NYK Installs Its First Suction Sails on Bulker Chartered by Cargill

NYK added its first wind assisted propulsion using wind foils of the Cargill-chartered vessel (NYK)

PUBLISHED JUL 23, 2024 4:20 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

Japan’s NYK Group through its NYK Bulkship operator has deployed its first suction sails as it begins to test wind-assisted propulsion. The group joins an expanding number of ships and shipowners exploring wind-assisted propulsion as a tool to aid in reducing vessel emissions.

NYK Bulkship announced plans a year ago to retrofit two wind foils to one of its Panamax bulkers which operates under a long-term charter to Cargill. The installation was completed in Rotterdam earlier this month and the vessel is now bound for Brazil.

Two suction sails were retrofitted to the NBA Magritte, a 2013-built 82,000 dwt bulker. The vessel, which was built by Tsuneishi, is 751 feet (229 meters) and registered in Malta. The equipment was placed between the hatches with each sail standing approximately 52.5 feet (16 meters) and fixed on a 20-foot long base which also permits the sails to fold down. NYK says the sails can be folded in about five to six minutes and operate from a touch panel installed on the bridge.

 

 

The suction sail concept works similarly to an airplane’s wing with the difference in air pressure on each side of the wing and a suction port that creates additional propulsion force. The suction design NYK reports is expected to produce five times as much force as compared to foils without the suction design.

With the installation completed, the vessel will collect data on the propulsion generated by the equipment. It will also record meteorological and ocean conditions during navigation. Working with Cargill and NYK R&D subsidiary MTI Co., they plan to analyze the data to measure the unit’s effectiveness.

The suction sails were developed by the Dutch-based company Econowind. The company has previously installed its technology on other vessels including short-sea cargo ships and tankers operating on the North Sea. 

Cargill which is the charterer of the NBA Magritte is testing a variety of wind propulsion technologies as well as other methods to be at the forefront of sustainable shipping. In addition to wind-assisted propulsion, Cargill has been linked as charterer to the construction of the first large, methanol-fueled bulkers.

 

Ukraine Claims Strike on Kerch Strait's Strategic Rail Ferry

Low-resolution video still purporting to show a fire on the deck of the ferry Slavyanin at Kavkaz (Armed Forces of Ukraine)

PUBLISHED JUL 23, 2024 7:49 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

Ukrainian forces attacked a ferry terminal at the Russian port of Kavkaz on Tuesday, killing one and injuring others, according to the region's governor. The Ukrainian Navy claimed responsibility for the attack and said that it caused "significant damage" to a rail ferry. 

The service identified the vessel as the Slavyanin, a 500-foot freight ferry on the Kerch Strait crossing. The Slavyanin was the last railcar-capable cargo vessel in the region, and it was a key component of the Russian munitions supply chain for the occupied Crimean peninsula. 

Slavyanin in 2023 (image courtesy Ukrainian Energy Ministry)

Ukraine's claims could not be immediately verified, but the governor for Russia's Krasnodar region, Veniamin Kondratyev, reported that the port of Kavkaz was hit by a drone attack overnight. 

Slavyanin was a strategic target for the Ukrainian armed forces. After repeated Ukrainian attacks on the Kerch Strait Bridge, the Russian military has tried to keep hazardous cargoes off the road and rail spans, hoping to minimize the risk of a secondary explosion or a damaging fire in the event of another strike. Key military cargoes have been diverted onto the nearby rail ferry connection at Kavkaz for safety. This critical Russian logistics connection has made the Kavkaz ferries and their associated infrastructure a priority target.

A round of Ukrainian missile strikes in late May reportedly damaged the fuel tank depot at Kavkaz and the other two ferries assigned to the route. 

The Soviet-era Slavyanin was formerly deployed on a route between the Russian Caucasus and Bulgaria, and it appears she was repositioned to the Kerch Strait this year. The ship was hit by a bulker off the coast of Bulgaria in November 2023, resulting in damage to three ballast tanks. 

 

Yemen's Hodeidah Port Resumes Operations After Israeli Strike

Marsa Zenith was one of two vessels reported to arrive in Hodeidah on Tuesday

PUBLISHED JUL 24, 2024 2:25 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

The Port of Hodeidah in western Yemen in areas controlled by the Houthi militants resumed operations late on Tuesday after the Israeli strikes. Reports indicated significant damage in parts of the port while Houthi officials insisted that the port is now operating normally.

