Thursday, September 14, 2023

First Officer of Vessel Being Overtaken is Blamed for Collision

collision discipline — Small Dutch bulker sinking after it was hit from behind by an overtaking vessel (Hjemmevärnskommandoen)

The Maritime Disciplinary Court of the Netherlands released its ruling on a September 2022 collision off the coast in which a reefer overtaking a smaller, slower bulker hit the vessel. In a surprising move, the Dutch inspector however finds that the smaller vessel being overtaken was primarily responsible and referred the officer on watch for disciplinary action.

The court concurred with the inspector’s extensive report saying that the first officer of the smaller ship “seriously failed in his responsibilities.” They however added an important note calling special attention for vessels sailing at slow speeds in busy lanes and being approached from behind. They are emphasizing the critical use of radar and recommended a setting of “radar center” as opposed to “off center” to maintain good visibility behind a vessel.

The collision took place early on the morning of September 9, 2022, approximately 20 miles west of the Danish coastline in what they highlight is a busy shipping lane. They are saying that visibility was good but note the winds were from the east at Force 7, the sea state was rough, and there was a moderate swell. It was also dark and raining.

The smaller vessel was the Netherlands-flagged multi-purpose dry cargo vessel Helge. She is 5,000 dwt and was sailing with a crew of eight operating at a speed of 8 knots in the busy lane. She was being overtaken by the Wild Cosmos, a 10,0000 dwt reefer traveling at a speed of 17 knots. The collision caused significant damage to the stern of the Helge, with water entering its ballast tanks and flooding into the engine room which caused the ship to blackout. The crew abandoned ship into a life raft and was 30 minutes later airlifted to shore by a helicopter. None of the crew on either vessel was seriously injured, and the Helge did not sink and was towed to port for repairs.

The first officer of the Helge had been on watch for about an hour and in his defense, he says the second officer and lookout from the prior watch did not alert him to any issues with the Wild Cosmos. The first officer was joined by a lookout but he sent the lookout below because the person had reported he was not well. The first officer did not replace the lookout after relieving the one person.

During the hearing he told the Disciplinary Court that he felt the court was being overly strict, highlighting that he was working on required paperwork and had only been in the position for two months. The inspector however finds a series of issues which the court says were well-founded. In addition to not replacing the lookout, only one radar was on and not all its functions were engaged. They believe the first officer lacked situational awareness and not he did not react in an attempt to prevent the collision. They, however, acknowledge the Wild Cosmos also had an obligation to maintain a safe distance between the ships.

They conclude the seriousness of the evident negligence and inadequate safe navigation warranted a suspension of the officer’s license. They however also find “extenuating circumstances.” The officer cooperated with the investigation and told the court he was dismissed following the accident. The shipping line contends he resigned. The officer said he has been unemployed for seven months.

The court reduced the recommended suspension from the inspector’s report and gave the first officer a total of eight weeks suspending his navigation license, but four weeks will not be imposed unless he “behaved contrary to his duty of good seamanship” in the future. They, however, also imposed a two-year probationary period.

Bankrupt Bed Bath & Beyond Seeks $15M in Damages from Yang Ming in FMC Case

Yang Ming containership — Bed Bath & Beyond continues to cite shipping lines as contributing to its bankruptcy (file photo)

Bankrupt retailer Bed Bath & Beyond continues to cite the shipping industry and its business practices during the pandemic as contributing to the demise of its operations earlier this year. In its latest move, the company filed a complaint with the Federal Maritime Commission seeking reparations totaling more than $15 million from Yang Ming for denial of service, premium fees, and detention and demurrage charges incurred in 2021 and 2022.

The filing with the FMC on September 12 is the latest in a series of legal moves by the bankrupt company attempting to seek restitution which would contribute to the bankruptcy settlements. In April, the company also filed a complaint with the FMC against Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) and OOCL (Europe) alleging that the carrier had “coerced,” “exploited” with price inflation in container shipping, and “deliberately” denied space to the retailer resulting in $25 million in excess costs as well as an additional approximately $6.4 million in D&D fees it contends resulted by OOCL’s business practices between 2020 and 2022.

