Thursday, May 23, 2024

Judge Throws Out Five "Fat Leonard" Convictions Over Procedural Failures

The 7th Fleet headquarters ship USS Blue Ridge, the command at the center of the GDMA scandal, at Busan during the years of Francis' peak influence (USN file image)

A federal judge in San Diego has vacated the convictions of five former Navy officers who admitted to taking bribes from Leonard "Fat Leonard" Glenn Francis, the notorious founder of Asian ship husbandry firm Glenn Defense Marine Asia (GDMA). By his own account, Francis corrupted countless U.S. Navy officers, enlisted sailors and civilian employees in 7th Fleet in order to steer business to his company and overcharge for his services. The scandal reached all the way up to flag rank level, and secured more than $30 million in illicit income for Francis at taxpayer expense - all at a low cost for GDMA, rarely exceeding more than five figures per officer.

The vast majority of the hundreds of personnel who were investigated in the scandal were never charged in civilian courts, but federal prosecutors selected three dozen cases for trial. With Francis' testimony and documentary evidence from email communications, they secured guilty pleas from the majority of the defendants. However, last year a federal judge found that prosecutors engaged in "flagrant misconduct" by failing to provide relevant information to the defendants' lawyers.

On Tuesday, five of the GDMA felony convictions were tossed out at the request of a new team of federal prosecutors. The request was intended to fix a procedural failure and ensure the integrity of the criminal justice system - not because the facts of the case were in doubt, but because the officers who pleaded guilty were not provided with all the information they were entitled to receive from the prosecution. The procedural error means that the defendants who have pleaded innocent will likely never be convicted, so prosecutors determined that in the interest of justice, the men who had already pleaded guilty should also be allowed to walk free.

On Tuesday, a judge accepted a new plea deal for three officers who had previously admitted to felony crimes for accepting bribes, and allowed them to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge instead. In addition, the judge dismissed all charges against Capt. Stephen Shedd, who had told investigators that he had accepted prostitutes, watches and luxury vacations from Francis in exchange for secret information. Shedd pleaded guilty in 2022 and testified on the stand that he was a traitor who "deserves prison," but asked the court if he could reverse his plea after the allegations of prosecutorial misconduct came to light last year.

The setback was the latest turn in a decade-long courtroom drama involving allegations of bribery, mishandling of classified information, fraud and indecent behavior. The plot details have been worthy of a television drama: in addition to the stories of wild parties and deep-rooted corruption, Francis added his own coda to the tale when he escaped house arrest and fled to Venezuela in 2022 - only to be captured and returned to the U.S. in a prisoner exchange.

"The information [the officers] had was priceless, and they just sold out for cheap," Francis told a documentary filmmaker before his escape. "There's a lot more to it than what I've put out there, because if I'm double-crossed, that's what's going to come out."

Opinion: U.S. Should Not Waver on Ties to Strategic Pacific Islands

naval base in papua new guinea — The partially-completed Lombrum Naval Base in Papua New Guinea, a project that the U.S. pledged to assist (File image courtesy Australian Ministry of Defense)

After more than four years of negotiation, economic assistance funding has been approved under the Compacts of Association, the agreements that govern US relations with Marshall Islands, Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia. But will US policymakers, diplomats and legislators stay focused on engaging with those and other Pacific island countries? Or will attention fade?

Renewed Compact funding is not an end in itself, especially as China pursues strategic objectives across the Pacific. Given the strategic environment, the United States cannot walk away from continued focus on the Pacific Islands.

The Good

Since 2018 the US has not only negotiated a new tranche of funding for the three Freely Associated States under the compacts. It has also has worked with Australia, Japan and New Zealand to greatly extend electrification in Papua New Guinea and has committed to upgrading Lombrum Naval Base on PNG’s Manus Island.

When the Biden Administration took over the reins of Pacific islands policy in 2021, it fire-hosed the space. It penned a first-ever Pacific islands strategy, twice hosted Pacific island leaders at the White House, renegotiated US access to South Pacific tuna fisheries, agreed on defence cooperation with PNG, opened two Pacific embassies and announced plans for two more.

Finally, US$7.1 billion of renewed funding under the Compacts passed into law in March 2024.

In six years, the United States has gone from modest engagement in the Pacific islands to being a serious player. But there have been bumps along the way.

