Chile wants 3 or 4 new lithium projects running in 2026, finance minister says
Reuters | March 3, 2024 | 1:30 am Battery Metals Latin America Lithium

Mario Marcel Cullell, Chile’s Minister of Finance. (Image by Banco Central de Chile, Wikimedia Commons.)

Chile wants to have three or four new lithium projects operational by 2026, the country’s Minister of Finance Mario Marcel said on Saturday.


The South American country – the world’s largest copper producer and the second-largest producer of lithium – initiated a policy last year to increase state control of the strategic metal needed in batteries for electric vehicles.

Marcel spoke following a meeting with US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who has been touring the country.

On Saturday, Yellen visited the US lithium producer Albemarle in northern Chile, saying expanded US-Chilean ties would benefit both countries, improve energy security and help achieve key climate goals.

There are currently only two producers of lithium in Chile – Albemarle and SQM – with investors still waiting for the left-wing government of President Gabriel Boric to define its national lithium strategy as it seeks public-private partnerships to develop its lithium salt flats.

Earlier this week, Chile’s mining minister said the government had hoped to finalize lithium exploration tenders in the first quarter of this year for private companies.

Chile’s state-owned copper mining company, Codelco, has been selected to represent the Chilean state in the new public-private model for lithium as Boric seeks to expand the long-stalled industry.

(By Andrea Shalal and Lucinda Elliott; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)


Yellen praises Chile’s policies in visit to lithium-rich ally

Bloomberg News | March 1, 2024 

Janet Yellen meeting with Chile’s Finance Minister Mario Marcel. Credit: Janet Yellen via X

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Friday lavished praise on Chile during a visit aimed at strengthening ties with an ally whose critical minerals are key to weaning dependence off China.


The South American nation has an “impressive agenda” including issuing the region’s first sovereign green bonds, Yellen said after a meeting with Finance Minister Mario Marcel in Santiago. She will meet with President Gabriel Boric later in the day.

“As a leading producer of both copper and lithium, Chile has a critical role to play in the supply chains that will power our world’s transition to clean energy,” Yellen said. “American companies are investing. And we see opportunities to further integrate our supply chains with benefits for both our economies.”

On Saturday, Yellen plans to tour Albemarle Corp.’s lithium-processing facility at Antofagasta in the north of the country. Chile has the world’s largest reserves of lithium – a metal essential for making batteries that power electric vehicles — and is the No. 2 supplier after Australia.

That also makes it a vital partner for China, by far the top global EV producer, which last year bought about two-thirds of Chile’s total lithium exports. The Biden administration is backing domestic EV plants with massive subsidies, as it seeks to grab a bigger share of the industry — and also pushing to secure their supplies of key ingredients from countries other than China.

Such initiatives are becoming part of the mission for Yellen, who over the past year has effectively become her country’s chief economic diplomat. She’s championed the administration’s “friend-shoring” agenda, an effort to make US supply chains less dependent on China and less vulnerable to potential coercion. She traveled to India four times and also visited Indonesia, another resource-rich nation, and Vietnam.

Marcel told reporters that Chile’s national lithium policy seeks to ensure there’s no dominance of companies from any specific country.
Market turbulence

The EV boom has triggered a rollercoaster ride in the once-tiny market for lithium. Prices surged through late 2022, and by one measure they’ve slumped more than 80% since then. There’s been a slide in nickel and other key metals too, as a wave of new supply hits the market. For commodity producers like Chile, that’s making it difficult to invest in new mines.

Chile’s President Gabriel Boric wants the state to take a controlling stake in operations considered strategically significant, with the twin goals of making lithium production more sustainable and generating more money.

Understanding how this reform would work in practice, and how it will affect US firms, is something Yellen will seek to do during the visit, a Treasury official said. The Chilean government is respecting existing contracts, which in the case of US-based Albemarle run until 2043.

Mining Minister Aurora Williams said this week that the government expects to lay out by end-March which new lithium areas will be made available under the new public-private partnership model. Contracts will then be finalized by end-June. Chile has been losing market share as output remains restricted to two operations on a single giant salt flat..

As a free-trade partner with the US for more than two decades, Chile stands to benefit from President Joe Biden’s green stimulus program, potentially increasing demand for its lithium. Trade between the countries has grown around 9% a year since 2003.
‘Strategic partner’

Yellen’s visit to Chile “reflects our character as a strategic partner,” Marcel said in a statement, citing “the flow of investments between both countries” as well as talks on issues like the environment and the digital economy.

