News
Langh Tech Delivers Scrubber Systems to the Polaris Fleet
by The Maritime Executive
Wednesday, January 09, 2019
Langh Tech and STX Offshore & Shipbuilding (STX O&S) have signed a deal concerning scrubber retrofits on seven vessels in the Polaris fleet. The four 180K bulkers and the three 300K VLOCs in the fleet will be equipped with Langh Tech’s open loop scrubbers.
The scrubber installations will be done as turn key deliveries by STX O&S. On each of the vessels the main engine and the three auxiliaries are connected to the scrubber. The scrubbers are multi-inlet type and Langh Tech delivers all the equipment necessary for a fully working open loop system. The component deliveries will start in summer 2019 and the installations will follow soon after component delivery.
Langh Tech is well established in Korea and locally represented by Regional Manager Simon Kim. “I believe that this scrubber retrofit contract with Polaris Shipping will be a great milestone for Langh Tech to cooperate with many other esteemed Korean shipping companies in the future,” says Kim.
Langh Tech is starting training of local service and commissioning engineers for the Korean market. This will in the future safeguard short reaction time for service visits in Korean and other near-by ports. Langh Tech scrubber manufacturing has been done in Europe, but now Langh Tech will start scrubber tower production also in Korea. “We look forward to further strengthen our position in the Korean market, both as component sales to new building yards and to retrofit installations”, says Langh Tech’s Commercial Director Laura Langh-Lagerlöf.
STX has been a world market leader for a very long time in Mid-size of vessels, particularly in MR vessels, boasting of its best performance. It is also expected that STX will keep taking the position of world market leader in the MR sector, no doubt, and will be a newly rising star for Mid-size of Gas ships as well based on their long and superb capability.
Langh Tech designs and produces scrubbers for SOx removal from exhaust gases and water treatment units for closed loop scrubbers. Langh Tech is one of the Langh companies, which also include ship owning Langh Ship, steel carriage and bulk containers from Langh Cargo Solutions and Industrial and Ship Cleaning Services Hans Langh.
Capsized Towboat Closes Lock on Tennessee River
by The Maritime Executive
Wednesday, January 09, 2019
The Kentucky Lock and Dam on the Tennessee River has been closed to traffic after a small towboat capsized downstream.
On Tuesday night, watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Ohio Valley received a report that the towboat Tom Bussler had capsized at mile marker 15 on the Tennessee River. Another towboat, the George Leavell, rescued the Bussler's two crewmembers and brought them safely to shore at Calvert City Landing. They were transported to shore in stable condition.
The Bussler has an estimated 4,100 gallons of diesel fuel on board, but no pollution has yet been reported. One Coast Guard patrol vessel is on scene to monitor the casualty.
Due to the sinking, the Kentucky Lock and Dam - located several miles upstream from the site of the casualty - has ceased locking operations. Kentucky Lock is the lower gateway to 700 miles of navigable waters in the Tennessee River Basin, and it connects the Tennessee with more than 300 miles of water in the adjacent Cumberland River Basin.
Commercial salvor McGinnish Marine is currently developing a salvage plan for the Bussler.
Oil Market Roundup - Wednesday Week 2
by Ship Bunker
Wednesday, January 09, 2019
Crude continues to gain based on sentiment rather than fundamentals.
BIMCO Calls on EU, China and U.S. to Support Counter-Piracy Ops in Gulf of Guinea
by gCaptain
Wednesday, January 09, 2019
The EU, China and the U.S. needs to step up their support counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Guinea amid a scourge of attacks and kidnappings in the region, international shipping association BIMCO said Wednesday. Around 40 ships have been attacked in the Gulf of Guinea in the past 12 months. Most recently, six seafarers […]
Rough Weather Hampers MSC Zoe Container Cleanup
by Reuters
Wednesday, January 09, 2019
LONDON, Jan 9 (Reuters) – Clean-up efforts after a container ship spill off the Dutch coast are being hampered by rough weather although progress is being made, the Swiss based vessel’s owner MSC said on Wednesday. In one of the worst incidents off the coast of the Netherlands, more than 250 containers – some holding […]
Ocean Group Invests in Quebec Expertise by Acquiring Techsol Marine
by The Maritime Executive
Wednesday, January 09, 2019
Ocean Group is proud to announce the acquisition of Techsol Marine, a company once again wholly Quebec-owned. Specialist in marine electrotechnology and leader in its field, Techsol Marine installs and ensures the commissioning of various automated systems used to control and monitor the machinery used on ships. Entirely designed and developed in Quebec, the systems are installed on all kinds of ships around the world.
