It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Thursday, January 18, 2024
MSC Captain Pleads Guilty to Being Drunk as Ship Arrives in UK
Pilot in Felixstowe boarding an arriving MSC containership suspected the captain was drunk and reported it to authorities (Felixstone file photo)
The master of an MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company containership pleaded guilty in a UK court yesterday to operating his vessel while intoxicated. The police and court documents show that Captain Zbigniew Chowaniec, a 65-year old Polish national, was nearly four times over the legal limit for alcohol for seafarers at 07:00 on January 15 when his vessel arrived in the UK port of Felixstowe.
According to media reports, the pilot for the port boarded the MSC Roshney V (65,900 dwt) around 06:00 as the vessel was arriving from Antwerp. While guiding the vessel to the dock the pilot reported a strong smell of alcohol and became suspicious that the captain was drunk.
After the vessel was secured, the pilot reported his suspicion to the port authorities. The port police boarded the vessel and met with the captain and arrested the master on the suspicion that he was heavily intoxicated while in command of the ship. The port police handed Chowaniec over to the Suffolk Police which performed a breathalyzer. Court papers indicated that he registered 93 micrograms per 100 with the legal limit for seafarers being just 25 micrograms.
The vessel is one of the smaller ships operating in MSC’s fleet. Built in 2007 and registered in Liberia, it operates a route between Turkey and northern Europe. The ship had previously been in Felixstowe, moved to Antwerp, and was arriving back in the UK before proceeding to Turkey. The ship is 965 feet (294 meters) in length and has a capacity of 4,888 TEU.
Chowaniec appeared in the Suffolk Magistrate Court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to the charge of being drunk. He surrendered his passport and was released on conditional bail. Sentencing is scheduled for February 12.
The containership departed Felixstowe on January 16 on its return trip to Turkey.
Intoxication has been cited as a contributing factor in several recent causalities. One of the officers in a fatal accident with the Scot Carrier in 2021 was reported to have been drinking before his watch when they hit and sank a small Danish vessel killing two crewmembers. Danish and UK authorities cited drunken officers in the grounding of vessels in 2021 and 2022, and in 2023 a containership arriving in port at an excessive speed plowed into the dock in Kaoushiung, Taiwan with reports the pilot was drunk.
DECRIMINALIZE DRUGS
Record Amount of Cocaine Smuggled Through Belgian Ports in 2023
Dutch police made large seizures of cocaine mixed in with shipments of bananas (The cocaine was founding hidden in a container of bananas (Openbaar Ministerie)
Belgium experienced another year of record seizures of cocaine being smuggled through the country’s ports in 2023, giving it the dubious honor of being the epicenter of the illegal trade from Central and South America. Belgian officials held a news conference along with their Dutch colleagues in the port of Flushing in the Netherlands to highlight their efforts while calling for more coordination to fight organized crime and the massive smuggling operations.
The data released by Belgium’s Minister of Finance Vince Van Peteghem showed just over a five percent increase in the amount of cocaine seized in Antwerp in 2023 as he emphasized the increased efforts by the country’s customs operation. According to his data, 116 tonnes of cocaine were seized in Antwerp up from 110 tonnes in 2022. He highlighted that it represents an increase of 50 tonnes since they began public reporting on the efforts in 2020. A further five tonnes were seized in the neighboring Belgium port of Zeebrugge in 2023.
Citing extraordinary circumstances, Van Peteghem said they would be continuing on the path taken to increase the seizures and work with colleagues in neighboring countries. “The fight against international drug trafficking requires a lot of expertise and energy from our customs,” the minister said during his briefing.
He said the seizures however were evidence of the success of the federal government’s investment in people and resources for the customs bureau. He cites the close cooperation in cross-border operations as well as the efforts working with the police. Yesterday, the police conducted large sweeps across Brussels and Antwerp reporting the arrest of 22 people including three police officers involved in the narcotics trade. They also seized cash, cars, and weapons with the police blaming increasing violence in the cities on organized crime rings such as the one they broke up yesterday.
Belgium cites Columbia, Ecuador, and Panama as the top countries of origin for the smuggling operations with the minister days that the same three countries continued to dominate the smuggling operations in 2023.
