News Digest 09-May-2022

Following Stories compiled in this News Digest for the week from 02 May 2022 to 08 May 2022 in descending order:

• Rani Abbakka: The forgotten female admiral
• India: Cruise service from Vizag to Puducherry, Chennai in June
• India: Odisha govt demands establishment of maritime university in state
• US CDC Eases Vaccination Rules for Cruise Ships
• PM Modi invites Nordic companies to invest in India’s Blue Economy
• Port of Rotterdam eyes green corridor with Singapore
• IMO adopts resolution to evacuate seafarers from Ukraine
• Denmark and India to establish a Centre of Excellence on Green Shipping
• West African countries to strengthen fight against piracy, sea robbery
• Twenty years of “excellence in maritime and seafaring subjects in art”
• Hydrogen tanker concept aims to revolutionize green energy market
• Nuclear option finally makes stage appearance
• Compact and Mighty Truckable Tug
• Risk of recession in Europe, US and China is rising by the day
• All of Carnival Cruise Line’s cruise ships are back in service again
• India to develop and build first indigenous Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vessel
• Indian students develop a solar-powered boat to compete in Monaco Energy Boat Challenge

Rani Abbakka: The forgotten female admiral

08 May 2022
This story is brought to you from the rich Indian Maritime history. Rani Abbakka Chowta, the warrior queen who fought and defeated the Portuguese for four decades.

A fleet of the Indian coast guard off short patrolling vessels bears the name of the queen from present-day Karnataka’s coast. Even though a fading memory, the exploits of Rani Abbakka II against the Portuguese is not forgotten in the state. She was one of the few female admirals of India, who gave the Portuguese a bloody nose in the sea and on her lands.

Giving a glimpse of Rani Abbakka’s exemplary will in taking on the mighty Portuguese, Suryanath Kamath, who was the chief editor of Karnataka State Gazetteer, said her planning and war tactics left the invading forces clueless.

“More than 200 Portuguese came to coastal areas of Karnataka and demanded goods be sold at a price fixed by them. Rani Abbakka protested the demand. She asked the people to not yield to the men and with the help of Prince Venkatappa Nayak of Keladi she took the Portuguese head-on,” said Kamat said

Rani Abbakka was not willing to accept the Portuguese embargo since her ships had been travelling to the Middle East to sell spices, fabrics etc. For this trade, she was in an alliance with the Zamorin of Kozhikode. In the true family tradition, she had continued defying the Portuguese and trading directly with the Middle East.

The historian referred to family tradition because her mother Rani Abbakka I, known as the queen of Ullal, too was a fierce enemy of the Portuguese. “She worked in close alliance with the several chiefs of Malabar and against her husband who was an ally of the Portuguese,” read the gazette notes on her.

As per records, she took on the Portuguese when she decided to stop paying tributes to them when they attacked the chief of Cannanore (today’s Kerala), her erstwhile ally in 1555. Three years later, the queen took on the Portuguese by assisting a naval attack led by the Raja of Cannanore against the Portuguese.

In 1588, however, Goa Viceroy Anthony D’ Noronha led another attack against Ullal with a grand Armada. Ullal fell and was destroyed in this attack. The queen also died, as per the legend, leading her men from the front.

But after her death came Abbakka II. “It was under her rule, the Portuguese suffered one of the biggest naval battles in the subcontinent. Abbakka, the second, took over in 1594. She gained great fame throughout the Indian Ocean by attacking and burning the Portuguese fleet in 1618. This ensured that invasions by the Portuguese stopped in the coastal regions of Karnataka,

The news of the Portuguese loss to a woman made international news across Arabia, Persia and Europe. Thereafter, the Portuguese never attempted to attack Ullal or come in the way of her trading activities. Reference

India: Cruise service from Vizag to Puducherry, Chennai in June

08 May 2022
Even as Vizag is gearing up for full-fledged cruise services from early next year after commissioning a cruise terminal, Cordelia Cruise has come up with entertainment on high seas for Vizagites.Cruise ship Empress has offered a three-night trip from Vizag to Chennai and Puducherry on June 8, 15 and 22.

