Latest news with #CrowleyMaritime
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Puerto Rico Pays More For American Energy Than Its Neighbor
Crowley Maritime, an American shipping company, recently announced that it raised the U.S. flag on a 31-year-old French-built LNG carrier to comply with the Jones Act—a 100-year-old law—finally allowing for U.S. LNG to be shipped from the U.S. mainland to Puerto Rico through a loophole in the protectionist law. Over 100 years ago, Congress passed the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, better known as the Jones Act, requiring all goods transported between U.S. ports to be carried on ships that are built in the United States, owned by U.S. citizens, crewed by Americans, and flagged under the United States. While support for the Jones Act was built on maintaining a strong U.S. maritime industry and protecting national security, it has failed to live up to these promises. Due to absurdly strict requirements, the Jones Act increases the cost of shipping and ship manufacturing by limiting competition in domestic markets and even inspiring collusion. These inflated costs have historically made it impossible for Puerto Rico to import LNG from the United States. Unlike the mainland, Puerto Rico can't import LNG via trucking or rail and must instead import LNG using Jones Act carriers (which, until recently, didn't exist). There is, however, a minor workaround. The U.S. Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1996 grants coastwise authorization (which is required for transportation of U.S. LNG to Puerto Rico) to foreign ships built before October 19, 1996, so long as they meet the remaining Jones Act requirements. This technical exception allowed Crowley Maritime's recently purchased American Energy, an LNG carrier built in France in 1994, to finally start supplying LNG to Puerto Rico. This technicality offers a raindrop of relief to Puerto Rico, but it does little to address the financial costs of the Jones Act. While Puerto Rico's economy is strangled by inflated costs because of the Jones Act, the Dominican Republic is free from its restrictions, and it imports U.S. LNG at a fraction of the cost. Global markets are much more competitive and have access to modern, efficient LNG carriers. As a result, shipping prices are dramatically cheaper. In the most recent Maritime Administration operating cost report, it was revealed that "U.S.-flag crewing costs were roughly 5.3 times higher than foreign-flag vessels in 2010" and a recent post on X by Sen. Mark Kelly (D–Ariz.) shows that the cost of operating a U.S. flagged vessel is 4.3 times higher than foreign ships—$8.5 million more. The Dominican Republic is able to use more efficient and cheaper foreign LNG carriers that have had transportation prices as low as $3,500 per day in 2025. Even their most recent estimated operating costs of $15,000 per day pale in comparison to the estimated $64,500 per day in operating costs alone for the U.S.-flagged LNG carrier. Puerto Rico is also forced to pay more for the product itself as a result of the Jones Act. A 2020 contract between the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) and Naturgy (a major energy company in Puerto Rico) includes a provision that states, "If the Jones Act is repealed, or amended such that it does not apply to shipping LNG from the US mainland to Puerto Rico, or a waiver of the Jones Act is granted that permits shipping from the US mainland to Puerto Rico without complying with the Jones Act," would result in an 8 percent unit price reduction. Crowley's new ship is not a long-term solution. The vessel is old, has a smaller than average shipping capacity, and is only Jones Act-approved because of a loophole. This is not innovation; it's desperation and it shows to what extent Puerto Rico has to go to receive relatively cheap American energy. Rather than modernizing our maritime fleet to be competitive on a global scale, we're instead buying unwanted vessels from other countries and celebrating them as innovative solutions. In truth, American Energy is a reminder that the United States citizens in Puerto Rico are being exploited because of a century-old law that has done nothing good for us. The problem is the Jones Act, and the answer is repealing it. It's time to stop patching holes in a sinking ship. The Jones Act is a policy failure that has harmed the people of Puerto Rico for over a century. The truth is that Puerto Rico should not have to rely on legal loopholes to access American goods. Foreign nations should not have cheaper access to American products just because they aren't bound by U.S. laws. Repealing the Jones Act isn't radical—it's necessary, and it provides immediate benefit to the Americans in Puerto Rico. The post Puerto Rico Pays More For American Energy Than Its Neighbor appeared first on
