September 5, 2022 Uncategorized
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September 5, 2022 GENERAL
The Baltic Exchange’s main sea freight index, tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, rose on Thursday after rates for bigger vessel segments snapped their losing streaks, with capesize seeing its best day in over two years.
The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax, supramax shipping vessels, was up 37 points, or 3.8%, at 1,002 points. It was the index’s best day in 1-1/2 months.
The capesize index snapped a five-session decline, gaining 167 points, or 55.3 %, at 469 points, on its best day since June 2020.
Meanwhile, Dalian iron ore surrendered its gains from an earlier rebound on Thursday, pressured by worries over fresh COVID-19 restrictions and property sector troubles in China squeezing demand for ferrous metals.
Average daily earnings for capesizes, which typically transport 150,000-tonne cargoes such as iron ore and coal, rose$1,382 to $3,887.
The panamax index snapped an over a month-long losing streak, gaining 13 points, or about 1.1%, at 1,230 points.
Average daily earnings for panamaxes, which usually carry coal or grain cargoes of about 60,000 to 70,000 tonnes, rose $113 to $11,069.
Earlier on Thursday, Baltic Exchange and Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange inked a memorandum of understanding to work together on research and development of a futures contract settling against the Baltic Panamax Index in China.
Among smaller vessels, the supramax index fell 67 points to 1,559 points, its lowest in over 18 months.
Source: https://www.marinelink.com/news/capesize-bulker-rates-best-day-two-years-499181
September 5, 2022 GENERAL
Sea Watch, an organisation that conducts search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean, had multiple ships detained and inspected by Sicilian port authorities over the past months. The organisation decided to issue a legal challenge and Italian judges asked the European Court of Justice for guidance, resulting in the ruling that port authorities do not have the right to search or detain ships solely because they are carrying rescued people. However, the court gave a mixed ruling as it also said that regularly running search and rescue operations with ships certified for cargo does provide ground for port authority controls, according to Reuters.
Sea Watch saw this ruling as a defense of its case, stating that it was “a victory for sea rescue.” It also said that “the fact that port state controls can continue to take place on N.G.O. ships is a good thing. They are intended to ensure ship safety, which is important to us. Arbitrary controls, on the other hand, must finally come to an end.” According to AP News, the E.C.J. said that people rescued at sea “must not be taken into account when verifying whether the rules on safety at sea have been complied with. The number of persons on board, even if greater than that which is authorised, therefore, in itself cannot constitute a ground for a control.” The guidance also stated that “the port State may adopt detention measures only in the event of a clear risk to safety, health or the environment, which it is for that State to demonstrate,” according to Jurist.
This ruling does indeed support the actions of ships attempting to rescue anyone in danger at sea, including migrants trying to reach Europe by crossing the Mediterranean. Allowing searches and detainment based solely on the increased number of passengers would dissuade ships from attempting rescues. With this ruling, ships are able to abide by international law to respond to distress calls, a requirement highlighted by Reuters.
The allowance for authorities to inspect ships with reasonable suspicion is also important, as it ensures that there is still enforcement of safety measures for the prevention of issues such as trafficking and smuggling. Furthermore, the requirement that the state performing these inspections must be responsible for proving this suspicion is vital, as state authorities already have the resources to do this, while ship personnel would require additional resources they may not be able to provide.
Migrants have been attempting to cross the Mediterranean for years, with many perishing during the dangerous journey due to a lack of appropriate crafts or supplies. According to U.N.H.C.R., the number of migrants who went missing or died at sea has been steadily increasing since 2019, reaching 3,231 last year. Many of these migrants are from the East and the Horn of Africa as well as the Middle East, places that the U.N.H.C.R. says have been “affected by years of conflict and displacement” and “where human rights abuses are not uncommon.” In the past years, the E.U. has responded to the migrant crisis by attempting to discourage crossings, which Human Rights Watch argues ignores the reasons people attempt the crossing and will likely fail.
