Odense Shipyard, Denmark, has held a naming ceremony for the fourth ship in a series of six container ships for the Bridgestone Corporation, Japan.
Attending the christening ceremony last weekend was Mr Shoshi Arakawa, Chairman of the Board, CEO and President, Bridgestone Corporation and his wife, the godmother of the ship, Mrs Yumiko Arakawa. ‘Mette Maersk’ was designed and built to meet the highest demands for the safe, precise, environmentally friendly and economic transportation of goods all over the globe. Among other things, a waste heat recovery system was installed to optimize the use of the energy produced. ‘Mette Maersk’ is a highly automated ship thoroughly monitored by advanced computer systems to ensure an optimal and efficient operation. To minimize the fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions the twelve-cylinder Wartsila RT-flex diesel engine has been optimized for a more efficient and economical service speed. The propulsion machinery on ‘Mette Maersk’develops 62,640kW. The vessel will enter Maersk Line's worldwide liner service after delivery.
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Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Navy Charters Kite-Powered Cargo Ship
The U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command has chartered a kite-assisted, fuel-saving cargo ship to carry military equipment for the first time.
MV Beluga SkySails departed Newport, Wales after the first of three European port calls to load U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force cargo before the ship's month-long voyage to the United States. The 400-ft. Beluga SkySails is the world's first cargo ship to use a sky sail - a giant, computer-controlled kite that can rise 100 yards into the air and uses wind power to help propel the ship during long ocean transits. Though MSC frequently charters commercial ships to meet mission requirements, this is the first time the command has chartered such a ship. The ship operating company estimates that the sky sail can reduce fuel costs by 20 to 30 percent, or roughly $1,600 per day. Though Beluga SkySails' wind power was not a factor in awarding the contract, the ship operating company was likely "able to capitalize on fuel savings to make its offer more competitive," said MSC contracting officer Kenneth Allen.
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MV Beluga SkySails departed Newport, Wales after the first of three European port calls to load U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force cargo before the ship's month-long voyage to the United States. The 400-ft. Beluga SkySails is the world's first cargo ship to use a sky sail - a giant, computer-controlled kite that can rise 100 yards into the air and uses wind power to help propel the ship during long ocean transits. Though MSC frequently charters commercial ships to meet mission requirements, this is the first time the command has chartered such a ship. The ship operating company estimates that the sky sail can reduce fuel costs by 20 to 30 percent, or roughly $1,600 per day. Though Beluga SkySails' wind power was not a factor in awarding the contract, the ship operating company was likely "able to capitalize on fuel savings to make its offer more competitive," said MSC contracting officer Kenneth Allen.
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Petrobras to baptize P-51 platform
Angra Dos Reis, Brazil: Petrobras will baptize the P-51, the first semisubmersible platform built entirely in Brazil, at the BrasFels shipyard in Angra dos Reis.
According to Petrobras, the unit is a milestone in a new achievement of the Brazilian naval industry, with local content of more than 75 percent of goods and services purchased from domestic vendors. The P-51 will be anchored in the Marlim Sul field, at a depth of 4,117 feet (1,255 m), and installed 150 kilometers (93 miles) off the coast. It will be interconnected to 19 wells, including 10 oil and gas producers and nine water injectors, and will produce oil of 22 degrees API. The platform is expected to sail to the Campos Basin this month and to start operating late this year. In 2010, the platform will reach peak operating capacity of 180,000 b/d of oil and 6 MMcm/d (211.9 MMcf/d); at that point, it will account for eight percent of the domestic oil production. The new unit is also part of the Natural Gas Production Anticipation Plan (Plangás) and will be strategic to increase natural gas supply in the Brazilian market. The platform was built by the FSTP (Keppel Fells and Technip) consortium in the cities of Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Itaguaí, and Angra dos Reis, by Nuovo Pignone, in Rio de Janeiro, and by Rolls Royce, in Niterói. Total investment in the platform's construction is about R$1 billion (US$449.2 million).
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According to Petrobras, the unit is a milestone in a new achievement of the Brazilian naval industry, with local content of more than 75 percent of goods and services purchased from domestic vendors. The P-51 will be anchored in the Marlim Sul field, at a depth of 4,117 feet (1,255 m), and installed 150 kilometers (93 miles) off the coast. It will be interconnected to 19 wells, including 10 oil and gas producers and nine water injectors, and will produce oil of 22 degrees API. The platform is expected to sail to the Campos Basin this month and to start operating late this year. In 2010, the platform will reach peak operating capacity of 180,000 b/d of oil and 6 MMcm/d (211.9 MMcf/d); at that point, it will account for eight percent of the domestic oil production. The new unit is also part of the Natural Gas Production Anticipation Plan (Plangás) and will be strategic to increase natural gas supply in the Brazilian market. The platform was built by the FSTP (Keppel Fells and Technip) consortium in the cities of Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Itaguaí, and Angra dos Reis, by Nuovo Pignone, in Rio de Janeiro, and by Rolls Royce, in Niterói. Total investment in the platform's construction is about R$1 billion (US$449.2 million).
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UN Security Council adopts new piracy resolution
New York: The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution urging states to deploy naval vessels and military aircraft to actively join the fight against rampant piracy off the coast of lawless Somalia.
Resolution 1838 "calls upon all states interested in the security of maritime activities to take part actively in the fight against piracy on the high seas off the coast of Somalia, in particular by deploying naval vessels and military aircraft." The French-drafted text urges states with naval vessels and military aircraft operating on the high seas and airspace off the Somali coast "to use the necessary means, in conformity with international law ... for the repression of acts of piracy." David Cockroft, General Secretary of the ITF (International Transport Workers' Federation) commented: "We're delighted the Security Council has responded to our, the shipping industry and the IMO's direct appeal for this action. It is further support for those naval forces seeking to close with the pirates who have turned the Gulf into a war zone – and a reminder to those navies who haven't done so that it is now time to act.”
