PUBLISHED JUL 14, 2021 7:41 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

Marine has taken the unusual step of prohibiting the installation of offshore wind projects from the state’s waters. Following through on a previous promise to protect the state’s waters, Governor Janet Mills signed into law the bill last week, which however leaves open the possibility of wind farms further offshore, and according to the governor positions Maine as the first state to encourage floating offshore wind farms.

“This legislation cements in law our belief that these efforts should occur in Federal waters farther off our coast through a research array that can help us establish the best way for Maine to embrace the vast economic and environmental benefits of offshore wind,” said Governor Janet Mills. “I applaud the Legislature’s strong bipartisan support of this bill, which I believe demonstrates that offshore wind and Maine’s fishing industry can not only coexist but can help us build a stronger economy with more good-paying jobs and a brighter, more sustainable future for Maine people.”

The bill won support in the Maine Legislature based on the arguments that the local waters needed to be preserved for recreation and the commercial fishing industry. They highlighted that 75 percent of Maine’s commercial lobster harvesting occurs in the waters that will be protected under the legislation. The final bill was a compromise that sought to meet the concerns of the fishing industry, wildlife, and environmental organizations and concerns about the environmental impact and appearance of the wind turbines close to shore while preserving a path for Maine to participate in the emerging industry.

The governor was challenged to walk a tightrope to support the bad while also encouraging the development of offshore wind to help the state’s energy and economic policies. The Gulf of Maine is home to some of the highest sustained wind speeds in the world. This makes power generation from offshore wind a key opportunity for Maine both to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the more than $4 billion Maine residents are estimated to spend each year on fossil fuels to heat their homes.

Governor Mills highlights that last month Maine passed another bill that advances the creation of the nation’s first research area for floating offshore wind in federal waters of the Gulf of Maine. The University of Maine is leading research into floating offshore wind technology. Mills is proposing a smaller-scale research array, which will contain up to 12 turbines, that plans to use innovative floating platform technology developed by the University of Maine and a public-private partnership with New England Aqua Ventus, a joint venture of two leading global offshore wind companies, Diamond Offshore Wind and RWE Renewables.

Research from the array they said will inform the development of floating offshore wind in the United States and leverage Maine’s ability to take advantage of its home-grown energy resources in the Gulf of Maine. Maine enacted legislation authorizing the Maine Public Utilities Commission to negotiate a contract with a transmission and distribution utility to purchase up to 144 megawatts of energy from the proposed floating offshore wind research array in the Gulf of Maine.

The Governor’s Energy Office is also promising to move forward with a strategic plan for Maine’s offshore wind industry and the country’s first research area for floating offshore wind, located in the Gulf of Maine. The office is identifying a preferred site for the research array, in advance of submitting a formal application for the area to the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) later this summer. The GEO is also developing an Offshore Wind Roadmap for Maine, a strategic plan for developing an offshore wind industry in the state, which they are promising to complete by the end of 2022.

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https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/hellenic-coast-guard-to-enforce-covid-rules-for-ferry-passengers

PUBLISHED JUL 14, 2021 7:48 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

The Hellenic Coast Guard will be assuming responsibility for checking passenger compliance with Greece’s new COVID-19 rules for inter-island ferry travel, shipping minister Yiannis Plakiotakis announced Wednesday.

On July 5, the Greek government imposed new requirements for COVID-19 health documentation for public travel and places of entertainment. To protect Greece’s island communities, the rules require island ferry passengers to show proof of some level of immunity to COVID-19, and the directive allows for a range of options. Passengers may bring a certificate showing that they have received full vaccination at least two weeks prior; alternatively, they can bring an official confirmation showing that they have previously been infected with COVID at any point between 30 and 180 days in the past; or they can show proof of a recent negative test, including a PCR test or a rapid test. Initially, ferry crewmembers were required to cross-check passenger identity documents against their health certificates, and Hellenic Coast Guard servicemembers will now step into this role.

“I ask for the cooperation of all travelling by boat. I ask them to carry all the necessary documents with them, to be meticulous in observing the measures, to follow the instructions of the men and women of the Coast Guard,” Plakiotakis said. “Also, for their greater convenience, [they should] be at the port at least 1.5 hours ahead of the departure time of the ship. With vaccination, following the measures and responsibility, we can enjoy this year’s summer in good health.”

The new regulations and enforcement measures come as summer holiday-goers head out to Greece’s popular island destinations for the first time since lockdown began in early 2020. The Greek government has opened its doors to international travelers from outside of the Schengen Zone, hoping that it will see the return of its valuable tourism industry this year. It no longer requires visitors from certain overseas nations (including the U.S.) to quarantine on arrival, and it is structuring its COVID-19 regulations to support a safe return for leisure travelers.

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https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/hellenic-coast-guard-to-enforce-covid-rules-for-ferry-passengers

PUBLISHED JUL 15, 2021 2:00 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

Britain’s newest flagship and the pride of the Royal Navy, the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth is reporting a small number of cases of COVID-19 aboard the vessel after it departed the Mediterranean and ran exercises in the Gulf of Aden as part of the strike group’s global tour.

A spokesperson for the Royal Navy confirmed that approximately 100 sailors aboard the aircraft carrier tested positive for the virus after the carrier departed Cyprus to transit the Suez Canal on its way to the Middle East for joint exercises. The Royal Navy emphasized that the carrier and the strike group remain fully operational and that all the crew have received two doses of the vaccine for COVID-19.

The Queen Elizabeth made a five-day visit to Limassol, Cyprus from June 30 to July 5, as part of the diplomatic role of the world tour. The vessel hosted visitors and several events during its time in port. The Royal Navy reports that as part of routine testing, they discovered the first cases aboard the carrier around July 4, while media reports suggest that other vessels in the strike force have also reported positive tests for the virus.

Steps are being taken to mitigate the spread of the virus. Sailors have been ordered to wear face masks, maintain social distances, and a contact tracing effort was undertaken among the infected crew members. The carrier has approximately 1,600 sailors onboard meaning that less than one percent has currently tested positive. The total strike group numbers more than 37,000 personnel.

UK defense minister Ben Wallace told the British media that the outbreak is having no impact on the global tour and mission of the carrier and her strike group. The Queen Elizabeth departed Portsmouth, England in May on a 28-week deployment that will cover approximately 26,000 nautical miles.

HMS Queen Elizabeth joined USS Ronald Reagan (US Navy photo/Seaman Gray Gibson)

After transiting the Suez Canal, the carrier joined forces with two U.S. Navy task groups for training and combined naval exercises in the Middle East. HMS Queen Elizabeth was joined by the USS Ronald Reagan carrier strike group and USS Iwo Jima amphibious ready group in the Gulf of Aden. The two-day exercise consisting of the U.K., U.S., and Dutch vessels practiced anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine warfare tactics and techniques. The warships practiced maneuvering in close formation, hunting simulated enemy submarines, and defending against simulated adversaries in the air.

The recent exercises marked the second time this year the Iwo Jima amphibious ready group has operated alongside the UK Carrier Strike Group, following an exercise off the coast of Scotland in May.

HMS Queen Elizabeth is scheduled to proceed from the Middle East into the Indian Ocean before visits in East Asia.

HMS Queen Elizabeth with USS Ronald Reagan and USS Iwo Jima (UN Navy photo/Seaman Gray Gibson)

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https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/positive-covid-tests-on-british-flagship-hms-queen-elizabeth