The Houthis’ SABA news outlet highlighted the arrival of two ships at the port. Both vessels were coming from Djibouti according to the AIS signals. Records indicate the vessels Brother 1 and Marsa Zenith are each managed by companies based in Dubai.

The Marsa Zenith (16,824 dwt) is registered in Panama. Built in 2003, it is a small containership with a capacity of 1,200 TEU. The vessel was reflected recently operating in the Maersk network and shuttling between Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. SABA reports the vessel arrived carrying 514 containers with various goods.

The other vessel, Brother 1 is a bulker registered in Tanzania. The 22,150 dwt vessel was reported to be carrying 22,800 tons of iron.

While the local administrators published photos of officials walking in the port and normal offloading operations, Agence France-Presse (AFP) captured pictures further down the quay showing the area covered with debris from the attack. Media reports are saying at least three of the port’s cranes were damaged and not operational. Five port cranes were reported to be operating. There are also unconfirmed reports of damage to the port’s warehouses.

 

Local administrators posted this undated photo asserting the port is functioning normally (Posted on X)

 

Hodeidah Port is a key element in getting relief and food supplies to the people are Yemen. Bellingcat and Lloyd’s List recently released an article saying that a Russian-flagged vessel was given UN permission to enter the port carrying grain from Crimea. The UN has attempted to impose an inspection restriction on all vessels entering the port. Israeli officials however contend the port is used by Iran to smuggle weapons to the Houthis. 

The Israeli attack was targeted at a fuel storage facility in one part of the port and an adjacent power plant. Images after the attack showed a blazing inferno with reports at least six people were killed and more than 80 injured mostly with burns from the explosions and fires.

Unconfirmed reports in the media said there are still fires burning in sections of the port and smoke from the aftermath of the strikes. One report asserts there was an additional explosion in the port on Tuesday with fears the fire could still spread.

Israeli officials cited the Houthi drone attack on Tel Aviv as the final straw that provoked the first direct attack by Israel. The Israelis were blaming human error saying the drone had been spotted, but they failed to respond before it struck a residential building. It followed they cited numerous attacks by the Houthis which have been intercepted in the area around Eilat and southern Israel. The Houthis claimed previous attacks on shipping in the Mediterranean and on the northern Israeli port of Haifa.

The Houthis are vowing revenge for the Israeli attack. They are threatening to widen their range of targets. They had said the seaports ranging from Haifa to Ashdod, Ashkelon, and Eilat are all targets. The Houthi are also threatening to expand their targeting of shipping and specifically cited oil tankers in the Mediterranean bound for Israel.

The UN Special Envoy to Yemen however is reporting some additional progress to address regional tensions. The reports said Saudi Arabia has agreed to lift certain restrictions targeting Yemen’s commercial banks. They are also easing a blockage of Sanaa Airport and will permit Yemen Airways to conduct flights to Jordan as well as flights to Cairo, Egypt, and India.

 

Canadian Navy Patrol Ship Sidelined by Flooding

HMCS Max Bernays calls at Pearl Harbor, June 2024 (USN)

PUBLISHED JUL 23, 2024 6:31 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

A brand new Canadian warship that was dispatched to Hawaii for the biennial Rim of the Pacific exercise has been sidelined by a major cooling water leak, according to the Canadian Press. It is the latest in a series of setbacks for Canada's Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) program. 

The HMCS Max Bernays is the third and newest of the AOPS series of patrol vessels. She was delivered in 2022, spent a year in post-delivery refit, and was just commissioned in May. 

Bernays arrived at Pearl Harbor on June 26 on a voyage from British Columbia. She departed on July 9, bound for sea for a force integration exercise with other allied navies in the RIMPAC gathering. On July 12, the ship sustained a serious leak related to a valve and a pump in one of the vessel's two seawater cooling systems. The leak released an estimated 5,000 gallons of water inside the ship, and it took the crew half an hour to shut it off, a defense spokesperson confirmed to the Canadian Press. It is not yet known whether Bernays' second seawater cooling system might be affected by the same issue, and the casualty remains under investigation. The timeline for repairs is indeterminate, and for now Bernays remains sidelined at the pier. 

