Brazil police launch probe into Braskem as mine risks collapsing

Bloomberg News | December 21, 2023 |

Alagoas provide essential raw materials for the production of aluminum, among other uses. Credit: Braskem

Brazil’s Federal Police is investigating potential crimes on Braskem SA’s operations as a salt mine risks collapsing and engulfing part of a town in the northeastern state of Alagoas.


Federal Police officers carried out 14 search and seizure warrants, in three Brazilian cities, targeting Braskem’s current and former employees and a chlorine soda plant, according to statements of Braskem and the police on Thursday. Investigations indicate there is evidence that mining activities did not follow safety parameters to guarantee the operation’s stability.

Video: Braskem’s mine rupture in Brazil causing fear of collapse

Braskem is monitoring the situation, it said, adding “it is and has always been available to the authorities and will provide all information throughout the process”.

Latin America’s largest petrochemical is under increasing pressure as the ground sinks in parts of the city of Maceio, forcing a state of emergency and thousands of people to evacuate. The company is facing a 1 billion-real ($203 million) lawsuit from local prosecutors and was recently stripped of its investment-grade status at Fitch Ratings, amid increased environmental, social and governance risks.

Rock salt extraction in Alagoas capital from 1976 to 2019 missed guidelines set out in the scientific literature and resulted in severe instability in areas of the city, according to a police’s statement. The activity made the area uninhabitable, leading to more than 60,000 people being forced to leave the region.

Braskem dollar notes due 2031 are down more than 1 cent amid thin liquidity.

(By Mariana Durao and Barbara Nascimento)

ALASKA
Northern Dynasty closes $17 million in financings to support Pebble project
Staff Writer | December 21, 2023 | 

For nearly two decades, Northern Dynasty has been trying to develop the massive copper resource at Pebble. Credit: Northern Dynasty

Northern Dynasty Minerals (TSX: NDM) (NYSE American: NAK) has closed its recently announced convertible note and private placement financings for respective totals of $15 million and C$3.42 million, which the company plans to use for its Pebble copper-gold project in Alaska.


CEO Ron Thiessen specifically noted that these funds will be used “in a responsible manner for the benefit of all Alaskans, especially those in southwest Alaska closest to the Pebble project.”

In September, the Vancouver-based miner provided an updated preliminary economic assessment for the Pebble project, adding in an infrastructure plan for a “southern route” access to the proposed mine, which, if built, would represent the largest in North America. Over a 20-year mine life, Pebble is expected unearth 6.4 billion pounds of copper; 7.4 million ounces of gold, 300 million pounds of molybdenum; 37 million ounces of silver, and 200,000 kg of rhenium.

Still, that is a massive “if”, going by the fierce opposition to the project by local communities as well as the stance taken by the Biden administration.

For nearly two decades, Northern Dynasty has been trying to develop the massive copper resource at Pebble — said to be the world’s largest — but encountered multiple roadblocks in doing so.

Earlier this year, the Pebble mine project was effectively shot down after US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) blocked the company from storing mine waste in the Alaska’s watershed, home to the world’s largest sockeye salmon fisheries.

In July, the state, led by Governor Mike Dunleavy, filed a motion asking the US supreme Court to overturn the EPA’s decision, arguing that the move violated a decades-old land swap deal and Alaska’s sovereignty. Northern Dynasty has also not given up and considered legal options to challenge the EPA.

“The proposed mine for the Pebble project would provide good-paying, year-round employment for thousands of Alaskans, something desperately needed in southwest Alaska,” Thiessen said in a statement earlier this year.

The executive noted that new infrastructure outlined in the new PEA study would offer the additional benefit of potentially lowering energy costs for the region.

Northern Dynasty’s stock was up by 2.2% as of 1:10 p.m. ET on the financing announcement. The company’s market capitalization stood at C$238.4 million ($179m).

First Quantum says Panama hasn’t given legal basis to close mine

Bloomberg News | December 22, 2023 |

Cobre Panama operation. (Image by First Quantum Minerals).

Panama’s government hasn’t provided a legal basis to First Quantum Minerals Ltd. for pursuing a closure plan for its giant copper mine in the country, according to the metals producer.


First Quantum has been unable to formally engage with the Central American government to clarify the legal situation and associated environmental obligations for its Cobre Panama mine, the Vancouver-based company said Friday in a statement.

First Quantum’s statement comes two days after Panama’s Ministry of Commerce and Industries said it was pursuing a closure plan that will take several months to develop, according to the company. That plan will include a temporary phase of environmental preservation and safe management, conducting audits and formation of a multidisciplinary expert panel, the statement said. The closure plan is expected to be presented in June 2024.

