hudsonespie

[hudsonespie]

New Developer Plans to Make Green Hydrogen in Australia's Tiwi Islands

Global Energy Ventures (GEV), an Australian energy transition company, intends to add to the continent's growing list of green hydrogen export facilities with a new 2.8 GW solar-to-H2 project.

The Tiwi hydrogen project, which will have the capacity to produce up to 100,000 tons per annum of green hydrogen for export into the Asia-Pacific region, will be located on the Tiwi Islands, off the coast of the Northern Territory. 

The company said that development of the Tiwi project will run in parallel with its vessel engineering and class approval program, and a financial investment decision is expected in 2023 for the initial phase. The phase-one development would have a capacity of 0.5 GW, allowing first hydrogen exports to commence in 2026 (subject to approvals and purchase agreements). 

The project will deliver a fully-integrated green hydrogen production and export supply chain, beginning with a fleet of small vessels to carry compressed H2. The company is already in the process of developing a pilot-scale vessel capable of carrying 430 tons of hydrogen by the mid-2020s.

“Our compressed shipping solution is highly modular and can therefore scale to match the advancement of electrolyzer technologies and market demand for pure green hydrogen gas, and deliver a competitive cost of hydrogen as the project scales,” said Martin Carolan, GEV's CEO.

The company settled on the Tiwi Islands - which are located along the northernmost part of Australia - because they offer an advantageous location for shipping to Asia-Pacific markets like Singapore, Indonesia, South Korea and Japan. 

While GEV will start small with a 500 MW installation, the proposed 1,800 hectare site has the potential to expand to up to 2.8 GW of solar power generation, the company says. 

from Storage Containers https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/new-developer-plans-to-make-green-hydrogen-in-australia-s-tiwi-islands via http://www.rssmix.com/

[hudsonespie]

How Can Africa Get Ready for the Latest Generation of Container Ships?

Over the past few years, a new generation of ultra-large container vessels has begun to sail the oceans. Container ships like the Madrid Maersk, COSCO Shipping Universe and OOCL Hong Kong can carry over 20,000 TEU of cargo. These giant vessels measure over 1,300 feet in length, with beams of between 160 and 190 feet and a draft of 52 feet.

Over the past 50 years, the capacity of container vessels has increased by around 1,500 percent, doubling over the past decade alone. The exponential growth of container vessels can be attributed to shipping lines' focus on economies of scale. The more containers they can load on a vessel, the greater the income generated by these vessels. Thus, larger vessels carrying more containers increase the profit per voyage for each vessel. The increase in capacity relates to significant changes in the length, depth, and beam of a ship. 

However, the extreme size of the new generation of container vessels is creating a new set of physical problems. For example, the Ever Given blocked the Suez Canal - and a large portion of global trade - for six days in March. Furthermore, draft restrictions (like those at the Panama Canal) limit where these ultra-large vessels can go. Seaports are not evolving at the same pace as shipping lines and container vessels; thus, not all ports are deep enough or well-equipped enough to accommodate the latest big ships.

Evolution of container ships

Containerized cargo trade started in the mid-1950s and has evolved into six overall waves of changes, each representing a new generation of containerised ships. Early container vessels were usually modified bulk vessels or tankers that could carry around 1,000 TEUs. As containerized cargo developed, the first cellular vessels were introduced in 1968, and these could carry stacked containers in racks (cells). By the 1980s, shipping lines grasped the opportunity of economies of scale and pushed for the construction of larger vessels, which gave birth to the “Panamax" generation. These vessels were designed to fit through the Panama Canal, and once this threshold was breached, ship sizes quickly increased, allowing for more carrying capacities.

In June 2016, the Panama Canal expanded, contributing to the New-Panamax, or Neo-Panamax (NPX) range of vessels. A further expansion on these vessels led to the Ultra Large Containership (ULCV) and the Megamax-24, which are larger than the limits of the Panama Canal. The latest vessels are near to the maximum dimensions that the Suez Canal can accommodate. 

New generation container vessels and the case of Africa

African countries' trade relies heavily on seaports and shipping, as most of their trade is sea-borne. In 2019, African ports represented close to seven percent of world maritime exports and about five percent of global maritime imports, according to UNCTAD.

For many African countries , it has been challenging to develop ports of entry and connected transport infrastructure that keeps up with the growth trend of containerized vessels. Many of Africa's ports are not deep or wide enough to handle such large vessels. And should the vessels be able to berth at African ports, the ports would still need the equipment to offload such large vessels.

Keeping this in mind, one should also consider whether the African market will have sufficient demand and supply of cargo to be accommodated by larger ships. Are there enough additional trade opportunities for imports and exports to make it worth the cost? The cost of deepening and widening the berths at ports of entry, the cost of purchasing additional loading cranes, and the need to upgrade infrastructure within the ports should be justified by the expected increase in volumes of cargo and income.

Furthermore, the overall capacity of domestic infrastructure should be considered. Does Africa have the infrastructure to facilitate such an influx of goods once ports are upgraded to accommodate these larger vessels? Hinterland connections must have the capacity to accommodate for increased volumes in terms of road and rail infrastructure.

More than ever, port performance has become a significant aspect in the context of the choice of a port by regional and international stakeholders. Importers or exporters may opt for the port that saves them time or money. For shipping lines, the longer a vessel stays in port, the more money is lost, which means that shipping lines tend to favor ports where their vessels are serviced as quickly as possible. This situation puts even more strain on African economies trying to secure international market share. According to UNCTAD, the average time container vessels spent at a port in 2018 was around 0.7 days. According to this analysis, all ten of the slowest nations for container vessel servicing are developing or least developed countries. In contrast, the economies with the fastest turnaround times are mostly advanced economies with large volumes (or small economies that handle low cargo volumes at each port call).

