# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Maritime Executive: Maritime News | Marine News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The maritime industry's leading source for breaking maritime and marine news including shipping news, offshore news, piracy news and more

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Offshore Energy platform connects communities to tell the story of the energy transition and sustainable solutions in the maritime and offshore world.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Marine Industry News, Maritime Shipping News, Shipbuilding, Coast Guard, Navy, Maritime News, Marine News Magazine, Maritime Security, Offshore

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Crimson Polaris wood-chip carrier that ran aground and split up off Japan Thursday, spilling oil into the ocean, carried about 1,550 MT of heavy oil and about 130 MT of diesel oil for fuel at the time of the grounding, NYK, the charterer of the ship, said Friday.
As previously reported, the 199.9-meter vessel, chartered by NYK from MI-DAS Line ran aground off Hachinohe on August 11. On August 12 at 4:15 a.m. the vessel's hull split into two pieces and began spilling oil.
"We are continuing our efforts to control the oil spill and monitor the split hull [...] As of August 11, when the vessel ran aground, the ship had about 1,550 MT of heavy oil and about 130 MT of diesel oil for fuel. The amount of oil that has been spilled into the ocean has not been identified," NYK said.

"The Maritime Disaster Prevention Center is continuing to control the oil spill using oil-treatment agents and adsorption mats. In addition, as soon as oil is confirmed to have drifted to the coast, oil recovery companies are prepared to perform beach cleaning," NYK said.

NYK said that a crack that first occurred between the No. 5 cargo hold and the No. 6 cargo hold at the rear of the 2008-built vessel had worsened, and the hull eventually split into two.

"The bow is floating and held by an anchor chain, and the stern appears to have become stranded on the seabed. The shipowner and ship-management company are currently in discussions with relevant authorities and salvage companies concerning towing and treatment of the separated hull, with the prevention of environmental pollution being given the highest priority. We are carefully monitoring the situation," NYK said.

The charterer further said that the cause of the accident was "currently being confirmed, and investigative authorities are conducting an interview with the vessel captain."

"NYK has organized a crisis management center led by NYK president Hitoshi Nagasawa to rapidly address the situation. Company personnel have been sent to the site, and necessary support will be provided to the shipowner and ship-management company. We hope the situation will be bought to a safe and timely conclusion," NYK said.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
'Crimson Polaris' Carried Almost 1700 MT of Oil Before Grounding, Splitting Up off Japan

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Crimson Polaris wood-chip carrier that ran aground and split up off Japan Thursday, spilling oil into the ocean, carried about 1,550 MT of heavy oil and about 130 MT of diesel oil for fuel at the time of the grounding, NYK, the charterer of the ship, said Friday.

# data[].attributes.body
new vocabulary of this news:
1. oil spill
2. offshore floating jetty
3. fuel leak
4. environmental disaster
5. damages for the leak

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Russian investigators were conducting searches at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) after Saturday's oil spill near the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk, the regional branch of the investigative committee said on Thursday.

Russia opened a criminal investigation on the spill, which occurred during loading of a tanker moored to an offshore floating jetty. According to CPC, a crucial part of the jetty broke and caused the accident.

"In connection with the criminal case, representatives of the Investigative Committee are interviewing CPC employees and examining documents. The consortium provides the necessary assistance to the investigation team," CPC said on Thursday.

CPC is owned by a consortium that includes Russia's Transneft, Kazakh KazMunayGas, Chevron Caspian Pipeline Consortium Company and LUKARCO B.V. among other firms.

The CPC pipeline transports the flagship Kazakh crude oil export blend to a terminal near Novorossiisk. The terminal is operating as usual, CPC has said.

Russia opened the investigation after scientists said the spill spread over an area of nearly 80 square kilometers (31 square miles) and was much larger than initially estimated by CPC.

Moscow has been pressuring Russian companies to take more responsibility for accidents which may pose environmental threat after a fuel leak last year which was Russia's worst environmental disaster in the Arctic this century.

