Five Eyes countries working to fight critical minerals dumping, Canada minister says

Reuters | April 23, 2024 | 

Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario. Credit: Adobe Stock

Canada and its Five Eyes Alliance partners are working on put forward a response to tackle the price manipulation of critical metals, Canada’s Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Tuesday.


The US, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have what is called the Five Eyes intelligence sharing network and the finance ministers from these countries met last Thursday for the spring session of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington.

Freeland said that she and her counterparts from the Five Eyes Alliance discussed last week on how these countries could “friendshore” their critical minerals supply chain to fight the dumping of critical minerals in the international market by large producing countries, such as China and Indonesia.

The World Economic Forum describes ‘friendshoring’ as a trade practice where supply chain networks are focused on countries that are regarded as political and economic allies.

Freeland said Canada and its allies believe that nickel and other rare earth minerals are intentionally flooded in the market with the purpose of driving Canadian and companies from allied countries out of business.

“Canada is actively working what we can do to discuss collective responses,” she said, adding that economic security needs to be part of national security. Freeland was addressing the media at the annual First Nations Major Projects Coalition conference in Toronto.

Canada has listed 31 metals as critical minerals, which are necessary towards future energy and technology transition.

Dumping is an anti-competitive trade practice in which a country exports certain products at a price lower than what is sold in its home country.

In March this year, Canada’s Natural Resource Minister Jonathan Wilkinson had echoed similar concerns regarding price manipulation and dumping of metals used in electric vehicles.

Canada as part of its effort to encourage investments in the critical metal and electric vehicle supply chain has offered investment tax credits in its recent annual budget that is set to attract interest from global car makers such as Honda.

Freeland said that while the US has the Inflation Reduction Act, legislation aimed at investments in clean energy that transformed the global investment landscape, Canada’s investment policy is the only one in the world that gives the US “a run for its money”.

(By Divya Rajagopal)

Eurasian Resources denies circumventing Congo subcontracting laws

Reuters | April 24, 2024 | 

Chambishi plant. Image by Eurasian Resources.

Kazakh miner Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) has denied accusations it tried to bypass Democratic Republic of Congo’s subcontracting laws designed to boost local ownership in the mining sector, job creation, and benefits to the country’s economy.


In a statement published last week, Congo’s government accused ERG of passing off nine subcontracting companies as majority partners with “fictitious” shares in order to circumvent legislation requiring that Congolese shareholders own 50% of subcontracting shares.

The Regulatory Authority for Subcontracting in the Private Sector, a government body, said that more than $535 million in sales had wrongly gone to foreign-owned subcontractors in 2023.

It said it would “take appropriate measures followed by exemplary sanctions” against what it described as the “proven cases of fraud.”

The fraud has been discovered within ERG’s assets Metalkol, Comide, Frontier, Boss Mining and its subcontractors Rocada, Roche Solide, Standar Fiable, Technologies Global, Etalon SA, Surtek, Socom, Transversal and Vision, the regulator said.

On Wednesday, ERG responded to the accusations, stating that the subcontractors were not directly associated with it.

“ERG categorically denies any involvement in illicit activities,” the company said in a statement, adding that it has been exchanging information with the regulatory authority.

Luxembourg-Based ERG is owned jointly by 3 private shareholders and the government of Kazakhstan which has the remaining 40% stake.

The firm is addressing identified discrepancies in contracts with suppliers found ineligible under applicable laws, and actively seeking alternative suppliers, ERG said.

Congo state miner Gecamines said in February it had made an offer to buy three of ERG’s copper and cobalt assets in the country.

(By Ange Kasongo, Felix Njini, Sonia Rolley and Portia Crowe; Editing by Anait Miridzhanian and Elaine Hardcastle)

Ghana miners seek termination of Future Global Resources’ lease

Bloomberg News | April 24, 2024 |

Bogoso-Prestea underground gold mine in Ghana. Credit: Golden Star Resources.

Ghana Mine Workers Union is demanding the termination of the mining lease of Future Global Resources Ltd. because the company lacks the finances to invest and operate the Bogoso-Prestea gold mine it acquired more than three years ago.