According to the cruise liner, it will be an unforgettable holiday experience, without leaving the comfort of the cruise. People can enjoy the thrills of exploring a new destination on the high seas, with mouth-watering Indian and international food, and thrilling adventure activities.

Speaking to TNIE, Visakhapatnam Port Trust Chairman K Rama Mohana Rao said permission has been given to berth the cruise ship at the port following a representation by its local representative JM Baxi group. It is the first cruise liner visiting Vizag post-Covid. 

Cruise tourism will get a big push as there may be visits by more cruise ships to the port after the rainy season. Cruise tourists will come to stay in Vizag as a Rs 96 crore cruise terminal and a berth are expected to be ready by March, he said. According to sources, there has been a good response to Cordelia Cruise.

The first cruise service will arrive here on June 8 and set sail for Puducherry same night. The entire day 2 will be at sea. It will reach Puducherry on June 10 morning. After the visit of passengers to various places in Puducherry it will sail to Chennai. Though it is a foreign cruise liner, permissions have been given to visit only Indian coasts. Reference

India: Odisha govt demands establishment of maritime university in state

07 May 2022
The Odisha government demanded on Friday that the Centre should establish a maritime university in the state.

Transport and Commerce Minister of Odisha, Padmanabha Behera, raised this demand during the third meeting of National Sagarmala Apex Committee (NSAC) held under the chairmanship of Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, in New Delhi on Friday.

Maritime transport is extremely important for both economic and cultural development. About 95 per cent of India’s trade by volume and 70 per cent by value moves through maritime transport, which shows the importance of ports and their contributions in sustaining the growth of the Indian economy, Behera said while speaking at the meeting.

He requested the Centre to examine and help the state in establishing the university for future development of the maritime sector in the whole east coast of India.

Behera requested for proper examination at the time of finalising the Indian Port Bill, which would strengthen the spirit of cooperative federalism.

Odisha, a principal maritime state, has a coastline of about 480 km. The state government has already identified 14 potential sites for development of non-major ports. Reference

US CDC Eases Vaccination Rules for Cruise Ships

07 May 2022
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relaxed its definition of what it means to be a highly vaccinated cruise ship this week, lowering the percentage of passengers required to get the shot.

Going forward, the CDC will consider cruise ships where 90% of passengers are vaccinated to be “Highly Vaccinated” ships, according to the agency. That is lower than the previous requirement of 95% to meet that definition.

Currently, the CDC classifies cruise ships under three categories: “Not Highly Vaccinated,” which includes ships where less than 90% of passengers and 95% of the crew are fully vaccinated; “Highly Vaccinated,” which includes ships where at least 90% of passengers and 95% of crew are fully vaccinated, but less than that includes people with up to date COVID-19 boosters; and the third category is having a “Vaccination Standard of Excellence,” which means at least 90% of passengers and 95% of the crew are vaccinated and up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines.

As of Friday, 92 cruise ships had opted into the CDC’s COVID-19 program and were all classified under the “Highly Vaccinated” category, according to the agency. No ships were classified under the “Vaccination Standard of Excellence.”

The classifications apply to commercial, foreign-flagged passenger-carrying ships with at least 250 passengers. Reference

PM Modi invites Nordic companies to invest in India’s Blue Economy

06 May 2022
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday invited Nordic companies to invest in India’s “Blue Economy”.

Nordic companies belong to countries such as Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland, while Blue Economy refers to water source-based economic activities such as fisheries.

Modi participated in the 2 nd India-Nordic Summit with the Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen; Prime Minister of Iceland, Katrín Jakobsdóttir; Prime Minister of Norway, Jonas Gahr Støre; Prime Minister of Sweden, Magdalena Andersson; and Prime Minister of Finland, Sanna Marin. The meeting took place in Copenhagen.

According to a joint statement issued post summit, the Prime Ministers agreed that the Blue Economy can deliver economic growth, new jobs, improved nutrition and increased food security, if managed sustainably. As leading ocean nations, India and the Nordic countries agreed on the benefits of partnering on transforming the shipping industry towards a low carbon future through exchange of good practices and technology transfers.

