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Georgia Ports rolls out mobile app for truckers

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The Georgia Ports Authority has rolled out its new GPA Trucker mobile app to help make the trucker experience smoother, easier and faster at Port of Savannah terminals.

The Port of Savannah averages 14,000-16,000 gate moves daily from 4 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Truck turn times at Garden City Terminal average 35 minutes for a single move; 53 minutes for dual moves when a driver is delivering an export and picking up an import.

The GPA Trucker app puts more information at drivers’ fingertips to make their work easier. Through the app, drivers can save drive time, simplify paperwork and get notifications such as changes to gate hours to help plan the day. For ease of use, the app offers facial recognition or fingerprint opening.

“At GPA, we see drivers as our front-line customers, and we are always working to provide a superior customer experience,” GPA President and CEO Griff Lynch said. “Helping truckers solve problems before they arrive at our gates improves overall efficiency for them and for the cargo owners who choose Georgia Ports.”

Lynch added drivers can make six to eight turns a day for deliveries to local warehouses and still be home for dinner with their families. He said such supply chain velocity creates a financial benefit for cargo owners’ inventory carrying costs.

The app’s initial purpose is to improve and simplify the process for container transactions. To track container moves, Georgia Ports uses PINs, which are good for 72 hours. Drivers provide the PIN at the terminal gate to receive a paper ticket with a container’s pickup or drop-off location.

The GPA Trucker app now also provides a digital version of the ticket that can be saved or transmitted to a driver’s trucking company. The app’s next generation will include a push function, so drivers will automatically receive their digital tickets, instead of having to search in the app.

Through the app, drivers can avoid trips if, for instance, the time limit has expired on the PIN issued for a container move, or an export container has shifted to a different vessel.

Additionally, the app informs drivers which terminal entry gate is closest to the container, and sends announcements such as changes to gate hours and weather alerts. Future functionality will include navigation assistance through Waze or Apple Maps, so that drivers can more easily find containers on terminal.

Damen Shiprepair Rotterdam hosts naming ceremony for Petrodec Obana platform

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The project started in 2021 when Petrodec developed a solution for decommissioning complex offshore platforms in the UK North Sea.

Having considered various possibilities, Petrodec decided to merge two used jack-ups into a single jack-up. The jack-ups were transported to Rotterdam while a new mid-ship section was constructed in Dubai. With the arrival of the mid section in November 2024, the Obana’s 2,000 ton crane was moved from Liebherr in Rostock to Rotterdam and installed at Mammoet. 

On 13 December, it was time for the three sections to enter into the Damen Shiprepair yard’s drydock number seven – at 405 x 90 metres, the largest in Western Europe, at the same time. Size was crucial, with the width of the three units reaching 80 x 230 metres.
 
Prior to the docking, Damen Shiprepair had prepared the forward and aft sections of the jack-ups. Once the units had been positioned using hydraulic jacks, welding could begin. This part of the project included Damen Shiprepair creating four new passageways linking forward and aft sections via the mid section. In total, Damen Shiprepair added approximately 300 tons of steel. 

Furthermore, Damen Shiprepair installed all reinforcement and foundations for the Obana’s two 60 ton cranes and the main crane’s boom rest, adding a further 200 tons of steel. Following this, Damen Shiprepair assisted with installation of the two crane pedestals and main crane boom rest.

Damen Shiprepair also assisted with the piping interface for the three sections, ensuring all systems were connected, painting of the external hull, voids and areas merged, including main deck parts. With the undocking of the Obana, Damen Shiprepair continued to support Petrodec in the completion of works.

Peter Altena, Managing Director at Damen Shiprepair Rotterdam said, “This has been an exciting and unique project, and we are very proud of the result. In total, our scope has involved 500,000 hours of work, undertaken without a single lost time incident – a great achievement and a testament to the excellent partnership between Petrodec and Damen Shiprepair. Together, we wrote a little piece of history.”

New oil discovery in the Norwegian Sea

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Preliminary calculations of the size of the discovery made in the Garn Formation are between 0.48 and 1.11 million standard cubic metres (Sm3) of recoverable oil equivalent (o.e). This corresponds to 3-7 million barrels of recoverable o.e.

