We look back over our most read stories from the year to revisit the topics that your reading habits revealed as key issues in the maritime industry in 2022
From fully electric to methanol-fuelled, low- and zero-emissions propulsion options have been a mainstay with readers in 2022. Svitzer Australia featured heavily in our most read articles, bookending the year with its 12-year contract for Woodside Energy’s LNG terminal in the Port of Dampier, Western Australia and its ongoing dispute with workers over pay.
As in 2021, when container ship Ever Given stopped much of the world’s trade from transiting the Suez Canal after becoming wedged diagonally across the waterway and made headlines around the world including in International Tug & Salvage, a number of salvage operations captivated our readers’ attention in 2022. The most-read of these was the Felicity Ace disaster that saw the MOL car carrier engulfed by a fire before foundering during an attempted towage operation.
1. America’s first fully electric tug: zero emissions, zero diesels
Crowley Maritime details the progress on its new 70-tonne bollard pull, all-electric tug for the Port of San Diego, and collaboration on a hydrogen-fuelled tug concept.
The design of the electrical package for America’s first fully all-electric tug is in its final stages, with momentum building towards its debut at the Port of San Diego next year. One of the things you will not find on board the vessel when it is commissioned is a diesel engine.
2. Watchdog suspends Svitzer Australia lockout of tug crew
Australia’s Fair Work Commission (FWC) has suspended the company’s plans for indefinite lockout of employees and ordered the restart of negotiations. In a ruling that played out over two days, the FWC suspended all industrial action for six months on both sides of a long-running dispute over tugboat worker pay.
3. Svitzer wins Australian LNG terminal support contract
Maersk group subsidiary Svitzer will support LNG carriers berthing and undocking at Woodside Energy’s LNG terminal in the Port of Dampier, Western Australia. Under the contract, Svitzer will provide towage and pilot transfer services, starting in Q4 2023 for 12 years. This contract was awarded following an innovative open tender process.
4. Propulsion design of the first methanol-powered harbour tug revealed
A Turkish shipyard has been selected to build a methanol-powered harbour tug with two azimuth thrusters along the centre line of the unique hull. Sanmar Shipyards will build the first methanol-powered harbour tug at its shipyard in Turkey for Svitzer to a unique design for a transverse-tractor tug by Robert Allan Ltd that will have two azimuth thrusters installed in line, one at the fore of the tug and the other under the stern.
5. MOL car carrier Felicity Ace sinks in Atlantic Ocean
Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL)-owned vehicle carrierFelicity Ace has sunk in the Atlantic, days after a fire engulfed the ship, destroying cargo valued at US$400M. MOL Ship Management (Singapore) said the car carrier sank at around 9 am local time off the Azores archipelago in the mid-Atlantic, after suffering a starboard list. The local salvage team attempting to tow the heavily damaged ship to a safe anchorage and port sent word to the owners that the vessel had foundered. Felicity Ace’s last-known position was some 220 nautical miles off the Azores.
