Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Study Says Shipping Will Play Key Role in Carbon Capture and Sequestration

LCO2 trasnport — Northern Pioneer is the first dedicated CO2 carrier designed and built for a CCUS operation (Northern Lights)

Shipping is likely to play a critical role in enabling the emerging carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS) initiatives with the strongest opportunities in Asia. A new report by the Global Center for Maritime Decarbonization and Boston Consulting Group points to a strong opportunity in developing this new segment of shipping while also calling for support from governments and industry to enable the massive investments that will be required to develop the capacity anticipated by global scientists.

“We estimate that around 170 million tons per annum (MtPA) of CO2 captured using CCUS technology will be transported globally via shipping by 2050,” reports Boston Consulting. “Shipping would connect countries in areas with substantial CO2 emissions to those with available sequestration capacity.”

Most scientists believe that CCUS will have to be a critical part of a global decarbonization strategy. They point to hard-to-abate emitters for which utilization or sequestration is seen as a viable solution. Efforts are already underway to develop the capacity and early tests have been done on the technologies required to inject CO2 below the seabed as a means of removing it from the atmosphere.

The study explored scenarios where shipping could play a role in CO2 transport. It concludes that shipping CO2 is more economical over long distances compared to pipeline transport. The researchers determined that shipping becomes economically advantageous compared with pipeline transport of the same amount of CO2 at longer distances. They set the threshold distance at 500 km (310 miles) saying it would then be economically viable for transporting 5 MtPA of CO2 by ship.

Shipping CO2 they found will be especially important in Asia Pacific where there will be greater distances between the emitters and storage locations. For example, they highlight the Northern Lights project in Norway is expected to transport CO2 between 500 and 1,000 km (320 to 620 miles) with vessels delivering it to the staging site and a pipeline moving the CO2 into the storage caverns below the sea floor. However, the study points out that in Asia routes could be 450 to 970 km (480 to 600 miles) and the longest routes between Northeast Asia and Australia would stretch 6,000 to 11,000 km (3,700 miles to 6,800 miles).

Within Asia-Pacific, the report concludes the volumes for transporting CO2 for storage could reach 100 MtPA by 2050. They highlight that Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and South Korea are each pursuing CO2 storage and cross-border partnerships.

“While shipping CO2 under low pressure may offer economic benefits, such as increased vessel capacity and lower capital expenditure, it is operationally disadvantaged because storing CO2 at such conditions, which are closer to the triple point will increase the risk of dry ice formation,” the report cautions. They point to other dangers such as impurities in CO2 that might also have implications for the infrastructure build out.

To achieve the volumes anticipated in the Asia-Pacific region they predict it will require 85 to 150 liquified CO2 carriers of 50 kt capacity. The total investment could reach $25 billion by 2050.

“Creating a market of this scale will necessitate concerted efforts from both the public and the private sector, including economic incentives, long-term contracts for midstream players, and greater clarity on key standards,” the report concludes. They write that the investment required will be substantial to scale up cross-border CCUS will include shipbuilding, port, and terminal infrastructure development.

They identify several financial and regulatory gaps that will be needed before cross-border CCUS materializes. They call for direct economic support from governments to aid in the development of the industry along with long-term contracts and minimum volume guarantees from emitters. Recognizing the current nascent level of regulations, they call for countries to establish domestic regulations for issues such as carbon accounting and cross-border CCUS projects.

They also highlight that the shipping industry will require clarity of standards and specifications for transporting CO2. They point to the need for clear rules and guidelines on issues such as the tolerance for impurities in CO2 cargo, operating pressures, and temperatures along the value chain.

While they forecast a critical role for a new segment of the shipping industry transporting CO2, the report also concludes the success of CCUS hinges on the simultaneous development of all parts of its value chain, including midstream activities line shipping, and intermediate storage.” They call on public and private stakeholders to collaborate and address the challenges so that a full CCUS value chain can be established unlocking the decarbonization opportunities.