The US has competition, though. All across the so-called lithium triangle of Argentina, Chile and Bolivia, which accounts for more than half of global resources, Chinese investors are making inroads – and helping the countries shift further down the electric-vehicle supply chain by leveraging their vast mineral wealth.

Chile and Argentina are keen to be part of American EV plans, but they also continue to woo Chinese investors who can bring funds for more value-added investments.

Still, expanding the range of buyers would likely be good for Chile, according to Yellen — especially in light of China’s recent economic woes, which have weighed on Chile’s exports.

“They’re probably interested in diversifying their purchasers,” she said. “Just as we’re interested in diversifying suppliers.”

(By Viktoria Dendrinou, Matthew Malinowski and James Attwood)

 

Germany Accelerates Offshore Wind Development With Three Sites for 5.5GW

Germany started auctions for three additional North Sea locations (file photo)

PUBLISHED MAR 1, 2024 1:09 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

Germany’s Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) has issued the fourth phase of its offshore wind program publishing the results of surveys for three new lease areas in the North Sea. They are releasing the details and beginning the second auction of 2024 with a deadline established of August 1 for bids on the three new sites.

The authority published the 4th WindSeeV, which contains the results of the preliminary area investigation for the construction of the three offshore wind farms. The newest area is in the western reaches of Germany’s North Sea exclusive economic zone near the border with the Netherlands.

BSH President Helge Heegewaldt commented, “With the entry into force of the 4th WindSeeV, the BSH is giving the offshore industry planning and legal certainty for the construction of three wind farms with an installed capacity of 5,500 MW in the North Sea. We are thus reaching another major milestone on the way to the Federal Republic of Germany’s 70 GW target.”

One of the three areas covers 158 km2 (61 square miles) with an installed capacity of 2,000 MW. It is located approximately 98 km off the Dutch island of Ameland and 107 km off the German island of Borkum. A similar-sized second area is located approximately 101 km from the nearest island, Ameland (Netherlands), and 111 km from the German island of Borkum. The third area is slightly smaller at 106 km2 (40 square miles) and would have a capacity of 1,500 MW. The shortest distance to the nearest island Rottumerplaat (Netherlands) about 108 km and it is a similar distance from Borkum as the other two parcels.

In addition to the three new sites, for which developers will have the benefit of the pre-investigation reports, last month the German authority also launched an auction for sites that could provide 2.5 GW of capacity in the North Sea. These sites, however, have not been pre-investigated. This follows similar auctions in 2023 for 7 GW of capacity.

Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economics is also moving forward with a draft law for the implementation of the third Renewable Energy Directory. To speed the development of offshore wind assets, the draft proposes replacing the requirement for project-specific environmental impact assessments (EIA) with a broader strategic assessment for the areas yet to be designated.

In a rare move, some of the leading wind farm developers including Ørsted, RWE, and Vattenfall, joined with environmental groups calling for continuing the EIA requirement. They said this step creates better legal certainty for the developer and aids in investment decisions. They argue that the EIA does not delay the overall development of the projects.

The German government is looking to streamline the process to encourage more development and address challenges in the supply chain to ensure more projects are entering the pipeline. Experts however argue that one of the biggest challenges in the German industry is delays in developing the offshore grid connection systems in the North Sea.

New York Re-Ups Two in Jeopardy Wind Farms in Fourth Solicitation

New York looks to have restarted two wind farm projects through tis latest solicitation (file photo)

PUBLISHED FEB 29, 2024 3:50 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

New York State announced the results of its fourth, expedited offshore wind solicitation, which was used as a vehicle to stabilize two in-jeopardy wind farm projects and reinvigorate the state’s efforts after the financial headwinds threatened the industry in 2023. The state conditionally awarded Empire Wind 1 and Sunrise Wind agreements clearing the way for the projects to negotiate new power agreements. A third project, Community Offshore Wind II, was also “waitlisted” with consideration for later contract negotiations.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul highlights that these are two mature projects that have already cleared most of the permitting milestones and can move forward quickly. The projects total over 1.7 GW of electricity, which the Governor said will be the largest power generation projects in New York State in over 35 years once they are in operation in 2026.

Inflation, rising costs, supply chain problems, and challenges due to the lack of installation vessels, combined to place the projects in danger. Empire Wind, which was to be developed in a partnership between Ørsted and Eversource, and Sunrise Wind, which was to be developed by the Equinor and BP partnership, both petitioned NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority) to reset their 2019 offtake contracts. Both projects had been selected in New York’s first solicitation but argued four years later that market conditions made them not financially viable. 

