It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Tuesday, April 30, 2024
PDQ
Salvors May Remove Baltimore Container Ship in Less Than Two Weeks
Salvors use a diamond-wire cutting rig to remove bridge wreckage from Dali's starboard side, April 25 (USACE)
On Tuesday, Maryland's governor said that responders at the site of Baltimore's Key Bridge are making progress on clearing the shipping channel and freeing the container ship Dali, which struck a pier and collapsed the structure in seconds on March 26. Officials think that the boxship could be removed by May 10, according to a statement from the Port of Baltimore.
Since the cleanup began in earnest, responders have pulled more than 3,300 tons of steel out of the channel, including several 300-500 ton sections of the main span. The East Coast's largest floating crane is on scene to handle these gigantic lifts, and the unified command is moving at a deliberate pace to ensure safety.
One of the hardest lifts, the section that is trapping the container ship Dali, is next up on the list. The temporary shipping channel next to Dali will be closed for the next 10 days as salvors prepare to pull this twisted segment off the ship's bow. The contractors will make a series of precise cuts all at once to remove the section without collapsing it further, Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath said at a press conference.
Meanwhile, contractors are using a massive 1,000-ton hydraulic claw to grab tangled piles of steel girders off the bottom, without the risk of sending down divers to rig every lift.
When the channel reopens on May 10, the unified command believes that it will have a control depth of 45 feet - nearly as deep as it was before the accident. The previous "limited access channel" was deep enough to move ro/ros and one sub-Panamax boxship, but 45 feet should be enough to begin moving larger container ships in and out of the port - with a two-tug escort. The timeline is still subject to the uncertainties of salvage work.
"There's a lot of factors that play in to that, both the engineering, the salvage operations themselves, and weather," said Rear Adm. Gilreath. "We're going to continue to move to do this safely and as fast as possible."
While the operation in the main ship channel is under way, three temporary shallow channels will remain open for tug and barge traffic. Full 50-foot channel restoration is still expected by the end of May.
The bodies of two construction workers who were lost in the bridge collapse are still missing, and the Maryland State Police hopes that it will be possible to find them to bring closure to their loved ones. Four deceased workers have been recovered to date, but wreckage and zero-visibility conditions on the river bottom have made dive operations challenging. Police divers have "areas of interest" within the debris field, and are on standby for opportunities to access these sites.
Maryland is still seeking the support of Congress to fund the eventual reconstruction of the Key Bridge, a project which will likely take several years and several billion dollars. Gov. Wes Moore said that multiple members of Congress have come to see the site, and he expects the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee to visit soon. In addition to rebuilding the Key Bridge, Maryland's transportation department is also considering upgrades to protect the giant Chesapeake Bay Bridge, another older bridge that lacks heavy protective structures.
Dutch Settle Decades Old Scrapping Case Over Sale of Toxic Refer Vessels
Spring Bear sold for demolition in 2012 was one of the four vessels at the center of case (Alfvan Beem photo - CC0 1.0 Deed)
The Netherlands’ Public Prosecution Service has reached a $6 million settlement in a long-running case involving the scrapping of four refer cargo ships more than a decade ago. The case which started in 2018 marked the first time in Europe that a shipowner and its executives were brought up on criminal charges of exporting ships with toxic materials for scrapping overseas.
The case stemmed from the 2012 sale of four retired refer vessels, Spring Bear, Spring Bob, Spring Deli, and Spring Panda by Dutch shipping company Seatrade. Prosecutors charged that the shipping company had sought to maximize its profit on the sale of the vessels by using cash buyers.
Because the four vessels were used to transport refrigerated cargo, they were said to contain chemicals used in the refrigeration process that were harmful to the environment and the workers at the breaker’s yard. In addition, the ships based on their age contained PCBs and asbestos as well as oil and lubricating fluids. The prosecution reported that the four vessels departed from Rotterdam and Hamburg with these harmful materials still aboard.
