前 Siem Offshore 从中远集团订购新船，实现增长
在创始人兼前董事长克里斯蒂安-西姆（Kristian Siem）离任后，前西姆海工公司（Siem Offshore）改名为 Sea1 Offshore，该公司报告称，其在海工市场看到了积极的迹象，并准备重新实现增长。该公司重新命名并缩小规模，于 2024 年 5 月将 9 艘船出售给 Siem。
Sea1 Offshore 报道称，该公司将根据市场机遇实现增长。据该公司 11 月 4 日报道，它已从中国中远船务订购了两艘新的下一代海上能源支持船。该公司表示，这项投资是其发展战略的结果，将有助于巩固公司作为全球近海能源行业领先服务供应商的地位。
“Sea1 首席执行官 Bernt Omdal 说："海工行业的租船合同和费率都在上升，我们期待那些能够向市场提供装备精良的现代化船舶的企业能够获得良好的盈利潜力。
Omdal 认为未来几年海工行业将出现许多积极的迹象。他证实，Sea1 正在与中远船务就交付更多船舶的方案进行对话。Sea1 管理层表示，他们相信传统的近海石油和天然气行业将继续保持高活跃度。
新造船长约 394 英尺（120 米），货运甲板面积达 1,400 平方米。每艘船将配备一台 250 吨级的甲板起重机，最多可容纳 120 人。两艘船都将配备 ROV 机库和月池。
Sea1 公司强调，这些船舶将以挪威 Skipsteknisk 公司的设计为基础，具有多功能性，以满足新兴市场的机遇。这些船舶的设计和装备将适用于包括可再生能源市场在内的各种业务。该公司预计，对可为海上风电场提供服务的船舶的需求将会增加。
Sea1 强调其致力于减少船队的排放。基于先进的 ST-245 设计，新船将配备现代技术，以减少排放并最大限度地提高运营效率。此外，它们还可使用甲醇，发电机可使用 100% 的生物燃料。
据 Sea1 报道，当这两艘新船于 2027 年交付后，该公司将拥有一支由 19 艘现代化近海船舶组成的船队。该公司将于 2025 年 4 月结束今年售出的 9 艘船的管理协议，但强调它能够利用该协议降低债务状况。该公司还签署了维京供应船公司（Viking Supply Ships）所拥有的六艘 AHTS 船舶的管理协议，以继续为公司发展重新定位。
Houthis claim attacks on vessels in Red Sea and Arabian Sea
On 28 October, Yemen’s Houthi group announced their involvement in targeting three vessels in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, according to Reuters, as part of their efforts to impose a naval blockade against Israel.
Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Sarea, stated in a televised address that the attacks targeted ships attempting to reach Israeli ports.
According to LSEG data, all three vessels were registered in Liberia.
The 2006-built bulk carrier Motaro was last observed off the western coast of Yemen in the Red Sea, navigating from Egypt’s Suez Canal towards Shanghai.
The 2004-built container ship SC Montreal was reportedly targeted in the Arabian Sea during its journey from Seychelles’ Port Victoria to Salalah, Oman.
The 2005-built container ship Maersk Kowloon was located in the western Indian Ocean, also en route from Salalah.
Maersk’s spokesperson, however, said that Maersk Kowloon was not attacked, refuting Houthis’ claims.
Earlier that day, British maritime security firm Ambrey reported two explosions near a merchant ship approximately 14 nautical miles southwest of Yemen’s Al Dhubab.
This followed earlier announcements from the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations regarding three explosions 25 nautical miles south of Yemen’s port of Mokha.
The UKMTO confirmed the vessel and its crew were unharmed and continued their journey to the next port of call.
The Houthis have declared they will persist with these actions until Israel ceases its operations in Gaza and Lebanon. These developments pose substantial risks to commercial shipping in a vital corridor for international trade.
US MARAD selects ABS to head Maritime Innovation Centre
The Office of Environment and Innovation at the United States Maritime Administration (MARAD) has chosen ABS to establish and oversee the US Center for Maritime Innovation (Center) through a five-year cooperative agreement.
The Center is designed to facilitate the implementation of clean energy technologies on US vessels, supported by extensive research and development programs as well as training initiatives.
ABS Chairman and CEO Christopher Wiernicki remarked that this Center will serve as a crucial national asset.
