The importance of nautical chart cannot be overemphasized. It is more important to a mariner than a map is to a driver. While the driver can see the road and the obstructions, a mariner cannot directly see the dangers underwater or around him. A chart is important for planning the route but equally important is its updateness to ensure the…
On 29-June-1964, the Philippine Navy lost its Flagship and First Destroyer Escort during the fury of Typhoon Winnie. The loss of a Flagship is a major loss to any Naval Force. Fortunately during this incident, none of the Officers and Crew were lost. Despite the harshness of Mother Nature, the ship’s entire complement braved the typhoon to save the ship…
Some 400,000 seafarers from across the globe are now stranded on ships, continuing to work but unable to be relieved, in a deepening crew change crisis which threatens trade and maritime safety. During a high-level event on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly (24 September), Captain Hedi Marzougui, who was in command of a vessel between December 2019…
In a virtual ceremony on 8 September, REV Ocean and the World Maritime University (WMU) signed an exciting new partnership agreement to join forces and find solutions to critical ocean issues. The agreement focuses on tackling marine debris, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU), and climate change through innovative education initiatives that will also support priority areas identified in the…
Today, in a new report, Decarbonizing Shipping: Setting Shell’s Course, Shell highlights the important role that hydrogen and fuel cells could play in achieving a decarbonized shipping sector. Calling for the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to adopt a clear trajectory to net-zero emissions by 2050, Shell outlines how it is contributing to accelerating the change needed in the industry to…
Using Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as a marine fuel is a sensible strategy amid tightening regulations, new economic realities and the development of the new zero carbon fuels of the future, says Panos Mitrou, Head of Gas, Lloyd’s Register (LR). Panos Mitrou, LR’s Global Gas Segment Manager, has been dealing with LNG as fuel for the past eight years. Over…
ExxonMobil has completed a successful sea trial of the company’s first marine biofuel oil with shipping company Stena Bulk, bunkered in the port of Rotterdam. The marine biofuel oil is a 0.50% sulphur residual-based fuel (VLSFO) processed with a second-generation waste-based FAME component (ISCC certified) —and will be available later this year— initially in Rotterdam before a wider launch across…
DNV GL – Maritime has released the 4th edition of its Maritime Forecast to 2050. The purpose of Maritime Forecast to 2050 is to enhance the ability of shipping stakeholders, especially shipowners, to navigate the technological, regulatory and market uncertainties in the industry, and set shipping on a pathway to decarbonization. It is based on a library of 30 scenarios…
News channels in multiple languages to support the mental health of the crew are now available via Marlink’s Xchange. Marlink, the world’s leading provider of end-to-end managed smart network solutions has extended its partnership with software and service provider Quadrille to provide a dedicated news and information channel to Marlink maritime customers. Marlink and Quadrille are thus expanding their existing…
LNG as fuel has long been considered the industry’s last, best hope to meet the IMO’s ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030. So why aren’t we seeing more LNG retrofits on existing tonnage? In April 2018, MEPC 72 adopted resolution MEPC.304(72) on the Initial IMO Strategy on reduction of GHG emissions from ships. The IMO has…
Marine engineering and equipment development company TECO 2030 and engineering firm AVL List have announced plans to develop a hydrogen fuel cell system specifically designed for heavy-duty marine applications. The companies have been working to develop the TECO Marine Fuel Cell, with the aim to market the first proton-exchange membrane fuel cell system specifically designed for marine applications. The three-year…
The US Coast Guard will soon acquire a new autonomous vessel for testing and evaluating the capabilities of available autonomous vessel technology, as part of its regulatory changes for the development of autonomous maritime systems. Boston-based Sea Machines Robotics announced it has partnered with Louisiana-based shipbuilder Metal Shark Boats, to supply the USCG’s Research and Development Center (RDC) with a…
On 12-October-2020 in Ålesund, Norway, Maritime Partner AS delivered to Loppa Legeskyssbåter AS the MV Thea Jensen, a Loppa Ambulance boat. After four months of outfitting at Maritime Partner’s shipyard in Ålesund, Norway’s largest ambulance catamaran has been handed over to shipowner Loppa Legeskyssbåter. It is Maritime Partner’s build number 2168. She will be stationed in Øksfjord in the North…
CE Delft issued a new study, in which it finds that scrubbers have a lower climate impact than low-sulphur fuels. Specifically, the study finds that the CO2-emissions associated using a scrubber vary between 1.5% and 3% for a number of representative ships. In many cases, the emissions caused by the production of low-sulphur fuels for these ships are higher, depending…
Kongsberg Maritime and Massterly (a Kongsberg Wilhelmsen joint venture) have signed contracts with the leading Norwegian grocery distributor ASKO to equip two new vessels with autonomous technology, and to manage their operations at sea. With Norwegian companies delivering around 60% of the investment, this is a major milestone for the growth of sustainable maritime operations in Norway. The fully electric…
At ports around the world, anchored vessels sit in the distance, waiting for permission to dock, resulting in fuel waste, higher carbon emissions, and congestion. Is there a solution to this problem? In most cases, cargo ships arriving at port are assigned a docking space on a first-come-first-served basis. This method of port arrivals has, in effect, created a queueing…
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As an archipelagic State, the Philippines’ maritime interests go beyond the West Philippine Sea / South China Sea, although it usually gets the most public attention. While promoting and protecting the rights of the Philippines in that area, the Department of Foreign Affairs, in particular the Maritime and Ocean Affairs Office, has also been tirelessly making efforts in addressing other…
The global commons refer to the four domains where mother earth’s shared natural resources, outside of national jurisdiction, are found: maritime, air, space and cyberspace. Among these, the oldest is the maritime domain, followed by air in early 20th century with the discovery of human flight; followed by airspace with the launching of satellites into outer space in the 1950s;…
Notably preceded and followed by major military movements, I wonder what would be the impact on RP’s claim on certan islands and sea areas in the SCS. Alfred Thayer Mahan (1840-1914), graduate of the US Naval Naval Academy, wrote of the interdependence of military might and seaborne commerce, “whoever controls the sea lanes controls the islands; who controls islands controls…
ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC) today released its Half-Yearly Report 2020 (January-June). Highlights of the Report, whose information is verified by the respective government agencies, also known as ReCAAP Focal Points, and regional authorities, are summarized below: Overall Situation 51 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships (comprising 50 actual and 1 attempted incident) were reported in Asia during…
On 29-June-1964, the Philippine Navy lost its Flagship and our First Destroyer Escort during the fury of Typhoon Winnie. The loss of a Flagship is a major loss to any Naval Force; fortunately, during this incident none of the Officers and Crew was lost. Despite the harshness of Mother Nature, the ship’s entire complement fought bravely to save the ship…
Many actors including those[1] who participated in the recently published guide on “Just In Time” acknowledged the need for improved communication between ship and shore-side. Although, the guide focuses only on ships that sometimes wait due to the lack of updates from port stakeholders, it is also important and fair to remind that cooperation between shipping lines and port terminals…
Growth in seaborne perishable cargo slowed in 2019 but is forecast to better weather the COVID-19 induced economic storm than the dry cargo trade given the broader resilience of the food supply chain. Meanwhile, availability of refrigerated container equipment is forecast to tighten as buoyant trade and continued modal shift boost expansion in reefer cargo carried by containerships, according to…
Over the long months of the global pandemic, with many countries still struggling to flatten the curve on the graph of the number of people infected by Covid-19, the Philippines has played and continues to play its part in the battle to control, if not eradicate, the deadly virus. At the time of this writing, Metro Manila remains under General…