Ukraine’s UDP is Auctioning Unprofitable Sea Fleet to Focus on River Ops

Ukrainian vessel — Ukraine is auctioning the six vessels of its Izmail ocean fleet due to costs nad unprofitability to xpand river freight (UDP)

The Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company (UDP), a state-run shipping company, is starting an auction to sell its six antiquated ocean-going vessels that used to operate on the Black Sea, Sea of Azov, and the Mediterranean. The company called it a “painful but the only right decision,” as its focus is on shipping from the river ports on the Danube and Dnieper.

The company posted online last week an auction for six Izmail-type cargo vessels with the auction set to begin on December 13. The six vessels are being offered as a single lot even though only two are currently in operating condition. A minimum bid of approximately $10.6 million was set for the vessels with an approximately $500,000 guarantee also due.

“We must get rid of unprofitable non-core assets and direct resources to modernizing the river fleet,” UDP said announcing its plans for the auction. “It is in the segment of river freight transportation that shipping companies have development prospects.”

The change in condition is also symptomatic of the economics in the bulk market since the ports in the Odesa region have reopened the company said. They said after the blockade of Odesa was lifted, freight rates collapsed with many private companies able to operate at lower rates than the state company.

The six ships, Vylkovo, Izmail, Tatarbunary, Viana do Castelo, Kiliya, and Reny, were built in Portugal between 1992 and 1993. Each is 3,700 DWT with two large holds able to operate from the river ports and the seaports. Before the war, the vessels were operating on bareboat charters but they were returned to Ukraine. In 2023, with a government mandate to move grain and other cargo and rates high with the seaports blocked, UDP reports it was economical to start the refurbishment of the vessels. Work was completed on Vylkovo and Izmail and planned for Reny, but when freight rates collapsed the restoration of the vessels became uneconomical.

Four of the vessels need restoration with Ukraine's hope that all will be put back into service by a private operator (UDP)

“We analyzed and worked out all possible options. We considered proposals for transferring vessels to time charter. However, the income from the charter will not cover the future costs of maintaining and repairing the vessels. This is a clearly unprofitable project for the state,” reports UDP.

It says it is spending money to keep the ships laid up. They will also now face additional certification requirements and costs due to their age.

They report the shareholders of the company supported the decision to start the privatization and sale of the six vessels. They said there has been interest in the two that were restored, but they want to sell them as a single group. The hope is that a private company will restore all the ships to expand shipping capacity from Ukraine.

Israel Destroys Syria's Navy at the Pier

Israeli camera footage of a munition closing in on Osa-II class missile boats alongside the pier at Latakia (IDF) — Israeli camera footage of a munition closing in on Syrian Osa-II class missile boats alongside the pier at Latakia (IDF)

Overnight Monday, Israeli forces struck Syrian Navy vessels at Latakia and Tartus, destroying the majority of the country's fleet. In a statement, the Israeli Defense Forces took responsibility for the attack and said that it had targeted Syrian assets afloat and ashore "to prevent them from falling into the hands of terrorist elements."

Syria's government and military collapsed under the weight of a rebel assault last week, and former President Bashar al-Assad - an accused war criminal - fled to seek asylum from Russia, his regime's longtime sponsor. Syrian social media accounts are filled with footage of crowds rejoicing in the streets and tearing down symbols of the Assad government.

Israel, which shares a long border with Syria, is concerned about its own security, given the nature of the nation's new leadership. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is a U.S.-designated terrorist organization and a one-time supporter of Al-Qaeda; though it has long since renounced its association with the anti-American terror group, HTS is still an Islamist movement, and its ascendence has been received with wariness in the region.

Israel moved quickly to liquidate the remaining vehicles, aircraft and vessels of the Syrian armed forces, conducting more than 300 airstrikes in the span of 48 hours. According to Israeli analysts, Syria's military no longer exists as a modern, mechanized fighting force.

As part of the brief, intense campaign, the Israeli Navy conducted missile strikes on Syrian naval assets. Drone footage from Latakia shows rows of destroyed Syrian surface combatants; open-source analysts have cataloged at least six destroyed Soviet Osa-II class missile boats, along with one Petya-III class frigate. The Osa-II was designed to carry the Soviet Styx anti-ship missile, an outdated design vulnerable to jamming. Until recently, Syria was known to have 10 Osa-II missile boats in its inventory; they saw action against Israel in 1973, during the Yom Kippur War, with little success. It appears unlikely that they will face Israeli forces again.