While Antwerp has become the main gateway for the cartels smuggling cocaine onto the continent, the problem however is widespread. European Union officials point to Belgium, the Netherlands, and Spain, reporting that three-quarters of the seizures in 2021 happened in the three countries’ ports. A total of 303 tonnes was seized in 2021 according to the latest information from the EU. The Netherlands reported seizures of 59 tonnes in 2023 with almost 27 tones originating in Ecuador.
Port officials highlight that one of the biggest challenges is the perishable trade, which has become a preferred host for the smugglers. They point to the rush to move refrigerated containers through the port and that they have become one of the primary locations for drug smuggling. Several of the largest seizures in Europe in the last years were all made mixed in with bananas.
Belgium recently took its turn at the Presidency of the EU Council and used this role to launch an ambitious plan to increase efforts both at the ports and working with the governments of the Central and South American countries. Belgium intends to leverage the European Commission’s comprehensive roadmap that was launched in October last year during its leadership of the Council to intensify efforts to combat drug trafficking and criminal networks in European ports.
Australian Research Vessel Maps New Subsea Canyon in Antarctic Storm
The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) is celebrating the capabilities of its controversial new research ship RSV Nuyina after the discovery of a massive underwater canyon.
The icebreaker was on a normal resupply mission to the Casey research station when four-meter seas and 50-knot winds forced the operation to be put on hold. Rather than sit and wait for the weather to pass, the crew decided to use the time to map the seafloor at the nearby Adams Glacier, which is about 35 nautical miles away. The acoustics team had earlier spotted what might have been the tip of a canyon.
A total of 15 hours of mapping in front of Adams Glacier by a team of acousticians on board the icebreaker led to the discovery of a 2100 meter-deep, 9000 meter-wide canyon, extending more than 25 nautical miles off the glacier front.
The crew used the ship's multibeam echosounder to map the canyon, and the data may yield insights into the geological and glacial history of the area.
The Australian Antarctic Division called the discovery a testament to the $500 million ship's value. “One of the specific objectives in building RSV Nuyina was to provide Australia with the capability to map the Antarctic continental shelf. Discovery and mapping of these deep glacial canyons is key to developing better models of the interaction between the Antarctic ice sheet and the ocean. This is just the beginning,” said Lloyd Symons, RSV Nuyina technology manager.
This was the second time AAD scientists had discovered an Antarctic seafloor feature using the ship’s acoustic instruments. Two years ago, on Nuyina’s maiden voyage to Casey, scientists mapped the nearby Vanderford Canyon, which is 2200 meters deep, 2000 meters wide and about 25 nautical miles long.
“Nuyina’s multibeam echosounder gives us much greater capability for detailed mapping of the seafloor than we’ve ever had before, and these two new discoveries suggest there will be many more to come,” said Alison Herbert, AAD senior acoustician.
WW3.0
Philippines Plans to Upgrade Island Bases in the South China Sea
The decaying military outpost aboard a grounded World War II LST at Second Thomas Shoal (Armed Forces of the Philippines)
In a decision that is sure to anger Beijing, the Philippine government says that it will upgrade facilities on multiple land features in its western exclusive economic zone, including areas contested by China.
Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., head of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said Monday that the Philippines would like to pursue a construction program to improve conditions for troops to live on these remote islands and reefs, where they defend the government's claim to ownership and sovereignty over the region. "We’d like to improve all the nine [bases], especially the islands we are occupying," Brawner said.
The nine bases that Brawner referred to include Thitu Island, the largest Philippine-occupied land feature in the region, and Second Thomas Shoal, which is a major flash point for confrontations with China. The Philippine Navy maintains an outpost aboard a decaying, grounded landing ship on the reef, and it has been attempting to restore the structure. Security experts predict that the wreck will become uninhabitable in the near future, and that a replacement is necessary. However, the China Coast Guard has worked hard to prevent convoys with construction materials, supplies and personnel from getting through. China vocally opposes restoration or replacement of the structure, and it has repeatedly called on Manila to remove the station.
"China has indisputable sovereignty over [the Spratly Islands] and the adjacent waters. We firmly oppose relevant countries’ illegal construction on the islands and reefs they have illegally occupied in [the Spratly Islands]," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Tuesday, responding to Gen. Brawner's remarks.