Metals miner Nornickel payed $2 billion in damages for the leak. Russia's state fisheries agency is claiming an additional $800 million from it in court.
(Reporting by Gleb Stolyarov, Olga Yagova and Olesya Astakhova; writing by Polina Devitt; editing by David Evans and Dan Grebler)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Russian Investigators Search CPC After Black Sea Oil Spill

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Russian investigators were conducting searches at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) after Saturday's oil spill near the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk, the regional branch of the investigative committee said on Thursday. Russia opened a criminal investigation on the spill, which occurred during loading of a tanker moored to an offshore floating jetty.

# data[].attributes.body
Boost Ship Scrapping
bulkers
oversupplied sectors

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Offshore Energy platform connects communities to tell the story of the energy transition and sustainable solutions in the maritime and offshore world.

# data[].attributes.body
Read the following news and mention if Sierra Leone is complying with the MARPOL convention and what is being suggested for its compliance

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Ships calling to ports in Sierra Leone could face serious fines if found in violation of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) 2020 measures.
From 1 September 2021, ship owners and operators risk penalties of up to $15,000 should they continue to carry fuel with a sulphur content exceeding 0.5%, according to the Sierra Leone Ports Authority (NCP).

The IMO 2020 service charge will be implemented even for ships with an exhaust gas cleaning system (scrubber) installed.

The port authority, in consultation with the Ministry of Transport and Aviation, consented to implement this important international member state mandate in July 2021.

Officials warned that Sierra Leone is 18 months behind the global mandate to implement the IMO 2020 statutory instrument.

In view of the above, NCP will serve as the consulting government agency to implement IMO 2020 measures.

Furthermore, it will undertake a joint implementation of the regulation, together with a competent institution for efficiency and standardisation.

The tariffs and fines are subject to periodic reviews based on prevailing circumstances.

To remind, enforcement, compliance and monitoring of the IMO 2020 Sulphur limit fall under Regulations to Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL).

In 2008, the IMO unanimously adopted the global sulphur cap requiring all ships to use fuels with a maximum of 0.5% sulphur content as of January 1, 2020.

It states that nations that have ratified MARPOL and acceded to Annex VI are obliged to give effect to and enforce the provisions of the regulation.

In March last year, major port state regimes including Paris MoU, Tokyo MoU and the United States Coast Guard (USCG), announced their plans to rigorously enforce the IMO's Sulphur 2020 targets.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ships violating IMO 2020 to face penalties in Sierra Leone - Offshore Energy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ships calling to ports in Sierra Leone could face serious fines if found in violation of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) 2020 measures. From 1 September 2021, ship owners and operators risk penalties of up to $15,000 should they continue to carry fuel with a sulphur content exceeding 0.5%, according to the Sierra Leone Ports Authority (NCP).

# data[].attributes.body
Vocabulary:
1. Red tide
2. algae bloom
3. toxins
4. microalgae

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Red Tide is sweeping through much of the Gulf Coast of Florida, having killed millions of fish and other marine life, and it could be headed toward Texas, according to a Texas A&M University at Galveston marine biologist.

Daniel Roelke, professor and head of marine biology at Texas A&M-Galveston, said that Red Tide-technically called Karenia brevis-is an algae bloom that produces toxins that can kill fish. So far, it has killed more than 1,400 tons of fish in the Tampa area in the last few weeks.

"Yes, there is a chance the ongoing bloom could find its way here to the Texas coast, but not much of one," Roelke said. "If it were to happen, the likely mechanisms include accidental release of ship ballast waters containing the red- tide organism and counter currents moving in a westward direction. Regarding currents, the primary circulation pattern off the west coast of Florida is southward, eventually working its way around the southern tip of Florida then northward along the Florida eastern coastline."

Roelke said the toxins can be deadly to organisms that consume the contaminated fish, such as aquatic mammals, birds and even humans.

In Florida, dolphins, turtles and manatees have died because of the surge of Red Tide.

"The bloom-initiating mechanisms for Karenia brevis are not fully understood, and what we know so far suggests they are complex," he said. "This is true for almost all harmful bloom-forming microalgae. We do know that once the initiating mechanisms are underway, excessive nutrient concentrations enable the bloom to reach high population densities and to become widespread. That's when the fish kills begin."

He added that there are many types of marine organisms affected by toxins produced by red tides. Fish, marine mammals and birds are only the most visible.