Reversal of fortune for Syria's armed forces

Up until its collapse last week, the Assad regime had an informal truce agreement with Israel, explains defense analyst and former British military intelligence officer Jonathan Campbell-James. Under Assad, Israel could intervene militarily to deter Iran and Hezbollah within Syria, so long as it did not interfere with government-aligned units participating in the civil war. The Syrian Navy never had a meaningful role in the conflict, and was never targeted - until Monday.

"The only time there were direct clashes between Israeli forces and the Syrian Armed Forces was when Syria attempted to interdict or intercept Israeli attacks on Iranian or Hezbollah targets, for example with its air defense assets," says Campbell-James. "Under the new HTS regime in Syria, the previous Syrian-Israeli accord could well lapse - albeit it might also be maintained. The Israelis, taking no chances and seeking to mitigate the risk that its border with Syria might become ‘hot’ and confrontational, are therefore seeking to neutralize Syrian assets which in future - if the accord is not maintained - might potentially be used against Israel."

Russians Leave Tartus Naval Base - This Time, Probably for Good

The Russian Navy berths on the north side of Tartus' port were largely empty on Tuesday, Dec. 10 (Sentinel-2)

Satellite imagery taken on December 9 suggests that for the second time this week, the Russian Mediterranean Flotilla has left its home base at Tartus. On this occasion, the departure may be permanent.

As previously reported, the ships of the flotilla left Tartus on December 2, ostensibly to conduct a live firing exercise at sea. Several days later, most of the ships returned. Satellite imagery taken on December 9 shows that all vessels have vacated their berths, and also that air defence systems previously deployed to protect the ships in the dock have disappeared.

The imagery showed Kilo Class submarine Novorossiysk (B261), the cruisers Admiral Gorshkov (454) and Admiral Grigorovich (F745), plus the oiler Vyazma at anchor five miles off Tartus. The whereabouts of the oiler Velnya was unclear but she may have departed westwards in the direction of Gibraltar, in company with the cruiser Admiral Golovko (461).

Press statements from the Russian Ministry of Defense claim that they have been in communication with the authorities now in charge in Syria, hoping to secure permission for Russia’s armed forces to remain based both in Tartus and at the airbase south of Latakia at Khmeimim. The claim of such a dialogue appears somewhat fanciful, as a new Syrian government has not yet formed up, and within the last five days Russian aircraft were bombing the advancing Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) forces - with the Russians at one point claiming to have killed the HTS leader Ahmad al Sharaa in an airstrike. Accusing Ahmad al Sharaa of being a CIA agent and offering sanctuary to Bashar Al Assad and his family will not have helped either. With Russia's potential for continuing interference, the new Syrian administration will be inclined towards having nothing further to do with them.

While the Russian vessels are lying off Tartus in the hope of being able to return, they may have also been prompted to take to the sea by the internal security situation in Tartus. Although both the Tartus and Latakia provinces have a majority Alawi population, the two provincial capitals have substantial Sunni populations. The Alawi Shi’a sect from which the Assad family formerly enjoyed support is centered further inland, in the Nusayriyah mountains between the coastal strip and the Hama-Homs axis.

Moreover, images have been shown on television of crowds tearing down an Assad statue in Latakia (above), and there is also social media footage of an attack on targets in the city’s dockside. Israel claimed responsibility for the strike, which sank at least two Syrian missile boats, and said that it was intended to keep advanced weaponry out of the hands of Islamist factions. Thus for a range of reasons, it would have been a wise precaution for the Russian ships to cast off.

The new Syrian administration appears anxious to be conciliatory, both to quell disputes with internal rivals but also - while weak and disorganized - to avoid antagonizing neighboring countries. None of Syria’s neighbors have reason to welcome a continuation of a Russian presence in Syria, which has served to protect the activities of Iran’s Axis of Resistance and the crescent of Iranian influence through Iraq and Syria to the Mediterranean. The neighboring countries are more likely to make a permanent Russian withdrawal a price for establishing good relations with the new Syrian government.