The 15,000-member union is planning demonstrations Thursday and Friday in the capital, Accra, to urge the government to withdraw the license of the unit of UK-based Blue International Holdings, Abdul-Moomin Gbana, general secretary of the union, said in a phone interview.

“Since FGR took over the business in 2020 it hasn’t invested anything in the business and clearly it has brought the business to its knees,” Gbana said. “Since December mining activity has been at standstill after the state energy producer cut supply to the mine for nonpayment of bills,” he said.

Acting General Manager of Future Global Resources Ltd. Ken Allen did not respond to phone calls and text message Wednesday seeking comment.

The company owes millions of dollars to mainly local suppliers and vendors, and workers have virtually been out of work in the past four months, he said. The mine, which was producing 150,000 ounces of gold a year prior to acquisition, now struggles to turn out 60% of that, he said.

Blue International Holdings formed FGR in 2020 as a wholly owned subsidiary to acquire high quality long-term mining assets in sub-Saharan Africa, according to its website. In October that year it took over the Bogoso-Prestea mine located in the Ashanti Region of Africa’s biggest gold producer for about $95 million.

“We take the view that the inability of FGR to invest into the business and thus the untold hardship that our members continue to go through, are what are accounting for our decision to embark on this demonstration,” Gbana said. “We want to bring to the attention of the government that FGR has not been able to comply with the dictates of the lease and for that matter the mining lease should be terminated so that the mine can be put on sale.”

Future Global Resources Ltd. owns 90% of the mine and the government of Ghana holds 10%. FGR bought the mine from Toronto-based Golden Star Resources Ltd., which was later acquired in 2022 by China’s Chifeng Jilong Gold Mining Co.

(By Moses Mozart Dzawu)

 

Two Dead, Six Injured in First Quarter at S. Asian Shipbreaking Yards

File image courtesy NGO Shipbreaking Platform

PUBLISHED APR 23, 2024 5:21 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

Shipbreaking remains dirty and dangerous work, particularly in South Asia, the NGO Shipbreaking Platform reminded the industry in its latest update. While South Asian beaching yards pay far more per tonne for end-of-life tonnage, they have a certain ESH reputation from years of fatalities and injuries, which continued in recent months. 

In Pakistan, two workers were killed when an iron plate fell onto them at Dewan Shipbreaking, one of the many plots in Gadani. The local union reports that the workers were dismantling the bulker Catherine Bright when they were crushed, and claims that they were forced to work without proper safety measures in place. The union claims that the workers' bodies were quietly buried at night, without any post-mortem, in order to reduce liability exposure for the yard owner and labor contractor. 

"Pakistani authorities have failed to impose necessary measures to safeguard sustainable ship recycling practices. The killing of Qasim and Mustafa adds to a growing number of deaths that could have been avoided in Gadani, where fifteen vessels have been beached in the past year," said NGO Shipbreaking Platform in a statement. 

The quarter also saw at least six significant injuries, all in Bangladesh. Two security guards were injured in a fall in the engine room of Chinese-owned Hao 3. A worker in the Hong Kong Convention-compliant yard SN Corporation broke a leg aboard the Japanese-owned Sight, sold via a cash buyer. A torch operator injured his back in a fall aboard Chinese-owned Jin Hai Xi, and another two workers were hurt while dismantling the Malaysian-owned tanker Nautica. 

NGO Shipbreaking Platform has tallied a total of 449 deaths and 408 injuries at South Asian yards since 2009, or one casualty for every 10 ships broken. The NGO believes that injuries are widely underreported, and that the true count is likely higher. 

To deal with the aftermath of these accidents, the NGO sets up periodic healthcare and training events for injured workers, hoping to rehabilitate them for other trades where their disabilities will not prevent them from earning a living. The group is collecting donations for this mission, and the costs are relatively low at about $400 for a six-month vocational training for one worker.  

