The first ship to bring a cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to a new terminal at the Dutch port of Eemshaven has docked and has started the unloading process, the gas grid operator said on Thursday, part of Europe’s bid to cut reliance on Russian gas.
The LNG tanker Murex berthed alongside the regasification unit at the new EemsEnergyTerminal, which can handle 8 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas a year, a Gasunie spokesperson said.
“Everything is going perfectly,” Marie-Lou Gregoire of Gasunie said.
The terminal, near Groningen, has two Floating Storage Regasification Units (FSRUs) that Gasunie leased at the request of the Dutch government.
Capacity has been booked by Shell, France’s Engie SA and CEZ of the Czech Republic.
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Dutch Energy Minister Rob Jetten will declare the facility formally open at a ceremony on Thursday evening.
Gas from the terminal is expected to start entering the Dutch grid for the first time next week, although the station will not operate at full capacity until November or December.
The capacity in Eemshaven will complement the larger Gate Terminal in Rotterdam, now operating at 16 bcm capacity and which is planning a further 4 bcm expansion by 2025.
The Port of Los Angeles and a range of elected officials and industry leaders joined U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg today to celebrate the award of a $20 million federal RAISE infrastructure grant for a critical road-railway grade separation project at the Port.
“We’re proud to be here marking such important progress being made, but also recognizing that there is so much more to do to fix the supply chains that were torn up by the pandemic and to make them more resilient for years to come – and right here we have a great example of that,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “We are delighted to formally celebrate the award of $20 million to the Port of Los Angeles to reduce trucking delays and allow freight trains to move goods more rapidly, reducing shipping costs as part of the fight against inflation.”
Facilitating faster cargo movement, the new roadway configuration will streamline truck access to an important container and chassis-access facility on the Port’s Terminal Island, reducing traffic delays, truck dwell times and greenhouse gas emissions from idling vehicles.
“L.A.’s port isn’t just the backbone of our region’s prosperity — it’s one of America’s most powerful economic drivers, and a crossroads that helps connect our country to the rest of the world,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “When complete, this roadway made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Secretary Buttigieg’s leadership will help our port move cargo more efficiently and meet our most critical sustainability goals.”
“This is a milestone moment in the investment in our nation’s ports and I applaud Secretary Buttigieg for bringing this critical funding to where it’s needed most,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “As the Western Hemisphere’s busiest trade gateway, this grant will help us further accelerate our plans to build resiliency, increase efficiencies and sustainability, as well as create jobs.”
The project will entail construction of a four-lane, rail-roadway grade separation, which will allow unimpeded truck access to an 80-acre marine support facility (MSF) on Terminal Island, a central location serving all terminals in the San Pedro Bay port complex. Currently, access to this facility for chassis and empty shipping container storage is impeded by several heavily used rail tracks and a tunnel with low vertical clearance, both of which will be addressed by the project.
When completed, the new rail-roadway will connect trucks directly to the highway system in two directions, resulting in a reduction of 2,500 truck-hour delays daily; a decrease of more than 3,000 metric tons of emissions per year; and a reduction of 1,200 truck miles traveled per day, which will also decrease accident potential in the area. The project will generate 300 new jobs.
The $20 million award comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program, which received more funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed by Congress in 2021. RAISE grants focus on planning and capital investments that support roads, bridges, transit, rail, ports and intermodal transportation.
The busiest seaport in the Western Hemisphere, the Port of Los Angeles is North America’s leading trade gateway and has ranked as the number one container port in the United States for 22 consecutive years. In 2021, the Port facilitated $294 billion in trade and handled a total of 10.7 million container units, the busiest calendar year in the Port’s 115-year history. San Pedro Bay port complex operations and commerce facilitate one in nine jobs across the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura.
Korean Register (KR) and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) will be working closely together to develop new propulsion systems capable of handling green fuels including ammonia and hydrogen.
On 7 September, the two organisations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to jointly collaborate at Gastech 2022, Milan, Italy. The move follows announcements that KR would be jointly developing a liquefied CO2 carrier with DSME.
Whilst the global maritime industry is introducing operational measures such as limiting engine output and installing energy-saving devices to meet stringent greenhouse gas regulations, in the longer term green fuels will be needed to achieve substantial emission reductions.
There is a high level of market interest in propulsion systems and materials for operating with green fuels such as ammonia, hydrogen and methanol.
