The armed guard who held the crew of the Eagle Bulk controlled Jaeger supramax last month has done it again.

The Ukrainian, who worked for private maritime security company (PMSC) Alphard, this week broke into the armoury onboard the Golden Palm, operated by Spain’s Palm Charters, and took the crew hostage again in his fight over back pay.

Splash understands that the tense standoff between the guard and the crew onboard the Golden Palm, which serves as a floating armoury and is currently in the Red Sea, has now been resolved.

Splash reported how the same man had taken over an Eagle Bulk ship for three days last month. He was one of three men who had been employed as security for a Red Sea transit.

The Jaeger case prompted James Wilkes from Grey Page to write a column for Splash earlier this month about the dire financial situation of many PMSCs.

“At the micro-level, an armed-guard, ostensibly driven out of his mind by desperation, lost the plot and hijacked a ship for three days,” Wilkes wrote of last month’s hostage taking, adding: “In mitigation perhaps, five months-plus stuck at sea, without pay and no prospect of relief can evidently drive a person beyond the edge.”

In 2017 the downward trend of large shipping losses continued, according to a new survey, Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty’s (AGCS) Safety & Shipping Review.

Looking at the past decade the decline was 38% globally.

There were 94 total losses reported around the shipping world in 2017, down 4% year-on-year (98) — the second lowest in 10 years after 2014. Bad weather, such as typhoons and storms in Asia and the U.S., contributed to the loss of more than 20 vessels, according to the annual review, which analyzes reported shipping losses over 100 gross tons (GT).

“Globally, the decline in frequency and severity of total losses over the past year continues the positive trend of the past decade. Insurance claims have been relatively benign, reflecting improved ship design and the positive effects of risk management and safety regulation over time,” says Baptiste Ossena, global product leader, hull & marine liabilities, AGCS.

Dangerous Seas and Territorial Disputes

Political tensions around major Asian shipping routes are leading to disruption and a potentially heightened risk of collision. Already a key route for east-west trade from China, South Korea and Japan and accounting for one-third of global shipping trade, the South China Sea is also the cause of territorial disputes between several countries.

These disputes have resulted in increasing military presence in the South China Sea, with the U.S. and China conducting naval exercises. Last year saw two major collisions between U.S. naval ships and commercial vessels. The U.S.-guided missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald collided with a container ship off Japan while the USS John S. McCain struck an oil tanker off Singapore.

“The territorial claims and disputes may have larger implications long-term and threaten the freedom of the seas in South East Asia, with implications for trade with Asia. A growing concentration of trade and political tensions increases volatility in the region creating safety issues,” says Andrew Kinsley, senior marine risk consultant with AGCS.

Losses in Asia rose year-on-year with incidents in South China, Indochina, Indonesia and Philippine maritime regions rising 25% making it the top area worldwide for major shipping incidents in the past decade, leading it to be dubbed the “new Bermuda Triangle.”

Across Asia and Africa, the threat of piracy remains high with regional waters accounting for 74% of all incidents worldwide despite record-lows globally. In 2017, incidents in Southeast Asia increased 11% (68) while Indonesia continues to be leading hotspot with 43. Attacks in the Philippines more than doubled from 10 in 2016 to 22 in 2017.

Emerging Risks Lead to Losses

There are multiple new risk exposures for the shipping sector: Ever-larger container ships — longer than the length of four football fields — pose fire containment and salvage issues, while climate change is impacting ice hazards, freeing up new trade routes in some areas but increasing the risk of collisions with ice in others. China is planning an “Arctic Silk Road” from new shipping lanes opened up by global warming and will conduct commercial voyages in Arctic waters to build its first polar expedition cruise ship by 2019.

Environmental scrutiny is also growing as the industry seeks to cut emissions, bringing new technical risks and the threat of machinery damage incidents. Other challenges are balancing the benefits and risks of increasing automation on board. The recent NotPetya malware on harbor logistics causing cargo delays and congestion at nearly 80 ports underlines the emerging risks that the sector faces, in addition to traditional ones.

Human Error a Big Issue

Despite decades of safety improvements, the shipping industry has no room for complacency. Fatal accidents such as the “Sanchi” tanker sinking off Shanghai waters in January and the two collisions involving U.S. Navy ships in Asia persist with human behavior often a factor. Estimates indicate that 75% to 96% of accidents involve human error. It is also behind 75% of 15,000 marine liability insurance claims analyzed by AGCS — costing $1.6 billion.