“The leaders discussed the potential of stimulating business cooperation and investments in sustainable ocean industries in India and the Nordic countries, including in the maritime, marine and offshore wind sectors. India and the Nordic countries were committed to follow up on the historic decision at UNEA 5.2 for negotiating an international legally-binding instrument to end plastic pollution, with an ambition to completing the work by 2024,” the statement said. Reference

Port of Rotterdam eyes green corridor with Singapore

06 May 2022

The Port of Rotterdam is eyeing developing a green corridor with Singapore as a growing number of countries look to pilot environmentally friendly shipping lanes.

Speaking The Maritime Podcast recently Allard Castelein, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, said that a very efficient green corridor from a point-to-point perspective could be created between Rotterdam and Singapore.

The proposed green corridor would link largest port in Europe and the world’s second largest container transhipment hub in Southeast Asia, both key nodes on the Asia – Europe container trade.. Rotterdam is looking to work with ports with common infrastructure, technology, regulation, and operational and safety guidelines in developing corridors where shipping companies would use trial the use of zero carbon fuels.

Castelein said they would together with their counterparts in Singapore, shipping lines and private enterprises to start piloting a green corridor sooner rather than later.

Both Singapore and Rotterdam have already developed infrastructure and regulations for the bunkering of ships with LNG, as well as biofuels, and are involved with projects to develop other green fuels such as ammonia. Reference

IMO adopts resolution to evacuate seafarers from Ukraine

06 May 2022
THE INTERNATIONAL Maritime Organization has adopted a resolution to facilitate the evacuation of seafarers from the Black Sea and Sea of Azov.

Adopted by the IMO Maritime Safety Committee on 28 April, Resolution MSC.495(105) highlights the urgency of removing seafarers from the war zone created by the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The announcement follows an extraordinary session of the IMO in March, in which its Council “underscored the paramount importance” of preserving the safety and welfare of seafarers.

At the recent extraordinary session, the Council highlighted the need to preserve the security of international shipping, the maritime community and various supply chains.

It also stated that ships should be able to sail from the ports of Ukraine at the earliest opportunity without threat of attack, and that those unable to leave immediately due to hazards such as sea mines should be able to leave the conflict zone via humanitarian corridors.

The MSC said the resolution was driven by concern for the safety of seafarers and their families, and an awareness of the conflict’s impact on the security of navigation and the integrity of global supply chains.

In response to the highlighted concerns, the MSC requested the secretary-general enable humanitarian support and safe evacuation for seafarers stranded in Ukrainian ports.

Under the adoption of the resolution, the MSC called on the Russian Federation to withdraw its troops from Ukraine’s territorial waters and refrain from furthering military operations that might affect the evacuation of ships and seafarers. Reference

Denmark and India to establish a Centre of Excellence on Green Shipping

05 May 2022
As announced, the Prime Minister of Denmark hosted the Prime Minister of the Republic of India, during an official visit to Denmark on 3-4 May 2022. The two Prime Ministers welcomed the Letter of Intent on the establishment of a Centre of Excellence on Green Shipping, which will further strengthen the bilateral maritime cooperation.

The two Prime Ministers welcomed the decision for a joint call for research and development projects in the area of green Hydrogen and green fuels. They noted the targeted areas of the joint call particularly with regard to green Hydrogen and other green fuels for transport and industry where there are no cost-effective alternatives to fossil energy.

The Green Strategic Partnership, established during the Virtual Summit between the two Prime Ministers in September, 2020, has become a catalyst for enhanced cooperation between India and Denmark. The two Prime Ministers welcomed the concrete progress under the Green Strategic Partnership and reconfirmed their commitment to democratic values, rule of law and respect for human rights on which the Green Strategic Partnership is based.

India welcomed the Danish investments in the country, especially in the renewable energy, water, terminals and port modernization and expansion, food processing and engineering sectors and India’s investments in Denmark especially in the Information Technology sector. The two Prime Ministers noted that such investments have made India the country where Danish companies have the largest number of employees outside of Denmark. Both the leaders agreed that the opportunities created by the Green Strategic Partnership will likely lead to an upward trajectory in bilateral trade and investment.

