Lloyd’s underwriting syndicate has signed an agreement to gain access to the Risk Intelligence System, backed by operational intelligence support services, for use in managing risk in its insurance portfolio.

The Risk Intelligence System offers an overview of immediate, short-, and medium-term security risks for coastal areas, ocean, port, and landside threats. The analysis is focused on insurgency, piracy, organised crime, activism, terrorism, military conflicts, and any interplay between these parameters.

The deal includes Risk Intelligence’s MaRisk and PortRisk systems, which will assist in writing cover for war risks and other challenging areas. Risk Intelligence will also provide bespoke reports and monthly security risk briefs to the underwriting team.

“This is a great addition to our strong book of insurance clients,” said Jim Pascoe, CCO of Risk Intelligence.

“In welcoming our new client on board, we will be providing our maritime intelligence right into the heart of marine underwriting. It’s particularly pleasing as this was a very competitive process, and our previous delivery to this client secured Risk Intelligence the ongoing contract – once again proving the quality of our analysts and advisory teams.”

“I am very much looking forward to working with our new client, assisting them as they challenge the traditional ways of dealing with war risk cover and books of business.”

Source: https://smartmaritimenetwork.com/2022/08/09/lloyds-adopts-risk-intelligence-system/

The cruise vessel, NORWEGIAN PRIMA, was delivered by the Italian Shipyard Fincantieri to the Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) at Marghera, Venice. This 143,500 gross-ton cruise ship is the first of the six new ships in NCL’s Prima class delivered through 2027. The vessel will be christened and start its inaugural voyage from Reykjavik, Iceland, on 27th August 2022.

The vessel uses two 16.5 MW pod propulsion units and has a unique hull design that has seen a rise in recent cruise ship implementations over the past few years. Fincantieri has reported that the vessel exceeded the contract speed during its sea trials, reaching a maximum speed of 21.9 knots. It can accommodate 3,215 passengers in its 1,646 passenger cabins (double occupancy). And can go up to a maximum of 5,400 passengers, which includes 1,388 crew. The vessel features many tourist attractions, including the first and largest three-level racetrack for electric race cars, a ten-story high dry slide, and an outdoor sculpture garden.

Its sister ship, the NORWEGIAN VIVA, will be delivered in the summer of 2023. NCL has recently announced that the last of the 4 vessels in the series will see a revision in their design and they are to become a part of the Prima Plus Class. The revisions include increasing the passenger capacity to 3,550 passengers in double occupancy.

USA-based manufacturer Advanced Polymer Coatings (APC) is announcing a series of new chemical tanker deals in Turkey, one of its biggest exports markets.

Avon, Ohio headquartered APC is set to begin work this month supplying its MarineLINE tank coating system to the Dentas shipyard in Turkey. The team is undertaking two repair jobs at the yard for Turkish shipowner Veysel Vardal Shipping on its 6800 DWT MT BARBAROS ULUÇ VARDAL and MT BARBAROS HAYRETTİN VARDAL chemical tankers each with 12 cargo tanks and two slop tanks to be coated. APC has further just struck new deals to recoat six tankers owned by Turkish ship owner Mercan and a single tanker for fellow Turkish ship owner Transal. The work will be overseen by APC’s Tuzla-based Turkish team led by Koray Karagöz.

APC’s Global Marine Manager Onur Yildirim said the jobs will see APC provide heat curing and inspection services in a variety of shipyards.

“It is very pleasing to see APC and MarineLINE being chosen and trusted to repair and recoat these vessels with a collection of owners and shipyards we know well,” he said. “Building long-term relationships with customers is key to our approach. We have a very able and experienced Turkish team and we are looking forward to starting work.”

Captain Yildirim said Turkey remains one of APC’s most important export destinations where it now commands 80 per cent of the market. The latest deals follow a strong period for APC in Turkey after it sealed a contract to recoat 10 tankers for Turkish ship management company Chemfleet which followed the winning of two deals for new-build chemical tankers for Turkish shipping lines Nakkas and Ceksan. Elsewhere APC is working on a series of recoat and new build jobs in Greece and China.

“We believe MarineLINE is an X factor product with a sharp competitive edge,” he said. “Key to this is MarineLINE’s proven ability to carry a wide variety of chemicals over a sustained period without risk of cross contamination even in older vessels. Moreover, operators are now much more aware that when tank coatings go wrong it can cost millions of dollars per ship to repair plus disruption and lack of availability. MarineLINE’s established position and track record is able to give the industry far greater piece of mind. This is especially the case for charterers who are now taking a bigger role in selecting tank coatings, they can rely on, to help them secure long-term agreements with ship owners.”

APC now has more than 12 per cent of the global chemical tanker coating market with 700 ships coated worldwide with MarineLINE. In 2021 APC reported one of its most successful years of trading coating 56 ships equating to over 750,000 square metres of MarineLINE applied.
Source: Advanced Polymer Coatings (APC)

Japan’s Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) has moved to retrofit its liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fuelled tugboat to run on ammonia fuel.