Yang Ming took a preemptive step in April 2023 filing a complaint in the Southern District of New York, Federal Court. They sought to block Bed Bath & Beyond’s claims of $7.8 million in actual costs due to the issues cited with the service provided and fees imposed by the carrier. A week after the filing, the retailer informed the court of its voluntary bankruptcy petition and in June the court issued an automatic stay of "the commencement or continuation” of a judicial action based on the bankruptcy. The court case could proceed if Bed Bath and Beyond resolves the bankruptcy.

In its filing to the FMC, the former retailer cites many of the same issues as before, contending that “Yang Ming took advantage of price inflation in the container shipping sector and unfairly exploited its customers.” They allege that the carrier “engaged in a practice of systematically failing to meet its service commitments,” resulting in enormous expense to Bed Bath and Beyond, and then filed a “retaliatory declaratory judgment complaint,” in the U.S. District Court. Like the complaint against OOCL, they allege that Yang Ming flouted its service commitments, engaged in a practice of coercing the shipper, charged unreasonable D&D fees when it was not possible to return containers, and refused to negotiate.

At issue is an annual service contract that began on May 1, 2021, for the transport of 1,000 FEUs. They allege the carrier provided no space during the first month of the contract and when confronted admitted that it had over-committed to its customers. During the 12-month period, they report Yang Ming carried just 149 FEUs, 85 percent below the commitment resulting in more than $6.6 million in damages as the retailer sought other space for its containers. They further contend that Yang Ming coerced them into paying nearly $300,000 in surcharges, and charged nearly $750,000 in D&D fees, and refused refunds on the fees.

Citing a total of nearly $7.7 million in costs, Bed Bath & Beyond in the filing seeks an award of reparations. Under FMC rules they are seeking that the amount be doubled based on a conscious pattern which constitutes violations of the Shipping Act.

The complaint highlights that this is one of numerous similar complaints now before the FMC each citing denial of service. Many shippers have alleged that the carriers during the surge in shipments and capacity constraints failed to honor service contracts. Each of the complaints contends that carriers instead put the contracted space into the spot market where they could realize dramatically higher prices. Several service complaints have been settled under confidential terms while most of them remain in front of the FMC.

Eco-Activists Target Walmart Heiress' Yacht Twice in Two Months

XR activists paint the stern of the Kaos in Barcelona, Sept. 8 (Courtesy Extinction Rebellion)

Walmart heiress Nancy Walton Laurie's megayacht has become a favorite target for eco-activists. In less than 60 days, the 360-foot Oceanco yacht has been vandalized twice by paint-spraying environmentalists from two different groups.

The ultra-luxurious yacht, Kaos, was ordered by the Emir of Qatar and was delivered as the Jubilee in 2017. Walton Laurie, heiress to the multibillion-dollar fortune of Walmart founder Sam Walton, purchased it the following year for about $300 million. In recent months, Kaos and her crew have operated between Barcelona, Ibiza, Monaco and other landmark ports of the Mediterranean yachting circuit, according to AIS data provided by Pole Star.

On July 16, a small group from the Spanish social and environmental action group Futuro Vegetal went to Kaos' berth on the Avinguda de les Andanes, a public promenade at the heart of Ibiza's waterfront. The team brought fire extinguishers filled with paint, and they sprayed the yacht's stern with a spatter of red and black. The Kaos' crew attempted to hose off the damage, and members of the civil guard detained the two activists involved.

After the paint attack, Kaos called at a well-known yacht shipyard at La Ciotat, France. When the repair work was done, she returned to a favorite berth in Barcelona, according to AIS data. However, her experiences with vandalism were not yet over.

At 0700 hours last Friday, activists with Extinction Rebellion accessed Marina Port Vell, an ultra-luxury yacht harbor in the La Barceloneta neighborhood. Carrying large fire extinguishers filled with red paint, they managed to get past the marina's ISPS-qualified security system to reach the pier. When they got to the Kaos, they unloaded the fire extinguishers onto the vessel's starboard quarter, then held up a banner to broadcast their views. They appear to have had ample time within the secure facility: the group reported that they were arrested at about 0900, two hours after the operation began.