The Bad

Electrification in Papua New Guinea is moving at a snail’s pace, with some pointing the finger at state utility PNG Power. US involvement in upgrading Lombrum Naval Base seems to have vanished.

The speedily concluded PNG defense agreement set off concerns over US intentions in the region, felt by Australians as much as by Papua New Guineans. In discussions, the author learned from US negotiators that Australian diplomats had tried to white-ant the talks by calling into question Washington’s reliability. The Americans wondered why the Australians would do that.

Then at a 2023 meeting held at the Washington headquarters of the United States Institute of Peace with officials from Papua New Guinea’s foreign ministry, the author witnessed confusion between the two sides. It became clear that miscommunication within PNG’s foreign ministry and with the United States had fed a negative narrative. Happily, they were able to clarify things.

New embassies in Solomon Islands and Tonga have opened, but those planned for Kiribati and Vanuatu have not. Failure to open the mission in Kiribati is most concerning. Previously, Kiribati and the US have shared a sound relationship, but things seemed to have changed following Tarawa’s switch of its one-China recognition from Taipei to Beijing. Tarawa’s slow-walking the opening of the US embassy worries Washington. The Biden administration has had a frosty relationship with the Solomon Islands government while it has been led by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare. The US offered in 2019 to send US Peace Corps volunteers to Solomon Islands, but the Sogavare government did little to advance plans. Honiara, like Tarawa, seems to be ignoring Washington’s entreaties.

The rough and tumble of diplomacy is nothing new. Every new initiative has growing pains, but some things are just ugly.

The Ugly

Every US announcement that involves new spending comes with an asterisk that reads ‘subject to Congressional funding’. Too often, no one notices.

Both parties in Congress supported funding of the Compacts of Free Association, but passing the legislation still took months. Dysfunction was sown by turmoil over filling the role of the speaker of the House of Representatives and by repeated Congressional demands for cuts elsewhere to offset the US$7.1 billion. Leaders of the Freely Associated States called into question whether the US was serious. Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine remarked that relationships were ‘gradually being destroyed by party politics’.

Passage of the legislation came only after tremendous efforts to lobby members of Congress. Given the centrality of the three freely associated states to US defense planning in the Pacific, that’s concerning. What prospects would more legislation have?

What is to be Done?

American diplomacy, policymaking and development assistance all rely on Congress. The House of Representatives holds the purse strings. Without its buy-in and consent, funding will always be an issue.

The United States formerly drew down its engagement in the South Pacific to save money, leaving the region in the hands of Australia and New Zealand. The three countries didn’t have identical interests, but the differences were not too important when the Pacific islands were not strategically crucial to Washington. They are now, however, and the United States absolutely must be involved—and must maintain its focus.

Congress cannot play games with funding of initiatives in the Pacific. Nor can policymakers merely continue with existing and outdated programs. Too much is at stake. More needs to be done to explain the needs of the Pacific to the executive and legislative branches of government, especially such basic needs in the islands as healthcare, trade and employment. By addressing them, the United States can both help improve the lives of Pacific islanders and create lasting bonds of friendship.

Those bonds will help counter China’s malign strategic efforts in the region.

Alan Tidwell is professor of the practice and director of the Center for Australian, New Zealand and Pacific Studies at the Georgetown University Walsh School of Foreign Service.

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

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

First Tanker for Trans Mountain Pipeline Arrives in Vancouver

Tanker at the Westridge terminal (file image)

On Monday, the tanker Dubai Angel arrived at the Westridge Marine Terminal in Vancouver, B.C., the seaward terminus of the Trans Mountain Pipeline (TMX). The Dubai Angel is scheduled to load the first 550,000-barrel cargo of Albertan tar sands crude from the TMX, marking the beginning of a new chapter for Canadian producers.

The TMX has been in development for 12 years, and has survived multiple challenges, cost overruns and shifting political winds. Environmental and indigenous groups opposed its construction, and the Canadian federal government bought out original owner Kinder Morgan in 2018 in order to ensure that it could be completed for Albertan oil producers. Under government management, the price of construction soared to US$9 billion in 2020, then US$15 billion by 2022. The final as-built price for Canadian taxpayers came in at about US$23 billion.

