Orient Overseas Container Line Ltd. (OOCL) announced it has taken delivery of another new 24,000 TEU mega vessel.

Named OOCL Valencia during a ceremony at China’s Nantong COSCO KHI Ship Engineering Co., Ltd., the newbuild is the seventh eco-friendly 24,188 TEU vessel in a series of 12 ordered by OOCL. It will serve OOCL’s Asia-Europe LL1 service.

YU Tao, Director and Member of Executive Committee of OOCL, said at the ceremony: “Last year, OOCL received a total of six new container vessels and thus rapidly optimized the fleet structure of both OOCL and the group. In the new year, in addition to the OOCL Valencia, more high-quality and high-performance ships will sail from here.”

The largest regional green regulations in the history of shipping came into effect yesterday with the industry included in the European Union’s emissions trading system ( EUETS), a market-based measure that sets a cap on allowed emissions.

From yesterday, vessels visiting EU ports will be required to offset their applicable CO2 voyage emissions through the purchase of an equivalent number of EU Allowances (EUAs).

Clarksons Research has put together a graph estimating EU ETS costs for certain ship types on the basis of this year’s average EUA price of $90 per tonne of CO2 and 2022 trading patterns.

The data shows that for a VLCC heading from Ras Tanura to Rotterdam EU ETS costs will be around $200,000 per voyage next year equivalent to 4% of today’s freight cost, increasing to $0.5m and 10% in 2026 when the regulation is fully phased in at 100%.

The new regulations were branded as “bullshit” and “a complete waste of effort” by one of Greece’s largest shipowners, George Procopiou, while speaking at an event in Cyprus in October.

“We always go to the shipyard, and we try to improve — through air lubrication and new engines, for example. Although our ships are 11 years old, we order a huge number of assets because the new models are 35% or 40% better in consumption. These are the little steps. The rest is just bullshit,” Procopiou said.

The Australian Maritime Safety Agency (AMSA) imposed a 180-days ban on the Chinese-flagged LNG carrier, “CESI QINGDAO,” following a breakdown of the vessel that caused a blockage in one of Australia’s primary LNG export terminals

Scheduled to last until June 2024, this ban was a response to an incident where the CESI QINGDAO, a regular visitor to the terminal, suffered a power failure on November 21st becoming lodged at the export terminal and blocking entry to other vessels. This resulted in substantial losses for Origin Energy, the terminal’s operating energy provider. Origin Energy reported a reduction in production due to the accumulation of a backlog from missing several LNG shipments, ultimately leading to a delay in three shipments.

AMSA declared the vessel “unseaworthy” when discussing the incident with the Australian media.

AMSA collaborated with the vessel’s master and operator, and supervised significant repairs on the ship. These repairs focused on four generators, one of which underwent a complete rebuild under the engine manufacturer’s supervision.

Following the incident, Australian regulators towed the ship out of the terminal and relocated it to anchorage for repairs. The vessel remained anchored for an additional three weeks undergoing repairs, before being towed back to China, where the ship is due to arrive on January 12th.

While AMSA has imposed nine bans in 2023, this ban stands out for its extended duration. AMSA attributed the severity of this action to “the response of the ship’s master and the operator during the repair process”.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) announced today that four foreign flagged ship remained under detention in UK ports at the end of October after failing Paris MOU Port State Control (PSC) inspection.

During October, there were four new detentions of a foreign flagged vessel in a UK port.

1. In response to one of the recommendations of Lord Donaldson’s inquiry into the prevention of pollution from merchant shipping, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) publishes details of the foreign flagged vessels detained in UK ports under the Paris MOU regime each month.
2. The UK is part of a regional agreement on port state control known as the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control (Paris MOU) and information on all ships that are inspected is held centrally in an electronic database known as THETIS. This allows the ships with a high-risk rating and poor detention records to be targeted for future inspection.
3. Inspections of foreign flagged ships in UK ports are undertaken by surveyors from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. When a ship is found to be not in compliance with applicable convention requirements, deficiencies may be raised. Depending on the inspection findings, the vessel may be liable for detention in these cases.

Notes on the list of detentions:

• Full details of the ship:

The accompanying detention list shows ship’s International Maritime Organisation (IMO) number which does not change throughout the ship’s life and uniquely identifies it. It also shows the ship’s name and flag state at the time of its inspection.

• Company:

The company shown in the vessel’s Safety Management Certificate (SMC) or if there is no SMC, then the party otherwise believed to be responsible for the operation of the ship at the time of inspection.