Brawner's proposed construction program mirrors China's island-building program in the region. China has developed a string of full-scale military bases in the archipelago, including several with military runways, hardened hangars, long-range radars and air-defense installations.
China claims ownership of the Spratly Islands and surrounding waters, including areas within the Philippine exclusive economic zone, like Second Thomas Shoal. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled that China's historically-based claims to the South China Sea are without merit under international law. China has ignored the ruling and has deployed its "gray zone" forces - white-hulled coast guard cutters and militia-operated "commercial" fishing trawlers - to enforce its claims.
Philippine Coast Guard Rescues Crew from Ship After Cargo Shifts in Storm
Star Sebang called for assistance after its cargo shifted in high seas (PCG)
The crew of a small general cargo ship operating in the Philippines was rescued after their ship began listing in a storm in the southern Philippines in the Sulu Sea. The crew was rescued and brought to shore.
According to the media reports, the Star Sabang (500 dwt) began listing after encountering heavy waves and winds on the west side of the island of Mindanao. The vessel which is 321 feet (98 meters) in length was off Bayangan Island when according to the captain they were hit by huge waves and strong wind.
Star Sebang hit heavy seas causing the cargo shift (PCG)
The Coast Guard reports the vessel was carrying 170 tons of cement from Cebu to Zamboanga. The cargo shifted in the high seas causing the ship to assume a precarious list and begin to sink. The captain called the Coast Guard for assistance. The 13 crewmembers were rescued and taken to the island while they were continuing to monitor the vessel.
The owner of the vessel was reported to be attempting to tow the Star Sabang with another one of its ships. Media reports said the tow was underway but a video posted online shows the vessel rolling onto its side.
Two Firefighters Who Died Aboard Burning Con/Ro Were Lost in Smoke
The suspected origin of the fire on Deck 10 (USCG)
In a U.S. Coast Guard investigative hearing on Tuesday, a Newark firefighter testified that the two men who died aboard the con/ro Grande Costa D'Avorio last year got lost in the smoke as they attempted to exit the ship.
Oswald Robetto, a Newark Fire Department captain, was on Deck 10 with colleagues Augusto Acabou, Wayne Brooks, Jr. and a fourth firefighter during the response effort. Brooks was using a hose to apply boundary cooling on the overhead, he said. At this point, Batallion Chief Al Maresca radioed in and ordered the men to wrap up and come out of the compartment.
They retreated through the smoke-filled interior, using the firehose to guide them to safety. As they moved along the deck, the smoke thickened, and Brooks' mask gave an alert that he was running low on air. He moved to the front of the line.
As they moved along, Robetto encountered a kink in the hose, and he became confused: a kink should have been "impossible."
"I got stuck and I hesitated," he said. He got disoriented and lost contact with the hose. In the thick smoke, he could not find it again, so he began hunting for a wall to follow to safety. His air was also running low, and he radioed for help. At this point, the firefighters had been working aboard the con/ro for about half an hour.
Robetto made it out before his air ran out, but Acabou and Brooks remained behind. Their absence was only detected when the fire crew mustered. Both men died in the fire and their bodies were recovered later.
In testimony, fire department officials told the Coast Guard that they had considerable difficulties with communications during the response. Their radio systems did not work well, and they had a hard time speaking with the crew because of language barriers.
The battalion chief, Maresca, told the panel that he had never fought a shipboard fire before, nor did he have any training in this specialty. His initial impression of the situation was that it was a minor fire. Even after talking with the crew and having a look at the scene on Deck 10, "we didn't know where this fire was burning."
After putting out two burning cars on Deck 10, the responders thought that the fire was out. “We weren’t fighting a fire. I thought nothing of it. There really was nothing going on until they [Robetto, Acabou and Brooks] got lost," said Maresca.
The final outcome was tragic. Search teams found Acabou wedged tightly between two cars, near the exit. Brooks was found further in the hold, without his helmet, flashlight or radio.
Courtesy NIOSH / USCG
Houthi Drone Hits American-Owned Ship, Causing Fire
GENCO Picardy's last received AIS position in the Red Sea, January 15 (Pole Star)
[Updated] The UKMTO has received a report of an attack on a merchant ship at a position about 60 nautical miles southeast of the Yemeni port city of Aden, in the middle of the western Gulf of Aden.
