News

The Georgia Ports Authority reported that Savannah set a new record for the number of containers handled during August. It was the third record in the past four months as carriers and shippers continue to increase volumes to U.S. east coast ports.

As the contract expiration neared for dockworkers on the U.S. West Coast analysts had forecast that volumes were expected to increase for ports along the U.S. East and Gulf coasts. Savannah has been one of the primary ports experiencing a further surge in volumes beyond the record pace the port reported in FY 2021. Starting in May, Savannah reported a new all-time high of more than 519,000 TEU. After a slight decline to 494,000 TEU in June the port has continued to see a steady increase in volumes. July reached 530,800 TEU and August experienced a further 18.5 percent increase to 575,513 TEU.

“The Port of Savannah’s geographic and capacity advantages remain a driving force behind current and new customers deciding to move cargo through Georgia,” said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch. “Our central location, and service through the largest container terminal in the Western Hemisphere offers speed to market and unmatched room to grow.”

The Georgia Ports Authority began its new fiscal year in July and highlights that they are currently operating at a pace exceeding 6 million TEU annually. Last fiscal year, the port authority reported a record of 5.76 million TEU. Combined July and August exceeded 1 million TEU, becoming the fastest pace for the port to reach that level in its history.

“The investments we have made in our operating infrastructure have been paying off in our ability to handle the sustained influx of business that began two years ago,” said GPA Chairman Joel Wooten. “Combined with a deeper harbor, our improved rail capabilities and expanded container yard space have allowed GPA to maintain fluid cargo management.”

The surge in volume, however, has also resulted in a renewed vessel backlog with a record number of containerships waiting at anchor. Last week, AIS data indicates that more than 40 containerships were riding anchor outside Savannah which exceeds the backlog experienced a year ago when approximately 30 containerships were waiting. As the delays mounted, last October CMA CGM and Hapag began dropping calls at the port. CMA CGM shifted north to Charleston, South Carolina while Hapag substituted Jacksonville, Florida on its route.

GPA Executive Director Lynch commented that the port is focusing on reducing its backlog. He noted that imports were trending down from 265,000 TEU destined for the port in July to the current 223,460 TEU. Today’s AIS data shows at least 35 containerships waiting outside Savannah, but Lynch forecast that they would be able to work down the number further over the next six weeks.

Work to realign the berth for Container Berth 1 at Garden City Terminal is now more than 60 percent complete he noted with the project scheduled to be completed by June 2023. The improvement will provide space for another big ship berth, allowing the Port of Savannah to simultaneously serve four 16,000-TEU vessels, as well as three additional ships.

“This is a rare project for a U.S. port,” Wooten said. “By this time next year, an additional big ship berth in Savannah will have increased our ability to move containers on and off vessels by 1.4 million TEUs per year.”

Other projects underway to increase the port’s handling capacity include orders for eight new ship-to-shore cranes, set to be commissioned in December 2023. Another project will add 90 acres of container storage space that will add 1 million TEU of annual container handling capacity, coming online in phases in 2023 and 2024.

Source: https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/savannah-sets-third-monthly-all-time-record-as-teu-volume-surges

Joseph Hazelwood, the captain of a tanker that reportedly ran aground in 1989 off Alaska and resulted in one of the worst oil spills in history, has passed away at 75 after a battle with cancer.

Hazelwood’s family informed The Washington Post and The New York Times that the former captain passed away in July 2022 after his fight with COVID-19 and cancer.

An experienced sailor, Hazelwood navigated the Exxon Valdez when the vessel abruptly ran aground in Prince William Sound off Alaska on 24 March 1989.

The accident reportedly tore open the vessel and spilt about 11 million gallons of crude oil.

The spill devastated the area, killing wildlife that lived there, especially those that inhabited Prince William Sound.

It impaired approximately 1,500 miles of the Gulf of Alaska Coastline, killing almost 250,000 seabirds, 2,800 sea otters, 300 harbour seals, nearly two dozen bald eagles, and many killer whales.