How will Africa get on board?

Certain African countries allow for significant foreign investments in port and hinterland infrastructure to accommodate increased volumes and perform on international standards. From terminal and depot developments to double-stack railway infrastructure innovations, foreign investors have gained market share in these sectors. However, this has left countries like Kenya and Djibouti - as with many other African countries - losing their sovereignty and critical economic resources. Governments should prioritize investments in port facilities and infrastructure to grow and perform as per international standards.

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, digitalization has been recognized as the key solution to ensure business continuity. Unfortunately, a "readiness gap" in the maritime sector's automation and technology levels puts African countries at a disadvantage. Consequently, capacity-building in this area is required.

African countries will need to focus more on diversification to integrate into regional and global value chains. It means shifting resources to manufacturing opportunities and concentrating on value-added products. However, trade policy and regional integration initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) will not be enough for this to happen. Instead, targeted interventions by national, regional, and international players that align with sustainable development will bring changes to the African trading environment and, hopefully, its readiness to capitalize on larger containerized vessels.

 Dr. Juanita Maree is the CEO of the South African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF).

from Storage Containers https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/how-can-africa-get-ready-for-the-latest-generation-of-container-ships via http://www.rssmix.com/

[hudsonespie]

Indian Navy Officer Arrested for Bribes-for-Secrets Scheme

India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested one Indian Navy officer and two retired servicemembers in connection with an alleged espionage scheme.

An unnamed Indian Navy commander stands accused of leaking documents and data about an ongoing project to upgrade the service's Kilo-class submarines. In exchange for an "illegal gratification," the officer allegedly discussed the project with two retired officers - a retired commodore and a commander - who appear to work for private-sector defense contractors, a source told The Hindu. 

In a statement, the Indian Navy acknowledged the ongoing investigation and said that the information leaked was of an "administrative and commercial nature." The service has appointed its own inquiry panel, headed by a flag officer. 

INS Sindhuvijay, an Indian Navy Kilo-class submarine (Barcos De Eugenio / CC BY 3.0). 

Two additional civilians have also been arrested in connection with the plot, and police have searched 19 sites in Delhi, Noida, Mumbai and Hyderabad, seizing documents and digital evidence. 

The Indian Navy is spending $190 million to modernize four out of its eight Russian-built Kilo-class subs, known domestically as the Sindhughosh-class. The life extension drydockings are expected to give another 10 years of service to these 1980s-era submarines, giving India a bridge to its next generation Project 75 attack-sub program.   

from Storage Containers https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/indian-navy-officer-arrested-for-bribes-for-secrets-scheme via http://www.rssmix.com/

[hudsonespie]

Japan Plans LNG Research to Reduce Methane Slip

While LNG is being increasingly adopted by the shipping industry as a near-term path to lowering CO2 emissions, it is also drawing criticism from environmentalists and other organizations due to the release of methane into the atmosphere. A collation of Japanese companies is receiving support from Japan’s government for a new project to develop and demonstrate new technologies to reduce the harmful environmental impact from LNG-fueled vessels.

Shipping companies adopting LNG-fueled propulsion are quick to highlight the benefits of reduced SOx and NOx emissions, LNG fuel has the effect of reducing CO2emissions. Engines using LNG can be prone to the problem known as methane slip, where unburned fuel is expelled in the exhaust. 

The challenges of addressing methane slip have contributed to the criticism of LNG. The World Bank in April 2021 released a report dismissing the long-term role of LNG based on the problems of methane slip. The financial institution recommended instead investing in ammonia and hydrogen-based fuels which it identified as the best solutions to address the need to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions. The industry trade group SEA-LNG responded saying that the World Bank was using outdated information on methane slip and cautioned against waiting for future fuels that are yet to be proven. They contended that the engine manufacturers were making progress to reduce the release of methane.

Recognizing that reducing methane slip is a pressing issue in engine design, Japan’s Hitachi Zosen Corporation, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, and Yanmar Power Technology Co. have received approval from the Japanese government’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) for their project for the "Development of Methane Slip Reduction Technology from LNG Fueled Vessels by Improving Catalysts and Engines."

In this project, the partners aim to achieve a methane slip reduction rate of more than 70 percent for LNG-fueled vessels over the next six years. The reduction will be achieved by combining methane oxidation catalysts and engine improvements thereby further reducing the environmental impact of LNG-fueled vessels

Yanmar Power will also commission Namura Shipbuilding, together with Hitachi Zosen and MOL to establish the technology required to install the system developed in this research on actual ships.

The system will be installed in a coal carrier built at the Namura Shipbuilding and operated by MOL for demonstration of the methane slip reduction technology. The partners said they will work to establish the technology as soon as possible. They plan to utilize the technology developed utilizing carbon-recycled methane for additional applications thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the use of LNG.

from Storage Containers https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/japan-plans-lng-research-to-reduce-methane-slip via http://www.rssmix.com/

[hudsonespie]

Lost Containers From Zim Kingston Wash Up in Remote Wilderness Area

Three containers from the boxship Zim Kingston have drifted ashore near Cape Scott Provincial Park, a remote wilderness area on the northwestern tip of Vancouver Island. 

According to local CHEK News, response officials confirmed Wednesday that three boxes and "additional debris" had floated onto the shores of the pristine coastal park. A Canadian Coast Guard helicopter has deployed to the scene to investigate the containers and find out the contents.

The Zim Kingston encountered heavy swells and sustained severe rolling off the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca last Friday. At the time, her crew estimated that she lost 40 containers over the side due to extreme motion. On Wednesday, officials updated the loss estimate to 109 boxes (including containers that have since sunk or grounded). One damaged container stack caught fire and burned after the the cargo loss incident, delaying an accurate estimate of how many boxes had gone missing. 

