Latest news with #Portsmouth-based
Scottish Sun
29-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
Russian spy vessel spotted off coast of Scotland as Royal Navy deploys warships
SEA ALERT Russian spy vessel spotted off coast of Scotland as Royal Navy deploys warships Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ROYAL Navy warships and helicopters were deployed after a Russian ship was spotted in Scottish waters. It's believed the Russian intelligence gathering vessel was detected as it loitered in waters near the Outer Hebrides. The Navy sent the HMS Dragon destroyer ship to monitor the suspicious vessel which appeared following the completion of major NATO exercise Formidable Shield which took place nearby. HMS Dragon, a Portsmouth-based Type 45 destroyer, launched its Merlin helicopter which gathered information on Russia's Yuri Ivanov ship from above before it headed towards its home in the Arctic. Lieutenant Commander James Bradshaw, Commanding Officer of Hunt-class minehunter HMS Hurworth said: "Monitoring activity on the seas and seabed around the UK is one of the core roles of the Royal Navy's 2nd Mine-Countermeasures Squadron. "This operation was all in a day's work for the ship's company who have shown great professionalism. "We have kept a constant watch to ensure the security and integrity of the UK's critical sea lanes." More to follow... For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Scottish Sun. is your go to destination for the best celebrity news, football news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheScottishSun.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
The British company harnessing wind power to turn oil tankers green
Almost 200 years after it was eclipsed by steam, wind power is poised to stage a comeback in the global shipping industry in the form of an oil tanker fitted with 120ft sails. The first ever modern cargo ship purpose-built to combine both diesel and wind propulsion will be launched from a shipyard in Shanghai at the end of the month. The 115,000-tonne Brands Hatch – named after the Kent motor racing circuit – was commissioned by shipping company Union Maritime. The British company has a total of 34 of the $70m (£53m) craft on order, marking a $2bn bet on the potential of sail to slash fuel costs and reduce carbon emissions. The hybrid vessel will feature three rigid sails made from advanced fibreglass, a material similar to that used for wind turbines. Known as WindWings, the $5m sails were developed by Portsmouth-based Bar Technologies and will save about 1.5 tonnes of fuel a day. For Brands Hatch, that will amount to a daily reduction of 4.5 tonnes, equivalent to 16pc of its usual fuel consumption. According to John Cooper, the boss of Bar Technologies, the rollout of wind-powered ships will revolutionise the tanker industry. He says: 'It's a massive fuel saving. The numbers are so big that I think, in 18 months, half of all tankers and bulk carriers ordered will have wind propulsion.' Bar Technologies was formed in 2017 to commercialise advances in sail technology that emerged from Sir Ben Ainslie's America's Cup exploits. The Olympic gold medal winner holds a stake in the business, as do co-founder Martin Whitmarsh, the former McLaren Formula 1 team principal, and Carphone Warehouse billionaire Sir Charles Dunstone. Investment has allowed the firm to hire 50 designers and technicians, including naval architects, fluid dynamists, composite specialists and data and simulation engineers. Bar calculates customer savings from its sails by using 'hindcasting' to simulate 10 years of past wind and wave conditions. It claims this can accurately predict future performance. The WindWings, each taller than a 10-storey building, have already completed two years of trials with two ships. This includes the Pyxis Ocean, an 81,000-tonne bulk carrier launched in April 2023 that crossed the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, while also rounding both Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope in its first six months. It was followed by the Berge Olympus ore carrier, a 211,000-tonne leviathan measuring 1,000ft and fitted with four sails, making it the world's most powerful sailing cargo vessel. An even larger supertanker would need five WindWings. Both Union Maritime and Berge Bulk are now taking 20pc stakes in Bar, which Cooper claims is a significant vote of confidence in its technology. The ships ordered by Union Maritime are classified as LR2s, the most common tankers used to carry both refined products and crude oil. The Brands Hatch is undergoing installation of final electrical and hydraulic systems before setting out to sea 'in a matter of weeks', Mr Cooper says. Nine more vessels equipped with WindWings sails are being built at four other Chinese shipyards, while a further two are under construction at a Hyundai yard in Vietnam. The sails are being made by a division of state-owned conglomerate China Merchants on a production line 40 miles north of Shanghai on the Yangtze river. All of the ships are to be named by Laurent Cadji, Union Maritime's founder, after current or former Formula 1 tracks, Mr Cooper says. Those will include Silverstone, home of the British Grand Prix; Interlagos in São Paulo, Brazil; Suzuka, Japan; Sepang, Malaysia; Albert Park in Melbourne, Australia; and Long Beach, California. That's a happy coincidence for Cooper, who became Bar chief executive in 2019 after 15 years in financial and commercial roles at McLaren, where he recalls 'making Lewis Hamilton wash trucks in the car park before he became a star'. As well as promising significant fuel savings, Cooper claims each WindWings sail will eliminate 14 tonnes of carbon emissions per