GDPR Archives - SHIP IP LTD

The second-largest U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter on Wednesday said it reached an agreement with a federal regulator that will allow it to resume some operations at its Quintana, Texas, plant in October.

Freeport LNG shut the plant, which supplies about 20% of U.S. LNG exports, following an explosion and fire on June 8. Its closure helped to push up LNG prices in Europe and Asia, and dampening U.S. natural gas prices.

The operator reached a consent agreement with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) that included corrective measures the company must take to allow it to resume partial operations, it said in a statement.

Freeport LNG is “evaluating and advancing initiatives related to training, process safety management, operations and maintenance procedure improvements, and facility inspections,” without detailing the measures planned.

The June explosion was caused by an over-pressurized pipeline, officials have said. Full operations at the Texas Gulf Coast facility are not slated to resume until the end of the year.

The initial restart will include three liquefaction trains, two LNG storage tanks and one LNG loading dock. The restart will enable the plant to deliver roughly 2 billion cubic feet (BCF) per day of LNG, enough for existing long-term customer agreements, the company said

Source: https://www.marinelink.com/news/us-regulator-allow-freeport-lng-resume-498489

Dealing with the challenges of maritime and coastal state responsibilities are coming under the spotlight at the annual Red Ensign Group Conference.

Challenges of the sector include recovery of maritime following the pandemic, environmental and coastal concerns, as well as commercial competition.

The conference which oversees and upholds maritime safety standards across the thirteen British Shipping Registers is meeting in the Isle of Man to discuss best practice and to look at ways of improving the performance of the British Registers internationally.

It is the first time the conference has met in person since the global pandemic took a hold in 2020.

Red Ensign Group members from right across the world will be meeting to discuss maritime matters of interest at the event being held in Douglas. It will also include sessions on the roles and responsibility of Coastal States and will tackle issues such as decarbonisation, counter pollution and environmental concerns.

The event opens with an opening ceremony which will be conducted by His Excellency, Lieutenant Governor, Sir John Lorimer.

Katy Ware, Director of UK Maritime Services at the Maritime & Coastguard Agency and the UK’s Permanent Representative to the International Maritime Organization is co-chairing the event.

She said: ‘The world is a very different place than it was when we last met in person for conference and the challenges are very real. As a group, we stand firm on safety and well-being of our seafarers – that really is non-negotiable – and we will continue to do so.

“We know that seafarers’ lives can be incredibly hard and we remain determined to work to provide ways of supporting them whether it’s through mental health provision or through regulation which protects them in their working life.”

Co-chair Cameron Mitchell, Director of the Isle of Man Ship Registry said: “We all have a responsibility to those in maritime, whether it’s the seafarers spending long months at sea or the industry trying to rebuild in the aftermath of the global pandemic and the current economic challenges.

“The Red Ensign Group is a powerful force for good in that work and Conference demonstrates just what we can achieve together.”

PIC His Excellency, Lieutenant Governor, Sir John Lorimer (centre) with co-chairs of the REG Conference Katy Ware, (Maritime and Coastguard Agency) and Cameron Mitchell (Isle of Man Ship Registry)

Source: https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2022/07/19/red-ensign-group-conference-looks-at-challenges-of-maritime/

Incidents of piracy at sea may be at their lowest for 27 years according to theICC International Maritime Bureau, but the threats remain significant, demanding fresh data-driven approaches as well as security hardware

While the Indian Ocean – especially the coast of Somalia – was for years the world’s most dangerous area for piracy, now the Gulf of Guinea is where global anti-piracy focuses its attention. Even though incidents there last year were more than 60 per cent down on 2020, crews continue to face hostage-taking, kidnap, and violence. More than 70 seafarers were kidnapped over the year and last September, for example, pirates fired assault rifles, injured crew, and abducted an engineer from the MV Tampen that had anchored off Gabon. Although many attacks occur in in-shore waters, pirates in this region are also ready to venture far out to sea in search of quarry.