Built in 1984, the Spring Bear and Spring Bob ended up in India and Bangladesh. The other two vessels which were also built in 1984 were sold for breaking in Turkey.
The prosecutors report that Seatrade now acknowledges the transfer of the ships without complying with the environmental regulations. In addition, the company has committed to ensuring that in the future when ships are sold for dismantling it will comply with the applicable rules.
As part of the settlement, Seatrade and two of its directors will pay a fine of €2.65 million ($2.83 million). The company will also pay €3 million ($3.2 million) which was said to be equivalent to the profit the company made through the cash sale instead of following the required procedures.
The Rotterdam District Court in 2018 had ruled against the company based on the EU Waste Shipment Regulation. They found that the company had illegally exported the vessels for scrap. At the time, the prosecutor called for a fine of €2.55 million. They also asked for a one-year ban for the directors. The court found two of three directors guilty, but the case was overturned in 2020 by the Court of Appeal.
The case had been hailed by environmentalists for the strong message that it sent to shipowners in the European Union. Since this case, several others have followed including the 2020 prosecution of George Eide in Norway for the 2015 sale of a vessel that broke down and grounded on its way to the scrapyard in Pakistan. Eide was found guilty and sentenced to spend six months in jail.
European rules require special procedures for the sale of the vessels and handling of their recycling at EU-approved facilities. The rules are being further tightened to prevent the export of toxic materials and ensure proper handling and disposal. Despite this, activists are still protesting end-of-life ship recycling while highlighting continued efforts by various shipowners to evade the rules.
It happened again, this time as a small cargo ship out of control drifted along one of the main waterways in the Bangladesh city of Chattogram before becoming pinned alongside the bridge. Both the bridge and ship suffered some damage with the survey work still underway.
According to officials they were trying to determine if the cargo ship named Samuda-1 had broken away from its moorings at a nearby shipyard on the Karnaphuli River or if it was a mistake by the helmsmen on the ship. Some reports said the vessel appeared to be without power and uncrewed but TV images showed at least one person aboard the vessel.
Eyewitnesses told the local TV station that the vessel was seen floating from the AK Khan dockyard on the western side of the river. There were strong winds which made it difficult to control the vessel and it struck the Kalurghat Railway Bridge. The ship was pinned up against the bridge due to the strong current in the river while officials were arranging for a salvage vessel.
It is reported to be one of the main bridges crossing the river and providing rail and vehicle connections to other areas of the country. The bridge was completing nearly eight months of renovations to support the opening of a new railway line.
Officials reported that there were several bent sections on the bridge but they believed it was overall minor damage. Rails along the deck of the vessel were also twisted but they were awaiting the salvage to remove it from the bridge to determine if there was more damage.
Shoaling and Bank Effect Caused Ship to Hit Navy Fuel Pier
The National Transportation Safety Board has concluded an investigation into a serious allision involving a tanker and a Navy fuel pier at a base in South Carolina, and has determined that bank effect was the primary cause.
On the afternoon of September 5, 2022, the product tanker Bow Triumph got under way from a private petroleum terminal on the Cooper River, upstream of Joint Base Charleston. The river is a winding tidal waterway, with sharp bends and branching tributaries. With a docking pilot aboard and a harbor pilot at the conn, Bow Triumph got under way at about 1530, headed for another product terminal a few miles downriver. The pilot had made this transit about 500 times before, including voyages aboard the same class of tanker, and had piloted more than 10,000 ships over the course of his 30-year career.
The ship passed two bends without difficulty. As the Triumph approached the third bend, the pilot maneuvered towards the east bank (left descending bank), anticipating that a tidal current would push the ship towards the west bank as it rounded the bend. Unbeknownst to the bridge team, the ship was now transiting closer to the east bank than any ship in the previous year, based on AIS data.
At 1600, the pilot began the turn to port. At first the ship responded properly, but then the rate of turn stalled. The pilot increased RPM to full ahead and gave a series of escalating rudder commands, culminating at a full Becker rudder angle of 90 degrees (beyond the maximum possible on typical vessels).