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Yahoo
Container ship captain arrested after UK tanker crash
British police have arrested the captain of a cargo ship on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter, a day after the vessel crashed into a tanker carrying US military jet fuel off the east coast of England, leaving both vessels badly damaged. The tanker, Stena Immaculate, which carries jet fuel for the US military, was at anchor on Monday when it was struck by the smaller Solong, causing huge fires and explosions, releasing fuel into the sea, and potentially posing a danger to wildlife. Neither vessel is now expected to sink, transport minister Heidi Alexander said in a statement after an earlier assessment had said the Solong was unlikely to remain afloat. One crew member from the Portuguese-flagged Solong is assumed dead, maritime minister Mike Kane told parliament. Thirty-six people were brought ashore following the incident and no others remain missing, the coastguard said. "We have arrested a 59-year-old man on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the collision," police said in a statement. The ship's owner, Ernst Russ, said the arrested man was the ship's captain, or master. "The master and our entire team are actively assisting with the investigations," Russ said. Aerial video on Tuesday showed a gaping hole in Stena Immaculate's hull, with fire damage along its length, although the flames that engulfed it after the collision appeared to have subsided. Crowley, the US logistics group which operated the Stena Immaculate, said in a statement the fire onboard had greatly diminished with no visible flames. — Crowley (@CrowleyMaritime) March 11, 2025 The Solong appeared badly burned and smouldering. The coastguard said a one-kilometre exclusion zone had been placed around both vessels. "... early indications suggest that both vessels are now expected to stay afloat and that the Solong can be towed away from the shore, and salvage operations can get underway," Alexander said after a meeting with the coastguard agency. Owners of the Solong said the vessel was not carrying sodium cyanide, contrary to an earlier report from maritime data provider Lloyd's List Intelligence, which cited the local coastguard, but conservation groups said the environmental impact from the spillage of jet fuel could prove wide reaching. The Solong owners said they were monitoring four containers which had previously been used to store sodium cyanide. The surrounding area is home to large colonies of protected seabirds including puffins and gannets as well as a delicate coastal ecosystem. Dutch marine provider Boskalis, appointed to salvage the Stena Immaculate tanker, said four ships carrying foam and extinguishing agents were heading to the scene. Authorities are ready to deploy equipment to minimise pollution at sea, including spray dispersants for oil spills and containment booms, if required, the British government said. The potential environmental impact remains under assessment. Local MP Graham Stuart said most of the spilled jet fuel appeared now to have burned off and there was no sign of either ship leaking engine oil. ++++ UPDATE ON HUMBER OIL TANKER COLLISION: BROADLY GOOD NEWS ++++ — Graham Stuart MP (@grahamstuart) March 11, 2025 Authorities said the risk to public health was very low. The operators of the vessels and maritime authorities have yet to offer an explanation of why multiple safety systems on board modern vessels failed to prevent Monday's collision. Data from maritime analytics website MarineTraffic showed the 183m Stena Immaculate was anchored off Immingham, northeast England, when it was struck by the 140m Solong, which was en route to Rotterdam. The Solong was sailing at cruise speed and close to the maximum of around 18-19 knots, shipping sources said, and the vessel had sailed through the same area on past voyages. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's spokesperson said there was currently no suggestion of "foul play". The Stena Immaculate was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel in 16 segregated cargo tanks, but it was unclear how much of it was spilled after at least one tank was hit, Crowley said on Monday. While Britain's Marine Accident Investigation Branch will gather initial evidence, overall responsibility for investigating the crash lies with the US and Portuguese authorities, the flag states of the vessels.
