Haun, Eric
Editor-
Inside Wärtsilä’s Sustainable Technology Hub
“If we are to state our strategy in one word, it’s decarbonization,” said Juha Kytölä, director of R&D and engineering at Finnish tech company Wärtsilä. “What we are going toward is to supply the market with a portfolio of products that are ready for zero-carbon fuels.”In order to achieve its sustainability goals—including a 2030 target for carbon neutrality in its own operations—Wärtsilä has been taking big strides in research and development…
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Cummins Working with Ocean Infinity on Methanol Retrofit Project
Cummins is working with partners in the U.K. to develop and deploy a methanol conversion kit for an engine aboard an Ocean Infinity offshore support vessel (OSV) as the maritime industry works toward transitioning to cleaner fuels.The engine manufacturer announced its proposal to jointly develop a Methanol Kit for its QSK60 engine was selected to receive funding as part of the Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure (ZEVI) competition, funded by the U.K.
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Amogy to Open $40 Million Houston Manufacturing Facility
Amogy, developer of emission-free ammonia power solutions, on Tuesday announced it will open a new manufacturing facility in the energy and maritime hub city Houston.The Brooklyn-headquartered company said it will invest more than $40 million to renovate a 53,000-square-foot manufacturing facility that was formerly used to produce oil and gas equipment. The site is located within four acres of space that Amogy leases.Set to be operational in early 2024…
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Kirby Christens the US' First Plug-in Hybrid Electric Inland Towboat
The United States' first plug-in hybrid electric inland towing vessel was christened at a ceremony in Houston on Friday as the commercial marine industry continues to implement new technologies to reduce its environmental footprint.Kirby Inland Marine's Green Diamond will be time chartered by Shell Trading (US) Company, which will use the vessel to push barges throughout the Houston port region. According to Kirby…
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Washington State Ferries Awards Vigor Contract to Convert Its Largest Vessels to Hybrid-electric Power
Washington State Ferries has tapped local shipyard Vigor to convert up to three of its Jumbo Mark II class ferries to low-emission hybrid-electric power.Vigor's $150 million winning bid for the contract came in about $16 million under the second place bid from another Washington shipyard, but was still approximately $30 million above the state’s $120 million estimate for the project. Vigor has been awarded approximately $100 million for the conversion of two vessels…
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Maersk's Methanol-fueld Feeder Ship Represents a 'Paradigm Shift', ABS' Wiernicki Says
A.P. Moller - Maersk's first-of-its-kind methanol dual-fuel containership represents a paradigm shift for the maritime industry as it continues its efforts to decarbonize, ABS chairman and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki said.The 2,100 TEU feeder vessel, to be named Laura Maersk, was built to ABS Class at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard and Hyundai Heavy Industries and features dual-fuel main and auxiliary engines…
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Canada's First Fully Electric Tug Arrives in Vancouver
This week, Canada welcomed the arrival of the its first fully electric tugboat, HaiSea Wamis.Built by Sanmar Shipyards in Turkey, the vessel is the first in a series of three Robert Allan Ltd. designed ElectRA 2800 battery electric harbor tugs being constructed for HaiSea Marine, a joint venture partnership between the Haisla First Nation and Seaspan ULC.Together with HaiSea’s incoming dual-fuel (liquefied natural gas [LNG] and diesel) escort tugs…
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Norwegian Shipowner Preorders Amogy's Ammonia Power Solution
Brooklyn, N.Y. based Amogy announced it has entered into a preorder contract to supply four of its 200-kilowatt (kW) ammonia-to-power systems to an undisclosed Norwegian shipping company.The Amogy powerpacks will provide the primary power on a newbuild vessel slated for zero emissions sailing in 2025. The preorder is Amogy's first with a maritime industry customer ahead of planned commercialization…
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J. Lauritzen Orders Third Methanol Dual-fuel Bulk Carrier
Danish investment company J. Lauritzen announced it has ordered a third methanol dual-fuel bulk carrier from Japan's Tsuneishi Shipbuilding in an expansion of its partnership with U.S. agribusiness giant Cargill.The vessel will be a sister ship to the two 81,200 dwt Kamsarmax bulkers ordered by J. Lauritzen in April.The ships will be fully owned by Lauritzen NexGen Shipping and be operated by Cargill…
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Amogy Increases Series B Round to $150 Million
Brooklyn, N.Y. based startup Amogy on Monday announced it has raised more funds to help it commercialize and begin manufacturing its emissions-free ammonia-to-power technology for marine and industrial applications. The company aims to bring its first product to market in 2024.Amogy said its Series B-2 fundraising was joined by Marunouchi Climate Tech Growth Fund, Mitsubishi Corporation, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America and Synergy Marine, raising $11 million.
