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Norwegian tanker operator Stolt Tankers and compatriot technology company Yara Marine Technologies have signed an agreement to equip a further seven tankers with Yara Marine’s FuelOpt propulsion optimisation technology.

The agreement was signed at SMM in Hamburg, Germany on 7 September 2022.

This new order follows the installation and evaluation of FuelOpt on board the Stolt Breland in early 2022.

Operating the largest fleet of chemical tankers in the world, Stolt Tankers is looking to prioritize voyage efficiency solutions that support emissions reductions. Having successfully trialed Yara Marine’s FuelOpt system and recorded distinct fuel savings and emissions reductions, the company intends to implement the system across a larger percentage of its fleet.

“This collaboration represents a new step towards our carbon reduction goals. We want to be ahead of the timeline and reach our ambition, and the best way to do so with an extensive fleet like ours is to maximize fuel savings and minimize emissions,” Jose Gonzalez Celis, Energy and Conservation Manager at Stolt Tankers, said.

“Shipping needs practical and cost-effective solutions that demonstrate tangible results, and I am pleased to say that our agreement with Yara Marine Technologies has ensured that we are making real progress towards greater fuel efficiency without compromising operational efficacy. We look forward to working together and collaborating on further solutions for our fleet.”

As explained, FuelOpt maximizes fuel savings through energy efficiency and is compatible with any marine fuel, which supports Stolt Tankers’ goal of having a fuel-flexible fleet. The system allows customers to use all existing fuels while future-proofing for possible new fuels. FuelOpt is also compatible with any propeller or engine, and can be installed on older vessels or newbuilds.

“We are proud to support Stolt Tankers with technology solutions that meet their immediate needs, while also allowing for additional enhancements further down the road to Net Zero. Increased fuel efficiency already plays a key role in cost-effective operations, and will no doubt continue to be a vital part of dealing with the expense of future fuels and upcoming regulations,” Aleksander Askeland, Chief Sales Officer at Yara Marine Technologies, commented.

Stolt Tankers Stolt Tankers operates a fleet of 160 chemical tankers, providing global transportation services for bulk liquid chemicals, edible oils, acids, and clean petroleum products.

Source: https://www.offshore-energy.biz/stolt-tankers-chooses-yaras-propulsion-optimisation-tech-for-7-more-ships/

Northern Xplorer has signed a letter of intent (LoI) with Portuguese shipbuilder West Sea for the construction its maiden vessel, said to be the world’s first zero-emission cruise ship.

West Sea intends to build the 250-passenger vessel at its facility in Viana do Costello north of Porto for expected delivery at the start of the 2025/2026 cruise season.

“As a shipbuilder focused on advanced vessels and high quality, we very much look forward to working together with Northern Xplorer. We’re proud to be taking a lead in building such an innovative and technology advanced vessel of a high standard that will have minimal impact on the environment,” said West Sea manager Vitor Figueiredo.

“This is a new milestone on our journey towards emission-free cruising. Having approached yards worldwide for tenders, we’re delighted to be embarking on this exciting project with West Sea. They are a modern, professional yard with a good track record. It’s great to be here at SMM for the signing alongside our technology partner, ABB, whose expertise has been key to developing the concept of this pioneering vessel,” said Rolf André Sandvik. founder and CEO of the recently established Norwegian cruise venture Northern Xplorer.

The vessel’s design features ABB’s fully electric propulsion system, including the battery and hydrogen fuel cell technology that will enable to it to sail emissions-free in the Norwegian fjords and further afield as the green shift takes root.

“We are very happy on behalf of Northern Xplorer, and it has been an honor to contribute with our expertise to this pioneering project aiming to prove the viability of eco-friendly cruise operations using zero-carbon fuel,” said Jorulf Nergard, Vice President Business Development, ABB Marine & Ports.

NX and ABB are currently in dialogue with multiple sub-suppliers for vessel systems. “We haven’t made any final decisions yet because we want to go with the newest technology as it becomes available. Where possible we also aim to select the most sustainable materials available in the market,” Sandvik said.

NX has worked closely with Oslo-based Affinity Offshore AS, who “have done a tremendous job in sourcing the right shipyard for such an innovative project”, Sandvik said. “Our financial partner Clarksons Securities AS will assist us as lead manager on the project, while I’d also like to thank our fantastic ship designer, Multi Maritime AS in Førde, who have worked persistently for three years with a design that is truly eye-catching. It is a vision for the future and will be a jewel to travel in.”

Oslo-based business law firm Grønvigh, Tjersland & Indrevær DA were central to creating the LoI’s legal framework. “As part of our mission to create optimal value for our clients, we are very pleased to be helping Northern Xplorer on their journey to developing the cruise industry of the future,” said partner Jonas Tjersland.