The E.C.J.’s ruling, while not guaranteeing any changes in the current refuge policies in the E.U., does demonstrate that the group is committed to maintaining and enforcing current laws that support the rights of those seeking refuge. This decision allows ships to rescue anyone in danger at sea without fearing retribution while allowing authorities to ensure the safety of everyone onboard and on land. The guidance means that those making the perilous trip across the Mediterranean will have some additional support, making it safer for those who will inevitably try to cross regardless of how dangerous it is because their circumstances at home are even worse.
Source: https://theowp.org/e-u-court-guidance-supports-safety-on-the-mediterranean/
September 5, 2022 GENERAL
ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. on Wednesday announced it has signed a liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering deal valued at more than $1 billion with Shell NA LNG, LLC as the Israeli container shipping seeks to reduce emissions from its operations.
Under the 10-year sales and purchase agreement, Shell will supply 10 LNG-fueled vessels that will be deployed on ZIM’s flagship ZIM Container Service Pacific (ZCP), on the Asia to USEC trade. The 15,000 TEU vessels are expected to enter into service during 2023-2024 and will be transporting goods from China and South Korea to U.S. East Coast and the Caribbean. The agreement with may also cover other trades where ZIM LNG vessels could be deployed, the company said.
About 23% of total shipping emissions are from the container segment alone, and with increasing global trade of goods. LNG is the lowest carbon fuel available at scale today and it provides approximately 20% less greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when compared to conventional marine fuels. In addition to GHG emissions reduction, LNG emits virtually no Sulphur oxides (SOx) and particulate matter (PM), while significantly reducing nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions.
Eli Glickman, ZIM President & CEO, said, “With the addition of significant LNG-powered capacity to our fleet, beginning in 2023, we have positioned ZIM as a leader in carbon intensity reduction among global liners. We are pleased to execute this long-term supply agreement with Shell to secure LNG at competitive terms and look forward to partnering with a global industry leader such as Shell as we take an important step to ensure our fuel sourcing is well planned and of the highest quality. Our growing LNG-powered fleet will enable ZIM to be more carbon and cost efficient, while improving our competitive position, particularly on the strategic Asia to USEC trade, and allowing customers to reduce their carbon footprint.”
Steve Hill, Executive Vice President, Energy Marketing at Shell, said, “We would like to congratulate ZIM for introducing the world’s first LNG fueled very large containership (VLCS) fleet to operate on the Asia-North America shipping route. We are delighted to collaborate with them on their impressive efforts to reduce emissions in their maritime supply chain. Decarbonization of the shipping industry must begin today, and LNG is a lower emission fuel choice currently available in meaningful volumes, and via liquefied biomethane and liquified e-methane, offers a credible pathway to net zero GHG emissions.”
Source: https://www.marinelink.com/news/zim-inks-billion-lng-bunkering-deal-shell-499136
September 5, 2022 GENERAL
The Coast Guard’s program of record (POR), which dates to 2004, calls for procuring 8 National Security Cutters (NSCs), 25 Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPCs), and 64 Fast Response Cutters (FRCs) as replacements for 90 aging Coast Guard high-endurance cutters, medium-endurance cutters, and patrol craft. The total of 64 FRCs includes 58 for domestic use and 6 for use by the Coast Guard in the Persian Gulf.
NSCs are the Coast Guard’s largest and most capable general-purpose cutters; they are replacing the Coast Guard’s 12 Hamilton-class high-endurance cutters. NSCs have an estimated average procurement cost of about $670 million per ship. Congress has fully funded the procurement of 11 NSCs—three more than the 8 in the Coast Guard’s POR—including the 10th and 11th in FY2018, which (like the 9th NSC) were not requested by the Coast Guard. In FY2020, Congress provided $100.5 million for procurement of long lead time materials (LLTM) for a 12th NSC, so as to preserve the option of procuring a 12th NSC while the Coast Guard evaluates its future needs. The Coast Guard’s proposed FY2023 budget requests $60.0 million in procurement funding for the NSC program. This request does not include further funding for a 12th NSC; it does include funding for closing out NSC procurement activities and transitioning to sustainment of in-service NSCs. Nine NSCs have entered service; the ninth was commissioned into service on March 19, 2021. The 10th is scheduled for delivery in 2023.