The pipeline is a paradigm shift for the tar sands industry. Without domestic access to the sea, Canadian heavy crude had to be sold into the U.S. market, or to international buyers via U.S. pipelines. This gave American refiners leverage on pricing, and Canadian producers had few alternative options. Now that TMX has begun commercial operations, producers like Suncor can market their output to customers in China, without paying the cost of pipeline shipment to the U.S. Gulf Coast. Since February, Alberta's benchmark Western Canadian Select blend has been trading for about eight percent more than West Texas Intermediate, reversing a longstanding trend.

Earlier this month, Suncor said that it would be leasing ships like the Dubai Angel itself and selling the oil directly to buyers, without going through a trader. “We’re well-positioned to deliver volumes to our customers and remove that middleman and capture the full value for Suncor,” EVP Dave Oldrieve told analysts on a conference call.

There is one limitation for this promising new trade. Only Aframaxes can make the transit to and from the Westridge loading pier, so cargoes will be limited to about 600,000 barrels per vessel. This means that the terminal will need to load about one tanker every day to keep up with the TMX pipeline's capacity. The demand signal for an extra tanker every day should have a meaningful impact on the global Aframax market, according to analysts Poten & Partners. These smaller ships will be needed for short-haul runs to the U.S. West Coast, long-haul trips to Asia, and local lightering operations to fill up larger VLCCs.

Baltimore to Restore 24-Hour Channel Now that Dali was Removed

Dali Seagirt — Dali being moved alongside the Seagirt Terminal in Baltimore (USACE)

Baltimore continues to mark progress on the recovery operation for the port as it marked eight weeks since the allision that brought down the Francis Scott Key Bridge. During a briefing this morning, May 21, conducted by Maryland’s Governor Wes Moore and representatives of the operation, the U.S. Coast Guard reported that it expects to restore 24-hour access to the port as the effort continues on track to reach the goal of fully reopening the federal channel by the end of May.

The day after the Dali was refloated and relocated to the terminal, Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath of the U.S. Coast Guard said a 400-foot wide and 50-foot deep channel would be opening. He reported that over 500 vessels have already used the alternate channels established around the wreck site.

At this point in the recovery, they highlight that there is no longer visible steel above the waterline outside the channel. State-led efforts are continuing in those areas and they expect to complete clearance outside the channel in June. In both areas, they are now working to remove debris that was embedded into the mud down to a depth of 10 to 15 feet.

Since the beginning of the operation, the Governor said over 10,000 tons of steel have been removed. In the next week, he expects more than 20 vessels will be entering the harbor using the expanded channel. However, they remain committed to completing the clearance to fully restore the full 700-foot channel.

Unobstructed view shows the extent of damage and debris on the bow of the Dali (USACE)

The Dali is expected to remain at the berth for four to six weeks while additional debris is cleared from the ship and investigations proceed. Damaged containers will also be removed and initial repairs made to the vessel which is expected to then transfer to Norfolk, Virginia. Claims consultant WK Webster is saying the laden containers will be removed in Norfolk so that they can be transshipped on other vessels.

One point of focus for the media has been the crew of the Dali. Governor Moore said that arrangements are being made so that the crew can go ashore now that the Dali is on the dock. There was no discussion of the crew going home.

Moore pointed out that the investigation is ongoing into what Lloyd’s he said has called likely the most expensive maritime casualty in history. When asked about the facts released by the NTSB last week, Moore said “Some of the findings are troubling.” He repeated his conviction that the ones responsible “need to be held accountable.”

For the moment, they were pausing to mark what the Governor called an “unprecedented response.” He noted they had recovered the bodies of the six victims but that there had been no major injuries during the recovery operation.

He concluded by saying the projection to have a new bridge by 2028 is aggressive. Moore said however they need to continue to move speedily to ensure the full recovery.

Georgia Sets RoRo Record as Industry Grows and Baltimore Vessels Divert

Brunswick RoRo terminal — Brunswick set a RoRo record as auto industry grows and it aided with Baltimore diversions (GPA)

The Port of Brunswick, Georgia, which had the largest autoport by space in the U.S., achieved its largest month ever in April. While the port was aiding with the diversion from Baltimore, they also highlighted the strong growth in the U.S. auto market and efforts by manufacturers to increase inventory as the sector continues to recover from the pandemic.