Panama’s decision to close the massive mine in the wake of countrywide protests has sent shock waves through the mining industry and helped wipe out more than half of First Quantum’s market value. The company’s stock rose 5.7% to C$11.23 at 2:47 p.m. in Toronto.

(By Joe Deaux)

SOUTH AFRICA

Impala Platinum workers end Bafokeng mine underground sit-in

Reuters | December 22, 2023 | 

Credit: Royal Bafokeng Platinum Ltd.

More than 2,000 mineworkers who staged an underground sit-in at Impala Platinum’s Bafokeng Rasimone mine in South Africa came back to the surface on Wednesday, the company said, ending a three-day impasse.


The 2,205 workers embarked on the wildcat strike on Monday to demand the immediate payment of pension funds after the mine’s recent change of ownership, according to union officials. They were also protesting against tax deductions on bonus payments.

“Impala Platinum is pleased to report that all the employees who were engaged in an illegal and unprotected underground protest at Impala Bafokeng, without the support of the representative union, have exited the underground workings and returned safely to surface,” the miner said in a statement.

The National Union of Mineworkers, which represents the majority of workers at the mine, was not immediately available to comment.

Impala, which took control of Royal Bafokeng Platinum in July, said in a statement the protest was based on “several misinterpretations and misunderstandings brought to the fore by the recent change in ownership at Impala Bafokeng”.

South African miners have been hit by a spate of underground sit-ins in recent months, with similar protests having been reported at Wesizwe Platinum’s Bakubung operations and the privately owned Gold One Group’s Modder East mine over wage and representation demands.

Impala has warned that rising cases of illegal industrial action “pose a risk to sustainable employment, particularly given the low metal price environment currently facing PGM producers”.

South Africa’s platinum miners, including Impala and Sibanye Stillwater are in the process of cutting jobs as they battle to stay afloat in the face of weak metal prices.

(By Nelson Banya; Editing by Josie Kao)

HIGH SEAS PIRACY
US claims huge chunk of seabed amid strategic push for resources

Bloomberg News | December 22, 2023 |

Scenery of a small ship on the Bering sea. Stock image.

The US extended its claims on the ocean floor by an area twice the size of California, securing rights to potentially resource-rich seabeds at a time when Washington is ramping up efforts to safeguard supplies of minerals key to future technologies.


The so-called Extended Continental Shelf covers about 1 million square kilometers (386,100 square miles), predominantly in the Arctic and Bering Sea, an area of increasing strategic importance where Canada and Russia also have claims. The US has also declared the shelf’s boundaries in the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf of Mexico.


The long-awaited announcement earlier this week maps the outer reaches of the US continental shelf, the country’s land territory under the sea. Under international law, countries have economic rights to natural resources on, and under, the seabed floor based on the boundaries of their continental shelves.

“It’s a huge deal because it’s a huge amount of territory,” said Rebecca Pincus, director of the Polar Institute at the Wilson Center in Washington, which has devoted an entire web page to the ramifications of this week’s news. “It’s US sovereignty over the seabed floor, and so whether it’s seabed mining, or oil and gas leasing, or cables, or what have you, the US is announcing the borders of its ECS and will have sovereignty over those decisions.”

The US State Department said that the development “is about geography, not resources.”

The US, like all countries, has “an inherent interest in knowing, and declaring to others, the extent of its ECS and thus where it is entitled to exercise sovereign rights” it said in an emailed response to questions. Continued mapping and exploration will be needed to understand the areas’ habitats, ecosystems, biodiversity and resources, it added.

While it’s unclear what materials, if any, can be exploited, the claims come as Washington seeks to boost access to so-called critical minerals that are necessary for electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy projects, industries the Biden administration has tagged as key national security concerns. Meanwhile, there are competing calls to protect the fragile Arctic environment — the fastest warming part of the planet — as climate change opens up the region to potential development.
Resource potential

The US continental shelf contains 50 hard minerals, including lithium and tellurium, and 16 rare earth elements, James Kraska, chair and professor of International Maritime Law at the US Naval War College, wrote in an article this week. The extension “highlights American strategic interests in securing these hard minerals on its seabed and subsoil, lying sometimes hundreds of miles offshore,” he wrote.

The most recent assessment by the US Geological Survey, conducted in 2008, estimated that about 90 billion barrels of undiscovered oil and 1,670 trillion cubic feet of gas lie inside the Arctic Circle, along with critical metals needed for electrification. However, most of that estimate is based on land studies and the offshore potential is largely unexplored.

More than half of America’s extended continental shelf — 520,400 square kilometers — stretches in a large wedge north of Alaska toward the Arctic Ocean, including an area that overlaps with Canadian claims to the seabed floor, according to the US statement.