• Classification society:

The list shows the classification society responsible for classification of the ship only.

• Recognised organisation:

Responsible for conducting the statutory surveys and issuing statutory certificates on behalf of the flag state.

• White (WL), grey (GL) and black lists (BL) are issued by the Paris MoU on 01 July each year and shows the performance of the flag State.
• Deficiencies:

The deficiencies listed are those marked as Grounds for Detention.  Further details of other deficiencies can be provided on request.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/foreign-flagged-ships-detained-in-the-uk-during-october-2023-under-paris-mou

Mysterious interference on satellite navigation systems in the Indian Ocean. The UKMTO asks the commanders of ships affected by the phenomenon to report incidents, providing as much detail as possible. The origin is currently unknown

There is strange electronic interference in the waters of the Indian Ocean between Somalia and the Maldives, affecting satellite navigation systems (PNT). Several captains of commercial ships who travel the routes in the quadrant have reported this. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) issued a bulletin on 14 November inviting the reporting of any information on malfunctions of electronic satellite navigation systems (GPS, AIS and others). In this regard, the organization asks to provide as many details as possible. Consequently, the incidents of this type that have occurred in recent weeks are not isolated cases, but probably a more complex and multifaceted phenomenon. At the moment, however, the origin of the malfunctions is unclear and above all it is not known whether they are accidental or caused voluntarily by someone/something.

Cybersecurity Boosts Efficiency In Container Shipping Digitalization

In the container shipping realm, the pursuit of digitalization offers operational benefits, yet it introduces cybersecurity complexities. Europris and Maersk’s collaboration exemplifies a strategic response, leveraging cybersecurity measures to ensure safe and sustainable navigation through the digital landscape. This approach not only addresses the industry’s evolving challenges but also underscores a commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in logistics.

Digital Opportunities Require…

https://mfame.guru/cybersecurity-boosts-efficiency-in-container-shipping-digitalization/

Denmark’s Semco Maritime has won a 10-year service contract from Siemens Gamesa for the 288 MW Butendiek offshore wind farm in the German North Sea.

The work covers operations and maintenance on the wind farm located around 32 km from the Island of Sylt near the German-Danish border. Project operations will mainly take place from Havneby at the Danish Island Rømø, starting in January 2024.

The wind farm has been operational since 2015 and comprises 80 Siemens 3.6 MW wind turbines. Semco Maritime will be responsible for balance-of-plant service workstreams, including maintenance and inspections above water on the offshore substation and its foundation as well as the 80 wind turbine generator foundations.

“This is another important milestone in our efforts to boost Semco Maritime’s service business in the renewables space,” said Jacob Øbo Sørensen, senior vice president of renewables at Semco Maritime.

orth America’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) export capacity is set to more than double by the end of 2027 with the addition of new LNG export terminals in Mexico and Canada, as well as the expansion of existing LNG capacity in the United States, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said.

Ten projects across the three countries will contribute to the expansion of LNG export capacity to 24.3 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) by the end of 2027, up from 11.4 billion (Bcf/d) currently.

In the United States alone, five LNG export projects are currently under construction, accounting for a combined capacity of 9.7 Bcf/d. These projects include Golden Pass, Plaquemines, Corpus Christi Stage III, Rio Grande, and Port Arthur, with the first exports expected in 2024.

Mexico is also making strides in LNG exports, with three projects currently under construction. Fast LNG Altamira offshore and onshore, as well as Fast LNG Lakach, are set to contribute a combined capacity of 1.1 Bcf/d. The Altamira project consists of three units, with the first unit planned for offshore and the other two to be installed onshore at the Altamira LNG regasification terminal. Fast LNG Lakach will be installed offshore of Veracruz, Mexico. The Energia Costa Azul LNG terminal in Baja California is also undergoing construction, with a Phase 1 capacity of 0.4 Bcf/d and a proposed Phase 2 capacity of 1.6 Bcf/d.

Canada is not far behind, with two LNG export projects currently under construction in British Columbia. LNG Canada, with an export capacity of 1.8 Bcf/d, is expected to begin service in 2025, while Woodfibre LNG, with an export capacity of 0.3 Bcf/d, is scheduled for 2027. Additionally, the Canada Energy Regulator has authorized 18 more LNG export projects, with a combined capacity of 29 Bcf/d.

The expansion of LNG export capacity comes as the Panama Canal, which opened to LNG carriers with its expansion in 2016, faces a freshwater shortage that will limit the capacity of the waterway as long as the drought in Panama continues.