Federal prosecutors in California have charged a U.S. Navy sailor from the carrier USS Abraham Lincoln with distributing the dangerous synthetic opiate fentanyl, resulting in the death of a shipmate while off-duty. Charging documents assert that he also distributed drugs to other sailors aboard the carrier, including while on deployment, causing at least one additional overdose.

In charges filed Tuesday in a court in Southern California, federal prosecutors alleged that Logistics Specialist 3rd Class Bailey Szramowski conspired with another Lincoln crewmember, identified only as A.N., to distribute pills of the painkiller Percocet laced with fentanyl to sailors aboard the carrier. 

A.N. died of a fentanyl overdose while on shore leave on January 3, 2023. Police responders found him in an RV parked outside his aunt and uncle’s house in San Leandro, California. In a search, the police found a rolled-up dollar bill containing a white powder, a sign of drug use. 

On January 13, another Lincoln sailor suffered an overdose and had to be hospitalized. This individual - named C.L. in charging documents - survived with medical attention, and was questioned by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). C.L. agreed to cooperate, and he told investigators that Szramowski had been distributing drugs aboard the carrier since 2022 - including during a period when the vessel was deployed in the Western Pacific.  

According to C.L., Szramowski sold small, blue pills with the number “30” on them, likely counterfeit "M30" Percocet pills. C.L. and other sailors would pay Szramowski for the pills using Cash App, a payment application that retains a record of transactions. C.L. recalled buying the pills about 10 times while Lincoln was deployed and four more times after the carrier returned to the pier, including one pill he bought on the morning of his overdose. 

C.L. also alleged that on the same day he began talking to NCIS, Szramowski instructed him to lie to the investigators and tell them that he had obtained the pills from A.N., who was at this point deceased. Prosecutors allege that Szramowski also attempted to cover up his activities by asking A.N.'s fiancee to delete text records from A.N.'s phone. She declined to help Szramowski, and instead told investigators that Szramowski had supplied A.N. with the batch of pills that caused the fatal overdose. 

An examination of A.N.'s phone revealed that he had corresponded extensively with Szramowski about the use and sale of drugs, prosecutors said. 

 

Belgium is starting to see success in its relentless war against cocaine smuggling through its seaports following a massive drop in quantities seized last year, though the number of interceptions is on the rise.

In a clear indication that the country is making progress in its fight against South American cartels, Belgian officials announced that they seized 44 tonnes of cocaine at the port of Antwerp in 2024. This is about two-thirds less than the 121 tonnes that were seized in 2023 and 110 tonnes seized in 2022. That year, authorities were catching so much cocaine that they had difficulty incinerating it all.

While the decline in seizures was notable - the first in more than a decade - authorities remain cautious that it is not necessarily a sign of progress. Interceptions remain high, with a majority originating from South America. During the year, a total of 136 seizures were recorded compared to 124 the previous year.

“The quantities we seize in our country are decreasing, but the number of interceptions we make here is increasing,” said Kristian Vanderwaeren, administrator-general of Belgian customs at a news conference. She added that drug traffickers have been spreading their risks by reducing the quantities in order to avoid being caught.

Officials say that drug cartels in South America continue to target the port of Antwerp as an entry point for drugs destined for the lucrative European market. This has seen Antwerp earn the dubious distinction of being Europe's 'cocaine capital' port.

Last year, some 91 tonnes of cocaine destined for Belgium were intercepted in source and transit countries in South America, up from 80 tonnes in 2023. Ecuador, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Colombia continue to be some of the top countries of origin for these smuggling operations.

Drug gangs from these countries are becoming more aggressive in their smuggling tactics, with some of the seizures camouflaged as bananas, avocados and coffee, among other goods. Smugglers are also adapting new tactics like the use of chemical processes to disguise cocaine in other materials, which complicates detection efforts.

To fight back, Belgium has been working with other European Union countries under the European Ports Alliance to explore better ways to protect logistics hubs from being used as entry points for drugs originating from South America. The Belgium government invested $72 million in recent years to boost container checks at the port of Antwerp, buying scanning equipment and recruiting more officers.

 

The U.S Coast Guard is formulating a plan to safely refloat a Supramax self-unloader that grounded in the Delaware River near Philadelphia on Wednesday evening.

The Algoma Verity was northbound from the Port of Philadelphia when it went aground outside the main shipping channel on Wednesday night. The pilot of the 50,000 dwt self-unloader notified the Coast Guard of the incident at 6:30 p.m Wednesday, prompting a response to try and refloat the bulker.

A team from Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay and the vessel’s representatives are on board and formulating a plan to safely move the vessel to a nearby terminal, the Coast Guard said Thursday. So far, no injuries have been reported and there have been no reports of pollution. The cause of the grounding is under investigation.

A safety zone has been established around the Verity restricting vessel traffic from the Benjamin Franklin Bridge to Tioga Marine Terminal.

According to maritime tracking sites, the vessel grounded about one hour after departing port in Philadelphia. The ship was headed for Fairless Hills, Bucks County with a load of 45,000 tonnes of solar salt (a higher-purity grade than rock salt, made by evaporation).

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is also scanning the bottom around the Algoma Verity to identify any hazards and better determine the nature of the grounding. As of Thursday night, the vessel remained grounded in the Delaware River, just off Petty's Island. 

Built in 2000 and wholly owned by Canadian company Algoma Central Corporation, Algoma Verity is commercially managed by CSL as part of the CSL International Pool. The vessel operates mainly along the coasts of the Americas.

CSL is the world’s largest owner and operator of gravity self-unloading vessels. The company currently operates a fleet of 45 self-unloaders ranging from Handysize to Supramax.

 

The fierce wildfires that have ripped through Los Angeles County over the past two days have destroyed more than 5,000 homes and claimed at least five lives, and the disaster is far from over. While the response is focused on containing the fires and minimizing the cost to lives and property, Los Angeles County has warned that the event will have consequences for the local marine environment as well. Firefighters are drenching affected areas with water from local reservoirs and from fire mains, and the runoff - including an array of unknown toxic compounds - is washing into the sea. 