In the close confines of the narrow waterway, the situation began to change quickly. By 1601:24, it was evident that the heading had only changed by two degrees, and the vessel was not making the turn; instead, it was headed for Naval Weapons Station Charleston's Pier Bravo, a finger pier which protrudes at an angle out into the river.
At this point, the pilot ordered the crew to drop anchor and put engines astern. Less than a minute later, at 1602:20, Bow Triumph's bow allided with Pier B, destroying a 300-foot section of the wharf.
Bow Triumph sustained about $2.5 million in hull damage, and the pier section had to be demolished and replaced at a cost of $29 million. (This January, the bulker Hafnia Amessi hit the same pier, causing more than $3 million in damage.)
On drydocking, investigators noticed that Bow Triumph was missing her hull coating in several areas, an indication that she may have touched bottom. The waterway is known for rapid shoaling, and a Corps survey in May 2022 found that sediment accumulation had reduced the water depth by more than 10 feet. According to the NTSB, the survey that the pilot relied upon was from November 2021, 10 months before the casualty voyage.
Given the data, NTSB concluded that the ship experienced bank effect when it transited so close to the east side of the channel and passed over the shoal. Bank effect occurs when a vessel transits close by a riverbank, shoal or canal bank, and creates a pressure difference between each side of the ship. This hydrodynamic phenomenon can push the ship's bow away and pull the ship's stern towards the bank, exerting a turning force - in this case, to starboard. The effect is stronger in shallow water and at higher speeds. The incoming tidal current would have added additional turning force to the bow as the tanker exited the bend.
"Transiting in the center of the channel is prudent to avoid the risks associated with bank effect," concluded NTSB. "Pilots, masters, and other vessel operators should consider the risks in areas known for shoaling when planning transits."
BOEM Proposes Offshore Wind Area Auctions in Gulf of Mexico and Oregon
BOEM proposed plans for Oregon and the Gulf of Maine (file photo)
The U.S. Department of the Interior took its next steps in the aggressive plans to accelerate the development of offshore wind energy in the U.S. They released proposals for two new wind areas off the coast of Oregon and in the Gulf of Maine which they said combined could provide 18 GW of energy. It however includes more controversial areas especially along the Oregon coast.
The Biden Administration highlights that it has already approved eight offshore sites with a combined capacity of more than 10 GW, which they said will power nearly four million homes. They are also continuing the lengthy review process for additional proposals after having conducted four auctions including the New York Bight, offshore of the Carolina, and the first sales off the coast of California, and in the Gulf of Mexico.
Today’s proposals include eight lease areas offshore Marine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. Combined it represents nearly one million acres in the Gulf of Maine and the potential for 15 GW. The Bureau of Offshore Energy Management (BOEM) is proposing to conduct simultaneous auctions for each of the eight lease areas. Before finalizing the plan, they said they are seeking feedback on various aspects including the size of the lease areas, orientation, and location. They are also looking for input if any areas should be prioritized for inclusion or exclusion.
The proposed Gulf of Maine Sale Notice will be published on May 1. It maps out the areas ranging between 101,000 and 132,000 acres. The 60-day comment period will run to July 1, 2024.
The Pacific Coast proposal focuses on two lease areas totaling approximately 195,000 acres off the coast of Oregon. The Coos Bay Wind Energy Area and the other in the Brookings Wind Energy Area they said could power more than one million homes and provide approximately 3 GW. Along with the proposed lease sale, BOEM released its draft environmental review of potential impacts associated with offshore wind energy leasing activities for public review and comment.
"As we move forward with offshore wind energy in Oregon and the Gulf of Maine, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management remains dedicated to close collaboration with our government partners and key stakeholders," said BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein. "We're excited to unveil these proposed sales and emphasize our commitment to exploring the potential for offshore wind development from coast to coast."
The Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians, however, immediately released a statement saying they were “extremely disappointed,” in BOEM’s announcement that it was moving to finalize the wind areas. The Tribal Council previously expressed its opposition to offshore wind energy development off the Oregon Coast.