NYSERDA rejected the proposal but the Governor then moved to the accelerated solicitation which contained a provision that projects could re-bid if they canceled their earlier contracts. Doreen Harris, President and CEO of NYSERDA, highlighted today the rapid response to market challenges by executing the expedited solicitation. 

The companies have also realigned for their forward plans. Ørsted agreed to buy out Eversource if the bid was successful and they completed a new power agreement. Equinor and BP agreed to split their portfolio with Equinor having taken full ownership of Sunrise Wind.

Beyond restarting the two projects, NYSERDA also waitlisted the proposal from RWE and National Grid Ventures for the second stage of their wind farm in the New York Bight. Known as Community Offshore Wind II, it calls for an additional 1.3 GW. The first phase also for 1.3 GW received a provisional offtake award in New York’s third solicitation, which was completed in October 2023.  

“Today’s award is an important milestone in our continuing efforts to maximize value creation from Empire Wind 1, currently one of the biggest and most mature renewables projects in the U.S.,” said Pal Eitrheim, executive vice president of Equinor Renewables. “We are working diligently to bring the project to an investment decision during the third quarter.”

Empire Wind 1 would be located 15 miles offshore and deliver 810 MW. It is targeted to deliver first power in 2026. It has already received approval for its Construction and Operations Plan from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. It now needs to complete a new Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Certificate with NYSERDA.

Sunrise Wind would be located more than 30 miles east of Long Island and is expected to deliver 924 MW. It also needs to complete negotiations with NYSERDA on a new power agreement with Ørsted reporting a final investment decision is expected to be made in the second quarter of 2024.

It is a major step for Ørsted which had previously backed away from its U.S. offshore wind investments. They highlight that this will permit it to develop an offshore wind cluster with South Fork Wind (130 MW) due to complete construction shortly, Revolution Wind (704 MW) under construction, and Sunrise Wind. The projects will be able to share resources and the company has said the award for Sunrise Wind would reduce by approximately $260 million its impairment charge for its U.S. offshore wind assets.

In exchange for the new contracts, New York is requiring additional investments above the $32 million committed for the communities and $16.5 million toward wildlife and fisheries monitoring. They also have a stipulation requiring a total of at least $188 million in U.S. iron and steel purchases for the projects. The projects also include elements such as the development of the wind port at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal and investments in the Long Island electric grid and in transmission assets.

Design Developed for Multi-Function Vessel for Floating Wind Turbine Farms

The concept is a vessel to undertake all phases of developing and installation float offshore wind turbines (K Line)

PUBLISHED FEB 28, 2024 6:44 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

Japan’s “K” Line Wind Service working with shipbuilders Japan Marine United and Nihon Shipyard has developed designs for a new class of vessel specifically designed to support the development of floating offshore wind turbines. According to the companies, the concept is for a multi-functional floating offshore wind farm support vessel that would make the process of planning and installing floating wind turbines more efficient.

The emerging industry for Japan’s offshore energy sector is focusing on the challenges of floating wind turbines, which the government views as a major component in its long-term energy plans. Japan’s coastal topography however presents challenges as there are limited shallow water areas to deploy fixed-bottom offshore wind turbines.

The installation of floating offshore wind turbines will require mooring systems to be deployed by vessels, with the whole mooring system composed of an anchor, a mooring chain, and a fiber rope. “K” Line Wind Service working together with Japan Marine United and Nihon Shipyard has been studying effective mooring methods and the most suitable vessel design for mooring installation. 

The MSFV concept is designed to perform the whole mooring process efficiently for floating offshore wind turbine installations. According to the companies, the vessel is suited to the transportation of the mooring system to the installation site, deploying the mooring system on the seabed, and anchor tensioning. Further, they report the vessel is designed to provide various vessel solutions in each phase of an offshore wind project, such as survey, transportation, construction, and operation and maintenance functions.

“K” Line Wind Service, a joint venture of Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha and Kawasaki Kinkai Kisen Kaisha, was launched to contribute to low-carbon and decarbonization projects by providing marine and vessel solutions. 

The MFSV concept recently completed a design review and obtained Approval in Principle (AiP) from ClassNK. The companies are also in the process of a patent application for the MFSV.

The Japanese government is supporting research and development efforts aimed at developing the capabilities recognizing the important role floating wind turbines will play in the future. The development of the MFSV design concept was subsidized by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) as a part of its Green Innovation Fund Project.

 

Secretary of the Navy Invites Korea's Shipbuilders to Come to America

Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro visits a drydock at Hanwha Ocean, formerly DSME (Courtesy Hanwha Ocean)

PUBLISHED FEB 29, 2024 11:59 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

Just weeks after sharply criticizing American defense contractors, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Tor visited South Korea's mega-shipyards to deliver a message: come to the United States. 

