News Digest 12-Dec-2022

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IMO ready to make the plunge toward zero emissions goal by 2050?

10 Dec 2022
Countries seem to be prepared to phase out shipping’s emissions by 2050, based on the first rounds of technical talks at the UN’s maritime regulator International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Furthermore, support appears to be building for the IMO to also adopt an ambitious 2030 interim target for cutting emissions from ships.

Specifically, the IMO’s Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG emissions from Ships (ISWG–GHG 13) has been meeting from 5-9 December 2022. The talks preceded the 79th Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 79) meeting at the IMO scheduled for 12-16 December when talks are expected to continue.

One of the key topics on the agenda is the need for more ambitious decarbonization targets in line with the Paris 1.5 objective. Pacific island nations have been very vocal about this need as for them this is a matter of survival.

Maritime environmental advocacy groups and associations said that on the question of strengthening the 2050 Level of Ambition, a huge majority of interventions by member states and industry bodies (34) were in favour of setting a zero greenhouse gas emissions goal by this date, in addition to four interventions in favour of a Net Zero target by this date. A small group of 10 member states opposed strengthening the current 2050 target. Reference

World’s Largest Cruise Ship Floated Out in Finland

10 Dec 2022
Finland’s Meyer Turku shipyard has floated out what it says is the world’s largest and Royal Caribbean International’s most environmentally friendly cruise ship, Icon of the Seas.

During the upcoming weekend, the ship will be moved to the outfitting dock, where its now fully assembled hull will be finished into “a magnificent cruise ship” during next year.

Icon of the Seas is its cruise line’s first ship that runs on liquefied natural gas and utilizes fuel cell technology. Together with its other features, such as shore power connections and waste heat recovery systems, the ship becomes a pioneer in sustainable development, the shipbuilder said.

At 365 meters long, almost 50 meters wide and with a gross tonnage of approximately 250 000, Icon of the Seas is the first ship in the Icon series. Reference

AI-powered, blockchain-based solution for ESG challenges in painting for the shipbuilding industry

10 Dec 2022
SSVT (Smart Ship Venture Technology), seeks to expand to Singapore with its new service offering, PANKI.

PANKI is an AI-powered, blockchain-based monitoring and management solution that aims to solve ESG challenges for the painting process in the shipbuilding industry. Development for the platform began in February 2021, and a prototype was completed in April 2022. PANKI digitalises the shipyard painting inspection process and automatically generates reports and analyses of the collected data.

PANKI addresses the issue of the growing shortage of skilled inspectors and personnel by creating clear reference points on the vessel for painting inspection. The platform digitalises, and manages the entire painting process from front to end.

PANKI accelerates the process by 150%, from inspection, and approval, to making clear data-driven decisions in 5 days. By streamlining the painting process, PANKI can improve ship fuel efficiency by 1.5%, resulting in $105,000 of annual fuel savings per ship.

Leveraging blockchain technology, PANKI provides data transparency for all parties involved. This facilitates smoother communications between shipyards, ship owners, and insurance companies. Reference

India Debates Specific Law For Maritime Piracy

09 Dec 2022
A bill that seeks to come up with a law to adequately deal with piracy in international waters was reportedly taken up by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

The Anti-Maritime Piracy Bill desires enactment of domestic and anti-maritime piracy legislation that’s in line with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Moving the bill in the House, S Jaishankar, the External Affairs Minister, declared that it will reportedly enhance India’s maritime security, including those of trade channels.

Per the statement of purpose of the bill, it was decided to bring about domestic anti-piracy legislation for prosecuting people for piracy-specific crimes and promote the safety of India’s maritime trade including the safety of the nation’s vessels and its crew members.

With an enhanced and improved naval presence in and around the Gulf of Aden, pirates reportedly shifted the place of operations eastward and southward. This resulted in a flurry of piracy incidents toward India’s western coast, mentioned the bill.

