More companies ranging from consumer goods to shipping lines are pledging to not ship goods through the Arctic even as melting sea ice opens makes the polar routes more appealing. This week, the non-profit Ocean Conservancy announced that eight more companies have pledged not to use the Arctic routes by signing the Arctic Shipping Corporate Pledge, a voluntary commitment … [Read more...]
The Maritime Stories That Shaped the Decade
As the 2010's come to a close, we're taking a look back at the maritime stories that kept us talking the most these last ten years. Deepwater Horizon For me, the Deepwater Horizon was one of those "I'll never forget where was when I first heard" kind of events. I was sitting in my home office in San Luis Obispo, probably contemplating how the heck to make gCaptain … [Read more...]
Yamal LNG’s 15-Vessel Fleet of Icebreaking LNG Tankers Now Operational
The fifteenth and final icebreaking LNG carrier responsible for shipping gas from the remote Yamal LNG terminal in the Russian Arctic has now been delivered. The vessel, named Yakov Gakkel, was built by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) and is owned and operated by a 50-50 joint venture by Teekay LNG and China LNG Shipping. It is one of six vessel owned and … [Read more...]
Sovcomflot Tankers Complete Northern Sea Route Transit on LNG Fuel
Russian shipping company Sovcomflot has sent two more large-capacity, LNG-powered tankers through the Northern Sea Route. According to the company, the Aframax tankers Mendeleev Prospect and Lomonosov Prospect successfully completed eastbound voyages along the NSR from the Baltic port of Primorsk to China, on October 16 and 19, respectively, using only LNG fuel. The … [Read more...]
Russia Willing to Pay to Lure Shippers to the Arctic
(Bloomberg) --Russia wants to make its Arctic waters more attractive to shippers than the Suez Canal and could be willing to compensate for potential risks to make that happen. President Vladimir Putin has made development of the Arctic one of Russia’s top long-term priorities and huge projects to export liquefied natural gas via the Northern Sea Route have already lured … [Read more...]