Another 176,300 square kilometers lies in the Bering Sea, between Alaska and Russia, but falls on the US side of the maritime boundary between the two countries. Canada and the US don’t have a maritime boundary agreement in the Arctic and establishing the US outer limits in the Arctic “will depend on delimitation with Canada,” the State Department said in its executive summary.

Canada’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Law of the Sea

The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which the US never ratified, governs maritime zones around countries. Under the law, countries have the right to any resources in the sea or seabed floor within their so-called exclusive economic zones, which can stretch up to 200 nautical miles off the coast.

But beyond that, they can claim economic rights to resources on or below the seabed floor where their continental shelf extends, although not within the water column. The seas above also remain international waters. Russia, Denmark and Canada have waited years for their overlapping Arctic seabed claims to be reviewed by the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, a UN supported group, with Russia the first to receive a ruling earlier this year.

The State Department said in its response to questions that the US would need to establish maritime boundaries in the future with Canada, the Bahamas and Japan where their claims overlap. It added that the US uses the same rules to determine its extended continental shelf as in UNCLOS, which it said the Biden administration supports joining.

The decision to unilaterally delineate its continental shelf boundary, rather than to ratify UNCLOS and then submit a claim through the commission, may raise the ire of other countries, said Pincus at the Wilson Center.

“I think a lot of other countries around the world are going to have thoughts about how the US has done this,” she said. It also may reduce the likelihood of the US ever ratifying the law since a major reason for doing so would have been to make a CLCS claim, she said.

(By Danielle Bochove)

 

CMA CGM Boxship Saves Two Sailors Off Bermuda

CMA CGM's mid-course diversion between the Bahamas and Bermuda (Pole Star)

PUBLISHED DEC 21, 2023 7:00 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

The crew of the container ship CMA CGM Ural carried out a successful good samaritan rescue off Bermuda last week, according to the U.S. Coast Guard and local SAR authorities. 

The ketch-rigged yacht Relentless departed St. George's, Bermuda on December 9, bound for the Bahamas with two American crewmembers on board. At a position about 400 miles to the south of Bermuda, the crew encountered stormy weather and had "technical difficulties," including a failed autopilot. In deteriorating conditions, the crew decided to abandon ship. 

The crewmembers activated their EPIRB, and the call was picked up by the U.S. Coast Guard rescue coordination center in Miami. Coast Guard watchstanders called for assistance from nearby merchant shipping, and the CMA CGM Ural answered the request. The boxship was under way on a voyage from Florida to Europe, and the crew diverted to assist. 

Once on scene, the crew of CMA CGM Ural successfully transferred the survivors aboard and got under way. The master decided to stop over briefly at Bermuda in order to transfer the two American nationals to shore. The boxship arrived at the pilot station for St. George's on Friday, Dec. 15, and handed the survivors over to a local pilot boat. As of Thursday the Ural was on the far side of the Atlantic, bound for the Strait of Gibraltar. 

 

Maersk and MSC Finally Get Agreement to Expand Brazilian Terminal in Santos

The joint terminal operated by Maersk and MSC will be expanded to address port efficiency now that the company won a new conession from Brazil (Port Authority of Santos)

PUBLISHED DEC 22, 2023 2:13 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

Brazil’s Ministry of Ports and Airports together with Santos Port Authority have renewed concession for Brasil Terminal Portuário (BTP) for 20 years after a more than two-year review. BTP is a joint venture between Maersk’s APM Terminals and MSC’s Terminal Investment Limited (TIL) and has been operating at the Port of Santos since 2013.

BTP submitted the proposal for the lease renewal in 2021 to the Santos Port Authority as part of Brazil’s move to privatize port operations. However, the process required a long review and faced opposition from other terminals that said the two carriers would unfairly dominate the port and Brazilian trade. The change in governments also brought a stop to much of the plan to sell off the ports to aid Brazil’s struggling economy. The decision to grant the renewal was endorsed early this month through a vote by the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU).

As part of the agreement extending the contract until 2047, BTP reports it plans to invest approximately $390 million in the container terminal over the coming years, with the amount expected to reach a total of $514 million by the time the project is completed. This represents one of the largest private investments in port infrastructure in Brazil in the last 10 years. 

According to BTP’s CEO Ricardo Arten, the company’s priority is to increase the operational capacity of the terminal by 40 percent. The companies had highlighted that the terminal is currently handling 1.5 million TEU annually, which is up to 95 of its capacity. They said it is negatively impacting the efficiency of the terminal and the port and at times vessels have been forced to divert due to congestion at the port.

“We will grow in efficiency and sustainability, with a lot of innovation and new electrified and more digital equipment,” said Arten. “With the increase, the handling capacity can reach 2.1 million TEU per year.”

The investment package for increased operational capacity includes acquiring a new fleet of electrified equipment, new maritime defenses for the dock, gate automation, and an extensive civil construction plan for building adjustments. 

