International News

Transport Malta investigation report into fatality by toxic gases in bow thruster compartment

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Photo credit: MSIU
Photo credit: MSIU

Transport Malta’s MSIU issued an investigation report on the fatality of a crew member onboard the Maltese-registered chemical tanker ‘Scot Berlin’ in August 2017. The immediate cause of the accident was the entry into a space which had a significant presence of toxic gases suspended in the air.

The vessel arrived at Marsaxlokk Oil Tanking Terminal loaded with two parcels of cargo. Following the completion of cargo operation, the crew members started the ballasting of the vessel since her next trip to Spain was a ballast voyage. Ballasting in the forepeak tank started under the supervision of the second mate.

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Red Ensign Group members get boost to their expertise in casualty investigation

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Raman Bala, Director of Shipping, British Virgin Islands (pictured) attending the MAIB training
Raman Bala, Director of Shipping, British Virgin Islands (pictured) attending the MAIB training

Red Ensign Group members have been attending an intensive course aimed at working with them to ensure their safety investigations of marine casualties and incidents are carried out in line with international requirements.

While the REG delegates are already experienced in such investigations, the course run by the UK-based Marine Accident Investigation Branch combines the requirements of the International Maritime Organization’s Casualty Investigation Code with its own experience and best practice.

David Wheal, principal inspector of marine accidents at the MAIB is one of the team that created the course. He said: ‘This is not designed Continue reading “Red Ensign Group members get boost to their expertise in casualty investigation”

International Chamber of Shipping publishes free 32 page guide about new sulphur rule compliance from January 2020

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To assist shipping companies to prepare for implementation of the UN IMO global sulphur cap for ships’ fuel oil, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has produced – free of charge – some comprehensive guidance on implementation planning, to help ensure compliance across the shipping industry with this regulatory game changer.

The free ICS guidance has been prepared for the vast majority of ships that will comply after 1 January 2020 using fuel oils with a sulphur content of 0.50% m/m or less.

ICS Secretary General, Guy Platten, explained:
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TT Club issues advice on dealing with container fires

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To tackle a fire in a hold, TT Club notes a CO2 system will be installed if the ship is carrying dangerous goods.
To tackle a fire in a hold, TT Club notes a CO2 system will be installed if the ship is carrying dangerous goods.

According to TT Club, container fires are a far more regular occurrence than most people would realise. Statistics show there is a major container cargo fire at sea roughly every 60 days. So, tackling fires and subsequent investigations are complex and vitally important activities.

With increasing container ships size increases the risk of a fire incident increases too. Despite some regulatory and technical advances, the fact is that the ability to respond to a cargo-related fire at sea has not progressed as needed in recent times.

To tackle a fire in a hold, TT Club notes a CO2 system will be installed if the ship is carrying dangerous goods. The gas released from a CO2 system can displace the oxygen in the hold and smother the fire. However, for CO2 to be effective, the hold must be closed to retain the gas and prevent oxygen ingress.

If an incident has taken place in a container stowed on deck, water will be the only option available . Nevertheless, it is unlikely to extinguish a fire inside a container in the short term.

In addition, crew members should seek Continue reading “TT Club issues advice on dealing with container fires”

India set to construct National Maritime Heritage complex at Lothal

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India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi who asked the shipping ministry to build a maritime heritage complex in Gujarat
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi who asked the shipping ministry to build a maritime heritage complex in Gujarat

The Indian Ministry of Shipping, through its flagship programme Sagarmala, is closely working with Government of Gujarat state and other stakeholders to showcase India’s rich maritime heritage through development of a World Class Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) at Lothal in the state of Gujarat.

Preliminary work on design elements of the proposed heritage complex has been completed and consultations from experts are now under process.