day from the ships. The chief executive says the beauty of the sails is that they are 'fuel agnostic' and will deliver savings regardless of what is used to power the sails when it's not windy enough. That will be particularly pertinent should shipping make the switch to ammonia, hydrogen or methanol, which lack the energy density of fossil fuels and must be carried in bigger volumes. He says: 'Ship owners will face not just higher fuel costs but a much bigger fuel tank, which means less cargo. But with sails, you can have both a cleaner ship and a smaller fuel tank.' The WindWings sail features a steel mast for strength, while it is also equipped with parts to manage the wind flow and extract maximum thrust for the conditions. Cooper says the sails act very much like aircraft wings and can operate safely in winds of up to 50 knots, above which they must be folded flat on the deck. He says: 'We developed WindWings from real-world ocean weather, where wind isn't nice and uniform coming from one direction. There is a lot of gusting out there on the ocean.' However, Bar isn't alone in trying to revolutionise the world of oil tankers, as other forms of sail technology have also been developed. Those include the tube-like Flettner rotor, which rotates at 300 revolutions per minute to create a pressure differential that provides forward thrust, but requires large amounts of electricity. Enormous kite-like sails can also work well in a wind blowing from the stern but have a limited application, while so-called blown wings suck air in at the top before being blown out. Around 10 examples of rotor and blown-wing designs are currently in service, but Cooper claims his technology will surpass all of them. 'This puts us way out in front in the wind propulsion market,' Cooper says, adding that Bar is 'talking with several other big players' and will announce further orders soon. Demand is expected to be bolstered by new net zero rules being rolled out by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), which will mean vessels are fined up to $380 per tonne of emissions above a certain threshold. Bar is hopeful that this will herald a new era of sail once and for all. Cooper says: 'The IMO has come up with a very, very stringent reduction plan which is going to really focus owners' minds. 'You've also got companies like Ikea and Amazon pressing for the vessels their goods are on to be cleaner. So we are at a real tipping point.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
The British company harnessing wind power to turn oil tankers green
Almost 200 years after it was eclipsed by steam, wind power is poised to stage a comeback in the global shipping industry in the form of an oil tanker fitted with 120ft sails. The first ever modern cargo ship purpose-built to combine both diesel and wind propulsion will be launched from a shipyard in Shanghai at the end of the month. The 115,000-tonne Brands Hatch – named after the Kent motor racing circuit – was commissioned by shipping company Union Maritime. The British company has a total of 34 of the $70m (£53m) craft on order, marking a $2bn bet on the potential of sail to slash fuel costs and reduce carbon emissions. The hybrid vessel will feature three rigid sails made from advanced fibreglass, a material similar to that used for wind turbines. Known as WindWings, the $5m sails were developed by Portsmouth-based Bar Technologies and will save about 1.5 tonnes of fuel a day. For Brands Hatch, that will amount to a daily reduction of 4.5 tonnes, equivalent to 16pc of its usual fuel consumption. According to John Cooper, the boss of Bar Technologies, the rollout of wind-powered ships will revolutionise the tanker industry. He says: 'It's a massive fuel saving. The numbers are so big that I think, in 18 months, half of all tankers and bulk carriers ordered will have wind propulsion.' Bar Technologies was formed in 2017 to commercialise advances in sail technology that emerged from Sir Ben Ainslie's America's Cup exploits. The Olympic gold medal winner holds a stake in the business, as do co-founder Martin Whitmarsh, the former McLaren Formula 1 team principal, and Carphone Warehouse billionaire Sir Charles Dunstone. Investment has allowed the firm to hire 50 designers and technicians, including naval architects, fluid dynamists, composite specialists and data and simulation engineers. Bar calculates customer savings from its sails by using 'hindcasting' to simulate 10 years of past wind and wave conditions. It claims this can accurately predict future performance. The WindWings, each taller than a 10-storey building, have already completed two years of trials with two ships. This includes the Pyxis Ocean, an 81,000-tonne bulk carrier launched in April 2023 that crossed the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, while also rounding both Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope in its first six months. It was followed by the Berge Olympus ore carrier, a 211,000-tonne leviathan measuring 1,000ft and fitted with four sails, making it the world's most powerful sailing cargo vessel. An even larger supertanker would need five WindWings. Both Union Maritime and Berge Bulk are now taking 20pc stakes in Bar, which Cooper claims is a significant vote of confidence in its technology. The ships ordered by Union Maritime are classified as LR2s, the most common tankers used to carry both refined products and crude oil. The Brands Hatch is undergoing installation of final electrical and hydraulic systems before setting out to sea 'in a matter of weeks', Mr Cooper says. Nine more vessels equipped with WindWings sails are being built at four other Chinese shipyards, while a further two are under construction at a