1. Neopanamax container ship collided with Panama Canal Lock wall
Container ship COSCO DEVELOPMENT reportedly collided with Agua Clara Lock wall on Jul 10, while transiting Panama Canal from Pacific to Atlantic. According to Panama Canal Authority official statement, collision did take place, but Lock’s integrity wasn’t compromised, stone staircase was the only construction which sustained damages, see photo. The ship reportedly, didn’t sustained damages and after a brief stop at Lock, resumed transit and reached Colon Port in the afternoon Jul 10. As of 1430 UTC Jul 11, COSCO DEVELOPMENT was still berthed at Colon. http://maritimebulletin.net/2019/07/11/neopanamax-container-ship-collided-with-panama-canal-lock-wall/?fbclid=IwAR2GUeLyGYP5R2_I_pvXZgYc_mUuwUBhfPOvjMbu-7U0yV4GanKCaCkNhxc
2. Capital Product Partners L.P. Announces New Long-term Time Charters For The M/V ‘Agamemnon’ and M/V ‘Archimidis’
Capital Product Partners L.P., an international owner of ocean-going vessels, announced that it has agreed new long-term time charters with Mediterranean Shipping Company Co. S.A. (“MSC”) for the M/V ‘Agamemnon’ (108,892 dwt / 8,266 TEU, container carrier built 2007, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd., South Korea) and the M/V ‘Archimidis’ (108,892 dwt / 8,266 TEU, container carrier built 2006, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd., South Korea). https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/capital-product-partners-l-p-announces-new-long-term-time-charters-for-the-m-v-agamemnon-and-m-v-archimidis-2/
3. NYK’s Digitalization Initiatives Introduced at IT Management Forum
On July 10, 2019, Hidetoshi Maruyama, NYK senior managing corporate officer, spoke about NYK’s onboard digitalization at the IT Management Forum sponsored by Nikkei Business Publications Inc. https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/nyks-digitalization-initiatives-introduced-at-it-management-forum/
4. Why container liner profits remain elusive despite alliances
The recent shifting in container line alliances – Hyundai Merchant Marine switching from 2M to THE Alliance and Zim tightening its ties with 2M – raises the question of whether the alliance concept and the ownership consolidation of the past five years have actually paid off. According to Ben Nolan, shipping analyst at Stifel, the results have been disappointing. https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/why-container-liner-profits-remain-elusive-despite-alliances/
5. Why Hormuz is so critical to world’s oil supply
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route linking Middle East oil producers to markets in Asia, Europe, North America and beyond, has been at the heart of regional tensions for decades. Twenty per cent of the global oil supply flows through the strait, a narrow stretch of water that separates countries like Iran, Iraq and Kuwait from the rest of the world. Between May 15 and June 15, more than 1,000 tankers travelled the strait, with many destined for places as far away as China. https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/why-hormuz-is-so-critical-to-worlds-oil-supply/
6. Offshore Rigs Prepare for Hurricane in U.S. Gulf of Mexico
A storm system brewing over the U.S. Gulf of Mexico is expected to strengthen into the first hurricane of the season, and it will likely make landfall in Louisiana or Texas this weekend, according to NOAA’s National Hurricane Center. A tropical storm watch and a storm surge watch have already been issued for parts of the Louisiana coast, and the areas covered will likely expand by tonight. In addition to winds of 70-90 mph and rising waters from storm surge, exceptionally heavy rain is expected throughout the central Gulf Coast through early next week, NHC warned. https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/offshore-operators-prepare-for-potential-hurricane-in-u-s-gom
7. Divining Russia’s Intentions in the Arctic
The High North that Parry and other explorers tried to reach was quite different from the Arctic today. Polar ice caps are receding at a steady rate. The titanic expanses of ice sheets are shrinking, exposing greater topography at the top of the world. This will present unique security challenges for the 21st century. The Arctic may become a highway and natural resource center in the future. Tensions between NATO states and Russia are already palpable, and are poised to increase. Security challenges are driven in part by trade and resource potential in the Arctic Ocean. https://www.maritime-executive.com/editorials/divining-russia-s-intentions-in-the-arctic
8. Hapag-Lloyd tests ship painting robots
Hapag-Lloyd has been testing ship painting by robots on nine of its ships. In shipyards in Hamburg, Marseilles and most recently Singapore, Hapag-Lloyd tested the so-called Hull Treatment Carrier (HTC) coating. The system from the Austrian manufacturer Palfinger is made up of several automated units that travel along the side of the ship’s hull while it is in dry dock. Its job is to remove the old layers of paint from the hull with extremely high water pressure and then to evenly apply new paint. https://splash247.com/hapag-lloyd-tests-ship-painting-robots/
9. UK demands ships built from 2025 onwards ought to be zero-emission capable
All new ships for UK waters ordered from 2025 should be designed with zero-emission capable technologies, according to ambitious plans set out today by maritime minister Nusrat Ghani to cut pollution from the country’s maritime sector. The commitment is set out in the Clean Maritime Plan published today. The government is also looking at ways to incentivise the transition to zero-emission shipping and will consult on this next year. https://splash247.com/uk-demands-ships-built-from-2025-onwards-ought-to-be-zero-emission-capable/
10. BP tanker targeted by Iranians
The UK’s Ministry of Defence has revealed three boats belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards tried to seize an Isle of Man-flagged tanker yesterday, which was transiting the Strait of Hormuz, in an apparent retaliation for British armed forces taking an Iranian tanker, Grace 1, in Gibraltar earlier this month. https://splash247.com/bp-tanker-targeted-by-iranians/