"There have been some discrepancies in the number - 106, 109; various reports. Right now, our best count is 109. This is still an ongoing challenge, of course, and it could change,” deputy federal incident commander Mariah McCooey told CHEK News.

The lost containers included boxes full of auto parts, furniture, toys, Christmas decorations, paddleboards, yoga mats and industrial components. Two missing containers were filled with unspecified dangerous goods, according to the Canadian Coast Guard.

Drift model for Zim Kingston's containers (Courtesy Canadian Coast Guard)

The floating containers have been drifting northwest, parallel to the west coast of Vancouver Island. The shipowner has contracted with a salvage company to attempt to recover floating boxes when weather and surface conditions allow; persistent heavy swells have interfered with the operation so far. The U.S. Coast Guard is encouraging mariners to keep a sharp eye for loose containers off the island's Pacific coast and to report them to the Canadian Coast Guard.

Officials have asked the public not to open any containers or take the contents if boxes are found on shore.

from Storage Containers https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/lost-containers-from-zim-kingston-wash-up-in-remote-wilderness-area via http://www.rssmix.com/

[hudsonespie]

Maritime Leaders Call for Government Support for Decarbonization

Days before the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) is due to begin in Glasgow, leaders from across all sectors of the maritime industry have come together calling on governments and international regulators to take decisive action in support of shipping decarbonization. Saying that they recognize the urgency of their efforts and believe that decarbonization is achievable, the shipping industry is collectively asked governments to work together with the industry to deliver the policies and investments needed to reach critical tipping points in decarbonizing global supply chains and the global economy.

More than 200 industry leaders and organizations signed the Call to Action for Shipping Decarbonization developed by the Getting to Zero Coalition, a partnership between the Global Maritime Forum, the World Economic Forum, and Friends of Ocean Action. Shipping companies and operators joined with service and consultancies and the ports as well from the sectors of finance, energy, manufacturing shipping customers, shipbuilding, and infrastructure, united in their call for action.

“With the Call to Action, leaders from across the maritime value chain send a strong signal to governments meeting in Glasgow next week that it’s time to raise ambitions and commit to fully decarbonize international shipping by 2050. If governments want to be climate heroes at COP26, they must also be climate heroes at the International Maritime Organization, where urgent action is needed to put international shipping on a just and equitable Paris-aligned pathway,” says Johannah Christensen, Chief Executive Officer, Global Maritime Forum.

Fears have been raised that the IMO is losing its leadership role in shaping the policy for the decarbonization of shipping. Multiple regulators and authorities around the globe are stepping in creating a patchwork of initiatives to oversee the shipping industry. In the report with the Call to Action, they also detail the range of efforts underway by the individual companies to address the challenges. The report says the measuring and reporting emissions data has been the first step toward decarbonization and more than half of signatories report that they have started or are participating in research, development, and demonstration efforts.

The industry recognizes that zero emission and zero emission capable vessels need to be ordered with more than a quarter of the participants reporting that they have already taken actions ordering new vessels. They however also identify the need for the shippers to use zero emission services all along the supply chain as well as the need to invest in creating zero emission fuels and building the bunkering infrastructure to support the industry’s transition.

“The Call to Action demonstrates that there is broad industry support for the decarbonization of shipping and shows the many actions and commitments that are already being made by companies,” said the report. It also specifies what is needed from governments to fully decarbonize the sector by 2050.

Specifically, signatories call on governments to commit to decarbonizing international shipping by 2050. To achieve this, they say that governments work together with the IMO to deliver policy measures that will make zero emission shipping the default choice by 2030. Support they say is required for industrial-scale zero emission shipping projects through national action.

The initiative being led by the Global Maritime Forum delivered the Call to Action to the UK Presidency of COP26 before the opening of the COP26 conference on October 31. Directly after the meeting which runs till November 12, the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) is due to meet to consider a broad range of initiatives aimed at the industry’s efforts to decarbonize. The IMO has been under pressure to act from a broad range of governments and organizations, with many saying that the IMO’s 50 percent targets by 2050 are too long and not strong enough.  The EU for example is pushing forward with its Fuel EU Maritime proposals designs to accelerate the adopting of alternative fuels, while the United States and others have said industry broadly must be carbon neutral by 2050.

Signatories to the Call to Action for Shipping Decarbonization include major shipping lines A.P. Moller- Maersk, BW LPG, Cargill Ocean Transportation, Carnival Corporation, Hapag-Lloyd, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, and others. Broad segments of the maritime industry participating in the initiative also include BP, Citi, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, Lloyd’s Register, Panama Canal Authority, Port of Rotterdam, and others.

from Storage Containers https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/maritime-leaders-call-for-government-support-for-decarbonization via http://www.rssmix.com/

[hudsonespie]

New Developer Plans to Make Green Hydrogen in Australia's Tiwi Islands

Global Energy Ventures (GEV), an Australian energy transition company, intends to add to the continent's growing list of green hydrogen export facilities with a new 2.8 GW solar-to-H2 project.

The Tiwi hydrogen project, which will have the capacity to produce up to 100,000 tons per annum of green hydrogen for export into the Asia-Pacific region, will be located on the Tiwi Islands, off the coast of the Northern Territory. 

The company said that development of the Tiwi project will run in parallel with its vessel engineering and class approval program, and a financial investment decision is expected in 2023 for the initial phase. The phase-one development would have a capacity of 0.5 GW, allowing first hydrogen exports to commence in 2026 (subject to approvals and purchase agreements). 

The project will deliver a fully-integrated green hydrogen production and export supply chain, beginning with a fleet of small vessels to carry compressed H2. The company is already in the process of developing a pilot-scale vessel capable of carrying 430 tons of hydrogen by the mid-2020s.

