Berge Bulk has retrofitted a 2018-bilt Newcastlemax bulk ore carrier Berge Olympus with four large sails. They can be seen in the picture here. It’s pretty impressive. Expected savings are 6 tonnes of fuel and 20 tonnes of CO2 per day. The installation was done during the ship’s first special survey, in China.
The ship trades the Brazil to China route carrying iron ore.
Paul Bartlett Oct 17, 2023
Berge Bulk capesize sail installation expected to clock up double-digit savings
I was not aware that Chinese interests have installed operating software at quite a few ports around the world. Coupled with the Chinese Government’s mandate to share all information with the Chinese Government, we have an ideal spying network. Port traffic is a clear indication of material movements, and could give insights useful for military action.
The article in Foreign Policy, clearly labeled ‘argument’, suggests that the US government examine the risks and take actions to thwart the use of port information. It’s not unlike the US Government stance on Huawei components for cell phones. That fear led to a ban on Huawei selling components in the US.
Europe has a problem too. This map from Alphaliner shows which ports in Europe have Chinese interests.
Of course, they aren’t controlling except at Piraeus in Greece and Zeebrugge in the Netherlands. And 23 of them arise from state-owned Chinese interests, China Overseas Shipping Company (COSCO) and Terminal Link, a joint venture with liner company CMA CGM.
The EU adopted new rules last December that call for monitoring of potential threats posed by Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in European assets.
By Elaine Dezenski, a senior director and the head of the Center on Economic and Financial Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and David Rader, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. SEPTEMBER 20, 2023, 4:46 AM
How China Uses Shipping for Surveillance and Control
By Gavin van Marle 21/09/2023
Are China’s ports and shipping companies being used to spy on the world?
Sam Chambers September 20, 2023
Posted in Advanced Computing, Logistics, Ports, Strategy
Tagged Chinese Government information sharing, Chinese influence in global ports, Chinese interests in ports, European ports, European response to foreign investment, Logistics, Monitoring FDI in European assets, National security concerns, Port information risks, Port operating software, Port traffic analysis, ports, Shipping, Spying network, technology
The Copenhagen-based Global Maritime Forum (GMF) has completed a study that concludes ammonia-powered gas carriers could compete effectively as soon as 2026.
The findings are based on a route from the US Gulf Coast to northwestern Europe. The route has been approved in principle by DNV, a classification society and expert in assurance and risk management. The ship would fuel only in the US, and make the most of subsidies from the US government via the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and the EU’s Fit for 55 measures. So, not subsidy-free!
The design is completed and could be used for a shipyard tender.
Gas carriers are important today because of the Ukraine War sanctions and actions by the EU to eliminate gas imported from Russia. The EU is now a prominent destination for US export gas.
Paul Bartlett | Sep 01, 2023
Ammonia-fuelled gas carriers could compete effectively by 2026
Posted in Logistics, Shipping, Sustainability
Tagged Ammonia-powered gas carriers, Ammonia-powered ships, DNV classification society, EU gas import from Russia, EU's Fit for 55 measures, Gas carriers study, Global Maritime Forum (GMF), innovation, Logistics, ocean shipping, sustainability, Sustainability initiatives, technology, US export gas to the EU, US Gulf Coast to Northwestern Europe route
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