“Human error continues to be a major driver of incidents,” says Captain Rahul Khanna, global head of marine risk consulting, AGCS. “Inadequate shore-side support and commercial pressures have an important role to play in maritime safety and risk exposure. Tight schedules can have a detrimental impact on safety culture and decision-making.

“By analyzing data 24/7 we can gain insights from crew behavior and near-misses that can identify trends. The shipping industry has learned from losses in the past but predictive analysis could be the difference between a safe voyage and a disaster.”

Source: mhlnews

Japanese company e5 Lab has begun development of a standard model electrically powered vessel called the ROBOSHIP, with an integrated digital system called the ROBOSHIP BOX incorporating communications, Internet of Things (IoT) equipment and software.

The team is developing two types of electric vessels for ROBOSHIP Ver. 1.0, with standard gross tonnage specifications — 499 tons and 749 tons.

e5 Lab says that these craft will be able to achieve the same speed and sailing range as vessels currently in service, while achieving zero-emission operations in port by using large-capacity storage batteries in combination with a diesel-powered generator.

The onboard motors are powered only by electricity, and the current target is to maintain construction costs within 5% of the cost of comparable traditional vessels. ROBOSHIP Ver. 1.0 is slated for delivery in 2022.

As the technology matures, e5 Lab and its partners say they will look to offer the ROBOSHIP BOX and its EV powertrain as a commercial product to shipyards and shipowners.

Source: smartmaritimenetwork

SEJONG, South Korea

The Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) is hosting a virtual e-Navigation Underway Conference (ENUW) from September 8th to 9th under the theme of ‘Collaborating to harmonize maritime digitalization’. The Conference will be held using a virtual platform, and is being co-organized with the Danish Maritime Administration (DMA) and the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA).

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200818005422/en/

The series of ENUW Conferences, which were respectively held by the DMA for the European region from 2012, the US Coast Guard for the North American region from 2014, and the MOF for the Asia Pacific region from 2017, have been the catalyst facilitating the global development and implementation of e-Navigation.

This Conference will focus on initiating the ‘Digital@Sea Initiative’ as a global cooperation framework on maritime digitalization. Building on the IMO-led e-Navigation initiative, this Conference will explore future, digital maritime services and communication networks, challenges with maritime digitalization, and international cooperation.

DMA Director General, Mr. Andreas Nordseth, stressed that as well as increasing international cooperation on maritime digitalization in a comprehensive way, the Digital@Sea Initiative will lead to the practical implementation of many digitalization initiatives.

“International, Global harmonization of Standards is absolutely necessary for a successful implementation of the ambitious digital maritime agenda. The ENUW and Digital@Sea series of Conferences are a perfect step in that direction” IALA Secretary General, Mr. Francis Zachariae says.

At the Conference the MOF and Navelink will showcase the Maritime Connectivity Platform (MCP), demonstrating its use for the delivery of maritime digital services. The MCP is a platform that realizes global maritime digital services including the IMO’s e-Navigation maritime services. Mr. Sunbae Hong from the MOF says, “It is expected that more maritime communities will get most of their benefits and solutions from e-Navigation and through the MCP.”

This year’s Conference and official showcase will use real-time video in an online platform that allows more than 500 people to join in the discussion, and it will be livestreamed on YouTube. The Conference is free to attend. More information and the ability to register for the Conference is available on the Conference website (https://e-navap.org).

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200818005422/en/

Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries
ENUW AP 2020 Secretariat
Eunice Kim
+82-70-7688-3161
secretariat@e-navap.org

© Business Wire, Inc.

Synergy Group and D.S. NORDEN have formed a new joint venture to handle the technical management of NORDEN’s owned tanker vessels effective as of today.

Norden Synergy Ship Management (NSSM) is a 50/50 joint venture between NORDEN and Synergy and will be headed by Henrik Christensen who previously managed NORDEN’s Technical Department.

“NORDEN is a quality, historic and renowned shipping brand with an organisation that truly lives up to its motto ‘Smarter Global Trade’,” said Captain Rajesh Unni, CEO & Founder of Synergy Group.

“We see great alignment when we have partnered previously and we expect that to lead to more mutual wins in the future through NSSM.”

The formation of NSSM further cements the partnership between Synergy Group, one of the world’s leading ship managers with a fleet of over 300 vessels, and NORDEN, the globally renowned independent shipping company founded in 1871 and listed on the Nasdaq Copenhagen exchange.

Last year, NORDEN appointed Synergy Group to manage its fleet of owned bulk carriers, with management services provided from Synergy’s head office in Singapore and its technical office in Chennai, India.