Hazelwood was initially under suspicion of being intoxicated when the spill happened. Still, he was cleared in a trial that took place in 1990 in which eyewitnesses mentioned that he appeared to be sober when the ship ran aground.

Following the colossal spill, Exxon’s chairman said that the firm had made a “bad judgment” by allowing Hazelwood, who had been treated for alcoholism, to become the captain of the Valdez.

The chairman said someone in management should’ve been informed at that time. The policy wouldn’t have allowed the person to be back on the vessel.

The Exxon Valdez mishap led to the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, which strengthened the ability of the Environmental Protection Agency to respond to and prevent oil spills.

Had a spill of an extent as the Exxon Valdez disaster has taken place off the US East Coast, the devastation would have stretched to the Chesapeake Bay from Cape Cod, Walter Parker, Alaska Oil Spill Commission’s head, wrote following the spill.

At that time, Hazlewood was acquitted of a felony charge for operating a ship when intoxicated but was reportedly convicted of his negligence. The court asked him to do 1,000 hours of community service and pay $50,000 as a restitute.

Thousands of plaintiffs later sued Exxon and claimed they were massively affected by this disaster.

Five years following the spill, an Alaska jury rewarded them with about $5 billion as punitive damages. The amount was, later on, cut in half.

The US Supreme Court again reduced the award to about $507 million in 2008.

Hazelwood was not on the bridge as the vessel ran aground, as he had left the third mate in charge.

The National Transportation Safety Board discovered that the third mate had failed to manoeuvre the ship owing to fatigue and extreme workload.

Investigators also said that Hazelwood was unsuccessful in offering proper navigation. Hazelwood was the only individual who was charged for the disaster criminally.

The Exxon Valdez spill was the worst in US history for over 20 years until it was surpassed by the disaster of Deepwater Horizon that took place in 2010, which again spilt nearly 170 million gallons of crude oil into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico — over 15 times the amount the Valdez spilt off 21 years ago off Alaska.

References: LA Times, UPI, NewYork Post

At the moment, LNG as a fuel is dominating the orderbook of larger ships. Data from DNV shows that of the 1,046 ships on order with alternative fuels, 167 are LNG-fuelled LNG carriers, and 367 are LNG-fuelled ships of other types.

The challenge with LNG lies in the occurrence of the ‘methane slip’, the unburned fuel emitted from dual fuel internal combustion engines on ships, as well as the methane leakage that happens throughout the LNG supply chain. Various studies have pointed out that these spillages result in higher well-to-wake (WTW) CO2e emissions from ships using LNG compared with conventional marine fuels.

Therefore, the uptake of LNG as a ‘climate-friendly’ fuel for the maritime industry hinges on the assumption that ships can switch to bio and e-LNG (renewable LNG) in the future, cutting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

However, for this to happen, there must be enough renewable LNG to meet future demand and using it must result in a substantial reduction in GHG emissions on a life-cycle basis compared to fossil LNG, as indicated in the recent report by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT).

ICCT’s report focuses on ships trading within the European Union. It predicts a tripling demand for LNG as marine fuel between 2019 and 2030, based on trends in fuel consumption. It also estimates that renewable LNG will cost seven times more than fossil LNG in 2030 and, therefore, subsidies or other policies would be needed to encourage its use.

It dives into three possible scenarios until 2030 in the EU with governmental subsidies supporting the use of renewable LNG.

Offering no subsidy means that 2030 LNG demand would be met using 100% fossil LNG, which would result in a tripling of WTW GHG emissions from LNG-fueled ships compared to the 2019 level.

With a subsidy of 25 euros per gigajoule (€25/GJ), which is the current midrange level of EU policy support for grid-injected biomethane and is equivalent to €1,200 per tonne of LNG, only 4% of LNG demand would be met with renewable LNG and WTW GHG emissions would approximately triple from 2019 levels.

Only LNG made using inexpensive landfill gas would be cost-competitive with fossil LNG in 2030 and this feedstock is in limited supply, the study shows.