Yokohama-based Keihin Dock Co., part of NYK Group, will carry out the modifications on the Sakigake it built in 2015.

The vessel, which operates in Tokyo Bay for another NYK Group company, Shin-Nippon Kaiyosha Corporation, should be ready to operate on ammonia in 2024.

The initiative is part of the development of vessels equipped with a domestically produced ammonia-fueled engine, which was initiated in October 2021 by NYK and IHI Power Systems.

Earlier in July, the two companies obtained approval in principle from the Japanese class society Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) for an ammonia-fueled tugboat.

“In the development process, there were various design challenges in using ammonia as fuel, but the two companies overcame these challenges without changing the size of the conventional tugboat,” NYK said.

Japanese shipowners, yards, and trading houses have been heavily involved in the development of the country’s ammonia (NH3) supply chain, including ammonia-powered deepsea ships expected to enter the market by as early as 2028. The government of Japan forecasts domestic ammonia demand of 3m tons in 2030 and 30m tons in 2050 and several owners have already contracted fellow shipbuilder Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) to build NH3 carriers alongside liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

NYK’s domestic rival, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line), has also recently embarked on a project, through its harbour logistics business unit, Seagate Corporation, to roll out a new battery-powered tugboat in the first half of 2025.

(SAN DIEGO) – General Dynamics NASSCO has received $1.4 billion in U.S. Navy contract modifications for construction of a sixth expeditionary sea base ship (ESB 8) and two additional John Lewis-class fleet oilers (T-AO 211 and 212). This award comes in addition to $600 million already received to procure long lead-time materials for the same ships.

The contract modification also provides an option for the Navy to procure an additional oiler, T-AO 213, bringing the total potential value to $2.7 billion for the four ships.

“NASSCO is committed to working together with the Navy to deliver these much needed ships to the fleet,” said Dave Carver, president of General Dynamics NASSCO. “As partners with the Navy, we remain dedicated to ensuring the success of both of these programs to help enhance and expand the Navy’s forward presence and warfighting capabilities while providing sustained growth for our workforce.”

Construction of the four ships is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2023 and continue into 2027.

In 2011, the Navy awarded NASSCO a contract to design and build the first two ships in the newly created mobile landing platform program, USNS Montford Point and USNS John Glenn. The program evolved, adding USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB 3), USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4), USS Miguel Keith (ESB 5), the future USS John L. Canley (ESB 6) and the future USS Robert E. Simanek (ESB 7), configured as ESBs.

ESB ships are highly flexible platforms designed to support multiple maritime-based missions, including air mine countermeasures, special operations forces and limited crisis response. Acting as a mobile sea base, this 784-foot ship has a 52,000-square-foot flight deck to support MH-53, MH-60, MV-22 tilt-rotor and H1 aircraft operations. The future USS John L. Canley (ESB 6) and USS Robert E. Simanek (ESB 7) are currently under construction.

In 2016, the Navy awarded NASSCO a contract to design and build the first six ships in the next generation of fleet oilers, the John Lewis class. Designed to transfer fuel to U.S. Navy ships operating at sea, the 742-feet vessels have a full load displacement of 49,850 tons, capacity to carry 157,000 barrels of oil and significant amounts of dry cargo, as well as providing aviation capability while traveling at speeds up to 20 knots.

The first ship, USNS John Lewis (T-AO 205), was delivered to the Navy in July 2022. USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO 206), USNS Earl Warren (T-AO 207) and USNS Robert F. Kennedy (T-AO 208) are currently under construction.

— General Dynamics NASSCO

Guilford, Conn., based American Cruise Line’s latest modern riverboat, American Symphony, completed sea trials late last week and is on its way to New Orleans for an on-time start to its inaugural season on the Mississippi River.

American Cruise Lines reports that it accepted delivery of the vessel from Chesapeake Shipbuilding as scheduled. The ship is the fifth riverboat in the Line’s ground-breaking new series and the 15th small ship built by the Salisbury, Md., shipyard for American.

The 175-passenger riverboat will immediately join the company’s expanding Mississippi River fleet. It is set to depart New Orleans August 27, and American Cruise Lines plans to christen it during its inaugural cruise, on August 30 in Natchez, Miss.

“American Symphony is part of our ongoing commitment to leading the U.S. river cruise market by introducing innovative small ships every year,” said American Cruise Line’s president and CEO Charles B. Robertson. “Smaller is better on the rivers. We look forward to American Symphony’s first season on the Mississippi, as well as the introduction of sister ship American Serenade early next year.”

Accommodating 175 guests, American Symphony has five decks and offers 100% private balcony staterooms, including suites and single rooms. The new riverboat has an elegant design with a stunning use of glass, allowing for unparalleled views throughout the ship, which also showcases American’s patented opening bow and retractable gangway, as well as a top deck skywalk with an ellipse that cantilevers dramatically over the café below.

Source: https://www.marinelog.com/inland-coastal/inland/american-symphony-completes-sea-trials/