The First Woman Captain From Egypt to Work as a Captain

Marwa Elselehdar has become the first woman to work as a sea captain in Egypt. Ms. Elselehdar enrolled in the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport in Egypt and joined the International Transport and Logistics Department, but she was more drawn to the Department of Maritime Transport and Technology. Marwa Elselehdar submitted an application to join and was…


Shipping Companies in ‘Impossible Position’ as Proof of Seafarer Vaccinations Poses Legal Minefield

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has warned that lack of access to vaccinations for seafarers is placing shipping in a ‘legal minefield’, while leaving global supply chains vulnerable. A legal document due to be circulated to the global shipping community later this week by ICS highlights concerns that vaccinations could soon become a compulsory requirement for work at sea…


Strengthening our Inter-Agency Cooperation to protect our National Interests

Introduction. The lack of maritime domain awareness and lack of expertise among countries in managing their maritime domain has allowed proliferation of lawlessness and crime on the seas. Organized crime and terrorism have become interconnected and more complex. A Philippine flag flutters from BRP Sierra Madre, a dilapidated Philippine Navy ship that has run aground since 1999 and became a…



Some Notes on the Inter-Organizational Coordination

Early this year, a joint team of the Bureau of Customs (BUCUS) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) apprehended a Chinese dredger “MV Zhonhai 68” for illegal and unauthorized presence in Philippine waters. Carrying a Sierra Leone flag and operated by Malaysian-registered HK Weifeng Hangyu Co. Ltd., the vessel was cleared by Cagayan Province authorities to leave the country more…


AMENDING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE ACT [NDA]: PHILIPPINE NAVY

In his inaugural speech as FOIC PN, VADM Giovanni Carlo J Bacordo highlighted 3 priority programs, namely: boost the capacity of the Naval Sea Systems Command; implement skills specialization for its personnel; and lastly, to modernize the mindset of every sailor and marine.[1] In this connection, Commander Jay Tristan Tarriela PCG, in an article at the Diplomat, averred that until…


Wave Prediction Becomes A Reality

Sigma S6 WaveSignal, launched this week by Rutter Inc., is the latest addition to the sigma S6 line of advanced radar processing systems. WaveSignal uses x-band radar and predictive analytics to determine when quiet periods in wave action will occur. This information will improve mariner safety while conducting on-deck operations, carrying out cargo or personnel transfers, and a host of other…


Reducing Methane Slip without compromising on Engine Performance

Swiss engine technology company WinGD is helping shipping companies to optimize engine combustion and reduce methane slip with a new intelligent dual fuel engine technology. Intelligent Control by Exhaust Recycling (iCER) is a new technology that has been brought to the market by engine specialists WinGD. The technology, which is integrated into the company’s new X-DF 2.0 engine design, recirculates…


Setting Sail for More Efficient and Greener Trade by Sea

Increasing Relevance of Reefers. Shipping lines continue to recognize the importance of trades involving fruit, frozen meats and other foodstuffs and are maximizing the reefer potential of vessels deployed on key shipping routes, such as the West Coast of South America (WCSA) or New Zealand. It is now relatively common-place for container vessels to offer more than one third of…


Stretching Green Possibilities for Shipping Fuels

Wider use of LNG will speed up transition, but it can’t end there. In this decade, we’ll see more accelerated change in shipping fuels than we’ve seen in the last century. What does this heightened diversity mean for shipowners? They must be nimbler than ever – a shift that requires work. It means “greening” supply chains, bolstering energy efficiency, nurturing more…


Revolutionizing Rechargeable Sodium-Ion Batteries with ‘Doped’ Carbon Anodes

As the world becomes aware of the imminent environmental crisis, scientists have begun a search for sustainable energy sources. Rechargeable batteries like lithium-ion batteries are seeing a popularity surge, concurrent with production of ‘greener’ technologies such as electric propulsion ships (which are being developed to meet the environmental regulations by the International Maritime Organization) and other electric vehicles. But, lithium…


New ABB Emission Monitoring Solution Helps Maritime Industry Achieve Decarbonization

The launch of ABB’s CEMcaptain will help shipping comply with the sulphur emission regulations that were enforced in 2020. In January 2020, the low SOx and NOx emission limits in the International Maritime Organization regulations became effective worldwide. CEMcaptain is a powerful emissions monitoring system from ABB designed to help the maritime industry meet these new regulations and become more…


630 Ships Sent for Demolition During 2020

According to new data released by the NGO Shipbreaking Platform, 630 ocean-going commercial ships and offshore units were sold to the scrap yards in 2020. Of these vessels, 446 large tankers, bulkers, floating platforms, cargo- and passenger ships were broken down on three beaches in South Asia, amounting to near 90% of the gross tonnage dismantled globally. Ships are considered…