OPCs are to be less expensive and in some respects less capable than NSCs; they are intended to replace the Coast Guard’s 29 aged medium-endurance cutters. Coast Guard officials describe the OPC program and the Polar Security Cutter (PSC) program as the service’s highest acquisition priorities. (The PSC program is covered in another CRS report.) The Coast Guard’s FY2020 budget submission estimated the total acquisition cost of the 25 ships at $10.270 billion, or an average of about $411 million per ship. The first OPC was funded in FY2018. The first four OPCs are being built by Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) of Panama City, FL. The Coast Guard held a full and open competition for a new contract to build the next 11 OPCs (numbers 5 through 15). On June 30, 2022, the Coast Guard announced that it had awarded a fixed-price incentive (firm target) contract to Austal USA of Mobile, AL, to produce up to 11 offshore patrol cutters (OPCs). The initial award is valued at $208.3 million and supports detail design and procurement of LLTM for the fifth OPC, with options for production of up to 11 OPCs in total. The contract has a potential value of up to $3.33 billion if all options are exercised. The Coast Guard’s proposed FY2023 budget requests $650.0 million in procurement funding for the 5th OPC, LLTM for the 6th, and other program costs.
FRCs are considerably smaller and less expensive than OPCs; they are intended to replace the Coast Guard’s 49 aging Island-class patrol boats. The Coast Guard’s FY2020 budget submission estimated the total acquisition cost of the 58 cutters intended for domestic use at $3.748.1 billion, or an average of about $65 million per cutter. A total of 64 FRCs were funded through FY2021. The Coast Guard’s proposed FY2022 budget did not request funding for the procurement of additional FRCs. In acting on the Coast Guard’s proposed FY2022 budget, Congress added $130 million in FRC procurement funding for the construction of up to two additional FRCs and associated class-wide activities. On August 9, 2022, the Coast Guard exercised a contract option with the FRC builder (Bollinger Shipyards of Lockport, LA) for $55.5 million of the $130 million for production of one FRC plus associated deliverables; this FRC will be the 65th. As of July 22, 2022, 48 FRCs have been commissioned into service. The Coast Guard’s proposed FY2023 budget requests $16.0 million in procurement funding for the FRC program; this request does not include funding for any additional FRCs.
Source: https://news.usni.org/2022/09/02/report-to-congress-on-coast-guard-cutter-procurement-17
September 5, 2022 Maritime Safety News
Fire erupted on board of tanker TIAN SHENG YOU 2, understood on cargo deck, in the morning Sep 1 in Yellow sea NE of Yantai. Tanker was en route from Huanghua Port to Lanshan, fire reportedly was caused by fire works on cargo deck. SAR ships responded, as of afternoon Sep 2 status and condition of tanker unknown, AIS is off since 1600 UTC Sep 1.
Source: https://www.fleetmon.com/maritime-news/2022/39397/tanker-fire-yellow-sea/
Bahri, a global leader in logistics and transportation, today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The Saudi Company for Electronic Information Exchange (Tabadul), the leading innovator and provider of smart digital and financial solutions and services to the business and logistics sectors. Under the new agreement, the company’s Bahri Logistics and Vessels Management divisions and Tabadul will work to develop a range of mutually beneficial solutions, while also exploring innovative internal data-sharing methods between the two aforementioned Bahri divisions.
The MoU was signed by Eng. Ahmed Ali AlSubaey, CEO of Bahri, and Mr. Majid bin Faleh AlOtaibi, CEO of Tabadul, during a special ceremony held at Bahri’s premises. Under the terms of the memorandum, both parties will collaborate to strengthen their digital transformation efforts, utilizing Tabadul’s related logistics platforms throughout.
