Wärtsilä to deliver World’s first Hybrid Retrofit for short-sea Shipping Vessel

The technology group Wärtsilä has signed an agreement with the international shipping company Hagland Shipping AS for a hybrid retrofit installation. The project will take place onboard the ‘Hagland Captain’, a general cargo vessel owned by Hagland Shipping. It will be the first project of its kind ever in short-sea shipping applications. The agreement was signed in December 2018. The…


PCG to Construct New Lighthouse in Tubbataha

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) will be constructing a new lighthouse in the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (TRNP). The delivery schedule for the PCG lighthouse is 360 calendar days. The lighthouse is targeted for construction within the year on the South Atoll of the marine natural park. It shall also serve as its protection against possible ship groundings. “Now that…


Eight Low-Emission Vessel Concept Designs

The shipping industry is ramping up its efforts to decarbonize by exploring the use of alternative fuels and technologies. Last week, a study led by Lloyd’s Register reveals that zero-emission vessels need to be entering the world fleet by 2030 if the industry is to come close to achieving the IMO 2050 GHG emissions reduction target. Shipping’s decarbonization will not…


Submarine Design Envelope (Diesel Electric and Nuclear)

INTRODUCTION This article provides summaries of operational limitations of a submarine, as well as basic mechanics about how a submarine operates at the surface, underwater, between the sea surface and bottom of the seabed, and how to float back to the surface. Below are the cycles showing how a submarine operates, as illustrated in Fig. 1. To prove how this…


South Korea Regains Top Spot in 2018 Shipbuilding Orders

The world’s shipbuilding companies are concentrated in three East Asian countries – China, South Korea, and Japan – that when combined control 90% of global market share. But finally, after seven years, South Korean shipyards have recaptured the lead in annual shipbuilding orders secured, according to newly released data from Clarkson Research institute. South Korea lost its No. 1 rank…


The Port Management Office of Lanao del Norte/Iligan (PMO LNI)

The Port Management Office of Lanao del Norte/Iligan is one of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) ports located along the northern central coastal areas of Mindanao facing the Iligan Bay. The Port of Iligan is its baseport. History of Iligan Baseport. The Spanish Colonial Government started to develop the seaport of Iligan in the early 18th century. The earliest structure…


GloFouling Project launched to protect Marine Biodiversity

GloFouling Partnerships: A collaboration of GEF, UNDP and IMO to address bioinvasions on ships’ hulls and other marine structures IMO Launches Biofouling Initiative. A new international effort to combat the negative environmental impacts of the transfer of aquatic species through ships has been launched in November 2018. The GloFouling Partnerships Project, a collaboration between the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the…


Lake Buhi

The Bicol Peninsula is rich in natural resources and is a region known for its scenic destinations. The most famous lake in the Bicol region is Lake Buhi for its serene panorama. It is a 1,800 hectare freshwater lake, 8 meters deep, created out of volcanic activity, and is located in the town of Buhi, Camarines Sur. The lake derived…


Why do Beaked Whales return to a Navy sonar range despite frequent disturbance? Scientists say it’s the food

Using data from underwater robots, scientists discovered that Beaked Whales prefer to feed within a Navy sonar test range off Southern California that have dense patches of deep-sea squid. A new study published in the Journal of Applied Ecology shows that Beaked Whales need these prey hotspots to survive, and that similar patches do not exist in nearby “sonar-free” areas….


U.S. Navy May Build Wall to Defend HQ from Climate Change

The U.S. Navy is contemplating on building a high 14-foot seawall to protect the Navy Yard in Southeast Washington, D.C. from rising sea levels, an effect of climate change. The Navy Yard is the Navy’s oldest installation. It was established in 1799 as a shipbuilding facility and port, and later used for making ordnance, and then turned into an administrative…



Fishery Protection: A Challenge to Maritime Forces

With over 2 million square kilometers of coastal and oceanic waters connecting the archipelago, the Philippine fishery is one of the major sources of food and income of the population. This area contains a common property resource – fishery and aquatic – that needs protection for the present and future generations. Recent reports indicate that among the country’s major economic…