The ship's master reported that the vessel had been hit on the port side by an aerial drone (UAV). The strike caused a fire on board, which the crew successfully extinguished. The vessel and the crew are safe, according to UKMTO, and are proceeding to their next port of call.
"Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO," the consortium advised.
Yemen's Houthi rebels have attacked shipping in the vicinity of Bab el-Mandeb dozens of times since November. In a statement on social media, Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for the attack and said that the vessel was the "American" bulker GENCO Picardy. The ship's owner and commercial manager is based in New York, its technical manager is located in India, and its flag registry is administered in Virginia.
"The naval forces of the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a targeting operation against the American ship (GENCO Picardy) in the Gulf of Aden with a several of adequate naval missiles [sic], leaving direct hits. The Yemeni armed forces will not hesitate to target all sources of threat in the Arab and Red Seas within the legitimate right to defend dear Yemen and to continue supporting the oppressed Palestinian people," he said.
U.S. Central Command confirmed the attack on the Picardy in a statement late Wednesday, and said that it was a single one-way attack drone originating from Yemeni territory.
GENCO Picardy's AIS signal was last received by Pole Star satellite tracking in the southern Red Sea, on the opposite side of Houthi-controlled territory from the attack location. Last week the vessel had been headed southbound towards Bab el-Mandeb, but on January 15 it doubled back to a position north of 18 N, as recommended by the U.S. Maritime Administration. At that point, its signal disappeared from tracking (image at top).
A GENCO employee declined to comment.
The Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) security partnership has advised all civilian shipping to stay well clear of Bab el-Mandeb and the Red Sea, but the shorter Suez route remains in use for many shipping firms. Major operators like Shell, Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd and others have abandoned the route, and almost all container ships are diverting around the Cape of Good Hope.
[This story is evolving and will be updated as new information comes in.]
The Biden administration has re-designated Yemen's Houthi rebel group as a terrorist organization, three years after lifting a Trump-era listing.
The group is now back on the list of Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) entities, a lower-level designation. The Trump administration listed the group as both an SDGT and a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) shortly before Biden took office, and Biden reversed it as one of his earliest acts as president.
Houthi leaders control Yemen's most populous areas, and the aid community had called loudly for restrictions on trade with the famine-stricken country to be lifted.
At the time, the UN considered Yemen to be suffering from the world's worst humanitarian disaster. Designating the Houthi group and its officials as an FTO made it impossible to legally transact with them, and therefore difficult to move aid supplies into the country.
“The [Trump-era] designations came at a time when the country was facing an unprecedented set of catastrophes. We had famine warnings where 16 million people – that’s one in two Yemenis – were close to starvation,” Norwegian Refugee Council official Saltana Begum told Al Jazeera at the time. “There was the threat that people like myself could be criminalized or prosecuted for delivering aid.”
Biden administration officials were receptive to aid NGOs' appeals and delisted the Houthi group swiftly. Biden also ended American support for the Saudi military campaign against Houthi forces. The group holds the strategic port of Hodeidah, the country's primary seaport, as well as the longtime capital of Sanaa.
Recent events have forced the administration to reconsider. Houthi forces have attacked merchant shipping in the Red Sea dozens of times since November, claiming that they are acting in support of Palestinians in Gaza. Recent attacks have hit American and Greek merchant ships with no clear connection to Israel. The U.S. and the UK have hit back with airstrikes and missile strikes on Houthi positions, but have not yet succeeded in eliminating the threat. For the time being, the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) and multiple maritime security firms have urged all shipping to avoid areas near Bab el-Mandeb, normally one of the busiest maritime choke points in the world.
Biden's opponents have criticized him for lifting the FTO designation in the first place, and for reimposing only the less-stringent SDGT listing.
“President Biden should have never removed the foreign terrorist organization designation. He is still bent on half-measures at every step of the way," said Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), ranking membver of the Armed Services Committee. "Further Houthi attacks on commercial shipping or U.S. sailors should be met with a response that makes last week’s strike in Yemen look small in comparison."