 

Polymeric Solutions Contributing to Maritime Decarbonization

Fender attached to eWolf during construction

PUBLISHED APR 24, 2024 12:32 PM BY BELZONA

 

A range of new technologies are emerging to help the maritime sector meet the challenges of decarbonization. Belzona, a designer and manufacturer of polymer repair composites and industrial protective coatings, recently participated in the effort to complete the United States’ first all-electric tugboat, the eWolf. The company provides unique solutions that make repairs possible supporting a circular economic business model that further mitigates carbon emissions.

Meeting the emerging international regulations and the International Maritime Organization’s aspirational goals for reducing carbon emissions will require a tripling of renewable energy capacity and a doubling of energy efficiency improvements by 2030. One of the fundamental ways in which the maritime sector can achieve these goals is through “scalable zero-emission fuels,” and other pioneering technologies. The eWolf, as the U.S.’s first zero-emission tug powered by electricity from its battery system, is a huge step forward in terms of decarbonization.

Launched in 2023, the 82-foot (25-meter) eWolf is leading the way in terms of mitigating the climate impact of the maritime sector. Over the first 10 years of its use, the operation of the new “eTug” will reduce 178 tons of nitrogen oxide (NOx), 2.5 tons of diesel particulate matter, and 3,100 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), versus a conventional tugboat.

The eWolf is capable of speeds of up to 12 knots and will be powered by a 6.2 megawatt-hour main propulsion battery and two electric motors. The electricity comes from a charging station that is part of a microgrid facility, equipped with two energy storage containers. Battery modules in each container have a storage capacity of nearly 1.5 megawatt-hours.

 

eWolf's forward fender held together with come-alongs during the curing process

 

Bonding Solution Required for Front Fender

The front fender for the eWolf needed to be bonded together using a strong adhesive that would withstand pushing and pulling forces during the process of adhering the fender to the eTug. Having established confidence in Belzona technology from using their polymeric systems in previous applications, the customer chose Belzona once again for the application.

Following an inspection by Micah Heath, Technical Consultant at Belzona Distributorship, Belzona Alabama, the fast curing, one-part elastomeric primer, Belzona 2911 (Elastomer QD Conditioner), was specified. This conditioner is optimized for adhesion to a variety of substrates including rubber, as required for this particular application. For the bonding, the polyurethane resin, Belzona 2211, was specified. This flexible rubber repair material is optimized for applications where high build, durability, and elasticity are required.

“Once the required surface preparation was completed using grinding wheels and MBX Bristle Blaster, the conditioner, Belzona 2911 (Elastomer QD Conditioner), was applied,” explains Heath. “As soon as the conditioner was touch dry, Belzona 2211 was used to attach the plugs into the fender, and then attach the three-part fender together. The application team used a manual cable puller to apply the necessary pressure to ensure the various surfaces were sufficiently pressed together. Once completed, the application was left for 36 hours to cure, achieving an excellent mechanical bond.”

 

Fender plugs prior to attachment

Polyurethane resin, Belzona 2211, applied to prepared surface

 

Contributing to the Circular Economic Business Model

In addition to pioneering technology like the eTug, Belzona highlights that polymeric systems also play a key role in the decarbonization of the maritime sector. Belzona’s circular economic business model is grounded in the practice of repairing and improving damaged assets, rather than decommissioning and replacing them. Not only does this allow the asset owner to make considerable financial savings, but it also mitigates the carbon footprint incurred during the process of replacing damaged assets. In turn, this supports a net zero by 2050 pathway, in line with the Paris Agreement.

In addition, Belzona systems are manufactured according to the ISO 9001 quality management systems and are approved by classification societies from all around the world including Lloyd’s Register, American Bureau of Shipping, Bureau Veritas, RINA Services, DNV, China Classification Society, and the Korean Register of Shipping. 

 

This article is sponsored by Belzona. For more information, please visit: www.Belzona.com 
 

The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Maritime Executive.