“It is undeniable that the Port of Santos demands more capacity, with the potential to become a hub for Latin America,” said APM Terminals Vice President for the Americas, Leo Huisman. “With the renewal of BTP’s contract, we are convinced that Brazil will have more relevance and participation in international trade.”

Their plan calls for the quay’s capacity to be expanded with the purchase of four new and modern ship-to-shore cranes, bringing the total to 12 units. At the same time, yard capacity will be expanded, especially in the reefer area, increasing from the current 2,128 to about 3,500 refrigerated outlets. Additionally, 27 rubber tire gantry cranes and 46 terminal tractors will be acquired.

 

Annual Antarctic Resupply Mission Begins as Sealift Ship Departs California

Ocean Gladiator loading at Port of Hueneme before the resupply mission (Military Sealift Command Pacific)

PUBLISHED DEC 22, 2023 3:29 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

The Military Sealift Command’s chartered ship MV Ocean Gladiator (17,700 dwt) kicked off one of the most demanding annual missions, a long-distance supply run known as Operation Deep Freeze to take badly needed resources to the U.S.’s McMurdo Station in Antarctica. Ships operating for the Military Sealift Command have made the annual voyage to resupply the station every year since 1955.

MSC Pacific and its Expeditionary Port Unit highlight the careful planning that is required for the voyage. The 545-foot Ocean Gladiator managed by Seabulk Fleet Management has been in Port of Hueneme, California since December 13. Navy Reservists working with the Ocean Gladiator’s crew, port workers, stevedores, and members of the National Science Foundation and Ports of America, careful planned out the loading of 407 pieces of cargo.

“This mission is supporting real-world operations, and not a table-top scenario type exercise like we as reservists normally do,” said Cmdr. Timothy Cushanick, EPU 114’s commanding officer. “This is a fantastic opportunity for all of us, because we are working as a new team, with organizations we don’t normally work with. This mission is special, because of the length of it. Because it is nearly two weeks long, we are able to really get to know all the players, especially the ship’s crew, their capabilities and their needs. These are things we can take with us into other missions.”

The loading consists of containers filled with mechanical parts, vehicles, construction materials, office supplies and electronics equipment, and mobile office units. It is all the supplies needed for the year’s survival at McMurdo Station. The six-member reservist team responsible for managing the loading highlights that weight differences in cargo, as well as the types of cargo loaded and the storage issues, require a specific load order that is planned before the operation begins.

The Ocean Gladiator departed Hueneme yesterday, December 21, with her first stop scheduled for Lyttelton, New Zealand in mid-January. She will load additional cargo in New Zealand and then proceed to Antarctica. She will reach the ice pier at McMurdo Station, where the members of Navy Cargo Handling Battalion One will conduct the offload.

Before departing McMurdo station, Ocean Gladiator will be loaded with ice core samples that will be stored on the ship in sub-zero freezer containers and brought back to the U.S. for scientific study. In addition, retrograde cargo will be loaded onto the ship for transportation off the continent. This includes trash and recyclable materials for disposal and equipment no longer required at the station.

Following the Ocean Gladiator will be the product tanker MT Acadia Trader. The 38,177 dwt vessel managed by US Marine of Virginia is currently on her way to the Port of Los Angeles. She will then be making her way to McMurdo as the second part of the annual resupply effort.

 ESG IS SERIOUS BUISNESS

Shipping's New Year and New Era: From Negotiations to Results

PUBLISHED DEC 22, 2023 1:57 PM BY MIKKO KUOSA

 

Driven by a sea of change in regulations, new technologies and public sentiment, 2023 has pushed the industry firmly on the path of action towards decarbonization. The conversation is finally evolving from policy and concepts to implementation and results. Here’s a look back at how we got here, and a glimpse into what lies ahead.

Decarbonization has come a long way in the maritime industry. The industry is waking up to the work that needs to be done and is having a more mature conversation about it. Moving beyond asking what future fuel or technology will be best suited for shipping in a net-zero future, we’re now examining the practical implications of the availability of such clean fuel and technology on the wider supply chain, as well as the safety and contractual implications of these solutions. This is a welcome change.

This shift was in large part driven by a series of regulatory milestones that have marked 2023, with MEPC 80 adopting a net-zero target for 2050, the IMO’s Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) taking effect and the formal introduction of shipping to the EU’s Emissions Trading System (ETS).

The spotlight is firmly on shipping to start showing tangible results in line with decarbonization targets - if 2023 was a year of reckoning on the urgency to minimize GHG emissions, 2024 will be one of reality checks. Companies will soon receive their first-ever CII ratings and have to pay for their ship’s carbon emissions under the EU ETS. This will make the need to decarbonize all the more tangible, with a direct impact on companies’ bottom lines. And with new environmental targets to be achieved as early as 2030, this will put a greater focus on solutions anchored on immediate action and proven impact.