Ammonia and hydrogen, widely recognized as green alternatives, but are considered to have more sensitive characteristics than commonly used LNG fuels. To be used as a marine fuel, extra technical requirements need to be addressed. These include the toxicity of ammonia, hydrogen embrittlement, cryogenic conditions equivalent to -253 ° C, diffusion characteristics, as well as ensuring the same level of safety as existing ships.
This joint research agreement between the two parties will build on the unique strengths and accumulated technology of each company.
DSME aims to commercialize ammonia-powered container ships by 2025 based on its advanced technology, and is at an advanced stage in developing eco-friendly fuel technologies, including low-carbon ammonia carriers and liquefied CO2 carriers.
KR has also been actively seeking better options for decarbonization pathways. As well as publishing guidelines for ammonia-fueled ships, the classification society is developing its own hydrogen-powered ship rules and is working on enhanced decarbonization initiatives to ensure ship safety and a greener future.
Dong-kyu Choi, Head of DSME’s R&D Institute, said: “The added value of eco-friendly ship propulsion technologies is expected to increase further in the future amid the strengthening of environmental regulations. Besides this collaboration with KR, we will continue to develop advanced eco-friendly ship propulsion technology and strive to speed up the commercialization of decarbonized ships.”
Dae-heon Kim, Executive Vice President of KR R&D division, said: “Gastech 2022 was a great opportunity to showcase our technical strength and efforts. The joint agreement with DSME is significant in preparing for the future of green fuels in the long term. We will do our best to support the technology needed to deliver a low emissions shipping industry.”
On September 12th, more than 100 high-level international decision-makers will meet at the first Underwater Ships Husbandry Port Authority Seminar in the region. Experts from underwater diving industry will meet and discuss current recommended operational guidelines and practices for diving safety while performing underwater ships husbandry.
Large number of international decision-makers expected
Leading voices from Diving industry will take the stage in Dubai, Jumeirah Creekside Hotel on the 12th of September. Anthony Greenwood, Diving Critical Activity Specialist from ExxonMobil is set to open the seminar. Confirmed speakers presenting at the event: Kris Chambers , Global Diving Technical Authority from BP, Jord Lucas, Head of Underwater Operations / Diving & ROV Technical Authority from TotalEnergies and Managing Director at KB Associates, Darren Brunton, will be presenting along with local industry representatives. The Underwater Ships Husbandry Port Authority Seminar will also be a platform for the regulatory authorities to hear firsthand from diving industry experts who will be taking the stage, suitable measures and best operational practices adopted across the world to safeguard divers engaged in underwater ship husbandry activities.
The number of fatalities and serious injuries suffered by divers conducting inspections and other underwater ship husbandry; risks involved and the practical dangers of shallow water diving in ports, harbors, and anchorages – will be the main topic addressed in Dubai.
On the crucial role of safety in conducting underwater ship husbandry, Mr. Phil Newsum, Executive Director of Association of Diving Contractors International (ADCI) will be presenting on the topic “Diving Methods and Equipment: Their Risks – Surface Demand vs Scuba” ADCI has developed guidance document “Underwater Ship Husbandry (UWSH) for Ocean-Going Ships” This document summarizes safety considerations, recommended operational guidelines, and adequate training for the conduct of underwater ship husbandry operations. The goal of the seminar is to ensure that diving industry stakeholders are made aware of the document and that it can be easily referenced when diving operations take place.
Against the backdrop of the marine contracting industry, Bryan McGlinchy Diving Manager for the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) is set to attend and present on “Diver Qualifications and Team Size/Dive Platform’’.
The International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) will be represented by key leaders from the Diving Operators Safety Committee – including the Health, Safety, Security and Wells Director of IOGP Olav Skar, along with numerous leading figures of other international organizations.
All told, more than 20 Technical Diving Authority representatives of major Oil and Gas producers, as well as over 100 representatives of diving services providers are expected at the conference.
AD Ports Group’s SAFEEN Feeders will collaborate with shipping leader CMA CGM Group, a global player in sea, land, air and logistics solutions, in launching a new Southeast Asia service linking Singapore, Colombo and Chennai.
The company’s ‘SAFEEN Pioneer,’ which has a container capacity of 2,034 TEUs, will join CMA CGM Group’s ‘Songa Tiger’ on the India East Coast Express 2 service, connecting these key ports. SAFEEN Feeders will market the service under the name Singapore Chennai Colombo Service (SCC).