 

Philly Shipyard and HD Hyundai Sign MOU for Cooperation on US Shipbuilding

Philly Shipyard is one of the leading U.S. Jones Act shipbuilders (file photo)

PUBLISHED APR 24, 2024 12:38 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

South Korea’s HD Heavy Industries is continuing its push to expand its international military work with an announcement that it plans to explore a potential business relationship with Philly Shipyard, a U.S. shipbuilding that is a leader in building U.S. coastal trade vessels under the Jones Act. The companies confirmed that they entered into a memorandum of understanding for future cooperation on opportunities for U.S. government shipbuilding projects.

News of the agreement comes just weeks after U.S. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro toured Korean shipyards and called for efforts to restore and expand U.S. shipbuilding capabilities. Del Toro this week speculated about the possibilities of international shipyards building modules sent to the U.S. for incorporation into construction projects. 

Philly Shipyard has a history of working with the Koreans. Between 2005 and 2017 they noted a cooperation with Hyundai on 22 commercial product tankers with HHI supporting design and procurement. Philly Shipyard later worked with the engineering and naval architecture division of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, DSEC, which is now part of Hanwha Ocean after the conglomerate acquired control of DSME in 2023.

The MOU with HHI was signed during a visit by the company’s executives to the Philly Shipyard on April 12. Speaking to the Korean media, the Hyundai executives said they had toured the yard and explored the opportunities for sharing their technology for construction and maintenance projects at the U.S. shipyard.

Philly Shipyard was founded in 1997 by a public-private partnership between U.S. Government agencies and the then Kvaerner Shipbuilding Division, which later became Norway’s Aker group which continues to own approximately 60 percent of Philly Shipyards. The company is also publicly traded on the Euronext Expand Oslo.

In announcing the agreement, Hyundai said it looked forward to the opportunities for cooperation for U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, and government vessels. They noted since 2003, Philly Shipyards has built more than 50 percent of the large U.S. merchant vessels under the Jones Act, Currently, the yard is undertaking the project for the five new MARAD U.S. training ships, last year started construction on a rock installation vessel for Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company, and has an order for three LNG-fueled containerships for Matson. The orderbook runs to 2027, and while most of the yard’s work is commercial ships, it has also undertaken maintenance projects for the U.S. government. 

“We will expand our presence in the global defense industry through our cooperation with the U.S. firm in the construction, maintenance, repair, and overhaul of naval and public vessels,” said Joo Won-ho, head of HD HHI’s naval and special ship business unit.

Last year it was reported that Philly Shipyard was in discussions with Hanwha Ocean over a possible acquisition. Hanwha confirmed to Korean analysts that it had explored the deal. This year, the company reported the launch of a U.S. subsidiary as it said it was exploring opportunities in the shipbuilding market.

Both Hyundai and Hanwha are moving aggressively to expand their international business. Hanwha recently approached Australian-based Austal about the possible acquisition. HD Hyundai recently announced strategic partnerships with U.S. defense contractor GE Aerospace to support efforts with developing propulsion systems as well as to cooperate in maintenance, repair, and overhaul projects, and in an effort to participate in the Royal Australian Navy frigate project. They also formed a partnership with L3 Harris Technologies, a global defense company, to win orders for the Canadian submarine project. Hyundai recently received an order to build four ships for Peru’s Navy and is competing for additional projects.

 

U.S. Plots 12 Offshore Wind Lease Auctions by 2028 and Revises Rules

The U.S. is planning 12 offshore wind auctions over the next five years (BOEM)

PUBLISHED APR 24, 2024 2:02 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

The Biden administration is moving forward aggressively to expand the U.S. offshore wind energy industry including mapping out a five-year plan for up to a dozen new leases and streamlining and modernizing the rules for development. All of this comes as the industry however continues to struggle to get projects from concept to reality with New York suffering the latest setback in moving forward with approved projects.

Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced the new five-year offshore wind leasing schedule which anticipates auctions in the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific, and the waters offshore of the U.S. territories in the next five years. The leasing schedule includes four potential offshore lease sales in 2024 (Central Atlantic, Gulf of Maine, Gulf of Mexico, and Oregon). It will be followed by one each in 2025 (Gulf of Mexico) and 2026 (Central Atlantic), two in 2027 (Gulf of Mexico and New York Bight), and four in 2028 (California, a U.S. Territory, Gulf of Maine, and Hawaii).