“Our compressed shipping solution is highly modular and can therefore scale to match the advancement of electrolyzer technologies and market demand for pure green hydrogen gas, and deliver a competitive cost of hydrogen as the project scales,” said Martin Carolan, GEV's CEO.

The company settled on the Tiwi Islands - which are located along the northernmost part of Australia - because they offer an advantageous location for shipping to Asia-Pacific markets like Singapore, Indonesia, South Korea and Japan. 

While GEV will start small with a 500 MW installation, the proposed 1,800 hectare site has the potential to expand to up to 2.8 GW of solar power generation, the company says. 

from Storage Containers https://maritime-executive.com/article/new-developer-plans-to-make-green-hydrogen-in-australia-s-tiwi-islands via http://www.rssmix.com/

[hudsonespie]

How Can Africa Get Ready for the Latest Generation of Container Ships?

Over the past few years, a new generation of ultra-large container vessels has begun to sail the oceans. Container ships like the Madrid Maersk, COSCO Shipping Universe and OOCL Hong Kong can carry over 20,000 TEU of cargo. These giant vessels measure over 1,300 feet in length, with beams of between 160 and 190 feet and a draft of 52 feet.

Over the past 50 years, the capacity of container vessels has increased by around 1,500 percent, doubling over the past decade alone. The exponential growth of container vessels can be attributed to shipping lines' focus on economies of scale. The more containers they can load on a vessel, the greater the income generated by these vessels. Thus, larger vessels carrying more containers increase the profit per voyage for each vessel. The increase in capacity relates to significant changes in the length, depth, and beam of a ship. 

However, the extreme size of the new generation of container vessels is creating a new set of physical problems. For example, the Ever Given blocked the Suez Canal - and a large portion of global trade - for six days in March. Furthermore, draft restrictions (like those at the Panama Canal) limit where these ultra-large vessels can go. Seaports are not evolving at the same pace as shipping lines and container vessels; thus, not all ports are deep enough or well-equipped enough to accommodate the latest big ships.

Evolution of container ships

Containerized cargo trade started in the mid-1950s and has evolved into six overall waves of changes, each representing a new generation of containerised ships. Early container vessels were usually modified bulk vessels or tankers that could carry around 1,000 TEUs. As containerized cargo developed, the first cellular vessels were introduced in 1968, and these could carry stacked containers in racks (cells). By the 1980s, shipping lines grasped the opportunity of economies of scale and pushed for the construction of larger vessels, which gave birth to the “Panamax" generation. These vessels were designed to fit through the Panama Canal, and once this threshold was breached, ship sizes quickly increased, allowing for more carrying capacities.

In June 2016, the Panama Canal expanded, contributing to the New-Panamax, or Neo-Panamax (NPX) range of vessels. A further expansion on these vessels led to the Ultra Large Containership (ULCV) and the Megamax-24, which are larger than the limits of the Panama Canal. The latest vessels are near to the maximum dimensions that the Suez Canal can accommodate. 

New generation container vessels and the case of Africa

African countries' trade relies heavily on seaports and shipping, as most of their trade is sea-borne. In 2019, African ports represented close to seven percent of world maritime exports and about five percent of global maritime imports, according to UNCTAD.

For many African countries , it has been challenging to develop ports of entry and connected transport infrastructure that keeps up with the growth trend of containerized vessels. Many of Africa's ports are not deep or wide enough to handle such large vessels. And should the vessels be able to berth at African ports, the ports would still need the equipment to offload such large vessels.

Keeping this in mind, one should also consider whether the African market will have sufficient demand and supply of cargo to be accommodated by larger ships. Are there enough additional trade opportunities for imports and exports to make it worth the cost? The cost of deepening and widening the berths at ports of entry, the cost of purchasing additional loading cranes, and the need to upgrade infrastructure within the ports should be justified by the expected increase in volumes of cargo and income.

Furthermore, the overall capacity of domestic infrastructure should be considered. Does Africa have the infrastructure to facilitate such an influx of goods once ports are upgraded to accommodate these larger vessels? Hinterland connections must have the capacity to accommodate for increased volumes in terms of road and rail infrastructure.

More than ever, port performance has become a significant aspect in the context of the choice of a port by regional and international stakeholders. Importers or exporters may opt for the port that saves them time or money. For shipping lines, the longer a vessel stays in port, the more money is lost, which means that shipping lines tend to favor ports where their vessels are serviced as quickly as possible. This situation puts even more strain on African economies trying to secure international market share. According to UNCTAD, the average time container vessels spent at a port in 2018 was around 0.7 days. According to this analysis, all ten of the slowest nations for container vessel servicing are developing or least developed countries. In contrast, the economies with the fastest turnaround times are mostly advanced economies with large volumes (or small economies that handle low cargo volumes at each port call).

How will Africa get on board?

Certain African countries allow for significant foreign investments in port and hinterland infrastructure to accommodate increased volumes and perform on international standards. From terminal and depot developments to double-stack railway infrastructure innovations, foreign investors have gained market share in these sectors. However, this has left countries like Kenya and Djibouti - as with many other African countries - losing their sovereignty and critical economic resources. Governments should prioritize investments in port facilities and infrastructure to grow and perform as per international standards.

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, digitalization has been recognized as the key solution to ensure business continuity. Unfortunately, a "readiness gap" in the maritime sector's automation and technology levels puts African countries at a disadvantage. Consequently, capacity-building in this area is required.

African countries will need to focus more on diversification to integrate into regional and global value chains. It means shifting resources to manufacturing opportunities and concentrating on value-added products. However, trade policy and regional integration initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) will not be enough for this to happen. Instead, targeted interventions by national, regional, and international players that align with sustainable development will bring changes to the African trading environment and, hopefully, its readiness to capitalize on larger containerized vessels.

