Maritime Safety News Archives - Page 47 of 260

The ONE Competence, deployed on ONE’s PS3 service connecting the US West Coast with ports across Asia, has been delayed for around two weeks after positive Covid-19 cases were detected prior to berthing Pusan.

ONE said it had taken the necessary measures to enable the vessel to proceed with cargo operations in Pusan on 21 July.

However, the issue is the next westbound port of call is Shanghai, where strict Covid controls are in place, and the company said it was working to ensure the vessel meets required Covid regulations to continue its westbound voyage. The ONE Competence is now expected to berth in Shanghai on or around 5 August. According to the PS3 schedule published by the line there are normally just two days between Pusan and Shanghai calls on the service (see service map below story)

“Please be assured that we are closely monitoring the situation and utmost efforts are in place to safeguard the health and well-being of all seafarers onboard during the pandemic,” ONE said in customer advisory.

The delay illustrates the problem ship operators are facing with various Omicron sub-variants spreading rapidly around the world meaning that avoiding cases among ship’s crew is virtually impossible. However, China is continuing strict zero-policies and as a result crew cases can seriously impact voyages and schedules in an already stretched supply chain.

The fear among some shipowners and operators of Covid cases among crew has had a knock effect of seafarers being continued to be denied shore leave even at ports where it is now allowed.

Source: https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/containers/one-vessel-delayed-covid-supply-chain-impact-continues

A competition launched by The Seafarers’ Charity to mark Maritime Safety Week (4-8 July), invited everyone who works at sea to practice and improve their crew muster safety drill.

The competition saw crews from fishing vessels to chemical tankers, and even Border Force, submitting photographs and videos of their safety drills. Many of the crews found that through practice they were able to improve their drill time, which in a real emergency at sea, could help save lives.

The competition judges, Robert Greenwood, Director of The Safety Folder and Captain Jeff Parfitt, Head of Safety & Environment at The Nautical Institute, reviewed all entries submitted and were delighted to choose four winners based on speed, technique, and style of each crew.

Meet the winners:
The Karima is a 26-metre fishing trawler and they have won First Prize. The crew produced a brilliant video of their drill while out in the North Sea.

By taking part in the competition, the Karima crew halved their drill time to 2 minutes and 27 seconds after practising for 2 weeks, which is very impressive considering the amount of safety gear and survival equipment they donned including pyrotechnics and Search and Rescue Transponders (SARTs). The crew reported that practising this drill together was also very helpful for those crew members who had recently joined the vessel.

The Benaiah IV is a 20-metre fishing trawler also fishing in the North Sea.

By taking part in the competition, the Benaiah IV crew had significantly improved their drill times too and the judges were impressed with the additional survival equipment brought to the muster point as well. Their safety drill demonstrates that survival at sea in an emergency is all about working together as a team.

Robert Greenwood said, ‘We wanted to highlight the best fishing vessel entry in the Safety Drill Time competition, but in the end, it was just too difficult to choose between the quality entries from Karima and the Benaiah IV and we decided they are both very worthy winners. Well done to both crews.’

The other two winners were both Ardmore Shipping tankers who demonstrated a great level of skill and teamwork.

The Ardmore Cherokee is a 159-metre tanker. The crew’s muster drill really impressed the judges, as they demonstrated their lifeboat launching drill as well.

Here are some top tips from the crew:

‘The “secret” is just the proper implementation of requirements and carrying out drills in a very realistic manner.
Briefing and debriefing sessions are very important while looking to make the crew more responsible.
Always look for inexperienced crew and help them to get better instead of keeping them away from the action.’

The Ardmore Encounter, a 183-metre tanker crew’s muster drill was also judged as very competent by the judges, and they produced a great video while improving their safety drill time.

Regular drills were carried out ahead of the competition and helped the crew improve its speed.

All four vessels won great quality gear from Guy Cotton Clothing and XtraTuf, as well as Safety Champion 2022 plaques for each vessel. Congratulations to all winners and a huge thank you to all participants for taking part.