As we enter 2024, there will be two interlinked pathways for shipping to make the energy transition work in practice. One is an enhanced focus on energy efficiency, and the other is a reset in the way in which different stakeholders across the industry negotiate contractual agreements to share risks and costs.  

Data will drive efficiency... and a cultural reset

2024 is likely to confirm a rising trend in shipping – we can expect voyage optimization, digital systems, wind propulsion, and clean technologies to all continue to gain prominence. Why? They are all proven to unlock energy and operational efficiency that is key to ensure regulatory compliance and save costs in the short term, while also keeping the industry on track with longer-term decarbonization targets.

A study by consulting firm McKinsey revealed that 80% of the decarbonization progress we need this decade will come from such energy efficiency measures.  

But decarbonization is more than just a one-off instalment or operational change; it is a holistic exercise where companies need to collaborate to combine clean technology solutions and reimagine the wider commercial, contractual and organizational structures underpinning operations. Expect the industry to make greater use of data analysis and simulation tools to gain the clarity they need to invest in new technologies, be it for newbuilds or retrofits.

This trend is already underway. In 2023, we saw various studies validating the effectiveness of combining clean technology solutions to maximize efficiency, and of using data to optimize voyages. Demonstrated by our recent study with wind propulsion systems provider Norsepower, and shipyard Sumitomo Heavy Industries, we found that combining rotor sail technology with voyage optimization has the potential to minimize emissions by up to 28% on average on routes between New York and Amsterdam. In parallel, another study with ClassNK and Marubeni showed that deploying voyage optimization alone can help ships reduce their fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 7.3% and maintain their Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) ratings for an additional two to three years.

With these results strengthening the business case for investing in clean technology, 2023 has proven that decarbonization shouldn’t be a leap of faith. Instead, with data-driven evidence, owners and operators will be able to make confident and well-informed investment decisions, so 2024 should see more owners and operators turn to energy efficiency measures for tangible decarbonization progress.

But true sustainability isn’t just about investing in a constellation of solutions; it’s about ensuring we also negotiate contracts that are sustainable and don’t reward inefficiency. One area that saw significant progress this year was in tackling the wasteful practice of ‘Sail Fast Then Wait’, which sees ships sailing at speed across oceans, only to wait for extended periods outside congested ports.

The Blue Visby platform, which is supported by NAPA’s digital expertise, staggers and optimizes arrivals for groups of vessels traveling to a port, which enables ships to slow down, still save their ‘place in the queue’ and reduce emissions by up to 15% on average. Critically, the project is pushing the maritime industry to reimagine traditional dynamics between shipowners, charterers, and cargo owners to remove so-called “split incentives” that still stand in the way ofd decarbonization progress. And breaking this mold is enabled by ensuring doing good for the planet also makes commercial sense. 

One thing these projects demonstrate is that decarbonization will require an overhaul of the way different stakeholders engage with one another. A collaborative mindset and shared commitment to sustainability will be critical to aligning teams behind common goals and getting any initiative off the ground- in other words, 2024 will be shipping’s cultural reset.

Sustainability is a battle on multiple fronts

GHG reductions are just one part of an ever-growing puzzle but leave us with the blueprint to tackle other challenges. Specifically, pressure for more sustainable shipping is coming from a growing set of stakeholders, from financiers, investors, insurers and end customers, and will start to cover aspects beyond GHG reductions.

The call for greater environmental scrutiny will soon encompass other aspects of Environmental Social Governance performance and 2024 will see the phasing in of the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).

Ultimately, this will require detailed ESG reporting for around 50,000 companies across the EU. For shipping, this will add to already growing ESG pressure. However, the good news is that the groundwork for solid data collection is already in place. With the right tools to enable reporting, compliance and environmental performance analysis, these obligations can be turned into opportunities for even greater operational efficiencies.

Putting these tools to the test, 2024 will be the year shipping gets its ‘report card’ to assess whether we’re meeting our targets. But there’s always room for improvement. Fortunately, 2023 has shown us what needs to be done to stay ahead of the class: voyage optimization, clean technologies, innovative ship designs, pioneering safety training, robust ESG reporting and contractual changes are all proven to get us closer to net-zero, while making business sense at all stages for all stakeholders.

With these foundations in place, shipping can move forward with confidence.

Mikko Kuosa is CEO of NAPA.

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

Appeals Court Upholds Prison Sentence for Lost Frigate's Conning Officer

Courtesy Forsvaret

PUBLISHED DEC 21, 2023 1:51 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

A court of appeals has affirmed a suspended prison sentence for the watch officer who had the conn when the Norwegian frigate Helge Ingstad collided with a tanker in 2018.