Today, they are accusing the federal government of ignoring their concerns and “providing promises that they may be dealt with at some later stage of the process.” They contend that the proposed areas are within the tribe’s ancestral territory, contain viewsheds of significant cultural and historic significance, and are important fishing areas. They have requested that BOEM exclude important, cultural viewsheds as well as areas critical to resident and migratory species and important fishing areas.
BOEM says that the proposals reflect a multi-year planning process including input from the tribes and other groups and data such as that from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In identifying these areas, BOEM says it prioritized avoidance of offshore fishing grounds and identification of vessel transit routes while retaining sufficient acreage to support the region’s offshore wind energy goals. They said they will continue to engage with the different groups and continue to refine the plans.
The new areas are part of a broader plan by the Biden Administration. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland last week announced a new five-year offshore wind lease schedule, which includes up to 12 potential offshore wind energy lease sales through 2029. Future offshore wind energy lease sales from BOEM are anticipated in the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific, and the waters offshore of the U.S. territories in the next five years.
New Jersey Launches Wind Solicitation as New York Prepares for Next Round
New Jersey plans a wind port to support regional development (NJEDA rendering)
Undeterred by a range of setbacks in developing the offshore wind energy sector, both New Jersey and New York are pushing forward with their next rounds of solicitations. The governors of both states attest their strong support for the industry attributing the setbacks as part of the growing pains of a new industry.
New Jersey announced today, April 30, that it has opened its fourth offshore wind solicitation which will run till July 10. They set a goal of awarding between 1.2 GW and approximately 4 GW of contracts for offshore wind generation capacity. State administrators said the new round is designed to encourage competition, promote economic development, and ensure the lowest reasonable cost and lowest risk to New Jersey ratepayers.
“This latest solicitation is further proof of our commitment to building a strong and thriving offshore wind industry that will deliver undeniable economic and environmental benefits to our state, for both this generation and the next,” said New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy.
New Jersey is looking to reinvigorate its offshore wind energy industry despite continuing strong opposition from local and environmental groups. They contend the wind turbines would be determinantal to the Jersey shore’s tourism industry and continue to site theories that the survey work for wind farms is causing an increase in whale deaths. U.S. Congressman Jefferson Drew is bringing former president Donald Trump, another avowed “hater of wind” for a rally on the Jersey shore next week.
The state suffered a major setback in October 2023 when Ørsted backed out of two large late-stage development projects. The company said financial pressures had made the projects no longer financially viable while the governor angrily denounced the company and said they would hold them to their financial commitments to the state.
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities highlights that in January 2024 it awarded two of New Jersey’s largest offshore wind projects to date. They authorized the 1.3 GW Attentive Energy Two which would be more than 40 miles offshore near Seaside Heights and is being developed by TotalEnergy and Corio Generation. The first phase of that project is now stalled as it would supply power to New York. New Jersey also approved the 2.4 GW Leading Light Wind project which would be 40 miles from Long Beach Island. It is a partnership between Invenergy and energyRE.
New Jersey had previously approved Atlantic Shores, a partnership between Shell New Energies and EDF. It calls for 1.5 GW of power generation capacity and would be just over eight miles from Long Beach Island.
In neighboring New York which would also draw sites within the New York Bight located between the states, they are looking to launch a next round this summer. Last week, New York issued a request for information for the next round as well as a planned infrastructure grant program. This comes after the state’s regulators announced they had closed the third round solicitation without any awards.
New York blamed significant changes that they traced to GE Verona’s decision not to build a planned large wind turbine. At the same time, New York had to launch an accelerated round at the beginning of the year to provide a structure to rebid two other large projects that threatened to walk away unless they could reset their power purchase agreements. Negotiations are still underway to finalize new agreements with Empire Wind 1 (Equinor) and Sunrise Wind (Ørsted).
