The role of Inmarsat as the sole provider of satellite technology performing to Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) standards is set for advancement after an IMO Sub-Committee decided to greenlight consideration of both FleetBroadband and Fleet One for formal approval. To date, Inmarsat is the only company that has received approval from the International Maritime Organization to provide…
“The most important aspect of saving fuel and energy on board a vessel, is the crew,” Peter Knudsen, managing director at Blueflow Energy Management told VPO Global. The maritime industry has taken huge strides to improve the performance of the global fleet with the development of new technologies, increasing quantities of data, and improved connectivity between ship and shore. Advanced…
Theo de Lange, Commercial Manager, Van Oord Offshore Wind Projects, says that despite some delayed projects, Europe’s Offshore Wind cable-laying demand is expected to grow rapidly. “UK Round 3 projects, but also German and probably also Dutch projects, are moving farther away from shore, into deeper waters. That means those vessels doing the cable-laying need to be suitable for rougher…
A fully electric zero-emission passenger vessel, Future of the Fjords, has been launched in Norway. It is the result of a collaboration between several industry partners that wanted to develop an environmentally conscious, no emissions vessel. Comprising an electric propulsion system and a Power Dock floating charging station that can take on grey and black water to ensure no sewage…
The Dutch Police has ordered six patrol vessels from Damen Shipyards for its ‘Zeehavenpolitie’ and ‘Landelijke Eenheid’ units. Three of the new vessels are seagoing (Stan Patrol 2506), while the other three are for the inland waterways (Stan Patrol 2005). All six will be built at Damen’s headquarters in Gorinchem in the Netherlands, and are due to be delivered between…
With 114 journeys every day, the Svanhild ferry has a heavy workload in transporting passengers and cars between two Swedish islands. The roll-on roll-off (Ro-Ro) vessel makes 57 return trips between the islands of Lilla Varholmen and Bjorko, west of Gothenburg. Each journey on the 900m route takes around five minutes, but with such a busy schedule, time is of…
What once was a beacon of loveliness that would first catch your eye with its glorious sunset is now a down drum of uncleanliness, an eyesore of unseemliness that casts a sty. This is not the result of a mere slip-up but rather continuous discharge of toxic oil, industrial effluents, agricultural runoffs, untreated wastewater, and city garbage over the decades….
The principal role of maritime forces is war fighting. This includes searching for, surveillance of, and combat engagement with the adversary’s battle fleet. The aim is to control the sea lines of communications including the chokepoints or deny their use by the enemy in order to achieve the enduring national interests: territorial integrity and political independence. Maritime forces initiate naval…
In my column in the MR 18-1 (Jan-Feb 2018) issue of this magazine, I wrote about the need to look at coastal towns with tourism potential and figure out how to turn around development deficiencies (e.g., correcting zoning, construction and, environmental violations). I wrote in particular about Coron for four reasons: (1) I’ve been familiar with most coastal communities, including…
“FVR is now being besieged by cascading, emerging dots to be connected, clamoring to be prioritized, and then to be brought to the attention of PRRD. KAYA NATIN ITO!” – Mae Gaffud, Executive Director, RPDEV BOAO FORUM FOR ASIA, HAINAN AND 10TH FVR GOLF CUP, TAIWAN. Another welcome development was the editorial announcement “Duterte In Boao” (Malaya, 02-April-2018), to wit:…
For decades, Filipinos have been making a mark in the maritime industry as competent and skilled seafarers ready to set sail in any circumstances and opportunities that await them. Indeed, it takes more than bare knowledge to be able to stay focused and dedicated to this career path. That is why over the years, not just the number of Filipino…
Introduction There appears to be much disagreement, if not chaos, arising from discussions on certain law of the sea concerns of the Philippines. Politics is clearly a factor here, but undeniably, there is likewise an issue concerning the appreciation of the law(s). As a sovereign state, the Philippines has a government and exercises sovereignty over its subjects and its territory….