Effective Thursday, the LA County health department has issued an ocean water advisory because of the unusually large volume of runoff from ongoing fire-fighting efforts. The department advised beachgoers to avoid all contact with the surf for now, especially near fire-damaged properties and the outlets of storm drains, creeks, and rivers. The contaminants and debris from firefighting water could create a health hazard for the public, the agency warned. The precautionary notice includes any runoff that is found in pools on the beach sand.

???????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????? ????????????????????:
Completely destroyed in California Wild Fires.
Average beach homes in Malibu start at $6 million dollars and can go up as far as $210 million.#CaliforniaWildfires #MalibuFirespic.twitter.com/9D793qLAPj

— Dr Ahmad Rehan Khan (@AhmadRehanKhan) January 9, 2025

Rows of burned luxury beachfront properties on the shores of Malibu, January 9

The advisory covers the area from Malibu's famous Surfrider Beach all the way to Dockweiler Beach in El Segundo, a distance of about 20 miles of shoreline.

"Individuals who enter the water in these areas could become ill. This advisory will remain in effect until three days after fire-fighting efforts end," the agency warned. 

 

Maritime security firm Ambrey has released the first detailed recounting of the operation to save the tanker Sounion, which was attacked and burned by Houthi forces last fall. In Ambrey's recounting, it may rank among the most challenging salvage operations since the Costa Concordia or the Deepwater Horizon, with the unique risk of operating next to a hostile armed militia. 

The Greek-owned tanker Sounion was attacked by Houthi forces three times on August 21, disabling the engine and leaving the ship adrift. After withstanding small arms fire, a possible shoulder-launched grenade, multiple projectiles, and a (thwarted) suicide drone boat attack, the crew of the Sounion asked for help abandoning ship. On August 22, a French frigate carried them to safety. 

The next day, Houthi fighters boarded the tanker to plant explosive charges on the main deck and in the wheelhouse. The blasts tore multiple holes in the tanks, igniting more than a dozen fires, which continued to burn while the owners and insurers looked for salvage options.

????? ?????? ?????? ??????? ??????? ??????? ????????? SOUNION ?? ????? ?????? ????? ???? ?????? ??????? ??? ??????? ???? ??? ?????? ??? ????? ?????? ???????. pic.twitter.com/nvjHU4SFG2

— ?????? ???? ???? (@army21ye) August 23, 2024

Ambrey - which had already been engaged to provide security during the voyage - accepted the high-risk job. The Sounion salvage presented unique factors perhaps never seen before in combination, including multiple active cargo fires on a laden supertanker; ongoing risk of attack or hijacking by a well-equipped terrorist force; a high level of political interest and multi-government involvement; and a severe risk of harm to regional food security and economic activity in the event of a spill. 

Sounion was located just 60 miles off the coast of Yemen, well within range of Houthi drone and missile capabilities, and she was under continued surveillance by Houthi vessels. In addition to the serious security situation, the tanker and her 160,000-tonne cargo of oil were adrift and burning, threatening to leak, sink, or run aground - any of which could result in a spill up to four times the size of the Exxon Valdez. The clock was ticking. 

Courtesy EUNAVFOR Aspides

Ambrey decided that it would not be advisable to carry out a major marine firefighting and salvage operation within reach of Houthi military capabilities, since the group had already attacked the tanker several times. To conduct the salvage, it would be necessary to tow the Sounion while she was still on fire - a task for which there were few precedents or guidelines. 

The southern Red Sea has limited local salvage and heavy towage assets, so Ambrey moved to mobilize people and equipment to the area as fast as possible. The Greek-owned salvage tug Aigaion Pelagos would be the lead towing vessel, with a second tug to assist as needed. Government involvement at a high level helped smooth the way for transfer of equipment through customs on an expedited basis. 

The operation began in earnest around September 2, but halted September 3 because the response group "concluded that the conditions were not met to conduct the towing operation," the EUNAVFOR security mission reported at the time. It would be mid-September before the team was assembled, all technical details ironed out, and a European naval escort group mobilized provide security. The tow began September 13, three weeks after the ship began burning.  

In conversation with Lloyd's List, Ambrey's Joshua Hutchinson explained that the most significant issue with the tow was the political "port of refuge" dilemma. Reducing risk required a safe anchorage, but no coastal state wanted to take the risk of allowing the Sounion nearby. The salvage team needed to tow the vessel north, but Saudi forces did not want to allow the burning tanker near Saudi shores for fear of a spill. It took high-level diplomatic contacts to smooth the disagreement out and secure permission for the transit. 

Marine firefighting operations at night aboard the Sounion (JMIC)

On October 9, after three weeks of firefighting, the blazes were out and the holes in the cargo tanks had temporary patches installed. Towing resumed, and at Suez, the process of a slow and careful STS transfer began to remove her oil. The lightering operation ended at last on December 2, and the project began to come to an end - unlike Houthi attacks, which continue over the Red Sea. 

 

Finland's National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has found and recovered the missing anchor from the "dark fleet" tanker Eagle S, which is suspected of severing four subsea telecom cables and a high-voltage power cable in the Baltic on Christmas Day. The next step in the investigation is to determine when it came loose - before or after the authorities asked the Eagle S to raise the anchor it was dragging on the bottom.

On Dec. 25, Fingrid's EstLink 2 power transmission cable and four subsea telecom cables suddenly broke down. The outages corresponded to the position of the tanker Eagle S; Finland dispatched a police tactical team in a helicopter and asked Eagle S to divert, and the crew agreed to comply. 

In a sonar survey after the casualty, a drag line of about 50 nautical miles in length was found on the bottom. Eagle S' anchor was discovered at the end of the line, near the Porkkala Peninsula, and Swedish military salvors helped raise it to the surface on Sunday night. 

Track of the anchor drag line and the location of the lost anchor (sonar image courtesy NBI)

The location where the damaged anchor was recovered happened to be near the place where Finnish authorities instructed Eagle S to raise her anchor. This is of interest to the authorities, as it raises questions about whether the incident could have been worse without government intervention. The tanker's onward route would have passed over the Estlink 1 power cable, as well as the Balticconnector gas line. 

"If the anchor only came loose during the hoisting, it is likely that the anchor could have caused further damage to the seabed infrastructure if the vessel had continued its journey," Detective Superintendent Risto Lohi of the National Bureau of Investigation said in a statement. 

New images released by the NBI show that the anchor's crown is cracked, and its flukes are much shorter than typical. Previous photos of the Eagle S - taken in years past, when she operated under a previous name - show that the tanker was originally equipped with normal Hall- or Speck-type anchors, like most merchant ships. 

Courtesy NBI

 

The Australian Border Force is pushing back hard on illegal fishing off the country's northern coast, where Indonesian fishermen often trespass to harvest protected species. In the last 30 days alone, ABF officers have seized a dozen vessels and six tonnes of illegally-caught seafood, the agency said Thursday. 

In December, the agency launched a new operation to intercept foreign fishing vessels off the Northern Territories, a long and empty stretch of coastal waters with little local traffic. The new push has been bearing fruit: 12 vessels have been interdicted, including two that were destroyed at sea.

On Saturday, in the latest intercept, ABF officers boarded a suspect vessel off the remote Cobourg Peninsula, a national park at the northern tip of the NT. There were seven crewmembers aboard the boat, along with two tonnes of sea cucumber and fishing equipment. After consulting with the Australian Fisheries Management Authority, the agents returned the catch over the side and released the suspects, directing them to exit Australian waters. 

"With well in excess of 10,000km of NT coastline to protect – vast amounts of which is situated in very remote areas – we are not naive enough to suggest that we can be everywhere at any one time, which is why members of the public are important as extra eyes and ears," Acting Commander Tracie Griffin said. "Everyone can do their part by simply keeping a watchful eye and reporting anything out of the ordinary." 

Local First Nations have reported an increasing number of Indonesian fishermen and maritime migrants along the remote coast of the Northern Territories, including some unprepared arrivals who have had to be rescued. In October, a group of up to 30 unauthorized migrants from four boats were reported - igniting a minor political furor in Australia, where maritime migration is rigorously discouraged. 

"These illegal fishermen have been stealing from our Sea Country and encroaching on our land for a long time now and they have recently stepped up the pace," Northern Land Council chair Matthew Ryan told The Guardian last year. "Now we know for sure that they’re people smuggling as well, which takes it to a whole new level."

 

Shell has brought its Whale offshore production facility in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico online, the supermajor announced Thursday. The floating platform is located about 200 miles off Houston in about 8,600 feet of water, and will addan estimated 100,000 bpd of peak production to Shell's portfolio.  

"Whale demonstrates our focus on driving more value with less emissions from our upstream business as we deliver the energy people need today," said Shell gas and upstream director Zoe Yujnovich. "It will make a significant contribution to our commitment to bring projects online, with a total peak production of more than 500,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day from 2023 through 2025."

To keep down cost, Whale reused about 99 percent of the hull design and 80 percent of the topside design from Shell's Vito platform. Shell also invested in more efficient gas turbines and compression systems to bring down greenhouse gas intensity by about 30 percent compared to Vito - tracking with Shell's intention to keep its GHG intensity among the lowest in the world. Shell holds a 60 percent operating share for Whale, and Chevron holds the balance. 

Whale's development was rapid by offshore standards. The field was discovered in 2017 and achieved first oil just 7.5 years later, thanks in part to Shell's decision to reuse many design elements from Vito. It would have been even faster if not for the pandemic: Shell paused its final investment decision on Whale for a year as part of a cash-preservation strategy during the COVID era. 

Shell is taking the same standardization approach with its Sparta platform, under construction at Seatrium. Sparta will be Shell's 15th deepwater platform in the Gulf, and should come online in 2028. Sparta will be the first in the series will all-electric topside compression equipment, enhancing efficiency, and will be Shell's first Gulf development in reservoirs over the 20,000-PSI pressure mark. The basic hull and topside arrangement - and importantly, the team - will remain the same. 

“With Sparta, we’re not just repeating the design with Whale, but also relationships with many of the key vendors, fabricators and suppliers,” Shell Project Manager Oro Awaritefe told Offshore Magazine last year. “This helps bring certainty in the design.”

 

 

Ports operator and logistics giant DP World is celebrating a major milestone: it now has 100 million TEU in container handling capacity across its global footprint.

Over the past four and a half decades, the Dubai-based conglomerate has been aggressive in bidding for port and terminal management concessions across six continents. It has invested $11 billion in port infrastructure in the last 10 years alone.

DP World’s determination to be at the forefront of global trade is bearing fruit. Now commanding 9.2 percent of the global container terminal market, the company ranks in the top five global port operators.

The race to increase its total capacity has been particularly intense over the past decade. Investments in port infrastructure through new greenfield developments, terminal expansions and acquisitions added 24.6 million TEU in capacity (33 percent) in ten years, having started with 75.6 million TEU in 2014. Over the past 12 months, its global gross container handling capacity rose by another five percent.

Today, DP World operates more than 80 ports as well as marine and inland terminals in more than 40 countries across six continents. London Gateway in the UK, the Port of Callao in Peru, and the port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania have been among the key drivers of its growth in recent years. Investments at the International Container Transshipment Terminal, Cochin, in India, Constanta in Romania, Belawan New Container Terminal in Indonesia among others have also contributed to the capacity growth.

“Crossing the 100 million TEU mark is a momentous milestone in our journey, which began 45 years ago. This achievement reflects our commitment to investing in world-class ports and logistics infrastructure to make trade flow,” said Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, DP World Group Chairman and CEO.

He added that with the global container market expected to continue on a growth trajectory in the coming years, DP World has the capacity to service it. According to Drewry, global container throughput is expected to increase by 2.8 percent this year.

 

Dutch offshore services contractor Van Oord has taken delivery of a new wind turbine installation vessel to keep up with the changing offshore wind sector. The company is anticipating an increase in scale in the offshore wind industry and believes the addition of the newbuild Boreas to its fleet will cement its competitive edge.

Constructed at the Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore Ltd. shipyard in China, Boreas is purpose-built for the transport and installation of the next generation of foundations and turbines at offshore wind farms. The dual fuel engine vessel is expected to be the largest of its kind once operational, and is named after the Greek god of the Northern winds.

Measuring 175 meters with a 155-meter-high boom, the vessel will have the capability to lift more than 3,000 tonnes while her four giant legs - each measuring 126 meters - will allow the vessel to be jacked up for work in waters up to 70 meters deep.

With these outsize dimensions, Boreas will be able to install turbines of up to 20 MW. The ship is also methanol-ready, and running on the green fuel would reduce its carbon footprint by more than 78 percent.

The vessel is also equipped with a cutting-edge active emissions control technology that will reduce NOx emission to an absolute minimum. A battery pack of about 6,000 kWh will be able to take peak loads and regenerate energy to reduce the fuel consumption and corresponding emissions even further.

Following the completion of its construction in China, Boreas is now being prepared to sail to the Netherlands for final outfitting works, which will include the installation of equipment for storing and handling the foundations of wind turbines. The vessel is expected to be commercially available in the third quarter of this year.

The company has said it intends to deploy the vessel to transport and install 104 monopile foundations for the Nordseecluster offshore wind project in Germany that is being developed by RWE. Some 44 monopiles are planned for installation this year and the remaining 60 in 2027. The 1.6 GW wind farm will generate enough renewable energy to supply the equivalent of 1.6 million households. 

“Undoubtedly Boreas is a benchmark for the whole offshore wind industry for many years to come and will play a significant role for the transportation and installation of the next generation of foundations and up to 20 MW offshore wind turbines at sea,” said Zhao Hui, CIMC Raffles Group Vice President.

Van Oord has been assembling specialized offshore wind assets to cement its competitiveness in the industry. These include the Aeolus, a vessel that is purpose-built to transport and install foundations and offshore wind turbines; and Nexus and Calypso, two cable-layers designed for challenging tasks. Van Oord’s unique heavy lift installation vessel Svanen is one of the largest crane vessels in the world.

 

With support from shipping's largest business association, 47 nations have submitted a revised, detailed proposal for an IMO carbon levy on bunker fuel. If approved at the next meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee in April, it would be the first UN-administered global carbon tax of any kind, with implications for energy stakeholders inside and outside of the maritime sector.

“The industry fully supports the adoption by IMO of a GHG pricing mechanism for global application to shipping. The joint text put forward by this broad coalition is a pragmatic solution and the most effective way to incentivize a rapid energy transition in shipping," said ICS secretary general Guy Platten, describing the text as "hard-fought."

At MEPC 82 in October, IMO discussed but did not finalize a package of "mid-term measures" to encourage shipping to reduce its carbon emissions. The most controversial - and proponents say, the most necessary - parts are "economic elements," meaning a global tax on fossil bunker fuel and subsidies for green fuels. Without a fee structure to tilt the price balance in favor of low-carbon fuels, the new green options will not be commercially competitive with bunker fuel, clean-shipping advocates say. 

After MEPC 82, IMO recommended that the shipping community continue to work with member states to develop a consensus proposal. Together with the International Chamber of Shipping and the European Commission, a coalition of 47 states came up with what it believes to be the most mature, vote-ready measure yet - if it can gain traction with petroleum-exporting nations. 

Under the proposal, ships would begin paying a levy for their annual bunker fuel use beginning in 2028. The text contemplates a surcharge for noncompliance, though details of the penalty are not yet fully formed. The levies would be collected by an IMO-administered fund overseen by MEPC and governed by a diverse international board. 

Beginning in 2028, ships that use green fuels would be eligible for a financial reward, calculated based on their usage data. The reward would be paid from the IMO-administered fund using the same revenues collected from fossil-fueled ships, effectively cross-subsidizing green fuel usage by taxing fossil bunkers. Additional funds would go to green-fuel research and to helping developing states make the transition to green shipping fuels.  

The initial amount of the levy will be determined in further discussions, but ICS suggests that it would fall in the range of $60-300 per tonne of bunker fuel. Unlike most carbon tax policy proposals, the fee would not ratchet upwards automatically on a set implementation timetable through 2050: Instead, it would be reviewed and voted upon by all nation-state members of MEPC every two to five years, requiring political agreement to secure each incremental increase. 

The list of supporters includes several prominent shipping nations - like Japan, Greece, and the largest flag registries - but many key players are not represented. "While a large number of governments now support a universal flat rate GHG contribution by ships – or something similar – a minority of governments continue to have concerns," noted Platten, without naming any states. "Working in co-operation with all IMO Member States we will do our best to allay such concerns during the final stages of these critical negotiations about regulatory text."

 

[By Lauri Myllyvirta and Hubert Thieriot]

Clean energy technology, particularly the “new three” of solar power, batteries and electric vehicles, emerged as an important source of growth in China’s exports in 2023. Thanks to booming markets at home and abroad, clean energy has become a key driver of economic growth.

A lot of media and policymaker attention is focused on possible US and European tariffs on China’s cleantech exports, with the perception that these could be a major blow to the  industry.

What is missing from this picture is that half of all China’s exports of solar and wind power equipment and electric vehicles (EVs) now go to the Global South, according to UN Comtrade data. Emerging and developing countries have driven most of the recent growth in export volumes.

In 2024, the value of EV exports from China to the Global South overtook those to the EU, with China’s exports to developed markets falling and those to developing markets posting strong growth.

As we will see, Global South countries collectively have been the largest importer of solar and wind power equipment from China since at least 2015, but the gap widened in 2023, when the volume of these solar imports from China grew 70% year-on-year.

The US is a niche market for China’s cleantech

Solar and other clean energy have gone global in the past decade. In 2010-2015, 70% of solar and 50% of global wind installation occurred in developed economies. By 2023, these shares had fallen to just over 20%.

The US now represents only 7% of the global market for newly installed solar power plants, and even the European Union and the US combined make up less than 20%.

The US has imposed tariffs on imports from China for a long time and, as a result, most of its supply already comes from other producers. Only 4% of China’s total exports of solar power and wind power equipment and EVs go to the US, compared with 15% of China’s overall exports.

This means that China’s cleantech exports are much less reliant on the US in particular and western markets in general than its export industries overall. In a market where sales volumes are growing at 30% this year, the US is a footnote.

While the majority of solar, wind and EV exports already go to the Global South, the US and the EU remain the dominant importers of batteries. These are intermediate inputs into vehicle production and other manufacturing. Targeting them with high tariffs would hurt local manufacturing.

Cleantech exports to Global South are booming

The falling reliance on developed markets comes down to China’s cleantech manufacturing boom having catalysed rapid deployment of solar, wind and EVs in the Global South. Around 47% of China’s exports of these products went to the Global South in 2024, a record-high share and close to matching exports to developed countries for the first time.

From 2021 to 2024, emerging and developing markets drove 70% of the growth in China’s exports of solar, wind and EVs, with seven of the ten top growth markets located in the Global South.

Examples include solar power booms in South Africa and Pakistan, and strong growth in for example Brazil and Thailand. The five largest importers of wind power technology from China are all developing countries – South Africa, Egypt, Chile, Brazil and Uzbekistan – as are the five largest growth markets for solar: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Indonesia and India. Two Global South countries also feature on the list of the five largest importers of EVs – Brazil and Thailand.

This trend is expected to continue. Emerging and developing countries are expected to have a market share of 70% in solar PV and 60% in wind and in battery storage during this decade out to 2030, according to the International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook.

The US and other developed country markets are more significant in electric vehicles, due to high private car ownership. Yet, in the IPCC 1.5 and 2C pathways, the share of the US and the EU in global investment in electrified transportation falls from almost 50% in 2022 to 36% by 2035, with two-thirds of the market growth coming from outside these two regions. If Donald Trump’s policies slow down the electrification of the transport sector in the US, the significance of these markets will diminish further.

China’s increasing efforts to increase clean energy lending and co-operation will also stimulate demand from the Global South. Examples of this include recently announced new green energy deals with Indonesia, increased financing of renewable energy projects such as in Africa and Central Asia, and increasing share of renewable energy in projects under the Belt and Road Initiative.

Decoupling efforts will have a limited impact on China’s cleantech industry

China’s dominance in clean energy manufacturing has caused some major economies to try to diversify or decouple their supply chains from it. The US and India have clearly committed to slashing their dependence on China. Even those two markets have a very long way to go to meet their own demand without relying on the East Asian nation.

For example, the solar equipment production capacity in the world outside of China is barely sufficient to cater to the US market, meaning there is little possibility for other buyers to switch to non-Chinese supply. India is adding a significant amount of production capacity for solar cells and panels, but capacity additions in the key upstream input, polysilicon, are much more modest.

It’s entirely possible for the US and India to build their own supply chains for solar. Yet the impact on China’s cleantech industry will be limited, as the two countries’ strategy for doing this relies on high tariffs to shelter domestic production. This means that their producers won’t be able to compete overseas, surrendering this market to China.

While the US and India already have policies in place, the EU is torn between conflicting impulses. The bloc needs clean energy technology to meet climate targets, reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels and bring down energy prices. The EU is concerned about reliance on China but lacks the industrial policy framework to address the issue, and will find it hard to match the US on spending. The bankruptcy of Swedish battery maker Northvolt, dubbed “Europe’s best shot at a homegrown electric-vehicle battery champion”, made this evident. The industrial and supply-chain policies needed to reduce the EU’s reliance on cleantech imports from China could yet emerge, but the bloc can hardly afford to slow down clean energy deployment during the long period that such policies would take to yield results.

As other major economies pursue diversification, Beijing should have little to complain about. It has largely ringfenced its own domestic cleantech market – by far the largest in the world – to exclude imported products. How this has been done matters. Tariffs raise the cost of the targeted technologies and therefore have the potential to slow down the energy transition. While China has used trade barriers, the main thrust has been supporting and subsidising domestic supply of cleantech, in the process driving down prices and speeding up adoption not just in China but globally.

China has a strong self-interest in the global energy transition

Given the minor significance of the US market for China’s clean energy industry, the only real risk from the Trump administration to the industry would be if he succeeds in slowing down global climate action. This seems unlikely, as clean energy adoption is driven by economics more than altruistic global goals.

Given the important role that clean energy technology plays in the country’s economy and exports, China has a strong interest in making sure the global energy transition keeps accelerating. That will be seen in bilateral lending and diplomacy, and could also lead the country to take more forward-leaning positions in multilateral climate negotiations.

Lauri Myllyvirta is senior fellow at Asia Society Policy Institute, China Climate Hub. He is also the lead analyst of Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.

Hubert Thieriot is data lead at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.

This article appears courtesy of Dialogue Earth and may be found in its original form here. 

[By: Damen Shipyards Group]

Damen Shipyards Group and Port Otago with partner Napier Port have signed a contract for the delivery of a Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger (TSHD) 1000. At nearly 60 metres in length, this standard Damen design has a maximum hopper volume of 1000m 3  with twin azimuth thrusters and bow thruster to ensure excellent manoeuvrability in the long entrance to Port Chalmers and Dunedin.

Damen and the two ports have both established processes aimed at improving sustainability. Working together with the mariners from the ports, Damen has heavily focused the vessel design on sustainable performance through ballast water free operation. The TSHD will arrive in NZ with a Green Passport under the IMO rules. 

"Partnering with Damen provides us with access to leading dredge technology, said Port Otago CEO Kevin Winders. “We aim to enhance our dredging operations, going beyond compliance in
environmental standards and modernising our fleet through this collaboration. The safety and efficiency of our operations in the ports are crucial in enabling the maritime sector in our region and the new dredge will ensure the channel remains safe for the next generation. Our investment in the TSHD 1000 reflects our wider commitment to more efficient operations and demonstrating leadership on the path to integrated sustainability for the wider region."

Pim Schuurman, Regional Sales Director at Damen, said, “Damen is pleased to have another dredger in this part of the world to partner the Tommy Norton, along with Damen tugs in the region. Another vessel provides scale, enabling us to invest in additional spare parts and service across Australasia.” Damen will build the TSHD 1000 at Shipyard 189 in Haiphong, Vietnam. Shipyard 189 was established in 1989 and has built more than 150 vessels for military and commercial customers for both Vietnam and foreign countries. In more recent times Yard 189 has built complex ships and special purpose barges using the design, technology and accessories supplied by Damen. Customers have included the Royal Australian Navy and the NZ fishing company, Sanford. 

Damen’s new TSHD 1000 will provide an important addition to the Port's fleet, replacing the long- serving vessel New Era, when she arrives in early 2027. With exceptional manoeuvrability and dredge capacity for its size, the TSHD 1000 will be a familiar sight in Otago and Napier Port for many years to come.

[By: Warren Controls]

Warren Controls, a leading manufacturer of control valves and specialty fluid handling products, highlights the Type 436 Naval and Marine Pressure Regulators, designed for shipboard seawater service. These regulators are engineered to meet the rigorous demands of naval and marine environments, offering unparalleled performance in various shipboard systems.

The Type 436 regulators are available in sizes ranging from 1/4 to 8 inches, making them suitable for a wide array of applications, from small-scale setups to larger shipboard systems. With pressure classes of 150, 250, and 700, these regulators can handle diverse pressure requirements encountered in marine operations.

Engineered for compatibility with different piping systems and military specifications, the Type 436 regulators feature multiple end connection options, including MIL-F-20042 Flange,  MIL-F-1183 SBUE and SWUE, with limited ANSI Flange options. The body is constructed from Bronze (ASTM B61), while the trim utilizes stainless steel and copper-nickel, ensuring excellent corrosion resistance in seawater applications.

With Cv values up to 200, the Type 436 regulators can efficiently manage a wide range of flow rates. Designed to operate at temperatures up to 165°F, these regulators are well-suited for typical marine environments.

The Type 436 regulators are the only products in their class designed specifically for naval and marine applications, meeting shock and vibration qualification specifications. They are ideal for use in various shipboard systems, including fire mains, desalination plants, cooling systems, flushing systems, sonar dome fill operations, and decontamination stations.

For more information about the Type 436 Naval and Marine Pressure Regulators, visit https://www.warrencontrols.com/product/436-series/.

[By: Hvacon Marine Systems A/S]

The Danish company, Hvacon Marine Systems A/S, has acquired the activities from Kalmarine Inc., which is a company providing solutions within design, engineering and project management to the maritime industry. Kalmarine activities will continue as Kalmarine HMS LLC with Hvacon Marine Systems A/S establishing a presence in the United States, Hvacon Marine Systems Inc.

Kalmarine’s owner, Douglas Frongillo will continue as Man. Dir. of both entities and will join the management team at Hvacon Marine Systems A/S. Kalmarine HMS LLC will continue to offer the same professional services but also contribute to the continued growth and development of Hvacon Marine Systems, with their expertise within project management and knowledge of other ships systems aside from HVAC.

“I believe this is a great opportunity for both companies. We complement each other well and our cooperation will bolster existing teams and products to ensure we continue to provide exceptional solutions to the industry. Hvacon has been, and continues to be a prominent figure in energy saving solutions. We are looking forward to be part of Hvacon’s continued commitment to creating products and solutions that help transform the industry, and reach their Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) goals. says Douglas Frongillo, CEO and founder of Kalmarine.

“In HVACON Marine Systems, we are excited to have partnered up with Kalmarine to increase the growth and development of the Company. Together we can accelerate our goals for CO2 reductions and contribution to a greener tomorrow. Not only do we share the same values and ambitions, but we also see eye to eye regarding challenges, possible solutions and the full potential of the companies. Our objective remains unchanged, and we will continue to develop and provide the best energy optimization solutions for our customers to advance their green transition“, says Claes Fog Bølge, CEO and founder in HVACON Marine Systems.

[By: Navig8]

Navig8 TopCo Holdings Inc. (Navig8 / the Company) today announced that it has been acquired by ADNOC Logistics and Services plc (ADNOC L&S) (ADX symbol: ADNOCLS / ISIN: AEE01268A239), a global leader in energy maritime logistics.

Navig8 is an international shipping pool operator and commercial management company with a modern owned fleet of 32 tankers and a presence in 15 cities across five continents. The Navig8 Group also holds investments in technical management companies, a marine fuels provider operating in over a thousand ports worldwide, and other enterprises serving the marine sector.

This deal represents a significant milestone for the Company, founded in 2007 as a private organisation by former traders Gary Brocklesby and Nicholas Busch. The acquisition is set to deliver value to both Navig8 and ADNOC L&S’ clients and shareholders, fostering opportunities for commercial growth and entry into new markets.

Nicolas Busch, CEO of Navig8, said: “We are excited to join forces with ADNOC L&S and the wider ADNOC Group. This achievement highlights the exceptional efforts of the Navig8 team over the past two decades, setting the stage for this next phase. Together, we aim to deliver even greater benefits to our customers, supporting ADNOC L&S’s growth and expanding Navig8’s presence in new markets.”

Captain Abdulkareem Al Masabi, CEO of ADNOC L&S, said: “The completion of this landmark acquisition is a significant milestone in our transformational growth strategy. By integrating Navig8’s extensive fleet and global presence, we can enhance our service offerings, generating substantial value for customers and shareholders. This strategic move unlocks new opportunities for commercial growth and expansion into new markets, reinforcing our position as a leading global energy maritime logistics company.”

Financial Highlights
Agreement terms: ADNOC L&S has acquired 80% of Navig8 for $1.04 billion (AED3.8 billion), with economic ownership effective from January 1, 2024. ADNOC L&S will acquire the remaining 20% ownership in mid-2027, for deferred consideration of between $335 million and $450 million (AED1.2 billion to AED1.7 billion), dependent on EBITDA delivery ad-interim, payable at that time.

[By: Kongsberg Discovery]

Kongsberg Discovery has reached agreement to acquire Naxys Technologies AS. The Bergen-based company is a world leader in technology for underwater environmental monitoring, with a specialism in recognizing the sound of oil and gas leaks. 

The oceans are crucial for solving global challenges related to climate, food and security. CEO Geir Håøy of KONGSBERG points out that Naxys fits well into the company's technology portfolio.

"As a technology company and ocean space expert, we have developed world-leading solutions to map, monitor and understand the oceans, which actually cover 70 per cent of the Earth's surface and remain largely unexplored. The acquisition of Naxys fits well into our technology portfolio and our growth ambitions as an ocean space expert," says Håøy.

Naxys Technologies will be part of Kongsberg Discovery, a business that was spun off from Kongsberg Maritime and established as a separate business area within Kongsberg Gruppen in 2023. The rationale was to strengthen the company's position and investment in advanced sensor and underwater robotics.

"Kongsberg Discovery has delivered solid organic growth so far and this acquisition is the first step in the inorganic part of the growth strategy. This move allows Kongsberg Discovery to strengthen its technology platform, equipping the business to meet the ever-increasing demand for both sustainability and safety," says Håøy.

Environmental monitoring as a core competence
Martin Wien Fjell, CEO of Kongsberg Discovery, points to the importance of the company's cutting-edge expertise in passive hydroacoustics as crucial to the transaction. Naxys provides environmental monitoring for the oil and gas industry, but is also well-positioned for growth in both the research and defence markets.

"Naxys Technologies ensures that oil and gas companies can be quickly notified of any leaks. This is becoming increasingly important now that the demands for sustainable operations are increasing globally," says Fjell.

Expanding in-house technology expertise
Protecting marine life and monitoring critical infrastructure are important focus areas for Kongsberg Discovery.

"We have developed several market-leading products in hydroacoustics since the first sonar was launched in the 1950s. With Naxys' technology expertise, we further strengthen this position, enabling us to deliver an even broader product portfolio to the market," says Fjell.

World-leader in leak detection
Naxys Technologies was formed in 1999 and is now a world leader in passive acoustic leak detection. Its customers are mainly large oil and gas companies that use the technology to detect leaks, as well as monitor subsea rotating machinery such as pumps and compressors.  The acquisition agreement was signed on 20 December, with the news announced in Bergen on 7 January.

Core passive hydroacoustics technology
As the new owner of Naxys Technologies AS, Kongsberg Discovery’s Fjell points to the company's strength in terms of expertise, experience and insight in an important sector for Kongsberg Discovery.

"The team in Bergen has built a strong business with technology that is a perfect fit for Kongsberg Discovery. Environmental monitoring using passive hydroacoustics is central to Naxys and is in line with the importance of sustainability and safety for our business. I look forward to getting to know all the employees and starting our collaboration as colleagues," he says.

Accessing the world market
Jens Abrahamsen is the general manager of Naxys Technologies and was one of the founders of the company in 1999. He highlights the opportunity the acquisition will provide for international growth.

"As part of KONGSBERG, we will now have an opportunity to grow further. In my opinion, there is only one technology company that has the strength and ambition that align with our way of thinking. It's Kongsberg Discovery," says Abrahamsen.

Maintaining operations in Bergen
Naxys Technologies AS has 28 employees in Hegreneset in Bergen. The company expects to pass a turnover of NOK 100 million in 2024.  The company has a production, research and development department, as well as sales and service employees.

"This agreement is an important milestone in our history. I am convinced that Naxys will play an important role in our common future. It will also be nice to have an increased presence in Bergen," says Fjell, CEO of Kongsberg Discovery.

[By: Inmarsat Maritime]

Inmarsat Maritime, a Viasat company, supported by Maritime London, have established SEA-CARE as a new working group of stakeholders from industry, regulators, and the UK government whose goal is to scrutinise maritime safety and how pooling information can improve it.

The new working group establishes Maritime London as an impartial broker to ensure that the right organisations are represented in SEA-CARE discussions between Inmarsat and industry stakeholders. Jos Standerwick, Chief Executive, Maritime London is chairing the group alongside Inmarsat Maritime’s Vice President of Safety & Regulatory, Peter Broadhurst.

The collaborative initiative sees data sharing as key to developing a better understanding of maritime safety challenges and how to overcome them. One inspiration has been Inmarsat Maritime’s annual The Future of Maritime Safety report, which analyses Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) call records, and is now in its sixth year of accumulating data. SEA-CARE stakeholders see this vital record of real incidents involving perceived danger as a powerful example of a dataset which, combined with other relevant data, could contribute to significant new insights into best safety practice.

“While distress call data provides valuable information, the reasons the calls are made are not always clear from the data,” said Peter Broadhurst. “The volume of calls year on year is persistently high, and a high proportion also turn out to have been unnecessary. If we enriched GMDSS data with this information, for example, our industry could implement preventive measures to reduce the call volume.”

A first meeting of the group brought together experts representing the London & International Insurance Brokers’ Association, the International Maritime Rescue Federation, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and the International Transport Workers’ Federation. Together, the attendees evaluated how other datasets could be integrated to provide a more holistic view of maritime safety, including information from flag states, the IMO, insurance brokers, and shipping companies.

In acknowledging that organisations may have concerns over sharing sensitive data, the group agreed that anonymised information could be used retrospectively to achieve the goals of the SEA-CARE initiative. According to the attendees, anonymised historical data would lose its potential for reputational damage while retaining its value as a source for analysis.

Jos Standerwick commented: “This conversation has been important because it has shown the scale of the challenge when it comes to sharing the appropriate data to create a better and more objective overview of maritime safety. However, importantly, we have also established that stakeholders are willing to engage fully with that challenge.”

SEA-CARE committee members made plans for the next session in early 2025, in which they intend to nominate a top five list of safety issues facing the industry and decide which organisations to approach about sharing data with the stated goal of gaining insight into safety risks.

 

A Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom has been left with egg on the face after confusing a nonexistent vessel that featured in a James Bond movie with a real Royal Navy warship.

Conservative MP and Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge tabled a written question in Parliament seeking to know the estimated amount the government intended to spend in repairing the structural damage to "HMS Devonshire." The question was directed to Secretary of State for Defence John Healey.

The UK government provided the written answer through Minister for Defence Procurement, Maria Eagle, stating “There is no ship of the name HMS Devonshire currently in service with the Royal Navy.”

Cartlidge, who was Defence Minister until last July when the new Labor Government assumed power, has found himself at the center of ridicule after it emerged the vessel Devonshire is a fictional ship in the 1997 film "Tomorrow Never Dies," starring Pierce Brosnan as 007. In the spy film, Devonshire was sunk by villains in Chinese-occupied waters in the South China Sea.

The last real Royal Navy vessel to bear the name HMS Devonshire was sunk in 1984 for target practice in the Atlantic. The guided missile destroyer was built in the early 1960s and was decommissioned in 1978.

The Sun reports that following his realization that he meant to ask about HMS Northumberland, Cartlidge joked that he intentionally made the blunder to see if the Ministry of Defence was using artificial intelligence instead of humans to answer questions. “I’m pleased to say they passed the test on this occasion,” he said.

A Type 23 frigate, Northumberland is preparing for decommissioning in March after the government said that keeping the ship in service would be too expensive. The ship was deemed “uneconomical to repair” after structural damages were discovered during a planned refit.

The UK government had estimated that it would cost at least $150 million to repair the frigate, with the decision to decommission the ship early preventing most of the cost and saving the taxpayer about $130 million. 

 

With just days to go before the end of the Biden administration, the EPA has approved a controversial California rule requiring diesel particulate filters aboard ship-assist tugs and other small harbor craft. 

Because of the unique smog issues of the Los Angeles airshed, the state of California has a carve-out in federal law that allows it to create its own motor-vehicle emissions regulations. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) writes statewide exhaust limits that are often more stringent than federal standards - like its recently-revised Commercial Harbor Craft Rule. 

The revised rule requires tug and harbor craft operators to use an EPA Tier IV engine, the cleanest on the market. In addition, unlike any other regulator, CARB requires local harbor tugs to have a "level 3 Verified Diesel Emission Control Strategy (VDECS)" - any system that reduces particulate emissions by at least 85 percent. Options include switching to a zero-emissions newbuild, like Crowley's groundbreaking eWolf, or installing a diesel particulate filter (DPF) - an emissions control system that is rarely used in commercial maritime applications. (Marine DPFs are primarily sold for the luxury-yacht market, where they are known as "soot filters" and used to control exhaust stains on white hulls.)

CARB's justification for the DPF rule is to reduce the cumulative public health burden of diesel particulate matter, a suspected carcinogen and contributor to athsma. The agency estimates that statistically, the DPF rule will save about 500' lives, many in the port-adjacent communities most affected by harbor air pollution. 

Acting EPA Administrator Jane Nishida approved the DPF rule (and other elements of CARB's revision) in a Federal Register notice this week. 

"CARB has demonstrated the existence of compelling and extraordinary conditions justifying the need for such state standards," Nishida wrote.  "The administrative record, including information presented to me by parties opposing California’s authorization request, did not demonstrate that California does not need such state standards."

Tug operators and Coast Guard regulators have expressed concern that DPFs could create a new fire hazard in the tight confines of a tug engine room. These filter devices need a cleaning cycle to periodically burn off accumulated soot. When activated, the cycle runs the filter's internal temperature up to more than 900 degrees F. This means that DPF exhaust designs get much hotter than non-DPF designs, raising fire risk concerns. 

Tug operators warned that the retrofits could create a safety hazard or - if not possible to perform - could take tugs out of service, hampering California's thriving port sector. Last year, they campaigned against the requirement in a direct appeal to California's legislature. As a result of this effort, the California House and Assembly  passed a bill to modify CARB's DPF rule; the text provided for an emergency-bypass safety system for the DPF and an extended compliance timeline. However, the bill was vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September. 

Environmental justice activists have cheered CARB's rule as another step towards clean air for port communities.

"EPA's decision to approve the bulk of California’s commercial harbor craft standard will give urgently needed relief to portside communities who breathe in dirty diesel pollution from tugboats, ferries, and other harbor vessels," said Regina Hsu, senior attorney on Earthjustice's Right To Zero campaign. "This standard will gradually shift these boats to zero-emissions over the coming years. Now, other states with ports should take a keen look at this life-saving rule and consider adopting it to protect their own residents.”