JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Crowley Maritime Corporation and the University of North Florida (UNF) announced June 25 that Crowley has donated $2.5 million as an endowment gift for the creation and operation of a new center of excellence named the Crowley Center for Transportation and Logistics (CCTL).

The center will reside in UNF’s Coggin College of Business and utilize interdisciplinary faculty expertise from across the University.   

Headquartered in Jacksonville, where UNF is located, Crowley is a global leader in logistics, marine and energy solutions for the commercial and government sectors. As one of the U.S. maritime industry’s leading employers with nearly 130 years of experience and innovation development, the company has recently advanced into new energy supply chain solutions such as offshore wind, as well as digital innovation at its locations across America, the Caribbean, Central America and beyond. 

Crowley and the company’s charitable work have historically supported logistics careers in its industry. The company’s $2.5 million donation to UNF establishes a landmark commitment to the growth and development of skilled, talented students to be innovative leaders in transportation and logistics and faculty researchers leading data analytics through the establishment of the center. 

“This donation represents a strategic investment in our industry’s future — the talent and knowledge our leaders of tomorrow and the research needed to propel our industry forward successfully,” said Tom Crowley, the company’s chairman and CEO. “We are humbled to be able to play a role in supporting the advancement of researchers, students and their careers in transportation and logistics. The University of North Florida, a dynamic leader in education in one of the global hubs of logistics services, is the rightful home to our new center.” 

The center is designed to be a world-leader in transportation and logistics research, education and industry engagement. The endowment will help fund the CCTL operations and leadership, faculty support, visiting scholars, pertinent industry research, pursuit of federally funded grants and contracts, student recruitment in the areas of transportation, logistics and data analytics, and course development.  

“UNF is extremely appreciative of this generous gift by Crowley to establish a distinguished center of transportation and logistics research and education that will foster a collaborative environment of continued logistical growth, development and innovation,” said UNF President David Szymanski. “Our partnership and alliance with Crowley will allow UNF’s Coggin College of Business and the Crowley Center for Transportation and Logistics to be at the forefront of cutting-edge education and research and help prepare our students with skills for the workforce.”  

UNF’s Coggin College of Business’ transportation and logistics program is considered among the best in the nation due to an active and supportive regional professional community and a high-tech Logistics Information Technology Solutions Lab for students to learn about state-of-the-art supply chain tools and solutions.  

Jacksonville is often lauded as “America’s Logistics Center” and has many geographic advantages as an international transportation hub. Crowley’s shipping and logistics services serving Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and Central America have operated in the city for decades, providing containerized, oversized, refrigerated and recently, liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply chain services. 

The combination provides a wealth of opportunities for UNF transportation and logistics graduates.   

“Crowley Maritime’s gift to establish this center is not only important for the Coggin College and UNF but is a major investment in Jacksonville,” said Richard Buttimer, dean of UNF’s Coggin College of Business. “This center will train future generations of transportation, logistics and supply chain leaders, and will ensure that Jacksonville and Northeast Florida has a world-class pool of talent and leadership for this vital industry.”  

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced June 14 the release of a new report finding that the Nation’s private shipyards support $42.4 billion in gross domestic product (GDP). 

MARAD’s new report — The Economic Importance of the U.S. Private Shipbuilding and Repairing Industry — measures the economic importance of the shipbuilding and repairing industry at the national and State levels for calendar year 2019.  

“Shipyards create good jobs and support economic growth —  not just in the areas surrounding our ports and waterways, but across the nation,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.  

In 2019, the nation’s 154 private shipyards directly provided more than 107,000 jobs and contributed $9.9 billion in labor income to the national economy. On a nationwide basis — including direct, indirect, and induced impacts — the industry supported 393,390 jobs, $28.1 billion of labor income, and $42.4 billion in GDP.   

The Biden administration recognizes the economic importance of the maritime industry and has proposed $17 billion in inland waterways, coastal ports, land ports of entry, and ferries as part of the American Jobs Plan. These investments would make our infrastructure more resilient while improving efficiency and creating new capacity to enhance freight movement in the United States.   

Since 2008, the U.S. Department of Transportation has provided nearly $262.5 million in grant funding through its small shipyard grant program to nearly 300 shipyards in 32 states and territories to improve infrastructure at U.S. shipyards.    

“The report issued by MARAD confirms that shipyards are vital economic engines in addition to being essential components of our industrial base,” said Acting Maritime Administrator Lucinda Lessley. “The skilled jobs created by shipyards are not only essential to supporting our military and our commerce, they are contributing to the economic success of communities all over the United States.”  