Doubling the subsidy to €50/GJ would enable the use of 100% renewable LNG because it would create price parity between more expensive LNG biofuels made from agricultural residues as well as e-LNG. This level of price support would require annual public expenditures of €17.8 billion in 2030, the council noted.

The figure below compares a scenario in which ships use 100% renewable LNG in 2030 (far right, representing a €50 per gigajoule subsidy) to emissions from using 100% fossil in 2019 (far left).

“For renewable LNG to significantly contribute to achieving climate goals, methane slip from marine engines needs to be virtually eliminated and methane leaks upstream need to be greatly reduced. Additionally, methane leaks from onboard fuel tanks and cargo tanks, which researchers are still working to adequately quantify, would need to be near zero. It is important for policymakers and stakeholders to understand that other fuels, including synthetic diesel and green methanol, could offer low life-cycle emissions without the methane problem,” ICCT said.

“Synthetic diesel and green methanol have production costs and technical constraints similar to renewable LNG, but these liquid fuels are easier to store onboard than LNG and could be supplied using existing distribution networks. Synthetic diesel can be used in conventional marine engines or dual fuel engines, including those on existing LNG-fueled ships, and methanol can be used in new or modified dual fuel engines.”

What is more, at the moment there are no globally recognised methods for measuring methane slip – with a lack of available data and tools contributing to the issue.

To address the problem, ICCT launched the FUgitive Methane Emissions from Ships (FUMES) project to quantify methane emissions from LNG-fueled ships. Using in-stack continuous emissions monitoring, drones, and helicopters, the project will examine and quantify methane emissions from ships fueled by LNG under a variety of real-world operating conditions.

Industry majors who have been vocal proponents of LNG for their own ships, including Shell and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), have launched a coalition targeting technology solutions for the maritime industry to measure and manage methane emissions.

In its first year, the Methane Abatement in Maritime (MAM) Innovation Initiative plans to identify and pilot new technologies to monitor and reduce ‘methane slip’ from vessels fuelled by LNG.

The initiative will also look into the ways of encouraging ship owners and operators to adopt proven abatement technology at scale.

Source: https://www.offshore-energy.biz/icct-for-renewable-lng-to-make-climate-sense-methane-slip-must-be-eliminated/

NYK Group’s company, NiMiC, an overseas ship management company based in Taipei, has appointed a local seafarer to the position of chief engineer for the very first time. On August 19, Lee Chia-Chu, whom NiMiC had trained as a cadet since he began his studies as a university student, was promoted to the rank of chief engineer of an LNG carrier being managed by NiMiC.

Lee participated in training on board an NYK carrier for six months in 2011 and graduated from university in 2012. He started his carrier as third engineer in 2014 and currently has 10 years of experience working on LNG carriers.

Over the past decade, Lee took part in training conducted by the NYK Maritime College, which is original training provided by NYK Shipmanagement, a group company of NYK, in addition to onboard training on an LNG carrier. Lee joined the vessel at dry dock on August 19, and after completing turnover procedures while at dry dock with his predecessor, Lee began his duties as the vessel’s chief engineer from September 9.

Most of the seafarers serving on LNG carriers under NiMiC management were Filipino or Indian in 2009. But Taiwan decided to train more local seafarers and NiMiC and NYK established a training scheme for local university students to become cadets with the cooperation of National Taiwan Ocean University and National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology.

Since then, 24 cadets from the two universities have received training. NYK will continue to train local seafarers and contribute to the development of local maritime industries.

Lee Chia-Chu said: “It’s my honor to be the first Chief engineer and the pioneer of all local seafarer on board LNG carrier. I appreciate all the support I received from everyone for building local seafarer training program.

“Since I was a cadet, I received solid training on board and ashore established by NYK. Sincerely appreciate all the colleagues who have guided me all the way up to my current position and NiMiC ship management providing me valuable experience attending several dry docking and modifications.

“As a chief engineer in NYK group I will continue contributing my effort to make sure the safety on board and business of (operating the) vessel (are) intact.”