Iran Promises Humanitarian Release of MSC Aries Crew
Iranian forces seized the containership on April 13 (Mehr News - Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License)
Iranian officials are promising to arrange the release of the crew from the seized MSC Aries on humanitarian grounds as they look to improve relations with Portugal, where the ship is flagged. News of progress came in a statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry after a call with the Portuguese government. Previously, Iran made a similar statement tied to its efforts to improve relations with Pakistan which has citizens among the crew.
The international community has publicly applied pressure on Iran for the release of the MSC Aries which was seized on April 13 as it neared the Strait of Hormuz outbound from the Gulf. During the recent sessions at the International Maritime Organization pressure was also applied with calls for immediate release.
Unlike other instances where Iran leveled specific allegations against the vessels, in this case, Iran has vaguely called the seizure of the containership a “retaliatory move” for Israel’s attacks on the Iranian consulate in Syria and general aggression against Iran. They also said the ship “violated maritime law,” without any specifics while reports linked the ownership of the vessel to an affiliate of Zodiac Maritime, of which Israeli shipping magnate Eyal Ofer is an investor.
MSC said the week after the incident that “discussions with the Iranian authorities are in progress to secure their earliest release,” referring to the 25 crewmembers. MSC said it was also working with the Iranian authorities to have the cargo discharged.”
“We seriously consider the release of the ship’s crew as a humanitarian issue,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on April 27 after the call between Portugal’s Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. “We have announced to their ambassadors in Tehran their access to consular services, release, and extradition,” the ministry said for the crew which consists of individuals from India, Pakistan, Russia, the Philippines, and Estonia.
Last week, however, a spokesperson for India’s External Affairs Ministry Randhir Jaiswal told reporters on Thursday that the 16 Indian crewmembers were expected to return home “after the completion of some contractual obligations.” He said the Indian consul in Iran had met with the crew on April 25 but did not give a timeline for their return. Iran had previously told India’s representatives that the crew was not being detained.
Days after the incident, Iranian released a female cadet who was working aboard the MSC Aries. Ann Tessa Joseph, a deck cadet on the ship, returned to India on April 18 reporting her colleagues were in good health and going about their daily work.
The Philippines was able to gain an agreement from Iran for its citizens working on a seized tanker being held by Iran to return home at the end of their employment contracts. That meant the crew spent months in Iran before recently being replaced by a new crew and then permitted to return home.
Houthi Attack on MSC Ship in Indian Ocean Indicates Further Range
Map indicates the further distance from Yemen of the latest attack (UKMTO)
Details of the attack on the MSC Orion (158,000) were confirmed today by the maritime security forces in the region after the Houthi claimed an attack on the vessel yesterday as part of their latest barrage. The incident however is raising troubling questions as the vessel was at a much greater distance from Yemen possibly indicating the Houthi have extended the range of their drones.
The UK Maritime Trade Organizations and Joint Maritime Information Center are confirming the details of the attack on the MSC Orion which came overnight on April 29 to 30. According to the JMIC, the vessel was in the Indian Ocean approximately 300 nautical miles east-southeast of the Horn of Africa, or more than 170 nautical miles south of Socotra island. The UKMTO puts the vessel’s position up to 400 nautical miles from the mainland of Yemen.
The ship which is registered in Portugal and owned by Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Maritime chartered to MSC reported an explosion and found some debris believed to be from a “Uncrewed Aerial System.” The ship sustained some minor damage with the report that the crew was uninjured and that the ship was proceeding. Her AIS signal is off but the last indication is that she was bound for Salalah, Oman. Built in 2020 by Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea, she is a larger ship with a capacity of 15,000 TEU.
The Houthi in mid-March had threatened to expand the zone of attack to include portions of the Indian Ocean. They said they would disrupt ships attempting to divert away from the Red Sea and traveling around Africa. So far, while there have been several other Indian Ocean attacks, this is the first confirmed at these distances.
The Houthis are believed to be using drones manufactured in Iran. Military experts report Iran has claimed a capability of over 650 nautical miles for its drones and possibly further for its missiles.
