By Kathy A. Smith Shipowners in Norway have made it known that they are working toward the goal of having the Norwegian fleet be completely climate neutral by 2050, and from 2030 on, vessels being ordered will have to be equipped with zero emissions technology. Deadly Disasters and Other Incidents Transiting too fast in the Kiel Canal in Brunsbüttel, Germany ensured the cargo ship Rimini crashed into the lock gate, damaging her bow and making the gate completely inoperable. Thankfully, there were no injuries or fuel spills. Again in the Kiel Canal, only this time in Hochdonn, Germany, fog was…

Deadly Disasters and Other Incidents It rained cranes the day the containership Milano Bridge hit the quay at Busan in South Korea. While the vessel was trying to berth, she struck the quay as well as several container cranes. One surprised crane operator had to jump from 30 feet up in a bid for safety while the crane he was in started to collapse. He was later taken to hospital with minor injuries. The ship was damaged in several areas as a result of the incident. The tugboat Albert and tanker barge Margaret, carrying 3,990,000 gallons of diesel fuel, ended…

The International Maritime Organization is expecting a 77 percent drop in sulphur emissions now that the official sulphur cap regulations are in place. This equates, the IMO estimates, to an annual reduction of about 8.5 million metric tons of SOx. Deadly Disasters and Other Incidents In Germany, a self-propelled barge with a load of aluminum hydroxide ended up alliding with a submerged jetty on the Rhine at Colonia-Niehl. The Thekla suffered starboard bow damage, however there were no reports of injuries. In Turkey, a collision between two ships in Izmit Bay near Darica, in the Sea of Marmara, resulted in…

By Kathy A. Smith The year 2023 could see full implementation of a ban of heavy fuel oil use in commercial shipping in the Arctic, according to the outcome of the IMO’s 6th annual meeting of the Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR6). The group is also working on identifying the type of fuels to be banned and how and when the stages of implementation will occur. Deadly Disasters and Other Incidents A seemingly routine commercial trip through the Rhône at the locks in Sablons, France, turned disastrous after the Pampero tanker-barge, loaded with 2,200 tons of vinyl chloride,…