PH-US Relations: The Bells of Balangiga and Bauang

The Maritime Forum this January stresses international relations and emphatically the DFA will host the 141st Maritime Forum. As we enter a new year and get closer to the next decade, will there be an improvement in our relations with our erstwhile former closest ally and benefactor? The United States has been the favorite “punching bag” of President Rodrigo Duterte…


Solving Present-Day Challenges Through the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals

About three months ago, I informed the management and readership of Manila Bulletin of the doctor’s advice for me to go on medical leave, which I did starting 19-October-2018, with a request to accommodate for publication in the same column-space any article I might submit from time-to-time, when opportunities arise. Crucial issues have been hounding not just the Philippines but…


Strengthening Our Hydrographic Office to Secure Our Future

This year is a milestone year for the global hydrographic community. 100 years ago or in June 1919, the 1st International Hydrographic Conference was held in London. It marks the beginning towards the creation of an international bureau for hydrography. Today, the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) is the authoritative worldwide hydrographic body which actively engages all coastal and interested States…


Federalism in Canada: An Observation

I have been going back and forth to Canada for the last 10 years visiting my son’s family, staying in for six to eight months and I have observed and read about how a federal government works. Canada is located on the northern boundary of the of United States which lies in the south of Canada, and extends to the…


Asian Seafaring Nations Announce First Ever Manila Statement on the Fair Treatment of Seafarers

A Regional Meeting of Asia’s leading seafaring nations has highlighted the plight seafarers face in the event of a maritime accident and has pledged to lead the drive towards proper and effective implementation of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and International Labor Organization (ILO) agreed Guidelines on the Fair Treatment of Seafarers. The Regional Meeting, held in Manila on 13-November,…


Procedures: Mooring Line Handling Tips

Mooring and unmooring operations provide the circumstances for potentially serious accidents. There is no doubt that this duty requires a good technique initially in lifting the heavy eye of the rope, followed by a good pulling technique. Care must be taken, therefore with the laying out of heavy mooring ropes and wire ropes/hawsers. Seafarers involved in mooring operations should be…


US Announces Roadmap to Accelerate Offshore Wind

The National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium (Consortium), the first federally funded public-private partnership focused on advancing research and development to accelerate the offshore wind industry in the United States, today announced the release of its first Research and Development Roadmap (Roadmap) to advance offshore wind technology, drive wind innovation and combat climate change. Established in response to industry-led…


The Fjords Announces New Zero Emission Vessel

The Fjords is to add another all-electric, zero emission passenger vessel to its fleet. The Legacy of The Fjords is under construction at Brødrene Aa and will join the hybrid Vision of The Fjords and all-electric Future of The Fjords once complete. Legacy of The Fjords will employ a specially constructed Power Dock, an innovative, floating, charging solution originally designed…


Life Support Systems Design Inside the Submarines

INTRODUCTION The atmospheric characteristics inside the submarine are importantly equal to the submarine’s major ship systems such as propulsions, navigations and sensors, weapons, auxiliaries, etc. A need to ensure an efficient and reliable health and safety of the submarine’s complements and ship machineries from atmospheric pollutants is definitely a must. To achieve and maintain this goal, an atmospheric control system…




The Port of Zamboanga

The Port of Zamboanga is a seaport located in Zamboanga City located in western Mindanao. The international container Port of Zamboanga ranked 2nd in Asia according to the 2010 Super Efficient Ports in Asia study (African Journal of Business Management Vol. 5(4), pp. 1397-1407, 2011). Zamboanga City is the commercial and industrial center of the Zamboanga Peninsula, which faces the…


Taal Lake

The Taal Lake, also known as Talisay Lake and Bombón Lake, is a circular fresh water lake located in the Province of Batangas, in Southern Luzon with over 26,700 hectares. As a child, I frequented my great grandaunt’s house by the ridge of Tagaytay City, overlooking Taal Lake. Every year, I was awestruck by the beauty of Taal Volcano, its…