The Georgia Ports Authority handled 80,600 units of RoRo cargo in April, an increase of more than 44 percent or 24,760 units versus April 2023. Approximately 9,000 import vehicles and 1,000 high/heavy equipment they reported had been diverted from the Port of Baltimore. The port’s executives said they expected the impact of the diverted cargo will taper off in June as the Port of Baltimore restores full service. Vehicle carriers have already begun to enter Baltimore after the temporary channels were established.

Brunswick averaged 69,880 units per month during the first three quarters of FY 2024. Port officials highlighted that heavy equipment was up by 500 units in May compared to the monthly average of 246 units per month in FY 2024.

“Asian imports remain strong, but we are also seeing an uptick in vehicle exports, new customers have chosen Georgia Ports, and we have increased capacity for existing customers,” said GPA President and CEO Griff Lynch. “Additionally, manufacturers are working to raise dealership stocks from the current 14-day inventories to 30 days’ worth of vehicles.”

As a demonstration of the growth in the car industry, port officials highlighted that FY to date, Brunswick has seen a 19 percent increase in auto and machinery volume. So far, they have handled 709,545 units in nine months. For the full year in FY 2023, Brunswick handled 723,515 RoRo units.

March was also a record month with the port handling 77,236 units, a 21 percent increase which came before diversions from Baltimore increased. In March alone, Brunswick had a record 52 vessels, up by 11 from the prior year, and in the nine months of FY 2024, the port has seen 431 RoRo calls. They are projecting for the year the port will have 572 ships up from the prior record of 534 in FY2015.

They point out that 23 carmakers and 17 heavy machinery producers use the Port of Brunswick. Lynch has said that volume has grown as automakers expand production. The port’s processors have also captured additional market share in the South Atlantic region.

Software Issue Causes South Carolina to Close Charleston and Inland Ports

South Carolina ports — Charleston and South Carolina's inland ports were closed due to an unspecified software problem (SC Ports)

An unspecified “software issue” was being blamed for the unusual move of suspending all cargo operations at the Port of Charleston as well as South Carolina inland ports on Monday, May 20. The South Carolina State Ports Authority said that it is working with an outside vendor to restore operations as quickly as possible. While calling it a "fluid situation" the authority said it expected to reopen the ports at 5:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 21, but has continued to delay saying there remain issues bringing the gate system back up. The next update is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday.

Media reports said the port authority identified the issue on Saturday. Initially, the port said on Sunday evening that it would be delaying the start of operations on Monday morning warning that no cargo would be picked up or dropped off until it was able to restore operations.

“Initial findings show that a software issue impacted a server,” the port said in an alert sent out Sunday evening. “This does not appear to be a cybersecurity issue.”

Port cybersecurity has become a hotly debated issue in the United States with the Biden administration reporting this spring that it directed the U.S. Coast Guard to increase its efforts and take steps with the ports on planning and increased security. It came in response to a contention that surfaced a year ago that highlighted China’s dominance in cargo cranes and related logistic software. There has been a move in the U.S. Congress to ban China’s logistics software and investigate the cargo cranes for potentially tracking cargo operations at the ports. As part of the administration’s initiative, ports were required to undertake a survey and report to the Coast Guard.

South Carolina ports initially said it expected to resume operations by 10:00 a.m. this morning but issued an update at 8:00 a.m. delaying the opening of the gates and cargo operations till noon. Two hours later they again delayed the opening pushing it back to 2:00 p.m.

“We do not anticipate systems being fully functional for the remainder of the day at all SC Ports marine terminals and inland ports,” the authority said in a later update. “We are reintroducing systems as they become available.”

The Port and Courier newspaper in Charleston reports that three containerships were already docked at the main terminal in Charleston and that the port authority told it they could continue working those ships. The reports said however that no cargo was being loaded to trucks and that the gates were closed.

Other containerships were holding off at anchor or not scheduled to arrive at the port until tomorrow. Similarly, the terminal for RoRos was not expecting its next arrival until late tomorrow. The port’s one cruise ship, Carnival Sunshine, was able to depart as scheduled on its cruise on Sunday evening.

The Port of Charleston reports at 52 feet, it is the deepest harbor on the U.S. East Coast. It handles approximately 215,000 TEU per month and last month saw a 40 percent increase in monthly vehicle volume to over 18,000 cars and trucks.