Extinction Rebellion published a list of policy demands after the action, including a proposal to confiscate the world's 6,000 largest yachts and a plan to tax billionaires for a climate mitigation fund.

Just Off Coast Guard Island, A Wave of "Piracy" Grows

Coast Guard Island ranks among the largest force concentrations for maritime law enforcement anywhere. The 67-acre outpost between Oakland and Alameda is the home port for four National Security Cutters, the service's largest and most capable high seas patrol vessels. Its 1,200 personnel run the command centers for Coast Guard operations across the Pacific, from deployments in the South China Sea to counter-narcotics interdiction off Central America. These are critical overseas missions - but there is also an unaddressed "piracy" problem in the base's own backyard, according to local residents.

Local boatowners and liveaboard residents report that boat theft and vandalism have reached unmanageable levels in the waters around Coast Guard Island. With crime on the rise in the city of Oakland, the local police department's response to petty crime on the water is limited or nonexistant, residents and businessowners have told local media. They say that a small number of irregular encampments and anchored-out boat communities are responsible for the crime - and some boat owners have begun taking matters into their own hands.

“Over the last couple of months it’s become extremely severe, boats are being stolen almost on a nightly basis,” former Oakland Marina harbormaster Brock DeLappe told NBC. “Residents in marinas are scared, they’re talking about forming groups, they’re arming themselves."

Marine businesses are feeling the impact as well. "I've tried going to the police to retrieve [stolen items] but haven't had a lot of success. We've been kind of going over there ourselves and kind of stealing our stuff back from [the thieves]," said Craig Jacobsen, president of Outboard Motor Shop, speaking to local TV outlet KRON 4.

Jacobsen's shop - located about four cable lengths southeast of the Coast Guard base - had two yacht break-ins within the span of a week, he said. When he reached out to the Oakland Police Department, he was told that officers were only available to respond to incidents of violent crime.

The department does have its hands full: the crime wave is even worse on shore. In Oakland, robberies have risen nearly 30 percent year-on-year, and carjackings have risen by 20 percent. The city has the highest rate of violent crime in California.

While local law enforcement may have few resources to spare for boat thefts and break-ins, the local boating community does have support from the Coast Guard. The command at Coast Guard Island has small patrol boats, and it is putting them to good use. "Our plan is to increase the level of Coast Guard law enforcement presence in the estuary at random times throughout the day," Sector San Francisco commander Capt. Taylor Lam told local ABC 7.

Sea Robbery in Singapore Strait Has Serious Consequences

Suspected robbers under way in the Singapore Strait (Singapore IFC)

[By Th? Nguy?n Hoàng Anh]

Since the beginning of 2023, sea robbery in the Singapore Strait has increased at an alarming rate. The 113-km long, 19-km wide strait that connects the Indian Ocean with the South China Sea is one of the world’s busiest commercial waterways through which approximately 1,000 ships pass every day. The strait plays a crucial role in international navigation and global trade. However, the traffic density in its narrow waters makes ships vulnerable to sea robbery.

A report released on 9 August by the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia Information Sharing Centre (ReCAAP ISC) indicates that 51 incidents have occurred on board ships while underway in the strait since January. This number far exceeds the 38 such incidents during the same period last year. The Philip Channel, off Pulau Cula, is a hotspot, even though most cases involved petty theft and caused minor or no injuries to crew members.

The majority of the robberies took place during the hours of darkness. They were opportunistic and non-confrontational in nature, with the perpetrators escaping upon detection by the crew. Target ships tended to share common characteristics such as lack of vigilance, fatigued crew members, having low freeboard, and traversing at slow speed.

Such sea robberies are flourishing in the Singapore Strait because those who commit maritime crime are generally facing financial difficulties brought about by unemployment, slow socio-economic recovery after Covid-19, and depletion of fish stocks. As a consequence, they turn to petty crime, attempting to steal crews’ property and ships’ valuables to earn their livelihood. The criminals also take advantage of the fact that there is inadequate surveillance and enforcement by the littoral states in areas of concern.