South Korea is one of America's closest allies, and it also happens to be the world's second-largest shipbuilding nation. Its Big Three yards have made their names by churning out complex LNG carriers, and two of them - HD Hyundai and Hanwha Ocean (formerly DSME) - have extensive experience in defense shipbuilding, too. Their latest surface combatant class uses the same Aegis combat system found on the U.S. Navy's own destroyers, and can carry about 30 percent more missiles.

"As I saw firsthand during my shipyard visits in Korea this week, Hanwha and Hyundai set the global industry standard," said Del Toro in a statement. "I could not be more excited at the prospect of these companies bringing their expertise, their technology, and their cutting-edge best practices to American shores.  As world class leaders in the global shipbuilding business, they are poised to energize the U.S. shipbuilding marketplace with fresh competition, renowned innovation and unrivaled industrial capacity."

Del Toro suggested that Korean investors could reactivate or upgrade "numerous former shipyard sites around the country which are largely intact and dormant." Not only would this give the Navy more contractors to choose from, he said - these new yards might even be able to attract commercial newbuild contracts. 

"Investment in dual-use shipyards in the United States will create good paying, blue collar and new-collar American jobs building the advanced ships that will protect and power the economy of tomorrow," he said. 

Hanwha CEO Dong Kwan Kim and HD Hyundai CEO Kisun Chung will both be visiting the Pentagon in the coming weeks for follow-up talks, Del Toro added. 

His comments contrasted sharply with an address he delivered at the annual West defense conference in San Diego earlier this month. In a prepared speech, he admonished the crowd of American defense executives to stop blaming COVID for supply chain shortages, do what is needed to recruit and retain their own workforces, and deliver performance matching their profitability. 

"I am committed to providing you in industry clear requirements, robust pipelines for the future, and strong stable investments. However, I need you to do your part as well to provide a proper return on investment for the American taxpayer," Del Toro admonished the crowd of defense executives. "I need you to deliver platforms and capabilities on time and on budget without excuses."

 

Ocean Plastic Could Spread Human Diseases

File image courtesy CSIRO

PUBLISHED FEB 29, 2024 8:38 PM BY CHINA DIALOGUE OCEAN

 

 

[By Anna Napolitano]

Images of paradise beaches buried under bottles and ocean animals swimming past carrier bags are the all-too-familiar evidence of how humanity’s addiction to plastic has polluted the marine world.

But a less visible problem with plastic is increasingly capturing scientists’ attention: the microbes that have colonized the millions of tonnes and trillions of pieces of it in the ocean. These organisms are emerging as a real threat to animals, and that may include humans.

China Dialogue Ocean spoke to Dick Vethaak, a retired professor of ecotoxicology (the study of how toxins affect organisms and ecosystems) and water quality: “We have introduced a completely new niche of substrates, used as a homeland for distinct microorganism communities. I refer to this as a plastic time bomb – the ground for the next pandemic.”

He is not the only person with such concerns.

Every corner of the ocean

Plastics are everywhere humans have looked in the marine environment, from microscopic fragments encased in Arctic ice, to bags drifting on the deepest ocean floors.

Most of this enters the ocean from land, with rivers believed to be the primary source of contamination. Once it enters the water, wind and waves break and shape it as sunlight degrades it, often transforming waste items into smaller and smaller fragments.

Legally binding rules designed to end this pollution are being drawn up under the auspices of the United Nations. To date, progress has been difficult, and the outcome is still uncertain.

Adding to the problem, there are suggestions that the fossil fuel industry could pivot from energy to plastic production.

“The industry sees plastics as their plan B: if they can’t use fossil fuels as an energy source, then they will use it for plastic products,” says Bethanie Carney Almroth, a professor of ecotoxicology and environmental science at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Carney Almroth, who is involved in the UN plastic treaty negotiations, is concerned by this concerted push for increasing plastics production: “We have too much plastic: the planet and human societies cannot tolerate more.”

Almroth tells China Dialogue Ocean that microorganisms thriving on plastics are the latest addition to the list of dangers posed by marine plastic.

Enter the plastisphere

The seas are home to a huge variety of microorganisms. Scientists working on a study of Pacific Ocean coral reefs which concluded last year, were so surprised by the number they found that they suggested revising estimates of Earth’s microbial diversity upwards.

Wood, metal and any other material adrift at sea is rapidly colonized. As plastic has become ubiquitous in the ocean, our discarded waste has become a new type of home for life.