The bill is designed to make provisions of the proposed legislation applicable to parts of the sea that are adjacent to and beyond the limits of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of India, to make the act of piracy on high seas an offense punishable. Reference

It’s Time Shipping Companies Leverage Technology to Save Whales

09 Dec 2022
Scientists believe more than 80 whales are killed by ship collisions every year off the United States’ Pacific coast. According to Whale Safe, 2018, 2019, and 2021 were the worst years for collisions in the area. And as vessel traffic and congestion continue to rise, the future does not bode well for the whales.

Already overwhelmed with visual and auditory information in the wheelhouse, many seafarers have difficulty spotting aquatic mammals. One of the reasons for this is that dolphins and whales spend much of their time just below the surface.

Current efforts primarily focus on  addressing speed reduction measures. However, Voluntary vessel speed reductions (VSRs) have seen only a marginal effectiveness of zero to five percent mortality reduction. The use of existing tools to aid in collision avoidance is largely limited to radar use. 

Machine vision paired with artificial intelligence can learn to see and identify marine mammals and provide warning in time to avoid collisions. 

One of the solutions exist today, is situational awareness platform with AI, which includes high-resolution cameras, with state-of-the-art computer vision detection, trained on hundreds of thousands of samples, combined with location and can identify and alert targets as small as 2 meters, from as far as 2 NM in good visibility conditions. This type of detection, alongside camera-based distance estimation, can create the adequate alarm time needed to react – either alter course or reduce speed and let the mammals pass safely. Reference

India: Work on Adani Vizhinjam port will resume within a week

08 Dec 2022
With the strike called off at Vizhinjam International Seaport, the Kerala government and Adani Group decided to resume work on the ₹7,500-crore all-weather port on Thursday. Though the concessionaire company, Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Limited, which develops the port on Design, Build, Finance, Operate, Transfer basis, has lost around 140 days due to the protracted strike by the fishermen led by the Latin Archdiocese, Thiruvananthapuram, the government is of the view that the company has lost only around 60-70 days due to the strike.

According to government estimates, around 60-65% of the total work of the port has been completed. However, the work on the breakwater, which was the bone of contention between the fisherfolk and the State government, with the former blaming it for aggravating coastal erosion, is far from over. Only 1.4 km of the total 3.1 km has been completed yet. In addition, only 33% of dredging is over. Only after the completion of the breakwater works, can the remaining dredging, reclamation of sea, and container berth works be resumed.

However, the State and concessionaire company are hopeful of commissioning the project for commercial operations by December 2024. The project, the contract of which was signed on August 17, 2015, was to be commissioned in December 2019. Reference

Indian, Sri Lankan envoys in Nigeria over detained crew

08 Dec 2022
As the next hearing of the trial against the crew arrested for oil theft is scheduled for January 11, 2023, Indian and Sri Lankan envoys have met the seafarers, who were detained along with MT Heroic IDUN in Nigeria. Contrary to International Transport Federation (ITF) the crew were subjected to inhuman threatment.

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Affairs Ministry explained that the high commissioners, who met the detainees, said that the Sri Lankan crew members were in excellent health. It also said that the Sri Lankan High Commissioner met the crew members along with the high commissioners/ diplomats from India, Poland and the Philippines.

It would be recalled that on August 12, authorities of Equatorial Guinea detained 26 crew members, including 16 Indians, eight Sri Lankans, one Pole, and one Filipino, of the large crude carrier on a request by the Nigerian Navy. They were suspected of entering the Nigerian maritime domain on August 7 without clearance. Reference

Maritime employers and union form pact to support seafarers

08 Dec 2022
Shipping’s largest union, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), has formed an alliance with seafarers’ employer representatives the International Chamber of Shipping and the International Maritime Employers’ Council (IMEC).

The three organisations signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the intention of continuing the spirit of cooperation formed between them during the pandemic.

“Our industry came together to advocate for seafarers during the crew change crisis, and we had important successes on their behalf. Now we want to take that spirit of cooperation forward and apply it to new, shared challenges,” said ITF seafarers’ section head David Heindel.

