Tuesday, May 07, 2024

 

Equatorial Guinea May Be Holding S. African Engineers Over Seized Yacht

Blue Shadow
Blue Shadow (broker listing file photo)

PUBLISHED MAY 6, 2024 3:30 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

The government of South Africa is working to secure the release of two oil and gas executives who were charged and swiftly convicted of drug trafficking in Equatorial Guinea last year. They were arrested just days after South African courts seized a superyacht belonging to the country's ministry of defense, the Blue Shadow, and their 12-year prison sentence is widely believed to be a politically-motivated form of retaliation. 

Authorities and open source intelligence researchers have linked the vessel to vice president Teodoro (AKA Teodorin, Teddy) Nguema Obiang Mangue, son of lifelong ruler Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. The Obiang family has controlled Equatorial Guinea for so long that six U.S. presidents have come and gone, making the elder Teodoro Obiang the world's second-longest-ruling national leader (other than royalty). Under his leadership, the Obiang family holds almost all political power, and their government has repeatedly been accused of corruption and human rights abuses. Foreign authorities periodically seize houses, cars, properties and luxury goods allegedly linked to the president and vice president, including a Parisian mansion and wine collection seized in 2012; a $30 million Malibu estate and a Ferarri in 2014; and a $27 million collection of luxury cars in Switzerland in 2016. The younger Obiang is sanctioned in the UK for corruption and has been fined in France for a similar offense. He has denied any wrongdoing. 

The latest case stems from a civil suit brought by a South African businessman, Daniel Janse van Rensburg. In 2013, after a business deal with an Equatoguinean politician soured, van Rensburg was arrested by the Obiang regime and detained in a notorious prison. Upon his release and return home, he sued Vice President Obiang in South African courts for unlawful arrest and torture. 

In February 2023, van Rensburg won a judgement against the vice president and convinced a South African court to seize two mansions and a superyacht, the Blue Shadow, which was at a yard in Cape Town for repairs. He secured a financial settlement and the vessel was released; AIS shows that it transited back to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.

For official purposes, the luxury vessel belongs to the Equatoguinean defense ministry, but transparency campaigners say that there is little difference between the Obiang family's personal holdings and the property of the state. The yacht has no known capability for ISR, interdiction, surface warfare or other applications as a defense-related vessel.

Bellingcat, an established open-source intelligence foundation that made its name unmasking Russian covert operations, has linked the movements of Blue Shadow to the itinerary of Vice President Obiang's private. In one example in late 2023, the yacht and the plane arrived in Sardinia at about the same time. The plane then transited to Milan, where the Vice President released a photo of himself attending the Milan Fashion Week.

In early February 2023, two days after Blue Shadow was seized by the South African court, Equatoguinean police detained two South African oil and gas engineers, Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham. They were one day away from returning home, and the police arrested them in their hotel. They were tried in June 2023 and were convicted - allegedly without evidence or an opportunity to mount a defense - and sentenced to 12 years each.  

South Africa's foreign minister, Naledi Pandor, visited Equatorial Guinea over the weekend to discuss the case with the Equatoguinean government and negotiate for the two engineers' release. South Africa's political opposition, the Democratic Alliance, welcomed the news and said in a statement that the diplomatic effort is long overdue. 

 

To Safely Transit the Red Sea, Shadow a Chinese Ship

COSCO
File image courtesy Fletcher6 / CC BY SA 3.0

PUBLISHED MAY 5, 2024 4:10 PM BY CIMSEC

 

 

[By Clay Robinson]

It was a sunny morning with calm seas on March 6, 2024, a fine day for sailing the tranquil waters of the Gulf of Aden. The crew of M/V True Confidence, however, were on edge: less than 10 hours before, their ship had come under attack from a Houthi-launched Iranian missile. Through sheer luck, the missile missed its intended target, and the ship continued its westerly journey bound for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. At 11:34 AM, the crew’s luck ran out: another Houthi missile ripped through the deck house, exploding in a massive fire ball that set the bridge ablaze. Two innocent civilian mariners were killed and four more critically injured. The captain ordered the fifteen surviving crew to abandon ship, leaving it adrift and in flames, yet another victim of the Houthis’ senseless and indiscriminate violence. 

