Top News
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DP World’s Smart Solution Logistics signs agreement with Israel’s Allalouf Logistics to enhance...
DP World’s port-centric logistics arm Smart Solution Logistics FZE (SSL) has signed an agreement with Israel-based Allalouf Logistics to explore new growth opportunities for the logistics and general freight forwarding business in the UAE and Israel. The agreement, which will foster trade between key trade hubs in both countries and beyond, was signed by Albert Kraak, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of SSL and Gil Miller, Managing Director, Allalouf Logistics Ltd.
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Gulf Craft’s ‘Majesty 175’ completes maiden sea trial
Gulf Craft, one of the world’s top seven shipyards, celebrated a significant milestone with its flagship megayacht, Majesty 175, successfully completing her maiden sea trial. The yacht, which is due for delivery later this year, was sold to a prominent UAE businessman.
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DNV GL changes name to DNV as it gears up for decade of transformation
DNV GL, the assurance and risk management company, will change its name to DNV on 1 March 2021. The move comes after a comprehensive review of the company’s strategy as it positions itself for a world in which many of DNV’s markets are undergoing fundamental change.
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1,262 foreign vessels docked in Aqaba ports in 2020 — maritime commission
Aqaba ports during 2020 received a total of 1,262 foreign vessels loaded with several products, the Jordan Maritime Commission announced this week.
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Lands, sea ports to be reopened as of March end in Saudi Arabia
The Saudi Press Agency quoted the country’s government as announcing on Friday that travel restrictions will be lifted as of March, 21.
Classification
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NOAA joins USAID in effort to combat IUU fishing overseas
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is joining the U.S. government's effort to fight illegal fishing in far-flung waters. NOAA has entered into an agreement with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU fishing) across borders and to promote sustainable fisheries abroad.
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Lloyd's Register appoints maritime decarbonization hub advisory panel
Lloyd’s Register (LR) has named the industry experts who have joined the advisory panel of its Maritime Decarbonisation Hub and will ensure that the Hub fulfils its mission of providing the right level of insight, collaboration and leadership to support the shipping industry address its decarbonisation challenges.
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CLASSNK advises existing ships to install ballast water management systems early on
Leading Classification Society ClassNK has been analyzing the retrofitting status of ballast water management systems (BWMS) on its registered ships periodically since 2018. The status has been updated based on the latest data and the Society has confirmed that installation deadlines based on the BWMS Convention for many of its registered ships are still concentrated in the year 2022.
Insurance
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As cold snap raises energy demand in N. China, ice clogs Bohai Bay
As record-setting winter cold sends power and heating demand soaring in Northern China, the same weather system is freezing up Bohai Bay, raising risk for vessels delivering much-needed coal and LNG.
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The Shipowners’ Club and Fender Marine AS enter into a strategic partnership
The Shipowners’ Club, the leading P&I insurer in the smaller and specialist vessel sector, has entered into a strategic partnership with Fender Marine AS, the specialist marine underwriting agency based in Norway.
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Amid global volatility, marine insurers are prioritizing data management
Recent events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and explosion in Beirut have underscored the need for marine insurers to develop better ways to understand their risk exposure at both a macro and micro level. For events of this magnitude, the impact on industry participants is significant: the Beirut explosion has caused $15billion in damage while the impact of COVID-19 will be profound and long-lasting.
Oil & Gas
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Opportunities in offshore wind attracts Norway’s Knutsen
The increasing focus and perceived opportunities in the offshore wind sector are attracting a growing number of maritime and shipping companies to the business.
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Fugro CFO Verhagen steps down
Dutch offshore services company Fugro announced its chief financial officer (CFO) Paul Verhagen has decided to leave the company.
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TXOGA: The O&G industry paid $13.9B in state, local...
The Texas oil and natural gas industry contributed to state and local tax coffers in the fiscal year 2020, Todd Staples, president, Texas Oil and Gas Association stated. This revenue from oil and natural gas production, pipelines, refineries and LNG facilities translates into about $38 million each day to fund schools, universities, roads, first responders and essential services.
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Edda accommodation finds work for Edda fides offshore vessel
Norway-based Østensjø Rederi's Edda Accommodation has secured a new contract for the 2011-built Edda Fides offshore accommodation and service vessel with an undisclosed client.
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Oceaneering and stork Net work on Neptune Energy's...
Offshore services providers Oceaneering and Stork have won integrity management and fabric maintenance contracts on Neptune Energy's Cygnus platform, offshore the UK. The contracts are worth around $6.5 million.
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IOG: Platform construction on track for North sea project
UK-based oil firm Independent Oil & Gas has informed that work on the construction of the two platforms being built for its North Sea development project was progressing well with delivery scheduled for 1Q 2021. The company also said it would appoint new COO in the coming weeks.
Ports
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NRF: Retail import volumes forecast to rise in 2021
Retail imports, which were a key contributor to the surge in container traffic and port activity in the second half of 2020, are projected to continue their strength through the first half of 2021 according to new data from the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates. The retail trade organization projects, despite the pandemic, that retail imports will set a new record for 2020 and will continue the momentum for at least the first five months of 2021.