The ICS, ITF and IMEC have worked together in the past on issues such as piracy and crew vaccination. But they usually sit at opposite ends of the table in negotiating collective bargaining agreements and minimum wages for seafarers under the International Labour Organization. The partners want to put their differences aside to lobby governments on improving training, developing career pathways and pushing for better recognition of seafarers. Reference

This New Buoy Doubles as a Floating Charging Station for Your Electric Boat

08 Dec 2022
Magonis has found a clever new way to extend the range of electric yachts at sea.

The Spanish yard, which has established itself as a pioneer of green technologies over the past five years, has just unveiled what it claims is the first “charging buoy.” The new MagBuoy will officially debut at Boot Düsseldorf next January, but Magonis has decided to preview it and two other sustainable innovations ahead of the show.

Developed in-house by the research and development team in Figueres, the MagBuoy is compatible with electric boats and yachts by all yards. Equipped with a built-in battery, the buoy receives power via an underwater cable that is connected to the chosen city’s grid. To charge, seafarers can simply pull up to the buoy and plug its charging cable into their vessel.

According to Magonis, the nifty floating device is easy to install. As a result, it has the power to improve the charging infrastructure (or lack thereof) on the seas and bring it closer to that of the car industry. Moreover, it means you don’t have to visit a marina or dock to get juice. Reference

Sea Trials Underway on First Kite for Wind-Assisted Propulsion

07 Dec 2022
Sea trials are underway on the first installation of an automated kite system for wind-assisted propulsion on a commercial vessel. The French company Airseas reports that it is making good progress on its tests during Atlantic crossings aboard a Ro-Ro cargo ship, helping it to validate design concepts and perfect elements of the system and its operations. 

Spun off from the aviation industry’s Airbus in 2015, Airseas is using its aeronautical experience to develop its sail kite to provide wind propulsion assistance for large commercial vessels. 

According to Airseas, over approximately 500 feet above sea level the winds are more stable and stronger in strength. Their research shows that the Seawing would have a pulling power of up to 100 tons meaning it can contribute to propulsion for a ship of over 200,000 tons and over 1,000 feet in length. They project fuel savings on average of 20 percent by deploying the kite sail.

The system is undergoing sea trials on the 505-foot long Ro-Ro Ville de Bordeaux (5,200 dwt), which is operated by Louis Dreyfus Armateurs and chartered by Airbus. A team of Airseas engineers is on board to test the system and gather data, working with Louis Dreyfus Armateurs’s crew and Airbus. Reference

India: MASSA seeks financial incentives on training courses

07 Dec 2022
Maritime Association of Shipowners Shipmanagers and Agents (MASSA) has sought financial incentives, including GST exemption, on some maritime training courses for the ship manning industry.

A highly skilled seafarer is sought after in the global employment market and such sops, if incorporated in the forthcoming Union Budget, will certainly boost employment of the Indian maritime workforce, MASSA said in a statement.

”With the central government’s focus on skill development, facilities and incentive should be given to simulator and practical maritime training courses conducted by approved and recognised maritime institutes operating in India,” said Shiv Halbe, CEO, MASSA.

Such courses should be ”exempted” from GST, thereby reducing costs and encouraging more and more Indian seafarers to enhance their skills, he said.

The global employment market has a high demand for a highly-skilled seafarer, according to Halbe.

He said that MASSA has suggested few policy changes to the government and communicated its views and suggestions for incorporating them in the forthcoming Union Budget.

He also said that maritime education and training in the country should be part of the ‘Skill India’ initiative eligible for related benefits and tax exemptions. Reference

Is Olakkaneswar temple India’s oldest lighthouse?

07 Dec 2022
Perhaps you’ve heard ardent devotees claim that visiting a place of worship has ‘shown them the light.’ What if there was a temple that took this turn of phrase very, very literally? 

The historic city of Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu (58km from Chennai) is home to splendid rock-cut architecture commissioned by the rulers of the Pallava dynasty.