It is the eighth-largest container port in the United States. In addition to the two marine cargo terminals and one vehicle terminal, the state has two rail-served inland ports.

Schneider Electric to Provide First Green Energy Offshore Charging Station

[By: Schneider Electric]

Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, has announced it will join a collaborative effort to develop and deliver the first cold-ironing buoy designed to power cruise ships at anchorage.??

The project – which is being led by Orcades Marine Management Consultants - aims to reduce emissions from cruise ships anchoring at the Bay of Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands. The solution will reduce the amount of pollution they produce whilst idling off-shore, improving air quality near the shoreline.?

While cold-ironing is already widely available for ships at berth, no solution currently exists to provide cold-ironing for ships at anchorage. The cold-ironing buoy will provide energy, from nearby renewable sources including wind turbines, solar PV and tidal turbines, to charge hybrid cruise ships to meet their significant energy needs.?

The initial project – which has received over £300,000 of funding from the Department of Transport - will involve a Front-End Engineering Design (FEED), along with a comprehensive feasibility study which looks at the technical, economic, and social impacts of the technology as part of the UK’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC). Once complete, work will start to build the cold ironing buoy which will be powered by an Onshore Power Supply (OPS) through a subsea cable to the anchorage point.

As a key technical partner in the consortium, Schneider Electric will help to establish the technical and commercial viability of the project, supporting with a GAP analysis and the Pre-FEED (preliminary Front-End Engineering Design) for the infrastructure upgrade. It will also assess the project’s technical, economical and operational feasibility and create an adoption roadmap for the pilot demonstration.

As well as Orcades, Schneider is joined by Orkney Island Council Harbour Authority, leading shipping agency GAC UK and environmental consultancy business, Aquatera. Each organisation in this consortium brings a high level of experience in its own field, allowing for the delivery of a comprehensive project, covering considerations from engineering (both marine and shoreside infrastructure), safety, harbour operations and management, to environmental and stakeholder engagement.?

The Bay of Kirkwall was carefully selected as the location for this project due to its popularity as a cruise ship destination and its potential to produce renewable energy. Since 2013, Orkney has generated over 100% of its electricity demand from renewable sources, and this rose to 128% by 2020.??

Shaun Faulkner, Seaport Segment Lead at Schneider Electric, said: “There has been an increasing drive to reduce emissions in the maritime industry in recent years. We are proud to play a part in this move to greener shipping. As an organisation our purpose is to make sustainability accessible to all, and to empower everyone to make the most of our energy and resources. There is an increasingly clear need for cleaner and more sustainable processes and guidance in the ports and maritime industry. This project will be a positive step forward in terms of fulfilling that need and demonstrating what a more sustainable future could look like.”?

Managing Director of Orcades Marine, Captain David Thomson said: “I'm thrilled to announce our successful grant award from the Department of Transport’s CMDC. Our aim is clear - to eliminate carbon emissions from some of the largest ships within port limits. This project marks a significant step towards a cleaner, more sustainable maritime future, and we're committed to driving innovation and positive change in the industry.”?

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

First Hydrogen-Fueled Vessel Receives USCG Approval to Enter Service

Sea Change will begin a demonstration service in San Francisco after receiving its USCG certificates (SWITCH)
PUBLISHED MAY 21, 2024 12:36 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

After nearly five years of development and several delays, the first hydrogen-powered commercial vessel in the United States has received U.S. Coast Guard approval to enter service. Developed by a startup called SWITCH Maritime, the vessel a 75-passenger catamaran ferry Sea Change was presented last Friday with its Certificate of Inspection by Captain Taylor Lam, USCG Sector San Francisco commander and Captain of the Port for Northern California.
With the COI, the vessel is now able to commence commercial operation for zero-emission public ferry service. Following a formal launch event in June, the Sea Change will be operated in a six-month pilot service by the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA). After the initial demonstration period, SWITCH will put the vessel into a more permanent ferry route.
“This COI represents the culmination of years of close collaboration with the US Coast Guard and a significant milestone for the maritime industry, demonstrating the viability of carbon-neutral vessels,” said Pace Ralli, CEO of SWITCH. “We are immensely grateful for the support from the US Coast Guard and all our partners along the path to completion. This is not the finish line, but just a starting point from which to build many more.”
Ralli highlights the rapid evolution of the technology. He said they are already able to provide similar operational capabilities and ranges to diesel-powered vessels. The hydrogen system also eliminates the need for shoreside charging infrastructure required by battery-only vessels.