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Bad Fuel Caused Washington State Ferry Grounding
A fuel contamination issue led to the grounding of a Washington State Ferries (WSF) vessel in April, the operator said in a recent update.The 440-foot double-ended Jumbo Class ferry Walla Walla was traveling from Bremerton, Wash. to Seattle with 596 passengers and 15 crew members on board when it ran aground in Rich Passage, just off Bainbridge Island, Wash., at approximately 4:30 p.m. on April 15.
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World’s First Methanol-Fueled Containership Launched
The world’s first methanol-fueled containership has been launched for A.P. Moller - Maersk as the Danish shipping giant makes headway toward its goal to decarbonize its operations.“The launching was successfully completed on April 4 at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, and the construction is continuing with delivery in the summer,” said Henrik Ekmann, Head of Newbuilding & Retrofit at Maersk.The 2,100 TEU, ABS…
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Ammonia-powered Tug Conversion Underway
A first-of-its-kind ammonia-powered, zero-emission tugboat will be put to the test by Brooklyn, N.Y-based startup Amogy in late 2023.Having already successfully demonstrated its technology on an aerial drone, tractor and semi-truck, the ammonia power solutions company revealed in early March that it is retrofitting a scaled up 1-megawatt (MW) version of its ammonia-to-power system onto a tug at Feeney Shipyard in Kingston, N.Y.
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Fuel Savings Are Just a ‘Nudge’ Away
The commercial maritime industry is hard at work developing, testing and implementing new and innovative technologies to limit its environmental impacts. While much of the effort has focused on physical solutions such as improved hull design, cleaner burning engines and alternative fuels—all of which are important components of the industry’s decarbonization journey—software firm Signol has its sights…
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WSF Invites Bids to Convert Its Largest Ferries to Hybrid-electric Propulsion
Washington State Ferries (WSF) this week launched an invitation for bid to convert its three largest vessels to hybrid-electric propulsion.The conversion will remove two diesel generator sets from each of WSF's Jumbo Mark II ferries and replace them with batteries and associated support systems. The conversion will incorporate energy storage technology and rapid charging of the batteries from each…
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Samskip to Operate 'Zero-emission' Hydrogen-powered Containerships
Shipping and logistics company Samskip said it is “venturing into zero-carbon, emissions-free shipping” through the operation of two hydrogen powered, autonomous-ready vessels from Indian shipbuilder Cochin Shipyard Ltd.The containerships were ordered by marine robotics specialist Ocean Infinity for scheduled delivery in 2025 and will be operated under long-term charter by Samskip on its west European routes.
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Insights: Robert Schluter, e1 Marine
Robert Schluter served as an officer as part of the marine engineering team on board the U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer USS Mahan DDG-42 out of Charleston before transitioning to the business world and “general, corporate type work”. Today he serves as managing director at the third startup he’s helped build, e1 Marine.The company, a joint venture between Louisiana-based marine equipment lessor Maritime Partners…
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Design Profile: Glosten's SA-100 Methanol-hybrid Tug
The commercial maritime industry is seeking solutions to improve efficiency and reduce emissions, and a wide range of new solutions are coming to market to answer the call. Among these is a new design for a methanol-hybrid tug from naval architecture and marine engineering firm Glosten. The SA-100, developed in collaboration with systems integrator ABB, is a high-powered tug with 90-ton bollard pull that’s “intended to give operators a means to improve environmental performance…
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What is 'Hybrid-ready'?
There are vessels on order today—including crew transfer vessels (CTV) being built in the U.S. (American Offshore Services at Blount Boats and for WINDEA CTV at St. Johns Ship Building and Gulf Craft, for example)—that are described as “hybrid-ready”. Of course, a vessel is either hybrid or it isn’t. So what does hybrid-ready mean?When asked about the hybrid-ready CTVs that Blount Boats is building…
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MOL Sees Cow Manure as Path to Slash Vessel Emissions
Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) said it is seeking to use cattle manure as part of its strategy to reduce vessel emissions.The company announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Air Water Inc. to study the use of liquefied biomethane (LBM) derived from cattle manure in vessels fueled by liquefied natural gas (LNG).MOL, which has set a target to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050…