The Danish Prime Minister stressed Denmark’s commitment to speed up the phase out of fossil fuels and the deployment of renewable energy in Denmark to reach the goal of reducing emissions by 70% by 2030. Reference

West African countries to strengthen fight against piracy, sea robbery

05 May 2022
Countries in West Africa are set to brainstorm on how to consolidate the fight against piracy and sea robbery within the sub-region to ensure the safety of ships, crew members, and cargo onboard vessels.

This is as the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigerian Navy are partnering Inter-Regional Coordination Centre (ICC) Yaoundé, to host the fifth plenary of the Gulf of Guinea Maritime Collaboration Forum for the Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (GOG-MCF/SHADE).

The plenary, which is scheduled to take place in Abuja from May 10 to 11, 2022 is themed, ‘Enduring and Sustainable Security,’ and is expected to have in attendance all regional navies among other international stakeholders.

Bashir Jamoh, the director-general of the NIMASA, said in a statement in Lagos on Tuesday that regional cooperation plays an important role in reducing incidents of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea region.

According to him, these collaborative initiatives, as well as efforts of the Nigerian Navy and other regional navies, including the deployment of the Deep Blue Project, have been responsible for the reduction in piracy incidents in the region.

The Gulf of Guinea collaboration Forum SHADE was established by Nigeria and 22 countries of the ICC in July 2021. The goal was to implement effective operational counter-piracy cooperation among regional and international Navies as well as the shipping industry and reporting Centres of the Yaounde Code of Conduct (ICC) for the Regional Strategy for Maritime Safety and Security in the Central and West Africa region. Reference

Twenty years of “excellence in maritime and seafaring subjects in art”

05 May 2022
The Mission to Seafarers Victoria’s (MtSV) Maritime Art Prize & Exhibition is back for its 20th iteration in what promises to be yet another celebration of brilliance in maritime art.

With the previous two shows held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the exhibition will this year return to its rightful home within the Mission’s famous Norla Dome.

Artists are invited to respond this year’s theme, “The Relationship of Humanity to the Sea”, for their share of $30,000 in prize money, up from $20,000.

Last year, 80 artworks were shortlisted from a highly competitive field, including a growing number of interstate artists.

Entrants will be competing across five categories: 2022 Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) Maritime Art Award ($15,000), Best Traditional Maritime Art Award ($6000), Runner-Up ($4000), Emerging Artist ($3000), and People’s Choice Award ($2000).

Entries for the competition are now open and will close Wednesday, August 31. Exhibition opening night and awards ceremony will be held Thursday, September 29, with the exhibition then open to the public September 30 to October 16 • Reference

For more information: missiontoseafarers.com.au

Hydrogen tanker concept aims to revolutionize green energy market

04 May 2022
Netherlands-based C-Job Naval Architects has unveiled a concept for brand new class of liquid hydrogen tanker. Developed in partnership with LH2 Europe, the design is aimed at revolutionizing the renewable energy market by providing a critical element in realizing a green end-to-end liquid hydrogen supply chain.

LH2 Europe will use the abundant renewable electricity in Scotland to produce green hydrogen and market it at a price competitive with diesel. The new tanker will transport the liquid hydrogen to terminals in Germany. The strategic vision is to expand supply to other markets as demand increases.

“Hydrogen will be essential to the future of energy. It is up to us how quickly we can make that happen. LH2 Europe aims to have a full liquid hydrogen supply chain ready by 2027,” says Dr. Peter Wells, CEO of LH2 Europe. “We plan to initially deliver 100 tons per day (t/d) of green hydrogen and ramp up production to 300 t/d within three years, depending on demand.”

“Liquid hydrogen provides unique challenges in ship design and engineering,” says Job Volwater, CCO at C-Job. “As a comparison, LNG tankers use ballast water to compensate the loss of weight following delivery to ensure enough draft. As liquid hydrogen is high in volume but 20 times lighter than LNG, this required a unique solution. We have created a trapezium-shaped hull design which creates enough deck space to fit the tanks without the need for ballast.