Sea Change is the first hydrogen-powered vessel in the U.S. (SWITCH)

The Sea Change uses hydrogen fuel cells to power all-electric motors for transit distances up to 300 nautical miles and speeds up to 15 knots. Built and launched at All American Marine shipyard in Bellingham, Washington, in August 2021, the Sea Change is a 70-foot catamaran ferry designed by Incat Crowther. There have been significant hurdles and developing the technology and gaining approval. The vessel reached the San Francisco Bay Area just over a year ago with SWITCH working to train the crew and complete USCG certification.
The vessel features an integrated hydrogen power system from Zero Emission Industries, with 360kW of fuel cells from Cummins and 600kW of electric motor propulsion from BAE Systems. Its tanks from Hexagon Purus have a capacity for 242kg of hydrogen stored in a gaseous form on the top deck at a pressure of 250 bar.
There are so far only a handful of hydrogen-powered vessels in the world although supports highlight the potential for the industry. Founded in 2018, SWITCH Maritime develops, finances, builds and leases zero-emission maritime vessels to existing operators in the U.S. and internationally. SWITCH has reported it is actively working on additional expansion designs for 150-, 300- and 450-passenger zero-emission ferries.

KR Guide to Select Thermal Properties for Cryogenic Insulation Materials

[By: Korean Register]

KR has published the Guide to Selection of Thermal Properties of Cryogenic Insulation Materials for safe storage of cryogenic fuels, including LNG and liquid hydrogen.

Last year, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted the '2023 Greenhouse Gas Strategy' with the goal of achieving carbon neutrality in international shipping by 2050. The strategy aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20%, striving for 30%, by 2030, at least 70%, striving for 80%, by 2040, and to achieve net-zero emissions by around 2050.

In response to these increasingly stringent environmental regulations, the maritime industry is focusing not only on the widely used liquefied natural gas (LNG) but also on the long-term use of alternative fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia. In particular, there is a rising emphasis on insulation system technology to ensure the safe and efficient storage of cryogenic low- and zero- carbon fuels.

Representative cryogenic fuels include LNG and liquid hydrogen. Hydrogen is a liquid below its boiling point of -253°C, which is about 90°C lower than the boiling point of LNG at -162°C, requiring advanced insulation technology. Since liquefied hydrogen reduces its volume by about 800 times compared to its gaseous state, securing stable storage technology on ships would enable the affordable import and utilization of hydrogen through marine transport, while also facilitating the implementation of Republic of Korea's Hydrogen Economy Roadmap (2019).

To develop insulation system technology that is essential for the use of cryogenic low- and zero- carbon fuels, KR partnered with researchers from the Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials (KIMM), Pusan National University (PNU), and the Seoul National University of Science and Technology (SEOULTECH) to publish the report.

The report describes the insulation system used in ships for -162°C LNG and -253°C liquefied hydrogen, and analyzes environmental factors influencing the heat transfer mechanisms of the system and other design elements.

KIM Daeheon, Executive Vice President of KR's R&D Division, stated, "This technical guide is expected to serve as the standard for material selection during the design of insulation systems in cryogenic environments or the development of innovative insulation systems. KR will continue to provide alternative fuel technology services, driving decarbonization of the maritime sector and aligning with evolving maritime technology through various R&D activities.”

The document can be downloaded on the KR Decarbonization Portal (decarbonization.krs.co.kr/eng/).

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

Construction Begins at Germany’s Mega Offshore Wind Farm in the North Sea

Courtesy EnBW
PUBLISHED MAY 22, 2024 12:35 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

Construction has begun at one of Germany’s largest offshore wind farms, the 960 MW He Dreiht site. The project is being developed in the North Sea by the German energy utility giant EnBW and its financial backers, without state subsidies.
Heerema Marine Contractor’s semi-submersible crane vessel (SSCV) Thialf has started installing the first foundations in the seabed. Each of the monopiles is 70 meters long, 9.2 meters in diameter and weighs around 1,350 metric tons. The foundation installation work is expected to continue into the summer.
The project will use the new generation of Vestas V236- 15 turbines, each with an output of 15 MW, and it will be their first commercial installation.
The wind farm is scheduled to come online in 2025. The Dutch-German grid operator TenneT will connect the wind farm using an offshore converter station and two high-voltage DC export cables. The cables will be laid over a distance of 75 miles underwater and 68 miles on land.
Although being developed without state funding, the He Dreiht project is focusing on signing long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) with large-scale industrial customers. So far EnBW has signed several PPAs with companies including Bosch, which is purchasing 50 MW, the operating company of Frankfurt Airport (Fraport) ordered 85 MW, and Evonik is purchasing 150 MW.
“After seven years of intensive planning, we are delighted that we are now able to start construction work. The expansion of offshore wind energy is an important part of our ongoing strategy to considerably increase our installed renewable capacity from 5.7 GW to 11.5 GW by 2030,” said EnBW board member Peter Heydecker.
In addition, EnBW CEO Georg Stamatelopoulos said the company is investing over $43 billion in the energy transition by 2030, with Germany getting the lion’s share. Around $14 billion will be utilized in constructing wind farms and solar parks.

US Competition Selects Finalists in Floating Offshore Wind Technologies

floating wind turbine — Glosten's tension-leg platform technology PelaStar is one of the finalists (Glosten)

The U.S. Department of Energy selected the finalists in its ongoing competition to promote the development and commercialization of technologies for floating offshore wind energy. It is part of a broader government initiative designed to accelerate floating offshore wind installations.

The government believes that floating offshore wind has the potential to provide massive amounts of renewable energy but to achieve that new technologies and manufacturing will be required to make the manufacturing and installation of floating turbines more economical and efficient. U.S. studies suggest that floating turbines could produce 2.8 terawatts of electricity in the United States alone, which would be more than double current U.S. electricity consumption. About two-thirds of the U.S.’s offshore wind power potential is in waters that are more practical and cost-effective for floating versus fixed-bottom turbines. The Biden administration set a goal of deploying 15 gigawatts of floating offshore wind capacity by 2035.

Floating offshore wind structures may be one of the biggest challenges in the clean energy transition. Exports highlight that the structures could be the largest man-made structures ever built. They will have to be able to float and maintain their operations in high-wind areas of the ocean that are too deep for today’s fixed-bottom offshore wind turbines.

The FLOWIN (American-Made FLoating Offshore Wind ReadINess) competition was launched to bring together the design, manufacture, supply chain, and transportation components required to deploy floating wind turbines. It is a three-phase competition with nine Phase One winners announced in March 2023.

In the just completed Phase Two those companies were challenged to adapt their designs for production. They were challenged to develop plans for mass production, assembly, and deployment. They were also required to submit a cost estimate and production throughput analysis. The competition is being administered by the National Renewable Energy Laborites (NREL). Each of the five Phase Two winners was awarded $450,000 in cash and $100,000 in credit for technology support at a Department of Energy national laboratory. The full FLOWIN competition has a total cash pool of $5.85 million, plus up to $1.175 million in vouchers for technical support from DOE national laboratories.

PelaStar, Glosten’s lightweight tension-leg platform technology, was one of the winners of Phase Two. The PelaStar partnership, which includes Everett Floating Structures, FibreMax, Avient-Dyneema, GMC Limited, Triton Anchor, Havfram, Foss Offshore Wind, Geodis, TRC, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, presented an aggressive deployment plan. They proposed an approach to assemble and install one 15MW floating wind turbine every week starting in the early 2030s.

Other finalists include FloatHOME’s triangular platform, WindFloat. Developed with supporters including Principle Power and Aker Solutions, it is its fourth generation with a design that provides deep-water stability with features including a damping system to absorb wave excitation movement.

Technip Energies’ INO15 design is a semisubmersible, three-column floating platform. This design can be assembled at ports at a low cost and is robust enough to withstand harsh operating environments. The Tetra Triple-One floating platform uses a building-block arrangement, which involves fully producing the parts needed in an industrialized manufacturing environment and then transporting them to the assembly site. This makes portside construction possible for a range of platform configurations, turbine sizes, and site conditions.

Finally, the concept from WHEEL U.S. incorporates tanks for buoyancy and balance, and can temporarily act as a barge platform, allowing it to be assembled with the wind turbine near shore and towed to sea.