"The impact on HMCS Max Bernays’ participation in RIMPAC 2024 or its future program is currently unknown," National Defence spokesperson Kened Sadiku told the Ottawa Citizen. 

The AOPS class has run into public difficulties before, and has its share of critics in Canadian defense circles. The first three vessels in the class (including Bernays) were delivered with high-lead-brass fittings and valves in their freshwater piping systems, resulting in higher than normal accumulations of lead in water. Bottled water and lead-level monitoring have been implemented to prevent health issues. Since the problem was discovered after the expiry of the shipbuilder's one-year warranty, the Canadian government will be paying for a portion of the cost of repair. 

Other past issues with the AOPS class include generator problems aboard first-in-class HMCS Harry DeWolf; broken deck cranes; water ingress in the enclosed foc'sle; challenges in integrating helicopter flight operations into the ships' layout, solved for the first time aboard the Bernays this past month; and an inability to conduct a rescue-tow mission as designed.  

 

Seaways Suezmax Tanker Uses Drones and Seamanship to Rescue Castaways

Crew of the Seaways Sabine are being recognized for its skills in carrying out the rescue of the castaways (Anglo Eastern)

PUBLISHED JUL 23, 2024 7:30 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

A story of skilled seamanship being aided with modern technology is being recounted by tanker company International Seaways and manager Anglo Eastern. Drones played a key part in the rescue operation along with navigational skills to save 30 individuals stranded in the Mediterranean.

The Suezmax tanker Seaways Sabine (158,500 dwt) and 899 feet (274 meters) long was sailing to Egypt on July 16 when it was contacted by the U.S. warship USS Bulkeley and the Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Cairo. They were informed that a raft had been spotted approximately three to four miles away from the crude oil tanker. They were told that there were approximately 20 people in need of assistance.

The crew of the tanker reports that they were experiencing adverse weather and poor visibility so they resorted to a drone to help search for the raft, likely part of the continuing onslaught of migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean. Using the drone, the tanker crew was able to locate the raft.

The next challenge was getting the massive tanker close to the raft, especially in the poor weather conditions. Recounting their tale, Anglo Eastern reports, “The crew employed an innovative strategy to calm the waters, ensuring a safer approach. They passed several lines and ropes to secure the life raft to the ship.”

To overcome the challenge of getting the individuals aboard the tanker the crew rigged a personnel transfer basket and used a crane. As is typical in these situations, many of the individuals were in poor physical condition suffering from dehydration, sunburns, and open wounds. 

The crew of the tanker was able to transfer the individuals from the raft and instead of the original estimate of 20, the final count was 31. The crew provided immediate medical aid, food, and clothing, and medics from the USS Bulkeley assisted.

The JRCC in Cairo and Athens along with the USS Bulkeley coordinated to arrange for the medical evacuation of a few critical patients. One of the individuals however succumbed to injuries.

The remainder of the individuals stayed with the tanker for two days. They were transferred to the Egyptian Navy vessel Alal Main 115 on July 18.

International Seaways and Anglo Eastern thanked everyone and appreciated the assistance of the warship and the JRCCs. In turn, the USS Bulkeley commended the actions of the crew of the Seaways Sabine and its skill and creativity in organizing a challenging rescue.

 

Search for Longliner's Four Missing Crew Called Off Due to Weather

Argos Georgia (courtesy Argos Froyenes)

PUBLISHED JUL 24, 2024 10:30 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

The government of the Falkland Islands has decided to suspend search and recovery operations for the last missing fishermen from the longliner Argos Georgia, which went down on Monday in extreme weather in the South Atlantic. The sinking - and the conditions that the survivors had to endure after abandoning ship - claimed the lives of at least nine crewmembers. The four who remain missing are presumed dead. 

On Monday afternoon, Argos Georgia reported a serious flooding incident at a position about 200 miles to the east of the port. The situation on board quickly deteriorated, and before help could arrive, the crew was forced to abandon ship into their life rafts. The British Forces South Atlantic Islands (BFSAI) launched a long-range search aircraft, which located the rafts and kept watch on their position; however, severe weather and long range thwarted an attempted helicopter rescue. 