Located at the top of a cave perched on a hillock, Olakkaneswar Temple in Mahabalipuram served as a sanctuary for Shiva worshippers by day and a lighthouse by night. As per academic research, the shallow depression on the roof of the temple held a pot 1.5 feet high, which was filled with oil and ignited every evening with the express purpose of orienting lost sailors and guiding them into safe harbour. As it was the highest point near the shore, lighting a fire at the top ensured that it would be seen by distant mariners, and help them navigate at night. The fire was eventually replaced by a light on the roof of the temple, and continued to function as a lighthouse. The temple is aptly named indeed; Olakkaneswar means ‘flame eye’ and is a reference to Lord Shiva’s omniscient third eye. 

Interestingly, this temple-lighthouse, which was built around 640 AD, is not the only lighthouse in Mahabalipuram. Right next to this centuries-old granite structure stands a much more modern lighthouse, erected by the British in 1904. Olakkaneswar Temple or the Old Lighthouse is a protected monument, and is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India. Reference

Launch Of ‘Switch To Zero’ Campaign To Reduce Shipping Industry Carbon Emissions

07 Dec 2022
Companies that import or export their freight by vessel generally have little influence on the container shipping company’s fuel choice. GoodShipping aims to change this with the ‘insetting’ concept.

The aim of the ‘Switch to Zero’ campaign is to get some twenty sea freight shippers on board. Swinkels Family Brewers, known for brands including Bavaria and Cornet, and Dille & Kamille are the first to announce their participation in this campaign. They will have some or all of their containers shipped using sustainable fuel next year.

Insetting does not involve achieving carbon reductions through compensation but through shipping using sustainable fuel. Shippers often transport small numbers of containers on different vessels and can use insetting to purchase a certain amount of carbon reduction via GoodShipping. GoodShipping ensures that this is achieved by providing a vessel with sustainable fuel.

As part of their drive to promote CO2 savings in the logistics sector, GoodShipping and the Port of Rotterdam Authority aim to find some twenty new sea freight shipping companies that wish to use this service. Reference

Panama Declares Candidate for Next IMO Secretary-General

06 Dec 2022
With Kitack Lim beginning the last year of his second term as Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, the Republic of Panama through the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) became the first to officially declare a candidate as his successor. Panama announced that it will support its member and the current director of the Marine Environment Division, Arsenio Domínguez, to become the ninth elected Secretary General of the IMO with the term beginning January 1, 2024.

Domínguez, who is a naval architect, becomes the first Panamanian and Latin American candidate for the position of Secretary-General. AMP highlights that 2024 will mark 20 years since Dominguez began serving in various roles at the IMO.

Lim was first elected to a four-year term that started in 2016. He was elected for his second and final term of four years that began January 1, 2020, and runs through December 31, 2023.

The next Secretary-General will take the lead of the IMO at a critical time in the organization’s history and for the maritime industry. They will be confronting environmental issues and the increasing pressures for the industry to accelerate its transition to alternative fuels. Many organizations have been critical of the IMO’s performance saying that it has been slow to adopt the necessary changes and that it must be more aggressive in leading the industry forward. Reference

Nuclear-powered icebreaker commenced operation in the Kara Sea

06 Dec 2022
The second serial nuclear-powered icebreaker of Project 22220, Ural, has commenced operation in the Kara Sea, FSUE Atomflot (a company of Rosatom) wrote in its Telegram channel.

The ceremonies of raising RF flag on the Ural icebreaker and launching of the Yakutia icebreaker were held at Baltiysky Zavod on 22 November 2022. The President of the Russian Federation attended the ceremonies via videoconference. Ural left Saint-Petersburg for its homeport Murmansk on 23 November 2022. The icebreaker left Murmansk base of FSUE Atomflot for the first operational voyage on 2 December 2022. According to Atomflot’s statement, the crew of the multipurpose nuclear-powered icebreaker will operate in the Ob-Yenisei area of the Kara Sea.

Ural is the third ship of Project 22220 built by Baltiysky Zavod shipyard. Laid down on 25 July 2016, it was launched on 26 May 2019. The ship is to be delivered to FSUE Atomflot in November 2022. The construction was supervised by Russian Maritime Register of Shipping.