 Dr. Juanita Maree is the CEO of the South African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF).

from Storage Containers https://maritime-executive.com/article/how-can-africa-get-ready-for-the-latest-generation-of-container-ships via http://www.rssmix.com/

[hudsonespie]

Indian Navy Officer Arrested for Bribes-for-Secrets Scheme

India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested one Indian Navy officer and two retired servicemembers in connection with an alleged espionage scheme.

An unnamed Indian Navy commander stands accused of leaking documents and data about an ongoing project to upgrade the service's Kilo-class submarines. In exchange for an "illegal gratification," the officer allegedly discussed the project with two retired officers - a retired commodore and a commander - who appear to work for private-sector defense contractors, a source told The Hindu. 

In a statement, the Indian Navy acknowledged the ongoing investigation and said that the information leaked was of an "administrative and commercial nature." The service has appointed its own inquiry panel, headed by a flag officer. 

INS Sindhuvijay, an Indian Navy Kilo-class submarine (Barcos De Eugenio / CC BY 3.0). 

Two additional civilians have also been arrested in connection with the plot, and police have searched 19 sites in Delhi, Noida, Mumbai and Hyderabad, seizing documents and digital evidence. 

The Indian Navy is spending $190 million to modernize four out of its eight Russian-built Kilo-class subs, known domestically as the Sindhughosh-class. The life extension drydockings are expected to give another 10 years of service to these 1980s-era submarines, giving India a bridge to its next generation Project 75 attack-sub program.   

from Storage Containers https://maritime-executive.com/article/indian-navy-officer-arrested-for-bribes-for-secrets-scheme via http://www.rssmix.com/

[hudsonespie]

Lost Containers From Zim Kingston Wash Up in Remote Wilderness Area

Three containers from the boxship Zim Kingston have drifted ashore near Cape Scott Provincial Park, a remote wilderness area on the northwestern tip of Vancouver Island. 

According to local CHEK News, response officials confirmed Wednesday that three boxes and "additional debris" had floated onto the shores of the pristine coastal park. A Canadian Coast Guard helicopter has deployed to the scene to investigate the containers and find out the contents.

The Zim Kingston encountered heavy swells and sustained severe rolling off the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca last Friday. At the time, her crew estimated that she lost 40 containers over the side due to extreme motion. On Wednesday, officials updated the loss estimate to 109 boxes (including containers that have since sunk or grounded). One damaged container stack caught fire and burned after the the cargo loss incident, delaying an accurate estimate of how many boxes had gone missing. 

"There have been some discrepancies in the number - 106, 109; various reports. Right now, our best count is 109. This is still an ongoing challenge, of course, and it could change,” deputy federal incident commander Mariah McCooey told CHEK News.

The lost containers included boxes full of auto parts, furniture, toys, Christmas decorations, paddleboards, yoga mats and industrial components. Two missing containers were filled with unspecified dangerous goods, according to the Canadian Coast Guard.

Drift model for Zim Kingston's containers (Courtesy Canadian Coast Guard)

The floating containers have been drifting northwest, parallel to the west coast of Vancouver Island. The shipowner has contracted with a salvage company to attempt to recover floating boxes when weather and surface conditions allow; persistent heavy swells have interfered with the operation so far. The U.S. Coast Guard is encouraging mariners to keep a sharp eye for loose containers off the island's Pacific coast and to report them to the Canadian Coast Guard.

Officials have asked the public not to open any containers or take the contents if boxes are found on shore.

from Storage Containers https://maritime-executive.com/article/lost-containers-from-zim-kingston-wash-up-in-remote-wilderness-area via http://www.rssmix.com/

[hudsonespie]

Japan Plans LNG Research to Reduce Methane Slip

While LNG is being increasingly adopted by the shipping industry as a near-term path to lowering CO2 emissions, it is also drawing criticism from environmentalists and other organizations due to the release of methane into the atmosphere. A collation of Japanese companies is receiving support from Japan’s government for a new project to develop and demonstrate new technologies to reduce the harmful environmental impact from LNG-fueled vessels.

Shipping companies adopting LNG-fueled propulsion are quick to highlight the benefits of reduced SOx and NOx emissions, LNG fuel has the effect of reducing CO2emissions. Engines using LNG can be prone to the problem known as methane slip, where unburned fuel is expelled in the exhaust. 

The challenges of addressing methane slip have contributed to the criticism of LNG. The World Bank in April 2021 released a report dismissing the long-term role of LNG based on the problems of methane slip. The financial institution recommended instead investing in ammonia and hydrogen-based fuels which it identified as the best solutions to address the need to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions. The industry trade group SEA-LNG responded saying that the World Bank was using outdated information on methane slip and cautioned against waiting for future fuels that are yet to be proven. They contended that the engine manufacturers were making progress to reduce the release of methane.

Recognizing that reducing methane slip is a pressing issue in engine design, Japan’s Hitachi Zosen Corporation, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, and Yanmar Power Technology Co. have received approval from the Japanese government’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) for their project for the "Development of Methane Slip Reduction Technology from LNG Fueled Vessels by Improving Catalysts and Engines."

In this project, the partners aim to achieve a methane slip reduction rate of more than 70 percent for LNG-fueled vessels over the next six years. The reduction will be achieved by combining methane oxidation catalysts and engine improvements thereby further reducing the environmental impact of LNG-fueled vessels

Yanmar Power will also commission Namura Shipbuilding, together with Hitachi Zosen and MOL to establish the technology required to install the system developed in this research on actual ships.