A minor discovery was also made in the Early Cretaceous; the size of this discovery is estimated at 0.16-0.32 million standard cubic metres (Sm3) of recoverable o.e. This corresponds to 1-2 million barrels of recoverable o.e.

Wells 6507/5-13 S and A were drilled 6 kilometres southwest of the floating production and storage vessel Skarv FPSO in production licence 212, which is part of the Skarv Unit.

6507/5-13 S and A are the ninth and tenth exploration wells in production licence 212, which was awarded in 1996.

The wells were drilled by the Scarabeo 8 exploration rig.

The licensees will consider the discovery in the Garn Formation for a potential tie-back to the Skarv FPSO.

The objective of well 6507/5-13 S was to prove petroleum in reservoir rocks in the Fangst and Båt groups. The well also aimed to confirm the reservoir quality and delineate a potential discovery.

The well encountered a 14-metre oil column in the Garn Formation in 43 metres of sandstone with moderate reservoir quality. The oil/water contact was encountered at 3702 metres below sea level. The other formations in the Fangst and Båt groups were aquiferous.

Well 6507/5-13 S encountered hydrocarbons from the Early Cretaceous (Apt/Alba) in multiple sandstone layers with moderate reservoir quality. The oil/water contact was estimated at 3414 metres below sea level.

Well 6507/5-13 A was drilled to delineate the discovery in the Early Cretaceous. The well proved a reservoir of moderate quality. The reservoir was saturated with water.

The wells were not formation-tested, but extensive volumes of data and samples were collected.

Wildcat well 6507/5-13 S was drilled to a measured depth of 4022 metres and a vertical depth of 3998 metres below sea level. It was terminated in the Åre Formation.

Well 6507/5-13 S was drilled to a measured depth of 3607 metres and a vertical depth of 3465 metres below sea level. The well was terminated in the Melke Formation.

Water depth at the site is 383 metres. The wells have been permanently plugged and abandoned.

Satellites help NOC track tidal change for safer navigation

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Scientists at the UK’s National Oceanography Centre (NOC) in Liverpool have used satellite data to create a unique insight into the iconic Mersey River that will help port operators be smarter about managing complex navigation channels. 

The project, run in partnership with the Channel Coastal Observatory (CCO) and Peel Ports Group, means port operators could now pre-empt sand or mud moving and blocking their navigation channels, reducing larger remediation works. 

Maintaining rivers like the Mersey, which handles more than 60 million tonnes of freight a year through Peel Ports Group, is important for safe and efficient port operations.

But it can be expensive and difficult to monitor an estuary of this size regularly enough to keep up with the continual changes in sandbank and channel positions using the standard survey methods that use survey boats or light aircraft.

Russell Bird, Deputy Group Harbour Master (Hydrographic and Dredging), at Peel Ports Group, said: “Through this project we’ve been given new, fresh insights into parts of the River Mersey. 

“Gaining an understanding of these areas is helping us to enhance the way we manage navigational safety and dredging strategies. The findings that NOC has achieved has showed us the potential to manage significant changes in the river more proactively.”

The project analysed data from optical and radar satellite images combined with information from the Gladstone Tide Gauge, which sits within the Old Lock Keeper’s Office at the entrance to Gladstone Dock, in Liverpool. 

These were further combined with fine scale water level data from the new Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite, launched in December 2023 that enabled more precise estimates of tidal water levels right across the estuary.

The analysis enabled the team to map changes in the riverbed from 2018 to 2023. These maps then provide a clearer picture of how the river is evolving, helping experts plan dredging operations more effectively and avoid unnecessary costs.

Lydia Green, Head of Business Engagement at UK Space Agency said: “A key aim of the Unlocking Space for Business programme is to support businesses to benefit from the use of satellite solutions by addressing key sector challenges. NOC’s project is a great example of how satellite data can be used to deliver operational efficiencies within UK ports and gives the organisation a competitive edge with new insights into coastal areas.”

Christine Sams, one of the project leads at NOC at the time, said, “This project shows how cutting-edge satellite technology can help us understand the physical changes happening in dynamic environments like the River Mersey. It’s an exciting step forward for managing coastal areas like Liverpool and beyond.”