Nonetheless, the Russians are likely to linger off the Syrian coast for some time in the hope of retrieving at least some form of continued presence. There are also likely to be Russian assets still within Syria, a resource which the Russians might hope to recover, particularly at Khmeimim. The Russian flotilla, without landing ships and a helicopter carrier, is badly configured for conducting a withdrawal or recovery operation.

The hope of the Russians salvaging anything after their 50-year presence in Syria looks remote, and the Russian government, seeking to preserve its influence in the area, will be looking elsewhere in the Mediterranean for someone willing to host them. The harbor at Tobruk in eastern Libya, or the facility at Hariga close by, look the best bet - but would be a risky choice given that Libya remains politically divided and unstable.

Altera Pays $700K Fine to Norway for Illegal Scrapping of Shuttle Tankers

shipbreaking — Norwegian authorities highlight the environmental concerns of scrapping ships in Alang (file photo)

The Norwegian National Authority of Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (Økokrim) confirmed today that Altera Shuttle Tankers accepted a fine to end years of legal dispute over the scrapping of two shuttle tankers in India. The company stressed that although it has accepted the fine, it does not admit guilt, but it will not be proceeding with a trial scheduled for January 2025.

Altera Infrastructure, the parent company of the shuttle tanker operator which was then known as Teekay Offshore, has contended that the two tankers were sent to Asia for further trading and that it inspected the scrap yard to ensure that it met environmental standards. The company had been scheduled to start a four-week trial but in November announced an agreement to sell its shuttle tanker operation to Greece’s Angelicoussis Group.

At issue was the scrapping of the shuttle tankers Navion Britannia (124,000 dwt) and Alexita Spirt (127,000 dwt). Both were built in 1998 and registered in Panama when they were retired in 2018. Both vessels were laid up in Sri Lanka and later beached in India to be dismantled.

“Our investigation has revealed that the company was well aware of the applicable rules and regulations, and that profitability was one of the reasons why the company chose to scrap its ships in India,” contended Norwegian Police Prosecutor Maria Bache Dahl of Økokrim in a statement on the case. “It is illegal to send Norwegian-operated ships from the North Sea for scrapping in India. Økokrim takes a serious view of Norwegian operators exporting waste and environmental problems to developing countries with far weaker environmental laws than Norway.”

The agency issued its decision in June 2024 and announced a fine of NOK 8 Million (approximately $720,000) for “contravention of the Pollution Control Act.” Norway they highlighted has adopted an extensive body of EU rules governing the disposal of ships while pointing out that EU-flagged ships must be recycled in EU-approved shipyards. The agency contends the Indian shipyard that broke up these ships has applied for EU approval, but was deemed not to meet EU environmental standards. They commented that it is more profitable for the shipowner to scrap ships in India, as steel prices there are far higher than those in Europe and Turkey.

The case highlighted that it is not permitted to operate shuttle tankers that are more than 20 years old. When both these vessels reached that age and their class certificates expired, they were retried. The company has answered that the intent was for the ships to operate in other parts of the world. It responded by saying it had spent a year looking for other services for the ships before they were ultimately dismantled.

Økokrim sought to make an example of this case. The agency said with the settlement that it hopes that Norwegian operators will take note of the fine. They also called on other nations to prosecute similar environmental crimes.

Norway continues to be one of the most aggressive in preventing toxic dismantling. In 2022, it also won a similar court decision against shipowner Georg Eide in connection with the attempted export and scrapping of a vessel in 2015. It also comes as the Hong Kong Convention is due to go into effect tightening the rules to ensure environmental and safety compliance in the shipbreaking industry.

Lock Accident Halts Shipping into France and Luxembourg on the Moselle

damaged lock gates — Lock gates damaged by a vessel contact will take months to repair stranding vessels in France and Luxembourg (WSA Mosel-Saar-Iahn)

Shipping authorities are scrambling to come up with temporary solutions after an accident on Sunday, December 8, damaged a key lock on a tributary of the Rhine, the Moselle, which provides access for larger ships to France and Luxembourg. The authorities report approximately 70 vessels are trapped and expect it will take months to repair the damaged lock.