The Ingstad had a head-on collision with the tanker Sola TS off the Sture oil terminal in Norway's Hjeltefjord on November 8, 2018. Despite attempts to keep her afloat, she gradually sank on a rocky seabed near the terminal. Thanks to good fortune and timely damage control, all crew safely escaped, and no major injuries were reported. The vessel was a total loss. 

A report from Norway's Accident Investigation Board found that a significant share of the fault for the collision lay with the Ingstad's watchstanders, who believed that the oncoming tanker was a fixed object. Despite extensive attempts at communication between the tanker, the VTS center and the Ingstad, the frigate's bridge team did not attempt to alter course until it was too late. 

Norwegian prosecutors brought several criminal cases in connection with the casualty, but all were dropped save one. Early this year, the officer of the watch aboard Helge Ingstad was convicted on a charge of criminal negligence. He received a suspended sentence of 60 days in prison. 

The officer - who remains in the Norwegian Navy and has continued to serve in afloat commands in a leadership role - contested the ruling and filed an appeal. Among other claims, he asserted that he should not be the only individual saddled with criminal responsibility for the collision, since he was a newly-minted officer of the watch and there were other people on the bridge. 

In a unanimous verdict, the appeals court found the officer guilty and sentenced him to the same suspended term in prison. 

"The defendant knew the competence and duties of the bridge team. He was responsible for utilizing the bridge team effectively. Nevertheless, he never communicated anything to the others on the bridge about his insecurities related to the object on the starboard side, or requested that the object be checked out," the court ruled. 

Insiders in Norway's defense community have questioned whether the case should have been brought against an individual at all. It is unusual for military officers to face civilian criminal charges for negligent performance in the line of duty; militaries have their own court-martial process for such cases.  

"The warden should not have been charged at all. But the civil justice system and the district attorney have chosen to pursue the case against a person, to go after an individual," said Thor Manum, spokesman for the Norwegian Association of Officers and Specialists (NOF).

Other parties have been held accountable at a corporate level. The owner of the tanker settled a lawsuit with the Norwegian Navy in 2022, paying $27 million for the loss of the frigate. Prosecutors also secured a judgment against the Norwegian state for the Norwegian Navy's alleged negligence, winning a penalty of about $1 million for "negligently having caused marine damage or a similar accident, which could easily have resulted in the loss of human life."

 

France Auctions Off a Seized Yacht With a Golden Hull

Stefania (Agrasc / De Baecque)

PUBLISHED DEC 19, 2023 11:16 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

One year after it first went up for sale, an award-winning yacht is being auctioned off by France's asset forfeiture agency for half the original asking price. 

The French judicial sale agency Agrasc (Agence de gestion et de recouvrement des avoirs saisis et confisqués) has ordered the auction of the superyacht Stefania, winner of a BOAT Design & Innovation 2022 award. The vessel is nearly brand new, with just 200 hours on her main engines and hardly a scratch on the hull. 

Stefania was built by Dynamiq, a Monaco-based firm with a yard in Turkey. She is the shipbuilder's largest vessel yet at 135 feet, and has a distinctive gold-painted hull. The vessel's interior features a rare shipboard fireplace (fully functional). 

According to Monaco-Matin, the Stefania was seized during a money-laundering investigation targeting an unnamed Belarusian billionaire. The details of the case have not been disclosed, but the vessel was reportedly found in Beaulieu-Sur-Mer, a luxurious yacht harbor between Nice and Monaco. 

On January 25, Stefania will be auctioned off in a live proceeding to be held on the helipad of the International Yacht Club Antibes, about 12 nm down the coast from Beaulieu. The sale is listed with the title "So That Crime Does Not Pay" in the auctioneer's catalogue, and it is expected to net about $8-10 million. (The brokerage's asking price for the vessel just last year was in the range of $20 million.)

Auction house De Baecque is handling the sale on behalf of Agrasc. The French forfeiture agency is as new as the yacht: it was just formed in 2021, with a mission to centralize and organize all law-enforcement asset seizures in the nation. 

 

 

 

Final Tanker Leaves Pearl Harbor With the Last of Red Hill's Fuel

Yosemite Trader leaves Pearl Harbor with the last fuel from Red Hill (U.S. Navy)

PUBLISHED DEC 21, 2023 7:36 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

The U.S. Navy's legacy risk of petroleum pollution at Pearl Harbor is coming to a close with the draining of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility. The final tanker carrying jet fuel from the vast underground tank farm has departed, delivering the last of the Navy's strategic fuel supply to the Philippines. 