In order to further plan and take the project forward, a one day consultation workshop was held at Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Continue reading “India set to construct National Maritime Heritage complex at Lothal”

Shipping fears engine failures as industry switches to low sulphur fuel

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By Ellen Milligan (Bloomberg). Add oil tankers breaking down at sea to the list of things shipping companies are worrying about as they brace for a once-in-a-generation overhaul to the kind of fuel the industry must consume.

From Jan. 1, 2020, the vast majority of the world’s merchant fleet will have to use fuel containing no more than 0.5 percent sulfur, down from 3.5 percent in most parts of the world today. The change is expected to upend both shipping and refining industries, with analysts forecasting higher oil prices, slower-sailing ships, and some observers even warning of risks to world trade.

Now more and more of the world’s largest shipping companies and trade groups, already mindful of spiralling costs, are saying there’s a Continue reading “Shipping fears engine failures as industry switches to low sulphur fuel”

New report on the human impact of autonomous ships published by IMarEST

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In a major piece of research, perhaps one of the most detailed of its kind to be undertaken into the potential human impact of autonomous vessels to date, the IMarEST’s Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships Special Interest Group sought to gauge the potential impact of self-governing ships and plot out a new course for the shipping industry’s valued workforce.

Autonomous technologies could create a competitive advantage for shipping companies but adoption will vary significantly between market segments. This was one conclusion reached in an industry-wide investigation conducted by the IMarEST’s Marine Autonomous Surface Ships special interest group (MASS-SIG). An initial survey went on to inform a roundtable discussion which in turn formed the basis of a report: “Autonomous Shipping – Putting the Human Back in the Headlines”.

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World’s only oceangoing solar-electric production catamaran is unveiled at the Cannes Yachting Festival

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The operational costs of the vessels are substantially lower compared to power yachts using more traditional propulsion systems because the systems require hardly any maintenance and produce no fumes or noise
The operational costs of the vessels are substantially lower compared to power yachts using more traditional propulsion systems because the systems require hardly any maintenance and produce no fumes or noise

Austrian yard Silent Yachts has premiered 16.7-metre (55-foot) solar-powered catamaran Silent 55 at the Cannes Yachting Festival. Silent 55 uses silent electric propulsion for unlimited range with no noise or fumes and minimal vibration – she is completely self-sufficient and largely maintenance-free.

Available in several power configurations to suit a variety of cruising applications, all of which adhere to Silent Yachts’ philosophy of relying mainly on solar power for propulsion and on-board power needs.

The Silent 55 on display at Cannes is an E-Power version with 2 x 135kW motors and can reach up to 14 knots. The model can be equipped as a Cruiser version, with a pair of 30 kW motors or a Hybrid Power version with 2 x 220hp diesel engines and two 14 kW electric motors. A Sailor version can be equipped with all the previously mentioned drivetrain configurations and is rigged with a mast and sails to provide additional propulsion in fair winds.

With 30 high-efficiency solar panels rated for Continue reading “World’s only oceangoing solar-electric production catamaran is unveiled at the Cannes Yachting Festival”

AMSA stresses the importance of marine incident reports

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Photo credit: Reuters
Photo credit: Reuters

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has experienced a steady increase in incident reports from 1,721 in 2013 to 3,017 reports in 2017. This is a 75% increase over a five-year period. For the period from 1 January to 30 June 2018, AMSA received 1,611 incident reports.

Key points to note

– During 2013-2017, the number of ship arrivals to Australian ports has increased by 21%.
From the 1611 incident reports in January-June 2018, the vast majority of occurrences (78%) concerned some form of technical issue.
– Among the technical issues, the most predominant occurrences relate to power, propulsion, and steering. This includes, for example, issues with a vessel’s main and auxiliary engines, and the steering gear and rudder.