The system will be installed in a coal carrier built at the Namura Shipbuilding and operated by MOL for demonstration of the methane slip reduction technology. The partners said they will work to establish the technology as soon as possible. They plan to utilize the technology developed utilizing carbon-recycled methane for additional applications thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the use of LNG.

from Storage Containers https://maritime-executive.com/article/japan-plans-lng-research-to-reduce-methane-slip via http://www.rssmix.com/

[hudsonespie]

Maritime Leaders Call for Government Support for Decarbonization

Days before the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) is due to begin in Glasgow, leaders from across all sectors of the maritime industry have come together calling on governments and international regulators to take decisive action in support of shipping decarbonization. Saying that they recognize the urgency of their efforts and believe that decarbonization is achievable, the shipping industry is collectively asked governments to work together with the industry to deliver the policies and investments needed to reach critical tipping points in decarbonizing global supply chains and the global economy.

More than 200 industry leaders and organizations signed the Call to Action for Shipping Decarbonization developed by the Getting to Zero Coalition, a partnership between the Global Maritime Forum, the World Economic Forum, and Friends of Ocean Action. Shipping companies and operators joined with service and consultancies and the ports as well from the sectors of finance, energy, manufacturing shipping customers, shipbuilding, and infrastructure, united in their call for action.

“With the Call to Action, leaders from across the maritime value chain send a strong signal to governments meeting in Glasgow next week that it’s time to raise ambitions and commit to fully decarbonize international shipping by 2050. If governments want to be climate heroes at COP26, they must also be climate heroes at the International Maritime Organization, where urgent action is needed to put international shipping on a just and equitable Paris-aligned pathway,” says Johannah Christensen, Chief Executive Officer, Global Maritime Forum.

Fears have been raised that the IMO is losing its leadership role in shaping the policy for the decarbonization of shipping. Multiple regulators and authorities around the globe are stepping in creating a patchwork of initiatives to oversee the shipping industry. In the report with the Call to Action, they also detail the range of efforts underway by the individual companies to address the challenges. The report says the measuring and reporting emissions data has been the first step toward decarbonization and more than half of signatories report that they have started or are participating in research, development, and demonstration efforts.

The industry recognizes that zero emission and zero emission capable vessels need to be ordered with more than a quarter of the participants reporting that they have already taken actions ordering new vessels. They however also identify the need for the shippers to use zero emission services all along the supply chain as well as the need to invest in creating zero emission fuels and building the bunkering infrastructure to support the industry’s transition.

“The Call to Action demonstrates that there is broad industry support for the decarbonization of shipping and shows the many actions and commitments that are already being made by companies,” said the report. It also specifies what is needed from governments to fully decarbonize the sector by 2050.

Specifically, signatories call on governments to commit to decarbonizing international shipping by 2050. To achieve this, they say that governments work together with the IMO to deliver policy measures that will make zero emission shipping the default choice by 2030. Support they say is required for industrial-scale zero emission shipping projects through national action.

The initiative being led by the Global Maritime Forum delivered the Call to Action to the UK Presidency of COP26 before the opening of the COP26 conference on October 31. Directly after the meeting which runs till November 12, the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) is due to meet to consider a broad range of initiatives aimed at the industry’s efforts to decarbonize. The IMO has been under pressure to act from a broad range of governments and organizations, with many saying that the IMO’s 50 percent targets by 2050 are too long and not strong enough.  The EU for example is pushing forward with its Fuel EU Maritime proposals designs to accelerate the adopting of alternative fuels, while the United States and others have said industry broadly must be carbon neutral by 2050.

Signatories to the Call to Action for Shipping Decarbonization include major shipping lines A.P. Moller- Maersk, BW LPG, Cargill Ocean Transportation, Carnival Corporation, Hapag-Lloyd, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, and others. Broad segments of the maritime industry participating in the initiative also include BP, Citi, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, Lloyd’s Register, Panama Canal Authority, Port of Rotterdam, and others.

from Storage Containers https://maritime-executive.com/article/maritime-leaders-call-for-government-support-for-decarbonization via http://www.rssmix.com/

[hudsonespie]

Maersk, MSC and Zim Omit Seattle Calls Due to Congestion 

With congestion spreading to other ports across the United States, Maersk, MSC, and Zim announced that they will be omitting calls in Seattle due to the mounting delays at the port. Starting this week, the three carriers said they would be temporarily omitted calls at Seattle from one of their partnered routes.

“Due to the increased waiting time for vessel berthing at Seattle, impacting schedule reliability and causing delays to shipments, MSC has decided to temporarily omit the Seattle call on its EAGLE service,” the carrier writes in a customer update. Maersk made similar comments to its customers writing in its alert, that it was “temporarily remove Seattle call from the port rotation of service TP9, to stabilize the vessel schedule and deliver a more reliable product to our customers.”

While the route is not one of the largest, it nonetheless illustrates the spread of congestion to a broader range of ports. Industry guides show that a total of seven boxships operate the route providing weekly calls both north and southbound with the only other North America port being in Vancouver, Canada. 

In the spring of 2021, the Northwest Seaport Alliance, which oversees operations at the ports, was highlighting the available capacity in the seaports. They highlighted new and additional services by MSC, Wan Hai, CMA CGM, and Zim to the region. 

The additional calls and increased volumes helped the Northwest Seaport Alliance to report a nearly 16 percent increase in volumes year-to-date to over 2.8 million TEU. In the first nine months of the year, full imports grew 22.5 percent. In September, the ports of Seattle and Tacoma combined handled over 330,000 TEU, which represented a better than seven percent year-over-year increase.

Speaking in mid-October, the CEO of the Alliance, John Wolfe, reported that the ports were seeing “unprecedented times in the global supply chain.” He said they were taking a variety of steps to handle the increasing volumes including exploring with the terminal operators expanded gate hours. Terminals in Seattle had already added some extra night shifts, but in many cases were not accepting empties until vessels sailed making room for new arrivals. 

The port, which is making a long-term investment in new capacity at Terminal T5, in the interim is making space available at T5 to store containers. Wolfe however highlighted that the problems reached further than just the terminals. He noted that trucks to move the containers were in short supply and that warehouses in the region were full leaving little space to handle the surge of incoming containers.

