Equinor ponders floating wind in Greece

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March 27, 2019

Norwegian energy company Equinor is considering the development of floating offshore wind projects off the coast of Greece.

The company told “due to excellent wind conditions offshore, deep waters and the strong industrial/yard and maritime tradition, Greece is well positioned to become an important area for floating offshore wind”.

It added that: “We are hopeful that there will be a business case for floating offshore wind in Greece."

We are still in an early stage in identifying opportunities on offshore wind in Greece.

The world’s first floating offshore wind farm the 30MW Hywind project, was opened by Equinor and Masdar off the coast of Peterhead in late 2017.

Source:renews

Colombia inks concession contract for Puerto Antioquia

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March 27, 2019

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The Colombian government has signed a 30-year-concession-contract for the construction of the long-awaited new port on the Caribbean Sea, in Turbo, in the department of Antioquia.

The $300m-terminal will have a capacity for 6.6m tonnes of cargo and will receive container Post-panamax vessels of up 366 m in length.

The concessionaire Sociedad Puerto Bahia Colombia of Uraba’s president Oscar Isaza Benjumea said that the Ports, Investments and Works SAS (PIO SAS) company will be in charge of its development in partnership with the French shipping company CMA CGM.

The terminal will be built by a consortium made up of Eiffage Infraestructuras from France and Coimdustrial Thermotécnica de Colombia.

Puerto Antioquia will feature a dock with five berths, a depth of 14.5 m and a double carriageway viaduct for the transit of trucks between the platform and the port on land, which allows the passage of up to eight heavy transport vehicles.

Puerto Antioquia is expected to start operations in the second half of 2020.

The terminal in Turbo, will benefit the Uraba agro-industrial sub-region, considered a strategic zone due to its geographical position, near the border with Panama. The Uraba region is one of the main producers of bananas, other fruits and cereals.

The port, which will be located in the sector known as Bahía Colombia, on the banks of the Leon River, an arm of the mighty Atrato, will be connected to the rest of the country by the Mar 1 and Mar 2 highways.

Evergreen supersizes its L-class ships

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March 27, 2019

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Evergreen is supersizing its series of so-called L-class boxships. According to Alphaliner, the Taiwanese carrier currently operates a fleet of 30 such vessels, and it remains unclear how many will be enlarged.

According to Alphaliner, the upgraded ships will have a capacity of 9,466 teu, compared to an original intake of 8,452 teu. Most of the increase will come from raising the vessels’ deck houses.

The first jumboized ship, Ever Laden, arrived on the US East Coast this week, while a sister ship, Ever Lenient, is currently being upgraded at China’s Huarun Dadong Dockyard.

Source:splash247

BP to fund emissions reductions projects

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March 27, 2019

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BP has established a $100-million fund for projects that will deliver new greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions in its Upstream oil and gas operations.

The new Upstream Carbon Fund will provide further support to BP’s work generating sustainable greenhouse gas emissions reductions in its operations.

In April 2018, the company set clear, near-term and specific targets aimed at reducing its emissions and advancing the energy transition, including achieving 3.5 million metric tons of sustainable GHG emissions reductions across the BP Group from 2016 to 2025 and targeting a methane intensity of 0.2%.

In the year since, its total direct GHG emissions fell by 1.7 million metric tons CO₂ equivalent, despite a 3% growth in Upstream oil and gas production on the same basis. By the end of 2018, BP had generated 2.5 million metric tons of sustainable GHG emissions reductions throughout its businesses since 2016. Its methane intensity for 2018 was 0.2% – in line with the target.

Upstream chief executive Bernard Looney said: “A year ago we challenged everyone at BP to reduce emissions in our operations and they have responded overwhelmingly. This $100-million investment is designed to build on that momentum. It will fund ideas both big and small because everything counts in our transition to a lower carbon future and everyone at BP has a role to play.”

Under the new initiative, funding up to $100 million will be made available over the next three years to support new projects in the upstream that will generate additional GHG emission reductions. Businesses and employees throughout the company’s Upstream operating businesses are being invited to come up with ideas and propose projects for this funding.

The company said its targets for reductions in operational emissions are part of its ‘reduce-improve-create’, or RIC, approach to the energy transition, which also aims to improve its products to allow customers to reduce their emissions and to create and grow new low carbon businesses. The projects that are awarded funding will help to deliver the further emissions reductions necessary to achieve the RIC targets.

Source:offshore-mag

Petrobras Sues Samsung Heavy Industries

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March 27, 2019

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Samsung Heavy Industries said on Wednesday that Petrobras America filed a lawsuit against the South Korean shipbuilder with a U.S. court, claiming 283 billion won ($249.32 million) in damages.

Petrobras America claimed that it paid excessive charter fees for a drill ship built by Samsung Heavy, Samsung said in a regulatory filing. Samsung delivered the vessel to U.S. shipowner Pride Global Limited in 2011.

Samsung said it was not involved in the charter agreement signed between Petrobras America and Pride Global Limited, saying it will actively counter the legal dispute.

Source:marinelink

Inmarsat supports start-ups to advance digitalization in maritime

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March 26, 2019

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Inmarsat has collaborated with the start-up programmes, Rainmaking Trade and Transport Impact (T&TI) and Bluetech Accelerator, to support news businesses focused on the Internet of Things (IoT) and big data innovation in the maritime, ports and logistics supply chain.