AMSA uses incident data in combination with other sources of information, such as inspection and survey reports, research findings, accident investigations, and our day-to-day interaction with vessel crews, owners, and operators. This helps us gain a better understanding of Continue reading “AMSA stresses the importance of marine incident reports”

Nippon Paint Marine launches what it claims is the world’s first biocide free SPC antifouling

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The technology adopts an advanced antifouling mechanism based around the anti-thrombogenic polymers used in the construction of artificial hearts and blood vessels in the medical sector.
The technology adopts an advanced antifouling mechanism based around the anti-thrombogenic polymers used in the construction of artificial hearts and blood vessels in the medical sector.

Japan-headquartered Nippon Paint Marine has introduced what is thought the world’s first biocide-free, low friction self-polishing copolymer (SPC) antifouling technology.

Aquaterras, a product name derived from the Japanese word for shining and the Latin for water – Shining Water – is an entirely new type of marine coating developed using neither biocide materials nor silicone.

Nippon Paint Marine Director John Drew said: “Typically ships’ antifouling paints have contained some form of biocide – copper, tributyltin, co-biocides. But the use of biocides today is strictly controlled by both national and international regulations such as the BPR in the EU. And while there are no immediate plans to further regulate the use of approved biocides, we cannot rule out the possibility that copper in antifouling will be regulated in the near future.

“Nippon Paint Marine has always looked to develop systems that go beyond the regulations. And with Aquaterras our chemists have achieved Continue reading “Nippon Paint Marine launches what it claims is the world’s first biocide free SPC antifouling”

TT Club emphasises need for cargo integrity ahead of IMO meeting on container safety

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A primary concern is the problem of mis-declared dangerous goods, with some sources suggesting that container fires occur on a weekly basis and that a major container cargo fire engulfs a ship at sea on average once every 60 days.
A primary concern is the problem of mis-declared dangerous goods, with some sources suggesting that container fires occur on a weekly basis and that a major container cargo fire engulfs a ship at sea on average once every 60 days.

The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) latest meeting of the Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers (CCC) takes place in London this week and the international freight insurance specialist, TT Club is calling for more urgent action on issues pertaining to the safety of container transport.

For some time now the insurer has been drawing both industry and regulators’ attention to the need for greater ‘Cargo Integrity’, by which is meant the safe, secure and environmentally sound packing, handling and transport of all goods in containers and other transport units, in compliance with conventions (such as SOLAS1) and codes, including IMDG Code2 and the CTU Code3.

TT Club’s Risk Management Director, Peregrine Storrs-Fox comments, “Achieving such Cargo Integrity across the complex web of the international freight supply chain is a big ask and we are in little doubt that a comprehensive result will take time to achieve. However many industry bodies are making significant strides, particularly in the areas of dangerous goods identification, declaration and handling as well as container weighing and packing. We are calling on the regulators, in this case the IMO, to assist in taking action to Continue reading “TT Club emphasises need for cargo integrity ahead of IMO meeting on container safety”

Energy transition offers innovators a competitive edge through “carbon robust” ship designs

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Following on from the 2017 report, the new Maritime Forecast to 2050 focusses on the challenges of decarbonizing the shipping industry.
Following on from the 2017 report, the new Maritime Forecast to 2050 focusses on the challenges of decarbonizing the shipping industry.

DNV GL – Maritime has released its second Maritime Forecast to 2050, part of a suite of Energy Transition Outlook (ETO) reports launched recently in London. The Forecast provides an independent view of the maritime energy future and examines how the energy transition will affect the shipping industry.

“The energy transition is undeniable,” says Remi Eriksen, Group President and CEO of DNV GL. “Last year, more gigawatts of renewable energy were added than those from fossil fuels and this is reflected in where lenders are putting their money.”

Following on from the 2017 report, the new Maritime Forecast to 2050 focuses on the challenges of decarbonizing the shipping industry. It examines recent changes in shipping activity and fuel consumption, future developments in the types and levels of cargoes transported, and future regulations, fuels and technology drivers.

“Decarbonization will be one of the megatrends that will Continue reading “Energy transition offers innovators a competitive edge through “carbon robust” ship designs”

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