The new schedule is a follow-on to a 2021 timeline that called for seven lease sales by 2025. The previous plan included a commitment to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030 and a target goal of permitting at least 25 gigawatts of onshore renewable energy by 2025. Currently, the U.S. has just over 240 MW installed offshore, which is up from 42 MW last year.

Today, they reported that the Department has approved the nation's first eight commercial-scale offshore wind projects, held four offshore wind lease auctions (Including the New York Bight and the first-ever sales offshore the Pacific and Gulf Coasts), and advanced the process to establish additional Wind Energy Areas in Oregon, the Gulf of Maine and the Central Atlantic. Thus far, the Department has approved more than 10 gigawatts of clean energy from offshore wind projects, enough to power nearly four million homes. 

 

 

While they highlight progress, the industry has also faced significant challenges from the changing economics, interest rates, supply chain delays, and a lack of installation vessels. Ørsted last year canceled development plans for large projects planned off New Jersey and last week New York announced it closed its third-round solicitation without making any awards. They cited economic challenges due to “material modifications,” brought about by GE Verona’s decision not to proceed with a larger wind turbine which would have been the basis for the three selected projects.

New York announced yesterday that it had issued a request for information ahead of a planned next round in the summer of 2024. They are also working to complete power agreements with two projects selected in a round at the beginning of 2024. At the same time, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island are reviewing proposals from their coordinated solicitation while New Jersey plans a new round this year to get its projects back on track.

To aid in the approval process, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) today finalized updated regulations for renewable energy development on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. Haaland says the final rule increases certainty and reduces the costs associated with the deployment of offshore wind projects by modernizing regulations, streamlining overly complex processes and removing unnecessary ones, clarifying ambiguous regulatory provisions, and enhancing compliance requirements.

Among the key provisions of the new rules, they are citing that it eliminates unnecessary requirements for the deployment of meteorological buoys and increases survey flexibility. It also clarifies safety management system regulations and oversight of critical safety systems and equipment. BOEM’s renewable energy auction regulations are being reformed and it tailors financial assurance requirements and instruments to address concerns raised by the industry. The Department expects that the final rules will result in cost savings of roughly $1.9 billion for the offshore wind industry over the next 20 years. 

 

Damen Launches Pilot Project for Circular Shipbreaking

Damen ?ircular dismantling

PUBLISHED APR 24, 2024 2:50 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

[By: Damen Shipyards Group]

Damen Shipyards Group is launching a pilot project in which a small tug will be dismantled at Damen Shiprepair Rotterdam’s Botlek site in a circular way and entirely in line with the EU regulations. The project will serve as a trial, after which this approach of ‘green’ ship dismantling and recycling will be made available commercially, and also for larger vessels.

“This pilot project fits in perfectly with our ambitions to become the most sustainable shipbuilder in the world,” explains Arnout Damen, the CEO of Damen Shipyards Group. “The question is not just how we design, build, maintain and refit our ships, but also, and precisely, how we dismantle them at the end of their lifespan and, most importantly: recycling.”

The Jan, which was built in 1927, will be dismantled in line with the regulations set out in the Ship Recycling Facility Plan at Damen Shiprepair Rotterdam’s Botlek site. That is one of the few sites in the Netherlands on the EU list of certified Ship Recycling Facilities. So the safe and environmentally friendly dismantling of the 15.4-meter-long tug is guaranteed.

Bottelier Slooptechniek
Bottelier Slooptechniek is the partner in the alliance responsible for the dismantling and sorting work: the company is a fully certified specialist in circular demolition. “We identify all the materials from the Jan and assess their potential for reuse,” says Nick van Egten, commercial director and co-owner of the Bottelier Group. In that way, the maximum environmental and economic return can be generated from the materials in their residual life.”

Transparency
After the completion of the pilot project, there will be complete transparency about the amounts of dismantled materials and how they have been reused, recycled, or disposed of. An approach has already been drafted with respect to the commercialisation and financing of circular ship dismantling projects in the future. Damen Financial Services is working in this area with Offshore Ship Recycling Rotterdam.

