Fortnightly maritime news for the industry and PortXL community
World’s first carbon-negative hydrogen project gets green light
A final investment decision has been taken to move forward with the world’s first carbon-negative hydrogen commercial pilot project — which uses an innovative process that could undercut conventional methods of producing green and blue H2.
Singapore drone start-up Performance Rotors snags funding from Dutch MNC Royal Vopak
“Performance Rotors has already commercialised its drone solutions in Vopak and other oil and gas majors in Singapore, and is gearing up for other missions in Europe,” the company said in its release. Vopak’s innovation engagement leader Edwin Ebrahimi said: “We need to bridge the gap between new technologies and industry needs, by actively supporting promising startups that can develop scalable solutions and grow with us. We believe that Performance Rotors has that potential.”
ZIM introduces AI-based software to detect misdeclared cargo
Shipping company ZIM has developed and implemented an AI-based screening software to detect and identify incidents of misdeclared hazardous cargo before loading to vessel. The system harnesses artificial intelligence (AI), including natural language processing (NLP) capabilities and machine learning, to analyze documentation and alert operations personnel of occurrences of omission, concealment, or erroneous declaration of hazardous cargo – in real time.
How green ammonia could power 30% of the merchant fleet by 2050
A new report by Alfa Laval, Hafnia, Haldor Topsoe, Vestas and Siemens Gamesa has suggested that renewable ammonia could eventually power 30% of the global maritime fleet. The 59-page study forecasts that once the fuel’s logistics chain has been fully developed – including the construction of 150m tonnes per year of incremental production capacity – green ammonia would have a cost similar to today’s compliant oil-based bunkers.
LNG-fuelled ships in the crosshairs as IMO details landmark GHG study
For the raft of owners who have built expensive LNG-fuelled ships, the report questions the wisdom of these investments. The sector’s methane emissions increased by 150% in the six-year period because of the increased deployment of LNG-fuelled ships. Data from Clarksons Research shows that including the orderbook, LNG-fuelled ships make up 8.4% of the global fleet in gt terms. Dr Bryan Comer from the International Council on Clean Transportation urged IMO to crack down on LNG-fuelled ships.
Louisiana to develop eco-friendly, mega-ship-ready container terminal
The Plaquemines Port Harbour in Louisiana has signed an agreement to build an environmentally friendly, multi-modal container terminal capable of handling mega-ships in excess of 22,000 TEU. The container terminal will be powered by a combination liquefied natural gas (LNG) and electricity. It will be approximately 1,000 acres and 8,2000 feet of land by the Mississippi Rover, and be situated 50 miles from the Gulf of Mexico.
Cyprus takes a port optimisation lead
Cyprus is taking a lead in optimised shipping and port operations through an agreement between a key maritime institute and two digital solutions companies. This agreement will test the understanding that ship port calls and harbour services can be optimised through data sharing, using artificial intelligence (AI) and more efficient communications within the coastal ecosystem.
