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COS Weekly Newsletter - Friday, 8 October 2021 |
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VFPA community investment program for RBT2
 The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority has announced details of its Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project community investment program, which will provide $6 million to Delta organizations and students, should the project proceed. The program includes three components: a community fund, community grants, and an education fund. Funding will be distributed in phases, with an initial $500,000 from the community fund made available should a positive project decision be received from the federal government. The remaining funds will be made available once a final investment decision is made and will continue throughout the duration of construction.
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The Government of Canada has announced details of its mandatory vaccination plan that requires all federal public service employees to be vaccinated, and all employees in the federally regulated air, rail, and marine transportation sectors to be vaccinated. In a call with Transport Canada on Thursday morning, it was confirmed that the mandatory vaccination policy for the marine transportation sector captures the following:
- all Canadian marine pilots;
- all Canadian vessels with safe manning certificate of 12 crew or more;
- all non-essential foreign and domestic passenger vessels on voyages of 24 hours or more in length (ferries are deemed essential so not applicable);
- anyone that attends the vessels noted above must be vaccinated;
- port authorities are required to develop a vaccination policy that includes tenants and contractors; and
- all transportation companies are expected to establish a mandatory vaccination policy for all of their employees.
The mandatory vaccination policy takes effect on October 30th with a transition period that will include testing in lieu of vaccinations. Full implementation of the policy is set for November 30th. A draft version of the Ship Safety Bulletin is expected to be circulated for comments today or tomorrow.
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Joint maritime law enforcement, security operations in PNW
 Multiple U.S. and Canadian partner agencies planned and executed four large-scale interagency, binational operations throughout the summer focused on a variety of maritime law enforcement and security missions in Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands, and Strait of Juan de Fuca. Joint maritime operations focused on enhanced maritime border security to deter and interdict illicit activity; improved awareness of vessel movements; traffic patterns; and fishing activity; strengthening interagency partnerships, communications, and interoperability; and leveraging resources and partnerships to achieve multi-mission success. At the conclusion of operations, U.S. and Canadian partner agency personnel conducted more than 1,000 vessel checks resulting in issuance of 35 violations for safety, illegal fishing, and boating under the influence. Additionally, more than 60 maritime border crossings were vetted by participating agency personnel, and nine investigative leads were discovered including vessels and persons under investigation for money crimes, narcotic trafficking, Southern Resident Killer Whale endangerment, and crab poaching.
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Investigation into the cause of California oilspill underway
 A pipeline failure off the coast of Orange County, California leaked oil into the Pacific Ocean, creating a 13-square-mile slick from Huntington Beach to Newport Beach. On Tuesday, diver reports and footage from remotely operated submarines showed that a 4,000-foot section of a nearly 18-mile oil pipeline had been displaced approximately 105 feet and had a 13-inch split along its length. The Coast Guard boarded the Rotterdam Express on Wednesday and the vessel is no longer under investigation and has been cleared for departure. The thin crack along the top of the pipe indicates that this may have been a slow leak over time that was difficult to detect.
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USS Connecticut strikes unknown object in South China Sea
 The Seawolf-class fast-attack submarine USS Connecticut (SSN-22) struck an object while submerged on the afternoon of Oct. 2, while operating in international waters in the Indo-Pacific region. 11 US Navy sailors experienced minor or moderate injuries. USS Connecticut's nuclear propulsion plant and spaces were not affected and remain fully operational. The extent of damage to the remainder of the submarine is being assessed. The Connecticut was operating in the waters around the South China Sea as the US and its allies have been carrying out a major multinational show of force in the region, known as Carrier Strike Group 21. The ongoing exercise saw ships from the US, UK, Japan, Australia, Canada, and the Netherlands, including three aircraft carriers, training in and around the area.
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Shipping industry group targets net-zero emissions by 2050
 The International Chamber of Shipping has submitted plans to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) detailing urgent measures which governments must take to help the industry achieve net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. Just one month before the COP26 decarbonization conference ‘Shaping the Future of Shipping’, ICS (which represents 80% of the global shipping industry), is pushing governments to double the ambition of the IMO’s current target, which is to reduce emissions from international shipping by 50% by 2050. The plans include a compulsory R&D fund to develop zero-carbon technologies, and the development of a carbon levy for shipping to expedite the transition to more expensive zero-carbon fuels. In its submission, shipping accepts the vital need to accelerate decarbonization timelines. But it states that a net zero target by 2050 will only be plausible if governments take the necessary actions to achieve this. The industry has therefore taken the unique step of proactively setting out the measures that must be taken by governments to make decarbonization by 2050 a reality. The full press release available here.
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Oct 11 - Thanksgiving - Office Closed
Oct 13 - Vancouver Grain Exchange Board of Directors Meeting @ 1130
Oct 20 - COS AVTM Working Group Meeting @1200
Oct 21 - VMAA Board of Directors Meeting @ 1200
Oct 24 - Association of Pacific Ports Annual Conference, San Diego
Oct 27 - Vancouver Island Economic Summit, Nanaimo
Oct 27 - WMCC PACMAR/NANS Committee Meeting @ 1000
Oct 29 - COS Liner Committee Meeting @ 0900
Nov 2 - COS AVTM Working Group Meeting @ 1100
Nov 3 - ABCMI Business Opportunities Conference & Trade Show
Nov 18 - ICS Annual Dry Bulk & Commodities Conference
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Oct 10 - MF HydraMF HYDRA, a sustainable and innovative ferry designed by Sembcorp Marine’s subsidiary LMG Marin AS, has won the prestigious Ship of the Year Award given by Skipsrevyen, a 50-year-old Nordic maritime magazine publication house.
MF Hydra uses liquid hydrogen, two 200 kW fuel cells, a 1.36 MWh battery, and two 440 kW diesel generators. The hydrogen tanks and the fuel cells are located on top of the ferry. The hydrogen is trucked from Leipzig in Germany. The ferry qualifies as zero-emission waterborne transport, or ZEWT. Ballard is supplying the fuel cell power systems for two of Norled’s zero-emission ferries. Those systems are being developed by Ballard Marine Center of Expertise in Denmark. MF Hydra is 82.4 meters long with the ability to carry up to 300 passengers and 80 cars. The vessel can operate at a molded speed of 9 knots using Shottel thrusters. It features liquid hydrogen supplied from industrial gas and energy company Linde. Liquid hydrogen new 24MW electrolyzer at the Leuna Chemical Complex in Germany, which will use Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) technology to produce green hydrogen.
LMG Managing Director Mr. Torbjorn Bringedal said, “As the world’s first ship powered by liquid hydrogen, MF HYDRA is a game-changer for the marine industry. It will pave the way for the adoption of hydrogen as a fuel for shipping and support the International Maritime Organization’s goal to halve global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. LMG Marin, with our extensive track record of innovative naval architecture, is proud to contribute to global decarbonization efforts and a more sustainable world for current and future generations.”
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