Environmental Factors Enhance Diesel Electric Submarine Dominance in the Littoral Zone Battlespace

INTRODUCTION This article attempts to describe the difference between the two (2) submarine battlespaces in the littoral zone and open ocean for diesel electric submarines and nuclear attack submarines, and the inherent environmental factors in an arena of underwater warfare for type submarine that can be exploited to one’s own advantage by cognizant naval commanders. This research work by the…


South Korean Shipbuilders expect to Dominate Global Market on Back of LNG Carriers

South Korea retained its status as the world-leading shipbuilding industry last year despite many COVID-19 challenges. Experts forecast the new year will treat domestic shipbuilders better as they will benefit from the introduction of eco-friendly policies. South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering has developed a technology that helps determine the safety of liquefied natural gas carriers in its shipyards….


Philippines Support of Neptune Declaration Highlights Vital Role of Seafarers

Numerous manning agencies based in Manila support the Neptune Declaration, to ensure the wellbeing of seafarers affected by the crew change crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to local media, the Neptune Declaration was signed by over 450 maritime industry and human rights leaders, including Döhle Seafront Crewing (Manila), Philippine Transmarine Carriers (PTC), and OSM Maritime, representing the Philippines. Commenting…


Propelling The Maritime Industry Into A Decarbonized Future

With increasing demands on owners and operators to improve efficiency while also preparing for decarbonization targets, the maritime industry is facing multiple challenges. While the development of alternative fuels is a critical element in the decarbonization journey, the need to increase efficiency and reduce energy consumption is also a key part of this equation. Propulsion solutions are central to this…


OIM Wind to install KONGBERG Wind Turbine Installation Unit

Norway-based company OIM Wind will install a next-generation Wind Turbine Installation Unit (WTIU) by Kongsberg Maritime (KM) that will reduce energy consumption by up to 30 per cent. The installation is destined to be among the largest of its type. A Letter of Intent was signed between Chinese shipbuilder Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore and KM to deliver the BT-220IU Wind…


Seafarer Stories: Yrhen Bernard Balinis, Ordinary Seaman, Filipino

Our ‘Seafarer Stories’ new column hosts seafarers’ views who present briefly the key challenges of life and work onboard, providing a picture of what a career at sea actually means. In this context, we are happy to host an interview with Yrhen Bernard S. Balinis, an ordinary seaman from Philippines, who inspire us with his story. Yrhen shares his life-changer…


Shipping Needs to Raise Its Cyber Game

The shipping industry is lagging behind other industrial sectors in the all-important field of cyber security. Ben Densham, Chief Technology Officer of Nettitude, the cyber security services provider of Lloyd’s Register, warns of a rising incidence in attacks, with ransomware and targeted cyber assaults both becoming more common. “As the pace of shipping’s digital transformation accelerates, the threat surface is…


DA-BFAR Lifts Three-Month Galunggong Closed Season in Palawan

The Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) lifted the three-month closed fishing season on round scad or galunggong in northeastern Palawan on 31-January-2021. This marks the 6th year since it was first implemented in 2015. The province of Palawan is a major supplier of galunggong in Metro Manila with an average of 95% of galunggong catch…


Gov’t Agencies Join Hands in Restoration of Cagayan River after Typhoon Ulysses

The promise of President Rodrigo Duterte to normalize the lives of Cagayan residents and those in nearby provinces after the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses was further realized as government agencies pooled resources to restore the Cagayan River. Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade joined Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy Cimatu, Department of Public Works and…


Shipping industry Takes New Step to Protect Marine Environments

Cleaning a ship’s submerged parts from barnacles and other growths, while the ship is in the water, can transfer invasive species to local marine environments unless it is properly cleaned and the debris is captured. To combat this problem, and to provide clarity and quality assurance to shipowners, ports and government authorities, BIMCO and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS)…


Is Nuclear Power the Future of Shipping?

In 2019, everyone in shipping was waiting for 2020 and the introduction of the 2020 sulphur cap. 2020 came and in spite concerns that shipping would not be able to comply with the regulation, the majority of ships actually complies. New, green fuels, like LNG and hydrogen have sure helped, as well as scrubbers. However, the need for further decarbonization…


Enemy Beneath the Waves: Anti-Submarine Warfare Operations in the Philippine Navy during the 50’s

INTRODUCTION Submarine Warfare and Anti-Submarine Warfare is no stranger to the world’s Second largest archipelago as its waters were witness to the various naval battles of the last Pacific War between Submarines of the United States Navy against that of Imperial Japan and/or the other way around with the former during the Battle of Palawan Passage in October 1944 with…