The filing of a case against China was a historic moment in Philippine foreign relations: it was the first time that the Philippines resorted to an international judiciary to settle a political dispute.1 In retrospect, the effort was well worth it, at least from a legal standpoint. On 12-July-2016, three years since filing the case on 22-January-2013, the Philippines secured…
Seafarers’ rights to Shore Leave have been strengthened through amendments, which entered into force globally on 1-January-2018, under the revised treaty, which aims to achieve the smooth transit in ports of ships, cargo and passengers. The amendments to the Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL Convention) also bring in a new requirement for national governments to introduce electronic…
Officials from various government entities in the Philippines have received training in how to develop a National Maritime Transport Policy (NMPT). The concept is being promoted by IMO as a good governance practice to guide planning, decision making and legislation in the maritime sector, and as a key driver for a country’s sustainable development. The event took place in Manila,…
“Great Powers, Grand Strategies: The New Game in the South China Sea,” edited by Anders Corr (U.S. Naval Institute Press, 2018), is a good read because it puts the South China Sea conflict into a global strategic context. In so doing, it looks at the movements of China well within the EEZ of Philippine coasts, a topic dear to my heart,…
As part of modernization, the Philippine Navy procured five new helicopters manufactured by Italy’s Agusta Westland to replace the ageing helicopters in its inventory. Three of these aircrafts that are in multi-role configuration were delivered in 2013 while the other two in armed-configuration came in 2015. These helicopters gave the Philippine Navy a great leap in terms of capabilities and…
On 15-March-2018, Navy Commander Alex Gianan, the last skipper of BRP Rajah Humabon, ordered his chief quartermaster to haul down the ship’s Commission Pennant to formally conclude her 38-year service in the Philippine Navy (PN). Philippine Fleet Commander RAdm Danilo Rodelas presided the Decommissioning Ceremony with Offshore Combat Force Commander Captain Caesar Bernard Valencia, Fleet senior officers, and 10 former…
Wärtsilä, a global technology group headquartered in Finland, announced on March 19 that it had acquired Transas, an innovative digital solutions provider headquartered in the UK. This acquisition is a recognition of Transas’ strong position in the maritime technologies market and its technological leadership. The transaction will allow Transas to work within a global maritime company in delivering its solutions,…
Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) are the future. They’re where the maritime industry is heading and more and more companies are already beginning to embrace the opportunities they bring to improve safety, reduce costs, speed up processes and collect more accurate data. UAS have particularly huge potential when it comes to inspections, surveys and maintenance. As well as eliminating the need…
Damen Shipyards Cape Town (DSCT) has received an order from Armscor – the acquisition agency for the South African Department of Defence – for three Inshore Patrol Vessels (IPV), with dimensions of 62 x 11 meters. The vessels form part of the South African Navy’s Project Biro. The project aims to develop South Africa’s maritime security, ensuring that the country…
The De Beers Group has confirmed that construction of the world’s largest diamond mining vessel has commenced. Local media outlet, New Era, highlighting the announcement, said the vessel would be used exclusively for operations off Namibia’s coast when it commences operation in 2021. Debmarine Namibia, a joint venture between the government of Namibia and De Beers, first announced a feasibility…
A new 36m long passenger ferry, Ocean Dragon 1, has began its maiden voyage, transiting from Bantam (Indonesia) to Johor Bahru (Malaysia), and vice versa. This is a friendly collaboration between the Malaysian and Indonesian governments in creating this new route to shorten the travelling time to 1 hour and 15 minutes between the two countries. Normally, passengers would have…
How can ports cut emissions to ensure cleaner air and contribute to the battle against climate change? First, ports need to quantify emissions in ports, and they need to identify measures to cost-effectively reduce port-related emissions. A strategic partnership between the IMO-executed GloMEEP energy efficiency project and the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) is helping selected countries to…
Scientific Family. The Giant Clams belong to the genus Tridacna (Bruguière 1797), of which Tridacna gigas is the largest living immobile bivalve mollusk in the world. The Giant Clam is known as “Taklobo” in the Philippines. They live in the shallow coral reefs of the South China Sea, West Philippine Sea, Sulo Sea, Red Sea, but mainly in the Indian…