News

A political firestorm is brewing in Gibraltar and neighboring Spain as a US-flagged tanker, Overseas Santorini, reportedly carrying military fuel for Israel, was seeking a port for bunkering. The Overseas Shipping Group (OSG) tanker arrived off Gibraltar Tuesday night despite the ongoing protests but it is unclear if it will be permitted to bunker.

Labor disputes impacting both the operations of Canada’s West Coast ports and the two leading railroads are due to come to a head in August. Experts warn of the potential of more disruptions as Canada is already dealing with the impact of wildfires near the main rail line in Jasper in western Alberta province which is already causing problems and expectations of port and vessel delays.

Malaysia officials provided the first details on the July 19 incident in which the Hafnia Nile and a Chinese VLCC impacted revising their earlier statements that the Chinese vessel had attempted to flee after the fire.

China Cosco, the world's largest shipowner, has agreed to work with Australian mining conglomerate Fortescue to build a new series of bulkers powered by green ammonia. The ships would be used to transport Fortescue's iron ore to China, without onboard emissions.

Monaco-owned, Quebec-based shipbuilder Davie has decided to make a "significant, long-term commitment to the American shipbuilding industry" with an investment in a new site. The decision was announced simultaneously by the shipbuilder and by the Biden administration, which included it alongside an array of recent shipbuilding initiatives.

The bulker that capsized and washed ashore on the west coast of South Africa broke up during storms over the weekend. The South African Maritime Safety Administration (SAMSA) is working with people in the region to contain an oil spill and begin clean-up efforts.

China's largest private-sector shipbuilder, Yangzijiang Shipbuilding, is having an enviable year. The yard's order backlog has ballooned to more than $16 billion, a new record reflecting soaring global demand for tonnage.

After a court order to vacate its longtime berth in Philadelphia, the storied ocean liner SS United States is in need of a new home. Florida's Escambia County has a controversial proposal: a commissioner wants to buy the vessel from its current owners and sink it as a dive attraction.

After eight years of struggling to resolve the fate of the now 145-year-old famed sailing ship Falls of Clyde, the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation (HDOT) reported on July 25 it released its request for proposals (RFP) for the removal of the ship.

California’s Port San Luis, a smaller central coast port used by commercial fishermen as well as recreational and tourist boating, is launching an exploration to become the first operations and maintenance (O&M) port for the planned California offshore wind industry.

Passengers who had set off for an approximately three-hour ferry ride from Tokyo on Wednesday, July 24, were happy to be back on land after a nearly 20-hour ordeal when the vessel broke down.

After seeking to challenge a finding by the U.S. Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the U.S. division, Maersk Line, Limited, has agreed to change its safety reporting policies and compensate a terminated seafarer for lost wages and damages.

In an effort to position their joint venture at the forefront of the growing ethane market and anticipated ammonia transport market, the UAE and China announced an order for up to 13 of the largest gas carriers yet built.

Energy major Uniper is turning to a partnership between Navigator Gas and Bumi Armada as the next phase of a project to capture, recycle, and store CO2 emitted from one of the company’s UK-based power plants.

When the dive yacht Black Pearl 1 sustained a serious casualty off the coast of Palau last weekend, the crew and the owner were unusually lucky: the cutter USCGC Oliver Henry was located nearby.

Transet, the operator of South Africa’s beleaguered ports and rail network got a strong vote of confidence from the African Development Bank Group as it looks to move forward with a five-year modernization and growth of its operations.

The MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company vessel MSC Michigan VII (81,574 dwt) was given clearance by the U.S. Coast Guard to depart Charleston, South Carolina after its headline grabbing wild ride as its throttles became stuck at full ahead 45 days ago.

India’s relations with Turkey could take a new turn after reports that the Turkish government has imposed a moratorium on exports of arms and defense items to India. This came to light during a recent appearance of a senior government official to the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Turkish Parliament.

The authorities in Singapore and the UK Maritime Trade Operations confirmed that a Singapore-flagged containership sustained minor damage in the latest Houthi attack on merchant ships. As with earlier attacks, the Houthis’ spokesperson said the vessel was targeted for violating its ban on Israeli ports. 

Parkwind, a developer of offshore wind farms owned by Japan’s JERA, completed the first test of an offshore charging station that supplies power from the wind farm to service vessels. The technology which is being developed by several companies holds the promise to permit crew and maintenance vessels to operate using renewable energy coming from the wind farm.