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Resolution 1838 "calls upon all states interested in the security of maritime activities to take part actively in the fight against piracy on the high seas off the coast of Somalia, in particular by deploying naval vessels and military aircraft." The French-drafted text urges states with naval vessels and military aircraft operating on the high seas and airspace off the Somali coast "to use the necessary means, in conformity with international law ... for the repression of acts of piracy." David Cockroft, General Secretary of the ITF (International Transport Workers' Federation) commented: "We're delighted the Security Council has responded to our, the shipping industry and the IMO's direct appeal for this action. It is further support for those naval forces seeking to close with the pirates who have turned the Gulf into a war zone – and a reminder to those navies who haven't done so that it is now time to act.”
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Fairstar completes load-out of Tombua Landana modules
Fairstar Heavy Transport of the Netherlands has completed the loading of two topside modules this week onto its heavy transport ship ‘Fjord’ at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) in Okpo, South Korea.
Dave Hangoor, Operations Manager for the Rotterdam-based Fairstar, said that both modules had an approximate weight of 11,000 tonnes and were transported from the quayside to the deck of ‘Fjord’. “The ship functioned perfectly as we managed the changing tidal cycle while taking the modules onboard”. The ‘Fjord’ will sail from Korea directly to the Tombua Landana field in Angola, which is being developed by Chevron.
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Dave Hangoor, Operations Manager for the Rotterdam-based Fairstar, said that both modules had an approximate weight of 11,000 tonnes and were transported from the quayside to the deck of ‘Fjord’. “The ship functioned perfectly as we managed the changing tidal cycle while taking the modules onboard”. The ‘Fjord’ will sail from Korea directly to the Tombua Landana field in Angola, which is being developed by Chevron.
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Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Evergreen to open Taiwan's largest maritime museum
Taipei: Container giant Evergreen is to open the country's largest maritime museum in the capital of Taiwan tomorrow.
The 10,500 sq mtr Evergreen Maritime Museum (EMM), which is administrated by the Chang Yung-Fa Foundation (CYFF), is expected to provide an educational and entertaining experience and serve as a bridge between the public and maritime history, art and technology. The museum will exhibit a great quantity of precious maritime artifacts and paintings collected by Evergreen Group Chairman Dr Chang from around the globe over a period of 20 years as well as nautical instruments that once were carried by Evergreen’s older container ships. The museum, which is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 09.00 to 17.00, will boast five permanent exhibitions as well as a section for special exhibitions.
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The 10,500 sq mtr Evergreen Maritime Museum (EMM), which is administrated by the Chang Yung-Fa Foundation (CYFF), is expected to provide an educational and entertaining experience and serve as a bridge between the public and maritime history, art and technology. The museum will exhibit a great quantity of precious maritime artifacts and paintings collected by Evergreen Group Chairman Dr Chang from around the globe over a period of 20 years as well as nautical instruments that once were carried by Evergreen’s older container ships. The museum, which is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 09.00 to 17.00, will boast five permanent exhibitions as well as a section for special exhibitions.
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UAE ports hasten to expand to meet rising demand
Ports in the United Arab Emirates are forecasting record throughputs this year as demand for construction materials, foodstuffs and car imports surge on the back of the region's economic boom.
At the Mina Zayed Port in Abu Dhabi, over the first seven months of the year, commodity imports soared by 69 percent, according to the operator Abu Dhabi Terminals. It noted that port operators across the UAE are scrambling to upgrade equipment and facilities to keep abreast of the frantic pace of regional growth. But rising demand has led to delays for containerships waiting to enter DP World's Jebel Ali terminals. From January to July 2008, steel and iron imports to Abu Dhabi swelled by 76 percent to 1.2 million tonnes, while imports of plywood for construction skyrocketed 351 percent to 43,500 tonnes. "The growth in imports has exceeded our expectations," said Abu Dhabi Terminals CEO Mohammed al Mannaei, adding that 80 percent of goods arriving into the Emirates come by sea. At Jebel Ali, container volumes rose 22 percent in the first half of the year, prompting DP World to boost annual container handling capacity by one million moves in the span of ten days last month through the installation of new gantry cranes and other equipment. It is a similar picture at Gulftainer, which operates Sharjah's terminals on the Arabian Gulf and on the east coast of the country in Khor Fakkan. It is said to be in the middle of "very significant" investments to upgrade its facilities.
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At the Mina Zayed Port in Abu Dhabi, over the first seven months of the year, commodity imports soared by 69 percent, according to the operator Abu Dhabi Terminals. It noted that port operators across the UAE are scrambling to upgrade equipment and facilities to keep abreast of the frantic pace of regional growth. But rising demand has led to delays for containerships waiting to enter DP World's Jebel Ali terminals. From January to July 2008, steel and iron imports to Abu Dhabi swelled by 76 percent to 1.2 million tonnes, while imports of plywood for construction skyrocketed 351 percent to 43,500 tonnes. "The growth in imports has exceeded our expectations," said Abu Dhabi Terminals CEO Mohammed al Mannaei, adding that 80 percent of goods arriving into the Emirates come by sea. At Jebel Ali, container volumes rose 22 percent in the first half of the year, prompting DP World to boost annual container handling capacity by one million moves in the span of ten days last month through the installation of new gantry cranes and other equipment. It is a similar picture at Gulftainer, which operates Sharjah's terminals on the Arabian Gulf and on the east coast of the country in Khor Fakkan. It is said to be in the middle of "very significant" investments to upgrade its facilities.
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