The report states the U.S. shipbuilding industry has run a trade surplus in six out of the last 10 years, with a cumulative trade surplus of $7.3 billion over this period. From 2015 to 2020, U.S. shipbuilders delivered 5,024 vessels of all types including tugs and towboats, passenger vessels, commercial and fishing vessels, and oceangoing and inland barges, reaching 608 vessels in 2020. More than 60 percent of vessels delivered during the last six years have been inland tank and dry cargo barges.   

There are currently 154 private shipyards in the United States, spread across 29 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands, that are classified as active shipbuilders. In addition, there are more than 300 shipyards engaged in ship repairs or capable of building ships but not actively engaged in shipbuilding. Although the majority of shipyards are located in the coastal states, active shipyards are also located on major inland waterways such as the Great Lakes, the Mississippi River, and the Ohio River.   

The final report, The Economic Importance of the U.S. Private Shipbuilding and Repairing Industry, can be found at: https://www.maritime.dot.gov/sites/marad.dot.gov/files/2021-06/Economic%20Contributions%20of%20U.S.%20Shipbuilding%20and%20Repairing%20Industry.pdf 

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced on May 21 the availability of $10.8 million in grant funding for the America’s Marine Highway Program (AMHP). The AMHP’s purpose is to encourage the use of America’s 25,000 miles of navigable waterways. It provides an efficient, sustainable and cost-effective transportation system — alleviating road congestion, reducing carbon dioxide, and supporting job employment within local communities. 

“The America’s Marine Highway Program increases the use of environmentally sustainable practices to move freight across our transportation system.” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. “These investments help local communities reduce congestion and create more economic opportunities.” 

The AMHP supports the increased use of our inland waterways to relieve landside congestion, provide new and efficient transportation options and increase the productivity of the surface transportation system.  

Marine highways are all-water routes, often running alongside or near major highways. The AMHP helps to further integrate coastal and inland waterways into our transportation system, providing alternate options to traditional shipping methods. The increased movement of freight by water is also essential to achieving greenhouse gas reductions, as it requires less energy and releases fewer emissions than other options. 

“The America’s Marine Highway Program provides essential funding to support the expanded movement of freight by water, while also supporting port communities on our coasts and inland waterways,” said Acting Maritime Administrator Lucinda Lessley. “By investing in these services, we are able to bolster local communities and generate American jobs.” 

Since its inception, the AMHP has designated 45 marine highway projects, 21 of which are currently operating. Creating new Marine Highway “container on barge” services on commercially navigable waterways helps create American jobs in U.S. ports, vessels, shipyards and surrounding areas. 

For example, since 2010, the Port of Virginia’s 64 Express service, connecting Hampton Roads and Richmond, Virginia via the James River, has removed more than 221,000 cargo containers that would otherwise be carried by trucks along the heavily congested I-64 corridor. This one marine highway service has saved approximately $5.9 million in road maintenance and more than 17.5 thousand tons of carbon dioxide emissions while also supporting 1,100 direct and indirect jobs. 

 Through previous MARAD awards, an investment of over $4 million in federal funding leveraged $436 million in private investment in an economically distressed area near the Virginia Port Authority’s Richmond Marine Terminal. 

Only Marine Highway Projects previously designated by the secretary of transportation are eligible to receive funding under the AMHP.  

Applications for the grants are due by 5:00 P.M. EDT on June 4, 2021. Additional information is available in the Federal Register here or by contacting Fred Jones, Office of Ports and Waterways Planning, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE, Washington, DC 20590, 202-366-1123 or [email protected].   

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced May 19 the designation of 27 Centers of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education (CoE). The CoE designation recognizes community colleges and training institutions that prepare students for careers in our nation’s maritime industry. These academic institutions are located in sixteen states and one U.S. territory.   

“Our collaboration with these institutions represents an important expansion of MARAD’s role in supporting maritime education and will help form pathways to good-paying American jobs in our nation’s maritime industry,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.   

MARAD may now start working with the designated institutions to enter into cooperative agreements to help advance recruitment of students and faculty, enhance facilities, award student credit for military service, and potentially receive assistance in the form of surplus equipment or temporary use of MARAD vessels.   

Authorized under the National Defense Authorization Act of 2018, the CoE program is designed to assist the maritime industry in gaining and sustaining a well-trained labor force while enhancing diversity and inclusion in the industry.   