In 2013, the marine microbiologist Linda Amaral-Zettler and her colleagues coined the term “plastisphere” to describe the layers of organisms they found on plastic samples from the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre (a part of one of Earth’s five major circulating ocean currents, which coalesce floating plastic into rubbish patches). Their study said the communities of microbes living on plastic debris were different from those in nearby water, “implying that plastic serves as a novel ecological habitat in the open ocean”.

Plastics endure, meaning microbial communities that build up on them can travel long distances, potentially bringing species far beyond their normal geographical range. They may also degrade into tiny pieces, which accumulate in animals, including those intended for human consumption.

Hitchhikers’ health impacts

Plastispheres are now a major global environmental concern.

One team of researchers has been studying how layers of microorganisms called biofilms develop on plastics in the Mediterranean and North Atlantic oceans, through a project called MicroplastiX. One of the project’s marine ecologists, Raffaella Casotti, told China Dialogue Ocean that “in the Gulf of Naples, a densely urbanized area, a wide variety of algae, invertebrates, and fungi grows on all microplastics sampled.”

Though most of the microorganisms that have been detected in the Mediterranean plastisphere are harmless, the researchers also found Vibrio bacteria in higher concentrations on plastic than in the surrounding waters. Some types of bacteria of the Vibrio genus are known to cause disease in shellfish – and the humans who eat them.

Casotti’s team fed sea ??urchins with either pristine or biofilm-laden plastic. Those fed the colonized plastic displayed a significantly stronger immune response. “The presence of a plastisphere doesn’t kill them, but leads to the immune system’s reaction,” explains Casotti. “Our hypothesis is that the microorganism on plastic might affect the sea urchin’s reproduction.”

In both laboratory-based and wild studies, scientists have found that colonized microplastics affect multitudes of species. The problems they cause range from impaired feeding, reproduction and fitness in corals and bivalves, to disease in aquaculture facilities.

Up the chain

Microplastics are not just found in the small filter feeders, such as oysters, that consume them directly in shallow waters.

“We found microplastics present in surface, mid-water and deep-sea species like clams, yellowfin tuna and vampire squid,” says Anne Justino, a researcher at the Federal Rural University of Pernambucoian in Brazil. Her work reveals that microplastic transfer into oceanic predators occurs when they eat contaminated prey, rather than through directly ingesting debris.

Justino’s team, which is also involved in the MicroplastiX project, is now working with fishery industries to assess the level of microplastic contamination in fish muscles – the main part eaten by humans.

Currently, researchers do not have a clear picture of how humans are exposed to plastics and what the consequences of any exposure might be.

One process that has been shown to remove some accumulated microplastics in seafood and thus reduce the potential for human health impacts is called depuration. This is where animals are placed in clean, flowing water to try and purge contaminants from their digestive systems.

But there are suggestions that oceanic plastispheres might still generate health problems for humans.

Karen Shapiro, a waterborne zoonoses specialist at the UC Davis Veterinary Medicine academic centre in California, USA, has shown how microscopic parasites like Toxoplasma gondii can quickly form colonies on floating plastic debris. This parasite is known to live inside shellfish, which then infect humans who eat them raw. Preliminary studies from Shapiro’s group and others show that Toxoplasma gondii can survive on plastic debris for several months.

Shapiro postulates that the plastisphere is bringing pathogens to areas where they would not otherwise be. She is cautious about drawing conclusions, however: “We know that plastispheres make their ways in our bodies, but we still don’t understand what they do to us. We lack clear papers directly correlating consumption of colonized microplastics and health effects for people.”

Superbugs thriving on plastic

Studies have found that plastispheres constitute happy islands for superbugs.

The use of antibiotics on fish farms can promote the flourishing of resistant bacteria in marine environments; such antibiotic-immune organisms might then flow into oceans via wastewater-treatment plants.

In 2021, researchers at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark reported that microplastics from shellfish host bacteria resistant to antibiotics, and that these superbugs could survive longer on microplastics than when free-floating. South Korean researchers also found abundant antimicrobial genes when analyzing microbial communities living on plastic in the North Pacific Gyre.

But finding a direct correlation between the plastisphere and antibiotic-resistant infections in humans is incredibly difficult.

“The only way to definitively prove that the plastisphere contributes to disease outbreak,” says Vethaak, “is to assess the risk for human health from plastic-associated pathogens in populations suffering from occurring epidemics and living closer to highly polluted areas.”

He strongly believes that “plastic debris might serve as a vector for the spreading of diseases and antibiotic-resistant microorganisms in disaster areas [such as war zones and regions hit by extreme weather] with documented high levels of plastic”.