Although most sea robbery in the strait is deemed low-level crime, the current spike in incidents has a number of consequences. First, it puts crew members and other individuals on board at risk, both physically and psychologically. Second, the incidents cause loss of property, including engine spares and scrap metal. Third, shipping companies are expected to pay for added security and insurance when operating in areas where sea robbery is prevalent. Fourth, incidents can result in the interruption of maritime transport and adversely impact international trade. In addition, sea robbery can lead to collisions as ships manoeuvre to avoid threat situations, potentially leading to the temporary closure of the strait.

Since the Singapore Strait lies within the territorial waters of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, the three littoral states have been striving to tackle sea robbery and ensure safe navigation. At the national level, government maritime agencies have been developed and patrols have been conducted in their respective waters. At the regional level, the Malacca Straits Patrol was launched in 2004 with the purpose of safeguarding the security of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. Under this framework, the navies of participating states (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand) conduct coordinated sea and air patrols. In addition, the Malacca Straits Patrol Information System was established to facilitate the sharing of maritime information. ReCAAP and its Information Security Centre are further evidence of collaborative efforts to suppress piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia. They have strengthened regional cooperation and provided information and analytics through their periodic reports and incident alerts. This year, the navies of Indonesia and Singapore established CORPAT INDOSIN with the aim of conducting coordinated patrols, holding meetings between senior commanders, sharing information on maritime issues, and facilitating timely responses.

Notwithstanding ongoing efforts, sea robbery in the Singapore Strait continues to evolve. As a result, it is imperative that the region’s littoral states conduct more frequent patrols and surveillance. Relevant law enforcement agencies need to respond in a timely manner to reported incidents and make more effort to arrest and prosecute perpetrators. In these endeavours, accelerating the exchange of information among concerned states, the shipping industry, and regional organisations is a must. Addressing a complex and transnational crime such as sea robbery necessitates stronger collaborative efforts, as no single stakeholder is able to contend with it alone. Each government needs to enhance training on combating sea robbery for shipping companies, ship owners and crews. Training can include but not be limited to how to identify and report potential threats to the authorities and how to respond in the event of an attack.

As recommended by ReCAAP, all ships navigating in the Singapore Strait also have the responsibility to improve their security by installing closed circuit television and motion sensors, maintaining a careful radar watch, hardening doors, and using night vision aids, among other measures. These efforts are vital in reducing the risk of unauthorised boardings and attacks.

Th? Nguy?n Hoàng Anh is pursuing a PhD in Public Policy at the National University of Singapore. She holds an MA in Transnational Governance from the European University Institute and a BA in International Relations from Tokyo International University.

This article appears courtesy of The Lowy Interpreter and may be found in its original form here.

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

THE WAR AT SEA

Ukraine Claims to Have Destroyed a Russian Submarine

Kilo-class attack sub Rostov-on-Don (B-237) in 2014 (Mil.ru file image)

Ukraine's military intelligence service claims that a Russian submarine was destroyed in last night's missile attack on a shipyard in Sevastopol, along with a tank landing ship.

"Significant damage has been inflicted and we can now say that the vessels are most likely not recoverable. Yes, today there’s good news - the destruction of the large enemy landing ship . . . as well as the Kalibr-carrying submarine, which is very important," said Ukrainian intelligence officer Andriy Yusov in a televised interview.

Official photos from the scene confirm that one of the vessels was a Ropucha-class landing ship, and it appears that the attack destroyed much of the ship's superstructure.

While Ukraine's claim about the destruction of a submarine could not be definitively confirmed, it would align with satellite surveillance and with a recent report from a Russian military news channel. Telegram war-reporting account "Shot" reported Wednesday that a Kilo-class sub - identified as the Rostov-on-Don (B-237) - was damaged by the attack. Commercial satellite imagery also showed a Kilo-class sub in the drydock before the attack and blackened areas around the same spot the day after (below).

Russia's defense ministry has already confirmed that two vessels were damaged by the strike, without identifying their classes or names.

Apparent Kilo-class sub and Ropucha-class landing ship at the Pivdenny Bay drydocks, September 12 (BlackSky)

Apparent discoloration and damage at the same location, September 13 (BlackSky)

If accurate, the loss of two capable vessels would represent a serious blow to the Russian Black Sea Fleet, which cannot easily replace large warships because of the military traffic closure on the Bosporus. (Rostov-on-Don itself transited the Turkish Straits and entered the Black Sea just weeks before Turkey shut the waterway to naval vessels.)