“The CoE designations recognize the high standard of maritime education and training provided by the designated community and technical colleges and maritime training centers. These institutions play vital roles in our nation’s maritime industry by providing the training and skills students need to begin and advance careers afloat and ashore,” said Acting Maritime Administrator Lucinda Lessley.  

Information regarding the CoE program and the application process was disseminated through Federal Register notices. Successful applicants include accredited community colleges, technical colleges, and maritime training centers under State supervision. A searchable, interactive map is available to provide information on each CoE designee. For additional information, please visit Centers of Excellence on the MARAD website. 

MANAMA, Bahrain – The International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC) released the newest edition of its IMSC Bridge Reference Cards, May 13, Task Force sentinel Public Affairs said in a May 17 release. 

Originally published in June 2020, the reference cards are designed as a quick-access distillation of guidance found in the United Kingdom Marine Trade Operations’ (UKMTO) Best Management Practices to Deter Piracy and Enhance Maritime Security, edition 5 (BMP5) and address specific scenarios that threaten the physical security of merchant vessels. 

“Mariners are thoroughly trained on how to respond in emergencies but being face-to-face with a real-life threat is a completely different experience compared to an exercise,” said Lt. David Bourne, British Royal Navy, the information officer at Coalition Task Force Sentinel (CTF Sentinel), the operational arm of IMSC.  

“It is important to have authoritative, but easy to understand, guidance at hand, especially when you are trying to think clearly with everything happening so quickly.” 

The newest edition has sections specifically devoted to limpet and sea mine awareness threats. Since May 2019, several maritime incidents in the Middle East region have been related to either mines or water borne improvised explosive devices (also addressed in the cards). 

“Our aim is to deliver a greater understanding of mines and other explosives which have the potential to cause loss of life or severe damage to a vessel, and empower seafarers to alert authorities,” said U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Danielle Centeno, the task force’s Maritime Trade Officer.  

“Often times, under the cover of darkness, perpetrators use small boats or divers to plant limpet mines, which are mines that magnetically adhere to the metal hull of merchant vessels.” 

The reference cards provide industry best practices addressing factors seafarers and vessel masters should consider when facing threats to include being approached by a suspicious craft in port or at anchor. 

“Mariners don’t have time to waste when facing a possible crisis. They must assess what they see and know who to call,” said Centeno.  

If seafarers understand the threat, they are more likely to identify nefarious or suspicious activity before an attack materializes. 

The cards also address what to do if hailed by unknown vessels or aircraft exhibiting threatening or harassing behavior, impeding safe navigation, or attempting to illegitimately alter one’s course within international waters. 

“These bridge cards serve as a reminder to professional mariners that they are not alone,” said Royal Navy Commodore Adrian Fryer, CTF Sentinel’s commanding officer. 

“Rather, there are a number of organizations like IMSC, UKMTO (United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations), and other national defense forces that are devoted to protecting freedom of navigation.” 

UKMTO is a British Royal Navy capability with the principal purpose of providing an information conduit between maritime security forces and the wider international maritime trade community.  

IMSC continues to work together with industry partners to safeguard freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce and to reassure merchant shipping by deterring and exposing state-sponsored malign activity that threatens security of the maritime commons in the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Southern Red Sea. 

SEATTLE — Crowley Engineering Services has completed the design of the first fully electric U.S. tugboat with autonomous technology, providing operators a sustainable and high-performing system for ship assist and harbor services in any port, the company said in a April 19 release. 

The Crowley design, powered by the expertise of recently integrated subsidiary Jensen Maritime, leverages a large battery system and power saving technology to operate in a fully electric mode while producing zero air emissions or greenhouse gases. The 82-foot tug will provide 70 short tons of bollard pull, featuring an Azimuthing drive propulsion system with two 1,800 kW motors and a 6 MWh battery.  

The new design is featured in an animated video available here. 

The design also supports fully customizable features to meet the vessel design requirements with the future in mind. The platform design can be adjusted for alternate power capacities suitable for a standard hybrid framework if desired. The fully modular batteries allow for upgrades as technology changes. In addition, Crowley has developed an onshore charging station to fully support charging and reliable performance at the home port. 

“Crowley’s design provides operators the tugboat solution to continue serving ships quickly and powerfully, while reducing their environmental impact by eliminating a carbon footprint,” said Ray Martus, vice president, Crowley Engineering Services. “This new design sets the standard for innovation by showing that sustainability and power can work together seamlessly in our maritime industries.” 