The Singapore Straits and waters around Indonesia and the Philippines also continue to witness acts of piracy. And, despite the global decline in piracy last year, incidents continued in South American waters and in anchorages off Haiti. Despite many collaborative initiatives, and programmes such as the EU Coordinated Maritime Presences for the Gulf of Guinea, it is unlikely piracy will be eradicated. The Straits of Malacca have been a hotpsot for piracy for decades, for example, and endemic poverty in coastal west Africa provides a pool of labour that criminal gangs exploit.

An increasing role for digital solutions

The continuing battle against piracy demands that shipping operators revise their approaches in an era of digital innovation. While most vessels already carry a wide array of systems for identification, navigation, cargo handling, and weather monitoring, they need to integrate faster alerting and a broader range of intelligence sources, providing greater insight and a more streamlined approach.

At the very least, vessels carrying ship security alert systems (SSAS), should conduct more thorough testing. These systems are required under the International Ship and Port Security code. They silently alert owners, flag states, and authorities when they are undergoing armed robbery or piracy. The hardware of a SSAS management solution onboard a vessel should automatically display alerts, tests, and position reports on a web-based SSAS management service, providing all the necessary data to mitigate risks in the event of a security event. Onboard hardware should automatically display alerts, tests, and position reports, providing customised test alert profiles and unlimited numbers of recipients.

Real-time risk assessments and maritime domain awareness

More far-reaching, however, is the need for operators to integrate intelligence on piracy risk into their monitoring technology so they have a solution providing insight before and during a voyage. Maritime domain awareness platforms increasingly fulfil this requirement, allowing users to track, monitor, and review the historical movements and ongoing progress of any ship. They provide complete situational awareness by monitoring a vessel from different perspectives, enabling operators to identify specific risks in what is effectively real time.

A domain awareness platform will combine the tracking systems most vessels already employ, but to far greater effect. Commercial vessels are obliged to operate AIS (automatic identification systems) and LRIT (long-range tracking and identification technology). AIS broadcasts the vessel’s ID and position on VHF (and satellite), and complies with the International Maritime Organisation’s Safety of Life at Sea Regulations (SOLAS). LRIT, a satellite-based technology, is an IMO-designated closed loop reporting system that flag states and port states employ for security and safety. A domain awareness platform combines these sources, plus Inmarsat positional data, to provide persistent, real-time tracking.

They can include real-time reports of piracy events, along with forecasts and risk assessments based on factors such as sea state and weather. Predicted sea state should be part of continuing piracy risk assessments, correlating wave height and weather with historical patterns of illegal behaviour in specific areas, enabling operators to re-route where necessary. Wave height is significant because pirates frequently use smaller vessels and such intelligence adds to the insight that operators can act on to reduce their exposure and improve crew safety.

The most effective maritime domain awareness platforms integrate these capabilities and provide operators with customisable intelligence about events in specific areas or time-frames, covering kidnapping, ransom, hijacking, and armed robbery, alongside terrorist attacks and other maritime crime. This reduces complexity and improves decision-making to enable faster responses.

An operator can monitor each vessel’s progress on its voyage, continuously monitoring speed and estimated time of arrival. But when the vessel deviates from its predicted path, the operator will automatically receive an alert, enabling them to check and collaborate with the relevant authorities in the event of a hijack or piracy attack. They can then mobilise assistance far more quickly and effectively, and minimise further risk.

More effective surveillance for all stakeholders

The entire world is becoming more data-driven, and the shipping industry should be no exception. Data and actionable intelligence are now essential to the business continuity of ship operators, to safety at sea, and ultimately, to competitive advantage. For governments, flag administrations, and maritime authorities concerned about security, maritime domain awareness solutions facilitate the safeguarding of waters and ensure the success of coastal surveillance operations.

Right across the shipping industry and its complex ecosystems of charterers, forwarders, operators and carriers, streamlined domain awareness platform technology should be a critical weapon in the battle against violence, kidnap, and robbery at sea. The current decline in piracy may only be a lull and should not be an excuse for complacency or inaction.