One Australian Research Vessel is Racking Up a String of Wreck Finds

RV Investigator has a range of tools that allow for successful seafloor discoveries. CSIRO/Owen Foley

Published Jul 28, 2024 9:20 PM by The Conversation

 

[By Toni Moate and Emily Jateff]

On August 23 1969, the coastal freighter MV Noongah departed Newcastle bound for Townsville with a cargo of steel and 26 crew. The 71-meter ship had been a regular sight along the eastern seaboard for a decade as it hauled cargo between cities up and down the coast.

Two days later, the vessel disappeared in the night beneath ten-metre waves, lashed by a violent storm. Tragically, only five of the 26 crew would be rescued during one of the largest searches for survivors in post-war Australian maritime history. As for the MV Noongah, its resting place would remain a mystery.

Until now.

While on a research voyage to study submarine canyons off the New South Wales coast, a team aboard the CSIRO research vessel RV Investigator became the first to set eyes on MV Noongah in nearly 55 years. This discovery was no accident. It was part of a collaborative project and a targeted investigation to help identify a mysterious shipwreck.

It’s also no coincidence there have been several shipwreck discoveries in the news recently. Australia’s national science ship has developed an impressive record as a shipwreck sleuth.

What is RV Investigator?

RV Investigator is part of the Marine National Facility – a national research infrastructure operated by CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency.

All Australian researchers and their international collaborators can access the capabilities of RV Investigator. This makes it a collaboration hub for marine research. And it’s been an important factor in many of the recent shipwreck discoveries.

Over the past ten years of operation, more than 150 institutions have collaborated to deliver science on voyages. Usefully, RV Investigator can accommodate multiple projects on each voyage. The research has ranged from fisheries’ surveys and seafloor mapping to atmospheric studies and, of course, maritime heritage surveys.

RV Investigator is equipped with a suite of advanced acoustic systems. It also has three seafloor mapping systems, called multibeam echosounders. These allow for high-resolution measurements (bathymetry, literally meaning “deep measurement”) of the seafloor, from shallow coasts to full ocean depth.

These systems map the seafloor everywhere the vessel goes, both through data collection while underway, and through targeted surveys.

Both the distance RV Investigator travels during its annual research program and the volume of bathymetric data it collects are immense. This greatly increases the likelihood of making seafloor discoveries.

Over the past ten years, RV Investigator has travelled more than 500,000 kilometers and mapped more than 3 million square kilometers of Australia’s marine estate. It has circumnavigated the continent several times.

All this has provided an opportunity to investigate many suspected shipwreck sites. These are often “piggyback” projects – ones that are added to the voyage but use no additional resources.

The power of collaboration

Shipwreck discoveries are impossible without collaboration. The maritime community, heritage agencies, research agencies and members of the public have all contributed to the recent shipwreck finds.

It is not uncommon for searches to be targeted by local knowledge from fishing communities, volunteer shipwreck hunters and even historians who have pieced together clues on the potential location of shipwrecks.

Outreach to those affected by the findings is also invaluable. This includes the survivors of these tragedies and the families of those lost at sea, to keep them informed throughout the process.

Shipwreck discoveries can literally change lives – like the reunion of two siblings who spent their lives apart as orphans after their father died onboard SS Iron Crown in 1942.

‘Eyes’ in the depths

RV Investigator also has specialized drop cameras that can provide a view of the seafloor at depths up to 5,000 meters. The visuals provided by these have been essential for identifying shipwrecks once found.

In 2023, a CSIRO team used this camera system to help identify the wreck of SS Nemesis, a steamship that was lost in 1904 off the coast of New South Wales. Also in 2023, an unidentified wreck off the southwest coast of Tasmania gained a name – it was the coastal freighter MV Blythe Star which capsized and sank in 1973.

The large areas of seafloor mapped by RV Investigator have also led to unexpected discoveries. The wreck of the 1890s iron barque Carlisle in Bass Strait in 2017 was a “chance encounter” for the vessel.

A view of the stern of MV Blythe Star. CSIRO

Why hunt for shipwrecks?

These discoveries are important for several reasons. Finding and analyzing a shipwreck can help us understand the circumstances that led to these tragedies. It can also help provide closure to affected communities whose loved ones were lost at sea.

