Singapore Detains Pan Ocean Ship

An oil/chemical tanker has been arrested in Singapore waters, according to data provided by Supreme Court of Singapore.
The 2008-built Grand Ace 12 was detained in the evening hours of February 28, 2018.
The reason for the vessel’s detention was not disclosed.
Focal Investigation & Security Agency has been appointed for security and investigation purposes related to the arrest of the MR2 tanker which flies the flag of Panama.
Owned by South Korean shipping company Pan Ocean Shipping, Grand Ace 12 was en route from Dongguan, China to Singapore at the time of the detention, VesselsValue’s data show.
Following the arrest, the vessel was brought to Eastern Special Purpose Anchorage A.

Thorco Projects Adds Vessel Trio

Danish shipping company Thorco Projects has expanded its fleet with three 12,000 dwt tween deckers.
The ships in question are MV Daisy, Maple Lea and Maple Lotta.
With lifting capacities between 240-500 mt, the trio joined the company’s eight 10,000 – 12,500 dwt multipurpose vessels.
Following the recent additions, Thorco Projects’ fleet comprises around 40 ships.
Part of THORNICO conglomerate, Thorco Projects focuses on businesses including project cargo, heavy lift, renewables, offshore oil & gas, general cargo & steel, floating cargo and bulk.
In December 2017, the company decided to expand its line of core services with the launching of a new dry cargo division. The company established Thorco Projects Dry Cargo, moving into the segment from 20,000 to 35,000 dwt.

Putin: Northern Sea Route’s Traffic to Increase Tenfold by 2025

The volume of cargo traffic along the Northern Sea Route will increase tenfold to 80 million tonnes by 2025, the Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his address to the Federal Assembly on March 1.
Putin pointed out that the route will be the key to developing the Russian Arctic and Far East.
“Our goal is to make it a truly global and competitive transport route. Let me remind you that the Northern Sea Route was used more actively in Soviet times compared to how we have been using it so far. We will definitely develop this route and reach new horizons,” Putin said.
The Northern Sea Route, which is a much shorter alternative to the Suez Canal, is gaining on importance amid the reduction of ice in the Arctic and the design of new ice-breaking commercial vessels, which have made the transportation of abundant Arctic natural energy resources commercially viable.
“We will continue our proactive policy to attract investment and create social and economic growth centers in Russia’s Far East,” Putin added.
“A number of large-scale industrial projects have been launched in the Arctic. They comply with the highest environmental standards. We are strengthening the research, transport, navigation and military infrastructure, which is expected to guarantee Russia’s interests in this strategic region. Russia builds cutting-edge nuclear icebreakers. We have had the most powerful icebreaker fleet in the world, and this will remain so.”
The area is home to Yamal LNG Project, which is the world’s first large-scale energy project that exports cargoes through the Northern Sea Route. In addition, new projects are also being developed in the Arctic area, following in the steps of the Yamal LNG Project.

Finnlines Unveils LoI for Three New Ro-Ro Ships

Finland-based RoRo and passenger services operator Finnlines has signed a letter of intent for the construction of three new 7,300 lane metre ro-ro vessels.
The move was made in response to growing volumes and market demand, as the company continues to invest in its fleet.
Finnlines did not unveil any further details related to the shipbuilding order. The company revealed the letter of intent as part of its financial results for the fourth quarter of 2017.
During the three-month period ended December 31, 2017, Finnlines recorded a 17.1 percent rise in its revenue, which stood at EUR 131.8 million at the end of the quarter, compared to EUR 112.6 million reported in the same period a year earlier.
The company’s result for the reporting period was also up to EUR 14.9 million from EUR 7.3 million seen in the fourth quarter of 2016.
“Looking to 2018 and beyond, there are three strictly connected key elements in the way we are running our shipping business, worldwide in the Grimaldi Group, and also in Finnlines, that is – to grow together with the customers, to increase efficiency of capital employed on our fleet and to continue investing in sustainable development,” Emanuele Grimaldi, President and CEO, said.
Under Finnlines’ investment programme, launched in 2017, the company was to lengthen four of its Breeze series ro-ro vessels, built in 2012 and 2013. After the works are finalized, the ships’ capacy will increase by 30 percent to 4,200 lane metres of rolling cargo.