CBS News
11-03-2025
- General
- CBS News
U.S.-flagged tanker, cargo ship in North Sea collision off coast of England, setting both vessels on fire
A U.S.-flagged tanker carrying jet fuel was struck by a cargo ship in the North Sea off the coast of eastern England on Monday, triggering multiple explosions, setting both vessels on fire and sending fuel pouring into the water, officials said. An English port boss said he had been told there was "a massive fireball" following the collision. Several hours after the collision happened, the cargo ship's owner said one crew member was missing. Efforts to locate the missing crew member were ongoing, the German-based Ernst Russ said in a statement. Earlier, local lawmaker Graham Stuart said he was told by U.K. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander that 37 crew members were aboard the two ships, with one hospitalized and the other 36 mariners safe and accounted for. Where did ships collide in the North Sea? Crowley Maritime, which operates the U.S.-flagged chemical and oil products carrier MV Stena Immaculate, said the tanker was anchored in the North Sea off the coast of Hull, about 155 miles north of London, when it was struck by the Portugal-flagged container ship Solong. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office said details of the collision and its cause "are still becoming clear." Abdul Khalique, head of the Maritime Center at Liverpool John Moores University, said it appeared the crew of the cargo ship had not been "maintaining a proper lookout by radar" as required by international maritime regulations. The Stena Immaculate was at anchor near the port of Grimsby, according to ship-tracking site VesselFinder. The Solong was sailing from Grangemouth in Scotland to Rotterdam in the Netherlands. According to the BBC, the Stena Immaculate was en route from Agio Theodoroi in Greece to Killingholme in the U.K. It is one of just 10 tankers enlisted in a U.S. government program designed to supply the armed forces with fuel during times of armed conflict or national emergency, the BBC reported. A cargo tank on the ship containing jet fuel ruptured, leaking fuel and a fire broke out, Crowley said. "The Stena Immaculate crew abandoned the vessel following multiple explosions onboard," Crowley said. "All Crowley mariners are safe and fully accounted for." The company said it was working with authorities to contain the fire and secure the vessel. Stuart said he was concerned about the "potential ecological impact" of the spill, whose cause was being investigated by the U.K.'s Marine Accident Investigation Branch. Meanwhile, business information service Lloyd's List Intelligence said the cargo ship was carrying 15 containers of the chemical sodium cyanide. It wasn't immediately clear if any of the containers were damaged. A U.S. official confirmed that the Stena Immaculate was carrying cargo in support of the Defense Department, CBS News senior national security correspondent Charlie D'Agata reported. The collision will not impact operations or combat readiness, the official said. Martyn Boyers, chief executive of the Port of Grimsby East, said 13 casualties were brought in on a Windcat 33 high-speed vessel, followed by another 19 on a harbor pilot boat. He said he was told about the fireball following the collision. "It's too far out for us to see — about 10 miles — but we have seen the vessels bringing them in," he said. "They must have sent a mayday out. Luckily there was a crew transfer vessel out there already. Since then, there has been a flotilla of ambulances to pick up anyone they can find." Erik Hanell, CEO of the Stena Immaculate's co-owner Stena Bulk, told BBC News that the ship's crew consisted of more than 20 people. Britain's Maritime and Coastguard Agency said the alarm was raised at 9:48 a.m. local time (5:48 a.m. EDT). The coast guard said several lifeboats and a coast guard rescue helicopter were dispatched to the scene in the North Sea, along with a coast guard plane and nearby vessels with firefighting capability. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution said "there were reports that a number of people had abandoned the vessels following a collision and there were fires on both ships." It said three lifeboats were working on search and rescue at the scene alongside the coast guard. Video footage aired by BBC News and apparently filmed from a nearby vessel showed thick black smoke pouring from both ships. Greenpeace said it was "extremely concerned" about the collision, which took place in a busy fishing ground and close to major seabird colonies. "As more information emerges about what the ships were carrying, we are extremely concerned about the multiple toxic hazards these chemicals could pose to marine life," said Paul Johnston, a senior scientist at the Greenpeace Research Laboratories at Exeter University. Scientists said the environmental impact might be less severe than with a spill of heavier crude oil. "Whilst the images look worrying, from the perspective of the impact to the aquatic environment it's less of a concern than if this had been crude oil because most of the jet fuel will evaporate very quickly," said Mark Hartl of the Center for Marine Biodiversity and Biotechnology at Scotland's Heriot-Watt University. Mark Sephton, professor of organic geochemistry at Imperial College London, said jet fuel disintegrates more quickly than crude oil, and warmer temperatures also speed biodegradation. "In the end, it all depends on the rate of introduction of fuel and the rate of destruction by bacteria," he said. "Let's hope the latter wins out."