It would also be a blow to the Russian Navy overall: in fiscal terms, the two vessels were worth several hundred million dollars, and the construction of a replacement Kilo-class would take years at backlogged Russian shipbuilder USC.

The wreckage left by the attack also takes two strategic graving docks out of commission for an unknown period of time. Drydocking capacity is already at a premium for Russian naval forces in the region, according to defense analysts.

For Ukraine, the destruction of a Kilo-class sub would be operationally and symbolically important. The Black Sea Fleet's diesel-powered subs have been used repeatedly to launch Kalibr cruise missiles at Ukrainian civilian infrastructure. They are also a potent threat to shipping, and Ukraine is working hard to restore confidence in the safety of the sea lanes to and from Odesa.

Russian Drone Strikes Cut Deep Into Ukraine's Danube River Lifeline

Repeated Russian drone strikes on Ukraine's Danube River ports are taking a serious toll, a top Ukrainian official warned Wednesday.

The ports of Reni and Izmail, located on the Ukrainian bank of the northern Danube estuary, are a lifeline for the nation's farmers and grain traders. When Russia shut off access to Ukraine's Black Sea coastline in July, resuming a de facto blockade of dry bulk shipping between Odesa and the Bosporus, the small Danube ports became one of the last remaining options for getting abundant Ukrainian wheat and corn to international markets.

Ukraine and its allies have been working on ways to boost throughput at Reni and Izmail, but Russian forces have been trying just as hard to destroy port capacity. Using waves of Iranian-designed Shahed suicide drones, Russia has repeatedly hit silos, truck marshalling yards, storage warehouses and other civilian infrastructure at the port complexes. Overnight Tuesday, the latest strike destroyed several buildings and left seven people injured, including two who required intensive care.

Interior Ministry of Ukraine

The strikes have cut back grain throughput at the ports by half a million tonnes a month, according to Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov. This amounts to a measurable share of Ukraine's grain exports, which totaled some 50 million tonnes last year.

"This threatens food shortages in countries that depend on Ukrainian agricultural products. Additional air defense systems assets for Ukraine will strengthen global security," said Kubrakov.

Air defense could also strengthen security in neighboring Romania, where officials have set up temporary bomb shelters and air-raid alert systems for the villages located across the river from Reni and Izmail.

On Wednesday, the Romanian military recovered the remains of a Russian drone some 15 miles south of Izmail, deep in Romanian territory. It is the third time that pieces of a Russian suicide drone have been found inside of Romania, but the first time that a drone trespassed far past the border.

Romania's secretary of state for strategic affairs, Iulian Fota, summoned the Russian ambassador on Wednesday and lodged a stern protest "against the repeated violation of Romania's airspace." Fota called for a halt to attacks on Ukraine's civilian infrastruture, describing the Russian strikes on grain ports and other civil facilities as "war crimes."

Romania is a NATO member state, and the overflow of Russian drone operations onto NATO territory has raised concerns of possible escalation. NATO spokesperson Dylan White told media on Wednesday that “NATO has no information indicating any intentional attack by Russia" against a NATO member nation.

Video: Ukraine Hits Two Russian Ships in Strike on Sevastopol

A fire rages at the drydock in this image provided by the Russian regional government (Governor of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhaev)

Overnight Tuesday, a Ukrainian cruise missile attack struck a strategic shipyard in the inner harbor at the Russian-occupied port of Sevastopol. Residents captured loud blasts on video and shared images of a fire along the shoreline.

Russian media sources report that the explosions occurred at Sevmorzavod Shipyard, a repair complex used by Russia's Black Sea Fleet. The yard's twin graving docks are tucked into a small inlet on Pivdenna Bay, the narrow channel where the port's warship berths are located.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has confirmed that two ships under repair at the yard were damaged in the strike. The city's Russian administration reported that 24 people were injured, and news footage from the scene showed ambulances driving through at high speed.