Source: https://maritimefairtrade.org/in-a-first-nyk-promotes-taiwanese-to-chief-engineer/

As part of its ambitious strategy for instant and frictionless transactions, SWIFT September 1 announces a new capability that uses its global intelligence on past cross-border flows to predict potential problems before new international payments are sent.

The new service analyses previous flows on the SWIFT network to identify accounts that have been credited successfully and uses this information to detect potential errors in payee information – the most common cause of cross-border delays.

This centralized verification, based on aggregated and anonymized data from nine billion transaction messages between four billion accounts each year, provides a level of insight no single financial institution has on its own. It also gives real-time confidence that a payment will go through, regardless of whether the parties or banks in a transaction have transacted with each other before.

“Think of it as the ultimate payment pre-check” said Thomas Zschach, Chief Innovation Officer, SWIFT. “When someone wants to make an international payment, we can instantly predict the likelihood of success based on whether the account has been credited successfully in the past, and then present this information directly to the customer so that they can fix any errors or typos before the payment even starts its processing.”

“We are able to do this because of the unique perspective SWIFT has at the heart of the financial community, and our strategic commitment to make international payments as seamless as the fastest domestic ones,” he added.

The new capability is an expanded feature of SWIFT’s Payment Pre-validation service and is available to banks via an API, meaning their customers can immediately benefit to send and receive international payments around the world even faster.

It marks another bold step forward as SWIFT evolves its platform to enable banks to drive a new era of instant, frictionless and interoperable cross-border transactions to create new value for their customers. As part of this commitment, SWIFT is also significantly expanding its capabilities in areas including low value payments through SWIFT Go and is partnering with industry players to explore the capabilities and potential use of CBDCs, tokenization and AI.

Source: https://maritimefairtrade.org/predictive-data-intelligence-removes-hurdles-to-instant-cross-border-transactions-over-swift/

GF Piping Systems presented solutions to make the maritime industry more sustainable through the use of plastic piping systems at the SMM 2022 in Hamburg recently, according to a press release.

The company introduced metal alternatives such as the Butterfly Valve 565, HEAT-FIT, and COOL-FIT, all of which aim to make maritime piping applications more intelligent, efficient, and sustainable, under the motto “Future Horizons,” according to a statement.

“With more than 30 years of experience in this industry, we are very aware of the current challenges. We believe that complete piping solutions consisting of corrosion-free, long-lasting, and cost-effective plastic components can be part of a holistic strategy that makes the maritime sector more sustainable. Therefore, we will continue to focus on future horizons,” said Roberto Chiesa, head of business development marine, GF Piping Systems.

The Butterfly Valve 565 with digital functionality, which was recently certified by DNV and Bureau Veritas, is a new addition to the company’s portfolio. It includes a fiber-reinforced polyamide housing, a polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) valve disc, and is pressure and temperature resistant, allowing it to easily replace metal alternatives.

HEAT-FIT, a fire-retardant pipe jacket system that introduces efficient plastic piping systems into L3 applications, was also displayed at the fair. It employs materials from the aerospace and building technology industries and can withstand fire with a temperature of up to 1000°C for 30 minutes at 3 bar. HEAT-FIT is certified by DNV, Bureau Veritas, ABS, and Lloyds Register, and it meets IMO Res, among other safety standards.

In addition, the company displayed COOL-FIT, a pre-insulated system designed to optimize commercial and industrial refrigeration applications. It is up to 60% lighter and 30% more efficient than metal due to its design, for less energy-intensive and more cost-effective operations.

Source: https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/28239-gf-piping-systems-introduces-plastic-piping-systems.html

Korean Register (KR) and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) will be developing a new 40,000 m3 LCO2 carrier featuring a next generation cargo handling system. The two Korean firms signed an MOU at Gastech 2022 in Milan, Italy 7 September to help meet the growing demand for vessels capable of transporting carbon dioxide at scale from emissions sources to storage sites.

Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) technologies are fast growing as the world seeks to achieve carbon neutrality and build an international carbon capture infrastructure.

However, carbon dioxide is a complex cargo to handle, having a triple point which is higher than atmospheric pressure, meaning that it can liquefy only at low temperatures and high pressures.