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NRF: Retail import volumes forecast to rise in 2021
Retail imports, which were a key contributor to the surge in container traffic and port activity in the second half of 2020, are projected to continue their strength through the first half of 2021 according to new data from the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates. The retail trade organization projects, despite the pandemic, that retail imports will set a new record for 2020 and will continue the momentum for at least the first five months of 2021.
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Warehouse fire interrupts operations in Port of Cork, Ireland
A massive fire destroyed at least two large warehouses along the Port of Cork, Ireland waterfront as well as disrupting operations at the deep water harbor over the weekend. While firefighters were able to bring the fire under control on Saturday morning with no injuries, they remained on scene dealing with hot spots and potential flare ups to the fire over the weekend.
Finance
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ITIC: Email invoice scams cause big losses for shipping companies
Cyber-crime connected with fraudulent demands for payment continues to plague the maritime sector, according to the shipping insurer International Transport Intermediaries Club (ITIC). Cases of email-driven scams that result in six-figure losses have been reported previously, and ITIC says that it continues to see serious instances of theft using the same basic techniques.
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Carnival optimistic despite $2B loss, more ship sales planned
Nine months after Carnival Corporation suspended worldwide cruise operations, the company with only a few ships returned to service continues to report significant financial losses, while management believes the company has the resources to weather the remaining stages of the pandemic.
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Zim files for initial stock offering on the NYSE
Zim filed a preliminary prospectus with the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission on December 31, 2020, for its long-anticipated initial public offering. The container and logistics company plans to trade its shares on the New York Stock Exchange becoming only the second container line after Matson to be listed on the Big Board.
Shipping
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Mysterious abandoned longliner taken in tow off...
After weeks of effort to reach her, the abandoned fishing boat Yong Yu Sing No.18 has been taken under tow and will be boarded as soon as weather allows.
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Cruise lines continue to delay resuming European...
As the cruise industry approaches the one year mark in its suspension of service, regulations and global efforts to contain and mitigate the coronavirus continued to hinder the cruise lines’ ability to resume service. While a few large cruise ships have been successful in resuming limited operations, the latest outbreaks of the virus are again forcing the postponement and cancelation of cruises in Europe and North America.
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Two icebreaking LNG carriers meet in high Arctic...
The icebreaking LNG carriers Christophe de Margerie and Nikolay Zubov are about to pull off an unprecedented feat: both are transiting Russia's Northern Sea Route in January, and they are on track to pass each other at a location in the East Siberian Sea - without icebreaker escort. The development is a testament to the capabilities of the Sovcomflot-operated Christope de Margerie class, but also to the commercial implications of a warming Arctic, with younger and thinner average ice cover.
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Strong outlook for container volumes in 2021...
The outlook for the container shipping markets remains strong moving into 2021, a far cry from the dramatic declines the industry experienced at the start of 2020. A new analysis of container volume shows that the market recouped much of its early losses and with few blanked sailings projected for 2021 will continue its momentum.
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Foss Maritime appoints Will Roberts new President
Will Roberts has been appointed the new president of Foss Maritime. Roberts was previously Chief Operating Officer at Foss.
Legal & Regulations
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Russian CO under investigation for stealing his own ship's propellers
A Russian Navy officer is under investigation for conspiring to steal two bronze propellers from his own ship, according to Russian state media.
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Pacific international lines pleads guilty in U.S. pollution case
For the second time in two months, the U.S. Attorney General’s office has obtained a guilty plea from a shipping company for knowingly discharging waste oil or oily water into U.S. harbors. One case was on the U.S. East Coast and the other was in Guam, but in both instances, a Singapore-based shipping company admitted to knowingly polluting the waters and attempting to hide their actions through falsified records.
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Agreement to bring stranded Indian seafarers home from ship off China
After months of trying and international support, Indian officials announced an agreement to permit one of the vessels caught off China to complete a crew change. Two Indian vessels stranded for months off the coast of China unable to unload shipments of coal they had transported from Australia became the face of the growing humanitarian crisis as a growing armada of vessels found themselves caught in a trade dispute between China and Australia.
Environment
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LNG powered ferry launched in China poised to be first in UK market
Brittany Ferries’ new ship the Salamanca was recently launched at the CMJL shipyard in Weihai, China, where she is under construction. Powered by liquefied natural gas, the vessel, which is the second of three being built for the company, is being billed as the first LNG powered ferry for the UK market.
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NYK enters floating LNG storage (FSRP) with Papua New Guinea Project
Japan’s NYK Group announced that it will be participating in a project to develop a floating LNG storage and regasification power generation facility in Papua New Guinea. Their entry into the sector is part of the company’s goal to integrate new sustainable business activities, including FSRP projects, into its business. NYK Group has been seeking to expand the variety of services it provides throughout the energy value chain to realize the business opportunities in the changing energy demands.
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Corvus' energy storage systems for Harvey Gulf's offshore vessels
Corvus Energy, an energy storage solutions provider for the offshore energy industry, has won a contract with Wärtsilä to deliver its Energy Storage Systems (ESS) for the offshore support vessel fleet operated by U.S.-based Harvey Gulf.