Previously, for example, the tanker Marlin Luanda was approximately 60 miles from Aden when it was struck. The vessel was hit by a missile in January which caused a fire. The bulker True Confidence was approximately 50 miles offshore when it was struck in an attack that killed three crewmembers.
So far, none of the military and monitoring operations have specifically commented on the distance of this attack with the UKMTO repeating its standard comment about caution. Security analysts are however warning that it could raise new concerns for shipping that has already been forced to take longer routes to avoid the dangers.
Guinea Bissau Registry Deflags Controversial Turkish Aid Convoy
The Akdeniz (ex name Prince) is one of three ships bought by IHH. It was loaded and nearing departure when it was deflagged (Akdeniz)
A Turkish aid society's plan for a "freedom flotilla" to Gaza has encountered a setback: the registry of Guinea-Bissau has deflagged the group's newly-purchased vessels.
The Guinea Bissau International Ships Registry (GBISR) has withdrawn its flag from two out of three vessels operated by the "Freedom Flotilla Coalition," a group backed by the controversial IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation. One of the ships, ro/pax ferry Akdeniz (ex name Prince), was already loaded with over 5,000 tons of aid destined for Gaza but cannot set sail from Turkey.
The coalition said in a statement that the “blatantly political move” by the West African nation came after GBISR requested to inspect the Akdeniz. The coalition called this a highly unusual request, considering its ship had already passed all required inspections. Before the inspection was completed, GBISR informed the coalition that it had withdrawn the Guinea Bissau flag from two of its ships.
GBISR referred to the planned mission to Gaza in its communication about the flag cancellation, the coalition said. The flag registry also asked for information of the ships’ destinations, estimated arrival dates, a formal letter explicitly approving the transportation of humanitarian aid and a complete manifest of the cargo - all causes for complaint, the group said.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition is a group of 12 countries including Turkey, and is backed by IHH.
IHH recently bought three ships for the mission. Apart from the Akdeniz, the other two are the freighter Anadolu (ex name Dalya H) and passenger vessel Vicdan (ex name The Majestic). All are docked at the port of Tuzla, which is located south of Istanbul.
In 2010, IHH organized a similar convoy to Gaza with six ships and hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists, intending to run an Israeli blockade and generate publicity. When Israeli commandos boarded the lead ship, the passengers fought back, resulting in nine activists dead and dozens more injured.
IHH is a member of Ittilaf al-Kheir, an Islamic charity organization that backs the U.S.-designated terrorist group Hamas. The IHH has support from the Turkish government, and also allegedly has ties to Turkish intelligence.
Price Estimate for Gaza Maritime Aid Corridor: $320 Million
U.S. servicemembers assemble the first elements of a floating logistics platform for Gaza aid, April 2024 (USN)
The U.S. military's new aid pier for Gaza is expected to cost $320 million or more, the Pentagon told media on Monday. The price has roughly doubled since planning began earlier this year.
The number is an estimate based on the cost of moving all related equipment for Joint Logistics Over the Shore (JLOTS) operations, assembling a temporary floating pier and an offshore receiving barge, carrying out shoreside construction (through third parties), and the actual movement of the aid supplies. The U.S. military regularly mobilizes JLOTS assets overseas for setup and takedown exercises, incurring some of the same costs without physical delivery of goods or aid supplies.
Based on satellite photos obtained by the AP, the civilian-crewed sealift ship USNS Roy P. Benavidez is already on scene off Gaza to begin setting up the pier, accompanied by several U.S. Army landing ships. (The Army plays a major role in JLOTS operations.)
An Israeli army engineering unit is handling the construction work to attach the pier's shoreside end to the beach in Gaza, officials have told AP. Once all is ready, aid will be loaded onto cargo trucks in Cyprus; driven aboard a sealift-capable ro/ro; shipped to the offshore JLOTS site off Gaza; driven off the ro/ro's ramp onto a floating receiving barge; driven off the receiving barge onto a self-propelled transfer barge; ferried to the pier; and driven off the transfer barge onto the floating pier.