Dr Paul Bell, co-lead on the project, explains, “The phenomenal advances in the capabilities of the latest satellites are fuelling a revolution in our ability to observe complex and dynamic areas like the Mersey Estuary on a regular basis. 

“We are combining these new satellite capabilities with cutting edge algorithms developed at the NOC that distil this huge volume of data into 3D maps of the estuary that we can turn into movies showing how the sandbanks and channels move around.” 

Lloyd’s Register Advisory verifies the performance of Anemoi Rotor Sails

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In a Statement of Fact, Lloyd’s Register Advisory confirmed the methodology Anemoi used for calculating fuel and emissions savings from the three 24 meters high Rotor Sails installed on TR Lady – a Kamsarmax bulk carrier owned in funds managed by Tufton Investment Management Ltd (“Tufton”) and chartered by Cargill. 

The extensive dataset establishes a reliable and repeatable benchmark for wind-assisted propulsion performance under a broad range of real-world conditions.

During the testing period, TR Lady sailed the Indian Ocean, South Atlantic, North and South Pacific, Southern Ocean and rounded both the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn, along with some of the busiest shipping routes, including the Strait of Malacca. Data from eight consecutive Laden and Ballast legs were analysed to provide a long-term average of the fuel and emissions savings. The average net savings across this period calculated from the verified performance model were 1.9 tonnes of fuel per day and 7.0 tonnes of CO2 per day (well-to-wake). This equates to an average of 9.1% net propulsion fuel and emissions savings.

The achieved average savings align closely with Anemoi’s predicted 10% savings, making this a very positive result. Additionally, since TR Lady does not follow a fixed route, the results varied from voyage to voyage depending on the route taken and the wind conditions encountered. For example, on a 22-day voyage across the North Pacific, average route savings of 21% net propulsion fuel reduction were calculated from the verified performance model. That said, it is especially important to Anemoi to share the full, transparent picture in the first instance, rather than focusing solely on one particularly favourable route, to provide a more relevant measure of long-term performance.

Lloyd’s Register Advisory confirmed that the findings of this study validate Anemoi’s approach as a reliable method for calculating Rotor Sail performance. The Statement of Fact concluded that “there is close agreement between the predicted thrust coefficient trends and the measured values”.  Dr Dogan Uzun, Ship Performance Consultant at Lloyd’s Register Advisory and project manager of the assessment, said, “We have independently verified Anemoi’s methodology to calculate thrust power and predict fuel consumption, confirming its accuracy when ship-specific coefficients are correctly applied and kept up to date. Our assessment, drawing on high-frequency operational data and CFD analyses for rotor sail-equipped vessels, highlights the value of detailed, vessel-specific modelling. The findings show that wind-assisted propulsion, when supported by robust data and transparent methods, can significantly reduce uncertainty and contribute meaningfully to emissions reduction in commercial shipping.”

TR Lady, an 82k DWT Kamsarmax, was installed in June 2023 with three Anemoi Rotor Sails, 5m in diameter and 24m in height – a shorter height and a lower aspect ratio compared to Anemoi’s standard products to suit air draft requirements. Anemoi has also confirmed that testing is currently underway on several vessel installations featuring its larger Rotor Sails, measuring 35m in height, which, thanks to their higher aspect ratios, are expected to achieve even higher performance results.

Clare Urmston, CEO of Anemoi Marine Technologies, said, “This independent verification is a crucial step in building trust across the industry. Lloyd’s Register Advisory’s rigorous and transparent approach gives shipowners and operators the confidence that our technology delivers measured fuel savings and emissions reductions in line with expectations. At Anemoi, we believe that credibility is earned through data, openness and accountability, and this verification underpins our commitment to setting a new standard as emerging technologies like wind propulsion pave the way in clean maritime innovation.”

“Verifying the performance of Rotor Sails has been a key objective of this project for Tufton. The latest fuel consumption calculations, following the methodology independently verified by Lloyd’s Register Advisory, closely match our original expectations. We are excited by the results, which not only confirm the technology’s effectiveness but also the strong operational and environmental benefits we anticipated,” shared Nicolas Tirogalas, Chief Investment Officer and President of Tufton. 

