 1972. “It has been amazing to head Blue Water during all these years and experience the great development our employees have contributed to in Blue Water. We ...

“K” Line Maritime Academy Philippines (KLMA), a primary training center for seafarers of Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” LINE), have decided to donate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as boots, gloves, raincoats to the Pasig River Coordinating and Management Office (PRCMO) engaged in cleanup activities on the Pasig River in Manila. On January 16th, handover ceremony was held by PRCMO. Capt. Baratang, president from KLMA, Mr. Prado, head of operation unit, Mr. Sibal, head of coordination unit, from PRCMO and many other staffs attended the ceremony. PRCMO was established in ...

Pompili: “The new luxury cruise ship boom is a tremendous opportunity for Genoa” “Mariotti Shipyards’ new build order for the Aman Group’s first luxury cruise ship is a source of pride for the entire Genoese shipbuilding industry” said Riccardo Pompili, Managing Director of the De Wave Group. The ship outfitting leader is part of the team that will be building the first ship in the Neptune project. The Genoese Group will be entirely responsible for the ship’s outfitting, building all its interior and exterior areas. “This order will bring added ...

Since the Ukraine conflict broke out, several LNG import projects in Europe have been brought online in record time and at prices that would not have been possible without the expansion of FSRUs in the region. At the Expanding LNG Import Capacity Europe Congress, taking place in Berlin on 28 February-1 March and available to live stream online, our panel will examine the challenges of implementing regasification strategies at sea.  To maximise the overall benefits of obtaining an FSRU for the project, the parties should examine the risks associated with the project and ...

The UP World LNG Shipping Index (UPI), the world’s only stock index focused on LNG shipping companies, gained 0.47% last week. U.S. stocks represented by the S&P 500 (SPX) index lost 0.66%. The UP Index strengthened by roughly one point, but nervousness about the American stock markets influenced it. After all, the S&P 500 index is still in a downtrend or moves sideways at best. In a difficult moment, the largest representative in the UP index, Qatar’s Nakilat (QSE: QGTS), came to help again, adding 6.1%. Likewise, Awilco LNG (OSE: ...

The Columbia Group’s Saudi Arabia office has underlined its total commitment to service quality by becoming the first company in the Kingdom to be awarded the ABS HSQE Certificate of Company Compliance. The recognition certifies that CSM Saudi Arabia complies with the Health, Safety, Quality & Environmental requirements of the ABS Guide for Marine Health, Safety, Quality, Environmental and Energy Management. It also compliments Columbia’s vision in Saudi Arabia to offer the highest quality operation through robust management systems and governance, using the latest in optimised and digitised technology, as ...

The floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel for the bp-operated Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) liquefied natural gas (LNG) project has started its journey towards the project site off the coasts of Mauritania and Senegal. The FPSO set sail on 20 January 2023 from Qidong, China after successfully completing a series of sea trials following construction over the past three and half years. It will now travel 12,000 nautical miles via Singapore to its final destination – around 40km offshore on the maritime border of the neighbouring countries. The FPSO ...