Education
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U.S. Navy launches community college for sailors...
The Navy's newly-launched United States Naval Community College (USNCC) is launching a pilot program this month with about 600 enlisted students from the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. The cohort is part of a six month trial of the program and will serve as a template for future expansion.
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New Bedford High School awarded $250,000 grant...
New Bedford High School has been awarded a $250,000 grant through the Massachusetts Skills Capital Grant Program, the Baker-Polito Administration announced recently. The grant funding will be used to construct a state-of-the-art Marine Technology Laboratory to support New Bedford High School’s Career Vocational Technical Education programming in maritime industry skill training. The new facilities will prepare students for careers in marine and maritime industries, according to a school department press release.
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MAAP adopts Kongsberg simulators and systems for...
Kongsberg Digital has announced that the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP) has adopted its new K-Sim eLearning solution, as well as commissioning installation of a cutting-edge K-Sim Safety firefighting simulator at its premises in the Philippines.
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The Arab Academy for Science, Technology and...
Recognised as one of the leading maritime academies in the region, the university offers top-notch hybrid education, alongside in-person attendance for practical applications
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Bahri signs Training Services Agreement with NMA
The agreement further consolidates Bahri’s prominent role in local talent development in line with the Saudi Vision 2030.
Women in Maritime
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EMIRATI LABEL SALVA DEMONSTRATES ITS UNWAVERING SUPPORT FOR SEAFARERS WITH A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND INITIATIVE IN THE MENA REGION
The perfume brand launched “Hope”, a new fragrance dedicated to seafarers around the world, stressing on the significant role they play
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Relief for ten women naval officers as Supreme Court stays their release from service
In interim relief for ten women naval officers who had moved the apex court for grant of permanent commission but were scheduled to be released from service on December 31 , the Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the order of release from service.
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Breakbulk Middle East empowers women in the breakbulk sector
The sixth annual edition of BBME promotes women in leadership through an increase in female involvement in the segment
Techonology
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Complete Sonardyne suite for dive technologies’ large displacement AUV
Quincy, Massachusetts, based underwater robotics innovator Dive Technologies has chosen a complete suite of Sonardyne technologies for navigation, tracking and control of its large displacement DIVE-LD autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) programme.
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International Maritime Security Associates (IMSA) launches remote cyber...
Vessels worldwide are now facing compliance with IMO 2021 cyber security regulations. These are the first of what could be additional cyber security regulations for regulated vessels and facilities. International Maritime Security Associates (IMSA), the developers of the award-winning ARMS software platform, have developed a suite of cyber security tools and services for the maritime industry. The company has recently launched the capability to conduct basic shipboard network vulnerability assessments without sending personnel onboard.
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Saving the maritime industry, one energy-saving device at a time
In June 2019, the Grimaldi Group’s Grande Portogallo, a 165-metre-long Pure Car & Truck Carrier fitted with a Controllable Pitch Propeller (CPP), set sail with a ground-breaking piece of technology onboard. This vessel had on-board a pre-swirl stator (PSS) designed for CPP application that influences water flow to the propeller. Being able to control the inflow of water, say the device’s designers, has been scientifically proven to lead to less fuel consumption improving the vessel’s energy savings. This has never been investigated for CPPs, making this a truly innovative product.
Dredging
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Dredging and over-fishing anger Maori environment...
One of the founders of a new Māori environmental roopu says iwi should leave some of their fishing quota on the wharf to help with conservation efforts.
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India: Government floats PPP model for dredging...
The Government has floated the concept of undertaking channel deepening and maintenance works at major port trusts through the public-private-partnership (PPP) mode.
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Maine reviewing federal dredging project in Blue...
Authorities in Maine are collecting public comments about the potential impact to the fishing industry of a proposed federal dredging project in the Blue Hill area.
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Dredging market to surpass US$ 17B, heightening...
According to a report available on XploreMR, the Global Dredging Market is slated to scale new heights between 2020 and 2030.
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Major port trusts can award dredging works to DCI...
Centre-owned major port trusts will have to give dredging works on nomination basis (without tender) to Dredging Corporation of India Ltd (DCI) according to the draft dredging guidelines for major ports prepared by the ministry of ports, shipping and waterways.
OFFSHORE
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60 SUNREEF POWER: THE INTERIORS REVEALED
Sunreef Yachts proudly reveals the interior renders of the new 60 Sunreef Power.
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Dubai welcomes unwanted cruise liners amid virus...
Dubai has welcomed thirteen foreign cruise ships that were at sea while most countries have closed maritime borders due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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Yachts, wine cellars, private jets: isolating...
Stranded on superyachts or confined to their sprawling mansions worrying about their wine cellars, the world's super rich have invited ridicule throughout the coronavirus pandemic with their apparent insensitivity to the plight of ordinary people.
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Amundsen Looks to the Future with Design for New...
In a rare bright note for the troubled cruise sector, technology group Wärtsilä announced Thursday that it is providing Amundsen Expeditions with a custom design for up to six new luxury expedition cruise vessels.