Hyundai yard in Vietnam. The sails are being made by a division of state-owned conglomerate China Merchants on a production line 40 miles north of Shanghai on the Yangtze river. All of the ships are to be named by Laurent Cadji, Union Maritime's founder, after current or former Formula 1 tracks, Mr Cooper says. Those will include Silverstone, home of the British Grand Prix; Interlagos in São Paulo, Brazil; Suzuka, Japan; Sepang, Malaysia; Albert Park in Melbourne, Australia; and Long Beach, California. That's a happy coincidence for Cooper, who became Bar chief executive in 2019 after 15 years in financial and commercial roles at McLaren, where he recalls 'making Lewis Hamilton wash trucks in the car park before he became a star'. As well as promising significant fuel savings, Cooper claims each WindWings sail will eliminate 14 tonnes of carbon emissions per day from the ships. The chief executive says the beauty of the sails is that they are 'fuel agnostic' and will deliver savings regardless of what is used to power the sails when it's not windy enough. That will be particularly pertinent should shipping make the switch to ammonia, hydrogen or methanol, which lack the energy density of fossil fuels and must be carried in bigger volumes. He says: 'Ship owners will face not just higher fuel costs but a much bigger fuel tank, which means less cargo. But with sails, you can have both a cleaner ship and a smaller fuel tank.' The WindWings sail features a steel mast for strength, while it is also equipped with parts to manage the wind flow and extract maximum thrust for the conditions. Cooper says the sails act very much like aircraft wings and can operate safely in winds of up to 50 knots, above which they must be folded flat on the deck. He says: 'We developed WindWings from real-world ocean weather, where wind isn't nice and uniform coming from one direction. There is a lot of gusting out there on the ocean.' However, Bar isn't alone in trying to revolutionise the world of oil tankers, as other forms of sail technology have also been developed. Those include the tube-like Flettner rotor, which rotates at 300 revolutions per minute to create a pressure differential that provides forward thrust, but requires large amounts of electricity. Enormous kite-like sails can also work well in a wind blowing from the stern but have a limited application, while so-called blown wings suck air in at the top before being blown out. Around 10 examples of rotor and blown-wing designs are currently in service, but Cooper claims his technology will surpass all of them. 'This puts us way out in front in the wind propulsion market,' Cooper says, adding that Bar is 'talking with several other big players' and will announce further orders soon. Demand is expected to be bolstered by new net zero rules being rolled out by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), which will mean vessels are fined up to $380 per tonne of emissions above a certain threshold. Bar is hopeful that this will herald a new era of sail once and for all. Cooper says: 'The IMO has come up with a very, very stringent reduction plan which is going to really focus owners' minds. 'You've also got companies like Ikea and Amazon pressing for the vessels their goods are on to be cleaner. So we are at a real tipping point.' Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Scotsman
19-05-2025
- General
- Scotsman
Adorable "suffering" cats "crying" for their mum who died saved
Personnel serving at the UK Naval Support Facility found it 'impossible to ignore' five baby cats that were left orphaned under a shipping container. The facility supports British warships - including Portsmouth-based vessels HMS Lancaster and HMS Middleton - serving in the Red Sea, Gulf and Indian Ocean. The litter were heard crying after their mother, who had been known as Michelle, was found to have died. Fearing for the three-week-old animals, with temperatures hitting 40C, the sailors took them under their wing. Petty Officer Kirsty Scott, one of the kitten carers, said: 'We knew the mother, whom we fondly named 'Michelle'. When we discovered her kittens, we were upset to find she had passed away and they were left to fend for themselves. They would come running out crying from the shipping containers at the sight of personnel looking for food, there was no way we could leave them suffering.' Royal Navy personnel hand-fed and reared the kittens. One of them unfortunately passed away, but the other four were given a clean bill of health by the vet. A home has been found for them. Lieutenant Nathan Boal, who serves in the Royal Navy's operational headquarters in Bahrain, said: 'It was impossible to ignore the desperate cries of five tiny kittens knowing they wouldn't survive one day on their own in the punishing heat – they were too young even to eat or drink by themselves. 'I witnessed the caring side of our sailors as well as incredible teamwork to save these helpless animals and I'm relieved that our efforts saved them. 'Alongside managing the challenges operational deployments can bring, these sailors showed incredible empathy in making time for animals desperate for help, and no doubt this will be an enduring memory of their time in Bahrain.' 1 . Kittens saved by Royal Navy sailors Four kittens were rescued by Royal Navy sailors in Bahrain after getting stuck under a shipping container. Pictured: he orphaned kittens emerge from their 'home' underneath shipping containers. | Royal Navy Photo Sales 2 . Kittens saved by Royal Navy sailors The kittens when they were first found. | Royal Navy Photo Sales 3 . Kittens saved by Royal Navy sailors Petty Officer Kirsty Scott with some of the orphaned kittens. | Royal Navy Photo Sales 4 . Kittens saved by Royal Navy sailors Kittens have been saved by Royal Navy sailors after getting stuck under a shipping container. | Royal Navy Photo Sales