The two parties are set to collaborate on a series of pilot projects designed to boost shipping and logistics sector efficiency in areas such as Trade Lane Traffic and the Port Community System (PCS), which focus on improving and managing efficient logistics operations via an extensive database while boosting the vital sector’s economic returns. The MoU also aims to achieve fully-integrated electronic data exchange processes to further support the Kingdom’s drive to attract foreign logistics companies.
Commenting on the agreement, Eng. Ahmed Ali AlSubaey, CEO of Bahri, said: “We are delighted to enter into this partnership with Tabadul. Today’s agreement will not only enable us to drive further innovation within our industry, but also generate a significant positive impact on the Kingdom’s long-term economic growth and contribute to the goals of Vision 2030. Leveraging Tabadul’s considerable expertise, we will work together to greatly enhance Bahri’s operational capabilities and create a more seamless experience for our customers, adding greater value and ensuring they benefit from integrated logisitics services of the highest quality.”
Mr. Majid bin Faleh AlOtaibi said that the signing of this agreement with the largest shipping and logistics companies in the Kingdom and the region stands as a major achievement for Tabadul as a leading industry service provider and a testament to the quality of the solutions it provides, adding: “We will focus on providing the latest data-driven solutions that help our partners reach new milestones in their digital transformation journies and ultimately achieve their Vision 2030 objectives.”
Mr. Soror Basalom, President of Bahri Logistics, stated: “The signing of this agreement with Tabadul represents another important step on our journey as we strive to deliver world-class logistics services to our clients and partners with optimal efficiency. We remain committed to pursuing new and innovative approaches to the utilization of data and are looking forward to establishing new benchmarks in data sharing that will enable smoother operations throughout the Saudi shipping and logistics sectors, and a long and successful partnership.”
Hisham bin Saleh Al-Nasser, Chief of the Sales and Marketing Sector at Tabadul, stated that Tabadul’s next strategic growth phase will see the company providing its public and private sector partners with the most efficient automation solutions possible for their financial and logistical operations, thereby cementing its position as the service provider of choice both within the Kingdom and the region.
Source: https://www.bahri.sa
September 5, 2022 GENERAL
Following approval at the 46th meeting of the IMO Facilitation Committee (FAL 46) in May, the IAPH Cybersecurity Guidelines for Ports and Port Facilities have been formally referenced in the IMO Guidelines on Maritime Cyber Risk Management. These are the first ever set of guidelines on the topic focused on ports and port facilities at the IMO which is a great achievement for the sector. Furthermore, with approval at FAL 46 and the 104th session of the IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 104), the proposed amendments to the Guidelines for setting up a Maritime Single Window were welcomed, and the IMO have subsequently updated their circular containing the revised Guidance. We would like to thank Pascal Olivier, chairman of the Data Collaboration Committee for his efforts in driving this work forward, as well as all contributors from the Committee, and partners, BIMCO and the International Harbour Masters Association (IHMA), for their contributions to the MSW guidelines. This was certainly a summer of success for IAPH’s work at the IMO and we look forward to resuming our Technical Committee meetings in the coming months to continue the progress made. Furthermore, IAPH is working with the IMO and BIMCO to organise two awareness-raising events this fall and early next year about the 2024 deadline for the mandatory implementation of the Maritime Single Window concept. More information on those will follow soon.
Source: IAPH
A recent study shows rapid relapse of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms following the administration of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir in adults, reports News Medical.
Nirmatrelvir inhibits the main protease (Mpro) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and blocks viral replication. The antiviral drug markedly lowers disease severity in at-risk individuals.
The study and findings
The present study observed the relapse of COVID-19 symptoms and viral load after an early…
https://mfame.guru/covid-19-rebound-linked-with-nirmatrelvir-ritonavir-new-study/
The National Transportation Safety Board issued three safety recommendations Thursday following an investigation into the Feb. 1, 2021, engine room fire aboard the bulk carrier Roger Blough.