An inland cargo ship loaded with 1,500 tons of scrap metal bound for Mertert in Luxembourg failed to stop on Sunday striking the lock gates which were closed preparing for the operation. The vessel sustained significant damage to the bow above the waterline while both lock gates were torn loose. Officials reported an initial inspection also showed significant damage to adjacent sections of the lock mechanism, damage to the concrete, and the hydraulic system which released fluid into the water.

Vessel hit the lock gates midday on Sunday, December 8 stopping vessel traffic on the Moselle (WSA)

The Waterways and Shipping Office Mosel-Saar-Lahn highlights the importance of the lock. It reports that 8.1 million tonnes of goods have transited the lock in 2024 including ores, scrap metal, and fuel as well as agricultural and forest products, iron, and steel. It provides connecting access to the Saar. The river is also used by passenger vessels. There is only one lock at Muden the waterway authority pointed out.

Waterway officials said in addition to many smaller vessels, around 7,000 larger vessels have been locked through Muden in 2024. It is the first time they have experienced this level of damage and recognize it represents a financial hardship to businesses and vessels operating on the river.

They immediately formed a crisis team to explore possible alternatives to reroute vessels. The first estimate is that it could take till March 2025 to repair this lock.

A team is also preparing the lock for a further survey. The vessel remained at the lock and a containment boom was strung to prevent the spread of pollution. The team is working to drain the lock to assess the full extent of the damage.

Both gates, surrounding equipment, and the concrete were all damaged when the vessel hit the closed gates (WSA)

They are exploring replacement gates stores elsewhere to see if they could be used, but the other damaged parts will have to be fabricated. Each of the gate wings weighs up to 40 tons meaning that they must also bring in a large crane to lift the damaged gates. They estimate that even if the existing replacements could be used it would take two months to have them in place.

The port of Mertert handles a combination of truck, rail, and waterway cargoes. They are exploring repacking more cargo to road and rail, but report the scrap metal for ArcelorMittal cannot be simply reloaded on trucks.

The crisis team is continuing to coordinate with other impacted authorities and businesses as they plan for a recovery operation.

Amidst Scandal, Adani Readies $2 Billion for Port Acquisitions in Europe

The quiet port of Kavala, Greece is among the sites rumored to be of interest to Adani's ports division (CeeGee / CC BY SA 4.0)

India’s Adani Group is reportedly planning to enter the European port market as it seeks to boost its presence in international trade routes. According to local media, Adani - through its ports subsidiary, Adani Ports& Special Economic Zones Ltd (APSEZ) - is preparing to invest $2 billion in acquiring European terminals.

“We are scouting for terminals in Europe, which accounts for 40 percent of global sea trade. Two or three terminals are under consideration with the deals expected to happen in the near future,” a spokesperson from Adani Group told The Hindu.

The quiet announcement comes a month after Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani hosted ambassadors from the European Union, Belgium, Denmark and Germany at the company’s headquarters in Ahmedabad, India. Part of the envoys’ visit included a tour of India’s largest commercial port Mundra, operated by APSEZ.

As part of its expansion drive, APSEZ has been working to acquire large ports in Europe, Africa and Southeast Asia. Reports emerged last year that Adani Group was eyeing key Greek terminals, which would act as a strategic gateway for the rising India- EU trade. The two ports mentioned included Kavala in northern Greece and Volos, which lies about 200 miles from Athens.

But Adani Group’s reputation has taken a big hit following the recent corruption accusations by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the U.S. Justice Department. Adani is alleged to have paid or promised about $265 million in bribes to Indian officials in order to sell them costly power from India’s largest solar project. These charges have seen other Adani deals scrutinized or even canceled, including the $1.85 billion project to modernize Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). “The deals have been canceled based on new information provided by our investigative agencies and partner nations,” said Kenyan President William Ruto.

On the other hand, Tanzania said it would honor its contracts with APSEZ to run Dar es Salaam Port. In May, Tanzania entered into a 30-year concession with Adani Ports to operate Container Terminal 2 in Dar es Salaam Port.

Adani Group also controls ports in Vietnam, Israel, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Australia.