The products and services herein described in this press release are not endorsed by The Maritime Executive.

 

Spill Response Barge ALLISON CREEK Delivered to Alaska Operator

ALLISON CREEK

PUBLISHED APR 24, 2024 2:55 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

[By: Elliott Bay Design Group]

Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) and Dakota Creek Industries (DCI) are proud to announce the delivery of a state-of-the-art oil spill response barge for operation in the coastal waters of Alaska. The barge, named ALLISON CREEK, is specifically designed to meet the rigorous requirements in Prince William Sound. ALLISON CREEK has a capacity of 13,600 barrels, an overall length of 200', beam of 42', depth of 16' and is outfitted with a deck crane and on-deck houses to store emergency response equipment.

The barge is certified by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) for the recovery and disposal transport of petroleum products, ensuring compliance with applicable requirements outlined in USCG 46 CFR Subchapter D. Additionally, the vessel is classed by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for Oil Spill Recovery.

EBDG developed the complete contract and functional design drawing and document package as well as managed the submittal and engineering liaison process with the USCG and ABS. Lofting and systems modeling were provided by EBDG in partnership with Adaptive Marine Solutions, Inc. DCI built the vessel at their shipbuilding and repair facility in Anacortes, Washington. During construction, EBDG and DCI worked collaboratively to ensure the safe, reliable, and durable construction of the vessel in accordance with the client's specifications.

"EBDG has designed a wide range of spill response  barges and vessels for port cities across our nation. The ALLISON CREEK joins our distinguished portfolio, standing as a symbol of our commitment to the environment and safeguarding precious marine ecosystems" states Michael Complita, Principal at Elliott Bay Design Group.

The ALLISON CREEK joins a fleet of other OSRB's designed by EBDG and positioned in Alaska that will further bolster emergency response capabilities in the region.

The products and services herein described in this press release are not endorsed by The Maritime Executive.

 Baltimore accuses firms behind Dali ship that destroyed bridge of negligence

Salvage work continues on the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge as it lies on the container ship Dali on Monday, in Baltimore, Maryland. 

Photo by Julia Nikhinson/UPI | License Photo

April 23 (UPI) -- he city of Baltimore is blaming the the owner and manager of a merchant vessel that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge late last month of negligence.

In a filing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, Northern Division, the city of Baltimore and its council said Grace Ocean Private and Synergy Marine "were grossly and potentially criminally negligent" in their operations of the Dali container ship.

The 985-foot Dali container ship is owned by Grace Ocean Private and it is managed by Synergy Marine. Early March 26, the vessel lost power shortly after leaving the Port of Baltimore and crashed into the bridge, causing it to immediately collapse.

Six people were killed and nearly all commercial transit to the Port of Baltimore, one of the busiest in the United States, has since come to halt.

The filing on Monday is in response the companies asking the court to limit their potential liability payouts to $43.6 million. The city is asking the court to deny the firms' request.

"For more than four decades, cargo ships made thousands of trips every year under the Key Bridge without incident. There was noting about March 26, 2024, that should have changed that," the city said in its legal filing.

The city argues that Dali was operated despite being "a clearly unseaworthy vessel."

It said hours before departing, alarms had been going off on Dali showing that it had been experiencing an inconsistent power supply, which was either not investigated or investigated but not fixed.

"The allision was a direct and proximate result of petitioners' carelessness, negligence, gross negligence and recklessness and as a result of the unseaworthiness of the vessel," the city said.

The city accuses the companies of committing 23 acts and omissions related to their alleged negligence, from providing the vessel with an incompetent crew to failing to properly maintain and operate the ship's engine and propulsion system.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has also opened a criminal investigation into the collapse of the bridge.

Maersk May Set Up Container-on-Barge Service to Reach Baltimore

Contractors work to clear a 35-foot-deep channel for merchant ships in Baltimore, April 22, 2024 (USACE)

PUBLISHED APR 24, 2024 5:29 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

Baltimore's shipping channel is closed to deep-draft container ships because of the wreckage of the Key Bridge, and will probably not reopen until the end of May, according to the Army Corps of Engineers. This has an outsize effect on local businesses that depend on the port for logistics: they now have to truck their goods to and from New York or Virginia to get access to ocean freight. But Maersk may have an interim solution - a container-on-barge service, also known in the United States as a Marine Highway operation. 