Bomb Blast Causes Light Damage at ZIM's Piraeus Office
Pro-Palestinian activists have detonated a small bomb outside the Piraeus office of ZIM, Israel's quasi-national shipping line.
The explosive device consisted of gas canisters, and the blast caused minor damage to the exterior of the building. The explosion occurred at 0200 hours in the morning, well outside of business hours, and no injuries were reported.
The building also houses the offices of the Diaplous Group, a Greek maritime security company.
Leaflets bearing pro-Palestine messaging were scattered at the scene, according to local police. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing, but Palestine-linked activists are strongly suspected. Six people were briefly arrested, questioned and then released. An investigation into the identity of the perpetrators is under way.
ZIM has come in for tough treatment since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October. It has been banned in Malaysia, barricaded in Fremantle and Halifax, and threatened by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea. Like other Israeli firms, it has also seen staff called up for Israel's army reserve units to serve in the ongoing operation.
The firm has prioritized cargo for the Israeli government, in line with its partial government-owned status.
Wednesday's blast was the second at a shipping office in Piraeus in little more than a month. In December 2023, a bomb went off near the front entrance of an office building at Filonos 61-65, home to several smaller shipping companies, a maritime satcom provider, a freight forwarder and the Greek office of a leading P&I club, among others. The damage appeared restricted to the ground floor and lobby of the seven-story building.
In 2020, an unknown perpetrator set off an explosive device at 13 Leof. Al. Papanastiasiou, home of the offices of ship management firm Vita Management S.A. The exterior of the building was heavily damaged, but no injuries were reported.
Hanwha Ocean Resumes Work at Shipyard After Fatal Accident
Work was stopped after an explosion in the workshop devoted to rudders (Hanwha Ocean file photo)
Hanwha Ocean reported that it has resumed production at its shipyard in South Korea after a fatal accident last Friday that prompted an investigation and efforts to develop preventative measures for the future. In a stock exchange filing, South Korea’s third largest shipbuilder reported work was resuming in most parts of the yard except for the area covered by a government order received on January 16.
“The company decided to resume work after receiving an official document from the Ministry of Employment and Labor,” Hanwha Ocean said in the filing. Work they reported would be resuming at the Okpo Shipyard, including manufacturing plants 1 and 2 as well as the workshops.
The company, however, reports it received an official order from the Ministry to stop work at other parts of the manufacturing plant. The impact from this order they said would be minimal to sales.
According to media reports, a subcontractor was grinding in the workshop devoted to rudder assemblies on January 12 when the explosion occurred. The 28-year-old man was reportedly hit by debris and blasted across the workshop. He had been working in the yard since March and succumbed to his injuries at the hospital later in the day. It was the first fatal accident at the shipyard since Hanwha Ocean completed the acquisition of Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) in 2023.
The investigation is looking at the possibility of a gas leak in the workshop. Hanwha Ocean has said the workshop would remain closed until the cause of the accident was determined and steps taken to prevent a similar incident in the future.
Union leaders have been calling for a full investigation. Under South Korean law, the executives of the company can be held accountable for the accident. The Korean Times reports that Hanwha Ocean’s unionized workers are calling for the authorities to arrest the executive who is managing the company. Since the beginning of 2022, they contend there have been five fatal accidents at DSME and now Hanwha Ocean. They want a more thorough investigation of the labor practices of the company arguing that safety precautions can not be overlooked for the sake of production.
Hanwha Ocean said that it had immediately notified the authorities after the accident occurred and that it is cooperating with them while the investigation is ongoing.
Fatal Accident Causes Hanwha Ocean to Suspend Production
Hanwha Ocean is building LNG carriers and Hapag-Lloyd's new large containerships (Hanwha Ocean file photo)
South Korea’s third-largest shipbuilder, Hanwha Ocean, reports work was suspended at its shipyard facility in Okpo after a fatal accident. An investigation is underway with the yard expected to remain closed until government officials determine the cause and prescribe preventative steps to be taken at the facility.
According to the reports, there was an explosion in one of the fabrication shops at the shipyard on Friday, January 12. At approximately 3:20 p.m. there was an explosion in the facility working on manufacturing rudder. A subcontractor in the facility, a 28-year old man, whose name and nationality were not released, was hit by debris from the explosion. His body was knocked across the shop. The individual was taken to the hospital for treatment but succumbed to his injuries.