Knowing the current state of the shipwreck is important for heritage professionals and agencies who manage and protect the sites. Some shipwrecks are at risk of creating environmental damage such as fuel or oil leaks, so having data on them is vital for managing those risks.

RV Investigator is currently scheduled for a series of scientific upgrades, including its acoustic systems. With 8,000 shipwrecks scattered around Australia’s coastline, and more than half of those undiscovered, there are many more maritime mysteries to solve.

Toni Moate is Chair of the National Marine Science Committee and Director of CSIRO National Collections and Marine Infrastructure.

Emily Jateff is an adjunct lecturer in archaeology at Flinders University.

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

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

 

Op-Ed: South Korea's Navy is Too Good to Leave Out of AUKUS

Courtesy Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Korea

Published Jul 28, 2024 2:14 PM by The Strategist

 

 

[By Jihoon Yu]

The members of AUKUS should expand the security pact to include South Korea. If they do, they will deepen and strengthen the partnership, enhance its technological capabilities and make the Indo-Pacific region more secure.

South Korea’s impressive record of indigenous military-technology development shows it would be a valuable addition to AUKUS, which is a technology-focused defense partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and United States. Adding South Korea would enable the partnership to undertake more and harder development projects.

Inclusion of South Korea, with its strategically crucial location next to North Korea and China, would also help solidify the commitment of the United States to its Western Pacific allies and help present a united front against shared security challenges. And South Korea, in turn, would be bound closer to the AUKUS partners.

The ecosystem of South Korean military-technology development is led by the defense ministry’s Agency for Defense Development and includes skilled industrial partners such as Hanwah Defense, Korea Aerospace Industries and LIG Nex 1, and many capable engineers in the armed services.

Examples of South Korea’s achievements in defense technology are numerous. They reveal a capacity for defence engineering that greatly exceeds the ability of Australia and includes systems that even Britain does not develop.

The Republic of Korea Navy and its shipbuilders have developed a class of indigenous submarines following earlier construction based on German designs. The navy also operates destroyers of the Sejong the Great class that have been designed and built locally and incorporate the US Aegis system for air and missile defense.

A considerable capability that South Korea can bring to a defense partnership is the know-how for building warships quickly and economically. US Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro remarked on this in April, saying he was ‘very interested in the skills and capabilities that South Korea brings to bear in shipbuilding’. He praised South Korean shipbuilders’ ability to produce ‘high-quality, mission-capable ships at a remarkable pace and cost.’

South Korea has invested heavily in building a robust cyber defence infrastructure, as shown by its establishment of a National Cyber Security Center and its implementation of comprehensive national cyber exercises. Extensive work is underway on artificial intelligence and robotics. For example, the country has developed the AI-powered surveillance system S-Goalkeeper to protect against cyber threats.

Hanwha Defense is advancing robotic systems, such as the Multi-purpose Unmanned Ground Vehicle for reconnaissance and combat support.

The Korean Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) system—comprising surface-to-air systems such as the KM-SAM, L-SAM and the US Patriot for dealing with threats of various types and at various altitudes—is indigenously designed, showing that South Korea can tackle some of the greatest challenges in military engineering. The country has also developed its own cruise and ballistic missiles.

Military technology development in AUKUS can be expected to have economic benefits, particularly through innovation and spillover effects, such as promoting growth in semiconductor and materials industries. Adding South Korea would increase those benefits. The country is a global leader in semiconductor manufacturing. Also, its extensive manufacturing capability would greatly improve the reliability of AUKUS’s supply chains.

South Korea is too strong a force in military-technology development for AUKUS to overlook. Adding it to the security partnership would also bolster stability in East Asia.

Jihoon Yu is a research fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses and was the main author of a 2010 policy document for the South Korean navy’s development up to 2045. He was also a member of task forces that studied plans for aircraft carrier and submarine acquisition.

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

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

 

Hawaii Issues RFP for Removal, Likely Scrapping, of Historic Sailing Ship

Falls of Clyde is rapidly decaying after years of neglect on the Honolulu waterfront (pictures courtesy of HDOT)

Published Jul 26, 2024 6:21 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

 

After eight years of struggling to resolve the fate of the now 145-year-old famed sailing ship Falls of Clyde, the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation (HDOT) reported on July 25 it released its request for proposals (RFP) for the removal of the ship. The state has argued that the vessel is now severely compromised and a 2023 report on its condition warned there was a strong risk it would sink.