The high cost of cheap plastic

Plastic pollution has been seen in every part of the ocean and detected in every marine creature where it has been sought.

As researchers struggle to understand the true risk of the plastisphere, one thing is clear: eliminating any risk requires a coordinated global effort to end plastic pollution. This would ensure these new plastic-based ecosystems are not with us forever, that the ocean depths are not home to plastic bags, and that beaches are one day free of discarded bottles – and the microbes they carry.

Casotti fears she may one day find a really worrying human pathogen in her plastic samples.

“If the price of each water bottle reflected its real impact on our health, then it would cost the consumer at least 100 euros,” she says.

“And you would think twice before throwing it.”

Anna Napolitano is a freelance science journalist who covers topics ranging from health and medicine to the environment and oceans. 

This article appears courtesy of China Dialogue Ocean and may be found in its original form here. 

 

Australia's Future Navy: The Japanese Option

Japan and Australia have similar security strategies, so why not the same ships?

JS Mogami (Japan MOD)

PUBLISHED MAR 3, 2024 12:22 PM BY THE LOWY INTERPRETER

 

[By Peter J. Dean]

By the end of this decade the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) may well by operating a frigate that originates from Japan.

Just saying this out loud before the launch of Independent Analysis of Navy’s Surface Combatant Fleet on 20 February would have led commentators and experts to either pass looks of derision or list all the reasons why it would never happen. The fact that this has received little attention is due to the bold approach outlined in the Analysis. For a decidedly short document (six pages, while full-page glossy photos get more than eight), it packs a punch and decisively reshapes the Navy.

The media coverage has been extensive, but most of the column inches have been devoted to the size and shape of the future surface fleet, the funding envelope, the Government’s management of the defence portfolio, and the fact that the surface fleet will shrink before it grows.

But the decision to shortlist a Japanese vessel for eleven new general-purpose frigates has so far been overlooked, yet it is significant both because of the specific ship and because of the potential strategic impact of a Japanese design.

From a strategic perspective, selection of the Japanese frigate would reinforce a closer alignment between the two countries. Japan's National Security Strategy and National Defence Strategy were launched in December 2022, not long before the Albanese Government received the Defence Strategic Review from Sir Angus Houston and Stephen Smith on Valentines Day 2023. Looked at side by side, these documents, developed independently, are strikingly similar.

Both emphasise the emerging multipolar order in the Indo-Pacific, both adopt a focus on deterrence by denial, long-range strike, integrated air and missile defence, maritime operations, national resilience and accelerated preparedness.

Most importantly, both have at their centre a regional balancing strategy built around US allies and partners. The Japanese strategy document goes so far as to say that Australia is the second most important partner for Japan, behind the US. The Australia-Japan relationship has progressed steadily over the last decade, culminating in January 2022 when the two countries signed a Reciprocal Access Agreement, which was upgraded in 2023.

On the downside, Japan does not have a strong record of defence exports. However, Japan has a long history of working with the US and, like Australia, the bulk of its equipment is US in origin. The Japanese have also entered the playing field of major international capability development programs with the Global Combat Air Program, partnering with the UK and Italy. Perhaps the next step in expanding the balancing coalition in the Indo-Pacific is through an Australia-Japan frigate program built around the Mogami class.

As for the ship itself, the Japanese Mogami-Class frigate should be one of the front runners among the four selected (with the other designs coming from Spain, Germany and South Korea). The Independent Analysis calls for a vessel that is already ‘in the water’, can be built rapidly with a hybrid offshore and onshore build, and meets a suite of requirements. The new vessels must:

• operate a helicopter.
• conduct anti-submarine warfare, including with a towed-array sonar and lightweight torpedoes.
• provide air defence.
• provide anti-ship and land strike capability.
• provide protection for a larger naval task force.

The Mogami class meets all these requirements but provides a couple of key additional attributes. This frigate is operated by a fellow US ally, is focused on the same geographical region as Australia, and is a mature design. The seventh vessel in the class was just launched and Japan is well on its way to building up to 22 Mogami frigates. Adding 11 RAN vessels to this class could yield economies of scale on maintenance, sustainment and future design enhancements.

One of the key features of the Japanese frigate is that it is designed to operate the MH-60 Seahawk helicopter. The RAN is committed to a fleet of these helicopters and the ability to operate it will be a critical requirement for the new frigate. The Mogami is also one of the fastest and most manoeuvrable ships of the four selected, and has the smallest crew requirement, a critical factor as the RAN faces a workforce crisis.

Finally, the Mogami-class has been designed to operate as a “mother ship” for an unmanned underwater and surface vehicles, a critical factor given the changing character of naval warfare and the decision to develop optionally crewed vessels as part of the new surface fleet design.