Top image: CeeGee / CC BY SA 4.0

Greenpeace and Shell Settle Multi-Million-Dollar Lawsuit for Boarding FPSO

Greenpeace protestors boarded the heavy-lift vessel while it was underway in the English Channel to occupy the FPSO (© Greenpeace)

The UK’s Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the beneficiary as activist environmental group Greenpeace and oil major Shell agreed to settle a multi-million-dollar lawsuit brought after protestors boarded and occupied an FPSO while it was being transported in Europe. Shell had sued in 2023 seeking damages it incurred during a 13-day protest where Greenpeace volunteers occupied an oil platform while it was being moved aboard a heavy-lift vessel.

Greenpeace said the suit was one of the largest legal threats its UK group had faced in over 50 years of campaigning. Shell initially sued for $2.1 million, but was also seeking legal costs which were estimated at $10 million. Shell reduced its claim to potentially $1 million. Greenpeace was appealing and a trial had been expected in 2026. Shell reportedly has already spent $2.5 million on the case.

The two sides agreed to a settlement that will see Greenpeace donate £300,000 ($383,000) to the RNLI, a charity that provides lifeboat search and rescue, lifeguards, water safety education, and flood rescue around the UK. In addition, Greenpeace defendants have agreed not to travel within 500 meters (1,640 feet) of three Shell sites in the North Sea for five years and another site for 10 years. Greenpeace is challenging the consent on Shell’s Jackdaw gas rig while saying the sites it has agreed to avoid were not primary targets.

“We stay independent and can keep holding Big Oil to account,” said Areeba Hamid, Co-Executive Director at Greenpeace UK. “We’ve ensured not a penny of our supporters’ money will go to Shell and all funds raised will be used to continue campaigning against the fossil fuel industry and other big polluters.”

Shell’s initial settlement offer called for Greenpeace to agree not to take action at any Shell installation at sea or port, anywhere in the world. The group said it firmly rejected the offer.

Greenpeace has repeatedly targeted Shell and other oil majors and this was not the first time Shell had sued for damages. Shell had filed a complaint in 2015 over a similar boarding incident and in 2019 won a legal case in The Netherlands. The group’s protestors have also targeted refineries and in announcing the settlement with Shell the group today vowed to continue protests against Shell including in the North Sea.

During the 2023 protest, four Greenpeace activists boarded an underway heavy-lift vessel carrying an FPSO unit saying they would occupy the equipment to call attention to their demands to stop offshore oil drilling. They traveled approximately 2,150 nautical miles and were later joined by additional protestors despite a court order to stay away from the transport. The demonstrators only left after the vessel arrived in Norway with the group saying it was its longest-ever protest.

Shell accused them of damaging a padlock (which Greenpeace denied) and justified the suit saying Shell and the operator of the heavy-lift vessel took steps to protect the safety of the activists while they were aboard the platform. Greenpeace calls it a peaceful protest and maintains the action was safe, and carried out by exports.

The group accuses big oil and other corporations of suing to harass the organization. Greenpeace reports it is facing further legal battles around the world. In the U.S., Greenpeace is being sued for hundreds of millions of dollars by Energy Transfer, a pipeline company, over protests in 2016 at the Dakota Access Pipeline. Greenpeace Italy and Greenpeace Netherlands are also being sued by Italian oil major ENI.

Brand New Bulker Suffers Cargo Fire at Gran Canaria

Langeland prior to her launch ceremony (Lubeca Marine file image)

After two days of firefighting, a cargo fire in the holds of a freighter at a port in the Canary Islands has finally been brought under control, and first responders have covered the bulk cargo with foam to prevent a reflash.

At about 1630 hours local time on Monday, a fire broke out aboard the bulker Langeland at the port of Arinaga, an industrial terminal on the west side of Gran Canaria. The ship was loading a cargo of scrap metal at the time, and the fire started in the hold. According to local media, the crew attempted to close the hatches and use the vessel's fixed firefighting system, but the electrical hatch actuation system had already burned out and the hold could not be closed.

The majority of the crew evacuated the vessel, and local fire crews arrived to help the remaining seafarers combat the blaze. The port temporarily suspended operations and moved another nearby ship to a different berth as a precautionary measure.