In November 2021, the WWII-era Red Hill facility suffered a 19,000-gallon fuel spill, which contaminated the drinking water supply for about 93,000 American soldiers, sailors and family members at Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. At least 2,000 people reported that they were sickened by fuel in water.  

In the political outcry that followed the spill, Hawaii's congressional delegation signaled that it would attempt to force Red Hill's closure via legislation. Rather than continue the fight, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin signaled that the military would support defueling the aging site in March 2022. Preparatory repairs took more than a year, and the tank farm's final fuel transfer began in October. 

On Wednesday, the tanker Yosemite Trader departed the Red Hill fuel pier in Pearl Harbor, carrying the last of the tank farm's contents on a voyage to the Philippines. The Pentagon's plan for the fuel supply is to redistribute it to multiple locations around the Pacific, placing it where it might be needed for a contingency. About 40 percent went to Subic Bay; the rest was relocated to tank farms in Hawaii and California. The decision means that the central naval base in Oahu will have somewhat less fuel available for power projection across the expanse of the Pacific, but the majority is still close to hand if needed. 

“From a personal level, honestly, I’m relieved,” defueling mission leader Vice Adm. John Wade told Honolulu's Civil Beat. “That fuel sitting above the aquifer was a threat to the community and the environment.”

The Navy still faces years of litigation over the site's legacy of pollution. The Honolulu Board of Water Supply wants $1.4 billion in compensation for its efforts to address and work around aquifer contamination. 1,600 people affected by the contamination of Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam's water system have filed a class-action suit against the service as well. 

The service still has to do some final cleanup before it can declare Red Hill fully closed. The facility's pipelines still contain about 64,000 gallons of fuel, which will have to be accessed and drained using more technical methods. Removing the final 4,000 gallons will require the destruction of the pipes, Adm. Wade said. The tanks will also have to be manually cleaned to remove the last bits of sludge. 

Defueling task force personnel prepare for the last phase of the project, Dec. 2023 (USN)

 

Three New U.S. Hospital Ships Move Forward with Contract to Austal USA

Rendering of the design plan for the next generation hospital ships (Austal)

PUBLISHED DEC 22, 2023 8:37 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

Austal USA has been contracted for the final design leveraging its Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) platform and construction of the long-overdue next generation of U.S. Navy hospital ships. The contract which is valued at $867.6 million moves the project forward with the company reporting the vessels will be manufactured in its USA aluminum manufacturing line following completion of the last EFT, which was authorized in 2022 and began construction in October 2023.

The Navy has been anxious to move this program forward to replace the older vessels, the USNS Comfort and USNS Mercy, which have been in service since 1986/1987. The older vessels are based on the hulls of 1975/1976 vintage oil tankers.

Known as the Expeditionary Medical Ship, the new design is a variant of the platform while also representing a new vision for the Navy’s hospital ships. They are designed to be fast and highly maneuverable with a shallow draft capability. Austal highlights the catamaran also provides for a more stable vessel well suited to medical operations. 

According to Austal, the design will enable the vessels, which will be part of the future Bethesda Class, greater reach and allow for access to austere ports. Also supporting their mission is a flight deck designed to handle an Osprey or the military’s helicopters including the large Sikorsky crafts and heavy-lift cargo helicopters. Part of the new vision for the hospital ships is a more rapid response rate and a forward deployment capability.

The design calls for ships that will be fast with a top speed of at least 30 knots and a range of 5,500 miles with an operating speed between 18 and 24 knots. Naval News reports the specs call for a ship 361 feet in length and able to accommodate over 220 personnel.

“These three new EMS will enhance the US Navy’s capability to provide effective medical and surgical support anywhere in the world, quickly, safely, and efficiently,” said Paddy Gregg, Chief Executive Officer of Austal Limited. “The new Expeditionary Medical Ship further extends the capabilities of the proven Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) platform, designed and constructed by Austal, to enable more complex medical procedures and operations to be performed onboard, at sea and underway.” 

Like their predecessors, the new ships will have a broad range of medical facilities both for emergency services as well as humanitarian assistance. They will be dedicated medical ships with facilities comparable to the naval hospitals onshore. The medical facility includes triage and critical care as well as operating rooms, laboratories, and radiology.

Austal USA highlights that it has completed the delivery of 13 EPFs to the U.S. Navy. They are now working on the EPS Flight II, preparing to deliver the first vessel which will be the USNS Cody, which features medical capability that includes basic secondary health care built around primary surgery, intensive care unit, ward beds, and limited x-ray, laboratory, and dental support. The vessel was launched in February 2023 and the Navy reports when completed the new hospital will have the ability to support approximately 41 medical patients and 147 embarked forces. The Cody will be followed by two more Flight II vessels before the next-generation EMS Bethesda Class.