With no exhaust stack, the tug has 360 degrees of visibility from the pilot’s station, allowing the operator to see without obstruction. The tug has also been designed for future autonomous operation to increase the safety and efficiency of the operation including integrated automation and control systems. The intelligent maneuvering and control system offers more efficient vessel operations and allows masters to focus holistically on the overall control and positioning of the vessel in increasingly busy harbors. 

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration announced on March 29 a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) encouraging states and port authorities to apply for $230 million in discretionary grant funding for port and intermodal infrastructure-related projects through the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP).  

“Our nation’s ports are a key part of our critical infrastructure. They create jobs and make our economy more resilient and sustainable,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. “This funding will build upon local investments in infrastructure to deliver long-term economic benefits to American workers and communities, while also addressing climate and equity.”  

Buttigieg announced this funding at a White House event focused on the development of offshore wind energy programs. Over the past two years, 12 percent of Port Infrastructure Development Program grant applicants included the anticipated development of wind energy facilities and the movement of wind energy components as part of their project proposals. This year’s grant funding will bolster these efforts. More information about the development of these offshore wind energy programs can be found here. 

The Port Infrastructure Development Program supports the efficient movement of commerce upon which our economy relies. The grants are awarded on a competitive basis to support projects that strengthen and modernize port infrastructure and support the Nation’s long-term economic vitality. In keeping with the priorities of the Biden-Harris Administration, the department’s review process will also consider how proposed projects address climate change and environmental justice impacts and advance racial equity, reduce barriers to opportunity, and meet challenges faced by rural areas.   

“State and local authorities are working to position ports to take advantage of a clean energy economy,” said Acting Maritime Administrator Lucinda Lessley. “These infrastructure grants will continue to bolster their efforts while creating jobs in these communities and the U.S. maritime industry as a whole.”   

Previous grants have supported projects such as infrastructure resiliency and shore-side improvements to facilitate wind energy projects.   

The Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021, made $230 million available for the Port Infrastructure Development Program, with $205 million reserved for grants to coastal seaports and Great Lakes ports. The minimum award size is $1 million, with a federal cost-share not to exceed 80%. The federal cost share can be higher for certain categories of projects. To provide technical assistance, the department will host a series of webinars during the Port Infrastructure Development Program grant application process. Details and registration information regarding these webinars will be made available at www.transportation.gov/portgrants.   

The deadline to submit an application for the Port Infrastructure Development Program is July 30, 2021. For more information, please visit https://www.maritime.dot.gov/PIDPgrants or email [email protected].  

Collaboration between the merchant shipping community and coalition military forces is critical in securing maritime trade flows across the Middle East region, with communications and information sharing central to such collaboration, a U.S. Navy officer told a recent regional shipping stakeholder conference.

“Events have made it clear that no one entity alone can provide assurance to merchant shipping in this region,” Capt. Todd Hiller, commanding officer of Bahrain-based Naval Forces Central Command’s (NAVCENT’s) Naval Cooperation And Guidance for Shipping (NCAGS) organization, told the annual International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC) conference last month. “Never before has it been more important to collaborate with our coalition partners and stakeholders to protect freedom of navigation in this critical part of the world.”

Established in 2019 following attacks on commercial ships in port and at sea, IMSC is a multinational maritime coalition designed to deter “gray zone” threats to commercial shipping operating between the Southern Red Sea and the Northern Gulf. The 2021 conference, titled Security through Partnership, was IMSC’s second annual event, held virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

While IMSC-led naval presence has done much to deter attacks, risk persists. “From unmanned vessel-borne improvised explosive device attacks, to limpet mines attached to the hulls of tankers, to the recent seizure of the Motor Tanker Hankuk Chemi … these threats continue to attempt to destabilize commercial shipping,” Hiller said.

“Given the high risk of navigating, and security interests in the Middle East, there has been a steady uptick in stakeholder involvement in information sharing,” he said. “More times to not, stakeholders and coalition partners have shared specific knowledge and expertise that is paramount in staying ahead of the [risk].”

NCAGS acts as a key node in such information sharing, Hiller said. “NCAGS is an organization that bridges the gap between sustainment of forward-deployed military forces and merchant shipping, by providing a framework for communicating directions, advisories, concerns, and information. The mission is to assist the [U.S. 5th] Fleet commander in managing risk by providing maritime domain awareness (MDA), real-time clarity of the merchant shipping picture, and ensuring safe passage of merchant shipping in crisis or contingency.”

