Baird Maritime

OPINION: "One of China’s follow-up objectives is to persuade Indonesia that it should "properly handle maritime issues", contingent on broader factors in their relationship. Jakarta should be alert to China’s bad-faith intentions, including offers of dialogue, and double down instead on the code-of-conduct negotiations. In doing so, it would return to its traditional leading-from-behind role within ASEAN. "Indonesia must vocally support the Philippines and Vietnam whenever they face Chinese aggression in the South China Sea. Jakarta should prioritise efforts to reach an EEZ boundary agreement with Vietnam, building on Indonesia’s successful maritime boundary delimitation with the Philippines. This will make it harder for Beijing to exploit differences among the Southeast Asian littoral states. Prabowo’s decision to send military assets to assist the Philippines as part of a four-nation ASEAN disaster relief mission was a commendable signal of solidarity and good will. "China may justifiably feel that Southeast Asia is tipping its way overall, and that the Philippines appears isolated within ASEAN. But poking Indonesia is never an advisable strategy. By overbearingly doing so, China reveals its hubris." Full article link in comments.

VESSEL REVIEW: China's Jiangsu Zhenjiang Shipyard recently handed over a new tug to local operator the Nanjing Port Group. Named 'Ninggang Diantuo 1' (宁港电拖1; “Ninggang Electric Tug 1”), the vessel is one of the first pure battery-powered ASD tugs operating in the Yangtze River Basin. Because of the low emissions made possible by the electric propulsion, the tug is ideal for operation in inland ports where it will primarily be used to provide berthing/unberthing assistance for large ships. The tug boasts high levels of comfort, low energy consumption, and reduced noise, allowing it to satisfy the requirements of zero emission and silent navigation in port areas. A full charge of the batteries will enable the tug to operate continuously for up to eight hours. Full article link in comments.

VESSEL REVIEW: P&O Reyser, P&O Maritime Logistics' towage division that primarily serves the Spanish market, recently took delivery of a new harbour tug that will be operated out of the Port of Barcelona. The 24- by eight-metre (79- by 26-foot) 'Balahu' is an asymmetric tractor tug that features an advanced propulsion system powered by ASD units. This asymmetrical configuration ensures exceptional manoeuvrability ideal for handling large vessels in high-traffic port environments. With a bollard pull of 73.5 tonnes and a draught of six metres (20 feet), the tug is built to guarantee safe, precise operations in port, where efficiency and accuracy will help ensure smooth maritime traffic management. Full article link in comments.

VESSEL REVIEW: Chinese shipowner Huaxia Financial Leasing recently took delivery of a new large crane vessel from shipbuilder Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries (ZPMC). 'Huaxia Kunpeng 01' (华夏鲲鹏01) boasts all-steel construction, a length of 195 metres (640 feet), a beam of 49.8 metres (163 feet), a maximum draught of 12 metres (39 feet), a depth of 16 metres (52 feet), and accommodation for up to 100 personnel. The vessel is the first in a series of two. The main double-hook, heavy-duty deck crane mounted at the stern can rotate 360 degrees and has a maximum lifting capacity of 5,000 tonnes, making the vessel suitable for the transport and installation of large-capacity offshore wind turbines. It also boasts one of the tallest lifting heights among Chinese-built crane vessels currently in operation, in addition to being one of the few fully rotating double-hook cranes of such large lifting capacity ever to be fitted on a seagoing platform. Full article link in comments.

VESSEL REVIEW: Norwegian transport company Kragerø Fjordbåtselskap (KFS) recently took delivery of a new fast catamaran ferry built by Norwegian shipyard Maritime Partner. Designed by engineer Ola Lilloe-Olsen, the vessel has been named 'Jomfruland' after an island in the Kragerø archipelago of southern Norway, where KFS primarily operates. The newbuild has all-aluminium construction, a length of 20.42 metres (66.99 feet), and a beam of seven metres (23 feet). A Volvo IPS 600 engine propels the ferry to speeds of up to 19.9 knots. Georg Andreas Steintveit, CEO of KFS, said the new ferry provides increased capacity with space for a total of 60 passengers, while meeting universal design requirements. Full article link in comments.

VESSEL REVIEW: Russia's Kostroma Shipyard recently handed over a new oil skimmer boat to the City Administration of Saint Petersburg for operation by its emergency services division. The vessel has been named 'Dmitry Golubev' (Дмитрий Голубев) after the late Dmitry Alekseevich Golubev, the first Chair of the Committee for Nature Management and Environmental Protection of Saint Petersburg. It will be operated primarily in the rivers and canals of Saint Petersburg, performing oil spill cleanup duties using booms, skimmers, sorbent, and collection tanks. The vessel was designed to be suitable for operation in the unique marine environments within the shallow inland waters of Saint Petersburg. The vessel therefore boasts ideal speed, controllability, and manoeuvrability to enable it to quickly respond to oil spills in the city’s waters, but also guarantees ease of use and maintenance to prolong its operational life. Full article link in comments.