“It is likely that Falls of Clyde will not survive afloat, above the water, nor even be intact by 2024,” the report concluded as the state moved to deregister the vessel as a National Historical Landmark and sell it for disposal. “The loss of the vessel is irreversible and extremely unfortunate if not tragic. It is a unique surviving sailing craft, and its historic significance is clear. However, the vessel has already lost most of the qualities, or aspects of integrity that convey its significance, that led to its listing in the National Register and its designation as a National Historic Landmark.”

The vessel is currently berthed at Pier 7 in Honolulu where it once served as a museum ship as part of the Hawaii Maritime Center.  The vessel is privately owned but was impounded in 2016 and remains in the custody of HDOT. Several previous efforts were made to sell the vessel and there was a plan to take her back to Scotland, but it did not proceed. 

 

Teams have been cataloging the artifacts aboard the vessel

 

HDOT wants to redevelop the pier where the vessel lays. The government highlights that the pier has been dormant now for 14 years after the Bishop Museum closed the Maritime Center. With no viable plans for the vessel and its condition rapidly deteriorating they concluded that removal was the only option. The state has spent the past year completing the necessary environmental reviews. Curators have also been going through the vessel to catalog and document artifacts.

The Falls of Clyde was built in Glasgow, Scotland in 1878. Her association with Hawaii is especially strong because she was acquired in 1898 by Captain William Matson of the Matson Navigation Company and registered in Hawaii. From 1899 to 1907, the ship made over sixty voyages between Hawaii and San Francisco, carrying passengers, sugar, and general cargo. She was later sold to San Francisco-based Associated Oil Company, which installed large steel tanks in the hull, allowing her to carry 750,000 gallons of liquid bulk. For decades, the ship would bring kerosene to Hawaii and molasses back from Hawaii to California.

 

Restored she was a museum ship on the Honolulu waterfront 

 

By around 1900, she had been downrigged to a bark and by the 1920s the yards, topmast, and royals were removed and she would spend years as floating oil storage and a “filling station” in Ketchikan, Alaska. Efforts at the preservation began in the 1960s after she was retired from her function in Alaska and it was feared she would be scrapped or sunk to form a breakwater. The vessel was rescued from obscurity and returned to Honolulu in the 1960s. Restored to her original form, she was opened to the public in the 1970s. 

HDOT evaluated removal by dismantling, ocean disposal, or third-party acquisition in its Final Environmental Assessment issued last month.  The report concludes the state of decay is irreversible. The selected contractor will determine the method of removal with bids due by September 25.

 

China's Yangzijiang Shipyard Rides the Shipbuilding Boom

File image courtesy Yangzijiang Shipbuilding

Published Jul 25, 2024 10:58 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

China's largest private-sector shipbuilder, Yangzijiang Shipbuilding, is having an enviable year. The yard's order backlog has ballooned to more than $16 billion, a new record reflecting soaring global demand for tonnage. To handle all the order volume, the company has acquired more than 200 acres of extra land next to its shipyard, including nearly a mile of additional waterfront.  

Yangzijiang benefits from surging global interest in buying new tonnage. With Korean and Japanese yards largely full, shipowners are looking to China for newbuild slots, and more than 60 percent of all merchant vessel orders over the year to date have gone to Chinese yards. 

Yangzijiang is also securing orders for much more sophisticated tonnage, not just bulkers and tankers. This week, Japanese owner Nissen Kaiun announced that it has signed a contract to build four very large ammonia carriers (VLACs) at Yangzijiang's Yangzi Mitsui joint venture division. It is the first VLAC order at any private yard in China. (The price was highly competitive, according to Chinese industry media.) These ships will be dual-fuel powered with LPG, and will deliver by 2029. Until recently, the niche VLAC segment was dominated by South Korea's Big Three yards, which have positioned themselves to capture high-value-added projects like gas carriers. 

This entry into a new high-end gas segment is a change for Yangzijiang, which just began building its first LNG carriers in 2022 and secured its first very large ethane carrier (VLEC) orders earlier this year.

