Maritime Vessels Directory

The U.S. government relaxed a long-standing maritime law protecting domestic shipping commerce to allow an undisclosed company to transport gasoline and diesel to ports in the East Coast after a cyberattack crippled the nation's largest fuel pipeline network.The Jones Act, implemented in 1920, requires goods moved between U.S. ports to be carried by ships built domestically and staffed by U.S. crews. The waiver will allow foreign vessels to ship petroleum products such as gasoline and diesel to the country from the Gulf Coast to U.S. East Coast ports.

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding held a christening and launch ceremony May 13, 2021 for the first of two large ferries being built for Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency (JRTT) and Meimon Taiyo Ferry Co., Ltd. The ceremony took place at the Enoura Plant at MHI’s Shimonoseki Shipyard & Machinery Works in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The handover is scheduled for December 2021 following completion of interior work and sea trial. The new vessel will replace the Ferry Kyoto II, in operation since 2002, and enter service from December 2021 on a regular route between Osaka and Shinmoji in Kitakyushu.

The U.S. Coast Guard is seeking proposals from shipyards to design and construct its new river buoy and inland construction tenders as part of the waterways commerce cutter (WCC) program.In total, the Coast Guard plans to acquire 16 river buoy tenders, 11 inland construction tenders and three inland buoy tenders to replace its aging inland tender fleet, which has an average vessel age of over 55 years.The request for proposal (RFP) released on April 30 encompasses designing the river buoy tender and inland construction tender (designs which share 95% commonality), constructing an initial river buoy tender and inland construction tender based on those completed designs

On May 10, 2021, the methanol-dual fueled chemical tanker Takaroa Sun, owned by NYK Bulkship (Asia) Pte. Ltd. participated in what is touted as the world’s first barge-to-ship bunkering of methanol fuel. The bunkering of methanol fuel was conducted in Rotterdam port under the leadership of the charterer Waterfront Shipping Company Limited, together with the cooperation of the Port of Rotterdam, Royal Vopak N.V., and TankMatch B.V.Methanol fuel produces up to 15% less carbon emissions during combustion than conventional fuel oil and reduces sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions by approximately 99%. Particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) are significantly reduced as well.

A group of shipping industry partners are working together to assess the technical, financial and environmental potential of converting existing vessels to zero-carbon fuels and technology as part of the transition to a global zero carbon fleet by 2050.American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), A.P. Moller – Maersk, MAN Energy Solutions, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, NYK Line, Seaspan Corporation and Total are joining forces through the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping to assess the technical, financial and environmental potential of converting existing vessels to zero carbon fuels and technology as part of the transition to a global zero carbon fleet by 2050.