OFFSHORE ACCOUNTS: "Saipem’s results showed how far the company has come since the dark days of February 2022, when it faced what we described as 'a Natalie Imbruglia moment' because nothing was right, and the company’s balance sheet was torn. Then, Saipem suffered losses of more than US$1 billion, required an emergency equity raising of around US$1.5 billion, and fired its luckless CEO. "Fast forward to today, and the picture is transformed. The company’s shares have tripled since the July 2022 equity raising. Saipem sits on over US$500 million of net cash and reported an incredible US$7 billion of new contract awards in the three months to September driven by big contract awards from Saudi Aramco and from QatarEnergy. In Qatar, the company will fabricate and install of six platforms under an EPCI contract, and lay 350 kilometres of subsea pipelines, cables and fibre optic cables in the North Field. "Saipem generated over US$125 million in operating cash flow in the last quarter and confirmed that it would initiate a dividend to its long-suffering shareholders in 2025, which includes the Italian state oil company Eni and Italy’s state-backed investment fund CDP Industria." Full article link in comments.

VESSEL REVIEW: The Spanish Institute of Oceanography (Instituto Español de Oceanografía; IEO) has expanded its fleet of research platforms with the recent acquisition of a new vessel built by Spain’s Armon Shipyard. The vessel has been named 'Odon de Buen' in honour of Odón de Buen y del Cos, a Spanish naturalist and politician who founded the IEO in 1914. Homeported in Vigo on the northwestern coast of Spain, 'Odon de Buen' is one of the largest research vessels to be built and operated in Spain with a length of 85 metres (280 feet) and a beam of 17.8 metres (58.4 feet). The vessel also possesses the durability and endurance necessary for operation around the world, including the polar regions, and for the study of marine ecosystems at depths of as much as 6,000 metres (20,000 feet). The multi-disciplinary research vessel can accommodate 19 crewmembers and 39 scientists and can stay out at sea for a maximum of 50 days, allowing for the conduct of critical marine science activities for extended periods. A selection of both wet and dry laboratories with a total area of 500 square metres (5,400 square feet) will permit multiple research activities to be undertaken simultaneously. In addition to being able to accommodate ISO cargo containers, the aft deck can facilitate the deployment of trawl nets, sensors, dredges, sampling tools, and unmanned craft such as remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) directly into the water, as well as their recovery afterwards. Full article link in comments.

VESSEL REVIEW: Chinese shipbuilder Nantong Xiangyu Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering (XYSOE) has completed construction of two new bulk carriers in a series, which have since been delivered to Norway-based Spar Shipping. The Norwegian-flagged 'Spar Maia' and the Liberian-flagged 'Century Zhengzhou' belong to a series of three Ultramax bulk carriers designed and built by XYSOE with environment-friendly features. The newbuilds each have an LOA of 199.85 metres (655.68 feet), a beam of 32.26 metres (105.8 feet), a design draught of 13.5 metres (44.3 feet), a depth of 18.9 metres (62 feet), a deadweight tonnage of 63,550, and five holds that can transport various types of bulk cargo such as coal, iron ore, grain, and steel coils. Cargo is loaded and unloaded with the aid of four cranes that each have a lifting capacity of 30 tonnes and a maximum reach of 28 metres (92 feet). Each ship has a lower fuel consumption as well as a greater deadweight capacity compared to vessels of similar size that were built locally and overseas. Full article link in comments.

OPINION: "Indonesia took a strong position towards China during Widodo's early years. In 2016, an Indonesian Navy ship opened fire on a Chinese fishing boat, injuring one fisherman, and then detained several others. Seized Chinese fishing boats were sank as part of Jakarta’s effort to deter foreign illegal fishing. "However, Indonesia adopted a quieter approach to China’s encroachment in the later period of Widodo’s presidency. This may have been an effort not to escalate tensions, or 'winning the war without shaming the enemies' as one former Indonesian foreign ministry official described. Or it may have reflected Jokowi’s desire to attract infrastructure investments from Beijing and expand trade and economic relations. "Nevertheless, China continued to maintain some form of presence in the waters around the Natunas, with little publicity given to any confrontation between the Chinese and the Indonesians." Full article link in comments.