This will be SAFEEN Feeders’ first service to call in Southeast Asia, as the company continues to expand its global reach.
Captain Ammar Mubarak Al Shaiba, Acting CEO – Maritime Cluster and SAFEEN Group, AD Ports Group, said: “We are very proud to be working with our partner, CMA CGM Group, on the India East Coast Express service. This service connects key global markets with some of the busiest ports in the world and will help boost trade and improve delivery times. Our aim is to provide key services across the seas where our customers need them most, and today’s announcement demonstrates the breadth of our international ambitions.”
SAFEEN Group delivers a comprehensive range of port and marine services, transshipment, offshore and subsea logistics and feeders services. It deploys a team of professionals and a fleet of state-of-the-art vessels to ensure a full spectrum of maritime logistics, solutions and services are operated effectively and with maximum efficiency.
New Trade and Plasabas admitted that oily bilge water was illegally dumped from the Longshore directly into the ocean without being properly processed through required pollution prevention equipment. Oily bilge water typically contains oil contamination from the operation and cleaning of machinery on the vessel. The defendants also admitted that these illegal discharges were not recorded in the vessel’s oil record book as required by law. Specifically, on two separate occasions between October and December 2021, Chief Engineer Plasabas, who was employed by New Trade, ordered lower-ranking crew members to use a portable pneumatic pump and hose to bypass pollution prevention equipment by transferring oily bilge water from the vessel’s bilge holding tank to the vessel’s sewage tank, from where it was discharged directly into the ocean.
Plasabas then failed to record these improper transfers and overboard discharges in the vessel’s oil record book. Additionally, in order to create a false and misleading electronic record as if the pollution prevention equipment had been properly used, Plasabas directed lower-ranking crew members to pump clean seawater into the vessel’s bilge holding tank in the same quantity as the amount of oily bilge water that he had ordered transferred to the sewage tank.
Plasabas then processed the clean seawater through the vessel’s pollution prevention equipment as if it was oily bilge water in order to make it appear that the pollution prevention equipment was being properly used when in fact it was not. The electronic records indicate that approximately 9,600 gallons of clean sea water were run through the pollution prevention equipment.
“This case demonstrates our commitment to investigating and prosecuting environmental crimes occurring at sea, no matter how wrongdoers may try to cover them up,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to work with our partner agencies to ensure polluters are held fully accountable.”
“We are committed to protecting our environment from people who cause immeasurable harm with shortcuts,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman for the Southern District of California. “This was a very calculated plan to violate the rules, and today the offenders are being held to account.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team and the U.S. Coast Guard for their excellent work on this case.
“This prosecution highlights the U.S Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Coast Guard’s dedication in safeguarding our oceans against those that seek to deliberately harm our natural resources,” said Captain James W. Spitler, Sector Commander of the Coast Guard Sector San Diego. “Illegal dumping of oil and falsification of oil record books are egregious violations. Today’s guilty plea should serve as a reminder that the Coast Guard and our partners at the Department of Justice will work tirelessly to hold accountable those that seek to deliberately discharge oil and falsify ship records.”
New Trade and Plasabas each pleaded guilty to a felony violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships for failing to accurately maintain the Longshore’s oil record book. Under the terms of the plea agreement and subject to court approval, New Trade will pay a total fine of $1,100,000 and serve a four-year term of probation, during which any vessels operated by the company and calling on U.S. ports will be required to implement a robust Environmental Compliance Plan.
Sentencing for the defendants is currently set for Nov. 18th, 2022.
Crowley and Chevron have both taken Series A investment stakes in Zero Emission Industries, a hydrogen-propulsion startup formerly known as Golden Gate Zero Emission Marine.
ZEI is best known for the development, construction and sale of the H2-powered ferry Sea Change, which was acquired by operator Switch Maritime in 2019. The vessel was launched at All American Marine in Bellingham in August 2021, and it completed its first hydrogen fueling – the first ever for an American vessel – in November 2021. It is in trials, and is expected to carry 75 passengers at speeds of up to 20 knots when ready to enter service.
“Our intelligent, connected, reliable power systems are the only ones on the market built from the ground-up specifically to meet the rigorous demands of the marine community,” said ZEI Executive VP John Motlow in a statement. “Designed to be as easy to install and operate as a marine diesel engine, we are working to build solutions that truly enable the maritime industry to decarbonize without negatively impacting their operations.”