Chris Hughes, Decarbonisation Specialist of Cargill, said, “Building up an accurate understanding of the real-world, on-ship performance of technologies is a key piece in the wind assist propulsion puzzle.  By combining the data from more than 167 rotor on/off tests that were conducted by the TR Lady, together with the independent verification from LR, Anemoi installed confidence in the accuracy of their analysis.  We have already used the results of this study to fine-tune our weather routing digital twins for TR Lady; and it will also help inform future decisions on deploying wind assist across our fleet.”

Wärtsilä supplies cargo handling systems for two VLAC vessels for Korean shipyard

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Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, part of technology group Wärtsilä, will supply the cargo handling systems for two very large Ammonia Carrier (VLAC) vessels being built at the Hanwha Ocean shipyard in Korea.

The 88,000 m3 capacity vessels have been ordered by a Japanese ship owner. This latest order, which was booked by Wärtsilä in Q2 2025, further strengthens the company’s established leading position as a supplier of cargo handling systems.

“We have good experience with Wärtsilä’s cargo handling systems. Their support and quick reaction to our needs have always been much appreciated, and their systems are perfectly designed for these two VLACs,” says Mr. Lee, Leader of Basic Design Team, Hanwha Ocean Co.

VLACs are essentially Very Large Gas Carriers but designed to carry full cargoes of ammonia. Since ammonia has a high specific gravity, VLAC cargo tanks and hulls need to be reinforced, and the vessels will have a deeper draught when fully loaded.

“Enabling decarbonised shipping operations is at the core of our strategy. This contract is an additional proof point for continuous successful strategy implementation, while reinforcing our strong partnership with Hanwha,” comments Patrick Ha, Sales Manager, Wärtsilä Gas Solutions.

The Wärtsilä equipment is scheduled for delivery to the yard commencing in Q4 2025.
 

Port of Antwerp-Bruges launches the Volta 1: Europe’s first electric tugboat

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The Volta 1 is a Reversed Stern Drive (RSD) tugboat designed on a double bow principle and equipped with a patented Twin Fin skeg for optimal stability and manoeuvrability.

 As a result, it can be used flexibly as a front and back tugboat. With its battery capacity of 2,782 MWh, recharged in as little as two hours via a powerful 1.5 MW charging station, the Volta 1 is completely emission-free and can cruise for up to 12 hours. Its towing power of 70 tons guarantees the same performance as a traditional diesel tug boat.

The Volta 1 is part of a broader renewal of the tug-boat fleet. Together with five energy-efficient RSD tugs, also commissioned today, this replaces older vessels. The tug service, responsible for nearly 85% of port-related CO₂ emissions, is thus undergoing a profound greening. Port of Antwerp-Bruges systematically strives to integrate the most environmentally friendly technologies, as part of its ambition to be climate neutral by 2050.

As the fifth-largest bunker port in the world, Port of Antwerp-Bruges also aims to become a full-fledged multi-fuel port. It therefore wants to offer low-carbon alternatives in addition to bio- and conventional fuels. Over the past year and a half, the port introduced the world’s first hydrogen and methanol-powered tugs. By testing these technologies side by side in the field, Port of Antwerp-Bruges can determine which solution scores best in terms of emissions, cost, autonomy and performance. In doing so, it anchors its role as a pioneer in the international energy transition and hopes to inspire other ports and sectors to take action.

The partnership with Damen Shipyards Group plays a key role in this transition. Damen, which built the world’s first electric tugboat in 2022 in Auckland, New Zealand, began construction of the six RSD tugs for Port of Antwerp-Bruges in 2023 in Vietnam. After a journey of more than 10,000 kilometres, the ships arrived in Antwerp in November 2024. There they were prepared for operational deployment, including a technical start-up, crew training and installation of charging infrastructure. The official launch of the Volta 1 is the culmination of this journey.

Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO Port of Antwerp-Bruges: “The Volta 1 is a powerful example of our strategy to actively integrate sustainable technology into our operations. As a global port, we are taking our responsibility to pull the maritime sector into the energy transition. The Volta 1, together with the Hydrotug, Methatug and RSD tugs, represents a tangible step towards a climate-neutral port by 2050.”

Johan Klaps, Vice Mayor for the Port and Economy City of Antwerp / President of the board Port of Antwerp-Bruges: “Achieving this European first in the year when we are also celebrating 150 years of tug service makes it both symbolic and historic. It shows how our port and region continue to invest in sustainable innovation. Even in challenging times, we resolutely choose the future and take a leadership role.”

Vincent Maes, Sales Manager Benelux Damen: “We are delighted and very honoured to have been able to deliver the latest additions to the Port of Antwerp-Bruges tug fleet: five brand new and efficient diesel tugs equipped with after-treatment systems and an innovative electric tug, all of type RSD2513. This delivery is perfectly in line with our ongoing commitment to better ships and technological progress. We are delighted that this allows us to contribute to achieving the port’s ambitious sustainability targets.”

Specifications of the Volta 1

  • 24.73 metres long, 13.13 metres wide and a depth of 6.5 metres
  • Weight of 607 tons
  • Towing power of 70 tons
  • Speed of 12 knots
  • 2,782 MWh lithium-titanium-oxide (LTO) batteries charged in 2 hours (12 hours of sailing capacity)
  • 1.5 MW charging station

Estonia grants key licence for offshore wind

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Saare Wind Energy is planning to build a wind farm with a capacity of up to 1.4GW off the island of Saaremaa.

The superficies licence from the government gives the company the right to occupy and use the seabed for the construction of the wind farm and its associated infrastructure.

The licence is an important milestone in the development process but Saare Wind Energy must still apply for and receive a construction permit before building work can begin.

“This is the first building permit in the history of Estonian offshore wind farms – it is an important step towards the production of clean energy,” said Jaanus Uiga, Deputy Secretary General for Energy and Mineral Resources at the Ministry of Climate Change.

The offshore wind farm will consist of up to 100 wind turbines, located at least 11km from the west coast of Saaremaa, and could start producing electricity in the early 2030s.

The superficies licence, which is valid for 50 years, gives Saare Wind Energy the right to occupy and use a defined area of Estonia’s maritime territory, including the seabed, for the development of the project.

As a next step, the company will be able to apply for a construction permit from the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority and an environmental permit for the special use of water from the Environmental Board.

Saare Wind Energy must apply for a construction permit within two years of the issuance of the superficies licence, the validity period of which is generally five years, and finally also a permit for use.

In addition to the Saare Wind Energy plan, the government has initiated proceedings for building permits for 11 other offshore wind farms.

Source: renews

Researchers develop new method for tracking ocean carbon from space

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MBARI researchers and collaborators from Florida State University have developed a new method for analyzing satellite data to better predict the export of carbon. The team recently published their findings in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

“We urgently need tools to monitor the ocean-carbon connection on a global scale. By leveraging diverse sets of data, we’ve identified a new path forward to improve carbon export estimates from space,” said Monique Messié, a senior research specialist who leads MBARI’s Data Integration and Interdisciplinary Oceanography Team and was lead author on the recent study.

The ocean and its inhabitants are critical parts of Earth’s carbon cycle. Carbon dioxide dissolves into the ocean, and marine life converts it into organic material that later sinks into the deep sea. Together, these processes can lock away, or sequester, carbon from the atmosphere in the ocean’s depths, a process known as carbon export.

Direct measurements of carbon export are scarce, so scientists have to rely on models and satellite data to understand large-scale patterns in the ocean-carbon connection. Tiny plant-like phytoplankton in the ocean’s surface waters convert carbon dioxide into organic carbon via photosynthesis. Scientists can use satellite ocean color data to estimate phytoplankton productivity. However, existing satellite-based models often do not capture what happens below the ocean’s surface.

Coastal upwelling in the California Current—a cool, nutrient-rich current running from British Columbia to Baja California—creates a boom of productivity. Ocean currents can carry phytoplankton hundreds of kilometers offshore. Marine life consumes phytoplankton, transporting carbon through the food web as food and waste. Dead phytoplankton and carbon-rich waste ultimately sink to the depths below, part of a biological pump that can lock carbon away in the deep sea for thousands of years.