The LOI is an important step toward creating a new paradigm in the cruise industry and to meet Norway’s brave decision to ban fossil fuel-powered ships from its world-heritage fjords from 2026. “Discerning travelers want to cruise with a clean conscience, and with this ground-breaking green ship we aim to cater to that strong demand,” Sandvik said.

Sandvik previously commissioned the hybrid-electric sightseeing vessels Vision of the Fjords (built 2016) and Future of the Fjords (built 2018) in his former role as founder and CEO of tourism company The Fjords. Constructed by specialist Norwegian shipbuilder Brødrene Aa, both vessels won the ‘Ship of the Year’ award during maritime trade fair SMM in Hamburg in their respective delivery years. “That was an exciting project in its time and a world-first enabling pollution-free journeys in Norway’s UNESCO-listed Nærøyfjord. With NX we’re taking take things to the next level,” he said.

Source: https://www.marinelink.com/news/worlds-first-zeroemission-cruise-ship-499330

U.K.-based defense contractor Babcock International has secured two further contracts relating to Poland’s Miecznik (Swordfish) frigate program.

Earlier this year, Babcock was selected as the platform design provider and technology partner for the Polish frigate program and is supporting the PGZ-Miecznik Consortium in building three Arrowhead 140 frigates in Polish shipyards by a local workforce, drawing significantly from Polish suppliers and Babcock’s global supply chain.

Babcock’s Arrowhead 140 platform, on which the U.K.’s Type 31 frigate program is based, has been developed from the proven Danish Navy Iver Huitfeldt class frigate.

Babcock’s two latest contracts for the Polish frigate program, the class design contract and the transfer of knowledge and skills (TOKAT) framework agreement, respectively support the further development of the program and the enhancement of shipbuilding capability in Poland to deliver Miecznik to schedule.

The class design contract is key to supporting the maturity of the Miecznik frigate and the provision of a design documentation package to Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ S.A) for submission to the classification authority. Babcock says this will push forward the next stage of the engineering process and support the program to cut steel of Ship 1 in 2023.

Under the TOKAT framework contract, Babcock will share its technology, engineering expertise and industry know-how with PGZ S.A., PGZ SW and Remontowa Ship Building with the aim of transforming their shipyards and delivering the Miecznik program for the Polish Navy. The cooperation will include human resources development and staff training, support in infrastructure upgrades planning and the implementation of tools and technologies.

Babcock CEO David Lockwood said: “I am delighted with the progress on the Polish Miecznik program. Our work in Poland builds on the shared interests of the NATO countries. Babcock will deliver first-class frigates that will contribute significantly to the sovereign defense capability in Poland.”

Source: https://www.marinelog.com/news/babcock-signs-key-polish-frigate-project-contracts/

In the 40 days since July 22, when Russia and Ukraine signed a UN sponsored 120-day deal brokered by Turkey, 2.1 million tonnes of grain have been exported through the Ukrainian ports of Chornomorsk, Odesa and Yuzhne. After a slow start, around 0.5 million weekly tonnes of grains are now being exported, according to BIMCO, which says that, at this pace, monthly exports will surpass 2 million tonnes.

On September 7, however, Russian President Vladimir Putin raised concerns over how the deal has been working, saying that most shipments are headed towards the European Union and Turkey rather than the emerging economies in Africa it was designed to aid.

Russia has expressed an intent to renegotiate the deal and restrict grain exports to the EU. Now according to Reuters, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan says he wants grain from Russia to be exported too, adding that Putin was right to complain that Ukraine grain was going to wealthy rather than poor countries.

IMPLICATIONS FOR SHIPPING

“In spite of limited exports so far, the grain agreement has helped cool down global food prices. These are now back to February levels according to FAO’s food price index. If Russia attempts to alter or stop the deal, this progress could be reversed,” says BIMCO’s chief shipping analyst, Niels Rasmussen.

In August, Ukraine showed interest in expanding the deal to include cargoes such as metals. In addition, the country expressed hope of opening the port of Mykolaiv under the deal, another key port for grain exports.

While a restriction of Ukraine grain exports to Europe could benefit bulk shipping through increased average haul, says BIMCO, a risk to loss in volumes remains. Crop spoilage remains a risk in Ukraine with storage at capacity and the ongoing maize harvest adding further pressure.

“Insecurity remains a factor among those shipping Ukrainian grain,” says Rasmussen. “The ships operating in Ukraine are on average six years older and 32.9% smaller than a year ago, reflecting risk aversion and higher insurance premiums on hull value. Russia’s dissatisfaction with the deal is likely to further hinder Ukrainian exports as decision makers remain hesitant to risk their assets.”