Professor Peter J. Dean is Director of the Foreign Policy and Defence Program at the United States Studies Centre. Prior to the commencement of this role Professor Dean was Chair of Defence Studies and Director of the UWA Defence and Security Institute.

He has been a Fulbright Professional Fellow and Endeavour Research Scholar in Australia-United States Alliance Studies, as well as a non-resident fellow with the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Studies at Georgetown University in Washington DC.

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

 

India Launches New Naval Base to Expand Presence in the Indian Ocean

Minicoy Atoll (NASA)

PUBLISHED MAR 3, 2024 1:12 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

As India continues to project its naval power in the Arabian Sea with the ongoing Houthi attacks, India’s navy is planning for an expanded presence in the Indian Ocean region. This week, the country’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to commission a new naval base on Minicoy Island, Lakshadweep, which is one of the Union territories in the Indian Ocean.

During the launch, the minister will be accompanied by the navy top brass aboard both of India’s aircraft carriers - INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant. In fact, this will be the first time that the two platforms will participate in a twin carrier operation.

According to Defense Ministry officials, the base will help the navy provide better coverage of the Indian Ocean and “keep an eye on the activities of adversaries in the region.” The base will provide similar capability like the naval base INS Baaz, located on the east coast of India in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The initial plan for INS Jatayu is to start with a component of few officers but will be expanded into a larger naval station. A new airfield capable of handling all classes of fighter jets and aircraft is also in the works.

The new base on Minicoy Island borders the EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) of the Maldives, a region where Chinese naval vessels are intensifying operations. In the last few weeks, the Chinese research vessel Xiang Yang Hong 03 has been carrying out oceanic surveys in the outside limits of the EEZs of India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. A week ago, the vessel made a port call at Male in the Maldives and spent four days at the anchorage.

This level of Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean have been a major concern for New Delhi. To counter the influence, India has sought to bolster its strongholds in the Indian Ocean’s islands, with new naval bases as part of the plan.

Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi - together with his Mauritius counterpart Pravind Jugnauth - inaugurated an airstrip and jetty in the Agalega Islands, Mauritius. Both projects were financed by India and are part of a bilateral partnership between the two countries in ensuring security and stability in the Indian Ocean region.

“The airstrip and jetty will enhance the island’s capacity and capabilities in marine surveillance and security,” said Prime Minister Jugnauth.

 

Netherlands Sending Watercraft and Ammunition to Ukraine

Netherlands will be supply various watercraft including RHIBs (Dutch Defense Ministry)

PUBLISHED MAR 4, 2024 1:26 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

The Netherlands has become the latest European country to promise increased aid to Ukraine to help counter a mounting Russian offensive in the east and the stalled efforts for further assistance from the United States. During a meeting on Friday, March 1, between Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine just 25 miles from the border with Russia, the Netherlands also promised support for Ukraine’s naval defense.

The Defense Ministry detailed the efforts to support Ukraine’s watercraft. They reported that the Netherlands is to provide fast and highly maneuverable rubber boats (RHIBs) and patrol boats as well as assault craft to Ukraine. The plan calls for some of the vessels to be delivered quickly from the Netherlands’ existing supply of vessels and others will come from the manufacturers paid for by the Netherlands.

The delivery includes 14 rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIBs), eight militarized river patrol boats, and CB90 assault craft. Ukraine has used naval watercraft very effective both in assault efforts against Russian naval assets in the occupied eastern regions and for the defense of commercial shipping as it restored exports from the ports around Odesa and on the Danube.

The CB90, manufactured by Saab, is considered to be a fast and very maneuverable assault ship. Saab highlights that more than 250 boats are operating worldwide and they recently developed a next-generation version of the vessel. At approximately 49 feet (15 meters) in length and approximately 20 tons, Saab highlights it is a lightweight vessel that adds to its overall capabilities. The company acknowledges speeds of 40 knots and above.

 

The Netherlands will also be supply CB90 assault crafts (Saab file photo)

 

Prime Minister Rutte also announced the Netherlands would be expanding its efforts to support supplying Ukraine with ammunition including badly needed artillery shells. Earlier in the week, the Netherlands said it would commit more than $100 million for additional aid for ammunition, and on Friday he announced the country would also be contributing more than $270 million to a Czech initiative to order large numbers of artillery shells in the short term for Ukraine. The Czech Republic is spearheading an effort to source 500,000 rounds of 155 mm shells and 300,000 122 mm rounds from third countries, and with financial support from European countries, the shells are expected to reach Ukraine in the coming weeks.