Hanwha Ocean reported this morning, January 15, that production at the Okpo yard has been suspended and that the resumption date will be determined based on the results of the investigation and only after it receives permission from the Ministry of Employment and Labor.
Immediately after the incident, the company says it informed the police and the Ministry of Employment and Labor. It is believed to have been a gas explosion possibly from a ruptured line, but the investigation will determine the cause and what steps the shipyard is required to take to prevent another similar incident.
Hanwha Ocean advised in a stock exchange filing that it expects “some production disruptions.”
The shipyard reportedly missed its 2023 order target as the company transitions from the former Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering to Hanwha Ocean after a controlling interest and management of the company were sold by the government-controlled banks which were the creditors and largest investors in the former DSME. Korea Development Bank had said at the time of the sale that it believed investments were required in the yard’s operations to maintain its competitiveness.
Hanwha Ocean and Samsung Heavy Industries recently entered into a cooperation agreement. The unusual agreement between competitors will have Hanwha Ocean produce blocks for containerships being built at the Samsung yard. Recent reports denied by Hanwha Ocean said the shipyard is focusing on high-value contracts deciding to forego containerships that have lower margins. Hanwha Ocean emphasized that it has a large backlog while its new parent company looks to increase naval work and realize opportunities with its work in military systems.
BC Ferries Contracts Damen to Build Its First Fully-Electric RoRos
The four new ferries will use the RoRo design and add hybrid electric power (Damen)
Canada’s BC Ferries, which bills itself as one of the largest ferry operators in the world, awarded the shipbuilding contract for four unique hybrid electric vessels to the Damen Shipyards Group. Due to enter service in 2027, the company reports it plans to operate these new vessels exclusively in battery-electric mode, using renewable BC Hydro electricity to power the charging stations.
The design for the vessels is based on the Island Class which Damen delivered to BC Ferries between 2020 and 2022. They currently operate six of the vessels and with the addition of the four new ferries it will become the single largest class of vessels in the company’s fleet. Each vessel will have the capacity for up to 390 passengers and crew and will carry at least 47 vehicles. The ferries are double-ended RoRos with a twin propeller design.
The battery packs for the four new ferries will have a capacity of 2,000 kilowatts that will supply the electricity for the power trains. Rapid recharging using renewable electricity will take place while the ferries disembark and embark their passengers and vehicles at each end of the route. Each vessel will also have auxiliary diesel engines installed for backup and general redundancy and an exhaust system with selective catalytic reduction to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions.
Other environmental systems include heat recovery which uses waste thermal energy to heat the vessel. They will also use a low-friction, biofouling-resistant hull coating to reduce power consumption. Light will be entirely LED onboard.
Damen built six earlier ferries of the class between 2020 and 2022 for BC Ferries (BC Ferries)
The project was begun in 2022 with the first requests released by BC Ferries. Several bids were received from various shipyards around the world, but no Canadian companies submitted a bid. Damen, based in the Netherlands, was selected with BC Ferries highlighting the advantages of compatibility and flexibility with its current fleet of conventionally-powered ferries from Damen.
This agreement with Damen is a design-build, fixed-priced contract that provides BC Ferries with substantial guarantees related to delivery dates, performance criteria, cost certainty, and quality construction. The vessels will be built in Romania. Damen also has an agreement with Point Hope Shipyards in Victoria to provide technical and warranty support for the new vessels, ensuring repair and maintenance activities will be performed in British Columbia.
BC Ferries reports it will also initiate corresponding electrical upgrades for shore-based rapid charging at the four terminals on the routes which will connect Nanaimo Harbour and Gabriola Island (two vessels) and Campbell River and Quadra Island (two vessels).
The shoreside charging equipment will also be supplied by Damen with the necessary upgrades being completed in time for the delivery of the ships. Damen highlights that it will be the fourth time it has provided the shore charging capabilities, with the first also being in Canada, in 2021, to support two hybrid Damen ferries delivered to the Ministry of Transportation, Ontario. The company has also supplied charging for projects in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Dordrecht, the Netherlands.
Courtesy NIOSH / USCG