Source: https://www.marinelog.com/legal-safety/shipping/ukraine-grain-exports-grow-but-putin-isnt-happy-with-where-theyre-going/

A joint database on the abandonment of seafarers maintained by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and International Labour Organization (ILO) has received reports of 74 cases of companies abandoning their seafarers on ships around the world..

“This was only during the first half of 2022, so, we can assume that this year we are heading towards surpassing 2021’s record of 95 cases,” as per Dr Heike Deggim, Director, Maritime Safety Division, IMO..

This is a 28% increase compared to 2021 when 95 cases were reported for the whole of 2021, so the situation could be much worse for seafarers in 2022..

An article from Seatrade Maritime News quoted Dr.Deggim as saying “The joint IMO/ILO tripartite working group has been re-established by ILO and IMO to identify and address seafarer issues, and the human element. It will meet over the next two years in several sessions, and they will address in particular guidelines on how to deal with seafarer abandonment cases.”

The working group will also address other issues related to seafarer welfare including the treatment of those suspected of maritime crimes, and bullying and harassment, including sexual assault.

The International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) recently highlighted the growing number of cases of seafarers reporting the non-payment of wages for two months or longer, which meets the ILO’s definition of abandonment.

It said that seafarers did not always realise that not being paid for a couple of months could be a precursor to abandonment. In 2021 the ITF clawed back some $37m in wages that had been withheld from the crew by shipowners.

If these numbers are true, it is an absolutely despicable act by the guilty companies, including shipowners and ship managers and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.. Seafarers are the backbone of global trade and must be treated as such..!!

Source: https://maritime-professionals.com/shameful-record-for-seafarer-abandonment/

PSA Corporation Ltd. (PSA) inaugurated the first phase of Tuas port operations in Singapore on September 1st. The inauguration involved opening the first three berths, which were built under phase one of the Tuas Port’s development program. Parts of the port are still under construction and will become completely operational by 2040. The completed port will have an annual cargo handling capacity of 65 million TEU.

The new port is expected to cement the position of Singapore as the biggest Transshipment hub in Asia. The port has a draft of 23 m and a total berth length of about 26 km, which will significantly increase the cargo handling capacity of Singapore. PSA expects 5 berths to be operational by this year’s end, which will allow the port to handle the largest container ships in the world.

Singapore is hailing Tuas as the world’s largest fully automated container port. The quay cranes are automated and can be operated remotely from a control center. Data analytics and digitalization are also ingrained into the port’s modular design. This allows the port to leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning for better management of the port’s operations. Sustainability is also a prevalent theme in the construction of the port as the port has a smart power grid and eco-friendly buildings and provisions for powering most of the port operations with electricity.

Source: https://www.fleetmon.com/maritime-news/2022/39453/new-tuas-port-opens-service-singapore/

Japanese shipping heavyweight Mitsui O.S.K. Lines has signed a long-term charter contract for three newbuilding LNG carriers with ENN LNG (Singapore) Pte., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chinese ENN Natural Gas.

The vessels will be constructed at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) in China, and are slated for delivery by 2028. After delivery, the vessels will be engaged mainly in the transport of LNG, procured by ENN under long-term purchase contract, to China.

ENN is a privately owned energy company, which supplies 10% of natural gas consumption in China and operates a large LNG terminal in the Zhoushan area of Zhejiang Province.

The contract comes on the back of China’s accelerating shift of energy sources from coal and oil to natural gas in response to growing awareness of the need for a low-carbon, decarbonized society. In 2021, China became the world’s largest LNG importer for the first time. Moving forward, the country is expected to increase its demand for LNG as it moves toward the decarbonization of its industry sectors.

The order is being reported weeks after MOL placed an order for four Capesize bulkers and two Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCC) powered by LNG as their main fuel, cementing its efforts in having 90 LNG-fueled ships by 2030.

The four 210,000 DWT-class Capesize bulkers will be built by CSSC Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding Co. It is MOL’s first time ordering a newbuilding vessel from this shipyard. The bulkers are slated for delivery in succession from 2025 through 2026.

Separately, MOL has signed a construction contract with compatriot Kawasaki Heavy Industries for two 309,000 DWT-class VLCCs. The VLCC vessels will be built by Dalian COSCO KHI Ship Engineering Co., headquartered in Dalian, China.

Source: https://www.offshore-energy.biz/mol-pens-charter-deal-with-chinas-enn-for-lng-carrier-trio/

There has been an estimated 77% drop in overall Sulphur Oxide emissions from ships since the entry into effect of the “IMO 2020” regulations in January 2020, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) said.

The reduction is equivalent to 8.5 million metric tonnes of sulphur oxides, which are linked to causing asthma, pulmonary, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases.