Red Sea Fast Pass: Chinese Opportunism

Even as the tumultuous situation in the Red Sea takes ever more deadly and dangerous turns, China continues to sit idly by and reap the economic and diplomatic benefits thanks to the Houthis’ Iranian patronage and their own calculated self-interest. While much of the world’s shipping has been forced to take longer and more expensive routes to avoid Houthi missiles in the Red Sea, Chinese shipping continued virtually undisturbed, protected as it were under a modern day “non-aggression pact” between China and Houthi forces. However, just a few days after the Houthis granted this assurance to China that their ships would not be targeted in exchange for political support, on March 23, 2024, a Houthi missile struck the Chinese-owned M/V Huang Pu. Houthi spokesmen were unusually tight-lipped4 after this attack, likely the result of severe chastisement behind the scenes by both China and Iran, and will take extra efforts to avoid targeting Chinese shipping in the future.

It is not clear yet whether this Houthi attack should be attributed to an administrative oversight, missing that M/V Huang Pu’s ownership had recently transferred to China. Or perhaps the Houthis were targeting another vessel nearby. Either way, the safest place to transit the Red Sea is now onboard Chinese-owned ships.

The combination of the Houthi’s public agreement with China to not target their shipping and the likely private reprimand after striking the M/V Huang Pu sets up a scenario whereby Chinese shipping will be getting a free pass through the Red Sea. That provides China a significant competitive advantage at the precise moment its economy is starting to falter. There is a way, however, to both remove that advantage and force China to abide by its international obligations.

The time has come to exact a cost on this unbridled Chinese opportunism.

Panda Express: A Proposed Convoy Operation

The idea is simple: vulnerable multinational commercial vessels would closely shadow Chinese ships as they transit safely past Houthi missile launchers in a convoy-type operation. The Houthis, knowing their targeting is lacking, would refrain from shooting lest they accidentally hit a Chinese ship and anger both Beijing and Tehran. The U.S.-led Combined Maritime Forces or the European Union Naval Forces’ Operation Aspides are the most obvious candidates to organize such a convoy – nicknamed Panda Express – but arguably it could be self-organizing or organized under an alternative multinational coalition. The shipping industry could institute a loosely organized program to surreptitiously appropriate passive escort of commercial vessels by Chinese vessels sharing the same shipping lanes. In short, these vessels will shadow Chinese vessels at a safe but proximate distance such as to keep the Chinese vessel between them and the direction of the Houthi missile threat. A limited handful of multinational commercial vessels will transit under the shield of the security that each of the Chinese vessels enjoy, taking advantage of a reliable and predictable, yet passive escort courtesy of China.

The current situation (Figure 1) consists of multinational commercial vessels transiting independently under the impressive but less-than-omnipresent protection of the multinational warships participating in Operation Prosperity Guardian and Operation Aspides. These warships endeavor to intercept Houthi missiles and attack drones targeting commercial shipping.

Figure 1: Status quo of Operation Prosperity Guardian. (Author graphic)

A brief vignette will serve as an example of what Panda Express might accomplish. Prior to a southbound transit of the Red Sea, a multinational commercial vessel will loiter temporarily at the southern end of the Suez Canal, awaiting the passage of another southbound Chinese vessel. This will occur ostensibly every few hours as an average of over five Chinese vessels transit the Suez Canal per day. The multinational vessel will then take station on the starboard quarter of the Chinese vessel at a safe distance, but in close proximity such that a sort of passive, perhaps even unwitting, screen of the vessel by the Chinese vessel will occur (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Panda Express concept. (Author graphic)

Some might argue that Panda Express would put innocent civilian mariners at risk by shadowing Chinese merchant vessels, and from a practical standpoint, that threat would exist. But therein lies its value as a deterrent because the Houthis have already stated that they will not attack Chinese shipping. As the two vessels reach the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, air defense vessels of Operation Prosperity Guardian and Operation Aspides can provide a more robust ability to detect and engage any Houthi missile that might be close enough to discern the multinational vessels from the Chinese one. Once through the western reaches of the Gulf of Aden and outside the threat area, the vessel can once again resume navigating independently.

Panda Express leverages opportunities fomented by China for both a protective and influence advantage. This concept is not an evaluation of the technical aspects of a possible tactical advantage on a notional battlefield. Assessments would need to be made about just how close these vessels would have to transit near their Chinese escorts to achieve sufficiently low levels of probability hit (PH) or probability of kill (PK) for inbound Houthi missiles. Similarly, there would be limits to how many vessels could safely transit in company with each Chinese vessel. This concept is rather about taking advantage of the deterrent value of the present situation and using it as a way to exact diplomatic costs on China for sticking to its opportunistic agenda in the Middle East. This is a way to erode China’s economic and diplomatic advantages by highlighting China’s malign opportunism and providing safe passage through the Red Sea. Panda Express is a low cost, legal, and pragmatic way to compete with China.