Take a look at the videos and pictures from the winners
The Seafarers’ Charity is planning to run the competition again in 2023 – so there is plenty of time to begin practising for next year!
Source: The Seafarers’ Charity

Offshore sector consultancy Westwood Global Energy predicts that there will be good times to come for offshore oil and gas development over the next five years.

2022 is looking like a great year for offshore development, though inflation and supply-chain impacts have tempered expectations somewhat. Offshore EPC contracting activity tripled year-on-year in the first half of 2022, reaching $26 billion, reflecting multiple major new project approvals like Exxon’s Yellowtail off Guyana and Equinor’s Haltenbanken East multi-field complex in the Norwegian Sea. The contracting activity includes eight new/refurbished floating production units, 52 platforms and a total of nearly 900 nautical miles of pipeline.

The second half of 2022 could bring another $46 billion worth of EPC awards – particularly from Saudi Aramco, which is investing heavily in four large offshore projects. Taken together, these contracts would amount to more than $70 billion worth of investment over the full span of 2022 – more than in any year since at least 2014, according to Westwood’s data.

The recent period of underinvestment (during COVID) and the return of ultra-high oil prices could boost investment for years to come. Westwood’s markety analytic tools predict a long upcycle through 2026, with offshore EPC spending totaling about $275 million over the period. This is more than 70 percent increase over the past five years, which saw a downturn in investment in the sector. The busiest areas of activity will likely be in Asia, the Mideast and Latin America.

The rising tide is also lifting offshore supply vessels and rigs, which are now bringing in the highest day rates in years – a welcome relief after an extended low period and a wave of consolidation. Clarksons’ sector-wide offshore index has hit a seven-year high, and OSVs are bringing in 50 percent more per day now than they did at the beginning of 2021. OSV utilization is vastly improved at 68 percent and climbing, and the laid-up offshore vessel fleet – a long-term drag on rates – has fallen below 800 hulls worldwide.

Source: https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/westwood-sees-five-good-years-ahead-for-offshore-oil-and-gas

The Victorian Government, Australia has released a new strategy outlining its five-year priorities to turbocharge growth in the state.

The plan, ‘Navigating our Port Futures: The Victorian Commercial Ports Strategy’, is a response to the Independent Review of the Victorian Ports System, actioning the industry desire for a state-wide vision for the sector.

Objectives and actions will be reviewed and updated every five years over the 30-year horizon of the strategy.

Key priorities in the next half decade include: supporting capacity growth at the Port of Melbourne; Port of Hastings multi-use facility; Station Pier and the future of Victoria’s cruise shipping, and Geelong channel optimisation.

On the state’s container sector, at the Port of Melbourne, the strategy wrote: “While the Port of Melbourne is privately operated, the state has a role in working with the private operator to support its planning processes to accommodate projected container growth.

“The Victorian Government is also responsible for delivering potential road and rail upgrades which ensure that the State’s transport system is capable of meeting projected freight capacity growth.”

The strategy hinted at further information as to a second potential container port at Bay West also. Land use and transport planning protections “must be progressed” to preserve Bay West as a viable future location for Victoria’s second container port, the report noted.

“Government will formulate and implement a roadmap to deliver planning protections to secure necessary land and protect Bay West as a future container port,” it added.

The Port of Melbourne welcomed the release of the Victorian Commercial Ports Strategy.

“The strategy is a welcome recognition of the important role Victoria’s ports play in the economic wellbeing of Victoria and the surrounding regional areas of both mainland Australia and Tasmania,” Port of Melbourne CEO Saul Cannon said.

“We believe the strategy provides a strong framework for the ongoing operational success and development of the Port of Melbourne, and in turn this will help ensure we can continue to meet the trade needs of Victoria for decades to come.”

The next tranche of international container terminal capacity will be required at the Port of Melbourne around 2030 “if we are to meet Victoria’s forecast trade demand and we will be working closely with the Government and port stakeholders in the years ahead to deliver the infrastructure needed,” Cannon said.