This is where American involvement in the logistics chain ends. According to the BBC, British troops may provide the manpower to drive the trucks the "final mile" down the pier and over to a shoreside distribution point. The White House has pledged that there will be no American boots on the ground at any point in this complex operation, in part because of the threat posed by the terrorist organization Hamas. The Palestinian militant group is a sworn enemy of the United States, and has already threatened to attack the Israeli forces stationed at the port's perimeter.
The American-led effort is the largest maritime aid corridor for Gaza, but not the only one. The nonprofit World Central Kitchen has announced that it is restarting aid deliveries from Cyprus to Gaza, ending a month-long hiatus. The group paused its operations and recalled its vessel assets after a series of Israeli airstrikes killed seven of its personnel, including a U.S.-Canadian dual national. The group also conducts aid deliveries by truck, and says that it has more than 275 truckloads of food - enough for eight million meals - stalled on the Egyptian side of the Gaza border crossing. At peak flow, the maritime aid corridor will handle up to 150 trucks a day, according to the Pentagon.
Aid groups say that Israeli forces have loosened border restrictions under pressure from the White House, but the flow is still less than half of what it was before the start of the conflict. The UN has warned of the potential for widespread famine, particularly in northern Gaza, if food shipments are not restored.
America's Largest Offshore Oil Terminal is Moving Ahead
On Tuesday, executives with midstream company Enterprise Products Partners said that their plans for a massive offshore oil export terminal off Texas are going forward, and they expect to have their first commercial contracts in hand for its capacity soon. The reassurance follows shortly after Reuters reported that capex cost growth and commercialization challenges could slow the project.
If built, the Sea Port Oil Terminal (SPOT) would be the largest offshore terminal in the United States, bigger even than the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP). It would add two million barrels per day to U.S. export capacity, an increase of about 50 percent.
Enterprise has had significant progress on the regulatory front, securing an operating license from the Maritime Administration and batting back a court challenge earlier this month. Commercial discussions are progressing too, according to the sales team.
"For the most part, it's positive," said EVP and Chief Commercial Officer Brent Secrest in an earnings call. "We expect to have two contracts by the end of, call it, next month."
He emphasized that Enterprise is only going to move ahead with the multibillion-dollar project when it has long-term contracts in hand to support it. The firm is targeting a final investment decision by the end of the year. (As for the capex cost, "it's not what was in the Reuters article by a long shot, and we typically don't share with people what our capex is," said Jim Teague, co-chief executive officer.)
SPOT has come in for criticism from environmentalists. The Sierra Club claims that the oil terminal would enable greenhouse gas emissions equal to 90 new coal-fired power plants and could potentially harm the endangered Rice's whale, an ultra-rare species found only in the Gulf of Mexico.
For its part, EPP says that SPOT would be an improvement over the status quo of ship-to-ship transfers, and would partially replace this existing export method.
"Compared with the current industry practice of reverse lightering, SPOT is expected to reduce crude vapor emissions by 95 percent, and lower total greenhouse gases by 65 percent," said Teague earlier this month. "Considering that as many as eight smaller vessels are required during the reverse lightering process, SPOT offers a safer alternative and reduces the potential for accidents and spills. At full capacity, SPOT would eliminate more than 900 ship-to-ship transfers in federal waters annually."
Report: Tug Saved Cruise Ship Norwegian Prima From a Potential Grounding
Brave efforts by the crew of a tugboat prevented the grounding of the cruise ship Norwegian Prima at the port of ReykjavÃk in Iceland in May last year, an investigation has revealed.
The Icelandic Transportation Accident Investigation found that the ship could have grounded after encountering a sudden increase in wind speed as it departed the port, but the actions of the crew of the tug Magni prevented a disaster.
On the night of May 26, 2023, the Bahamas-flagged cruise ship was preparing to depart ReykjavÃk. The master, 37, was Panamanian and had sailed with Norwegian Cruise Lines for 14 years. He had worked on Norwegian Prima during its construction and was promoted to master for its commissioning in 2022. Notably, it was his first call at ReykjavÃk.