Even a small environmental change can see CO2 transform into a gas, liquid or solid state. The new design will feature a reliable Ship and Cargo Containment System (CCS) using its accumulated technologies in the field of liquefied gas carriers, such as LNG and LPG carriers.

DSME will also develop a Cargo Handling System (CHS) using the latest technology to prevent CO2 emissions and ensure navigational stability.

KR plans to verify compliance with its own Rules and The International Code of the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk (IGC Code) for the cargo containment and handling systems developed by DSME.

Jun-Lyoung Seo, CTO of DSME, said: “Responding to climate change will be a new opportunity for the shipbuilding industry. To further enhance our competitiveness in the future green shipbuilding market, we will develop an efficient and safe LCO2 carrier through this collaboration and hope to obtain an Approval in Principle from KR within this year.”

Kyu-jin Yeon, Head of KR’s Plan Approval Center, said: “This collaboration with DSME is significant at a time when the demand for safer LCO2 carrier technology is increasing. Through this joint development project, we will continue to support DSME’s CO2-related technology and decarbonization projects.”

According to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in 2020, up to 40 million tons of CO2 is captured annually, and most of which is permanently stored in geological formations or re-injected into oil wells to promote oil recovery.

In particular, as CCUS technology is expected to contribute a significant portion of the global total carbon dioxide reduction, the demand for LCO2 carriers to transport CO2 to storage facilities is expected to increase.

Source: https://maritimefairtrade.org/korean-register-daewoo-shipbuilding-collaborate-on-large-scale-liquefied-co2-carrier-technology/

The Port of San Diego’s new cruise season is about to start and this season is poised to be the Port’s busiest since 2010 with 140 cruises scheduled, up 45 percent from last year, with all sailings at or near full capacity, bringing approximately 460,000 passengers, according to a press release.

“The Port of San Diego’s cruise business is definitely experiencing a rebound and we expect continued growth,” said Port of San Diego Chairman Dan Malcolm. “We’re pleased to be welcoming our cruise customers back to San Diego and to share how wonderful our port is to our cruise passengers. This season’s business will be a great boost to our regional economy.”

The Port’s new cruise season officially begins September 19, 2022 with the arrival of Silversea Cruises’ Star Breeze. Star Breeze will be cruising to Papeete, Tahiti on a 13-day voyage. It will be followed by the Disney Wonder arriving on September 23. Disney Cruise Line is more than doubling its sailings from San Diego this season, moving from 16 to 24 per season to 51. Princess Cruises is also adding new business to San Diego with 13 sailings and will be homeporting here for the first time ever.

The full schedule features long-term Port of San Diego partners Holland America Line and Disney Cruise Line, as well as Princess Cruises, Silversea Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, and Norwegian Cruise Line.

Voyages from MSC Cruises, Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, Scenic Luxury Cruises, Oceania Cruises, and American Queen Voyages are also on the calendar.

Itineraries featured include voyages to the Mexican Riviera, Hawaii, the Panama Canal, and the California Coast.

The Port is making some major repairs and improvements to the B Street Cruise Ship Terminal. A project to install a new curtain wall to extend the life and long-term stability of the pier structure is underway. Additionally, shore power capacity is being doubled and the Port will begin connecting two cruise ships simultaneously this fall. Also, in 2024, the Port will begin construction on a $5 million project to make interior improvements to the B Street Cruise Ship Terminal.

Source: https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/28249-port-of-san-diego-to-begin-its-busiest-cruise-season-since-2010.html

Japanese institutions are laying down new frameworks for green ship financing. Development Bank of Japan (DBJ) and ClassNK have established the Zero-Emission Accelerating Ship Finance Program to evaluate the asset value of environmentally friendly ships.

ClassNK will evaluate ships based on a comprehensive scoring model jointly developed by DBJ from the perspective of decarbonisation, environmentally friendly performance, and innovativeness, and DBJ will then provide investment and financing.

As the first project under the program, ClassNK evaluated the LPG dual-fuelled large LPG carrier, Crystal Oasis, owned by Kumiai Navigation, which DBJ then provided a loan to Kumiai to finance its acquisition of the ship which delivered from a Japanese yard three months ago.