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Suicide prevention signage installed on Piscataqua River Bridge
May 17—Following a string of suicides over the Piscataqua River, officials this week installed new signage on bridges aimed at reducing such attempts, but some locals and mental health advocates say more needs to be done. In less than two weeks, from late April to early May, three people died by suicide after jumping into the river. Two jumped from the Piscataqua River Bridge that carries Interstate 95 between New Hampshire and Maine, and another from the smaller Sarah Mildred Long Bridge, according to state and local law enforcement. Kelly Hartnett, vice president of community relations at Portsmouth-based Seacoast Mental Health Center, said seeing so many deaths in such a narrow window of time is "definitely unusual" compared to trends over the last decade. "I have not experienced this type of event in that frequency," in about six years on the job, Hartnett said. On Thursday, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation installed six signs on the larger bridge — three each on the northbound and southbound sides — Hartnett said. She said the agency, which assists with some crisis calls on and around the bridges, had already been working with the Portsmouth Police Department to install signage and other preventative measures. "We had been working on that initiative prior to the unfortunate events. That kind of accelerated the efforts," she said. The signs bear a relatively simple message: "There is hope. YOU MATTER. Text. Call. Chat. 988." That number rings the national suicide and crisis lifeline, which connects individuals with a live counselor and local resources. "It's a step forward, but we are looking now to add nets or some kind of barriers. That's the evidence-based model, having both (signs and barriers)," Hartnett said. When an individual plans to die by suicide, they often do so hastily or impulsively, so a clear and quick message helps get through to those in crisis, Hartnett said. When more time is created between someone planning and acting, crisis teams have a better chance of intervening. In that sense, even physical barriers that appear scalable require additional effort and help create a buffer in time, she said. Multiple studies have shown that safety barriers are extremely effective at reducing the suicide rate on a particular structure and, in some cases, the overall suicide rate within a community. This latest string of suicides came as crews began installing safety fencing on the Penobscot Narrows Bridge in Augusta. That project is expected to cost about $1.35 million and is slated for completion in July, according to Maine Department of Transportation spokesperson Damian Veilleux. The fencing was mandated by the Maine Legislature in 2023 after a number of similar bills had failed to pass. The project was delayed slightly by testing to determine the fences' potential impact on the bridge's overall wind resistance. CALLS FOR MORE More than 1,600 local residents have signed an online petition calling for safety nets to be installed on the Piscataqua River Bridge. "In Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the threat of suicide is painfully real. The Piscataqua River Bridge offers a tempting means for individuals considering suicide," organizers wrote in the petition. That petition was created on May 12, shortly after a minor — later revealed to be a Sanford High School student — jumped to his death. Police pulled his body from the water around 6 a.m. that morning, about nine hours after his empty car was found on the bridge. Friends, family and classmates gathered on Wells Beach Wednesday for a vigil honoring Jonathan "Jony" Hunter, a 16-year-old football player, Seacoastonline reported. There, his loved ones said there had been few to no warning signs that the teenager, known for his big heart, had been struggling. Hunter's death came less than two weeks after an earlier pair of suicides that took place April 30. New Hampshire State Police responded to a call of a stopped car in the Piscataqua River Bridge's northbound breakdown lane and determined that an unidentified man had jumped to his death, the department said in a written release. A few hours later, police in Portsmouth got a report of a missing person. The next morning, officers learned that a person matching that description had jumped from the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge, the local department said. Tyler Dumont, spokesperson for the New Hampshire Department of Safety, said the state police are "working closely" with partner groups to create additional suicide prevention methods, and he urged anyone struggling with thoughts of self-harm to call the crisis lifeline at 988. "The Department remains committed to doing all we can to reduce suicide risks and promote safety for everyone in our state," Dumont said in a written statement. ------ IF YOU NEED HELP IF YOU or someone you know is in immediate danger, dial 911. FOR ASSISTANCE during a mental health crisis, call or text 888-568-1112. To call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, call 988 or chat online at FOR MORE SUPPORT, call the NAMI Maine Help Line at 800-464-5767 or email helpline@ OTHER Maine resources for mental health, substance use disorder and other issues can be found by calling 211. Copy the Story Link We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others. We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion. You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs. Show less