Russia Today
11-03-2025
- General
- Russia Today
US military fuel tanker collides with chemical cargo ship (VIDEO)
A US-flagged fuel tanker collided with a Portuguese-flagged cargo ship in the North Sea near the East Yorkshire coast on Monday, leaving both vessels heavily damaged and on fire. Ship-tracking data indicates that the MV Stena Immaculate was anchored near the port of Grimsby when the MV Solong struck its port side at approximately 9:48am local time. The impact caused multiple explosions and ruptured one of the tanker's cargo tanks, leading to a significant fuel spill. The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency responded promptly, deploying rescue helicopters, lifeboats from multiple locations, and firefighting vessels to the scene. Of the 37 crew members from both vessels, 36 were rescued and brought ashore, with one individual hospitalized. One crew member from the Solong remains unaccounted for after an extensive search was called off due to challenging conditions. The MV Stena Immaculate, managed by Crowley Maritime, is a chemical tanker with a deadweight of 49,729 tons. At the time of the collision, it was under charter by the US Navy's Military Sealift Command, transporting approximately 18,000 tons of Jet A-1 fuel for the US military. The MV Solong, owned by Hamburg-based Ernst Russ, is a 140-meter-long cargo ship. Built in 2005, it was en route from Grangemouth to Rotterdam, carrying at least 15 containers of various chemicals, including highly toxic sodium cyanide. The collision caused jet fuel to leak into the North Sea and raised concerns about environmental risks, particularly from the sodium cyanide on board the Solong. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is actively monitoring the situation and assessing the necessary counter-pollution response. Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash. Initial reports indicate that dense fog and possible human error may have been contributing factors. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch is leading the inquiry to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Dubai Eye
11-03-2025
- Dubai Eye
Tanker hired by US military ablaze after hit by container ship
A tanker carrying jet fuel for the US military was hit by a container ship off northeast England on Monday, with the collision igniting a blaze on both vessels, causing multiple explosions and forcing both crews to abandon ship. The tanker, which can carry tens of thousands of tons of jet fuel, was at anchor when the smaller container ship struck it, rupturing its cargo tank and releasing fuel into the sea, its operator said. Its owner Stena Bulk gave the same details. Two maritime security sources said there was no indication of any malicious activity or other actors involved in the incident. Britain's coastguard said in a statement that 36 crew members were taken safely ashore, with one person hospitalised. The coastguard said one crew member of the Portuguese-flagged cargo ship Solong remained missing and the search has ended. But there was still a risk of environmental damage, experts said. The tanker, the Stena Immaculate, operated by US logistics group Crowley, was carrying Jet-A1 fuel when it was struck by cargo ship Solong while anchored near Hull, Crowley wrote on X. — Crowley (@CrowleyMaritime) March 10, 2025 The tanker is part of a US government programme designed to supply the armed forces with fuel when required. A US military spokesperson told Reuters on Monday it had been on a short-term charter to the US Navy's Military Sealift Command. The Solong's Hamburg-based owner Ernst Russ said separately that the vessel had been involved in a collision with the Stena Immaculate in an incident which took place whilst the vessel was transiting the North Sea, off the British coast of Humberside. "Both vessels have sustained significant damage in the impact of the collision and the subsequent fire," Ernst Russ said in a statement. "13 of the 14 Solong crew members have been brought safely shore. Efforts to locate the missing crew member are ongoing." The Solong is carrying 15 containers of sodium cyanide, a toxic chemical used mainly in gold mining, and an unknown quantity of alcohol, according to a casualty report from maritime data provider Lloyd's List Intelligence. Emergency teams sent a helicopter, fixed-wing aircraft, lifeboats and nearby vessels with firefighting capability to the incident on Monday morning. "A fire occurred as a result of the allision and fuel was reported released," Crowley said. An allision is a collision where one vessel is stationary. Crowley said there had been multiple explosions on board.