As recently as this week, satellite imagery of the yard showed a Ropucha-class landing ship and a Kilo-class submarine in the graving docks, according to open-source analysts. A photo of the scene provided by the regional governor (top) would be consistent with the superstructure of a Ropucha-class vessel.

While it is unconfirmed, naval analyst H.I. Sutton suggests that the Kilo-class sub may have been the second vessel hit by the strike.

Russia's defense ministry also reported a simultaneous drone-boat attack on a group of Russian warships under way in the Black Sea. This secondary strike was not successful, the ministry claimed.

Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the attacks or provided further details, but the strike follows after a series of Ukrainian attacks that degraded Russian air defense and radar installations around the Crimean Peninsula. Within the past month, Ukrainian forces have destroyed a high-end S-400 surface-to-air missile complex in western Crimea and recaptured four Russian-held oil rigs in the northwestern Black Sea; the rigs had been used as Russian military sensor and observation platforms.

UK Competition Funds Project for Hydrogen Fueling and USV Demonstrator

hydrogen-powered USV — Hydrogen powered USV would be the first to use the fueling infrastructure (SEA-KIT)

An innovative project involving the Port of London as one of the partners looks to develop a hydrogen infrastructure that will provide power for the future maritime industry. The project includes the development of the onshore infrastructure and would deploy an uncrewed surface vessel for surveys as the first vessel to employ the process.

The Port of London Authority (PLA), a consortium partner, will host the hydrogen refilling station on the River Thames in London and subsequently operate the ZEPHR USV. The two phases of the project focus on the design and integration of the dispensing facility which includes the land-based infrastructure to produce green hydrogen, via renewable energy and the electrolysis of water, as part of the project. The demonstration vessel will be developed by SEA-KIT International.

Dubbed ZEPHR - Zero Emissions Ports Hydrogen Refilling Survey Vessel, the project aims to extend vessel operation for port operators and stakeholders through complete energy transferal, from readily accessible green electricity to 100 percent green hydrogen production, compression, storage, and dispensing.

The project organizers highlight that the Thames is Britain's busiest inland waterway, handling over five million tonnes of goods and materials and millions of passengers each year. The Thames Estuary is, therefore, they contend well placed to support the development of a hydrogen ecosystem, with significant potential usage demand across several sectors, including ports, marine and river transportation, airports and aviation, construction, distribution, and logistics.

SEA-KIT says the configurable ZEPHR USV platform will have a high-resolution multibeam echosounder as its primary payload, with the capability to mount additional sensors such as LiDAR, cameras, and environmental monitoring and sampling equipment. The vessel will also be able to launch and recover aerial drones for surveying, surveillance, search and rescue. ZEPHR will use two hydrogen fuel cell systems for redundancy.

The vessel’s design will be reviewed with Lloyd’s Register and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to satisfy regulatory and compliance requirements and to obtain approvals for continuous operations.

The five-year project is another of the proposals that was selected and will receive funding from the Zero Emissions Vessels and Infrastructure (ZEVI) competition. The UK is sponsoring the competition and providing funding for projects that will develop and demonstrate new technologies that contribute to the decarbonization of the maritime sector. The competition requires the winner to begin their demonstration by 2025.

UK Effort Plans First Electric SOV in Offshore Decarbonization Race

A coalition of leading maritime companies led by Bibby Marine and with financial support from the UK plans to develop the first zero-emission electric Service Operation Vessel (eSOV) to be used to support the offshore wind and energy industry. It is the latest entrant in the race to develop the first zero-emission vessels with a focus on the offshore sector and the potential of using power at the wind farms to charge the ships.

In their application for the UK’s Zero Emission Vessel Infrastructure (ZEVI) competition, the coalition points to the strong opportunities in the segment to support offshore wind operations. With the UK calling for 40 GW offshore wind energy in additional offshore wind energy capacity by 2030 expanding on the more than 10 GW already in operation, the group estimated that between 62 and 149 vessels will be required. They highlighted that all the UK-operating SOVs have so far been built aboard.

They are proposing a 295-foot vessel that would be primarily powered by electricity and batteries and have dual-fuel methanol-powered engines as backup. The ship will be ready for offshore charging and can recharge its batteries at night.

