A High Seas Comeback for Sails? Shipping Industry Sees Potential
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- Category: Marina Mercante
- Published on Friday, 25 July 2014 22:48
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Some Think Wind Power Could Be Key to Cutting Costs and Pollution
Wall Street Journal
Ships are loaded and unloaded at the Port of Los Angeles. With fuel costs soaring and concerns over pollution rising, some shipping innovators are looking to revive an old technology to cut costs: sails. Associated Press
SINGAPORE—As the shipping industry struggles with high fuel costs and tepid demand, some innovators say that high-tech sails may hold the secret to cheaper and cleaner fuel.
China rejects A Huge Vessel-Sharing Pact, And Carriers Move On
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- Category: Marina Mercante
- Published on Wednesday, 25 June 2014 08:31
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Even more remarkable than the proposed P3 space-sharing agreement among three of the biggest container lines was the speed at which they abandoned it, following its rejection by Chinese regulators.
In ruling against the P3 Network of Maersk Line, Mediterranean Shipping Co. and CMA CGM, China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said last week that the mega-alliance “may have the impact of competition elimination and restriction.” The agency found that it might command a market share of nearly 47% in the container trades from Asia to Europe.
The thumbs-down came as a shock to all involved, but responses from the lines amounted to a shrug, at least publicly. “The P3 partners take note of and respect MOFCOM’s decision,” said all three lines in separate statements. “Subsequently, the
Maersk begins shipping revolution with new tech
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- Category: Marina Mercante
- Published on Monday, 16 June 2014 07:50
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June 2nd, 2014
Reefer manufacturing company Maersk Container Industry (MCI) has developed a new technology to modernize the transportation of fresh produce around the world, by improving air condition and significantly reducing energy consumption.
MCI, part of the Maersk Group, has created an automatic ventilation device called AV+ that monitors the carbon dioxide (CO2) levels given off by fruit and vegetables in transit, and adjusts the amount of fresh air entering the shipping container accordingly.
Conventional fixed open air exchange vents (AirEx) often allow far more fresh air to enter than necessary. All this air must then be cooled by a separate system.
MCI sales and marketing general manager Anders G. Holm told www.freshfruitportal.com the main benefit of this technology was that since
Hull-Sail Ship Readying for Tank Tests
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- Category: Marina Mercante
- Published on Wednesday, 25 June 2014 08:24
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June 23, 2014
Marine Executive
Terje Lade, creator of Project Vindskip, speaks about the drivers behind the development of his avant-garde car carrier design that could save up to 60 percent on fuel costs:
What were the drivers behind the development of Project Vindskip?
Much of the industry’s desire in the past had been associated with what I call ‘greed for speed’. In particular, I had been working on the design of speed sailing vessels in my spare time for many years where the objective was very much centered upon maximum speed for a given sail area. Over time, this ‘greed for speed’ was gradually being replaced by a growing concern for the environment and the possible impacts the maritime industry was having
RollDock Shipping receives Rolldock Storm cargo vessel
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- Category: Marina Mercante
- Published on Saturday, 14 June 2014 06:32
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Dutch heavy lift shipping company RollDock Shipping has taken delivery of its latest vessel Rolldock Storm from Germany-based Flensburger-Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG).
The new vessel is the shipping company's fourth next-generation semi-submersible heavy lift roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) vessel.
The ship complements RollDock's existing fleet, which includes the Rolldock Sun, Rolldock Sea and the sister vessel, Rolldock Star.
The Rolldock Storm features two 350t Liebherr heavy-lift cranes, a ro-ro ramp with up to 4,000t weight capacity, which can be placed at various levels in relation to the quay, and a box-shaped dock hold measuring 119.44m by 19.4m.