SPILLAGE

Maersk Losses Containers Overboard in North Sea with Debris Washing Ashore

Mayview Maersk in 2017 (Kees Torn photo - CC BY-SA 2.0 license)

PUBLISHED DEC 23, 2023 7:27 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

There are widespread reports of debris washing up on beaches along the northern part of Denmark’s North Sea shoreline after a Maersk containership lost boxes overboard. The shipping line is confirming that it learned of the incident early on Friday, December 22, and will be investigating the extent of the damage. 

The authorities in Denmark are warning ships that there are likely containers and debris floating in the North Sea. At the same time, the police are warning residents not to touch anything that comes ashore.

One of Maersk’s largest vessels, Mayview Maersk (18,270 TEU) departed Bremerhaven, Germany on Thursday, December 21, and encountered rough conditions from the storm called Pia that caused widespread flooding and damage in the North Sea region. It is the same storm that damaged the Hurtigruten cruise ship Maud.

 

 

Media in Denmark is saying that at least four containers have washed ashore with possibly 42 still in the North Sea. Pictures in the Danish media show refrigerators, medical items including needles, shoes, and other consumer goods on the beaches. The material appears to be scattered across nearly 10 miles of beaches. The containers appear to be 40-foot boxes.

Maersk confirms that at least 40 containers are believed to have been lost overboard from the 213,970 dwt vessel while it was in the North Sea. Built in 2014, the ship is 1,309 feet (399 meters) in length, making it one of the largest capacity vessels Maersk operates. The vessel which is owned by Maersk is registered in Denmark.

It is unclear how many boxes are aboard. Maersk said the vessel is due to reach Gdansk, Poland on December 24, and they will begin a full inspection in daylight. Unconfirmed reports are that there are additional damaged containers on the vessel.

Maersk told the local TV station in a statement that they had hired a company to locate the boxes that were lost overboard. They said no crew was injured during the incident and that the vessel is operating as normal at this time.

Top photo by Kees Torn of Mayview Maersk in 2017 -  CC BY-SA 2.0 license 

Damaged Cruise Ship Maud Arrives in Bremerhaven After North Sea Ordeal

Maud coming alongside in Bremerhaven with tugs attached at the bow and stern (Thorsten Brune/Facebook)

PUBLISHED DEC 23, 2023 6:18 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

The Norwegian cruise ship Maud, which had been damaged in a fierce North Sea storm, arrived in Bremerhaven, Germany, on Saturday, December 23, after a nearly 48-hour ordeal. The passengers praised the officers and crew of the vessel for their management of the situation and the fast response by rescue vessels, although for 20 minutes passengers feared the cruise ship might founder or capsize as they were tossed powerless in the North Sea.

With partial power back but no navigational systems or radar on the bridge, the Maud (16,151 gross tons) was able to reach Bremerhaven on Saturday afternoon. She was accompanied by the ocean-going supply ship Esvagt Server (2,400 dwt) on the trip from a position approximately 120 miles west of Denmark where she was disabled by a large wave on Thursday afternoon. Initially, several Esvagt vessels operating in the North Sea went to the aid of the cruise ship while rescue services in several countries were also alerted to the situation.

Reporting on the situation on social media passengers said the cruise ship was moving under its own power at 10 knots. Friday the Esvagt vessel attached a towline to assist the Maud in turning in the North Sea but the towline parted. Later a new towline was established, but it appears the vessel was able to make better speed without the tow permitting it to reach Germany today. Previously, they had not expected to arrive in port until sometime on Sunday.

 

 

The final drama of the trip came Saturday as the cruise ship reached the Weser. While the storm had abated, conditions were still rough so it was determined to fly the port pilot to the cruise ship by helicopter. Two port tugs attacked lines at the bow and stern to help the cruise ship reach the Columbus Cruise Terminal in Bremerhaven.

Earlier reports had said all the passengers were safe but the German media reports that three of the 266 passengers aboard were disembarked and taken to a hospital for medical treatment. Passengers reported scrapes, bruises, and possibly some broken bones from when the ship was moving violently in the North Sea. One passenger was seen walking from the ship to be taken to the hospital. The other passengers are remaining aboard overnight and will be taking flights from Germany on Sunday to the cruise’s planned final destination in the UK.

Pictures in the German media show two windows on the bridge of the cruise ship boarded over. No other external damage was visible, but onboard photos show overturned furniture and decorations. Life jackets and the survival suits passengers donned on Thursday afternoon are also piled around the ship.

Media reports said that inspectors and damage teams boarded the cruise ship shortly after it reached Bremerhaven. The Maud is expected to remain at the cruise terminal until December 27 and then be shifted to the Bredo Dry Docks in Bremerhaven to begin repairs. Online comments are that the cruise ship is not expected to return to service until February 2024.