Maritime Vessels Directory

Nordic American Tankers (NAT) said it has ordered two suezmax newbuilds from South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries, the shipowner's first newbuild orders in four years as slumping shipbuilders lower prices to attract business."The combination of specifications, quality of yard, price, payment terms and deliveries make this an attractive investment for NAT and is consistent with our strategy to expand and renew our fleet," the company said in a letter to shareholders.The two new tankers, scheduled to be delivered in the first half of 2022, will grow NAT's suezmax fleet to 25 vessels.NAT said it will consider various financing alternatives prior to delivery.

A fire-stricken U.S. Coast Guard cutter docked in Yokosuka, Japan Tuesday for inspection and possible repairs days after an onboard blaze left five crew members with minor injuries.Black smoke was reported on the cutter Waesche (WMSL 751) at 5:18 p.m. (local time) on Sunday while the ship was on deployed within the U.S. 7th Fleet's area of operations, the Coast Guard said.Onboard crews were able to contain the flames in the ship' exhaust stack and nearby spaces, and all fires were confirmed extinguished after 90 minutes of firefighting.

The board of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) reappointed Esben Poulsson, the current Chairman of ICS for a further two-year term.Having been at the helm of the shipping industry trade association since 2016, Poulsson has overseen ICS’s engagement with international bodies, national governments, and industry organisations on the key issues impacting international shipping. In the past year, under Poulsson’s leadership, ICS submitted, along with other industry partners, a proposal to IMO for the establishment of a $5 billion global R&D fund to accelerate the research and development of zero-carbon technologies.

To support Singapore’s harbor fleet’s transition towards a low-carbon future, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Singapore Maritime Institute (SMI) have launched a joint call for proposals on the electrification of harbor craft.According to the collaborators, $6.5m from the Maritime GreenFuture Fund is set aside to co-fund the harbor craft projects, and proposals should seek to develop commercially-ready fully electric harbor craft and/or interoperable shore charging infrastructure for electric harbor craft and other electric vessels operating in the Port of Singapore. Proposals with a viable business model for scalability will be favored.

Swiss-based ABB said it has been awarded a contract from Guangzhou Shipyard International to supply electric, digital and connected solutions for two new vessels the Chinese shipyard is building for British operator P&O Ferries.The hybrid propulsion solution, using electric power from 8.8MWh batteries and diesel generators, will cut fuel consumption on P&O Ferries’ Dover-Calais route by 40%, ABB said. The batteries will provide full power for harbor maneuvering and stay in port and will prepare the vessels for a zero-emission future once more electric shore charging stations are available.Equipped with four Azipod propulsion units per vessel, each rated at 7.