Banco Sueco SEB establece objetivo Cero Neto emisiones para el sector naviero en 2030
Maritime Global Trade Roundup – April 25, 2024
What’s going on with an alleged Iranian spying vessel? How did Iran’s missile attack and ship hijacking impact the six major carriers?
This week’s Maritime Global Trade Roundup has these answers and more, including info on Russia’s oil supply to China. Check out the easily-digestible highlights and trends, powered by Maritime AI™ insights.
First, take a quick look at Windward’s refreshed homepage!
Alleged Iranian Spy Ship Returns to Iran
- The Behshad, an Iranian general cargo vessel owned by the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines, crossed the Hormuz Strait last week after sailing in the Red Sea for three years.
- The vessel has anchored at the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) border area of Yemen, Eritrea, and Saudi Arabia since 2021. According to open sources, it was used as an espionage vessel operated by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Red Sea.
- The vessel departed its position at the beginning of 2024 for the first time and sailed south in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, sailing for three months in the Gulf of Aden – within Somalia and Djibouti’s EEZs.
- The vessel’s AIS transmission was lost on April 4. On April 18, the ship appeared in the Gulf of Oman, updating its destination to the port of Bandar Abbas. The vessel then crossed the Hormuz…
China Harbors Ship Tied To North Korea-Russia Arms
China is providing moorage for a U.S.-sanctioned Russian cargo ship implicated in North Korean arms transfers to Russia, according to satellite images obtained by Reuters, as U.S. concerns grow over Beijing’s support for Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
Britain’s Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) think tank said the Russian vessel Angara, which since August 2023 has moved to Russian ports thousands of containers believed to contain North Korean munitions, has been anchored at a Chinese shipyard in eastern Zhejiang province since February.
The ship’s presence at the Chinese port underscores the challenges facing the United States and its allies as they try to choke off military and economic support for Russia.
With Ukraine under a renewed Russian assault and running short of ammunition, U.S. officials have issued increasingly stark warnings about what they say is China’s help rebuilding Russia’s military after its early setbacks in the Ukraine war.
That support is expected to top the agenda this week as Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Beijing.
The State Department’s second ranked diplomat, Kurt Campbell, said this month that Washington would not “sit by” if Beijing increased its backing for Moscow.
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department…
Chile’s New Icebreaker Prepares to Enter into Service
Last week, Chile completed the first round of sea trials for its new polar icebreaker, Almirante Viel. The Chilean government of President Gabriel Boric lauded the milestone, especially the fact that the icebreaker was built entirely in the country.
The vessel was built by state-owned ASMAR Shipyard based on a VARD design, and is estimated to have cost over $200 million. It is scheduled to be delivered to the Chilean Navy in the last quarter of this year, and is designed to support scientific research in the Antarctic region.
The Navy said that the sea trials proved the success of the project, with all aspects of the icebreaker’s performance evaluated including maneuverability, structural strength and energy efficiency.
“We are happy about this stage after a long period of construction and design. We are working towards this ship being able to reach the cold waters of the white continent and contribute to national development, science and protection of the aquatic environment,” said Rear Admiral, Rodrigo Peñaranda, Chilean Navy Director for Programs, Research and Development.
The 10,500-ton Almirante Viel is a Polar Class 5 icebreaker, capable of breaking one meter of ice at a speed of three knots. It is designed to accommodate 30 researchers, and…
Ukraine Claims Strike on WWI-Era Russian Sub Tender
Ukraine’s military has repeatedly attacked the Russian Black Sea Fleet with long-range weapons, sinking its flagship and destroying or damaging about one-third of its total strength. While it has primarily targeted warships, it has occasionally taken aim at support vessels, like the tug Vasiliy Bekh, the tanker Sig – and now, the antique sub tender Kommuna, one of the oldest working naval vessels in the world.
Kommuna has been in commission for 109 years, serving through the First World War, the Russian Civil War, the Second World War (including the defense of Leningrad), decades of Cold War standoffs with the United States, and the long-running invasion of Ukraine. She has been stationed in the Black Sea as a submarine rescue vessel since 2012, and has been homeported in Russian-occupied Sevastopol.
Kommuna in the Black Sea, in her modern configuration (George Chernilevsky / public domain)
Capt. Dmytro Pletenchuk, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy, told Ukrainska Pravda that the Kommuna has had an operational role servicing vessels of the Russian Black Sea Fleet during the ongoing invasion. The Ukrainian Navy targeted the vessel in port in Sevastopol, and Pletenchuk said that the operation caused an unknown amount of damage. “Early reports indicate that the…
Hess Sets Date For Shareholder Vote On Chevron Merger
Hess Corp on Wednesday said its board has set April 12 as the record date for the determination of the stockholders entitled to vote on the proposed merger with Chevron Corp.
Shareholders will vote on the proposed deal in a meeting whose date is yet to be set, the company said in a U.S. securities filing. Neither Chevron nor Hess can predict the actual date on which the transaction will be completed, it said in the filing.