MBARI’s Data Integration and Interdisciplinary Oceanography Team works to understand ocean processes by leveraging diverse datasets from various disciplines, from physics to ecosystems.

The team is particularly interested in addressing which processes drive patterns of biological communities throughout the water column over time. These relationships are especially challenging to decipher because they are not always direct. For example, because plankton are displaced by currents, what we observe in one location may be the result of past conditions tens of kilometers away.

The Data Integration and Interdisciplinary Oceanography Team develops models to untangle these effects and uncover which processes drive biological communities, describe how they occur, and quantify their impact.

MBARI has deployed a suite of advanced technologies at Station M, a research site offshore of Central California, to monitor the abyssal seafloor. The trove of data from this long-term observatory has helped researchers understand how carbon is cycled from the surface to the deep sea.

MBARI researchers and collaborators had previously observed pulses of carbon to the deep seafloor that could not be explained by existing satellite-based algorithms of carbon export. Those algorithms model ocean physics and biogeochemistry, but do not consider the lag in both time and space between phytoplankton productivity at the surface and carbon export to the deep sea.

Messié and a team of MBARI researchers and collaborators sought to identify a new avenue to improve estimates of carbon export. The team developed a Lagrangian growth-advection satellite-derived model that maps plankton succession and export onto surface oceanic circulation following coastal upwelling. The model was initially designed to track biological hotspots where marine life congregates.

Instead of relying on ocean color data to estimate carbon export, this new approach incorporates the offsets between production and export, the role of zooplankton, and advection of plankton blooms by ocean currents. This method performed as well as models that rely on ocean color or long-term monitoring of carbon raining down on the abyssal seafloor.

The team’s success demonstrates that export can be well represented from space without ocean color, using a plankton model and satellite-derived tracks of oceanic currents. These results provide new insights into what controls carbon export, how to represent it from space, and its spatiotemporal patterns in a productive oceanic region.

MBARI’s Data Integration and Interdisciplinary Oceanography Team will leverage this new model to better understand how deep-sea carbon fluxes are connected to surface processes.

Next year, incoming MBARI Postdoctoral Fellow Théo Picard will work with Messié to explore what mechanisms drive the unexplained intense pulses observed in MBARI’s long-term monitoring at Station M. In addition to refining the Lagrangian growth-advection model of surface carbon export, Picard will use machine learning to build upon previous analyses to estimate surface area catchment at Station M and work with MBARI’s Carbon Flux Ecology Team to investigate the role of biological community composition.

“A complex web of physical and biological factors influence the oceanic carbon cycle. Using satellite data about winds and currents shows promise for estimating ocean carbon export, offering a complementary perspective to models that use ocean color visible from space. We hope the marine research community can build upon our work to better represent complex oceanographic processes from satellite data,” said Messié.

NORDEN inks logistics project in Australia

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NORDEN has signed its first port logistics project in Australia with existing dry cargo freight customer, the Australian developer and operator of iron ore mining projects, Kimberley Metals Group (KMG), further expanding the partnership.

With the new project – situated in the port of Wyndham in Western Australia – NORDEN will provide additional assets for the existing transshipment operation, loading iron ore from the port onto barges and on to the ocean-going vessels.

“We are excited to continue the growth of NORDEN’s logistics activities by entering into an agreement with KMG, taking our existing partnership to a new level by combining our freight services with our expertise within logistics to optimise KMG’s entire port-to-port supply chain,” says Anne Jensen, COO at NORDEN. 

The contract also entails a fixed-term charter arrangement with an option to extend. The first barge is expected to launch in July this year.

With this entry point in the Australian logistics market, NORDEN continues to identify and evaluate opportunities to further grow its integrated logistics and freight solutions among current and existing customers in Australia.  

“The new agreement is a natural next step on NORDEN’s strategic journey within logistics, servicing customers on a deeper level and becoming even more relevant to them, continuously using the strong synergies across NORDEN’s integrated freight solutions,” Anne Jensen concludes. 

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