To remind, the 2020 Sulphur Cap has limited the use of sulphur in fuel oil used on board ships operating outside of designated emission control areas to 0.50 percent m/m down from 3.50 percent m/m limit.

The majority of ships trading worldwide switched from using heavy fuel oil to using very low sulphuf fuel oil (VLSFO.) Generally speaking, these are new blends of fuel oil, produced by refineries to meet the new limit, in accordance with IMO guidance and ISO standards.

Over the past two years, to meet the new regulation, ships have also burnt alternative fuels such as LNG, and methanol. Vessels that continued to use heavy fuel oil fitted their ships with exhaust gas cleaning systems (scrubbers).

Through 2020, and into 2021 to date, IMO has not received any reports of safety issues linked to VLSFO, the organization said.

Source: https://www.offshore-energy.biz/imo-points-to-77-pct-drop-in-sox-emissions-from-ships-since-2020/

More than 560 dockworkers are threatening to go on strike from September 19th to October 3rd at the Port of Liverpool. Unite Union is carrying out the strike over poor pay and improper working conditions. The strike will cause strain and widespread disruption in the shipping industry, which is already struggling with supply chain challenges.

The primary point of contention is the Union’s pay raise demand, which the Union says is much needed to offset the double-digit retail inflation rate in the UK. The port operatives and the maintenance engineers voted for a strike in August when they were offered a pay raise of 7% by MDHC Container Services. MDHC is a part of Peel Ports, the second largest Port group in the UK.

Workers are also striking over MDHC’s failure to honor the 2021 pay agreement. The workers stated that MDHC has failed to undertake the long overdue pay review, which has not been conducted since 1995 and has not delivered on its promise to improve shift rotas.

Unite Union has warned that the strike could severely disrupt the proceedings of Liverpool Port and the surrounding areas. They have also warned that there are more strikes scheduled in the coming weeks if MDHC refuses to table an acceptable offer.

Source: https://www.fleetmon.com/maritime-news/2022/39461/dockworker-strike-looms-over-liverpool-port/

With the floating offshore wind industry poised for rapid growth, Maersk Supply Service is taking steps to capitalize on the opportunities and present a new offering to the market. Maersk Supply announced a new strategic partnership with Stiesdal Offshore to support and accelerate the development of the wind sector. The first commercial wind farms are expected to be deployed by 2028.

The two Danish companies will combine their respective strengths to create comprehensive and integrated engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) solutions for foundations and moorings. The integrated approach the companies said will streamline the value chain, facilitating fast-track installations and ultimately bringing down the costs of floating wind.

“With this partnership, we want to offer our customers a combined EPCI solution for floating wind foundation design, fabrication, assembly, and installation,” said Steen S. Karstensen, CEO of Maersk Supply Service. “We believe this will simplify the value chain in the growing floating wind sector, which is still in the early stages, but which will also by necessity see rapid expansion and growth in the coming decade. By working closely together with Stiesdal, we want to facilitate this green development – and to accelerate our journey into floating wind.”

Both companies already have experience in the emerging floating wind sector. The development of the technology and its deployment is considered critical to reaching the global goals for offshore wind power generation. Floating wind turbines will permit wind farms to be developed further offshore and in areas that would otherwise be inaccessible. Several companies are working to develop concepts for floating installations.

Since 2017, Stiesdal Offshore has been developing the Tetra concept, the world’s first fully industrialized floating technology. In cooperation with Shell, RWE, and TEPCO Renewable Power, Stiesdal built and installed the first Tetra floater off the west coast of Norway in 2021, demonstrating the cost-saving and efficiency potential of the concept.

Maersk Supply Service has worked with the offshore energy sector for over 50 years. The company recently oversaw and executed the mooring system installation for the Saitec DemoSath floating wind project offshore near Bilbao, Spain.

Under the partnership, Maersk will act as the lead contractor and key contact for clients on projects while Stiesdal will act as a subcontractor.

Source: https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/maersk-supply-and-stiesdal-partner-for-opportunities-in-floating-wind

Newer Posts

Older Posts

Stolt Tankers chooses Yara’s propulsion optimisation tech for 7 more ships

World’s First Zero-emission Cruise Ship Ordered

Babcock signs key Polish frigate project contracts

Ukraine grain exports grow, but Putin isn’t happy with where they’re going

IMPLICATIONS FOR SHIPPING

Shameful record for seafarer abandonment

New Tuas Port Opens up for Service in Singapore

MOL pens charter deal with China’s ENN for LNG carrier trio

IMO points to 77 pct drop in SOx emissions from ships since 2020

Dockworker Strike Looms Over Liverpool Port

Maersk Supply and Stiesdal Partner for Opportunities in Floating Wind

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