Roelke said that it is possible that Red Tide is already present in waters off the Texas coast.

"The red-tide organism has formed blooms in the past along the Texas shoreline," he said. "Once an organism is introduced to an area, it can remain for a long time, but just at population densities too low for us to detect. So, we cannot say where exactly it might be if it is indeed still in our waters.

"We know that fish-killing blooms here have occurred in the past. That is why Texas A&M-Galveston, the University of Texas and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department cooperatively monitor the Texas shoreline looking for signs of harmful algal bloom-forming species.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Red Tide is sweeping through much of the Gulf Coast of Florida, having killed millions of fish and other marine life, and it could be headed toward Texas, according to a Texas A&M University at Galveston marine biologist.

# data[].attributes.body
Vocabulario:
- Maritime zones / Zonas Marítimas
- Maritime Borders / Límites Marítimos

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Islands in French Polynesia (NASA)

The leaders of Pacific island countries have agreed to establish permanent maritime boundaries, notwithstanding climate-change related sea rise. The declaration was made by the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), comprising 18 member island countries in the Pacific region. It affirms that once the Pacific Islands have established and notified maritime zones to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, they will be fixed irrespective of changes to the shape and size of the islands. This follows a resolution made a year ago by the Pacific Islands leaders, calling for urgent and collective action to secure maritime zones of the member states in accordance with the UN Law of the Sea Convention addressing sea-level rise and climate change.

"We proclaim that our maritime zones, as established and notified to the Secretary-General of the United Nations in accordance with the Convention, and the rights and entitlements that flow from them, shall continue to apply, without reduction, notwithstanding any physical changes connected to climate change-related sea-rise," reads the declaration. "We do not intend to review and update the baselines and outer limits of our maritime zones as a consequence of climate change."

The maritime zone of a country is delineated using baselines set by the UN Law of the Sea convention beginning at the low-water line along the coast. However, due to climate change effects, these baselines are constantly changing. In the case of island countries, there is a long-standing concern that sea-rise will ultimately alter their coastline boundaries, and generally the countries' size.

While responding to the recently released IPCC report, PIF's Secretary General, Henry Puna said that major emitters of the world could no longer ignore the voices of those already enduring this unfolding existential crisis.

"Of major concern for the Blue Pacific continent and the future of our island homes, is the fact sea levels could rise by two meters by 2100 and a disastrous five meters by 2050. The report also found that extreme sea level events that previously occurred once in 100 years could happen every year by the end of this century. To put this into perspective, this will result in the loss of millions of lives, homes and livelihoods across the Pacific and the world," said Henry.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Pacific Island Leaders Agree to Set Permanent Maritime Borders

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The leaders of Pacific island countries have agreed to establish permanent maritime boundaries, notwithstanding climate-change related sea rise. The declaration was made by the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), comprising 18 member island countries in the Pacific region.

# data[].attributes.body
Vocabulary:
1. shipyard
2. twofold
3. orderbook

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has floated out Norwegian Prima, the first of six energy-efficient Prima-class vessels being built for Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL).

Image Courtesy: Fincantieri

The ceremony took place at a shipyard in Marghera, Venice, on 13 August.

Along with its sister-ships, Norwegian Prima will form the backbone of the future NCL fleet, being more than 142,500-tons, almost 300 meters long, and accommodating 3,215 guests.

Deliveries of the six units are scheduled each year between 2022 and 2027.

The class is based on a prototype project developed by Fincantieri where focus was set on energy efficiency, with the twofold aim of optimizing consumption at sea and reducing environmental impact, compliant with all the most recent regulations on this matter.

NCL is part of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. that also operates the Regent Seven Seas Cruises brand, to which Fincantieri has delivered in Sestri Ponente (Genoa) the ultra-luxury ships Seven Seas Explorer in 2016 and Seven Seas Splendor in 2020 in Ancona, as well as Oceania Cruises, for which the group has in its orderbook two new generation cruise ships, worth over EUR 1 billion, which will start the Allura-class.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
NCL's lead Prima-class cruise ship launched in Italy - Offshore Energy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has floated out Norwegian Prima, the first of six energy-efficient Prima-class vessels being built for Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL). The ceremony took place at a shipyard in Marghera, Venice, on 13 August. Along with its sister-ships, Norwegian Prima will form the backbone of the future NCL fleet, being more than 142,500-tons, almost 300 meters long, and accommodating 3,215 guests.

