New Zealand News

The new executive director of the New Zealand Marine Industry Association (NZ Marine) says that the inherent strengths of the marine industry can help it navigate fuel pressures and challenging economic conditions. Former Coastguard New Zealand CEO Callum Gillespie was named the new executive director of the NZ Marine Industry Association by its board in late April.“New Zealand’s marine industry is resilient, but like other sectors, grappling with rising fuel costs and weakened consumer demand,” he says.“But there are positives that will support us as we recover.

New Zealand’s Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) has issued its report on the blackout and loss of propulsion on Interislander ferry Kaitaki. A degraded rubber expansion joint in the engine cooling system failed and triggered an automatic shutdown. The part had exceeded its service life. TAIC found six safety issues, including: lifetime management of safety-critical components; engineering decision support; evacuation standards for older ships; emergency response coordination; Maritime NZ’s Maritime Incident Response Team, and salvage and towage capability.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Obayashi Corporation, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and Chiyoda Corporation have established the Japan–New Zealand Hydrogen Corridor. The consortium will study the commercialization of green hydrogen production in New Zealand and export operations to Japan.Hydrogen is expected to play a key role as a clean energy source that does not emit CO2 when burned. Japan has a low energy self-sufficiency rate, and renewable energy accounts for only a limited share of total energy consumption.For this reason…

Britain on Tuesday sanctioned Maritime Mutual, the New Zealand-based marine insurer that was the subject of a Reuters special report into how it had helped in the trade of tens of billions of dollars of Iranian and Russian oil."(Maritime Mutual) is or has been involved in obtaining a benefit from or supporting the Government of Russia by carrying on business in a sector of strategic significance to the Government of Russia, namely the Russian energy sector," the British government…

KNUD E. HANSEN, a naval architecture and marine engineering consultancy, has announced a milestone in its ongoing collaboration with Ferry Holdings Limited. Following the successful signing of the shipbuilding contract with Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI), two new RoPAX vessels will be built.These vessels are destined for service linking the North and South islands across New Zealand’s challenging Cook Strait and through the environmentally sensitive environs of the Tory Channel and Queen Charlotte Sound.

New Zealand-based transport and logistics group, MOVE Logistics Group Limited has set up its first trans-Tasman shipping line, scheduled for Q4 2022, as part of its new Oceans business.In line with this, MOVE has entered an agreement to acquire a vessel, the Atlas Wind, out of Europe. It is expected that the acquisition will be settled in October 2022. The Atlas Wind can carry 350 containers or the equivalent of 5,000 tonnes of bulk cargo. With two cranes on board, the vessel has the ability to call into ports that historically may not have been able to accept containerised and bulk cargoes, the company said.The maiden journey will be the first of a regular monthly voyage that will see goods shipped between regional New Zealand ports…

ExxonMobil has started barge deliveries of two grades of IMO-compliant, low-sulfur marine fuel, namely, DMA 0.001%S [Ultra Low Sulfur Marine Diesel] and DMB 0.01%S [Low Sulfur Marine Diesel] at the Port of Tauranga, New Zealand, enhancing its offer in the Asia Pacific region.The arrival of MT Kormako, the first and only bunker barge in Port of Tauranga, enhances ExxonMobil’s bunkering operation at the Port of Tauranga as fuel deliveries are now available for vessels berthed at Sulfur Point along with land-based refuelling for those moored at the port.