The federal coordinated response - led by the USACE and the U.S. Navy's Supervisor of Diving and Salvage (SUPSALV) - has cleared three channels to date. The third and deepest has a controlling depth of 20 feet, and might potentially allow Maersk and other container carriers to ship boxes into and out of Baltimore by barge. There is no guarantee yet, though, and Maersk says that it will reach out to customers directly if it can offer barge service. 

Any tug-and-barge service would necessarily be carried out by a Jones Act operator, and would join a small number of similar operations around the country. The U.S. Maritime Administration has sponsored "Marine Highway" container on barge transport services in dozens of coastal ports and inland waterways. 

The federal unified command will also temporarily open a fourth, 35-foot-deep channel through the wreckage on Thursday. It will be open over the weekend to allow the vessels trapped in the main harbor to leave (if desired). The ships currently in Baltimore include one carrier, the Swedish-flagged Carmen; five bulkers, the Klara Oldendorff, Balsa 94, Saimaagracht, Phatra Naree and JY River; and the tanker Palanca Rio. Five ships are expected to depart. 

In the inbound direction, one container barge, a smaller bulker, and an aluminum carrier are scheduled to enter the port, Captain of the Port David O'Connell told reporters yesterday. (The charterer of the container barge was not immediately clear.) Traffic will be limited to vessels of less than 60,000 dwt, in calm weather, and with fore and aft tug escorts. 

Baltimore to Open Larger Temporary Channel as Dali is Readied for Removal

Progress continues as they prepare to open a 35-foot deep channel this week (USCG)

PUBLISHED APR 23, 2024 3:09 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

A month after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Maryland and Baltimore officials along with the members of the Unified Command highlighted the strong progress that has been made in the recovery by announcing plans for a brief window to move large commercial vessels. In addition to having removed large sections of the bridge debris, they are also now focused on the removal of the Dali in the coming weeks.

Buoys and lights are now being laid in anticipation according to the Captain of the Port David O'Connell of establishing a temporary deep draft channel into the Port of Baltimore. The Unified Command reports it will open, depending on the weather, on Thursday, April 25, with a 35-foot draft, 300-foot horizontal clearance, and 214-foot vertical clearance. 

The plan is to run the channel for approximately four days to permit commercial vessels access. O’Connell reports there are seven ships trapped in the port ready to depart and they expect five, including a loaded car carrier, will use the channel in the coming days. In addition, a container barge, a smaller bulker, and an aluminum carrier are scheduled to enter the port. It will be the first movement of large commercial vessels since March 26.

Opening of the channel was made possible by the recent lifts, which between Sunday night and early Monday, April 22, included the largest yet completed. They removed a 560-ton section after two and a half days of prep and rigging. They also cleared debris that was wrapped around the piling to make the deeper channel possible. Another large 460-ton lift was completed on Friday. Governor Wes Moore reported today that a total of 2,900 tons of wreckage has been removed. 

 

(Map courtesy of USCG)

 

Movement on the deepest channel will be suspended starting next week till approximately May 10 as they prepare to remove the Dali. Coast Guard officers highlighted that they will be focusing on the span laying on the Dali and in early May they will be rigging and then lifting that section. Shortly after that, they expect the Dali will be freed and removed.

The Governor reports that 145 commercial vessels have used the three channels already established and they will continue movements during the upcoming work. This includes the 20-foot channel opened at the end of last week and the two prior channels with 10- and 11-foot draft clearance.

The Captain of the Port reviewed additional conditions for using the 35-foot draft channel which will include a requirement for a tug at the bow and another at the stern of each vessel and a minimum three foot under keel clearance. Due to the proximity to the Dali, speed must also be at or below 5 knots and transits will only be permitted while wind speeds are below 15 knots. They expect vessels below 50,000 dwt will be permitted, while vessels between 50,000 and 60,000 dwt will be individually reviewed, and vessels above 60,000 dwt will most likely not be permitted at this time.

