Andersen, J. Ring

A naming ceremony was held for Japan’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering vessel at Kawasaki Heavy Industries' Sakaide Works shipyard, on Wednesday.The ship, named Kaguyais, the first LNG bunkering vessel to be operated in Japan. Kaguya will be operated by Central LNG Marine Fuel Japan Corporation and will be based at JERA's Kawagoe Thermal Power Station. Kaguya will begin supplying LNG fuel to ships in the Chubu region in October or later this year using ship-to-ship bunkering.The 81.7-meter-long vessel was named by Yukikazu Myochin, President of Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd.

Japan said on Friday it will send a five-person team to Mauritius to investigate the grounding of a Japanese-owned ship off the country's coast that led to an environmental crisis.A bulk carrier owned by Japan's Nagashiki Shipping and chartered by Mitsui OSK ran aground on a reef off Mauritius on July 25 and later began leaking oil into the pristine waters around the Indian Ocean island.The Japanese government said in a statement that it would send a team of five people to Mauritius on Sept. 20.List: Major Oil Spills from ShipsJapan previously told Mauritius it would offer support on an "unprecedented scale."The Panamanian-flagged MV Wakashio began spilling fuel oil on Aug.

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index inched up on Friday helped by an uptick in panamax and supramax rates, and posted its first weekly gain in three due to robust capesize rates.The Baltic dry index, which tracks rates for ships ferrying dry bulk commodities and reflects rates for capesize, panamax and supramax vessels, was up by 2 points at 1,296 points.The index rose 2.3% this week.The capesize index fell 14 points, or 0.7%, to 1,900 points, even as it gained 3.3% for the week.Average daily earnings for capesizes, which typically transport 150,000-tonne cargoes such as iron ore and coal, were down $114 at $15,761.The panamax index rose 10 points, or 0.8%, to 1,315 points.

Mining giant and commodity trader Glencore has via its subsidiary ST Shipping extended the charter for the 2020 Bulkers' 'Bulk Shanghai' bulk carriers.2020 Bulkers said Friday that the charter would be extended for a period of 6-8 months from October 4, 2020. According to the 2020 Bulkers, the vessel will from October 4, 2020, earn a fixed rate of $18,000 per day, gross, as well as a share of the fuel savings generated from the scrubber fitted on the vessel.According to AIS data, the Bulk Shanghai left São Luís in Brazil - place known for iron ore export ports - in mid-August and is currently moving through Malacca Strait, on its way to Qingdao, China.

German propulsion specialist SCHOTTEL's management board approved the acquisition of a 3,000-square-meter plot of land in Saint Petersburg, Russia, paving way for the construction of a new service center to strengthen OOO SCHOTTEL’s market position in the region.The company said it expects to plan and build an administration building with repair workshop and warehouse site on the purchased property within the next two years.Founded in 2011, OOO SCHOTTEL has equipped a number of inland waterways vessels with propulsion systems, especially in the cargo and passenger transport segments.