NSSM will manage NORDEN’s current fleet of Medium Range (MR) and handysize product carriers from its headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark, with additional technical support provided by a 100%-owned subsidiary based in India.

Seafarers currently employed directly by NORDEN will be transferred to the joint venture where they will continue their employment on NORDEN-owned vessels under the same terms and conditions as before. All other seafarers will be offered new contracts through Synergy.

“Both teams are conscious about opportunities to make a difference in the industry,” added Captain Unni. “Culturally the teams have much in common and that to me is the key to this partnership.

“The joint venture will also take advantage of Synergy’s new generation digital ship offering – SMARTShip, an Internet of Things platform that enables improvement of vessel and fleet efficiency by bringing cutting edge computing to the high seas.”

Mr Christensen said he expected NSSM to benefit from Synergy Group’s longstanding reputation for excellence in all areas of shipmanagement. “Synergy has shown time and again that it is uniquely equipped to take on the most demanding technical and commercial shipmanagement challenges while also embracing the progressive core values of NORDEN on issues such as gender diversification, crew welfare and sustainability,” he said.

“Both organisations are fully aligned on these core values and in our shared view that digitalisation, smart shipping and the deployment of cutting-edge technology are critical to the successful management of vessels in the modern age.

“Together as NSSM, we will be able to deliver the full range of technical, crewing, training and technological service excellence required by NORDEN.”

Source: shipmanagementinternational

GHG emissions of global shipping are increasing, and expected to continue to increase, under current policy, according to the 4th IMO GHG Study. Advances in this new study’s methods have estimated that 30% of total shipping emissions fall directly within national government responsibility, twice the magnitude previously estimated. The study’s findings and trends continue to set a significant challenge for governments domestically, and collectively at the International Maritime Organisation, if the sector is to contribute proportionally to achieving the Paris Agreement temperature goals. The study shows strong, clear policy action must be taken for the sector to urgently transition away from the use of fossil fuels.

The multi-disciplinary team at UMAS, which led the Third IMO GHG Study in 2014, also led the work on emissions inventories in the Fourth IMO GHG Study. The effort was a collaboration between 9 organisations from across 6 countries, made additionally challenging by Covid-19: disrupting normal collaborative working, and meaning the work had to be managed around Covid-19 induced caring responsibilities.

The emissions inventory produced made a number of advances, including the ability to estimate the GHG emissions for each ship in the global fleet, on every voyage it sailed. 316Mt of the total 1056Mt of shipping CO2 emissions (2.9% of total anthropogenic emissions) were within national emissions responsibilities. At 30% of total emissions, this is twice the magnitude estimated in previous studies.

According to international (IPCC) guidelines, only shipping emissions that occur when ships sail on a voyage between two countries are the responsibility of the UN agency the International Maritime Organisation. When any ship sails between two ports in the same country, the emissions are the responsibility of that country – and should be accounted for and have reductions managed within that country’s emissions inventory and commitments, including in its reports to the UNFCCC regarding commitments made in the Paris Agreement (Nationally Determined Contribution). Until now only a few countries had investigated their shipping emissions at this level of detail, and the IMO had had to make simplified estimates that have been shown to underestimate the level of emissions that count as ‘domestic’ shipping and fall within the responsibilities of individual governments to manage.

The study produced many further insights into the recent trends in shipping emissions and the drivers of these trends. Some of the main points relevant to the market and policy makers are described here, and the full report is available here.

Elena Hauerhof, UMAS, leader of the inventory work: “This study represents a significant step forward in estimating emissions inventories, and for the first time uses a fully IPCC -aligned approach to estimate international shipping emissions. The study has also significantly advanced the accuracy of AIS based estimations for any ship, and evidences this by undertaking a detailed validation against fuel consumption and other key parameters reported in EU MRV for over 9000 ships”

Tristan Smith, UMAS, contributor and director UMAS: “You have to start by getting GHG accountancy right, and this has proved a perennial problem for the shipping sector. Most countries, including the UK, continue to count shipping emissions inaccurately e.g. on the basis of fuel sold to shipping as opposed to actual voyages and activity. Very few countries use IPCC aligned methods, or include shipping in their NDC – it’s a poorly-assessed, under-examined and often-ignored sector for many governments. Poor accountancy creates persistent underestimation of the magnitude of responsibility and role that should be taken nationally to decarbonise shipping. Hopefully this study will encourage countries to look again, and bring shipping firmly into their national GHG policy and action.”
Source: UMAS (University Maritime Advisory Services)