What will Panda Express accomplish? This escort tactic would begin to serve as a strategic deterrent against Houthi attacks in three ways. First and foremost, the risk of the Houthis accidentally hitting a Chinese vessel while targeting other vessels one would be too great, and it would deter attacks on any ships traveling in close company with Chinese ships. Additionally, Panda Express could reduce the strain on the contingent of warships supporting Operation Prosperity Guardian and Operation Aspides that are spread very thin by helping to better position these assets in order to more efficiently focus their layered defense on the places where they can be most effective. Lastly, diplomatically, China could be held accountable for malign hedging behavior and an opportunistic silent partnership with Iran. Panda Express could drive China to increase pressure on Iran to rein in all Houthi attacks, not just prevent attacks on Chinese vessels.

How long could Panda Express be sustained? There are risks to be sure, but most are worth accepting. China might stop sending its ships through the Red Sea, but this is extremely unlikely. The Suez Canal and Red Sea serve as the primary route for China’s westward shipments of goods, including around 60% of its exports to Europe, representing one-tenth of the Suez Canal’s annual traffic. China cannot afford to avoid the Red Sea route altogether.

The maritime shipping industry can determine that the cost of loitering at the entrances to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to wait for Chinese escort are too high. Yes, loitering temporarily for a few hours costs some money, but it is also likely to be far less than transiting around the Capes of Africa.

All this cat and mouse activity on the high seas might lead to collisions between vessels, but these are professional mariners with years of experience plying these waters. They can handle it. And, if Chinese ships were to be instructed to somehow attempt to disrupt this passive escort program, it will only cost them more in time and money.

China: A Silent Partner in the Axis of Insecurity

Is Panda Express worth it? Some points to consider: Chinese leaders have repeatedly claimed they hold very little sway over Iran, and by extension the Houthis; however, several key factors seem to indicate otherwise, and China’s opportunistic fingerprints are all over the Red Sea crisis. China asked Iran to rein in the Houthis. China is not alone in asking Houthis to cease the attacks. Yet, the Houthis publicly stated only Chinese and Russian ships have a free pass.

China knows its ships are safe, too. Despite having a significant naval presence in the region, China has kept its Naval Escort Task Force (NETF) out of the Red Sea, choosing instead to loiter in the safer waters of the eastern Gulf of Aden. In late February, the Chinese Defense Ministry denied the 46th NETF deployment is related to the Red Sea crisis and reiterated that it is a “regular escort operation.”10 That none of these NETF vessels are needed in the Red Sea to ensure the safe passage of Chinese shipping is proof China knows its vessels are exempt from Houthi attack.

China does indeed have influence over Iran and, by extension, the Houthis in what has now become an “Axis of Insecurity.” Panda Express would reduce the likelihood of new attacks like that on M/V True Confidence and M/V Huang Pu and put direct pressure on China to either explain to the court of international opinion why shadowing Chinese vessels is a safe tactic, or influence Iran and the Houthis to end their aggression in the Red Sea altogether. Either way, China loses, and the rest of the world wins. It’s time to order Panda Express.

Commander Clay Robinson is a retired surface warfare officer and antiterrorism/force protection specialist. He has worked for the U.S. Department of Defense since 2017 as a strategic planning specialist and is currently an Adjunct History Instructor with the U.S. Naval Community College. He served on board the USS Russell (DDG-59), USS Laboon (DDG-58), and USS Nitze (DDG-94), and commanded Maritime Civil Affairs Squadron One (MCAS-1).

This article appears courtesy of CIMSEC and may be found in its original form here

Top image: File image courtesy Fletcher6 / CC BY SA 3.0

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

ALT FUELS

Fortescue’s Ammonia-Fueled Ship Runs Propulsion and Maneuverability Tests

Forescue Green Pioneer
Fortescue Green Pioneer completed ammonia propulsion and maneuverability tests using ammonia and biofuel (Fortescue)

PUBLISHED MAY 6, 2024 1:47 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

Sea trials continue for the first vessel operating on ammonia, an offshore supply vessel converted by Australia’s Fortescue. Earlier this year, the vessel completed the first marine bunkering of ammonia, and now after a second bunkering undertook the next phase of its ongoing sea trials.

The testing and trials are being conducted with the cooperation and close supervision of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, where the vessel is registered. The MPA developed stringent safety protocols and reports it conducted Ammonia plume modeling and drone surveillance to support safety and incident planning and response. With a lack of maritime regulations in place for ammonia as a fuel. the MPA is using these first trials to develop the model for safe handling and operation of ammonia-fueled vessels.