The Roger Blough was docked in winter layup at the Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding facility on Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin when a fire started in the engine room. The cargo-unloading conveyor belts then ignited, causing extensive damage throughout the aft section of the vessel. The shipkeeper on board departed the vessel without injury. No pollution was reported. Damage to the Roger Blough exceeded $100 million.
NTSB investigators determined the fire originated at the burner for the diesel oil-fired furnace, which had been installed in the engine room to heat the space during the winter. The burner assembly was mounted onto the furnace’s air tube with an aluminum coupling. Investigators determined the coupling broke, allowing the burner to drop and fracture the fuel line supplying it.
About a month before the fire, the chief engineer believed the furnace was not working and thought the ignitor was not properly set. The vessel’s two engineers removed and reinstalled the furnace’s burner several times in their attempts to repair the furnace, which were unsuccessful. They contacted the furnace company’s technical representative who repaired the furnace. NTSB investigators concluded the repeated removal and reinstallation of the burner assembly during attempts to repair the furnace may have damaged the mounting coupling and led to its eventual failure.
When the fire erupted at night, the wireless monitoring and notification system, which was installed for winter layup, activated the alarm panel in the crew’s accommodation spaces and then notified the designated contacts. The shipkeeper was the only person on board but was not listed among the contacts.
The shipkeeper was not awakened until 7 minutes later when the smoke detector inside his stateroom sounded as thick black smoke filled the room. According to the report, had the shipkeeper on board been listed among the designated contacts to receive system alerts, he likely would have been awakened earlier and may have had an opportunity to extinguish the fire before it spread through the vessel.
NTSB determined that the probable cause of the engine room fire aboard the Roger Blough was likely the repeated removal and reinstallation of the furnace’s burner that led to the failure of its mounting coupling, resulting in the operating burner dropping to the bottom of its enclosure and fracturing the fuel supply line, which allowed diesel fuel to ignite. Contributing to the fire was the absence of a fire-activated automatic fuel oil shutoff valve on the fuel oil inlet piping before the burner, which would have stopped the fuel feeding the fire shortly after it started and limited the spread of the fire.
Marine Investigation Report 22/19 identified three safety issues:
Lack of regulations governing furnace installation and operations on board certain vessels,
Inadequate notification to onboard personnel of a fire, and Lack of fire-activated valve on the fuel oil piping to the burner on the furnace in the engine room.
As a result of the investigation, the NTSB issued one recommendation each to the U.S. Coast Guard, the American Bureau of Shipping, and Key Lakes Inc. NTSB recommended that the U.S. Coast Guard require that furnace installations on vessels be inspected to comply with National Fire Protection Association recommendations and to develop standards requiring installation of other types of shutdown mechanisms or safety alarms.
A similar recommendation was issued to the American Bureau of Shipping, which conducts oversight examinations for vessels like the Roger Blough. NTSB’s recommendation to the vessel owner, Key Lakes Inc. was to ensure that their designated contacts list includes each shipkeeper living and working on a vessel during layup.
“There are no regulations regarding winter layup procedures for commercial vessels operating in the Great Lakes,” the report said. “The lack of regulations or classification standards related to diesel oil-fired air heating furnace construction, installation, safety shutdowns, and system alarms poses a risk to life and property if the equipment is not installed and maintained to standards similar to those in place for other oil-fired equipment.”
“The National Fire Protection Association recommends that burner assemblies like the type installed on the Roger Blough have a fire-activated quick-closing valve on the inlet fuel oil piping next to the burner,” the report said. “When installed, this type of valve has a thermally activated mechanism that shuts the valve in the presence of fire to stop further flow of fuel to the burner. Had the burner assembly on the Roger Blough been fitted with a fire-activated quick-closing valve on its inlet fuel oil piping, the fuel feeding the furnace fire would have been stopped and thus the fire likely would not have spread so rapidly.”
The public docket for the investigation contains factual information, including interview transcripts, photographs and other investigative materials.
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