# data[].attributes.body
Wraps up
smart-stack position
seismic survey vessel Neptune Naiad
Eksportkreditt Norge

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Norwegian seismic player Axxis Geo Solutions (AGS) has completed the ROV-deployed ocean bottom node (OBN) survey in the North Sea.
Announced on 30 November 2020, the survey was completed on schedule and budget, AGS informed.

Courtesy of Axxis Geo Solutions

"Building on its previous operational experience using node on a rope technology, AGS successfully adapted to ROV deployment and recovery", the company said.
"The project crew mobilized from a smart-stack position in a very short period of time and will revert to a low-cost mode immediately following project completion".
A month ago, AGS completed the sale of its seismic survey vessel Neptune Naiad.

The company also reported that it had repaid the remaining principal and accrued interest under the loan with Eksportkreditt Norge, which was guaranteed by Danske Bank and GIEK.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
AGS wraps up ROV-deployed OBN survey in North Sea - Offshore Energy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Norwegian seismic player Axxis Geo Solutions (AGS) has completed the ROV-deployed ocean bottom node (OBN) survey in the North Sea. Announced on 30 November 2020, the survey was completed on schedule and budget, AGS informed. "Building on its previous operational experience using node on a rope technology, AGS successfully adapted to ROV deployment and recovery", the company said.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Belgium's Euronav, which provides shipping and storage services for crude oil, swung to a second-quarter loss, it said on Thursday, as recovering demand for oil and easing production cuts had yet to lead to better shipping rates.

The Antwerp-based group posted a loss of $89.7 million for the period compared to a $259.6 million profit a year earlier.

"Improving crude demand and the tapering of OPEC+ production cuts have yet to translate into freight rate recovery," Chief Executive Hugo De Stoop flagged in a statement.

Euronav's shares were down over 3% in early trading.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, known as OPEC+, cut oil output as the world's demand for crude oil plunged during the pandemic last year.

OPEC+ ministers however agreed in July to boost oil supply from August to cool prices that had climbed to 2-1/2 year highs as demand progressively rebounds.

Click here for an interactive graphic: https://tmsnrt.rs/3fZ1Or0

According to analysts at Evercore, the impact of increasing global oil exports will probably not be seen until the autumn, at the earliest.

"It's probably time to throw in the towel on any material rate rebound in 2021," the broker said in a note last month.

Euronav also pointed to persistent COVID-19 outbreaks that continued to curb demand, deferring a recovery in freight rates.

These two interlinked factors remain the key variables for oil tanker markets short term, the company said, citing "largely static" tanker market dynamics from the first quarter.

Available tonnage, whilst not increasing, has remained stubbornly elevated in particular in key export markets like the Middle East, the group added.

Last Wednesday, U.S. President Joe Biden's administration urged OPEC+ to boost oil output to tackle rising gasoline prices that they see as a threat to the global economic recovery.

(Reporting by Juliette Portala and Sarah Morland. Editing by Jason Neely and Susan Fenton)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Belgium's Euronav Posts 2Q Loss on Low Oil Tanker Demand

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Belgium's Euronav, which provides shipping and storage services for crude oil, swung to a second-quarter loss, it said on Thursday, as recovering demand for oil and easing production cuts had yet to lead to better shipping rates. The Antwerp-based group posted a loss of $89.7 million for the period compared to a $259.6 million profit a year earlier.

# data[].attributes.body
Epoxy-bladed rotors
resolidifies upon cooling

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) researchers have started testing thermoplastic composite blades, said to have the potential to revolutionise the marine energy industry, on a large-scale tidal power turbine.

Verdant Power's three-turbine array mounted on TriFrame (Courtesy of U.S. DOE)

NREL researchers have been exploring the use of thermoplastic composite materials for wind turbines for several years, but they have only just begun to scrape the surface of how these materials perform underwater.

Namely, in collaboration with tidal energy company Verdant Power and with the funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, NREL researchers have constructed turbine blades using thermoplastic composite materials and are now testing them on one of Verdant Power's tidal turbines, currently deployed in New York City's East River.