All of this success requires new space, and Yangzijiang is making a brick-and-mortar investment that would have been unthinkable 10 years ago. With LNG carriers and other high-value projects in mind, it has agreed to acquire a nextdoor parcel of land and invest more than $400 million in an expansion plant, including a 300,000-tonne drydock. This should add another 800,000 dwt worth of annual capacity and - according to local party secretary Zhang Changping - "break the monopoly of Japan and South Korea in the field of high-value-added ships, and achieve industrial self-reliance." 

To make the most of the new space, the company says that it is planning to set up an advanced and digitalized production plant, with a 5G industrial data network. 

Yangzijiang's expansion is notable for its size, but many Chinese yards are growing. New Times Shipbuilding is working on adding a new graving dock, and many yards that shut during the financial crisis have retooled and reopened, like Hengli Heavy Industries, Weihai Samjin and SPS Shipyard, among others. According to shipbroker BRS, there will be plenty of business to go around: Chinese orderbooks are largely full through 2027, and extend out through 2029.

ROLL ON ROLL OFF 

Expansion Mode

The surprisingly strong economy is boosting ro-ro traffic and triggering friendly competition at U.S. ports.

iStock

Published Jul 24, 2024 11:12 PM by Tom Peters

 

(Article originally published in May/June 2024 edition.)

 

Move over Baltimore, Georgia wants a larger piece of the marine ro-ro action.

In fact, the Georgia Port Authority (GPA) is eyeing the number-one spot as the busiest ro-ro port in the country by 2026, a spot long-occupied by the port of Baltimore. It’s investing $262 million in the Colonel’s Island auto port and Mayor’s Point breakbulk terminal, both at the port of Brunswick.

“Because of its growth rate relative to other major ro-ro hubs in the U.S., Colonel’s Island is poised to become the nation’s busiest ro-ro port within two years,” says GPA President & CEO Griff Lynch. According to Lynch, with 300 acres available for expansion, the Port of Brunswick has more room to take on new business than any other U.S. auto port.

Recent improvements at Colonel’s Island include 350,000-square-feet of on-dock warehousing, 290,000-square-feet of warehousing and processing space on the south side of the island and 122 additional acres for ro-ro storage. Previous annual capacity at Colonel’s Island was one million units. The upgrades bring annual capacity to 1.4 million units, a 40 percent increase. As part of that expansion, GPA will triple its capacity for high-and-heavy equipment storage.

In calendar year 2023, GPA terminals handled 777,075 ro-ro units, up from 670,774 units the year before. The expansions and investments have garnered industry support with automotive carrier Wallenius Wilhelmsen signing a 20-year terminal agreement consolidating its port and logistics operations at Brunswick.

Meanwhile, the port of Baltimore, which is working diligently to return operations to normal after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in late March, has been the busiest ro-ro port in the U.S. for several years. In 2023, it handled 850,00 cars and light trucks plus 1.3 million tons of farm and construction machinery.

Just over 9,000 imported vehicles were diverted from Baltimore to Brunswick in April as well as another 1,000 units of imported high-and-heavy equipment, said port spokesman Richard Scher. He added that diversions were handled on a vessel-by-vessel basis, typically on ro-ro services that were already calling on both Brunswick and Baltimore.

Carrier Perspective

While the GPA builds its ro-ro future and Baltimore deals with its collapsed bridge issues, Andrew Abbott, President & CEO of ro-ro carrier Atlantic Container Line (ACL), offered his assessment of what the ro-ro sector might have in store for 2024.

The year “started out as a repeat of 2023 but external factors have skewed the supply and demand picture,” Abbott says. “Construction equipment exports to the U.S. are still moving at very high volumes. The surprisingly strong U.S. economy is still absorbing large volumes of machinery, boats and agricultural equipment.”

Abbott says Chinese electric car exports continue to be strong, attracting car carriers and PCTCs (Pure Car and Truck Carriers) from other parts of the globe. He notes the Atlantic trade lost vessel strings due to these diversions so that transatlantic demand currently exceeds supply: “This was compounded by the political crisis in the Red Sea that swallowed up capacity to cover the additional steaming time around Africa to and from Asia.”

On the subject of newbuilds, Abbott states that “a fair number of newbuilding PCTCs and car carriers” are scheduled for delivery between mid-2025 and end 2026. “However, in contrast to the disregard for supply and demand impact by container operators, the new PCTC and car-carrier capacity will just about offset the expected increase in car volumes (especially from Asia) and the withdrawal of end-of-life vessels.”