Fortescue completed the conversion of the 2010-built MMA Leveque (3,100 dwt) in 2023 into the world’s first operational ammonia-fueled vessel. One of the four Cummins engines was converted for ammonia. The 246-foot PSV made her debut as the Fortescue Green Pioneer in late in 2023 and received the first notations from DNV and Singapore for ammonia operations after loading three tonnes of liquid ammonia and conducting seven weeks of tests in February and March 2024.

The next round began by loading a further four tonnes of liquid ammonia, along with diesel and Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, a second-generation biofuel. Between April 23 and May 2, they conducted trials involving propulsion and maneuverability. The trials also included tests to validate the management of nitrogen-based emissions. They also assessed the vessel’s engine capability to operate on varying amounts of biofuel in combination with ammonia.

The trials took place in the Raffles Reserved Anchorage off Singapore. They are looking to complete the certification of the vessel and demonstrate the ammonia-fueled operations for the future of the maritime industry.

During February and March, the vessel completed a series of fuel trials. During those tests, the vessel was at anchor demonstrating the ammonia storage system, associated piping, gas fuel delivery system, retrofitted engines, and seaworthiness.

Fortescue is working with research institutes, industry partners, and government agencies including the MPA and DNV. The company plans to use the PSV to drive awareness of ammonia and demonstrate its operations for the marine sector. 

Several other pioneering projects are also expected to proceed, including NYK is leading an effort in Japan to convert its LNG-fueled tug to begin operations later this year fueled by ammonia. So far, only a handful of ship owners have ordered ammonia-fueled vessels as they wait for these demonstrations and the commercial introduction of the engines and fuel systems required to adopt ammonia as a marine fuel.


USCG Agreement Sets Development Pathway for First Hydrogen-Power US Towboat

hydrogen powered towboat
Rendering of the design for the Hydrogen One towboat (Elliott Bay Design Group)

PUBLISHED MAY 6, 2024 4:14 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

The project that has been underway for the past several years to develop the U.S.’s first hydrogen-power towboat reached a critical agreement with the U.S. Coast Guard that provides a pathway forward. Maritime Partners, which is leading the project, signed a Design Basis Agreement with the USCG for the Hydrogen One towboat that will use a novel technology that produces hydrogen aboard the ship eliminating the challenges of bunkering and storing hydrogen.

“The signing of this agreement opens the pathway for us to deploy our technological capabilities,” said Bick Brooks, co-founder and CEO of Maritime Partners. “With this, Hydrogen One is one step closer to becoming the world’s first vessel to utilize hydrogen generator technology greatly reducing emissions, increasing efficiency, and providing a model for cleaner energy use as the industry continues to seek ways to decarbonize.”

The DBA process was established by the U.S. Coast Guard to set the rules for new and novel technology proposed for installation on marine vessels. By reaching the agreement, they explained that the project would be working towards an agreed-upon framework with the U.S. Coast Guard for the design, arrangement, and engineering aspects of the power system and associated safety systems. It established a plan for the review, inspection, and eventual certification of the Hydrogen One.

The towboat is being designed as a first-of-its-kind vessel using new, cleaner, fuel cell technology that works by converting stored methanol to hydrogen. The produced hydrogen is output, on-demand, to the fuel cell to generate power for the vessel.

When the project was revealed in 2021, they said the towboat would be nearly 89 feet (27 meters) and designed to push barges from the Port of New Orleans along the Mississippi River and its tributaries. They projected the vessel will be able to travel for up to about four days at a speed of 6 knots, or cover a total of 550 miles, with a load between fueling. The concept called for a propulsion system capable of generating up to 2,700 HP propulsion power, with 1,700 HP generated by the fuel cell and the remainder from batteries.

The partners report that a string of successful tests of the technology were completed in Sweden in 2023. They said it demonstrated the viability of the technology as the sole power generation source for the vessel’s propulsion.

Maritime Partners worked with several industry leaders on the Hydrogen One project, including Seattle-based Elliott Bay Design Group, which is designing the towboat, and Intracoastal Iron Works which was selected as the shipyard to build the vessel. e1 Marine, which holds the license for the technology also worked with RIX Industries, Power Cell Group, among others, to work through the U.S. Coast Guard requirements. ABB Marine & Ports reported in 2021 that it would also participate in the project providing the electrical propulsion plant, including motors, transformers, and the integration of the fuel cell system.

Only a handful of hydrogen-powered vessels have entered service, mostly in Europe. In the U.S. the Sea Change ferry went through a long development process which experienced delays after the hull was launched in 2021 before it finally arrived in San Francisco in 2023. By entering the DBA process, the goal is to ensure a smooth process to move the Hydrogen One through design and into operation.
 