This new acquisition will allow Ocean Group to pursue its growth plan, which is essentially based on expanding its operations in Canada and continuing its global expansion. It comes in to invest in a company recognized in the maritime field and which has an expertise complementary to its own.
This is great news for Ocean Group and for Techsol Marine also, which will continue to work in its field of activity as a company in its own right, while maintaining its name, expertise and qualified workforce.
“We are pleased to contribute to the development of this company with a real know-how, while bringing back the ownership of the company in Quebec. We are convinced of the great potential of Techsol Marine and want to invest in growing its market shares in Quebec, Canada and internationally”, said Jacques Tanguay, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ocean Group.
Located in the City of Québec, Techsol Marine is a company that stands out in the field of electrical and electronic marine engineering. Thanks to its innovative solutions (electric drives, machinery supervision and fire detection systems, main switchboards with energy management, propulsion controls, navigation consoles, etc., Techsol has positioned itself advantageously on the national and international markets.
Tug Arrives to Take Burning Car Carrier in Tow
by The Maritime Executive
Wednesday, January 09, 2019
A salvage tug is conducting a search and recovery mission for five missing crewmembers of the ro/ro Sincerity Ace, which caught fire and burned in the North Pacific on New Years' Eve.
16 crewmembers were rescued from the Ace by good samaritan vessels. Four additional individuals were spotted in the water but were unresponsive and unable to aid in their own rescue. The fifth has not been found, and the U.S. Coast Guard has already called off its participation in the search.
The tug will conduct its own search for the missing before taking the Sincerity Ace in tow and bringing her back to port. Merchant vessels transiting the area have been asked to look for bodies in the water.
A spokesman for operator Shoei Kisen Kaisha told the AP that it is uncertain whether the Ace is still on fire. The Sincerity Ace had 3,500 Nissan vehicles on board at the time of the blaze, and insurers are preparing for a large claim. The cause of the casualty remains under investigation.
On New Year's Eve, the Ace was under way in the North Pacific, on her way to Hawaii. At 0100 hours, the U.S. Coast Guard JRCC in Honolulu received a notification from Japanese SAR authorities about an incident aboard the Ace. The vessel's master reported a significant vessel fire, ongoing firefighting efforts, and an intent to abandon ship.
Watchstanders in Honolulu issued a SafetyNet broadcast requesting the assistance of vessels in the area, and they directed the launch of a Hercules aircraft from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point. The Green Lake, a 650-foot U.S.-flagged car carrier traveling from Japan to the U.S. mainland, was the first on scene to assist the Sincerity Ace. Three additional merchant vessels diverted to respond to the casualty.
Challenging rescue operation
The American-crewed Green Lake rescued seven crewmembers from the Ace in a challenging 18-hour operation, which her master described in detail for the Masters, Mates & Pilots' weekly news outlet.
“The entire crew did a truly incredible job under extreme conditions,” said Green Lake's master, Captain William Boyce. “Winds were blowing a steady 25 knots, gusting to 30 knots, with a heavy 20-25 ft northwesterly swell. Due to the sea state and our high freeboard, it was very difficult to maneuver, bring the ship alongside each survivor, and get them on board with limited retrieval resources.”
The Green Lake's all-union crew - MM&P deck officers, MEBA engineers, SIU deck crew and two cadets - worked from 0200 hours to 2000 hours to bring seven survivors on board. In addition, the other merchant vessels on scene rescued another nine survivors.
“The crew showed incredible perseverance, teamwork and determination, constantly improvising with each survivor’s recovery in very difficult and dangerous conditions," said Capt. Boyce. “I am proud of each and every one of this crew for saving seven souls that had experienced horrific conditions and were exhausted.”