Since the beginning of December 2023, the Netherlands reports it has supplied different kinds of ammunition, radar systems, and individual weapons such as rifles and machine guns to Ukraine to support the war effort. Field hospitals, tents and accessories, generators, and numerous medical goods have also been sent to Ukraine.

The two leaders signed a 10-year security agreement that was agreed to in July 2023. According to the Netherlands, it joins 31 countries and the EU that have concluded an official agreement with Ukraine. All of this comes as the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives has blocked further U.S. aid to Ukraine while White House and Senate leaders seek a solution.

 

Smugglers Run Aground While Trying to Flee Royal Navy

Image courtesy Royal Navy

PUBLISHED MAR 4, 2024 3:03 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

A Royal Navy warship has seized narcotics worth $370 million in a series of busts in the Caribbean, with help from the U.S. Coast Guard. 

In the first intercept, HMS Trent spotted a smuggling speedboat to the south of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the ship gave chase. The smugglers tried to flee towards land, and they threw 20 bales of their illicit cargo over the side. The boat ultimately ran aground, and the suspects were detained by officials in the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

Between the recovery of bales in the water and the cargo still on board the grounded boat, the team captured 94 bales of drugs. This 2,800-kilo haul was valued at $280 million, according to British officials. 

Image courtesy of the Royal Navy

Three weeks earlier, Trent's crew intercepted a group of smugglers in a nighttime pursuit. The four suspects tried to throw their illegal cargo over the side, but they were caught in the act by an embarked Coast Guard boarding team. Trent's coxswains pushed their boats "to the limits" to run down the smuggling vessel and enable the boarding. Aided by daybreak, Trent's crew searched nearby waters and recovered 29 bales of cocaine. The 880-kilo haul was worth another $90 million. 

“The size of this bust is rarely seen in the region, and it is one of the largest single seizures in recent memory," said the officer in charge of the Coast Guard boarding team (unnamed for operational reasons). “Being able to recover such a large cargo of contraband over a 24-mile search area is unheard of.”

 

India Seizes Cargo for Pakistan from CMA CGM Vessel Alleging Nuclear Ties

Indian officials seized cargo bound for Pakistan alleging violations of nonproliferation agreements (file photo)

PUBLISHED MAR 4, 2024 12:19 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

A new international incident is brewing between India and Pakistan after Indian officials confirmed that they had seized a cargo off a CMA CGM containership bound for Pakistan. India is claiming the cargo could be used to support Pakistan’s nuclear and missile programs while Pakistan is refuting the claims.

India released news of the seizure just as Pakistan was completing the second round of elections for Prime Minister and was reporting that Shehbaz Sharif had won a second term as Prime Minister of Pakistan. With the seizure having taken place more than a month ago, questions surfaced if it was an attempt to embarrass the government and its supporter China with the timing of the news.

India claims officials in Mumbai’s Nhava Sheva port became suspicious after identifying irregularities in the paperwork of a shipment aboard the CMA CGM Attila. The 13-year-old containership, 105,100 dwt with a capacity of 8,700 TEU, operates on a regular route between China, Singapore, India, and Pakistan. 

The vessel arrived in India on January 24 and among the cargo were 2,200 kilos bound for a company in Pakistan which India claims is on its watch list and has a history of suspicious imports. Indian officials accused the company, Cosmos Engineering, of being a defense supplier, while Pakistan in its repose said it is a Karachi-based commercial entity that supplies parts to the automobile industry in Pakistan.

India’s Defense Research and Development Organization, working with customs officials, seized the cargo and is now asserting that it was an Italian-manufactured CNC (computer numerical control) machine used for precise applications and is banned under international agreements to stop proliferation. They further allege the shipment was arranged by a Chinese company which they said is further evidence of China’s support of activities in Pakistan.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded in a statement calling the situation an “unjust seizure” and condemning India’s high-handedness in the seizure of commercial goods. They are contending that the seized shipment is a commercial lathe machine.

“These reports are reflective of Indian media’s habitual misrepresentation of facts,” Pakistan’s Ministry said in its statement.

Indian officials however contend that this is neither the first example of this type of illegal import nor the first time this company has been suspected for breaking the nonproliferation agreements. They allege in 2020, China was caught shipping an autoclave to Pakistan which was manifested as an “industrial dryer.” In 2022, Indian officials reported they intercepted Italian-made thermoelectric instruments also at the Nhava Shena port going to Cosmos Engineering.

As part of its response to the latest incident, Pakistan said the relevant private entities are pursuing the matter. The CMA CGM vessel was cleared and has returned to its normal route.