Evaluation of the loads and performance of the turbines at the Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy (RITE) project site in New York began in October 2020 with the installation of Verdant Power's TriFrame mount, which holds three tidal turbines.

Because of strong tidal currents that change direction multiple times per day, the East River is an ideal location for testing and validating the performance of marine energy turbines, according to NREL.

Both the TriFrame and three-bladed turbines were designed to be modular and scalable, allowing researchers to study the 5-metre-diameter turbines and then scale them up to the more economically viable 10 to 15-metre-class turbine systems that are more likely to be used in the field.

During their first six months in the water, the tidal turbines, which initially had epoxy blades, generated almost 200MWh of energy, setting a United States record for marine energy production.

After a six-month deployment, the Verdant Power team performed a retrieve-and-replace (R&R) operation in May 2021, swapping out one of the epoxy-bladed rotors with a new, NREL-manufactured rotor with thermoplastic blades that are identical to the original epoxy blades except for their material.

Verdan Power's tidal turbines after an R&R operation earlier in 2021 (Courtesy of U.S. DOE)

Benefits of thermoplastic materials for marine energy applications

Previous laboratory-scale research performed at French national institute for ocean science Ifremer demonstrated how thermoplastic materials can improve fatigue performance, decreasing the probability for catastrophic blade failures and making tidal turbine blades more sustainable for marine energy applications.

The manufacturing process is also faster and more energy efficient, NREL claims.

Additionally, thermoplastics, which make up about 75% of worldwide plastic production, can be recycled because the plastic polymer material can be remolded at high temperatures and resolidifies upon cooling.

For several months prior to the R&R deployment, NREL research engineer Robynne Murray and her team have been tapping into the manufacturing and materials characterization capabilities at NREL's Composites Manufacturing Education and Technology (CoMET) facility.

There, they built the 2.5-metre blades using a vacuum infusion method with Elium thermoplastic resin. They then worked to confirm that these blades had similar structural performance to the traditional epoxy resin blades prior to deployment, structurally validating the full-scale, thermoplastic, tidal power turbine blades that are now generating power in the East River.

After its trial run ends and the blades are retrieved by the end of 2021, the team will measure the blades' structural response to applied loads to quantify the impact of seawater on these materials.

Murray said: "Verdant Power provided the NREL team with the blade tooling and geometry details so we could produce thermoplastic blades that are identical to the epoxy blades that they've already manufactured, which allows us to do a side-by-side comparison with traditional materials.
"We're really interested in using these thermoplastic materials because they could potentially prolong the life of the blades and have improved structural properties for marine applications".

NREL researchers connect a tidal turbine blade to the data acquisition system for validation (Photo by Robynne Murray - NREL)

An NREL-built data acquisition system sits inside the tail cone of the newly installed tidal turbine, allowing researchers to measure the strain and angular position of the thermoplastic blades while in action in the East River.

The data acquisition system design and validation process, which included submerging the system in water for several days, meets several requirements, including the ability to continuously and reliably acquire, measure, and store all the data generated during the turbine's entire deployment period-estimated to be up to 28 gigabytes, according to NREL.
"This work will demonstrate a potentially game-changing material for marine applications at a meaningful scale. It will also produce strain and acceleration data for full-scale turbines that we can use to validate design tools and de-risk future deployments, industrywide.
"The collaboration with Verdant Power and the ability to join their innovative R&R operation has been key to obtaining these data that will benefit the marine energy industry for years to come", Murray concluded.

This summer, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) will be performing a survey of the TriFrame's flow speeds at the RITE Project site to obtain flow data for the operational tidal turbines.

The data will be used to validate flow velocity models, which will be publicly accessible to the marine energy industry, NREL added.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
NREL takes deep dive into thermoplastic blade research for tidal energy turbines - Offshore Energy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) researchers have started testing thermoplastic composite blades, said to have the potential to revolutionise the marine energy industry, on a large-scale tidal power turbine. NREL researchers have been exploring the use of thermoplastic composite materials for wind turbines for several years, but they have only just begun to scrape the surface of how these materials perform underwater.