 

Montrose is Scotland’s First Port with Shore Power for Energy Sector's OSVs

offshore power
Offshore supply vessel Magne Viking was the first to test the new power connection (Montrose Port Authority)

PUBLISHED MAY 6, 2024 6:22 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

The port of Montrose, located on Scotland’s eastern coast north of Edinburgh and Dundee, became the first Scottish port to provide shore power service for offshore energy supply vessels. The Montrose Port Authority used a self-funded joint venture with Plug Shore Power to achieve this milestone in its ambition of becoming Scotland’s first carbon-neutral port.

The port authority highlights the importance of reducing emissions from vessels and specifically at dock ships. They cite data from the UK’s Department of Transport that says 72 percent of a port’s emissions from vessels at berth while vessels maneuvering contribute another 16 percent of the total. Vessels created as much as 90 percent of a port’s overall emissions. 

The joint venture estimates it invested £1 million (US$1.25 million) as part of its collaboration with Plug Shore Power to develop the capability. Plug’s Norwegian parent company has been involved in the sector since its first installation in Bergen, Norway in 2018. They had previously collaborated with several ports in Norway to develop shore power and contributed that experience to achieve the installation at Montrose.

The project required significant upgrades to the port’s substation and quayside infrastructure. Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks carried out the upgrades. 

The authority highlights that Montrose is one of the largest “chain and anchor ports” globally. The port is strategically placed to work with supply vessels servicing wind farms, oil rigs, and other destinations in the North Sea and beyond.

 

Two berths were outfitted with the shore power capability

 

The shore power facility is now operating on berths 1 and 2 at Montrose Port. Each supply pit has a maximum capacity of 800 kVA, offering both 400V, 440V and 690V at 50 or 60 Hz.

The first vessel to make a connection during the testing phase fittingly was an offshore supply ship that is a frequent visitor in Montrose. The Magne Viking, a 2011-built anchor handler and offshore supply ship, is operated by Viking Supply Ships. She sails between Montrose and the offshore oil fields and inaugurated the connection capability.

“The launch of shore power at berths 1 and 2 represents a transformative moment for us at Montrose Port Authority and the wider Scottish maritime industry,” said Captain Tom Hutchison, Chief Executive of Montrose Port Authority. “By embracing innovative solutions like shore power, we are not only reducing our environmental footprint but also positioning Montrose Port as a leader in sustainable port operations.”
 

 

The Forward Bridge in Future Container Shipping

Ane Maersk
Ane Maersk (courtesy Maersk Line)

PUBLISHED MAY 6, 2024 8:50 PM BY HARRY VALENTINE

 

 

Shipping company Maersk recently introduced a new 16,000-TEU, methanol-powered ship named Ane Maersk with a bridge installed near the bow. The ship is designed for maximum efficiency on the Asia-Europe trade lane. Because of its cargo capacity advantages, the house-forward design has future potential in international container ship operations between Europe and Asia as well as in trans-North Atlantic service.

Introduction

A container ship built with a forward bridge was mentioned in an article* published early in 2021 when Ulstein introduced the X-bow to ocean shipping. While unusual in layout, the X-bow promised gentler response when the bow sails directly into severe wave conditions. The 342-ft length ocean cruise ship Greg Mortimer is built with the X-bow and carries passengers on cruises in the Antarctic region. Despite being one-third the length of Ane Maersk, passengers have remarked on the gentle motion of the ship when sailing through waves.

While not the X-bow configuration, the bow above the water line of the 1145-ft length Ane Maersk is very different to the traditional bow configuration of Emma Maersk. Actual sailing experience of the X-bow in rough seas suggests that the bow of Ane Maersk would react more gently to severe waves than traditional ship bows. As a result, crew housed in the forward bridge of Ane Maersk would likely experience the motion characteristics of a ship of 500-feet in length built with a traditional bow and a bridge closer to the stern.

Suezmax Variant

The bridge across the Suez Canal restricts the maximum height of vessels that transit the waterway to 225-feet. A forward-bridge allows the vessel to be designed to carry an additional level of containers to that height behind the ship’s bridge, which could involve up to 800-additional TEU. The vessel would have a slight competitive edge sailing between major ports in Europe and Asia.

The forward bridge configuration would allow future mega-size container ships to carry in excess of 24,000-TEU, achieved by combining an additional level of containers with the ship designed and built to carry the additional width of 1-container. Fuel consumption per container would be comparable to smaller containers ship. The combination of ship length over 1000 feet and non-traditional bow design would enhance future prospects for further development of large container ships built with a forward bridge and assigned to other routes.