Container volumes at the Port of Melbourne have dropped since the beginning of this year as the global supply chain is facing unprecedented hurdles; and the port anticipates more woes ahead of the peak season.

In May 2022, the port saw total container throughput (full and empty) decline 6 per cent over the same period the previous year, with a total of 271,053 TEU. Year-to-date container volumes were also down 1.9 per cent.

Source: https://www.porttechnology.org/news/victorian-government-outlines-five-year-growth-strategy/

The ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC) has released its Half Yearly Report 2022 for the period of January to June. The key highlights of the report are as follows:

Overall situation

·No incident of piracy (occurred on high seas) was reported.

·A total of 42 incidents (comprising 40 actual and 2 attempted) of armed robbery against ships (occurred in internal waters, archipelagic waters and territorial seas) were reported in Asia during January to June 2022.

·This represents an 11% increase compared to 38 incidents reported during the same period in 2021.

·The severity level of the actual incidents are as follows:
One Category 2 incident (same as in 2021)
10 Category 3 incidents (same as in 2021)
29 Category 4 incidents (25 incidents during same period in 2021)

Increase of incidents

·Singapore Strait (SS) and Bangladesh Anchorages
27 incidents were reported in SS (20 incidents were reported during the period of January to June 2021). The SS remains an area of concern.
Three incidents were reported at Chattogram Anchorages, Bangladesh (no incident was reported during the same period in 2021).

Areas of improvement

·Anchorages in Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
No incidents were reported in Malaysia (one incident was reported during the same period in 2021).
Three incidents were reported in the Philippines (six incidents were reported for the same period in 2021).
No incidents were reported in Vietnam (two incidents were reported for the same period in 2021).

Situation in Sulu-Celebes Seas and Waters Off Eastern Sabah

·There was no incident of abduction of crew for ransom in the Sulu-Celebes Seas and waters off Eastern Sabah since the last incident reported on 17 Jan 20. However, the threat of abduction of crew for ransom remains potentially high, particularly in the area of Sulu and nearby waters off Tawi-Tawi as the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) commanders responsible for past incidents of abduction in Sulu are still at large and the presence of remnants of the group in the sea.

Today, ReCAAP ISC also conducted a Dialogue Session with representatives from the shipping industry to share with them the key highlights of the Half Yearly Report 2022. Amongst the issues discussed were sharing of concern regarding the increase of incidents in the SS, and views on how to address these incidents including the conduct by crew when transiting the areas of concern. The participants also agreed on the need for the shipping industry to continually review the Risk Assessment Plan, implement the Ship Security Plan among other time-tested best management measures required to suppress the acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships.

The organisations represented at the dialogue included the Asian Shipowners’ Association (ASA), the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), the Singapore Shipping Association (SSA), the Federation of ASEAN Shipowners’ Association (FASA) as well as various shipping companies.

“ReCAAP ISC will continue to provide the shipping community with timely and accurate information. Through the Phase-I of data analytics generated over a 15-year period of 2007-2021 that focused on the number of perpetrators, weapons carried, treatment of crew, stolen items, type of ships boarded and time of the incidents. The Phase-II of data analytics is underway and we hope to be able to provide more analytical information that will enable the ship crew to be better prepared for any potential piracy and armed robbery incidents by adopting the relevant safety measures especially when navigating through the areas of concerns.

Through dialogue sessions with the shipping community such as the one held today, the Centre aims to better understand the challenges faced by the shipping industry. It is only when we remain in close partnership with our key stakeholders that we can ensure that the sea lanes are kept safe and secure for the smooth traverse of maritime trade and commerce for the economic growth of all in the region” said Mr Krishnaswamy Natarajan, Executive Director of ReCAAP ISC.

Looking ahead, ReCAAP ISC will work towards enhancing regional cooperation with the relevant authorities in the region through information sharing and capacity building initiatives. The Centre will also continue to urge its Focal Points to increase surveillance and patrols to deter perpetrators. Additionally, it is only when there are arrests and prosecution of perpetrators that the threat from these maritime crimes can be further reduced.