The weather forecast from the Icelandic Meteorological Office predicted wind speeds in the range of 27-31 knots in the bay area. Though according to the master’s assessment the wind speed was within the required thresholds for sailing, the pilot implied that he had reservations about departing under the prevailing conditions - but did not feel that he had the power to impose a delay on the ship.
In interviews with investigators after the fact, the master said that the forecasted wind speed was below the threshold of what he thought the vessel “could take”, considering its 14,000 square meters of windage area, and that he would not have attempted to sail if winds were forecasted higher than 33-35 knots.
At 2150, Norwegian Prima started a turning maneuver to depart her berth and head out of the harbor with the assistance of tug Magni. When the turn was almost complete, the wind speed increased significantly. With wind in excess of 50 knots on the port beam, the vessel could not regain its planned track. It drifted outside the navigable channel, overran a buoy and came within 10 meters of rocks with a charted depth of 0.4 meters. However, a grounding was averted with the assistance of the tugboat.
“There were no injuries or pollution. Norwegian Prima suffered no damage as a result of overrunning the buoy but the tug suffered minor damage due to prolonged pushing whilst it helped the vessel avoid grounding,” states the investigation report.
The cruise ship had arrived at ReykjavÃk pilot station after an eight-day passage. The report indicates that during the voyage to ReykjavÃk, the vessel had maintained higher than normal levels of treated wastewater in its holding tanks to increase stability and counter wind heeling during rough weather. The tanks had enough room left for a planned two-day stay at ReykjavÃk; investigators suggested that the limited tank space may have influenced the decision to sail.
Fuel Efficiency of Wärtsilä Engine 31 is Key for Canadian Polar Icebreaker
The ship is being designed and built at Seaspan Vancouver Shipyards and will be the flagship of the Canadian Coast Guard’s icebreaking fleet.
Technology group Wärtsilä will supply the engines for a new Canadian Coast Guard Polar Icebreaker. The ship is being designed and built at Seaspan Vancouver Shipyards and will be the flagship of the Canadian Coast Guard’s icebreaking fleet. Because of the long operational range required for the vessel’s employment in arctic waters, fuel efficiency was a prime design consideration in the selection of the Wärtsilä 31 engine. The Wärtsilä 31 engine has been recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s most efficient 4-stroke diesel engine and was therefore considered an obvious choice. The order was booked by Wärtsilä in Q3 2023.
The 158 metre-long multi-mission Polar Icebreaker will operate under PC2 conditions with four 16-cylinder and two 8-cylinder Wärtsilä 31 engines, delivering 47 MW of power. The engines will be fitted with Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) systems for IMO Tier III environmental compliance. Wärtsilä will also supply the centre shaft line with a stainless-steel ice-class propeller, as well as Wärtsilä’s NACOS Platinum navigation system.
“Wärtsilä has a fine track record and years of experience in delivering high-class marine technologies including recently delivering the propulsion equipment for the Offshore Fisheries Science Vessels (OFSV), plus the diesel generator sets for the Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel (OOSV) built at Seaspan for the Canadian Coast Guard,” commented Leo Martin, Senior Vice President – Programs, Seaspan Shipyards.
“The fuel efficiency of the Wärtsilä 31 engine was a determining factor in the award of this prestigious contract. However, equally important was our project delivery experience and service support across Canada. Furthermore, our previous cooperation with both the Canadian Coast Guard and Seaspan has been very successful, and we are honoured to be again working with them,” said Simon Riddle, General Manager, Naval Sales – Wärtsilä.
The Wärtsilä equipment is scheduled to be delivered to the yard in 2025. When built, the new vessel will be the Canadian Coast Guard’s largest icebreaker and will replace ‘CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent’, which is due to retire at the end of the decade after 60 years of service. Seaspan Shipyards is known as a world class builder of high technology ice class vessels.
The products and services herein described in this press release are not endorsed by The Maritime Executive.