Container volumes in head-haul and regional trades are the key drivers of container vessel demand, average container rates, liner operator profits, and, since 2020, port congestion. According to Container Trade Statistics, combined head-haul and regional trade volumes fell 0.4% y/y in the first half of 2022. Head-haul volumes were 1.3% lower than a year ago while regional volumes were 0.6% higher. Under normal market circumstances the peak season in key head-haul trades should lift Q3 volumes. However, recently released volume statistics indicate that there may be no peak season in 2022 but it is very likely that volumes will slow in Q4.

In July, the combined head-haul and regional trade volumes fell 1.5% m/m but were up 1.5% y/y. While this initially seems to be a relative improvement in volumes, compared to first half results, the figure appears in a different light when historical seasonality is considered.

As an example, in the Far East to North America trade lane, volumes in July have historically been on average 7.0% higher than June volumes due to the beginning of the peak season. However, this year volumes were 3.3% lower in July than in June. Applying historical seasonality, volumes should have been nearly 200,000 TEU and 10.6% higher than actual volumes.

Using the same principle for all head-haul and regional trade lanes, the combined July volumes should under normal circumstances have been 3.3% higher; 4.3% higher in head-haul trades and 1.9% in regional trades. Overall, volumes would then have been 4.9% higher than July 2021 instead of 1.5%. This is partly because it in 2021 was the first time in recent years that volumes in July were lower than in June.

Applying the same seasonality-based calculation to the rest of 2022, the full year volume estimate ends at 77.8 million TEU and 63.7 million TEU for head-haul and regional trades respectively. In total, that would leave the combined volumes at 141.5 million TEU and 1.3 million TEU lower than in 2021 (a reduction of 0.9%). Head-haul volumes would be down 3.3% y/y while regional volumes would be up 2.3% y/y.

Focusing on the rest-of-year period from August to December, the calculation indicates that combined head-haul and regional trade volumes will be down by 1.9% y/y. From a congestion perspective it is interesting to note a 10.7% y/y and 8.2% y/y fall in import volumes to the Europe and Mediterranean region and North America respectively.

“Considering the risk of energy shortages in Europe during winter and that conditions for consumers and businesses are likely to get worse before they get better as the year progresses, it is possible that volumes could end even lower,” says BIMCO’s Chief Shipping Analyst, Niels Rasmussen.

“Though we appreciate that this approach to forecasting rest-of-year volumes may be somewhat simplistic, the overall forecast does tally with the economy-based forecasts in our recently published Container Market Overview and Outlook report. The prediction will most likely not end up 100% accurate, but we do believe the overall trend will end up correct, confirming a very muted peak season in key head-haul trades and lower Q4 volumes in line with normal seasonality,” Rasmussen says.
Source: BIMCO, By Neils Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst

Newer Posts

Older Posts

Savannah Sets Third Monthly All-Time Record as TEU Volume Surges

Joseph Hazelwood, The Captain Of Exxon Valdez During The Massive 1989 Oil Spill, Passes Away At 75

ICCT: For renewable LNG to make climate sense, methane slip must be eliminated

In A First, NYK Promotes Taiwanese To Chief Engineer

Predictive Data Intelligence Removes Hurdles To Instant Cross-Border Transactions Over SWIFT

GF Piping Systems Introduces Plastic Piping Systems

Korean Register, Daewoo Shipbuilding Collaborate On Large Scale Liquefied CO2 Carrier Technology

Port of San Diego to Begin its Busiest Cruise Season Since 2010

Development Bank of Japan and ClassNK develop green ship finance framework

Head-haul and regional container trade volumes fall 1.5% m/m in July

New IMO Rules: Mandatory Reporting of Containers Lost at Sea – From 2026

2025 CIC on Ballast Water Management – What Ship Operators Need to Know

Maritime Cybersecurity: Recent Developments (Aug 4–8, 2025)

Quick Menu

Company DETAILS

ISO 9001:2015 CERTIFIED