The Ace's survivors told Boyce that they had been trapped on the ro/ro's boat deck forward due to the heavy smoke, with decks so hot they melted the crew's survival suit bags. They reported that they had to abandon ship one by one via man ropes, descending 100 feet down to the waterline in rough seas.
Salvage Tug to Take Burned Car Carrier in Tow
by The Maritime Executive
Wednesday, January 09, 2019
A salvage tug is conducting a search and recovery mission for five missing crewmembers of the ro/ro Sincerity Ace, which caught fire and burned in the North Pacific on New Years' Eve.
Shortly after the fire broke out, 16 crewmembers were rescued from the Ace by good samaritan vessels. Four additional individuals were spotted in the water but were unresponsive and unable to aid in their own rescue. The fifth has not been found, and the U.S. Coast Guard has already called off its participation in the search.
The tug will conduct its own search for the missing before taking the Sincerity Ace in tow and bringing her to a port of refuge. Merchant vessels transiting the area have been asked to look for bodies in the water.
A spokesman for operator Shoei Kisen Kaisha told the AP that it is uncertain whether the Ace is still on fire.
On New Year's Eve, the Ace was under way in the North Pacific, on her way to Hawaii. At 0100 hours, the U.S. Coast Guard JRCC in Honolulu received a notification from Japanese SAR authorities about an incident aboard the Ace. The vessel's master reported a significant vessel fire, ongoing firefighting efforts, and an intent to abandon ship.
Watchstanders in Honolulu issued a SafetyNet broadcast requesting the assistance of vessels in the area, and they directed the launch of a Hercules aircraft from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point. The Green Lake, a 650-foot U.S.-flagged car carrier traveling from Japan to the U.S. mainland, was the first on scene to assist the Sincerity Ace. Three additional merchant vessels diverted to respond to the casualty.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Challenging rescue operation
The American-crewed Green Lake rescued seven crewmembers from the Ace in a challenging 18-hour operation, which her master described in detail for the Masters, Mates & Pilots' weekly news outlet.
“The entire crew did a truly incredible job under extreme conditions,” said Green Lake's master, Captain William Boyce. “Winds were blowing a steady 25 knots, gusting to 30 knots, with a heavy 20-25 ft northwesterly swell. Due to the sea state and our high freeboard, it was very difficult to maneuver, bring the ship alongside each survivor, and get them on board with limited retrieval resources.”
The Green Lake's all-union crew - MM&P deck officers, MEBA engineers, SIU deck crew and two cadets - worked from 0200 hours to 2000 hours to bring seven survivors on board. In addition, the other merchant vessels on scene rescued another nine survivors.
“The crew showed incredible perseverance, teamwork and determination, constantly improvising with each survivor’s recovery in very difficult and dangerous conditions," said Capt. Boyce. “I am proud of each and every one of this crew for saving seven souls that had experienced horrific conditions and were exhausted.”
The Ace's survivors told Boyce that they had been trapped on the ro/ro's boat deck forward due to the heavy smoke, with decks so hot they melted the crew's survival suit bags. They reported that they had to abandon ship one by one via man ropes, descending 100 feet down to the waterline in rough seas.
How IMO 2020 May Actually Make Ship Fuel Dirtier
by Bloomberg
Wednesday, January 09, 2019
By Jack Wittels and Alex Longley (Bloomberg) — In fewer than 12 months’ time, thousands of merchant ships are going to start burning fuel containing higher concentrations of sulfur. That’s a quirky outcome of rules that are supposed to cut emissions of the pollutant. How and why will this happen? The rules, set out by the International […]
Stowage Questions Mount as Enquiries Begin into MSC Zoe Box Loss
by The Loadstar
Wednesday, January 09, 2019
By Janny Kok in Rotterdam (The Loadstar) – Local authorities and residents in The Netherlands remain to be put at ease by Mediterranean Shipping Company’s (MSC) promise to pay for the clean-up on Dutch island and mainland coasts affected after 281 containers fell off the MSC Zoe. There have also been questions about the stowage […]