He adds that U.S. vessels are booking out months in advance and the closure of Baltimore after the Key Bridge accident further congested East Coast ports. “Most of our existing ro-ro customers have greatly increased volumes in 2024, and we struggle each week to accommodate everyone who wants to book space.”

The current outlook “shows very strong U.S. import volumes of vehicles, construction equipment and oversized cargo for all of 2024 and most of 2025. U.S. export volumes show no significant growth prospects because the U.S. manufactures fewer types of machinery. Rate levels are continuing to increase westbound and are stable eastbound.”

Ports’ Perspective

Port Tampa Bay has benefited from the increase in vehicle imports mentioned by Abbott with a 45 percent jump in the first six months of fiscal year 2024, handling 61,500 vehicles.

“We’re still a niche player but growing in this business segment,” notes Wade Elliott, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Business Development.

The port hopes to bolster that growth by partnering with Glovis America, Inc., a logistics provider and the U.S. division of Hyundai, to establish a dedicated ro-ro terminal at the port. The terminal will include a 33,000-square-foot building adjacent to the berth that will be used for processing new automobiles. Port commissioners also recently approved a 10-acre expansion of the terminal that will be completed by early next year.

Glovis expects to bring at least 70,000 vehicles each year through Port Tampa Bay.

The port of Jacksonville (JAXPORT), always looking for high-level performance in all aspects of its operations, is making significant investments in partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation to increase vehicle volumes at its Blount Island Marine Terminal.

The project will see $45 million in berth upgrades to increase efficiency and accommodate additional vessel calls. Enhancements include Berth 20 being expanded to accommodate two larger ships simultaneously. Berth 22 is being enhanced to allow larger ships to simultaneously load and unload vehicles from both side and rear openings and is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2025.

In addition, Southeast Toyota Distributors, the world’s largest independent distributor of Toyotas, is moving forward with the construction of a new, 250,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art auto processing facility at the Blount Island terminal. Planned for completion in 2025, the $120 million public-private partnership modernizes the company’s operations, incorporating additional on-site rail connections and truck-loading areas.

Galveston Wharves’ ro-ro business is in the same expansion mode as other ports with new car imports through April up 14 percent compared to the same period last year. According to Rodger Rees, Port Director & CEO, Galveston Wharves is spending $90 million to expand its West Port cargo complex to accommodate ro-ro, breakbulk and other cargoes. It’s also adding nearly 30 acres in the West Port area by filling in two slips and demolishing a decommissioned grain elevator.

The port of San Diego has seen continuous growth and commitment from its 14 original equipment manufacturers. “In 2023 we handled approximately 360,000 vehicles through the port,” says Josefina Khalidy, Principal, Maritime Business Retention. San Diego has invested heavily to further support its ro-ro carriers by equipping the National City Marine Terminal (NCMT) with shore power, which is expected to be operational by 2025.

The port has also commissioned a bonnet barge system to provide an alternative emissions capture technology for ro-ro vessels that are not yet equipped with shore power capabilities. The barge system will be operational by the end of 2024.

NCMT has also seen facility improvements including structural repairs and lighting upgrades. One of the next major upgrades is additional rail connector track to support terminal operations. The port also continues to fulfill its role as a strategic port for the movement of military cargo. 

Ports columnist Tom Peters writes from Halifax, Nova Scotia.

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

 

Port Decarbonization: Snapshot of a Sector in Transition

iStock

Published Jul 25, 2024 4:23 PM by Panos Koutsourakis

 

Panos Koutsourakis, Vice President of Global Sustainability of the American Bureau of Shipping, shares trends and learnings from a recent survey into the targets, trends and technologies of port decarbonization.

Across our blue planet, ships transit the oceans and waterways to connect far-flung economies. Their cargoes help to house, power, move and feed billions of people. Cost-effective over long distances in the way no other transport system is – adding, for example, just 0.3p to a £2.50 cup of coffee - sea transport is vital to global prosperity and underpins our modern way of life. But our way of life needs to change if the world is to avoid catastrophic global warming, and that means change for the maritime industries too.