Gran Canaria's firefighting forces brought a ladder truck to the scene and applied water from the shore. However, operations were paused late that night, as the responders did not want to jeopardize the ship's stability by adding too much firefighting water.

The fire died down overnight, but on Tuesday morning it picked up again, sending thick black smoke downwind away from the port. Firefighters resumed work with a combination of water and foam, supported from the water side by the fire monitors of a tugboat.

While the situation appeared dramatic, Las Palmas Maritime Authority chief Ignacio Gallego Carro told local media that the blaze was not a serious risk to the public. At about 1800 hours local time, the fire was brought under control at last.

An investigation into the cause of the blaze is under way, but local authorities suspect that the cargo self-ignited during loading, as occasionally happens with bulk scrap metal. The commodity is often contaminated with flammable materials, including some that are capable of igniting a fire, like damaged lithium-ion batteries.

Last month, a major fire broke out at a nearby scrap metal storage yard in the same industrial complex at Arinaga.

Langeland is a 5,000 dwt freighter flagged in Portugal and owned in Germany. She just entered service six months ago, in late May.

Ferry Crew and Firefighters Respond to Burning Boat Off Seattle

On Sunday afternoon, a boat caught fire just off the downtown Seattle waterfront, sparking a full-scale response from the Coast Guard and local fire and rescue agencies.

At about noon, the Coast Guard received a report of a boat on fire near Duwamish Head Light, just off the northern tip of West Seattle. The Seattle Fire Department dispatched the fireboat Chief Seattle to the scene, and Coast Guard Station Seattle dispatched two fast response boats. The ferry Chimacum diverted to assist, along with several other good Samaritan vessels.

The boat's owner quickly abandoned ship to escape the flames, and he was rescued by a good Samaritan vessel. He was transferred to shore for medical evaluation, and declined further assistance.

Chief Seattle arrived on scene and put out the fire, and the fireboat briefly took the wreck in tow. It was soon relieved by a commercial towing service operator, who towed the boat towards the 32nd Avenue West beach access point on the north side of the bay. Before it could arrive, the fire-damaged boat sank.

The wreck has been boomed off and a dive team will remove an estimated 250 gallons of fuel from the vessel's tanks. The owner has contracted with a salvor for the removal of the remains of the hull.

"It's crucial that mariners with installed VHF radios onboard monitor Channel 16 for incidents like these," said Lt. Cmdr. Thomas Bower, the commanding officer of Station Seattle. "Our Coast Guard Reservists were able to respond alongside our Seattle Fire partners and confirm no additional people were in the water with the Good Samaritan on scene."

Orange Juice Tanker Rescues Skipper From Burning Yacht on the High Seas

Orange ocean rescue — Courtesy Orange Ocean crew / USCG

On Friday, a good Samaritan ship rescued a yachtsman whose vessel caught fire in the Atlantic off Puerto Rico.

That morning, Sector San Juan received an alert from an unregistered EPIRB at a position about 400 nautical miles to the north. The station's watchstanders issued an alert to nearby shipping and sent an AMVER request for assistance from merchant vessels. The fruit juice tanker Orange Ocean diverted to the scene and arrived shortly after.

On arrival, Orange Ocean's crew reported that a sailing vessel was on fire and at risk of sinking. They launched their rescue boat and retrieved the yachtsman, who was in good health.

Courtesy Orange Ocean crew / USCG

The yacht was the 46-foot monohull sailing vessel Poesterd, flagged in Poland. The skipper has been identified as Kirill Vladimirovich Mikhaylov, 53, a resident of St. Kitts and Nevis.

"The meticulous coordination and communication between Coast Guard Sector San Juan watchstanders and the AMVER vessel Orange Ocean crew played a crucial role in saving the life of this fortunate boater," said Adam Johns, a Sector San Juan SAR coordinator. "This case shows the deep gratitude we have for our AMVER merchant vessels at sea, as well as the importance of having the proper emergency equipment."

Orange Ocean is a 24,000 dwt refrigerated fruit juice tanker, and is operated by a Swiss shipmanagement company specializing in this niche trade.

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment