U.S.-based shipping giant Crowley is expanding its operations at the ports of Seattle and Tacoma in Washington State with the acquisition of Main Line, a vessel mooring company based in Seattle. Crowley highlights the acquisition of Main Line will further enhance its market position owing to the company’s years of experience in providing vessel mooring services in the Pacific Northwest for ship operators who value safe and dependable service.

Crowley announced the acquisition of Main Line saying it will enable it to expand its harbor services capabilities. They said it will expand its offering for vessels calling at the two ports with comprehensive solutions for their mooring and ship assist needs.

“For decades, our customers have put their trust in Crowley to ensure their vessels arrive and depart ports safely and reliably,” said James C. Fowler, Crowley Shipping senior vice president and general manager.

He added the addition of vessel mooring to the company’s harbor services product offering ensures the highest levels of coordination between the critical services of vessel mooring and ship assist. “As a result, Crowley customers can have even more confidence their vessels will be docked and sailed without delay or incident.”

Main Line was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Seattle. It will be absorbed by Crowley as part of the asset purchase agreement. The two companies did not disclose the terms of the deal.

Crowley has been operating on the Pacific Coast tracing its origins in the Pacific Northwest to the 1920s in addition to its operations at the major port complexes including the San Francisco Bay, Long Angeles-Long Beach complex, and San Diego. It currently shows on its website seven tugs based in the Pacific Northwest.

It notes the region is challenging presenting some very distinct environmental and physical challenges for shipping. Crowley provides escort and docking services for tankers, containerships, and other vessels throughout the region, including in Seattle and Tacoma. In North Puget Sound, it also assists tankers, ATBs, and other large vessels in and out of berths and provides escort services throughout the rugged coastal region, which, at times, it highlights can experience extreme weather conditions.

The acquisition is strategic considering the port of Seattle performs a critical function in U.S. international trade with a large percentage of inbound cargo crossing Seattle’s docks bound for destinations in the Midwest and East Coast. Seattle is also a top export gateway with container liners operating services to and from Asia, Europe, Latin America, Oceania, Africa, and the Caribbean, while Tacoma operates five major container terminals that boast of calls by some of the world’s largest container shipping lines.

The Northwest Seaport Alliance which oversees the ports highlights that container volumes at the two ports have been on a growth trajectory, reaching 290,210 TEU in November last year. That is a growth of 26 percent compared to November 2023. Annualized volumes were up 12 percent to 3 million TEU.

Privately held, Crowley reports $3.5 billion in annual revenue and operates over 170 vessels mostly in the Jones Act fleet, employing approximately 7,000 people around the world. The company invested more than $3.2 billion in maritime transport, enabling it to serve customers in 36 nations and island territories, and in 2024 it launched a new joint venture, Fairwater Holdings with SEACOR which integrates the two companies’ petroleum and chemical transportation vessels, capabilities, and personnel to provide U.S. Jones Act shipping solutions.
 
 

 

In the final weeks of the Biden administration, the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is still pushing forward with its development efforts for offshore wind energy. BOEM on Monday, January 6, will release a Call for Information and Nominations for possible wind energy leasing off the coast of Guam, a Pacific Island territory located approximately 6,000 miles to the west of California.

The call initiates a 90-day comment period which will run till April 7, 2025, and into the next Trump administration. It comes as the President-elect made his most recent criticism of wind energy. Yesterday, January 2, Trump wrote on his social media platform “The U.K. is making a very big mistake. Open up the North Sea. Get rid of Windmills!,” in response to news the UK government was extending a North Sea tax designed to accelerate the transition for the oil and gas industry to renewable energy. During the campaign, Trump promised to stop the “windmills.”

 

Call is broadly encompassing the areas around Guam (BOEM)

 

BOEM has been in discussions and hosting forums in Guam and elsewhere noting that the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 contained several provisions relevant to BOEM’s offshore energy program including expanding the efforts to Guam, Hawaii, and elsewhere. BOEM highlights it is facilitating the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030, and 15 GW of floating offshore wind energy capacity by 2035.  

The Government of Guam and BOEM initiated the first planning step in the renewable energy authorization process by establishing an intergovernmental renewable energy task force at the request of the Honorable Lourdes “Lou” Aflague Leon Guerrero, the Governor of Guam since 2019. The task force had its last meeting in September 2024 and public engagement and environmental studies have been initiated.

The southernmost and largest island in the Mariana Islands, as well as the largest in Micronesia, Guam is just over 200 square miles. A U.S. territory since 1898 and the U.S. victory over Spain in the Spanish-American War, the island is home to a vital U.S. Navy base providing the U.S. a territory in Asia.

The call seeks to analyze potential use conflicts before designating specific wind energy areas. Using the input, BOEM would select the areas with the least impact and greatest potential/interest. One contagious area around the island that comprises approximately 2.1 million acres is included in the call. The area begins about three nautical miles from shore and encompasses water depths from approximately 350 to 2200 meters (approximately a quarter of a mile to 1.4 miles).

In addition to the input from public and government agencies, BOEM notes wind energy companies can use the call period to nominate specific areas they would like to see offered for leasing. 

The bureau notes if it receives commercial interest in wind leasing offshore Guam, the next step would be to identify WEAs for leasing consideration within the larger call area. BOEM would then conduct environmental reviews of the WEAs in consultation with appropriate federal agencies, the Government of Guam, and other key stakeholders. After completing its environmental reviews and consultations, BOEM may propose one or more competitive lease sales for areas within the WEAs.

Always at the ready, HM Coastguard turned out on New Year’s Eve for a rescue call, but after some tense moments realized it was a “dummy.” Having some fun with the callout, the team posed with the “rescued” subject and posted it online for a lighter moment.

HM Coastguard Fleetwood, covering a section of the Lancashire coast above Blackpool in the North West of England on the Irish Sea, got the callout at 1030 on December 31. It was a report of a person or “person-shaped object” drifting in the water off the coast.

When they arrived in the cove, the informant pointed out the object which was “suspiciously, person-shaped but clearly not a person,” reports HM Coastguard. “Upon closer inspection of a video taken by the informant, we immediately recognized it as the type of dummy used for man overboard drills by maritime organizations and training schools.”

The Coastguard admits, “from a distance, this made for a very concerning sight in the water.” Based on the sighting they said the informant “did absolutely the right thing” in calling it in for investigation.

 

HM Coastguard Fleetwood rescuing a "dummy"

 

“Since it was only in a couple of feet of surf, the officer in charge took the decision to send a rescuer into the water to perform a tethered rescue to prevent the dummy from causing more concern and confusion as it drifted up the shoreline,” report the Fleetwood team. “After we had safely recovered our casualty to the promenade and made sure they didn't require any further assistance, we handed them over to wyre council for disposal.”

Happy it was not a more difficult situation, the crews posed with the “dummy” and posted the pictures to social media.

The Canadian Coast Guard has finally contracted with a metal recycler to dispose of its patrol ship CCGS Corporal McLaren six years after vandals damaged the ship. The Financial Post newspaper located the awarding of the contract on the government’s website bringing to a close a strange interlude in the history of the service.

The notice spotted by the newspaper reports the contract was awarded under an amendment to a contract first awarded to the Marine Recycling Corporation of Port Colborne, Ontario. Awarded in October 2024, the contract is valued at C$412,467.25 (US$285,525) stipulating a “requirement to recycle, through ship breaking, the CCGS Corporal McLaren M.M.V. The contractor will be required to prepare the vessel for transportation, transport the vessel to the approved site and subsequently break and recycle the vessel in an efficient and environmentally responsible manner.”

The vessel had laid at various Nova Scotia shipyards for the past six years while the Coast Guard worked to determine its fate and the Canadian government pursued a lawsuit related to the November 2018 incident in which the ship was damaged. 

Built in 2013, the vessel was commissioned as a patrol boat operating from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. It was 140 feet (43 meters) in length and operated with a complement of nine with an endurance of up to two weeks to maintain Canada’s maritime border and maritime safety. Officially entering the fleet in June 2014, the government said the patrol would be used to support the Department of Fisheries and Oceans conservation and protection programs.

The vessel was sent to the Canadian Maritime Engineering shipyard in November 2018 for an overhaul. Workers arriving at the shipyard on November 18 found the vessel out of its cradle and lying partially submerged. An investigation into how it had become dislodged from the cradle quickly discovered guidelines appeared to be cut and the Halifax Police later declared it an act of vandalism.

The shipyard did not have a security fence and the closed-circuit cameras proved unreliable. Global News later reported that the police believed the vandals used power tools to cut the two main wires. According to the news outlet “the remaining anchors snapped, with power cables being torn from the vessel as it slid into the water.”

The police were unable to identify the perpetrators but believed vandals entered the yard and cut the cables. 

The vessel remained submerged for a week before it was salvaged. Subsequent reports set the estimated repair costs at C$11 million (US$7.6 million). The survey showed the electrical systems had all been damaged and would require replacement. A contract was initially set for the remediation of mold and contamination from oil on the interior of the vessel. 

After being patched up it was moved to different shipyards. However, in 2023 the National Post reported the Coast Guard had paid C$520,000 (approximately US$340,000) to the same Nova Scotia shipyard company it was now suing to store the “dead” ship. The determination was finally made in 2024 that the cost of the repairs was too high and the vessel should be disposed of by recycling.
 

 

The Russian evacuation of troops and equipment from Syria after the fall of the government is continuing. The Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reports a flotilla of Russian ships will be arriving in the Syrian port of Tartus in the coming days with some destined for Africa.

“On January 5, 2025, the Russian large landing ships Ivan Gren and Alexander Otrakovsky, as well as the dry cargo ship Sparta, are scheduled to arrive in the Syrian port. They are currently on their way to Tartus in the Mediterranean Sea,” GUR wrote in a posting on Telegram.

Among the personnel they believe are heading to Syria to oversee the next phase of the evacuation is the Russian Chief of Staff of the landing ships fleet. GUR reports Russia has been massing at Tartus its long-time outpost after withdrawing from forward positions to continue the evacuation that began shortly after Bashar al-Assad fled the country turning up in Moscow.

According to the tracking data from GUR, two other Russian vessels, a second cargo ship Sparta II, and the tanker Ivan Skobelev are set to transit the Strait of Gibraltar toward Syria. It expects those vessels will reach Tartus on January 8. The Russian frigate Admiral Golovko also plans to refuel GUR reports.

The Ukrainians assert that Russia will load military equipment and weapons aboard the two cargo ships Sparta and Sparta II which will then transport the equipment to Libya. It is part of a report that Russia is strengthening its ties to Libya after the fall of Syria. The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Russia will also be shipping modern air defense systems to Libya.

The other vessels are being prepared to remove military personnel or equipment, although Bloomberg has also reported that Russia continues to negotiate with the emerging Syrian regime. The report says Russia is seeking to maintain a base in Syria.

It has also been reported that Russia has an ongoing airlift evacuating troops and equipment. It was suggested as many as 25 more military transports would be required to complete the transfers. GUR reports armored personnel carriers have been seen arriving in the Vladimir region probably taking material from Syria.

The Sparta was spotted in December going to the rescue of the Russian cargo ship Ursula Major when it began sinking off Gibraltar on December 23. After the Ursa Major's sinking, Sparta resumed her eastward journey declaring her destination as Port Said, Egypt.

 

 

The NGO United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), which is at the forefront of tracking Iran’s dark tanker fleet and oil exports, is out with its year-end review citing continued dramatic growth in the dark tanker fleet supporting Iran’s oil exports. The group is calling for global cooperation and strategies that go beyond “traditional enforcement methods” in response to Iran’s ability to quickly adapt to the current sanctions and lax enforcement.

UANI details key trends and shifts in the sanction-busting oil exports in its final Tanker Tracker of 2024 while highlighting continued strong growth in the number of tankers involved in the illicit trade. The group says in November 2020 it identified 70 foreign tankers involved in the Iranian oil trade while saying it has now grown to 477 tankers. UANI says it identified 132 new vessels engaged in the trade in 2024.

The intelligence efforts they report led to 330 flag revocations as well as the U.S. designating 139 tankers in the sanctions regime. UANI says of the 139 tankers sanctioned this year, 110 were identified in its listing of the “ghost armada.” It says that 325 vessels however have yet to be designated.

Despite the efforts and in part due to lax enforcement, the group calculates that Iran’s oil exports grew by 10.75 percent to 587 million barrels. China remains the largest destination and has grown its percentage of the trade receiving 533 million barrels, which UANI highlights is up 24 percent from 2023. UANI says China accounts for 91 percent of Iran’s total oil exports up from 83 percent in 2023.

One major shift it observed is a greater reliance on Iran’s National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) to transport the oil from Iran. In part because of the sanctions, the role of foreign-flagged vessels has shifted to ship-to-ship transfers. UANI is now calling for efforts to identify and sanction repeat offenders who have engaged in multiple transfers.

Another step UNAI calls for says that the “authorities should focus on holding captains accountable through targeted sanctions, fines, and potential legal action.” The group cites the captain’s role in sanction-avoiding techniques such as AIS manipulation, presenting false documents, and illicit ship-to-ship transfers.

They also call for a continued crackdown on “flag hopping” by tankers. They acknowledge “a notable increase in due diligence by certain flag states” in 2024. UANI noted the St. Kitts and Nevis International Ship Registry de-flagged all eight vessels identified by UANI. The group also noted a “good track record” from flag authorities including the Tanzania-Zanzibar International Register of Shipping, the Maritime Administration of Gabonese Republic, and the Tuvalu Ship Registry. UANI reports it will provide monthly updates and continue to make public its data in the Tanker Tracker while encouraging flag states to routinely check its list. 

According to the group, the Iranian regime has demonstrated the ability to adapt quickly to enforcement measures. They say the efforts must go beyond traditional methods such as satellite and AIS monitoring, blockchain-based trade verification, and “name and shame” campaigns. UANI says the response must be “equally dynamic” in 2025 to have an impact on the oil trade which keeps the current Iranian regime “financially afloat” and provides the means to support proxies such as Hezbollah and Hamas.
 

Legal activities around the “dark fleet” tanker Eagle S continued to intensify in Finland as a court heard arguments for the release of the tanker and additional complaints were filed. The authorities have said the investigation could take months and have now increased to eight the number of crewmembers under a travel ban while the interviews continue.

The appeal for the release of the tanker by a Finnish lawyer representing the Cook Island-registered tanker and registered operators Caravella was rejected Friday afternoon by the Helsinki District Court. The lawyer argued for greater transparency and questioned where the tanker had been boarded. He suggested the vessel was in international waters on December 28 when Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) seized Eagle S and the Helsinki Police first directed the ship to the Port of Kilpilahti and then to the Svartbeck inner anchorage near Porvoo.

The lawyer told the media after the court rejected the filing that he would be making an additional filing to the court for the release of the vessel. He said the ship is not owned by Russians but declined to name the owners.

The criminal case is being investigated by the NBI, which declined to provide additional details on its status or timeline. However, the police revealed that the number of crew now under a travel ban stands at eight and told the media it could be revised again. Previously, it was reported seven crewmembers had been placed under the travel ban, which is the least restive measure under Finnish law but ensures they do not leave the country.

In addition to the criminal case, court filings showed that telecom firms Elisa and the state-owned Cinia have also filed claims. They are demanding the vessel remain impounded joining with Finland’s national power grid operator Fingrid and Estonian grid operator Elering, all of which are seeking compensation for the damages to their cables.

All of this came as Finland’s Defense Committee conducted a special, closed-door meeting to discuss the issues. The Chair of the committee later told reporters efforts were being made to update public information to ensure the locations of cables and pipelines are not available. He told the reporters “We have been naïve,” but said the committee still believes the greater danger from the “dark fleet” is environmental. He said the aging tankers have the potential to cause a major oil spill in the Gulf of Finland. 

The committee said it was pleased with the progress of the investigation and that the proper systems were responding to the situation. They said they have confidence in the authorities while calling for the government to introduce stricter measures to parliament to protect Finland’s underwater infrastructure.

Late on Friday, January 3, the Finnish National Criminal Police reported it is completing an underwater technical investigation. Detective Inspector Elina Katajamäki from the Central Criminal Police reported the imaging of the seabed has largely been completed. The report said repairs to the cable damage have begun, and that samples will be taken for forensic investigation during the repair.

 

CELEBRATING MARINERS

Our final edition of the year features a lengthy interview with Finn Amund Norbye, the dynamic CEO of OSM Thome, the third largest ship management company by fleet size and a leader in almost all the areas that matter in shipping - reliability, safety, resiliency, sustainability, caring for seafarers. The result of a major merger in 2023 between OSM Maritime and the Thome Group, the company had a banner year in 2024 and anticipates another good year in 2025. 

Read all about it in our Executive Interview and enjoy!

Energy was much in the news this year, and it's the subject of a number of articles you won't want to miss. Energy guru Allen Brooks details the shortcomings of EVs and the growing backlash against clean energy mandates in his incisive "Energy Politics" article. News Editor Allan Jordan recounts the challenges and opportunities facing the offshore wind industry in “Tipping Point,” and master mariner Sean Hogue sings the praises of a new generation of wind service vessels in “Offshore Wonders."

Senior Editor Jack O'Connell interviewed Brent Bruun, President & CEO of satcom leader KVH Industries, for his Executive Achievement article. The satcom industry - like much of maritime - is undergoing dynamic change, and Bruun and his team are up to the challenge. Jack also penned “The State of Maritime," a concise overview of the industry in 2024 and his own version of a "state of the union” address for maritime (hint: Jack was a former speechwriter). 

More on satcom comes from Senior Editor Paul Benecki, who explains how Starlink and other advances in connectivity are benefiting seafarers and operators alike in "Floating Offices."

The wonders of technology are featured in Sean Holt's eye-popping article, "Maritime's Nuclear 'Tomorrowland’," and in Erik Kravets' “AI: Taking the Helm?” Sean argues that there is no net-zero future without nuclear while Erik pops the question on everyone's mind: Is Al good or bad for shipping? Don't miss these two gems!

Meanwhile, Chad Fuhrmann's feature on Propulsion says that maritime is evolving at the pace of technology, reducing its environmental impact while improving speed and efficiency. Heady stuff. 

Rounding out this thought-filled edition are Pat Zeitler's "Barging Ahead" on the often overlooked role played by tugs and barges - the "ox and cart" - of the maritime industry, and Tom Peters' column on "Zero-Emissions Ports," demonstrating that it's not just ships are going emissions-free but ports as well. 

It's been quite a year, and we've enjoyed every minute of it. Shipping continues to deliver the goods despite every challenge and deserves all the accolades it can get. And a big shout-out to seafarers everywhere. They're the lifeblood of the industry, and the industry is the lifeblood of global trade and the global economy. Time for celebration! – MarEx
 

Tony Munoz is the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of The Maritime Executive

To read the latest edition of the magazine, go to The Maritime Executive November/December 2024 Offshore Services Edition.  To subscribe to the magazine, please go to https://www.maritime-executive.com/subscribe.

 

 

[By: Robosys Automation]

Advanced maritime autonomy developer, Robosys Automation, supported by USV manufacturer, ACUA Ocean, and Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult (OREC), have jointly secured grant funding through Innovate UK.

The funding is for a specialist project exploring Collaborative Autonomy in USVs and ROVs across Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) operations.

The Collaborative Automations for Subsea Intervention (C.A.S.I) project led by Robosys Automation aims to address a growing market need for improving operation and maintenance (O&M) and inspections of offshore assets with smarter, zero- emission, collaborative USV-ROV technologies.

Robosys Automation will be delivering two work packages, which include Multiple Objective Autonomous Adaptive Path Optimization, specifically focusing on? Weather routing?, and Fuel consumption optimization for traditional fuels and hydrogen. The second package is for the design of software architecture and simulation of Collaborative Autonomy between Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USVs) and Remotely

Operated Vehicles (ROVs)?, and the development of software algorithms for station keeping and obstacle avoidance in uncharted offshore wind farms (OWF)?. This feasibility study includes the software and algorithm design, and architecture required for the vessel to arrive on station safely and efficiently, maintain station and collaborate with, track, and autonomously follow an ROV. 

The global asset integrity management total addressable market is projected to grow from £17bn in 2021 to £21.5bn by 2026. This rapid market growth is expected to increase the demand for subsea intervention vessels required.

Maintenance, inspections and intervention cost ~ £18m per year for a 1GW offshore wind-farm, with £900m @50GW anticipated by 2030 in UK2. Current state-of-the-art subsea inspection requires Remote Operated Vehicles (ROVs) deployed from larger heavy diesel-burning crewed vessels which are limited by safety, crewing, vessel availability and operational sea states.

The project will help the maritime autonomy sector to further advance dual-use operations such as surveying, monitoring of critical offshore and underwater infrastructure, offshore energy, and marine science, to increase productivity, profitability, safety, and sustainability through these novel technologies.

The route optimisation will increase the endurance of the vessel overcoming the impact of hydrogen’s low volumetric density.

Other aspects of the project include engineering feasibility of the ROV’s launch and recovery systems (LARS), combined with the related impact on a vessel’s stability in these scenarios. 

The project’s success will be defined through software architecture design and algorithms primarily lead by Robosys’ development team to deliver Multiple Objective Autonomous Adaptive Path Optimisation.

Additionally, ACUA Ocean will spearhead the design of a new LARS and ROV that will both be technically advanced and commercially feasible, which will feature enhanced vessel stability for full open ocean operations and launch and recovery of payloads in over 4m significant wave heights.

OREC will develop the test and evaluation criteria for the LARS and conduct a Life Cycle Assessment.

Nigel Lee, CSO of Project Lead, Robosys Automation, commented, “We are all delighted to have been awarded this significant funding, and look forward to commencing the rolling out of the project with our collaborators. This award reflects the importance of continuing to research and develop the maritime autonomy sector, to further support operational efficiency, enhance safety at sea, and actively drive decarbonisation.”

The MASS Collaborative Autonomy Project will reveal its findings in Spring 2025.

[By: Damen Marine Components]

Dutch shipbuilders GS Projects has contracted DMC by to supply the steering, control and propulsion equipment for four dry cargo vessels. DMC will provide its ‘plug & play’ Piston RAM-type steering systems, Barke rudders and Optima nozzles to the series of four identical vessels. These ships are being constructed at the GS Projects shipyard in Waterhuizen, the Netherlands – a project in cooperation with Groot Ship Design and Ship and Steelbuilding (SaS), who build this series for their shortsea shipping client Longship.

The selection of this trio of DMC products fits the vessels’ design well: 99 metres long, 15 metres wide, a design draft of 6.2 metres, and a deadweight of 5,900 tonnes. Moreover, the robust design and engineering of the DMC scope will easily meet the Lloyd’s Register classification and additionally the Finnish-Swedish 1A ice class specifications by which the four vessels will be built under.

The proven design of DMC’s Barke rudder ensures optimal manoeuvrability and course stability, due to its progressively operating flap linkage system. The result of all this is low fuel consumption and low maintenance cost. In addition, the Optima nozzle has gained a reputation for performance and reliability with shipowners around the world, especially in relation to a better fuel consumption by using this type of nozzle for short-sea shipping.

With the first of the four vessels scheduled for delivery at the beginning of 2026, DMC’s ‘plug-and-play’ designs will help with a smooth construction process. “Look, for example, at their piston steering system. DMC will deliver these fully tested, certified hydraulic-powered units ready for installation,” says GS Projects Project Manager Henk Oudman. “This will significantly speed up our operations at the shipyard.”

Talking about this recent contract with GS Projects, DMC Area Sales Manager Leo van Zon says: “It’s great to be working with GS Projects and their client Longship on this multi-vessel contract. A Dutch shipping company building its ships in the Netherlands, and with Dutch components too: that is quite special! Also, it shows that the Dutch maritime industry is still an efficient ecosystem, able to deliver state of the art assets. We are looking forward to getting started on our scope of work and, when the time comes, rolling up our sleeves and supporting the GS Projects team at the shipyard with the installation of the DMC equipment.”

[By: Vytl Controls Group]

PVI Holdings is excited to announce that it has officially changed its name to Vytl Controls Group. The decision to publicly create recognizable unity and enhance cross-company integration is a direct reflection of the investment made over the past year to ensure the company provides unmatched technical expertise and solutions to all current and future industries it serves.

A-T Controls, Setpoint Integrated Solutions, Valsource, and W&O are now formally recognized as, and will add on to their name, a Vytl Company. This change unifies each brand under one umbrella and fully leverages the resources, products, services, and engineering expertise across each company within Vytl Controls Group.

The new name more accurately represents the company’s expanded capabilities, vision, commitment to each brand’s market, as well as future growth goals.

“Our new name is an important message to our employees, customers, distributors and OEM partners we do business with,” said Matt Bate, CEO. “We provide essential services and technical solutions to critically important industries. As a part of coming together as one company, we have invested in best-in-class talent, technology, and tools to ensure we are positioned for the future. We are now, more than ever, ready to continue building on our legacy of success, together, as one Vytl Controls Group.” Vytl Controls Group Companies:

• A-T Controls, a Vytl Company is a global leader in the design, manufacturing and sale of manual and automated process valves. The team provides quality valve and automation products through solutions-oriented selling and manufacturing with responsive communication.
• Setpoint Integrated Solutions, a Vytl Company is the expert in the process control industry. The team supports the power, refining, and chemical industries with bestin-class valve repair services, delivering process solutions for control, relief, and automated valve requirements, along with industrial equipment including liquid level measurement, pressure gauges, PLC’s, and more.
• Valsource, a Vytl Company is a nationally recognized valve manufacturer and comprehensive valve and automation solutions provider. The team is a go-to valve partner for all industrial valve repair, remanufacturing, testing, maintenance, and valve product solutions.
• W&O, a Vytl Company is now one of the world's largest suppliers of pipe, valves, fittings as well as actuation and engineered solutions to the maritime and upstream oil & gas industries.

GMS Instruments was acquired by W&O in June of 2024 and will now formally adopt the name W&O, a Vytl Company. With the rebrand, EMI (formerly known as Engine Monitor, Inc.) and Valve Automation and Control of San Diego (VAC) teams will also join the marine practice and adopt the W&O, a Vytl Company brand.

This week, Philippine fishermen recovered a Chinese surveillance drone off the coast of Ambulong Island, well within the archipelago's internal waters. The small island is about 400 nautical miles away from the nearest Chinese bases in the South China Sea, including at least 100 nautical miles of coastal pilotage through the Philippines' central islands. 

The drone is about six feet long, and is marked "HY-119." The police have turned it over to the Philippine Navy for further analysis, and an investigation is under way, according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines. 

"The recovery of the HY-119 system has significant implications, as it provides insights into advanced underwater technology and naval capabilities," said the Philippine National Police in a statement. 

Col. Xerxes Trinidad, a spokesperson for the Armed Forces of the Philippines, thanked the local fishermen for finding the suspicious device and turning it in. Philippine Navy sources told local media that the drone sub is believed to be a Chinese ISR device, capable of monitoring, recording and transmitting data. 

Images courtesy Philippine National Police

The device's "wings" and its lack of propeller identify it as a seaglider, a submersible that changes its buoyancy in order to rise up through the water column, then "glide" at an angle on the way back down. This is a slow but energy-efficient method of propulsion for unmanned underwater vehicles, and has been developed extensively by the U.S. Navy. 

Because this type of drone rises and falls through the water column, it is useful for collecting certain oceanographic data - salinity, temperature, currents and other physical measurements - that are essential for hiding submarines from acoustic detection. Seagliders can also be used to covertly carry out hydrographic surveys, or to listen for the movements of enemy submarines. 

The glider found Monday is similar in appearance to three suspected Chinese spy drones that were recovered in Indonesia in 2019-20. All of these drones share a resemblance to the "Sea Wing" (Haiyi) UUV developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. 

Courtesy Chinese Academy of Sciences

Courtesy Chinese Academy of Sciences / IOCAS

"If this is a Chinese drone, as seems likely, it indicates a troubling level of Chinese interest in the Philippines' internal archipelagic waters," Chinese maritime strategy expert Ray Powell told the Philippine Star. "[This] could mean that China intends to deploy submarines into Philippine waters, or perhaps wants to have that option if conflict breaks out."

 

In the closing days of 2024, China's navy made several unusually muscular deployments in sensitive locations, including the strait bordering the U.S. Navy's base on Okinawa. 

According to Yomiuri Shimbun, Chinese forces carried out previously-unseen maneuvers in the Miyako Strait, which passes through Japan's southwest islands. On December 22, three Chinese PLA Navy frigates sailed between the main island of Okinawa and Miyakojima, heading toward the East China Sea. They were accompanied by three China Coast Guard vessels, including CCG 2901, the largest armed cutter in the world (tied with sister ship CCG 5901). 

The movements are meaningful because of the strait's location - adjacent to the largest concentration of U.S. forces in Japan. Constructed in the waning days of WWII, the sprawling complex of bases on Okinawa has supported American power projection in East Asia for 80 years. Kadena Air Base, located near the center of the island, was essential for U.S. operations in the Korean War and Vietnam War, and its location would give it a central role in any conflict over the future of Taiwan. Okinawa also hosts the U.S. Marine Corps' Third Marine Expeditionary Force, the core of the USMC's rapid-reaction forces in the First Island Chain. 

A Chinese blockade of the Miyako Strait could separate the Marine Corps' stand-in forces from their supply chain. The U.S. Marine Littoral Regiment has plans to deploy HIMARS rocket artillery launchers to disbursed locations in Japan's southwestern islands in the event of a "highly imminent" Taiwan contingency, according to Kyodo News. This plan includes sites on the far side of the Miyako Strait from Okinawa. 

"This [patrol] is an unusual move that indicates China's intention to impose a naval blockade," a Japanese government source told Yomiuri Shimbun. 

Stronger presence at Scarborough Shoal

China's military also ramped up its patrols at contested Scarborough Shoal over the holidays. On January 2, CCG 5901 - sister ship to CCG 2901, the world's largest armed cutter - arrived at Scarborough for a show of force, Ray Powell of Stanford's Gordian Knot Center told RFA. The CCG 5901 joined an existing fleet of more than half a dozen maritime militia trawlers and three midsize CCG cutters at the shoal. Scarborough is within the Philippine EEZ, but it has been effectively occupied by Chinese forces since a standoff in 2012. 

In November, China published a set of detailed maritime and airspace boundaries for its claim to Scarborough Shoal, the first time Beijing has laid out the precise coordinates of its demands for control of distant waters. (Beijing claims sovereignty over the vast majority of the South China Sea, though its assertions have been rejected by an international tribunal.)

In support of the newly-detailed claim over Scarborough Shoal, the PLA Air Force conducted rarely-seen bomber and fighter overflights over the reef on December 29. The PLA Navy also dispatched three warships to reinforce its patrol units around the reef, including a Type 055 destroyer - the service's largest and most capable surface combatant.  

The China Coast Guard has also begun helicopter training in the area, according to Chinese defense commentator Yang Xiao - sending a message to U.S. and Philippine forces that control of the skies will also be contested. 

"Beijing is putting real teeth behind its ‘indisputable sovereignty’ claim over the shoal," Powell told RFA. 

Singaporean oil trader OK Lim, once a leading player in the city's busy bunker trading sector, has been declared bankrupt after consenting to a multibillion-dollar court judgment in favor of his former company's creditors. 

Lim and his children - Evan Lim Chee Meng and Lim Huey Ching - owe a combined $3.5 billion in connection with the collapse of Hin Leong Trading, the family's energy brokerage and shipping firm. Hin Leong operated at a loss for years, and to fill the gap, Lim had one of his executives create fake sales orders in order to apply for accounts receivable financing from his bankers. The fraudulent scheme collapsed in 2020 after a large trading bet went bad, and the firm quickly went bust. 

Hin Leong's bankers lost billions on the company's unsecured debt, making the scheme one of Singapore's biggest trade financing frauds ever. To recover their losses, the creditors took control of Hin Leong, and the firm's tanker fleet, its real estate and its other assets were sold off. OK Lim's family has faced a string of legal actions ever since. 

In September, Lim and his children agreed to pay a court judgment sought by Hin Leong's creditors, who wanted to hold the family responsible for the balance of the firm's unsecured debt. Without admitting fault, Lim consented to settle the matter for $3.5 billion, cutting short a civil trial before the beginning of testimony. However, the family admitted that they did not have resources to pay the total amount. They formally declared bankruptcy in late December, and their assets will now be managed by a trustee. 

OK Lim was also prosecuted on criminal charges for the Hin Leong fraud, and he received a stiff sentence. In May 2024, he was convicted of three counts of cheating and forgery (out of an initial indictment of 130 charges). Six months later, Judge Toh Han Li of Singapore’s State Courts sentenced Lim - who is 82 - to serve 17.5 years in prison. Lim is appealing the verdict, and will not serve any time until after the appeal process is completed. 

 

Vietnam is closing in on a $700 million deal to purchase the BrahMos cruise missile, a supersonic antiship missile built by an Indian-Russian joint venture. If completed, the sale would be the second BrahMos export agreement to Southeast Asia, following a deal to sell the system to the Philippine military in 2022.  

The sale has been a long time coming. Russian and Indian defense firms formed a JV - BrahMos Aerospace - to develop and market the missile back in 1995, and export sales were part of the plan from the early days, subject to approval from the Indian and Russian governments. As early as 2016, Moscow and New Delhi signed off on export talks with a wide variety of potential customers, including Vietnam, the Philippines, Chile, Egypt and half a dozen more. To meet expected export demand and reap billions of dollars in new sales, the Indian-managed manufacturing arm of the company is investing in a major expansion of production capacity with a new 200-acre factory campus in Uttar Pradesh, which will come online in 2026. 

For years, Beijing has quietly expressed reservations about export sales of Brahmos to Vietnam because of long-running maritime boundary conflicts. Though they have close economic and diplomatic ties, China and Vietnam have overlapping claims in the South China Sea, and have clashed many times over the years - notably in 1974, when Chinese forces seized the Paracel Islands from the U.S.-backed government of South Vietnam.  

Last year, Deutsche Welle reported that  Beijing's concerns were still active, and China was still believed to be pressuring the government of Russia to scuttle any sale of the BrahMos missile system to Vietnam. Despite Russia's increasing dependence on China, these objections appear to have been dismissed: after Russian President Vladimir Putin conducted a high-profile state visit to Hanoi in June, rumors of a Brahmos deal accelerated.

No outcry from Beijing

China has not announced a formal objection to Vietnam acquiring the BrahMos missile system.  Both Hanoi and Manila have claims that overlap with China in the Spratly Islands, but China does not publicly protest Vietnam's operations in the area - even though Vietnam is expanding its footprint in Chinese-claimed waters, and much faster than any other regional actor. 

When the Philippines acquired the same missile system from India in 2022, China responded with a cautionary note. 

"China always believes that defense and security cooperation between countries should not harm the interest of any third party and should not harm regional peace and stability," Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said in April 2024, when the first batch of BrahMos missiles reached the Philippines. 

The Chinese foreign ministry had a much different reaction when  Manila announced plans to buy the American-made Typhon shore battery system, a missile launch platform that can fire off SM-6 antiaircraft missiles and Tomahawk land-attack/antiship missiles. The latest generation of the Tomahawk (TLAM Block V) has a range of more than 1,000 miles, putting a large swathe of China's mainland southeast in reach; the antiship variant can hit moving targets at sea. 

"By bringing in this strategic offensive weapon, the Philippines is enabling a country outside the region to fuel tensions and incite geopolitical confrontation," said Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning in late December. "We urge the Philippines to correct its wrongdoings, pull out the Typhon missile system as publicly pledged, and stop going further down the wrong path."

Guest posts and opinion pieces are an important part of the content we share with readers at The Maritime Executive. We are grateful to our guest authors for contributing their stories. 

Here are the most popular editorials of 2024, with topics ranging from naval developments to geopolitical confrontation to shadow tankers, AIS spoofing, and pollution. Read on to find out more about the news and views that maritime professionals were most interested in hearing about this year.

The editorials of 2024 that drew the most reader interest:

1)    Iranian Naval Forces Go Dark

2)    China's Navy is Using Quantity to Build Quality

3)    Preparing the U.S. Coast Guard for China's Gray-Zone Operations

4)    Russia’s Shadow Tanker Fleet Runs into Trouble

5)    Op-Ed: U.S. Navy's Newest Carrier Continues Tradition of Power Projection

6)    In Baltimore, Ship Strike "Never Occurred to Anybody"; In Delaware, It Did

7)    Military Challenges to China's South China Sea Claims are Increasing 

8)    Mass AIS Spoofing Event "Moves" Dozens of Ships to Crimean Airport 

9)    Vietnam and Cambodia Clash Over New Mekong Canal 

10)    Ocean Plastic Cleanups May Do More Harm Than Good
 

 

The controversial contract for the Danish ferry company DFDS to take over ferry service to Jersey in the Channel Islands has been completed despite a pending challenge. The contract was awarded at the beginning of December after a competitive bidding process and the selection of the Danes marks the end of more than 60 years of service by Condor Ferries, a UK company that was acquired in December 2024 by France’s Brittany Ferries.

The 20-year contract is due to begin service on March 28, 2025, with DFDS providing both freight and passenger services connecting Jersey of the Channel Islands to the UK and France. DFDS’ Jersey fleet will comprise one Ro-Pax vessel, two high-speed crafts, and a dedicated freight vessel to meet the needs of the island, and support tourism and the hospitality sector in Jersey as well as in France? and the UK with frequent sailings. DFDS also committed to increasing the frequency of ferries to address high demand in peak periods, introducing high-speed ferries to the UK, and investing in three new vessels by 2032.

"We are excited to embark on this journey with Jersey and the local community,” said Torben Carlsen, CEO of DFDS. “The lifeline ferry service is a vital link for the island, and we are fully committed to delivering reliability and an enhanced travel and transport experience for islanders, businesses, and visitors. We look forward to building a strong partnership with Jersey and serving the community.”

The execution of the contract came as Brittany Ferries, which had also bid, announced it would challenge the award to DFDS. Government officials in Jersey told the BBC they were "disappointed" by the pending court challenge but would defend their decision. 

The Royal Court has set hearings for January 13 and 14 for the claims from Brittany Ferries that government officials did not make clear the concerns before the bidding process and did not provide reasons for their concerns about the company’s bid. Brittany Ferries was granted a judicial review while the court rejected wider claims. 

DFDS which dates to 1866 and operates a wide array of routes and ferries said it is committed to Jersey. It looks forward to launching the new service which it says will improve transportation to the islands.
 

 

Senegal and Mauritania are set to become major producers of natural gas after oil major BP marked a significant milestone with the first gas flow from the offshore Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) project. It is the first gas development in the new basin offshore Mauritania and Senegal and is expected to put the two West African nations on the map as major hydrocarbon producers.

BP is the operator of GTA, a project that is being developed at a cost of $4.8 billion and which it jointly owns with U.S operator Kosmos Energy, Mauritanian hydrocarbons company SMH, and Senegal’s state-owned Petrosen. The project is one of the deepest offshore developments in Africa, with gas resources in water depths of up to 2,850 meters (9,350 feet). When fully commissioned, GTA Phase 1 is expected to produce around 2.3 million tonnes of LNG annually for more than 20 years.

The first gas from the project is being introduced to the FPSO approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) offshore, where water, condensate, and impurities are removed. 

“This is a fantastic landmark for this important megaproject,” said Gordon Birrell, BP EVP production & operations. “First gas flow is a material example of supporting the global energy demands of today and reiterates our commitment to help Mauritania and Senegal develop their natural resources.”

The project employs a large FPSO, constructed by China’s COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry yard in Qidong, China. The vessel, which is designed for a 30-year service life, is 70 meters (230 feet) long and has an oil storage capacity is not less than 1.44 million barrels. The living quarters can accommodate 140 people.

 

The FPSO being towed into position in June 2024 (BP)

 

The FPSO arrived at its permanent location offshore Mauritania and Senegal in June 2024. It is expected to process over 500 million standard cubic feet of gas per day.

The gas will be transferred via pipeline to the Gimi FLNG vessel that is moored at the Hub Terminal approximately 10 kilometers (6 miles) offshore where it will be cryogenically cooled, liquefied, and stored before being transferred to LNG carriers for export. Some of the gas will be allocated to help meet growing demand in the two countries.

Owned and operated by Golar LNG, the Gimi can store up to 125,000 cubic meters of LNG. The vessel arrived at the GTA project in February having undergone conversion at Singapore’s Seatrium shipyard. The vessel was converted from a 1975-built Moss LNG carrier and is designed for 20 years of operations on-site without dry docking. It features a liquefaction capacity of 2.7 million tonnes per annum and capabilities to operate near shore in 30 meters (100 feet) of water depth.

The project is based on the 2014 discovery of 120 trillion cubic feet of natural gas across the two countries. The first LNG cargo for export markets is projected in the first quarter of this year.
 

Finnish investigators now have two more possible ways to detain the tanker Eagle S, which is suspected of severing multiple subsea cables in the Gulf of Finland on Christmas Day. In addition to the criminal inquiry initiated by Finnish law enforcement agencies, subsea cable operator Fingrid has asked a court to detain the tanker pending separate civil litigation over the cost of the infrastructure damage, which could potentially result in the seizure and sale of the vessel. Finland's port state control authorities are also planning to inspect the aging "dark fleet" tanker for possible safety deficiencies, dozens of which were identified in previous PSC boardings.

Eagle S's attorney, local maritime lawyer Herman Ljungberg, has dismissed the Finnish criminal inquiry as "speculation" and - on the shipowner's behalf - has called for the vessel's prompt release. A separate civil detention order from the courts and a safety-related detention from the Finnish Coast Guard would complicate the shipowner's appeal and make it more difficult for the tanker to depart. The tanker's cargo of Russian gasoline has also been impounded pending the outcome of a Finnish customs investigation. 

In addition to banning the movement of the tanker, Finland's National Bureau of Investigation has issued a travel ban on eight crewmembers (up from the initial seven named earlier this week) in order to ensure that they remain reachable. These individuals are suspected of criminal acts, but have not yet been formally placed under arrest. The travel ban allows them to continue to work aboard the ship and maintain it in safe operating condition. 

On Dec. 25, Fingrid's EstLink 2 power transmission cable from Finland to Estonia and multiple subsea telecom cables in the Gulf of Finland were suddenly severed. Eagle S's AIS trackline corresponded to the damage sites, and a drag line of up to 50 nm long was found on the bottom. The tanker had an anchor chain in the water, but the chain was missing the anchor - just like the NewNew Polar Bear, a Chinese boxship that cut multiple subsea cables by dragging its anchor along the bottom of the Baltic. 

As this was the third potentially ship-related cable damage incident in a year in the Baltic, Finnish authorities acted quickly. They requested Eagle S to divert from international waters and into Finnish territorial seas, and the crew agreed to comply. Finnish police then boarded the vessel in a tactical operation with a military helicopter.
 
Given the repeated occurrence of cable damage incidents in the Baltic, the Finnish Parliament's foreign affairs and defense committees both scheduled meetings for Friday to discuss subsea infrastructure security. Finland's NATO allies met on December 30 for a similar purpose, and reached an agreement to enhance the alliance's military presence in the Baltic. 

The U.S.’s annual supply mission to Antarctica known as Operation Deep Freeze is moving into its next phase as the Polar Star, the U.S. Coast Guard’s only heavy icebreaker, started the final leg of its deployment. It will take her from Australia to the bases in the Antarctic. It marks the icebreaker’s 28th voyage to Antarctica.

Operation Deep Freeze is a joint military service mission to resupply the United States Antarctic stations of the National Science Foundation, which is the lead agency for the United States Antarctic program. The Polar Star provides heavy icebreaking capabilities to facilitate sealift, seaport access, bulk fuel supply, and cargo handling for two of the U.S.’s three research stations in Antarctica, including McMurdo Station which is the largest. The cutter’s icebreaking capabilities enable the delivery of critical supplies to sustain the year-round operations and support international partnership in the harsh Antarctic environment.

Operation Deep Freeze is one of the more challenging U.S. military peacetime missions due to the harsh environment in which it is conducted. Antarctica is the coldest, windiest, most inhospitable continent on the planet, and the USCG highlights that each trip requires careful planning and coordination. During the transit, the crew received training and prepared to support the vital mission despite the austere environment. 

The Polar Star started this year’s deployment by departing from its homeport of Seattle on November 22. It has traveled approximately 7,000 miles with a stop in Honolulu, Hawaii, before reaching Sydney, Australia on December 21.  The icebreaker hosts tours and outreach while in Australia while also loading fuel and supplies. She departed on December 27 for the trip across the Southern Ocean to reach Antarctica.

"Polar Star is unique in its ability to operate in the dynamic polar regions and we are looking forward to joining our service partners operating there," said Lt. Cmdr. Rachel Rand, Polar Star’s operations officer.  

She is outfitted with six diesel and three gas turbine engines that produce up to 75,000 horsepower. The USCG highlights she is their most powerful vessel with capabilities to continuously break six feet of ice at 3 knots and ram through ice she can encounter in Antarctica at up to 21 feet thick. The USCG has been working to extend her service while the replacement icebreakers are delayed. In December, approval was finally given to begin construction on Polar Sentinel, the first next-generation icebreaker, but she is not expected till 2029.

The first phase of this year’s Operation Deep Freeze began in October 2024 when a team of Seabees departed to undertake a waterfront construction project in Antarctica. It is the first time since 1994 that Seabees were officially involved in operations on Antarctica.

The current “ice pier” at McMurdo Station the USC reports became unreliable to sustain essential logistics operations. The Seabees were sent to construct infrastructure that supports the installation of a new loading/offload infrastructure project at McMurdo Station. The new project will provide an enduring engineering solution to facilitate the safe and efficient loading and offloading of supplies to McMurdo.

In addition to the Polar Star, the U.S. sends a mission traditionally with two merchant ships that depart around the end of the year. In that phase of Operation Deep Freeze, vital supplies are transported to the stations, and material is loaded for return to the United States.