The fisheries patrol vessel Lillibet and two Good Samaritan fishing vessels diverted to assist, and they reached the rafts on Tuesday. One raft with two survivors had capsized in a wave, according to La Voz de Galicia, and one of the two occupants died of hypothermia. The fishery patrol vessel found another raft with 13 survivors and brought them safely aboard. By Tuesday night, a total of 14 crewmembers had been rescued alive, nine bodies were recovered and four fishermen remained missing.  

On Wednesday, given the low odds of finding any more survivors in the cold South Atlantic water and the continued risk to personnel, the Falklands government called off the search. 

"Due to consideration of all circumstances, including the weather conditions forecasted and the safety of those involved in operations, the decision has been made to stop the search and rescue efforts. A further recovery effort will be made to find those still at sea as soon as this is practicable," the government said in a statement. 

The cause of the casualty is under investigation. 

The Lillibet and the 13 survivors aboard arrived back in Port Stanley on Wednesday night. The 14th survivor remains on the Good Samaritan fishing vessel Robin M. Lee and will disembark when the boat returns Thursday. 

Six of the survivors are from Spain's fishing community, including the captain, chief officer and chief engineer, according to La Voz de Galicia. Spanish authorities may charter a flight to bring them home to their families, since scheduled air services to the Falklands are infrequent. 

 

Salvage Team Surveys Fire-Damaged Hafnia Product Tanker

Salvage teams are planning to tow the Hafnia Nile and offload the naphtha cargo (Malaysian Maritime)

PUBLISHED JUL 24, 2024 12:57 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

Hafnia is working with the officials in Malaysia and Singapore to develop a salvage plan for its heavily damaged product tanker Hafnia Nile. Initial surveys they reported have revealed a “localized seepage,” with the company telling the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore that there are light oil sheens around the vessel and that it will arrange for containment and clean-up.

The 74,000 dwt vessel remains at sea approximately 25 nautical miles north of Malaysia and more than 50 nautical miles from the mainland of Singapore. An additional tug with deep-sea tow capability arrived at the vessel yesterday, July 23. It is in addition to four tugs that were sent to stop the vessel from drifting. The tug also has transfer equipment and can assist with the oil seepage.

In a statement to Reuters, Hafnia said that salvage teams have been able to begin assessing the damage to the vessel.  They reported finding damage to the engine room from the impact and fire. Images of the vessel show a hole in the hull on the port side as well as heavy scorching from the fire after the impact on July 19. 

Spain’s Cepsa confirmed to S&P Global Commodity Insights that it owns the cargo which is being reported to be 300,000 barrels of naphtha that had been bound for Japan. With the vessel heavily damaged, the expectation is that a ship-to-ship transfer will be arranged.

The MPA said it is in discussions with Hafnia on a safe location to transfer the naphtha cargo. They also expect the vessel to be towed after a salvage plan is approved by the MPA. As the flag administrator of the vessel which was built in 2017, the MPA is also involved in the investigation into the collision with the Ceres 1, a Chinese-owned VLCC.

Malaysian officials reported yesterday that the crews of both vessels were safe and that they had ended the search efforts. They are focusing on the circumstances of how the two vessels impacted near the eastern end of the Singapore Strait. They are detaining the Ceres 1 and two tugs that had removed the tanker from the area of the incident.

ROYAL MOOCH

Revealed: Prince William’s annual salary, in new royal report

Basit Mahmood 

Today

Left Foot Forward


An eye watering figure...


The annual salary of the heir to the throne, Prince William, has been revealed in a new royal report.

Prince William received an eye watering $30 million from his first full year’s income from the Duchy of Cornwall estate, a title and estate he inherited when his father, King Charles, ascended the throne.

The Duchy of Cornwall is one of two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Lancaster. The eldest son of the reigning British monarch obtains possession of the duchy and the title of Duke of Cornwall at birth or when his parent succeeds to the throne.

The figures were revealed after the Duchy of Cornwall published its Integrated Annual Report yesterday, revealing a distributable surplus of £23.6 million ($30.4 million) for the 2023-2024 financial year, Prince William’s first full year as the Duke of Cornwall.

The sum covers the official, charitable and private expenses of Prince William, Kate Middleton and their three children.

People, an American weekly magazine, reports: “As a working member of the royal family, the Prince of Wales, 42, doesn’t receive a traditional income. Instead, his annual expenses are largely covered by the Duchy of Cornwall, an estate established by King Edward III in 1337 to provide funds for the heir to the throne. This vast estate, worth over $1 billion, spans 130,000 acres across 23 counties in England and Wales and includes land, farms, houses and other assets to support the heir and their family.