These teams will now move on to the final prize phase, during which they will complete location-specific implementation pathways for domestic manufacture and deployment of their floating offshore wind energy technologies. Up to three winners from Phase Three will each receive a $900,000 cash prize.

This is also part of the broader Biden Administration interdepartmental effort involving Energy (DOE), Interior, Commerce, and Transportation to drive U.S. leadership in the design, deployment, and manufacturing of floating wind technologies. Since the initiative's launch in September 2022, the U.S. has dedicated over $950 million in planning, leasing actions, research, development, demonstration, deployment, and more in an effort to realize the full potential of this renewable power source.

About two-thirds of the country's offshore wind potential is in waters that are deep enough to make floating offshore wind turbines more practical and cost-effective than fixed-bottom turbines. Efforts have focused on floating turbine designs, advances in planning for the transmission of power from floating offshore wind projects, and investments into the first offshore wind terminal on the Pacific Coast.

Last month, DOE announced its intent to issue $20 million in funding for projects that improve floating offshore wind systems through refinement and innovation in floating platform design, manufacturing, deployment, and integrated turbine/platform research. The funding opportunity will also offer $3.5 million for the establishment of a floating offshore wind Center of Excellence.

The first floating offshore wind installations in the United States are expected to include the leases auctioned in 2023 off California. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management also recently proposed ten new lease areas, two in Oregon and eight in the Gulf of Maine, which are likely to all be dependent on floating turbines.

International Court Says States Must Protect Oceans Against Climate Change

ocean and climate change — ITLOS says member states are obliged to act to stop the impact of GCG emissions on the oceans

An international tribunal under the auspices of the United Nations issued a first-of-its-kind ruling that finds countries are legally obligated to take all necessary actions to prevent marine pollution tied to greenhouse gas emissions. While not legally binding, environmentalists are still hailing it as a profound decision following the June 2023 adoption of the UN High Seas Conservation Treaty and another step to force governments to respond to the damaging effects of climate change.

The case was brought before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea by the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law. The effort was led by Tuvalu in the Pacific and Antigua and Barbuda in the Caribbean. Small island nations have long argued that they are at the forefront of climate change, rising ocean levels, and changes in ocean temperatures. They have taken aggressive stances at other meetings such as the International Maritime Organization.

The Commission went before the ITLOS in December 2022 asking the tribunal to rule on the specific obligations of parties to the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas. A total of 169 member states are party to the treaty, but not the United States. The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea is an independent judicial body established by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. It has jurisdiction over any dispute concerning the interpretation or application of the Convention, and disputes relating to issues such as delimitation of maritime zones, navigation, and conservation. It is the body that rules on disputes such as the 2022 seizure of the tanker Heroic Idun and her crew by
Equatorial Guinea.

This case specifically asked the Tribunal to rule on obligations to preserve, reduce, and control pollution of the marine environment resulting from climate change. They cited issues such as ocean warming, sea level rise, and ocean acidification caused by greenhouse gas emissions. Also, they asked for a ruling on the obligations to protect and preserve the marine environment.

The panel decided unanimously that it has jurisdiction under the UN Convention and sided entirely with the small island states. Reading out the opinion, Judge Albert Hoffman of South Africa cited the articles of the Convention that oblige member states to take all necessary measures to prevent, reduce, and control marine pollution including from GCG emissions. He said they found the parties to the convention have a specific obligation to adopt laws and regulations as it relates to preventing marine pollution. Member states are also required to enforce laws and regulations to prevent pollution.

Lawyers for Tuvalu hailed the ruling saying it was what they had asked for while a representative for the Bahamas said the “oceans can breathe a sigh of relief.” Antigua and Barbuda, for example, had argued before the tribunal that rising ocean levels meant that in one to two generations their homeland might become uninhabitable. Some island nations already point to the significant loss of lands.

This is the first of several cases that are now pending before the international legal system with another set to go before the International Court of Justice. The European Court of Human Rights has already ruled that the EU has a legal obligation to take steps to protect against the effects of climate change.

The smaller island states are expected to continue their efforts, including pressing the IMO, to take more action. They are demanding faster actions as environmental regulations are formulated for shipping and other segments in response to emissions and the threat to the global environment.

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