Latest shipping line opens on Chittagong-China maritime route
A shipping line on the Chattogram-China maritime route started operation, with a Chinese goods-carrying vessel anchoring at the Chittagong port recently. MV Kota Angoon, the first ship on the route carrying 552 containers from China’s Ningbo-Zhushan port, started sailing on September 7 and reached Chattogram after nine days via Shanghai and Shekou, according to the Chattogram Port Authority. A consortium of ships owned by multiple organisations has joined this service named China-Chittagong Express (CCE), according to domestic media reports. A goods carrying mother vessel used to take 20 to 25 days earlier to reach Chattogram port from China, travelling via Singapore, Malaysia or Colombo.
India-Denmark maritime collaboration gathers momentum
India and Denmark’s maritime relations continue to rise and shine, with both nations working closely to advance sustainable maritime practices. Under the India-Denmark Green Strategic Partnership, the collaboration has expanded across key areas such as Quality shipping, Cooperation on Port State Control, Maritime training and education, research and development, Piracy, Green maritime technology, shipbuilding and green shipping. Denmark, a global leader in sustainable maritime technologies, has been sharing its expertise in green and digital solutions, aligning with India’s goals under the Sagarmala initiative and the Maritime India Vision 2030. Scope of the MoU signed in 2019 and revised in 2022, has been widened by adding a dedicated clause for the establishment of a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in India. This underscores the commitment to deepening expertise in green maritime technologies and fostering knowledge exchange between the two nations. Additionally, Denmark’s expertise in port digitalization, automation, and cybersecurity has been instrumental in helping India achieve its vision of becoming a global leader in smart ports.
Lower shipping emissions may lead to higher worldwide temperatures
In 2020, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) released stricter regulations for large ships that have led to an 8.5-metric-megaton reduction in annual sulfur dioxide emissions. But such a reduction may actually warm the planet—by how much is not widely agreed upon by scientists. Sulfate aerosols act as cloud condensation nuclei. An abundance of these particles leads to the formation of brighter clouds, which reflect more sunlight back to space and can help cool the planet. Lower anthropogenic aerosol emissions can diminish this cooling effect. Since the IMO 2020 regulations were implemented, the planet has experienced an accelerated rate of warming. Jordan and Henry used the U.K. Earth system model called UKESM1 to examine the possible connections between a warming climate and the IMO 2020 regulations. Their findings showed that the restrictions have had a small but noticeable climatic effect.
On fleet renovation the great Eastern Shipping embarks
With younger vessels to help operate in the international market without facing age restrictions. The Mumbai-listed company sold six older ships – four product tankers, one crude carrier and one dry bulk ship – for about $100 million and purchased five vessels – four product tankers and one dry bulk carrier – for some $160 million. In the international oil trade, oil majors such as Exxon, Chevron, Shell, etc and many prominent ports in the Middle East and East Africa have age restrictions on the vessels they are willing to take, making it difficult to deploy a 20-year-old tanker. “We operate in the international market. We want to continue operating in the international market. After the age of 20, for a tanker, it becomes difficult to operate in the international market, it becomes very restricted, many terminals and charterers will not take it.
For ammonia bunkering first ammonia STS demonstrates protocols
As the next step toward developing industry competency to support ammonia bunkering, Singapore’s Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) led a first-of-its-kind ship-to-ship transfer of ammonia. The demonstration project was conducted in Australia’s Pilbara anchorage and to mimic future ammonia bunkering scenarios, the vessels were selected to be similar sizes to that expected for ammonia bunkering vessels.
Two transfers were conducted each requiring approximately six hours. In the absence of ammonia bunkering vessels and large, ammonia-fueled cargo ships, they worked to simulate a close proxy to test the essential steps that will be involved in vessel bunkering. To date, the only acknowledged ammonia bunkering operations were two conducted at a terminal in Singapore for Fortescue’s converted OSV, and recently NYK bunkered its ammonia-fueled tug in Japan using a truck-to-vessel method.
Germany sends warship by Taiwan strait for first time in decades
For the first time in more than two decades, Germany’s navy has dispatched a warship through the Taiwan Strait, challenging China’s claim of control over the 100-mile-wide waterway. The frigate Baden-Wuerttemberg and support ship Frankfurt am Main passed through the Taiwan Strait from north to south, the Taiwan Ministry of Defense said on Friday. The situation remained normal, with typical levels of Chinese military activity, the ministry said. Germany’s Defense Minister, Boris Pistorius, said Friday that the transit was simply a continuation of German policy on freedom of navigation. “International waters are international waters,” he said. “It is the shortest and, given the weather conditions, also the safest route.” Five allied navies conduct recurring transits of the Taiwan Strait, and the U.S. Navy is by far the most frequent, averaging roughly one advertised passage per month. China’s PLA Navy assigns warships to shadow these transits, and the Chinese government typically pushes back with statements of opposition.