They expect that it will be possible to operate a two-week cycle onsite at an offshore wind farm emissions-free. Near shore the vessel will operate solely on battery power and also while onsite. For the long transits between the shore homeports and the farms, the vessel will use its engines and with methanol fuel, it would be possible to still reduce emissions by 90 percent versus fossil fuel operations. They noted in the application if offshore charging is not available, the vessel would use its methanol engines to recharge its batteries and would still achieve a 50 percent reduction in emissions compared to a conventional SOV.

DNV, which is one of the members of the coalition notes, “The number of fully electric and hybrid vessels will surge over the next few years, and continuing development on these technologies will be a key part of the maritime industry’s transition to a zero-carbon future.”

Bibby, which is leading the effort notes the vessel will be a natural progression in its decarbonization effort and the first new vessel for Bibby Marine in five years.

It was one of five projects that was announced today at London International Shipping Week as a winner in the UK Government’s competition designed to support the development of new zero-emission maritime technologies. Under the rules of the competition, the vessel needs to be in service by 2025.

They are estimating a cost of $37.5 million for the project with the UK government awarding them $25 million in funding. The project participants include Bibby Marine, Port of Aberdeen, Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, Kongsberg, DNV, Shell, and Liverpool John Moores University.

In the previous rounds of the funding competition, the UK has also awarded support to projects seeking to develop the technology required to provide offshore recharging capabilities. It has been highlighted that one of the challenges is the increasing distance from shore for the location of the wind farms, making onsite recharging critical. The UK projects are one of several looking at offshore recharging and creating vessels that are fully electric or use other technologies to be zero-emission ships.

Demonstration of Methane Abatement System Planned for LNG Gas Carrier

Maran Gas LNG gas carrier — Maran Gas Chios a modern LNG gas carrier will be used for the demonstration (Maran Gas)

A critical trial is getting underway to get methane abatement technologies aboard an in-service LNG carrier. Environmentalists and regulators remain concerned about methane slip, the release of unburnt methane, because of its significantly higher impact on the environment which has led to increased efforts to reduce methane emissions.

The test will employ technology from Daphne Technology while combining the expertise of Wärtsilä as the engine manufacturer, The vessel for the test will come from Marine Gas Maritime and is operating under charter to Shell. Lloyd’s Register will be the independent auditor for the test’s data and DNV will be the class society.

They point out that the advancement of the process is especially important for older LNG carriers, which were one of the first segments to adopt LNG-fueled propulsion and have the highest emissions rates. Newer LNG dual-fuel engines have made advancements in reducing methane emissions. The goal of the technology being demonstrated is for further abatement of methane in exhaust gas to reach negligible levels.

The LNG Maran Gas Chios, a tanker registered in Greece and built in 2019 will undertake the test using its Wärtsilä 34DF auxiliary engines. The vessel was built by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering in South Korea, one of the leading builders of LNG carriers and it is a standard size with a capacity to transport 173,500 cbm.

The ship will be using Daphne’s SlipPure technology which utilizes electric power to convert methane to carbon monoxide (CO) and water (H2O). The system consists of a housing, a cartridge, and a power supply. The exhaust gas passes through several tubes in the cartridge, and the power supply triggers non-thermal plasma generation within the tubes. The non-thermal plasma reaction creates reactive species that react with the methane molecules in the gas and convert them to water and carbon monoxide (in a harmless concentration). According to Daphne, SlipPure only uses electricity during the process, and an intelligent automation system adjusts the cleaning efficiency to ensure the system runs at an ideal load.

The system received approval in principle from both LR and DNV earlier this year. The demonstration aboard an in-service vessel, with an independent audit, will help to determine the success at reducing methane emissions and creating a migration path for LNG vessels.

Currently, DNV reports that there are over 430 ships in service using LNG-fueled propulsion. As one of the near-term available options to address carbon emissions, the adoption of LNG is growing rapidly until other options such as e-methanol, other biofuels, and hydrogen-based fuels emerge in the future. DNV reports that the number of vessels delivered over the next five years fueled by LNG will more than double the total fleet to approaching 1,000 ships.

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