The programmes will fund, support and mentor start-ups' developing applications that aim to leverage the power of IoT and big data to improve safety, efficiency and sustainability. Inmarsat will work with these start-ups to find a route to market through its satellite communications infrastructure that connects ships, yachts, ports, road and rail networks.

The T&TI programme, launched by Hamburg-based Rainmaking, will help connect actors like Inmarsat, Cargotec and Wärtsilä with innovative start-ups, and work collaboratively to address the biggest commercial and operational challenges facing the global supply chain today.

The Bluetech Accelerator, sponsored by Portugal and based in Lisbon, was initiated at the end of January and will take on six business partners including Inmarsat to help select and finance the first set of winning start-ups, who will be chosen in the last quarter of 2019.

Ali Grey, Senior Director of Digital Incubation at Inmarsat, stated: "Unlocking the full benefits will require fresh perspectives on both longstanding and looming challenges. Start-ups are good at spotting opportunities that more established players miss, so it is important for the industry’s future that we offer a helping hand to nurture innovation."

Inmarsat has already some experience in developing application-based solutions,as the Fleet Data is a bandwidth-inclusive IoT platform that enables ship operators to collect data from onboard sensors, upload it to a cloud-based platform, and interface with applications from third-party application developers.

Source:safety4sea

EDF snaps up stake in Dongtai 4 and 5

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March 26, 2019

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EDF Group has entered into a deal with Chinese utility China Energy Investment Corporation (CEI) to develop two offshore wind projects, Dongtai 4 and 5.

The projects, which are located off the coast of Jiangsu province with a total installed capacity of 500MW, will be the EDF’s first offshore projects in China.

Dongtai 4 is being built, while work on Dongtai 5 is scheduled to start later this year.

The 500MW will be commissioned in phases by 2021.

EDF Group through its subsidiary EDF Renouvelables has 5.3GW of offshore wind either in operation or in development, and maintains 500MW of this capacity.

EDF also signed an agreement with another Chinese power utility, Huadia, concerning the operation of a heating and air-conditioning network in the city of Wuhan.

The companies will explore use of potential for using smart energy management tools already being used by EDF Group for the heating network in the city of Sanmenxia.

EDF Group chief executive and chairman Jean-Bernard Levy said: “The agreements signed today consolidate EDF’s foothold in China, a strategic country for the group’s international expansion."

“In China, EDF is now active in all main business segments, all of these helping the group to support China’s energy ambitions whilst reducing carbon dioxide emissions: nuclear, renewables and energy services. As part of EDF’s CAP 2030 strategy, the group is aiming to triple its business volume outside of Europe.”

Source:renews

Icebreaker passes US Army muster

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March 26, 2019

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Fred Olsen Renewables and LEEDCo's 21MW Icebreaker offshore wind farm on Lake Erie in the US has had a construction permit approved by the US Army Corps of Engineers.

The approval by the Army Corps, which administers and enforces provisions of the Rivers and Harbors Act and the Clean Water Act, follows a two-year review.

Icebreaker has already received approvals and permits from over a dozen local, state and federal agencies that have responsibility for environmental protection, but still requires the go-ahead from the US state of Ohio.

If approved, construction could start in 2021, LEEDCo said.

LEEDCo president Lorry Wagner said: “The issuance of the permit represents a big step forward for this thoroughly reviewed project."

It would put Cleveland on the international map as being a progressive leader in clean energy and it would lead to Ohio becoming a participant in the booming $50bn US offshore wind industry.

“This project represents the first step toward realising the substantial potential of making our region a national hub for wind energy.”

Source:renews

Solstad Offshore secures offshore installation work from Ophir

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March 26, 2019

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Solstad Offshore has been awarded a contract by Ophir for offshore installation works at the Bualuang Charlie wellhead platform structure, part of the Bualuang Phase 4B Development Project.

The project is located in the Gulf of Thailand and comprises the installation of a bridged-linked wellhead platform structure along with the retrofitting of extension structures to existing in-field platforms.

Offshore activities are scheduled to commence in July and the company will be using the derrick lay barge Norce Endeavour for the project.

APL providing free shipping to The Ocean Cleanup to rid the oceans of plastics

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March 26, 2019

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APL has announced that it is providing free shipping to The Ocean Cleanup, a non-government and non-profit organisation working to develop advanced technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic.

APL has committed to transport containers of components and equipment for the extraction of plastic pollution from the oceans from 2019 to 2020.

“In partnering with The Ocean Cleanup, APL seeks to step up our efforts in protecting marine biodiversity. APL is fully behind The Ocean Cleanup’s efforts to remove ocean debris that contributes to habitat destruction and kills tens of thousands of marine animals each year,” said Dennis Yee, APL Global Head of Safety, Security and Environment.

During 2019 to 2020, APL will deliver equipment and components for research programs and clean-up operations globally.

Awareness for the environment and efforts made to protect ocean biodiversity are not new to APL. Operationally, the carrier helps to prevent the transfer of harmful aquatic organisms in ballast water carried by its ships.

Commercially, APL prohibits the carriage of endangered species products including shark fin, dolphins and whales, among others, onboard its vessels.

APL is a signatory of the United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce, joining the fight against illegal wildlife trade.

Globally, APL employees also embrace marine conservation, involving in coastal and waterway clean-up for litter-free seas and rivers; as well as raising funds for marine charities.

Source:seatrade-maritime