Multipurpose nuclear-powered icebreakers of Project 22220 ships are the world’s largest and most powerful icebreaking ships. Icebreakers of 22220 design will form the basis of Russia’s civil icebreaking fleet in the near time.

Key particulars of Project 22220: LOA – 173.3 m (160 m, DWL), beam – 34 m (33 m, DWL), depth – 15.2 m; height – 52 m; draft (DWL) – 10.5 m; minimum draft – 9.2 m; maximum icebreaking capability – 2.8-meter-thick ice (at full capacity and speed of 1.5-2 knots); designated service life – 40 years, crew – 53. Reference

Tanker Jam Off Turkey as Price Cap on Russian Crude Kicks In

06 Dec 2022
Oil tankers formed a traffic jam off the coast of Turkey on day one of the West’s price cap on Russian crude, with Ankara insisting on new proof of insurance for all vessels, the Financial Times reported on Monday. 

Around 19 crude oil tankers were waiting to cross Turkish waters on Monday, the report said, citing ship brokers, oil traders and satellite tracking services. 

The agreement allows Russian oil to be shipped to third-party countries using tankers from G7 and European Union member states, insurance companies and credit institutions only if the cargo is bought at or below the cap.

According to the Financial Times’ report, four oil industry executives said Turkey had demanded new proof of full insurance coverage for any vessels navigating its straits in light of the measures. 

The vessels had dropped anchor near the Bosphorus and Dardanelles, the two straits linking Russia’s Black Sea ports to international markets. Reference

Indian Navy remains futuristic in capability, outcome-oriented in action: President Murmu

05 Dec 2022
Highlighting the role of the Navy in ensuring an umbrella of security for India’s national maritime interests, President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday said Indian Navy remains futuristic in capability development and outcome-oriented in action.

President Murmu witnessed the operational demonstration by the Indian Navy at Visakhapatnam on the occasion of Navy Day. Speaking on the occasion, the President congratulated all officers and men and their families on Navy Day.

She said, “We celebrate this day to commemorate the Indian Navy’s valiant actions in the 1971 War, contributing to India’s historic victory. It is a day to remember and honour our martyrs who etched a permanent place for themselves in history and continue to inspire every generation. This day also reminds us to rededicate ourselves to taking India forward, transiting through Amrit Kaal, towards a great future.”

The President noted that the Indian Navy remains firm in its perseverance, resolute in commitment, futuristic in capability development, and outcome-oriented in action. Reference

Prime Minister Modi lauds the Indian Navy on Navy day

05 Dec 2022
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lauded the Indian Navy and sent his greetings to the navy personnel and their families on the occasion of Navy Day.

The Prime Minister said that the Indian Navy has steadfastly protected the nation and distinguished itself with its humanitarian spirit during challenging times. He expressed his pride over the country’s rich maritime history.

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar has said that the aim of the Indian Navy is to have  Made in India, Made by India and Made for India security solutions so that it can strengthen the move towards Atmanirbharta.

Talking to AIR, Admiral Hari Kumar said, as far as the optimization of budget is concerned,  the Indian Navy is driving self-reliance and development of indigenous technology and it has adequate funding for all capital projects. Reference

Historic! Women sailors join Indian Navy

05 Dec 2022
For the first time, the Indian Navy is inducting women sailors, said Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar while adding that around 3,000 Agniveers have arrived, and 341 of them are women. Of the 10 lakh individuals who applied for the available positions in the Indian Navy, he said that 82,000 of them were women.

Operationally, India had very intense and engaging time in the last one year, Kumar said while adding that the Indian Navy had achieved very high operational tempo in the last one year.

In order to emphasise that the services are gender-neutral, Kumar said that the Indian Navy has previously accepted fighter pilots and female air operations officers, and that women sailors are now being enlisted.

The Navy Chief added that in the upcoming year, women would be allowed to join all remaining branches. The Navy commander was addressing at the National Defense Academy’s (NDA) passing out parade at Khadakwasla, Pune. 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.

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