Exxon Mobil and CNOOC Ltd filed cases before the International Chamber of Commerce last month, seeking to claim a right to a first refusal over any sale of Hess’ 30% stake in the giant Stabroek offshore oil block in Guyana.
Hess confirmed the case could drag on until year-end and ultimately block the deal. Separately, Hess has reaffirmed that it does not anticipate the need for regulatory approval from the Guyana government for this deal.
(Reuters – Reporting by Sabrina Valle; Editing by Leslie Adler)
Mice Infestation Delays Europe’s First Kiwi Shipment of the Year
An unknown share of a shipload of New Zealand kiwifruit will have to be destroyed because of a mice invasion in the holds of a reefer vessel, according to the cargo owner, Zespri International.
Zespri said that its first shipment of the 2024 season to Europe has been set back by the discovery of mice. The pests were found during a standard clearance process in Zeebrugge, Belgium.
Following the discovery of the infestation on the unnamed vessel, the company said it has taken the decision to quarantine the fruit as inspections continue. All the affected fruit will have to be set aside and destroyed.
Zespri says that it takes fruit quality incredibly seriously, and assured that no fruit will be released unless both the company and regulators are confident that it is in good shape. Reports indicate there were about 1.2 million trays of SunGold kiwifruit onboard the chartered vessel, which was the first voyage to the European market for the 2024 season. It represents about 0.5 percent of the company’s expected crop this year.
“We have a proven track record over 20 years of providing only the highest quality fruit and building a brand people trust and we won’t compromise on that. This is the first time in more than 20 years that we have encountered this issue,”…
US Releases Offshore Wind Liftoff Report And Promises
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has released its latest report in the Pathways to Commercial Liftoff series, describing how the U.S. offshore wind sector is adapting to challenges and poised for continued progress, with a path to deploying over 100 gigawatts (GW) by 2050.
The Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: Offshore Wind report finds that the sector today is poised for liftoff, enabled by continued efforts to adapt to recent market challenges. The projects that move forward in the next several years will lay the foundation for consistent long-term deployment, decarbonization, and economic benefits across the country in support of President Biden’s ambitious goals of achieving a 100% clean power sector by 2035 and a net-zero emissions economy by 2050.
“Offshore wind is already powering over 100,000 American homes, and with the Offshore Wind Liftoff Report and new investments, the Biden-Harris Administration is helping deliver on the promise of this technology to rapidly scale over the coming years,” said U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy David Turk. “The offshore wind sector is making rapid progress even in the face of macroeconomic challenges, poising the industry to create good jobs and supporting a clean, resilient energy system.”…
Coast Guard Removes Top Chaplain for “Failure to Demonstrate Judgement”
On Wednesday, the U.S. Coast Guard announced that it has permanently removed Father Daniel Mode, Chaplain of the Coast Guard, from his primary duty due to a loss of confidence. The service said only that Mode “failed to demonstrate the requisite judgment expected from his key leadership position.”
Capt. Daniel Mode, USN – an ordained Catholic priest – took over the Coast Guard’s top chaplain role in 2022, overseeing 50 active-duty and reserve Navy chaplains and over 90 auxiliary chaplains. (The Coast Guard sources its full-time chaplains from the Navy.)
His earlier posts included the former carrier USS John F. Kennedy, the carriers USS George Washington and USS Harry S. Truman, and the command ship USS Blue Ridge. On shore, he served across the Middle East during Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, and he oversaw ministry at the Guantanamo Bay base. While the majority of his prior positions were in Navy commands, he was also a chaplain at the Coast Guard Academy from 2009-12.
Among other achievements, Capt. Mode wrote a book about famed Marine Corps chaplain Rev. Vincent R. Capodanno, who was killed by enemy fire while ministering to wounded soldiers in Vietnam. Mode’s book started a push to nominate Capodanno for sainthood – a process that is now in its…
Red Sea Diversions Surge Container Shipping Emissions Reports Xeneta
Carbon emissions from the container shipping industry are reaching record levels as ocean going vessels sail longer distances to avoid Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. The new data contained in Xeneta’s Carbon Emissions Index (CEI) highlights the adverse impacts on the industry’s efforts to curb emissions because of the conflict in the Middle East.
Xeneta calculates container shipping emissions hit 107.5 points in the first quarter of this year on its index. The CEI is based on average CO2 emissions per ton of cargo carried, with the baseline set in Q1 2018. Any reading below 100 indicates an improvement in carbon efficiency.
In addition to being the first time the average CEI has been above 100 at a global level, Xeneta reports it marks a 15.2 percent increase from the last quarter of 2023. They calculated that only five of the top 13 trade routes emitted less CO2 per ton of cargo this quarter, which is three fewer routes than in Q4 2023. It is also the lowest in any quarter since Q2 2018.
The most dramatic increase comes for containers being shipped from the Far East to the Mediterranean. Xeneta reports carbon emissions increased by 63 percent during the period compared to the same period last year. From the Far East into North Europe, carbon emissions…