ABS will partner with MARAD to initiate and manage the Center, focusing on the research, development, evaluation, demonstration, and implementation of cutting-edge maritime technologies and methodologies.
The Center’s objectives include:
Developing infrastructure to support clean energy deployment;
Identifying research needs for new maritime technologies pertinent to the US maritime sector;
Undertaking research, development, testing, and evaluation of technologies, and advising on the best marine technologies available;
Evaluating and tracking US advancements in marine technology;
Helping navigate complex regulatory landscapes and documenting industry best practices;
Collaborating with academic and private training organizations to craft strategies for the US maritime industry across various fleets, including inland, deep water, and coastal.
Over the next six months, ABS and MARAD will collaborate to operationalize the Center, establish working groups and essential functions, and set research agendas and projects.
This phase will involve extensive interaction with stakeholders in the maritime industry, according to the US Congress.
India preps to level pricing field between landlord terminal concessionaires and private ports
Marine terminal companies holding operating concessions at India’s major landlord ports now have an opportunity to better compete with private ports, an industry domain being increasingly dominated by the Adani Group.
The government has released revised draft policy guidelines allowing old terminals with operations on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis, who had been victims of a flawed pricing mechanism, to migrate from regulated service rates to a market-driven tariff regime.
“In the past, tariffs were regulated due to limited competitive landscape but the evolving market and competitive landscape necessitates deregulation,” the Indian Shipping Ministry said in its provisional document.
The ministry further noted: “The original objective of introducing the tariff regulations in 2005, inter alia, included safeguarding interest of users, while ensuring fair returns to the port and encouraging competition and efficiency.”
It went on to add: “The long-term objective outlined in the tariff guideline 2005 was competitive pricing. The market and the competitive landscape in the Indian port sector has since witnessed a significant shift.”
The Tariff Authority for Major Ports (TAMP) had been tasked with determining and approving tariff rates at public-private-partnership (PPP) terminal projects.
Royalty amounts mandated to be shared with landlord ports or the government had been the chief bone of contention or pain point, as competition intensified.
The PSA terminal at Tuticorin Port has borne the brunt of such lopsided contracts, with little relief from years of litigation.
On the other hand, private minor ports have the autonomy to fix their tariffs, gaining significant competitive advantages over BOT terminals. Here, Adani Ports has made steady inroads into the Indian container market, with its flagship Mundra Port the busiest in the country.
“The non-major ports presently account for about 45% of the traffic, and there is no parity in the tariff regulation mechanism between the major ports and the minor/non-major ports,” the ministry explained in its document.
“Thus, need was felt to address the disparity in differing regulations and tariff guidelines subsisting at major ports, in order to provide uniform user experience and ensuring level playing field for PPP operators by allowing them to play a greater role in determination of tariffs and better respond to competitive market forces.”
Amid tariff complications, port investments from other global leaders, particularly APMT, haven’t been that promising in recent years, with the exception of DP World, which recently won a new terminal concession at Kandla.
India has massive port plans in the offing, requiring a more consistent and pro-industry policy framework to propel private investment interest. A greenfield project, costing about US$ 10 billion, near Nhava Sheva, is the most notable one.
India has 12 major or government ports and more than 200 minor or non-major ports across its vast coastline of some 4,600 miles.
The volume of China's international trade in goods and services increased by 4 percent in August.
China's international trade in goods and services rose 4 percent year-on-year to about 4.18 trillion yuan through August 2024, official data released by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange Control of the People's Republic of China showed on Friday.
In dollar terms, the country's total exports and imports in international trade in goods and services amounted to $322.4 billion. The country's total exports and imports of international trade in goods and services amounted to US$322.4 billion and US$263.5 billion. The country's exports and imports totaled US$322.4 billion and US$263.5 billion, respectively, recording a surplus of US$58.9 billion. THE SURPLUS AMOUNTED TO US$58.9 BILLION.
Among them, China's merchandise exports totaled about 2.07 trillion yuan in August, while imports totaled nearly 1.5 trillion yuan. The surplus at the same time reached 572.4 billion yuan.
Last month, China exported 230.8 billion yuan worth of services and imported 383 billion yuan worth of services. The passive balance amounted to 152.2 billion yuan.