“Prince William is understood to pay income tax on the entire income he receives from the Duchy of Cornwall, after subtracting household expenses, which have not been specified.”

Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward

UK

Unions call on Labour to prioritise workers in Crown Estate partnership

Hannah Davenport

Today
Left Foot Forward

RMT union demands Crown Estate profits be used to boost offshore workers

Union leaders have called on Labour to put workers at the heart of its Great British Energy partnership with the Crown Estate to boost jobs in the sector.

Labour is introducing the legislation to create Great British Energy today (Thursday), with Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband telling broadcasters this morning that the programme will be a “crucial tool” to tackle energy insecurity and the climate crisis.

The Government announced GB Energy will join in partnership with the Crown Estate to deliver new offshore wind farm developments. The Crown Estate will also be given new borrowing powers to invest more in wind projects.

In response, Mick Lynch, General Secretary of the RMT union has called for the Crown Estate profits to be put towards improving pay and conditions for offshore workers and tackling insecure contracts.

Lynch welcomed the Crown Estate Bill but the trade union has said there is an opportunity to use the profits and expanded borrowing powers to improve employment conditions and support a ‘just transition’ for oil and gas workers.

“Offshore workers and seafarers face an uncertain future with some still barely earning the national minimum wage and existing on insecure contracts”, said Lynch. “This is as a result of 14 years of in action by the last Conservative government.”

“We welcome the Labour Government’s plans for a Crown Estate Bill and we are ready to work with Ministers and officials in order to deliver a better deal for offshore and supply chain workers.”

However he went on to highlight the record £1.1bn in profits seen by the Crown Estate this year alone, and said “none of this has been ringfenced to advance just transition policies.”

Unite the union, the largest trade union in the UK representing offshore industry workers, has said further details are “urgently needed” to determine how the partnership will translate into well paid jobs.

Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said: “If the government is going to invest £8.3 billion in green energy, and frankly it should be more, then creating real, good quality jobs must be right at the heart of it.”

She warned about oil and gas workers becoming “the coal miners of our generation”, calling for a “serious investment” in wind manufacturing to ensure the creation of well-paid jobs in the renewable energy sector.

Ed Miliband said the mission is to make the UK a “clean energy superpower”, while the Prime Minister has said the new partnership will “help generate good jobs in our country and generate wealth for the taxpayer.”

Minister’s have promised to deliver clean power by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050 with GB Energy at the forefront of Labour’s green policy commitments.

Hannah Davenport is news reporter at Left Foot Forward

UK

Former Tory chancellor Nadhim Zahawi planning £600m Telegraph bid

Basit Mahmood 

23 July, 2024 
Left Foot Forward News

Zahawi’s reported bid comes a week after Daily Mail owner DMGT pulled out of the race. It still remains to be seen whether Sir Paul Marshall, the hedge fund tycoon and GB News backer, will submit a bid

.
Former Tory Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has approached a number of billionaire backers to assemble a £600 million bid for the Daily Telegraph.

Zahawi, who was sacked last year as Tory party chair after an investigation found he committed a serious breach by not being open about a tax probe, has approached a number of billionaire backers about helping to finance an offer for the daily newspaper, its Sunday sister title and The Spectator magazine, Sky News reports.

Sky reports: “City sources said the Reuben family, which owns a vast swathe of property assets and a stake in Newcastle United Football Club, was among those to have been sounded out by Mr Zahawi in recent weeks.

“The former Cabinet minister, who also spent time as business secretary, education secretary and as the government’s vaccines minister during the Covid-19 pandemic, is said to believe the Telegraph has significant scope to boost its profitability by expanding in the US.”

Zahawi’s reported bid comes a week after Daily Mail owner DMGT pulled out of the race. It still remains to be seen whether Sir Paul Marshall, the hedge fund tycoon and GB News backer, will submit a bid.

The open auction process to buy The Telegraph and The Spectator magazine is restarting after a failed bid by the Jeff Zucker-led Redbird IMI, a joint investment vehicle between US private equity firm Redbird and Abu Dhabi-backed vehicle International Media Investments.

Zahawi has not yet submitted a formal offer but is reported to be confident that he has secured enough financing firepower to table a competitive bid.

Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward