Molten Salt Reactors: Maritime’s Nuclear Option
A race is being run by nuclear scientists and ship designers. The prize? “Decarbonization’s” holy grail — believed to be a “small” thorium-fueled, molten-salt rector’s unlimited power to propel sea trade. At the same time, a recently revived discussion among leading marine-nuclear thinkers revolves now around how to put an ultra-modern, as-yet non-existent marine reactor aboard a modern commercial vessel. As with nuclear power generally, shipborne reactors produce national discussion first, then discovery.
Floating Offshore Wind: Attention Turns Subsea for Power Transport
From being an ugly duckling, floating offshore wind is now the Cinderella of the offshore renewables world. Attention is now being paid to floating and even subsea substation concepts to help bring this power to shore. Over the past year, expectations around the growth in the floating offshore wind development have grown, significantly. Many are piling into the market, seeing that it could give them a chance to ramp up renewables capacity quickly…
HMP Buys Two 'Eco-friendly' VLCCs
The Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP), an energy-focused multilateral development financial institution, and the National Bank of Fujairah (NBF) signed a five-year $108 million debt finance facility with Hartree Maritime Partners, LLC (HMP), the shipping affiliate of Hartree Partners, a global energy and commodities firm, with the aim to help boost maritime sustainability.The facility, in which APICORP acted as the Mandated Arranger and Facility Agent…
Shipbuilding: DSME Delivers another LNG Carrier to Nakilat
Nakilat has taken delivery of a newbuild LNG carrier dubbed Global Sea Spirit, a ship to be commercially and technically managed in-house by Nakilat Shipping Qatar Limited (NSQL). Built by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) in South Korea, this is the third of four LNG newbuild carriers to be delivered to Global Shipping Co. Ltd., a joint venture between Nakilat (60%) and Maran Ventures Inc. (40%). The first two LNG…
BV Appoves Cryo-Powered Regas System Design
Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore (BV) has issued the first approval in principle for a new cold energy ‘Cryo-Powered’ regas system for use in FSRU applications.The approval has been issued to both Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd (DSME). The ‘Cryo-Powered Regas’ system is a cold power generation technology based on the Organic Rankine Cycle - a proven technology used in multiple…
Partners to Expand Pakistan LNG Inport Terminal
Excelerate Energy announced it has agreed with partner Engro Elengy Terminal Ltd. (EETL) to expand the EETL liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal in Port Qasim, Pakistan.Under the heads of agreement (HOA), Excelerate will exchange its existing floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) Exquisite with a newbuild FSRU, Hull 2477, which is currently under construction at South Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) shipyard and due to be delivered in April 2020.
Yamal LNG Gets All 15 Arc7 Ice-Class Tankers
Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) producer Yamal LNG announced the operational start of the new Arc7 ice-class LNG tanker “Yakov Gakkel”, the fifteenth and final Arc7 ice-class tanker built specifically for the Project.The Yakov Gakkel has loaded the 354th LNG cargo in the port of Sabetta bound to China, said a press note.The vessel was built by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) and is owned and operated by a 50-50 joint venture by Teekay LNG and China LNG Shipping.
Novatek in Talks on LNG Transhipment
Russia's liquefied natural gas (LNG) producer Novatek is in talks to tranship its Yamal cargoes in Norway or Russia's Murmansk because it is unsure of the impact of U.S. sanctions on the Chinese COSCO tankers it uses, a Novatek official said.The United States imposed sanctions on Sept. 25 on state-owned COSCO's subsidiaries, COSCO Shipping Tanker (Dalian) Co and COSCO Shipping Tanker (Dalian) Seaman & Ship Management, for allegedly…
Excelerate Charters Out Maran Gas FSRU
Excelerate Energy and Maran Gas Maritime have signed a five-year bareboat charter agreement (BBC) for the floating storage regasification unit (FSRU) hull 2477.During the five-year BBC Excelerate will have the option to purchase Hull 2477. MGM is currently building Hull 2477 at Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) shipyard and is scheduled for delivery in April 2020, when the BBC will start.The vessel will have a storage capacity of 173…
KNOC Aims to Sell Stake in Dana Petroleum
State-run Korea National Oil Corp (KNOC) is considering upping the stake it is planning to sell in its British unit Dana Petroleum after failing to lure a buyer for the 30% previously on offer, banking and industry sources said.KNOC had hired Canada's Scotia Bank to help with selling part of the oil and gas producer, but the minority stake was not seen as attractive for energy companies already operating in the region, which are mostly backed by U.S.
Last Yamal LNG Arctic Ships on Sea Trials
The last of 15 Arc7-classed tankers ordered for the liquefied natural gas (LNG) production plant Yamal LNG in Russia's Arctic north are undergoing sea trials around a South Korean shipyard, Refinitiv Eikon shipping data showed on Monday.The Georgiy Ushakov and Yakov Gakkel LNG tankers are both in water at the Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) Okpo shipyard in South Korea and indicating they are performing sea trials, the data showed.
Iran's Oil Tanker Fleet Being Squeezed as Sanctions Bite
Iran is running short of options to replace its ageing fleet of tankers and keep oil exports flowing because renewed U.S. sanctions are making potential sellers and flag registries wary of doing business with Tehran, Western and Iranian sources said.Since U.S. President Donald Trump reimposed sanctions in November, exploratory talks with South Korea for up to 10 new supertankers have stalled and Panama has also removed at least 21 Iranian tankers from its registry forcing Tehran to put the vessels under its own flag…
FLNG Market Grows a CAGR of +93%
Global floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) market is growing at a CAGR of +93% during forecast period 2019-2026 as the demand for natural gas has been rising as it is a preferred fuel in power generation in various industries.According to a report from Research N Reports, the demand comes from mainly for the regions such as North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India.Natural gas is cleaner, safer, and more cost-effective than other fuels.
Qatar Mulls Buying 60 New LNG Carriers
Qatar’s energy minister Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, who also serves as deputy chairman of Qatar Petroleum (QP), outlined plans to order 60 new liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers.Reuters, quoting a statement issued by South Korea’s presidential office, reported that the energy minister expects cooperation with experienced Korean shipbuilders on constructing the LNG carriers.Qatar is the world’s largest supplier of LNG, with an annual production of 77 million tons.
South Korea Dominates LNG Shipbuilding
The liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier orders received by South Korean shipbuilders have more than tripled from last year.According to Reuters, the three South Korean yards - Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME), Hyundai Heavy Industries and Samsung Heavy Industries - have won the more than 50 orders for ships carrying LNG, with a total value of $9 billion.According to Clarkson, a shipbuilding research company in the U.K. on Nov.
MOL Takes Delivery of LNG Schneeweisschen
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) announced that the LNG carrier, LNG Schneeweisschen, jointly ordered by MOL and Itochu Corporation was delivered on July 31st at the Okpo shipyard by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) in South Korea.The 180,000 cbm newbuilding has entered in to a Transportation Service contract for several voyages with Uniper Global Commodities, 100% owned by one of the largest European gas and electricity companies…
MOL's FSRU Challenger for Hong Kong LNG Terminal Project
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) announced that MOL, has entered into a preliminary agreement to supply a Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU), as well as Jetty Operation & Maintenance Services for the Hong Kong Offshore LNG Terminal Project on a long term contract. MOL will utilize the "MOL FSRU Challenger" built in 2017 with a storage capacity of 263,000m3 which remains the largest FSRU in the world today, to provide services to the Hong Kong Offshore LNG Terminal Project.
LNG Ships: Two DSME Orders for GTT
GTT announces it has received at the end of March, an order from the South Korean shipyard Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) for the design of the LNG tanks of two LNG carriers (LNGC). Each offering a capacity of 173,400m3, these units will be built at DSME's shipyard in Geoje, Korea, on behalf of a European ship-owner. The tanks will be fitted with the NO96 GW technology. Their delivery is expected for the first half of 2020.
Nakilat, Maran Ventures JV adds two vessels
Nakilat has expanded its joint venture partnership with Greek shipping company Maran Ventures Inc., to include two additional LNG vessels. Maran Nakilat Co. Ltd. was first established in 2005 with four jointly-owned LNG vessels, and was further expanded on several occasions. This new agreement increases the number of vessels jointly-owned by Nakilat and Maran Gas from 13 to 15 vessels. The two newly added vessels, Woodside Rogers and Woodside Goode…
Seadrill, Creditors Reach Joint Restructuring Deal
Shipping tycoon John Fredriksen has reached an agreement with a majority of creditors over a restructuring plan for oil rig firm Seadrill, according to U.S. court documents on Monday. The company, once the world's largest offshore driller by market value, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with debt and liabilities of over $10 billion last September after a sharp drop in oil prices in 2014 cut demand for rigs. "It's good for all parties that Seadrill comes out of an expensive and time-consuming process…