DAMEN SHIPYARDS

A first of its kind cleaner burning methanol-fueled towboat is set to hit the water in 2023 as the maritime industry continues to develop and implement new technologies for cleaner vessel operations.The Hydrogen One is being developed by owner Maritime Partners in cooperation with naval architecture firm Elliott Bay Design Group and hardware suppliers e1 Marine and ABB.Decarbonizing the towboat sector poses substantial challenges, particularly due to towboats’ inherent size, space and weight limitations.

The Baltic Exchange's dry bulk sea freight index posted its best day in nearly two months on Monday, boosted by stronger rates across vessel segments.The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax and supramax vessels, gained 114 points, or 4.1% to 2,881, a peak since Nov. 3The main index marked its highest single-day rise since Oct. 6.Dry bulk rates are expected to be profitable in 2022 due to a growth in demand across all dry bulk commodities, shipbroker Jefferies said in a weekly note, adding shipping congestion was also likely to remain elevated well into the next year.The capesize index rose 237 points, or 6.1%, to its highest in a month at 4,143.

Classification society DNV has introduced the shipping industry’s first competence standard for vessel remote control center operators (RCCO). The standard is supported by a new recommended practice that offers a certification scheme for RCCOs. Together, they provide a framework for training, assessing, and certifying personnel working in remote-control centers that support or manage operations at sea.    Intelligent software systems and enhanced ship-to-shore-connectivity have laid the groundwork for the growth of remote solutions and autonomy in shipping. Unmanned vessels are already expected to begin operations in the near future.

Mobile, Ala. shipbuilder Austal USA announced it has entered into contract with local Alabama steel provider SSAB to provide steel for the new Towing, Salvage, and Rescue ships (T-ATS) it is building for the U.S. Navy.Austal said it will source various strength and sized steel plating from SSAB capable of being cut, shaped, welded, and fitted resulting in the construction of support ships and potential combat ships for our U.S. military.“SSAB not only provides us with quality steel, but also great flexibility due to its location adjacent to us here in Mobile, Ala.,” Austal USA President Rusty Murdaugh said.

In continuously developing the range of services for its portfolio of four-stroke engines, MAN Energy Solutions enables its customers to exploit a multitude of synthetically manufactured, climate-neutral fuels in the operation of ships or power plants. Already today, MAN engines using power-to-X fuels such as synthetic natural gas (SNG) can be operated totally climate-neutrally.MAN customers will in due course be able to use other, so-called 'future fuels' –such as ammonia, methanol and hydrogen – also produced in a climate-neutral manner.