Staffed by U.S. Navy reservists, many of whom are merchant mariners or strategic sealift officers, NCAGS can scale up from providing single personnel as merchant marine advisors or liaison officers ashore or at sea, to a large theater contingent providing a shipping coordination center with teams assigned ashore or at sea.

Effective communications and information sharing is two way, Hiller said. For NCAGS, its outputs include creating incident reports, conducting ship visits, recommending transit routes, providing subject matter expertise, sharing best practice (currently based around the stakeholder-produced Best Management Practice document, or BMP 5), supporting NAVCENT forces and building and sharing an overall MDA and “pattern of life” picture. NCAGS is a touchpoint for shipping, for example for vessels transiting high-risk regions like the Southern Red Sea or the Straits of Hormuz. In return, the shipping community shares ship, cargo, and voyage information with NCAGS and encourages vessel masters to follow BMP5 guidance and report incidents to help build MDA.

“[Sharing] the most current information and accurate assessment of the merchant shipping picture is critical to the establishment of the ‘pattern of life’ and the achievement of MDA,” Hiller said.

From NCAGS’ perspective, effective communications and information sharing are enabled by its monitoring, tracking, and wider information technologies.

“Staying ahead with the latest information technology will keep NCAGS ahead of adversaries and reduce risk as it relates to operations, monitoring and surveillance, piracy, war, or other risks that could potentially impact MDA and patterns of life within the region,” Hiller said.

Hiller told Seapower that NCAGS information technologies include AIS Live and the SeaVision web-based maritime situational awareness tool, and that it is procuring the Maritime Intelligence Risk Suite tool that combines shipping database, real-time ship tracking, and risk event information.

WASHINGTON — The Maritime Administration (MARAD) has published a Federal Register notice inviting comments on MARAD’s future plans for the N.S. Savannah (NSS). The notice can be found at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/13/2021-00527/collecting-proposals-for-future-use-of-the-historic-vessel-ns-savannah   

The N.S. Savannah was the world’s first nuclear-powered merchant ship. It operated from 1962 to 1971, when it was inactivated. It currently is moored in Baltimore.  

Under the authority of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), MARAD is engaged in formal consultations with federal, state, and organizational stakeholders, and expects to enter into a Programmatic Agreement with those stakeholders in the next few months. The agreement includes a stipulation that details how MARAD will consider future uses for the vessel after its nuclear power plant is fully decommissioned.   

Comments can be submitted electronically online through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov under docket number MARAD-2020-0133.  Alternatively, comments may be mailed to the following address: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Management Facility, West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20590.  In person submissions are being accepted in accordance with social distancing protocols in place. 

All submissions to the docket will be posted without change to www.regulations.gov and will include any personal information you provide.   

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced in a Jan. 19 release the availability of $19.6 million in federal funding to U.S. small shipyards through the Small Shipyard Grant Program.

These investments support efficiency improvements and modernizations that allow U.S. shipyards to compete more effectively in the global marketplace.  

Since its inception in 2008, the department’s Small Shipyard Grant Program has awarded more than $243 million through 268 grants to assist U.S. shipyards and their workers reap the benefits of increased production capabilities. 

The Small Shipyard Grant Program supports a variety of projects, including capital and related improvements and equipment upgrades that foster ship construction, repair and reconfiguration in small shipyards across the United States. The grants also can be used to support maritime training programs that improve technical skills to enhance shipyard worker efficiency and productivity. The grants, which are limited to no more than 75 percent of the estimated improvement costs, are available to U.S. shipyards with fewer than 1,200 production employees.  

“America’s shipyards are a vital foundation for both our national security and our Nation’s economy. U.S.-flag commercial vessels — built and maintained right here in the U.S. — carry not only military equipment and supplies, but many carry commercial goods in both contiguous and non-contiguous trade,” said Doug Burnett, the MARAD chief counsel who is acting in lieu of the administrator.  

Applications for the grants are due by 5 p.m. EST on Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021. MARAD intends to award grants no later than Monday, April 26, 2021. Additional information can be found in the Federal Register at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/01/09/2020-00163/small-shipyard-grant-program-application-deadlines, or by contacting David M. Heller, Director, Office of Shipyards and Marine Engineering, Maritime Administration, at Room W21-318, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE, Washington, DC 20590; or at [email protected].