ZEI closed its Series A funding round on September 8, with participation led by Chevron’s New Energies division and additional participation from Crowley. The undisclosed funding amount will help ZEI roll out its new integrated H2 power system and scale up to meet industry demand. The company noted that with backing from Chevron and Crowley, its partners span the full value chain from fuel production to propulsion tech to vessel operations.
“Investing in and developing innovative, clean energy solutions such as hydrogen is critical to reaching the maritime industry’s decarbonization goals. Crowley can only reach net-zero emissions with collaboration that produces new ideas by partners and stakeholders,” said Tom Crowley, the company’s chairman and CEO. “Working with Chevron and ZEI is an opportunity to help lead the shipping and logistics industry – and the communities we serve – to reach a more sustainable future.”
Crowley has a strong history in investing in zero-emissions solutions. It is building the first purpose-built electric tug in the United States, the e-Wolf, and it has announced an ambitious commitment to reducing its carbon footprint – including the tracking, reduction and offsetting of related-party (Scope 2 and 3) emissions.
According to Alphaliner, Chinese container supplier China International Marine Containers Group Co (CIMC) has withdrawn from its purchase of Maersk’s reefer container manufacturing unit, Maersk Container Industry (MCI), following objections from USA antitrust authorities, hence the block of the foreseen merger.
The deal was first announced in September last year, with CIMC offering $987m cash and debt-free, Alphaliner says.
The US Justice Department said the transaction would have combined 2 of the 4 global providers of insulated container cases and refrigerated shipping containers. It would also have consolidated control of more than 90% of the world’s production of insulated container boxes and refrigerated shipping containers in Chinese state-owned or state-controlled entities.
The Department collaborated with its German equivalent of the competition, the Bundeskartellamt, in the investigation.
MCI was created by Maersk in 1991 and today exclusively manufactures cold containers.
The Justice Department said the deal would have cemented CIMC’s dominant position and eliminated MCI as an innovative and independent competitor. The deal would also have “substantially increased the risk of coordination between the remaining providers in the market,” he told Alphaliner.
These are all words either meaning or related to the term “demystifying”..
Demystifying actually means “to make plain or understandable” and this was the prime objective and reason why Shipping and Freight Resource was started in 2008 – to make shipping and freight “plain, understandable and simple” to Joe Public..
It is recommended you read this article first to know the difference between Maritime, Shipping, Freight, Logistics and Supply Chain itself..
This installment of “Demystifying Shipping and Freight Jargon” is about The Flag of the Ship..
Like people, a ship also has a nationality assigned to it.. This is represented by a flag that the ship flies at all times.. A ship is assigned a flag through registration with a Ship Register or Ship Registry and the ship is expected to follow the rules and regulations enforced by this register at all times..
The nationality or port of registration is shown on the stern of a ship.. In the above example, the marking on the stern tells the world that the ship called CAPE ORCHID has been registered in Port Elizabeth in South Africa (you can see the South African flag)..
Any ship over 100 GT (Gross Ton) irrespective of whether it is a cargo vessel, fishing vessel, passenger vessel etc, has to be registered.. This registration grants the ship physical and legal protection of that flag/flag state which may be applied to vital areas such as safety of cargo and life of those on board the ship..
Ships need not necessarily be registered under a country’s own flag.. For example a ship owned by British nationals need not be registered mandatorily under the British Flag or UK Ships register.. It may be registered with registries other than the British Registry..
Types of ship registers
Some ships fly the flag of their own country, meaning it is owned, operated, and manned by nationals of that country..
This form of registration is called “Traditional Register” wherein the owner of the ship should necessarily be from the country of registration and the place of business should be in the country of registration..
Some ships fly the flags of other countries, like a ship owned by a Japanese firm flying a Maltese flag.. This form of registration is called an “Open Register“..
Many ship owners also opt for what is known as a “Flag of Convenience” (FOC).. An FOC is a type of open registry that offers (among other things) an attractive fiscal regime, substantially lower administrative fees, flexible to loose maritime safety policies, and lower costs for the ship owners..
FOC is a pejorative term used for an open registry and a FOC usually has no genuine link between the state and the ships that are flagged under that state..
For example, the ship is not owned by anyone from that country of registration, the ship is not operated by anyone from that country and the country of registration has no crew members or any other kind of administrative, technical, or social connection with that ship..
Because of this, organizations like the ITF (International Transport Workers Federation) find it difficult for unions, industry stakeholders and the public to hold ship owners to account as they may not follow the various regulations set..