The vessel is powered by hydrogen fuel cells and will be equipped with three liquid hydrogen storage tanks with total capacity of 37,500 cubic meters, which is enough to refuel 400,000 medium-sized hydrogen cars or 20,000 heavy trucks. The tanks will have a much lower boil off than those currently used in the maritime industry. The limited remaining boil off will be captured and directly utilized in the hydrogen fuel cells, providing power to the vessel’s propulsion systems, resulting in emissions of water only. The vessel itself will have zero greenhouse gas emissions during operations. Reference

Nuclear option finally makes stage appearance

04 May 2022
As shipping wrestles with the decarbonisation challenge, the curtains have lifted on a carbon-free technology that is tried, tested, and available today.

Nuclear-generated electricity could hasten shipping’s fuel transition at a fraction of the cost of new zero-carbon fuels currently under development, experts say. Thorium-based molten salt reactor technology is more than six decades old and inherently safe.

Privately owned Norwegian ship designer and builder, Ulstein, recently revealed how the technology could enable one 149m-long vessel, dubbed Ulstein Thor, to generate sufficient power to enable expedition cruise ships to operate, entirely free of carbon emissions, in remote areas.

However, the exciting part is that the technology could also be applied in the commercial shipping sector. Not only is the Thorium process safe, available and proven, but it is likely to work out substantially cheaper than green fuels currently under development, according to experts in the field. Furthermore, in a commercial shipping context, it does not require complex and expensive bunkering infrastructure in countless ports around the world.

Observers question the cost. But analysis by specialists wave this concern. Commenting on the Ulstein initiative, Professor Jan Emblemsvåg of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and a specialist in Thorium and nuclear power generation, said: “I see this as the most viable, and potentially the only credible solution, for a zero-emission fleet that can operate under commercial terms and cost levels. The Thor concept is exactly the kind of innovation we need for sustainable success at sea.”

There is growing interest in maritime around the potential of small-scale MSR reactors, either as floating facilities to produce green fuels such as ammonia or hydrogen, or directly as onboard power plants to fuel vessels. Reference

Compact and Mighty Truckable Tug

04 May 2022
Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) has partnered with Silverback Marine to design a compact yet mighty tugboat that can be transported by truck over the road. The truckable tug has an overall length of 25′ – 10 7?8″, a beam of 14′ – 6″ and a draft of 3′ – 4″. This vessel design offers a tug that can be easily transported to job sites with enough power and maneuverability to perform push-assists.

With 500 horsepower, the tug will produce a bollard pull over 12,500 pounds and has a still water range of 60 nautical miles pushing approximately 10,000 pounds at 4.1 knots.

The design is available with either electric, hybrid, or outboard propulsion options and can be further customized to fit a specific operation.

This tug can be used in a fleet as an alternative to a traditional, larger vessel and offers flexibility unavailable in standard designs. This vessel can be operated with a one-person crew and does not require compliance with United States Coast Guard SubChapter M Regulations.

SILVERBACK MARINE builds commercial, aluminum workboats for the marine industry. Based in Tacoma, Washington – the team of boat builders offers custom, tailored designs for your unique operation. For more information, please visitwww.silverbackmarine.com.

ELLIOTT BAY DESIGN GROUP is a full-service, employee-owned naval architecture and marine engineering firm that supports owners, operators and shipyards. Reference

Risk of recession in Europe, US and China is rising by the day

03 May 2022
Is the global economy flying into a perfect storm, with Europe, China, and the US all entering downturns at the same time later this year? The risks of a global recession trifecta are rising by the day.

A recession in Europe is almost inevitable if the war in Ukraine escalates, and Germany, which has been fiercely resisting calls to pull the plug on Russian oil and gas, finally relents. China is finding it increasingly difficult to sustain positive growth in the face of draconian Covid-19 lockdowns, which have already brought Shanghai to a screeching halt and now threaten Beijing.

Private and official economic forecasts have recently started to highlight growing regional risks but perhaps understate the extent to which they multiply each other. Widespread lockdowns in China, for example, will wreak havoc with global supply chains in the short run, raising inflation in the US and lowering demand in Europe.