North Atlantic Variant

Container ships built with a low-level forward bridge could sail the North Atlantic between European as well as Western Asian ports and U.S. East Coast ports. Roadway bridges cross over shipping channels that connect to several ports on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard while tunnels pass under several channels. Westbound ships carrying over 20,000 TEU would partially offload up to five levels of containers at an east coast Canadian port, where the cargo would be transferred to ships assigned to domestic service. The projected volume of container traffic crossing the North Atlantic would justify construction of a small fleet of forward-bridge container ships for North American service.

When partially laden, the large ship would be designed to sail with a 46 foot draft as well as maximum height of 175 feet above water to American ports such as Baltimore, Norfolk, Charleston, Savannah and Jacksonville. Bridge clearance (air draft) at major U.S. East Coast ports varies between 180 feet to 215 feet at the Bayonne Bridge, near Newark. Partial offloading of westbound ships sailing to Port of Newark would likely involve transfer of three levels of containers to sufficiently reduce ship water draft to clear the channel and port terminal at Newark.

Smaller-scale variant

A smaller-scale version of the aforementioned North Atlantic variant could in the future, be designed to operate the Europe – Montreal service in response to projected increased future container trade. The concept ship could be built with a 130-foot  beam by 1,000-feet length, carry three additional widths of containers and up to three additional levels of containers compared to earlier Panamax size container ships. When fully-laden, the ship would sail an ocean draft of 37 feet (38 feet in fresh water) as it approached the Port of Quebec City.

The ship would undergo a partial offloading of containers at Port of Quebec City to decrease fresh water sailing draft to 33 feet and height of forward bridge above water to 140 feet. It would sail partially laden to Port of Montreal while a tug-barge would carry the off-laden containers to Montreal. Introduction of the larger ship would require that cranes at both Ports of Montreal and Quebec extend an additional three container widths across a ship. On eastbound voyages, the vessel would load additional containers at Ports of Quebec and/or Halifax.

Variable Draft Innovations

Forward-bridge container ships intended for trans-North Atlantic sailing would need to designed from the outset to operate as variable draft vessels. The design objective would be the development of a large vessel that sails at 56-feet draft when fully laden at mid-ocean and also at 46-feet draft when partially laden. Likewise, a smaller version of the same concept would sail at 38-feet draft when fully laden at mid-ocean and at just under 33-feet draft when partially laden along the Lower St. Lawrence River. Further research would determine any need for ballast tanks when the ships sail partially laden.

Transshipment

A larger future container ship sailing to Port of Montreal would allow for transshipment of containers to smaller vessels that will sail the St. Lawrence Seaway to American ports such as Duluth and Cleveland, located around the Upper Great Lakes. For reasons of economy, a tug-barge combination could carry containers from Port of Montreal to Port of Hamilton on Lake Ontario. For eastbound sailing, the American ports would provide freight such as such as potash, oats, barley and wheat from both American and Western Canadian producers, carried to the ports inside containers by rail.

Large-scale versions of the ship sailing serving U.S. East Coast ports would stop at either Halifax or at the proposed Melford terminal, which offers 20 m channel depth and 18 m quayside depth while remaining free from ice during winter. While Halifax has restricted terminal area, the use of game changing container-transfer technology could rapidly and continuously transfer containers being unloaded at the south terminal to being loaded aboard interline transshipment vessels at the north terminal. The interline vessels could sail to such ports as Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia or to ports located along the St. Lawrence River and Great Lakes.

Conclusions

The initiative by Maersk in commissioning the construction of a house-forward container ship that carries 16,000-TEU sets a precedent for the development future container ships that could be built to carry in excess of 24,000 TEU. Such ships could be assigned to the Asia-Europe service as well as trans-North Atlantic service.

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

 

Salvors Move Carefully Towards Big Lift to Refloat Boxship Dali

Salvage contractors cut a massive girder free from Dali's starboard bow (USACE)
Salvage contractors cut a massive girder free from Dali's starboard bow (USACE)

PUBLISHED MAY 6, 2024 10:07 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

Salvors are still preparing for the operation to remove wreckage of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge from the bow of the container ship Dali, which struck a bridge pier and collapsed the main span of the structure on March 26. 

Salvage crews have a difficult task ahead. Masses of steel and concrete are embedded in the deck towards the forepeak, and a twisted but intact stretch of the bridge span - dubbed "section four" in the response plan - is propped up on the Dali's port bow. The weight of that wreckage is pressing Dali's bow into the bottom, and it will have to be lifted off in order to refloat and remove the ship. 