Port of Seattle Commissioner Fred Fellerman predicted, “It is still going to get worse before it gets better.”

Seattle, which typically had no vessel waiting outside the port, in recent weeks reports congestion with an average of 12 to 15 vessels anchored in Puget Sound awaiting terminal space. Berthing delays in Seattle were up to two weeks, Hapag-Lloyd advised customers while reporting that chassis utilization is running at 80 percent with street dwell running 8.4 days for 40-foot chassis at the Seattle port.

The new Terminal 5 is expected to open in 2022 expanding Seattle’s capacity. The construction project includes the installation of four of the largest cranes on the West Coast. 

from Storage Containers https://maritime-executive.com/article/maersk-msc-and-zim-omit-seattle-calls-due-to-congestion via http://www.rssmix.com/

[hudsonespie]

Russia’s Only FSRU Completes First North Sea Route Voyage Carrying LNG

Russia is highlighting that its only floating storage and regasification vessel, the Marshal Vasilevsky, recently completed its first voyage along the North Sea Route as part of the efforts to promote the alternate sea route. The FSRU was being used to transport LNG to India.

The 967-foot vessel, loaded 162,500 cm on LNG in an operation lasting nearly 14 hours from the Yamal LNG facility at the port of Sabetta. On her way to the gas terminal, the FSRU crossed the eastern section of the Arctic operating in a slow-steaming mode with an average speed of 10 knots. While she encountered persistent fog and snow squalls, the vessel, which is Arctic 4 ice class meaning it can travel in ice up to approximately two and a half feet in thickness, was able to proceed without icebreaker support. 

The ship’s captain, Sergey Larchenko, said “Our first passage along the Northern Sea Route passed safely under favorable weather conditions,” in a statement Sovcomflot managers of the vessel. “Most of the time we navigated in clear water, in the East Siberian Sea there was small-sized one-year ice of 1-3 points, mainly 40-70 cm thick. There were separate ice floes up to 150 cm thick, which did not hinder navigation."

After completing the loading, the FSRU traveled along the North Sea Route on its voyage to India. It made calls at Singapore and Colombo before reaching the Indian port of Dabhol in about a month.

  Marshal Vasilevskiy transited the NSR is September to the Yamal LNG facility (Gazprom)

  The Marshal Vasilevsky was commissioned at a high-profile event in January 2019 attended by Vladimir Putin. The vessel, which was built by Hyundai in South Korea, was designed to operate in its role as a gas terminal in the Kaliningrad region. With a capacity of 174,000 cm of LNG, it was to improve the reliability of gas supplies in the region and provide an emergency capability in case of a disruption in the supply of LNG. The vessel had been idle for six months before the decision to use it to transport LNG.

This latest voyage comes as Russia is reporting a continued growth of shipments across the North Sea Route. Development of the shipping lane is a high priority for Russia personally backed by President Putin. The Russian Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport recently reported a 4.5 percent increase in traffic on the route so far in 2021 compared to last year. By current calculations, traffic on the route could exceed 35 million tons in 2021 up from just under 33 million tons last year.

While volume on the route continues to climb, it is still far short of President Putin’s goal of 80 million tons by 2024. ROSATOM, which is responsible for infrastructure operations on the North Sea Route has said that traffic is being built in segments. The long-term goal is to reach 150 million tons by 2030.

Last summer, the Russians announced a new deal with DP World. Together, the companies are exploring developing the infrastructure required for container shipping on the North Sea Route.  

from Storage Containers https://maritime-executive.com/article/russia-s-only-fsru-completes-first-north-sea-route-voyage-carrying-lng via http://www.rssmix.com/

[hudsonespie]

Japan Plans LNG Research to Reduce Methane Slip

While LNG is being increasingly adopted by the shipping industry as a near-term path to lowering CO2 emissions, it is also drawing criticism from environmentalists and other organizations due to the release of methane into the atmosphere. A collation of Japanese companies is receiving support from Japan’s government for a new project to develop and demonstrate new technologies to reduce the harmful environmental impact from LNG-fueled vessels.

Shipping companies adopting LNG-fueled propulsion are quick to highlight the benefits of reduced SOx and NOx emissions, LNG fuel has the effect of reducing CO2emissions. Engines using LNG can be prone to the problem known as methane slip, where unburned fuel is expelled in the exhaust. 

The challenges of addressing methane slip have contributed to the criticism of LNG. The World Bank in April 2021 released a report dismissing the long-term role of LNG based on the problems of methane slip. The financial institution recommended instead investing in ammonia and hydrogen-based fuels which it identified as the best solutions to address the need to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions. The industry trade group SEA-LNG responded saying that the World Bank was using outdated information on methane slip and cautioned against waiting for future fuels that are yet to be proven. They contended that the engine manufacturers were making progress to reduce the release of methane.

Recognizing that reducing methane slip is a pressing issue in engine design, Japan’s Hitachi Zosen Corporation, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, and Yanmar Power Technology Co. have received approval from the Japanese government’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) for their project for the "Development of Methane Slip Reduction Technology from LNG Fueled Vessels by Improving Catalysts and Engines."

In this project, the partners aim to achieve a methane slip reduction rate of more than 70 percent for LNG-fueled vessels over the next six years. The reduction will be achieved by combining methane oxidation catalysts and engine improvements thereby further reducing the environmental impact of LNG-fueled vessels

Yanmar Power will also commission Namura Shipbuilding, together with Hitachi Zosen and MOL to establish the technology required to install the system developed in this research on actual ships.