From cleaner burning fuels and fuel cells to AI routing and wind-assisted tech, much of this change is focused on reducing the fuel burn of the vessels. But the shore-side infrastructure, from bunkering facilities and storage tanks to the cranes, trucks and trains that load and unload cargos as part of a seamless global supply chain, also needs to be weaned off fossil fuels. It’s estimated that ports emit around 2% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, much of which come from sources outside the direct control of the port, including vessels, rail and trucks.

The port challenge

It’s hard to overstate the scale of this challenge. There are more than 300 ports in the United States, handling a wide array of goods, commodities and people. US ports support the transport of 40% of all US goods to the tune of $2.1 trillion, support 2.5 million jobs, including 1 million port workers on average salaries of $98,000, and generate $311 billion in economic activity. Ports are the leading transportation mode for US international freight trade by weight and value, handling 1.6 billion tons of imports and exports in 2021.

And the biggest are city-sized. Take the Port of Los Angeles, for example, the busiest seaport in the Western Hemisphere, which occupies 7,500 acres of land and water along 43 miles of waterfront. It operates, among other things, more than 23,000+ drayage trucks (the vast majority of which are diesel-fuelled), 83 ship-to-shore container cranes and handles cargos ranging from avocados to zinc. Transitioning something this big, this busy and this strategic to a zero-emission operation is a huge task.

The drive to decarbonize

To better understand this challenge, and provide a timely snapshot of progress to date, the American Bureau of Shipping joined forces with the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA). We conducted a survey and follow-up interviews to better understand the decarbonization landscape, and how ports plan to navigate their way to a zero-carbon future.

ABS and AAPA found that the majority (69%) of surveyed ports have set formal goals for decarbonization, including some fully-fledged net-zero or carbon-neutral goals that encompass emissions both in and out of the ports’ direct control.

The drivers for these programs varied widely, with the most commonly cited motivators being internal commitments, local community pressure and customer demand. Interestingly, only 20% of respondents said pressure from the authorities (federal, state or local governments) was the main driver of their decarbonization effort. It seems that wider network effects are weighing on organizations to act when it comes to the climate and local stakeholders. It also suggests, however, that there’s considerable scope for stiffer targets from regulators to accelerate progress.  

This matters because decarbonization will not come cheap. Indeed, according to the APAA, there are already ‘$50 billion of green energy projects in various lifecycle stages’ across the industry, and delivering these in a timely fashion will require substantial funding and potentially more clarity from regulators. It’s little wonder, when asked to cite the biggest hurdles to decarbonization, that nine out of ten (90%) of our surveyed ports cited financial constraints, followed by technology readiness (62%) and equipment performance constraints (45%). 

These three factors are part of the same equation: decarbonized alternatives require significant investment to move them from the drawing board, through the pilot, proof of concept, certification and into operational viability. These are not challenges that ports can overcome by themselves. It requires an ecosystem of partners, including regulators, all working to decarbonize the supply chain, both shoreside and at sea.

Funding the transition

Given the scale of the investment required to decarbonize, grant funding is and will continue to be crucial. When it comes to federal support, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) have opened the faucets for clean energy funding and turbo-charged the nation’s energy transition. Forecasts suggest projects delivered under IRA will reduce US economy-wide emissions by up to 40% by 2030.

Over half of our respondents receive grant funds under the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) program, while more than 40% are recipients of the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) program. Our survey didn’t include two new subsidies under the EPA’s $3 billion Clean Ports Program as the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) was only released in February 2024. These funding rounds – the Zero-Emission Technology Deployment Competition and the Climate and Air Quality Planning Competition – are now open and are expected to become a leading source of federal funds for ports going forward.

Beyond the federal programs, there are other sources of funding for decarbonization projects. Our research found almost three-quarters of surveyed ports were applying for state government funding programs to support their decarbonization aims and these are likely to remain important.

Cooperation and collaboration

Given that ports are gateways to world commerce, trade and travel, this decarbonization effort is not merely a domestic challenge. Ports will need to work across international supply chains to find solutions that work. And beyond the port limits, there will need to be cooperation and collaboration with a wide range of utility companies, OEMs and other suppliers in order to switch from fossil fuels to green power.