As part of efforts to encourage the ship crew to report incidents to the appropriate local coastal state authority for timely response by the enforcement agencies, ReCAAP ISC has published a Poster containing the contact details of Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centres (MRCCs) and ReCAAP Focal Points. The Centre will also be producing a catalogue on fishing boats operating in Asian waters for easy identification of boats by the ship’s crew. This will enable the ship’s crew to describe the boat to the authorities when attacked by the perpetrators.

Source: ReCAAP

The billionaire head of shipping giant CMA CGM SA pushed back against a plan by some French lawmakers for a windfall tax on excessive corporate profits to fund measures to soften the impact of inflation on households.

“We are putting money on the table and it’s not only charity. We are helping consumers,” Chief Executive Officer Rodolphe Saade told a French Senate hearing Wednesday in Paris. “What I want is that we stop looking at CMA CGM and we start looking at my competitors.”

Saade was speaking as the world’s third-largest container carrier comes under increasing political pressure for its extraordinary profits. Strong demand for consumer goods has helped raise shipping rates more than ten-fold during the pandemic.

A group of French lawmakers is calling for a temporary tax of as much as 25% on what it calls the “superprofits” of energy and transport giants including CMA CGM, TotalEnergies SE and Engie SA. The money is meant to help fund measures aimed at protecting consumers’ purchasing power. While the plan doesn’t have government backing, it has shone a spotlight on the closely held Marseille-based shipping firm whose net income more than tripled to $7.2 billion in the first quarter.

During his more than two-hour testimony, Saade portrayed CMA CGM as a “patriotic” French champion that has put down deep roots in the country, reinvests profits and hires local workers. The firm operates a fleet of some 580 vessels and this year invested in flag carrier Air France-KLM.

“When my freight rates were at $350, where were you?” Saade asked senators during the hearing. “We weren’t sure at one point if we would get through the week. No one came to speak with us or say something. We had to figure it out.”

CMA CGM has already ceded to French government pressure to help offset inflation by agreeing to cut shipping rates by 500 euros ($510) per container starting next month on consumer goods imported via French ports, as well as on all imports to the country’s overseas territories. Last September, the company had capped its spot freight rates.

While shipping rates have since come down somewhat, they remain elevated enough to likely result in “peak earnings” for the industry this year, Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Lee Klaskow said in a note this week.

Saade said he’s expecting a gradual slowdown and “normalization” of global trade after months of supply bottlenecks, and added that he’s noticed over the past weeks that demand is falling.

“Some are talking about a recession, I would speak more of a soft landing,” he said. “This will normalize trade and necessarily lower prices of freight.”

–With assistance from Brendan Murray and Ania Nussbaum.

Source: https://gcaptain.com/cma-cgm-boss-slams-windfall-tax-proposal/

US battery company Alsym Energy has formed a partnership with Singapore-based ship manager Synergy Marine and Japanese shipping company Nissen Kaiun, to jointly develop applications specific to the marine shipping industry using Alsym’s next-generation high-capacity, low-cost battery technology.

With greenhouse gases from ships predicted to rise to 17% of total global emissions by 2050 if the industry does not accelerate efforts to electrify, efforts are ramping up to cut carbon emissions from ships, with battery-hybrid installations expected to make a major contribution. The problem is particularly sever in ports, where operations can generate substantial amounts of air pollution and some ports banning the use of ships’ diesel generators while docked.

Alsym is to provide Synergy and Nissen Kaiun with 1GW of batteries per year for three years starting in the company’s first year of high-volume production, conditional on the battery systems meeting key performance levels and regulatory requirements specific to cargo ships and tankers. Alsym’s batteries may be used to propel cargo ships and tankers as they enter and leave port, power berthed ships, and support peak shaving applications at sea. The company plans to start pilot manufacturing its non-flammable batteries later this year at its facility in Massachusetts, with high-volume production expected to follow in 2025.