Major shipping companies had highlighted that they were closely following these developments. Wallenius Wilhelmsen has a car carrier trapped in the port that had unloaded when the port was closed due to the collapse. Last week, Maersk advised customers that the temporary channels were not deep enough to accommodate the ocean going container vessels that Maersk and other carriers use to call at Baltimore. They reported they were waiting for details from the Captain of the Port. Maersk advised customers today, April 23, that the temporary 20-foott channel, "could potentially allow Maersk and other carriers to operate limited barge services into and out of the Port of Baltimore."

The officials said today they expect to have the 35-foot channel reopened in mid-May. The port is on track to fully have the 50-foot channel reopened by the end of May.

Baltimore Opens Third Channel as Plans Sequence Efforts to Refloat Dali

Progress continues in Baltimore with teams planning the efforts to refloat the Dali (US Army Corps photo April 19)

PUBLISHED APR 19, 2024 7:11 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

Recovery efforts in Baltimore continue to make good progress Maryland Governor Wes Moore highlighted in a briefing on Friday afternoon, April 19, reporting that more than 1,300 tons of steel have now been removed from the waterway. While the priority remains on establishing a larger temporary channel to reopen Baltimore harbor, late today they also opened a third temporary channel while the teams are also beginning to converge on the Dali for the effort to refloat and remove the vessel.

Crews they reported have now removed 120 containers from the bow of the vessel and expect to move approximately 20 more in the coming days to clear a path for the salvage team to safely reach the debris resting on the vessel. Governor Moore reported that each of the laden containers weighs between 1.5 and 2.5 tons and that in addition, the salvage teams project that there are 3,000 to 4,000 tons of steel from the bridge sitting on the bow of the vessel.

After the containers are removed, they are planning to build a staging area to address the debris. Representatives from the Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Coast Guard reported that they planning the effort to cut the sections of roadway and steel and remove it from the ship and then the refloating sequence. 

 

More than 100 containers have been removed over two weeks from the Dali (USCG photo)

 

Another 20 containers need to be removed before they begin staging for the controlled demolition of debris on the bow of the Dali (USCG photo)

 

They declined to specify a timeline for these efforts saying that the focus remains at this moment on establishing the Limited Access Channel. The third smaller channel established today should provide for about 15 percent of the harbor's normal traffic with a controlling depth of 20 feet, a 300-foot horizontal clearance, and a vertical clearance of 135 feet. Maersk earlier in the weekly however informed customers that the channels being established are too small for containerships and that they did not have a timetable for access to the port.

The Army Corp said they are working on debris wrapped around the other pier of the bride after teams modeling the channel identified this area as a priority. However, they noted that three salvage teams are also all working around the vessel as they plan the controlled demolition of the sections on and around the Dali. They noted that sections of the bridge’s pier are embedded in the vessel adding to the challenge to remove the ship. The plan is to take it back to a dock in Baltimore.

 

Three channels have been established which should permit approximately 15 percent of commercial activity in Baltimore (Unified Command)

 

Governor Moore highlighted that there are now 80 different assets working in the area and 380 people. They reported that 113 vessels have already passed through the first two channels and they are still on schedule to have the larger temporary channel established by the end of April.

Maryland also announced the next phase of financial assistance programs both for port workers and businesses impacted by the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. More than $5.5 million in assistance is budgeted and they will be paying people who worked at the port $430 a week as temporary job assistance.

At the same time today, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro traveled to Baltimore to personally assess the work. He met with both Naval Sea Systems Command and the Unified Command emphasizing the contribution of the Navy’s Supervisor of Salvage and Diving in the effort. The Navy is providing its diving expertise and coordinating efforts to aid in the recovery. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers assigned the Navy’s SUPSALV with supporting by leading the clearing of the waterway.

During today’s briefing, they said two large sections of the bridge steel have already been successfully lifted. They are currently rigging a third section to be lifted.