To get ready for the big lift, the salvage teams have to make careful plans for all of the side effects. Removing the weight of the bridge piece will affect the vessel and the wreckage on deck, potentially causing shifting of damaged containers and debris. Some of the bridge's steel girders have penetrated the Dali's deck, so the operation will have to be planned to prevent any unnecessary damage that the lift might do to the ship. To keep an eye on the complex conditions on scene, the team is using equally complex instrumentation. 

“We’ve got a total of six . . . inclinometers that measure tilt on key locations of the span and key locations of the ship so we can watch how it’s pitching and rolling with tide, and wind,” said contractor Rob Ruthledge, a contractor working for the Key Bridge Unified Command. “We have a sensor measuring the relative position of the span on the ship so we can see, if for some reason, it starts to slip. We also have what are called string gauges, which can measure, in real-time, the stress, while they are performing operations.”

Smaller-scale cutting and hoisting operations have been making progress on Dali's starboard bow and main deck level for some time. The team has lifted off more than 180 intact containers to make more room for the operation, and contractors have been removing steel wreckage one piece at a time. Videos released by the joint multi-agency / commercial salvage operations center (the unified command) showed workers cutting off sections of the bridge wreckage that were dangling over the starboard side and letting them drop safely into the water.

The task force has signaled that it wants to refloat Dali and reopen a 45-foot shipping channel to the Port of Baltimore by May 10, subject to the uncertainties of marine salvage operations and the suitability of weather conditions. The ultimate objective is to fully reopen the channel at its nominal 50-foot control depth by the end of the month. 


Rebuilding the bridge will take years longer, and will cost at least $1.9 billion, according to Maryland's transportation department. On Monday, Maryland Governor Wes Moore joined members of the House Appropriations Committee for a tour of the site and a discussion of the funding needed to restore the bridge to its former state. Gov. Moore and President Joe Biden have asked Congress to fully fund the bridge's reconstruction now, while awaiting the outcome of litigation against the Dali's owner, which is expected to take years to work its way through the court system. Legislation for funding the new bridge has been introduced in the Senate and the House, but faces skepticism from the right-wing House Freedom Caucus. 

 

Ireland Releases Draft Plan for South Coast Offshore Wind Farms

offshore wind farm
Ireland looks to follow is first auction in 2023 with another before the end of this year (file photo)

PUBLISHED MAY 6, 2024 6:57 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

Ireland released a draft of its plan to designate four areas off the south coast for offshore wind projects and proceed to auctions. It follows the successful first offshore auction in May 2023 where over 3 GW of capacity was procured from four offshore projects.

The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan, released the plan on May 3 highlighting that it is Ireland’s first-ever spatial plan for renewable energy at sea. The draft South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan (DMAP) identifies four maritime areas off the south coast in which development of offshore renewable energy is proposed to take place over the next decade.

The four maritime areas proposed for offshore energy projects were identified according to the minister following a comprehensive environmental assessment process and an almost year-long engagement process with coastal communities and stakeholders. He said that protecting the marine environment and biodiversity and supporting citizens reliant on the sea for their livelihood are central to the sustainable development of the south coast’s offshore energy potential.

The draft plan proposes that a first offshore wind project with a capacity of approximately 900 MW will take place in “Tonn Nua,” off the coast of County Waterford, and will aim for deployment by 2030. The area is more than 120 square miles located at least nearly eight miles from shore. It has a mean water depth of 187 feet.

Over the next decade, the plan also proposes further offshore wind projects will be developed off the coast of Country Waterford as well as two sites off the south coast of County Wexford. They include “Li Ban” which would be at least 18 miles from Country Waterford at its nearest point. The “Manannan” site would be nearly 17 miles from Country Wexford while the “Danu” site would be a similar distance also from Country Wexford.

The draft design for the auction is now available for public comments running through June 7, 2024. The ministry notes that it may choose to revise the plan based on feedback, The auction is planned to commence before the end of 2024.

The first auction in May 2023 created the potential for the delivery of over 12 Terawatt hours of renewable electricity per year. Ireland’s Climate Action Plan 2024 commits to achieving at least 5 GW of installed offshore wind capacity by 2030. A further 2 GW is designated for the production of green hydrogen and other non-grid uses. 