Capt Rajesh Unni, Founder and CEO of Synergy Marine Group, said: “Zero-emission vessels are the future of maritime shipping, and we’re working with like-minded owners, including Nissen Kaiun, to decarbonise every part of the ecosystem as quickly as possible. By lowering the cost of electrification and minimising the risk of battery-related fire events, Alsym’s technology is well-placed to be a safer alternative that can help the shipping industry meet its goal of zero net emissions by 2050—especially in light of the European Commission’s recent proposal to classify lithium as toxic.”

By using low-cost, inherently non-flammable raw materials with robust global supply chains, Alsym aims to provide batteries at a fraction of the cost of lithium-based technologies, making electrification both safe and economically viable. These batteries can help reduce risks to crew and cargo, as well as lower insurance costs for fleet managers and shippers.

Mukesh Chatter, President and CEO, Alsym Energy, said: “Synergy Marine is on the cutting edge of technology in the maritime sector, and we’re honoured to be part of their journey to work with owners in their transition away from fossil fuels. By manufacturing batteries from low-cost, readily available materials that are inherently non-flammable and non-toxic, we’re providing an economically-viable way to help them decarbonise while also lowering operating expenditures and insurance costs associated with lithium and cobalt-based battery technologies.”

Source: https://www.cleanshippinginternational.com/partnership-to-develop-non-flammable-marine-battery-power/

The Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) improved its ranking in the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Port State Control’s white list, moving from sixth place to fourth this year.

The Bahamas is now below only Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway.

The Bahamian ship register also maintained its US QUALSHIP 21 (Quality Shipping for the 21st Century) status for the tenth consecutive year. The BMA said that certification serves as an industry performance indicator of quality and The Bahamas is proud to have achieved this recognition every year since 2012.

“Ensuring the excellence of our fleet is a priority for The Bahamas and every stakeholder plays their part in us meeting our quality aspirations. With quality comes safety and uninterrupted operation and it is thanks to everyone involved that Bahamas-flagged ships continue to be safe places to live and work,” BMA managing director and chief executive officer, Captain Dwain Hutchinson said.

The Paris MoU is an administrative agreement between more than two dozen maritime authorities around the world, to eliminate the operation of sub-standard ships by conducting annual inspections to ensure ships meet international safety, security and environmental standards, and that crew members have adequate living and working conditions.

“We very much appreciate that the excellent quality of the Bahamas fleet is the result of the combined efforts of the BMA team, its recognized organizations, nautical inspectors and the owners and managers of the ships, who work together to ensure that their vessels are compliant at all times with the international requirements,” BMA Assistant Director of Inspections & Surveys Department Alessandro Lo Piccolo said.

“Equally important is the contribution of seafarers onboard our flagged ships who, despite the challenges of COVID-19, have shown great dedication and commitment to maintaining and operating the vessels to the highest possible standards, with their efforts being demonstrated through these excellent results.”

The Bahamas was also designated as having low-risk ships.

There are 1,510 ships registered in The Bahamas under the BMA.

Source: https://thenassauguardian.com/bma-improves-ranking-in-quality-and-safety-list/

During the 127th session of the IMO Council (C 127) held virtually from 11 to 15 July 2022, the Council endorsed the establishment of a standing Joint International Labour Organization (ILO)/IMO Tripartite Working Group (JTWG) to identify and address seafarers’ issues and the human element. The Group’s terms of reference were also endorsed.

The Council further endorsed the Maritime Safety Committee’s (MSC 106) instruction to the JTWG to “consider bullying and harassment in the maritime sector,…

https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/imo-council-endorses-new-joint-imo-ilo-working-group-on-seafarer-issues-including-bullying-harassment-including-sexual-harrasment-and-sexual-assault/

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) director-general Admiral Maritime (Rtd) Datuk Seri Ahmad Puzi Ab Kahar(pix) contributed immensely to strengthening countermeasures against piracy and armed robbery in the Straits of Malacca, a route which is essential for Japanese maritime shipping.

As a result, the number of maritime crimes decreased from 45 cases in 2005 to only four cases in 2017 when he retired, Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia, Takahashi Katsuhiko said.

