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McAllister Towing announced on Thursday it has signed a contract for the construction of two new tugs to be built at Washburn & Doughty Associates (W&D) in East Boothbay, Maine, with an option for two additional vessels.The 93- by 38-foot tractor tugs will each offer 84 metric tons bollard pull, further enhancing McAllister’s East Coast fleet with the ability to service its customers largest ships and bring McAllister’s tractor fleet to 39 tugs with a total of over 182,000 horsepower, the company said.Each 6,770-hp tug will be powered by 3516E Tier 4 Caterpillar engines with twin Schottel SRP 490 Z-drive units and Markey winches on the bow and stern.

In February 2021, LNG carrier Christophe de Margerie, escorted by a nuclear icebreaker, became the first large-capacity cargo vessel to transit the eastern sector of the Northern Sea Route (NSR). The voyage demonstrated that year-round safe navigation is possible along the entire length of the Northern Sea Route (NSR).In the last five years, cargo traffic along the NSR has grown almost fivefold, reaching 33 million tons in 2020. Last year, there were 64 voyages on the NSR compared with 37 in 2019.

JAX LNG, a small-scale LNG facility located along the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Fla., recently completed the first fueling of a marine vessel in the United States with a blend of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and renewable LNG (RLNG).JAX LNG loaded the RLNG/LNG blend into the Clean Jacksonville bunker barge to fuel the Isla Bella. The Isla Bella is the world’s first LNG-powered container ship and was put into service by TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico in 2015. Element Markets supplied the renewable natural gas (RNG) used to produce the RLNG via renewable thermal certificates (RTCs). Using RLNG to fuel marine vessels is a readily available pathway to net-zero emissions by 2050.

Kongsberg Digital is pleased to announce the appointment of Benedicte Willumsen Grieg to a newly created position as Vice President, Strategy. Willumsen Grieg will be part of the management team, reporting to Hege Skryseth. She will work to support the company’s further growth, with a special focus on strategy projects and operationalization, closely linked to strategic partnerships and acquisitions.Willumsen Grieg previously held the post of VP Business Development in Kongsberg Digital’s parent company, the Kongsberg Group, where she led and supported acquisition and strategy processes across the group’s business areas. She will take up the new position on October 1.

The Puget Sound Pilots are pleased to announce the hiring of Charles Costanzo as Executive Director.Costanzo joins Puget Sound Pilots after over a decade at The American Waterways Operators where he served as General Counsel and Vice President – Pacific Region.“We are thrilled to have Charlie join PSP as our new Executive Director and we are confident that his strong background in advocacy and marine safety will serve PSP for years to come,” said Puget Sound Pilots President Ivan Carlson.