BOEM Completes Review for Alternative Foundation Test at BP’s Beacon Wind

suction bucket
Suction bucket is lowered to the sea floor and a pump removes water to place the foundation without pile driving (Beacon Wind)

PUBLISHED MAY 6, 2024 3:28 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 


The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management completed its environmental review clearing the way for testing of an alternative foundation for the Beacon Win site located south of Nantucket. The site now controlled by BP proposed additional site testing for a lesser-used technology called suction bucket foundations which allows for the installation of turbines without the need for pile driving.

Deployed for the first time a decade ago, the suction bucket has been used several times in European offshore wind farms, including projects led by Ørsted. The application by BP highlighted advantages including less noise by not having to pile drive and less disturbance of underwater life. BP and its partners have also been exploring the use of the foundation system for their developments in Europe.

The technology has been used in various forms since the 1980s in the offshore oil and gas industry. Ørsted explains that one of the key considerations is soil type and soil strength as well as issues such as the composition of the sea bed if boulders or other obstacles exist. They require a larger footprint and scour protection.

Beacon Wind proposed to conduct 35 deployments and removals of a single suction bucket foundation at 26 locations on its site. Beacon Wind’s objective is to gather information to support the engineering design of the turbine and substation foundation. Among the other advantages, Beacon Wind says suction bucket foundations would allow more flexibility around supply chain constraints.

The proposal explains that the suction bucket used in the test will have a diameter of 30 to 39 feet (9 to 12 meters), a height of 36 to 39 feet (11 to 12 meters), and total weight of approximately 200 tons. The suction bucket will be designed to penetrate the seafloor to a maximum of between 33 and 39 feet (10 and 12 meters), versus a monopile which they pile drive to three times that depth. A low-flow suction pump is mounted to the top of the suction bucket approximately 19 feet (6 meters) above the seabed and slowly removes water from within the bucket to create an area of reduced pressure, which would assist in completing penetration to the target depth and affixing the structure to the seabed for the mounting of the topside turbine or substation.

BOEM concluded that the proposed test will not cause significant impacts to the environment. Beacon Wind’s review with the BOEM began nearly a year ago. It calls for two phases, with the first project for 1,230 MW located 17 nautical miles south of Nantucket and 52 nautical miles east of Montauk and supplying power to New York State. A second phase of a similar size is also contemplated on the lease area which totals 128,000 acres in federal waters.

In April, BP took full ownership of Beacon Wind after splitting its partnership with Equinor. They took over the 50 percent interest in the project. while Equinor took ownership of BP’s 50 percent stake in the Empire Wind 1 and 2 projects.

 

Smugglers Toss 2.5 Tons of Cocaine Overboard to Escape Royal Navy Pursuit

HMS Trent
Royal Navy captured 2.5 tons of cocaine jettisoned during chase (Royal Navy photos)

PUBLISHED MAY 6, 2024 5:12 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

The latest interdiction in the Caribbean by the Royal Navy’s patrol ship HMS Trent sounds like a scene from a motion picture. The vessel, which was commissioned in 2020 and was on a regular patrol of the Caribbean, reported that as night was falling, they conducted a high-speed chase with its seaboats to pounce on smugglers in a go-fast boat.

They reported that the go-fast boat with the smugglers was hopelessly weighted down and, to evade capture, the smugglers were jettisoning bale after bale of cocaine from the boat. The boat accelerated to nearly 50 mph with the Royal Navy reporting the “sheer amount of cargo left behind became apparent.”

The smugglers must have ditched all their cargo the interdiction team believes in its effort to escape. While they got away, the sheer amount of cocaine left behind was staggering to the Royal Navy crew. 

 

 

“Every direction we looked in, there were cocaine bales, we knew this was a big haul,” said one of the Royal Marines on the team. The vessel has 47 Commando coxswains aboard working with an embarked U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment.

HMS Trent had been alerted to the potential smugglers by the United States maritime patrol aircraft. The Royal Navy vessel used its radar to track down a go-fast boat matching the determined course and speed of smugglers. 

“Considering the time-lapse from the previous night’s chase, we were able to factor in the drift and calculate the area where the bales should be,” explained HMS Trent’s First Lieutenant. “We calculated right, the lookouts did a superb job picking out the bales against the wider ocean.”

 

 

The recovery operation went on through the night and eventually 2,548 kg of cocaine was recovered back to the Trent. The Royal Navy calculates it stopped £204 million ($256 million) of cocaine during the night-time pursuit in the Caribbean.

HMS Trent is deployed as part of a multinational effort to stem the flow of drugs being smuggled to Europe and America. Across five months of operations, the Royal Navy reports the ship has seized 6,390 kg of drugs worth £511 million ($640 million).