The list of countries that have been declared as FOCs by the ITF’s fair practices committee can be viewed here..
Why is a flag important in shipping..??
A flag provides an identity to a ship which means the ship’s national state has exclusive dominion over the ship and no other nation can exercise dominion over that ship although a ship of any nation can navigate the oceans freely under the “guiding principle of the sea” which is freedom..
Of course, there are caveats here in the form of sanctions against certain countries which are enforced in shipping based on the flag/nationality of the ship..
As an example, the International Association of Classification Societies has withdrawn the Russian ship register’s membership after Russia’s attack on Ukraine..
This means ships flying the Russian flag are under sanction and any country doing trade with Russian flagged ships do so under risk of such sanctions.. There are political caveats to this as well which you can read about here..
The registration of a ship plays an important role in ensuring safety and security of the ship and significantly contributes to the protection and preservation of the marine environment..
As per IMO regulations, all ships must be surveyed in order to ensure that the ships under their register/flag are structurally sound and subscribes to design and safety standards and issue certificates that establish a ship’s seaworthiness..
The registration and linking to a national registry in a traditional register means that these ships may be requisitioned at time of war for the transportation of goods and people in the service of the nation..
The ship’s flag is also of importance in identifying specific registries or flag states that do not take action or turn a blind eye against shipowners who violate the rights of seafarers and in 2022 we are seeing a shameful record of seafarer abandonment..
Top ship flags by ships, DWT and value
Below are the current top-ranked ship flags by DWT (Dead Weight Tonnage), number of ships and value of ships..
As you can see, many ships are flying Flags of Convenience than their own national or traditional flags.. This is because a Flag of Convenience offers shipowners many benefits mentioned above, compared to traditional registers..
Maritime hydrogen fuel cell specialist Zero Emission Industries (ZEI) has announced the first close of its Series A funding round. The round is led by Chevron New Energies with additional investment from Crowley.
ZEI is the designer and developer of the first-of-its-kind maritime hydrogen and fuel cell system used in the Sea Change, the world’s first gaseous hydrogen fuel cell powered passenger ferry, as well as the vessel’s unique fueling system that allows it to be fueled directly from a hydrogen truck
The new funds are expected to enable ZEI to roll out its next generation fully integrated marine power system and scale quickly to meet the demand within the maritime industry for zero emission propulsion solutions.
“We believe hydrogen is the best path to energy security and decarbonization of the maritime industry. Chevron and Crowley bring a wealth of global experience and an ability to scale deployment across the marine market. We’re excited to leverage this partnership with our industry-leading technology to achieve exponential growth of the marine hydrogen market,” said ZEI CEO Dr. Joseph Pratt.
ZEI is led by Pratt, who has built a team of hydrogen and marine experts with deep industry knowledge and expertise in the design, development, and deployment of hydrogen fuel cell power systems and other critical hydrogen technology. ZEI produces marine-specific turn-key fuel cell power and hydrogen storage systems that deliver superior performance.
“Our intelligent, connected, reliable power systems are the only ones on the market built from the ground-up specifically to meet the rigorous demands of the marine community. Designed to be as easy to install and operate as a marine diesel engine, we are working to build solutions that truly enable the maritime industry to decarbonize without negatively impacting their operations,” said ZEI Executive VP John Motlow.
ZEI says that the investments from Chevron and Crowley create an integrated value chain from hydrogen production to power systems to vessels. It adds that the collaboration will drive value for end users and partners alike through simplified and cost effective fueling and power solutions made specifically for maritime.
“As the maritime industry focuses on lower carbon opportunities, hydrogen is well-suited to address these, and we are excited to collaborate with ZEI to advance this potential,” said Austin Knight, vice president of hydrogen for Chevron New Energies. “Chevron believes in the value of partnering to develop hydrogen solutions that have the potential to scale and support a lower carbon world, and this is a step in that direction.”
Chevron New Energies launched in 2021 to focus on establishing lower carbon businesses in CCUS, hydrogen, renewable fuels and products, offsets, and other emerging areas.
“Investing in and developing innovative, clean energy solutions such as hydrogen is critical to reaching the maritime industry’s decarbonization goals. Crowley can only reach net-zero emissions with collaboration that produces new ideas by partners and stakeholders,” said Tom Crowley, the company’s chairman and CEO. “Working with Chevron and ZEI is an opportunity to help lead the shipping and logistics industry – and the communities we serve – to reach a more sustainable future.”
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