He said this in his congratulatory speech during a ceremony on the conferment of the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star by His Majesty the Emperor of Japan on Ahmad Puzi for his work on maritime safety and security.

In representing the Emperor of Japan in conferring the award here yesterday, Katsuhiko said the former DG worked hard to get two patrol vessels from Japan for MMEA, set up a maritime academy for regional training for Asia and enhanced coast guard cooperation between Malaysia and Japan.

His sense of duty for Malaysia led MMEA to conduct joint exercises with the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) as well as consolidate the agency’s relationship with relevant bodies in other countries to tackle piracy and armed robbery.

Elaborating on the Malaysian’s achievements, the Japanese envoy said in a statement today that the admiral also proactively engaged in the provision of two patrol vessels “Arau” and “Pekan” from Japan to Malaysia.

In March 2016, more than 100 Chinese ships and boats were found to have trespassed into Malaysian waters and in response, the former Malaysian maritime head promptly requested Japan to provide ships and personnel capacity building assistance.

“Thanks to his energetic appeals to realise this assistance, it was decided that Japan would transfer two decommissioned patrol vessels to Malaysia,“ he said.

The agreement for the grant aid assistance was signed at the Japan-Malaysia leaders’ meeting in November 2016 and the two patrol vessels arrived in Malaysia the following year after they were refurbished.

The Japanese envoy said that since then, the patrol vessels “Arau” and “Pekan” have been playing a vital role in MMEA activities and they were symbols of the strong bilateral cooperation between Japan and Malaysia as well as Japan’s will to help Malaysia in ensuring the safety of its waters.

Ahmad Puzi also played a key role in enhancing and diversifying the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Technical Cooperation Programme for MMEA.

He contributed to the establishment of the Maritime Academy Sultan Ahmad Shah, or AMSAS, with the aim to make it a coast guard regional training centre in Asia and invited other Asian countries to join in training programmes there.

He also encouraged other countries to participate in the JICA Technical Cooperation Programme at AMSAS and his initiative has successfully led to the commencement of the JICA Third Country Training Programme on capacity enhancement for coast guard officers from this year.

“By enhancing Training for Third Countries in Malaysia, various techniques and experiences have been transferred to other countries and I’m convinced that this cooperation contributes to realising peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region,“ said Katsuhiko.

Japan has dispatched experts to MMEA through the JICA to ensure maritime security and safety in this region since the agency was established in 2005.

He paid tribute to Ahmad Puzi for his invaluable contribution to deepen the coast guard cooperation between Japan and Malaysia.

Katsuhiko said Japan and Malaysia should continue to work closely together in maritime safety and security more so since both countries were this year celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Look East Policy.

“Ahmad Puzi’s contribution could be counted as an important element of bilateral relations enhanced by the policy,“ he said.-Bernama

Maritime Safety News Archives - Page 47 of 260 - SHIP IP LTD

ONE vessel delayed as Covid supply chain impact continues

The Seafarers’ Charity Announces Maritime Safety Week Competition Winners

Westwood Sees Five Good Years Ahead for Offshore Oil and Gas

Victorian Government outlines five-year growth strategy

42 incidents of armed robbery against ships in Asia reported to ReCAAP ISC from January to June 2022

CMA CGM Boss Slams ‘Windfall’ Tax Proposal

PARTNERSHIP TO DEVELOP NON-FLAMMABLE MARINE BATTERY POWER

US battery company Alsym Energy has formed a partnership with Singapore-based ship manager Synergy Marine and Japanese shipping company Nissen Kaiun, to jointly develop applications specific to the marine shipping industry using Alsym’s next-generation high-capacity, low-cost battery technology.

BMA improves ranking in quality and safety list

IMO Council Endorses New Joint IMO/ILO Working Group On Seafarer Issues Including Bullying, Harassment (Including Sexual Harrasment) And Sexual Assault

Ahmad Puzi did much to counter piracy in Malacca Straits, says Japanese envoy

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