Electrification is a key element of the energy transition and the port-utility relationship is going to be key. Our survey found 42% of responding ports have received some financial support in the installation of charging infrastructure and appear to have a good partner in their utility providers. However, this support appears to stop at the meter, with the costs on the customer side mostly borne by ports.

Further ahead, the electrification agenda is going to require collaboration not just between port and utility but also regulatory bodies. Almost half our respondents expect power demand to increase by over five times over the next ten years, with 11% thinking this could increase tenfold. This could potentially signal a formidable trend that will require significant changes in transmission planning in some regions.

Given the investment and timescales involved in such a seismic shift in power demand, at a time when shipping volumes only look set to increase, the cooperation, conversations and consultations need to be underway so that decarbonization stays on track to deliver the world we all want.

Panos Koutsourakis is Vice President of Global Sustainability of the American Bureau of Shipping.

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

 

California Lawmaker Prioritizes Harbor Tug Safety

Courtesy of California Assemblymember Dr. Jasmeet Bains

Published Jul 26, 2024 3:33 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

 

[Office of California Assemblymember Dr. Jasmeet Bains]

Dr. Jasmeet Bains (D-Delano) visited the Port of Oakland last week to discuss her proposed harborcraft legislation and to call on regulators to prioritize mariner safety.

Dr. Bains toured the port aboard the tugboat Sandra Hugh to gain first-hand insight into the challenges posed by recent CARB regulations requiring the installation of unproven and potentially dangerous technologies.

The proposed bill, AB 1122, addresses concerns raised by unions, businesses, and the U.S. Coast Guard over the past three years regarding CARB’s updates to the Commercial Harborcraft Rule. These updates would force companies to install expensive, unvetted equipment called Diesel Particulate Filters (DPFs) or decommission tugboats prematurely. Experts fear a repeat of the disastrous DPF rollout in the trucking industry, which caused $5.2 million in damages, destroyed almost 4,000 acres of forest, and drove hundreds from their homes in just one DPF fire.

“The regulations currently proposed by CARB put our mariners at unnecessary risk and threaten the stability of our supply chains, including for farmers in the San Joaquin Valley who depend on the Port of Oakland for reliable exports,” said Dr. Bains.

“AB 1122 is necessary to protect our workforce, environment, and economy from the unintended consequences of CARB’s rushed regulations. Any new technology mandated should be thoroughly vetted and approved by industry safety experts.”

During her visit, Dr. Bains met with mariners and industry stakeholders to discuss the urgent need to revise the Commercial Harborcraft Rule. On board the Sandra Hugh, a state-of-the-art 5,500-horsepower vessel owned by AmNav Maritime Services, Dr. Bains observed the discipline mariners require to perform their jobs safely and efficiently. The crew and industry stakeholders highlighted the dangers of retrofitting vessels with untested technologies that could lead to engine overheating and fires.

"Protecting our coastal environment and clean air is a shared responsibility. However, mandating untested technologies that could lead to catastrophic failures is not the solution,” said Peter Schrappen, Pacific Region Vice President of the American Waterways Operators.

“By supporting AB 1122, we advocate for a balanced approach that prioritizes both environmental stewardship and the operational safety of our vessels. It’s about safeguarding our marine ecosystems and those working on them. We thank Dr. Bains for writing and fighting for this legislation."

Not only are these retrofits dangerous, but they can also put tugboats out of commission and negatively impact the economy. As of 2022, California's ports processed about 40 percent of all containerized imports and 30 percent of all exports in the United States. California's tugboats, towboats, and barges help move $34 billion worth of agricultural and food products, connecting American farmers with global markets and American supermarkets with international producers.

Representatives from Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Senator Bill Dodd (D-Napa) were also in attendance.

The California Senate Transportation Committee and the Senate Environmental Quality Committee have unanimously recommended AB 1122. The Senate Appropriations Committee will vote on the bill, followed by the full Senate. Finally, the bill will need to be concurred in by the full Assembly. The legislative session ends on August 31, leaving only weeks for this critical bill to pass.

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

 

NOAA Agrees to Help Find & Honor Lost Servicemembers From Past Wars

NOAA, Navy and Scripps personnel search for wreckage from USS Abner Read off Kiska, 2018 (NOAA)

Published Jul 25, 2024 8:43 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) accumulates a vast amount of ocean survey data, and its research vessels travel to far-flung destinations that few people visit. Its  capabilities are useful for a variety of civilian and defense purposes, and it is adding one more important mission to the list: finding and honoring lost American servicemembers from past wars. 