A recession in the US, especially if triggered by a cycle of interest rate rises by the Federal Reserve, would curtail global import demand and trigger chaos in financial markets. And although recessions in Europe normally radiate globally mainly through reduced demand, a war-induced slowdown could radically shake business confidence and financial markets worldwide.

Most Asian countries have now exited zero-Covid strategies and are moving on to regimes that manage Covid-19 as an endemic threat but do not treat it as a pandemic.

The risk of a US recession has surely soared, with the main uncertainties now being its timing and severity. The sanguine view that inflation will decline significantly on its own, and that the Fed will therefore not have to raise interest rates too much, is looking more dubious by the day. With savings having soared during the pandemic, the more likely scenario is that consumer demand will remain strong, while supply chain problems become even worse.

Clearly, emerging markets and poorer developing economies will suffer mightily in the event of a global recession. Even energy and food-exporting countries, which until now have benefited economically from the war because of high prices, would probably have problems. Reference

All of Carnival Cruise Line’s cruise ships are back in service again

03 May 2022
Starting May 2nd 2022, Carnival Cruise Line’s final ship to return to service, is resuming operations from Seattle, Washington. With the return of Carnival Splendor to service, it marks an important day for Carnival Cruise Line.

Over a period of the last ten months, Carnival Cruise Line has been operating a gradual and phased restart of its fleet, bringing them back into service one at a time, following the pandemic. The cruise line has continued to monitor safety guidelines and policies for its ships and passengers.

Carnival Splendor’s return to service means that Carnival Cruise Line now has all of their fleet in operation, this will be the first time since March 2020. Carnival Splendor will be welcoming its first passengers in over two years, since the beginning of the pandemic.

While Carnival Splendor has returned to operation, and marks the return of Carnival Cruise Line to full service, the cruise line did retire some of its older ships during the months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Carnival Cruise Line perviously retired five Fantasy-class ships: Carnival Fantasy, Carnival Fascination, Carnival Imagination, Carnival Inspiration, and Carnival Sensation. This coming October 2022, the Carnival Ecstasy is scheduled for retirement. Reference

India to develop and build first indigenous Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vessel

02 May 2022
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways decided to develop and build India’s first indigenous Hydrogen Fuelled Electric Vessels at Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL). This has kick started the efforts of the country towards green shipping.

Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said that the plan for building Hydrogen Fuelled Electric Vessels is keeping pace with the Global Maritime Green Transitions.

“The move is part of India’s transformative efforts on the innovative and new technology front on green energy, sustainable cost-effective alternate fuel front,” he said.

“The Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vessel based on Low Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Technology (LT-PEM) called Fuel Cell Electric Vessel (FCEV) is expected to cost around Rs. 17.50 crores of which 75 per cent would be funded by the centre,” an official statement said.

Hydrogen Fuel cells can be used in a wide range of applications, including transportation, material handling, stationary, portable, and emergency backup power applications. Reference

Indian students develop a solar-powered boat to compete in Monaco Energy Boat Challenge

02 May 2022
To advance the progress of renewable technology in the marine sector, an Indian student-based team, for the first time, has qualified for the prestigious Monaco Energy Boat Challenge (MEBC).

A group of 13 engineering students from Kumaraguru College of Technology, Coimbatore, viewed this energy boat challenge as an opportunity to measure India’s sustainable strategies against the world.

The annual event will take place in Monaco, the world capital of yachting. Over 20 countries, mostly from Europe, in addition to America and China will converge to create, innovate, and present the future of marine transport.

The 22-year-old engineering student says clean energy is gaining immense attention only on roadways. The marine and shipping industry is also equally responsible for global climate change crises, which need equal attention, and they aspire to fix that through their innovation.

“Thanks to Elon Musk, electric vehicles are widely spoken of and are a trendy topic, yet the silence about the potential involved in bringing sustainable energy in the sea/marine sector is deafening. We aspire to amplify this issue through our energy boat,” she said.

The Indian team will participate in the event’s energy class, which will also see competition in solar and open sea categories. Reference

Note: All above news items compiled in this digest should be considered as news in brief. For detailed news, please refer to reference link, mentioned with each item.