The system will be installed in a coal carrier built at the Namura Shipbuilding and operated by MOL for demonstration of the methane slip reduction technology. The partners said they will work to establish the technology as soon as possible. They plan to utilize the technology developed utilizing carbon-recycled methane for additional applications thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the use of LNG.

from Storage Containers https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/japan-plans-lng-research-to-reduce-methane-slip via http://www.rssmix.com/

[hudsonespie]

Lost Containers From Zim Kingston Wash Up in Remote Wilderness Area

Three containers from the boxship Zim Kingston have drifted ashore near Cape Scott Provincial Park, a remote wilderness area on the northwestern tip of Vancouver Island. 

According to local CHEK News, response officials confirmed Wednesday that three boxes and "additional debris" had floated onto the shores of the pristine coastal park. A Canadian Coast Guard helicopter has deployed to the scene to investigate the containers and find out the contents.

The Zim Kingston encountered heavy swells and sustained severe rolling off the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca last Friday. At the time, her crew estimated that she lost 40 containers over the side due to extreme motion. On Wednesday, officials updated the loss estimate to 109 boxes (including containers that have since sunk or grounded). One damaged container stack caught fire and burned after the the cargo loss incident, delaying an accurate estimate of how many boxes had gone missing. 

"There have been some discrepancies in the number - 106, 109; various reports. Right now, our best count is 109. This is still an ongoing challenge, of course, and it could change,” deputy federal incident commander Mariah McCooey told CHEK News.

The lost containers included boxes full of auto parts, furniture, toys, Christmas decorations, paddleboards, yoga mats and industrial components. Two missing containers were filled with unspecified dangerous goods, according to the Canadian Coast Guard.

Drift model for Zim Kingston's containers (Courtesy Canadian Coast Guard)

The floating containers have been drifting northwest, parallel to the west coast of Vancouver Island. The shipowner has contracted with a salvage company to attempt to recover floating boxes when weather and surface conditions allow; persistent heavy swells have interfered with the operation so far. The U.S. Coast Guard is encouraging mariners to keep a sharp eye for loose containers off the island's Pacific coast and to report them to the Canadian Coast Guard.

Officials have asked the public not to open any containers or take the contents if boxes are found on shore.

from Storage Containers https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/lost-containers-from-zim-kingston-wash-up-in-remote-wilderness-area via http://www.rssmix.com/

[hudsonespie]

Maritime Leaders Call for Government Support for Decarbonization

Days before the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) is due to begin in Glasgow, leaders from across all sectors of the maritime industry have come together calling on governments and international regulators to take decisive action in support of shipping decarbonization. Saying that they recognize the urgency of their efforts and believe that decarbonization is achievable, the shipping industry is collectively asked governments to work together with the industry to deliver the policies and investments needed to reach critical tipping points in decarbonizing global supply chains and the global economy.

More than 200 industry leaders and organizations signed the Call to Action for Shipping Decarbonization developed by the Getting to Zero Coalition, a partnership between the Global Maritime Forum, the World Economic Forum, and Friends of Ocean Action. Shipping companies and operators joined with service and consultancies and the ports as well from the sectors of finance, energy, manufacturing shipping customers, shipbuilding, and infrastructure, united in their call for action.

“With the Call to Action, leaders from across the maritime value chain send a strong signal to governments meeting in Glasgow next week that it’s time to raise ambitions and commit to fully decarbonize international shipping by 2050. If governments want to be climate heroes at COP26, they must also be climate heroes at the International Maritime Organization, where urgent action is needed to put international shipping on a just and equitable Paris-aligned pathway,” says Johannah Christensen, Chief Executive Officer, Global Maritime Forum.

Fears have been raised that the IMO is losing its leadership role in shaping the policy for the decarbonization of shipping. Multiple regulators and authorities around the globe are stepping in creating a patchwork of initiatives to oversee the shipping industry. In the report with the Call to Action, they also detail the range of efforts underway by the individual companies to address the challenges. The report says the measuring and reporting emissions data has been the first step toward decarbonization and more than half of signatories report that they have started or are participating in research, development, and demonstration efforts.

The industry recognizes that zero emission and zero emission capable vessels need to be ordered with more than a quarter of the participants reporting that they have already taken actions ordering new vessels. They however also identify the need for the shippers to use zero emission services all along the supply chain as well as the need to invest in creating zero emission fuels and building the bunkering infrastructure to support the industry’s transition.

“The Call to Action demonstrates that there is broad industry support for the decarbonization of shipping and shows the many actions and commitments that are already being made by companies,” said the report. It also specifies what is needed from governments to fully decarbonize the sector by 2050.

Specifically, signatories call on governments to commit to decarbonizing international shipping by 2050. To achieve this, they say that governments work together with the IMO to deliver policy measures that will make zero emission shipping the default choice by 2030. Support they say is required for industrial-scale zero emission shipping projects through national action.

The initiative being led by the Global Maritime Forum delivered the Call to Action to the UK Presidency of COP26 before the opening of the COP26 conference on October 31. Directly after the meeting which runs till November 12, the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) is due to meet to consider a broad range of initiatives aimed at the industry’s efforts to decarbonize. The IMO has been under pressure to act from a broad range of governments and organizations, with many saying that the IMO’s 50 percent targets by 2050 are too long and not strong enough.  The EU for example is pushing forward with its Fuel EU Maritime proposals designs to accelerate the adopting of alternative fuels, while the United States and others have said industry broadly must be carbon neutral by 2050.

Signatories to the Call to Action for Shipping Decarbonization include major shipping lines A.P. Moller- Maersk, BW LPG, Cargill Ocean Transportation, Carnival Corporation, Hapag-Lloyd, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, and others. Broad segments of the maritime industry participating in the initiative also include BP, Citi, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, Lloyd’s Register, Panama Canal Authority, Port of Rotterdam, and others.

from Storage Containers https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/maritime-leaders-call-for-government-support-for-decarbonization via http://www.rssmix.com/