NOAA has reached an agreement with the Pentagon's Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) to share data and work together on ocean expeditions that contribute to DPAA's mission - locating, recovering and identifying the remains of lost U.S. soldiers and sailors. The two agencies have worked together before - most recently, during a search for a missing WWII B-25 bomber off Alaska - but the agreement lays out a framework for extensive collaboration. Future partnerships could include joint expeditions and personnel exchanges; data-sharing from research cruises; technical advisory services, equipment and facilities for DPAA's use; and reciprocal access to DPAA-sponsored vessels and assets for NOAA scientists. 

"NOAA’s expertise is world-renowned, and we are excited about this partnership and our collective commitment to keep our nation’s promise to provide the fullest possible accounting for those still missing from past conflicts,” said Fern Sumpter Winbush, DPAA’s Principal Deputy Director. “Our agencies will learn from one another as we stretch the limits of technology to search for those still missing since World War II, and as we provide answers to their families.” 

The two agencies have collaborated successfully in the past. In 2018, a joint team traveled to the remote island of Kiska, Alaska, to survey waters where U.S. and Japanese forces fought during World War II's Aleutian campaign. The expedition, which was funded by NOAA and coordinated with DPAA, discovered the missing stern section of the USS Abner Read, a Fletcher-class destroyer that struck a Japanese mine on August 18, 1943. The mine blew off Read's stern section, killing 70 crewmembers and leaving one missing - but the warship stayed afloat. The destroyer USS Bancroft came to her aid and kept her from drifting into a known minefield. She was repaired and redeployed to the Western Pacific, and she was sunk by a Japanese dive bomber in the Leyte Gulf in November 1944. 

Using detailed historical records and advanced multibeam sonar, a joint NOAA-DPAA team found the wreckage of Read's 75-foot stern section off Kiska in 2018. They used an ROV to capture imagery of the growth-encrusted wreck, and they held a memorial service for the lost servicemembers resting in the waters below. 

 

Finnish Border Guard Escorts Russian Vessel Away During Brief Incursion

Ruassian research vessel made a brief incursion into Finnish waters (Border Guard photo)

Published Jul 26, 2024 2:01 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

 

Finland’s Ministry of Defense is reporting what it terms a suspected territorial waters violation in the eastern Gulf of Finland by a Russian vessel. The Border Guard clarified that it was a brief incursion by a Russian research vessel and while it is not common at sea, the incursion was handled in a routine manner and lasted just seven minutes.

The Border Guard says it detected the vessel using its normal observation tools and dispatched a patrol boat to intercept the vessel. The Russian vessel, which is now being identified as the research ship Mikhail Kazansky, officially crossed the maritime border at 12:31 p.m. local time on July 26. 

The patrol ship attempted to contact the Russian vessel by radio but said it received no reply. After repeated attempts, it used “other means” to signal the Russian vessel to move out of Finnish waters. The Finnish patrol vessel remained alongside during the entire incursion and after seven minutes and traveling approximately 1.2 nautical miles in Finnish waters, the Russian vessel reentered international waters at 12:38 p.m.

Speaking with the media, a spokesperson for the Border Guard said weather and visibility did not explain the violation. They noted the weather was good and visibility clear, confirmed in a picture they released of the vessel. In the view of the Border Guard, “there was no reason to enter Finnish territory.”

The Ministry of Defense said the Border Guard would oversee investigating the incident.

The Mikhail Kazansky was one of three recently built Russian research vessels. The Finns noted it is unarmed and operated by the Hydrographic Institute of the Russian Baltic fleet. The vessel was designed for seabed exploration and various other underwater explorations.

Tensions in the region remain high with the Finland-Russia border officially closed since the start of the war in Ukraine. Finland reports frequent illegal crossings by individuals and in June four Russian military aircraft traveled about 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) in Finnish airspace.

Last year, in another incident at sea, a gas line connecting Finland and Estonia was damaged as well as a Swedish telecom line. Investigators suspected a Chinese-owned containership may have dragged its anchor but the Chinese have been refusing to cooperate with the investigation. The suspected sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline damaged in 2022 has never been solved.