Carnival Orders Third LNG-Fuelled Ship for Its AIDA Brand

Carnival Corporation & plc has signed a shipbuilding contract for a third next-generation cruise ship for its Germany-based AIDA Cruises brand.
Scheduled for delivery in 2023, the new 180,000-ton ship, being built by German shipbuilder Meyer Werft GmbH at its shipyard in Papenburg, will feature Carnival’s “green cruising” design. The ship will also be fully powered at sea and in port by liquefied natural gas (LNG).
With today’s announcement, AIDA Cruises now has a total of three LNG ships on order.
AIDAnova is scheduled to join AIDA Cruises’ fleet in December as the first ship to feature LNG as fuel, and the first cruise ship in the world to be fully powered by LNG. The second ship of the series will be christened in the spring of 2021.
The three LNG ships for AIDA Cruises are part of Carnival Corporation’s ongoing fleet enhancement strategy with 20 new ships scheduled for delivery between 2018 and 2023.
“The interest in AIDAnova, the first ship of our new generation, is enormous, even before the commissioning later this year. With today’s new shipbuilding contract, we will ensure the further growth of the cruise market in the long term and will be able to provide excellent cruises for this steadily growing holiday segment in the future as well,” Felix Eichhorn, president of AIDA Cruises, said.
 “This is the 10th AIDA Cruises ship we are building in Papenburg, emphasizing a long-term partnership between AIDA Cruises and Meyer Werft. AIDAnova and the following two sister ships feature the latest technology focused on sustainability and energy efficiency,” Tim Meyer, managing director of Meyer Werft, said.
In total, Carnival Corporation has agreements in place with German and Finnish shipbuilders Meyer Werft and Meyer Turku to build nine LNG-powered cruise ships across four of its nine global cruise brands with delivery dates between 2018 and 2023.
These include three ships for AIDA Cruises, two for Costa Cruises with expected delivery dates in 2019 and 2021, two for P&O Cruises UK with expected delivery dates in 2020 and 2022 and two for Carnival Cruise Line with expected delivery dates in 2020 and 2022.

Update: Damaged Kiel Canal Lock-Gate to Be Removed Soon

Following the allision earlier this month, German authorities have appointed a firm to remove the partially destroyed lock-gate at Kiel-Holtenau in order to be repaired.
The goal is to remove the damaged gate from the passage and install the spare gate in an effort to resume vessel traffic, WSA Kiel-Holtenau said in a statement. Only one lock chamber is currently operational at Kiel-Holtenau, resulting in long waiting times for ships.
However, it has not been decided how to recover the damaged gate. It could be recovered in one or more pieces, according to WSA Kiel-Holtenau.
This will be decided after preserved parts are separated from the loose ones so that the gate can undergo repair works. The dismantling is expected to start on February 27. The loose parts will be moved onto a pontoon which already arrived at the site.
As explained, the decision on how to remove the gate will depend on an analysis to be undertaken by engineers and divers in order to examine its stability.
The damage occurred on February 19 when the 1,008 TEU Akacia rammed into the gate as it was unable to slow down in time. Two days later, the ship was brought to Kiel’s Nordhafen where it is still moored due to sailing prohibition.

Kea Trader’s Stern Partially Submerged in Cyclone Aftermath

The split hull of Lomar Shipping’s ill-fated Kea Trader has gotten further into trouble following the passage of a cyclone near New Caledonia in the South Pacific.
Based on the latest imagery released by the French High Commission in New Caledonia, the latest round of bad weather has pushed two hull pieces further apart and the stern section of the hull has been submerged deeper into the water.
The commission said that the operations have resumed on the Durand Reef. According to the initial findings, there have been no signs of pollution near the wreck.
“Overflights following the passage of cyclone Gita did not detect any traces of pollution,” the commission added.
As informed, measures taken before the cyclone limited the cyclone’s impact on the vessel, and the hull movements were minimal.
Tugs have returned to the site and helicopters are flying over the reef on a daily basis to ensure the absence of floating debris.
The latest developments are being reported in anticipation of the announcement of the tender winner for the removal of broken up containership from a rock reef in the south Pacific, where it has spent the last eight months.
A tender winner is expected to be named within the next few weeks, following the completion of contractual negotiations.
Based on the salvage plan, the hull sections will be lifted and then removed intact from the reef to protect the marine environment.
Ardent has led recovery work on the Kea Trader since its grounding last July, initially removing heavy fuel oil and other pollutants, before extracting all but 96 of the 756 containers and 26 flat-racks that were originally on board.
The 2,194-TEU containership ran aground six months after its delivery from Guangzhou Wenchong Shipyard in China.