TOTE, MARAD Partner on LNG Study

By Mark Edward Nero

The US Maritime Administration (MARAD) said Oct. 5 that it has entered into a $900,000 cooperative agreement with TOTE Maritime to develop knowledge regarding the costs and benefits of vessel conversions to liquefied natural gas propulsion.

The demonstration project on the use of LNG for containership propulsion is a part of an ongoing program to promote increased use of alternative fuels and technology in the maritime industry.

TOTE is converting the containership M/V Midnight Sun to operate on LNG and will work with MARAD to obtain pre and post-conversion air emissions data, and operational information to assist maritime stakeholders in assessing the potential of LNG conversions.

The study is expected to be completed by 2018.

The M/V Midnight Sun is a roll-on/roll-off (ro/ro) cargo ship that provides round-trip shipping service between the Port of Tacoma and the Port of Anchorage. TOTE signed a contract with Finnish corporation Wärtsilä in late 2013 for the conversion of the Midnight Sun and its sister ship, the M/V North Star, to run on LNG. The conversions are expected to be among the largest ever undertaken in North America.

Totem Ocean Trailer Express Unifies Brand Names

By Mark Edward Nero

Totem Ocean Trailer Express on Sept. 17 announced a shift within its operating companies. Sea Star Line, which serves Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, and Totem Ocean Trailer Express, serving the Alaska market, will now be known collectively as TOTE Maritime.

Both companies provide infrastructure and cargo to Alaska and Puerto Rico and are market leaders. Sea Star Line has delivered goods to Puerto Rico for more than 30 years with twice-weekly reliable service that is responsible for goods traveling from the US to the island.

Totem Ocean Trailer Express also provides twice-weekly service to Alaska and is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

“This is an exciting time, not just for our company but for the industry as a whole,” Totem Ocean Trailer Express President John Parrott said.

Both companies are switching their vessels to run on natural gas: Totem Ocean is expected to begin the conversion of its first ship to natural gas later this fall.

“This is a key component of the TOTE LNG strategy and is a reflection of our commitment to the island and the communities we serve,” Sea Star Line President Tim Nolan said. “The shift to TOTE Maritime enables us to highlight the changes we are making nationally.”

TOTE Maritime is part of the TOTE family of companies, which also includes TOTE Services, a leading-edge ship management company that specializes in natural gas projects and technical services for both government and commercial vessels.

NASSCO Launches Gas-Powered Containership

By Mark Edward Nero

On Aug. 29, General Dynamics NASSCO launched the second in a series of natural gas powered containerships during christening and launch ceremony at the company’s San Diego shipyard.

The ship, the Perla del Caribe, was built for transportation and logistics company Totem Ocean Trailer Express.

The new Marlin Class ships, constructed by NASSCO shipbuilders and measuring the same length as two-and-a-half football fields, are being built to carry cargo exports between US-owned ports.

The ships are expected to reduce particulate matter by 98 percent and carbon dioxide emissions by 72 percent, the equivalent of removing more than 15,700 cars from the road, making them among the cleanest cargo-carrying containerships in the world.

As part of the ceremony, the ship’s sponsor, Emma Engle, a third-generation shareholder of TOTE’s parent company, Saltchuk, christened the ship with a traditional champagne bottle break over the ship’s hull. Alcinda Buirds, a 32-year NASSCO employee, pulled the trigger to release the ship into the San Diego Bay.

As part of a two-ship contract signed in December 2012 with TOTE, the 764-foot long Marlin class containerships will be among the largest dry cargo ships of their kind in the world powered by LNG and are expected to dramatically decrease emissions while increasing fuel efficiency when compared to conventionally-powered ships.

Upon delivery of the first vessel in late-2015, the Jones Act-qualified ships will operate between Jacksonville, Florida and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

NASSCO is the only major shipyard on the US West Coast conducting design, new construction and repair of commercial and US Navy ships.

In the past decade, NASSCO has delivered eleven commercial ships and has orders for ten more. During this same decade, NASSCO has delivered 17 ships to the US Navy.

Totem Ocean Signs LNG Conversion Deal

By Mark Edward Nero

Tacoma-based Totem Ocean Trailer Express has signed a contract with Singapore-based Keppel Shipyard for the conversion of one of its ORCA Class ro/ro ships, the Midnight Sun, to dual fuel liquefied natural gas propulsion.

The deal, which was announced Aug. 4, is one of the world’s first major conversions of a large ro/ro vessel to LNG, according to Totem Ocean. The work is expected to begin in December and be completed within 90 days.

“The removal and replacement of the four engines, adding 2,200 cubic meters of LNG capacity along with the addition of 47 kilometers of new cabling is a complex undertaking,” John Parrott, President of Totem Ocean, said in a statement. “We are confident that Keppel will provide safe, timely, high-quality work.”

Once the conversion is complete, the Midnight Sun would emit fewer air and greenhouse gas emissions, reducing emissions of particulate matter by 91 percent, NOx by 100 percent, SOx by 90 percent and carbon dioxide by 35 percent.

Her sister ship, the North Star, is expected to be converted in the 2016/2017 time frame, according to TOTE.

Michael Chia, managing director of Keppel Offshore & Marine Leveraging, said that due to natural gas’ cleaner burning properties, more and more vessel owners are choosing to have their ships powered by LNG.

“Keppel is well positioned to capture this growing market to meet the industry’s needs for environmentally friendly solutions,” he said.

Puget Sound Energy, in partnership with Totem Ocean and the Port of Tacoma, has plans to construct an LNG liquefaction terminal at the port that will serve Totem Ocean, residents of Puget Sound and the broader transportation industry in the Pacific Northwest. This facility is scheduled to be complete by late 2018.

In the short term, TOTE and its partner WesPac are building North America’s first LNG bunker barge to deliver fuel to the ships once converted.

Christening Scheduled for LNG-Powered Containership

By Mark Edward Nero

A special event to christen and launch the world’s first LNG-powered containership built by General Dynamics NASSCO for Totem Ocean Trailer Express is scheduled Saturday, April 18 in San Diego.

The ceremony will also commemorate NASSCO’s 100th ship launch.

The ship’s sponsor, Mrs. Sophie Sacco – wife of Michael Sacco, president of the Seafarers International Union of North America, AFL-CIO – will christen the ship with a traditional champagne bottle break over the ship’s hull. A fireworks display is planned to commence immediately upon the christening and launch of the ship.

The name of the vessel is expected to be revealed during the ceremony.

The 764-foot long Marlin-class containership, which is part of a two-ship contract signed with TOTE in 2012, is expected to be among the largest dry cargo ships of any kind in the world powered by liquefied natural gas when completed.

Operating on LNG is expected to significantly decrease the vessel’s emissions while increasing fuel efficiency as compared to conventionally-powered ships. Both LNG-powered ships will also include a ballast water treatment system, making them among the greenest ships of their size anywhere in the world.

Upon delivery in late-2015, the Jones Act-qualified ships are planned to operate between Jacksonville, Florida and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The christening and launch event is planned for 8 pm to 9 pm April 18 at General Dynamics NASSCO, 2798 E. Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92113. The gate opens for visitors at 7 pm.

Those seeking further information on the event may email staci.ignell@nassco.com.

Longshore Worker Killed in Anchorage

By Mark Edward Nero

A longshoreman working to load military equipment into rail cars from a Totem Ocean Trailer Express (TOTE) ship was killed after being accidentally pinned between two pieces of military equipment, the Port of Anchorage has revealed.

Port officials said in a prepared statement that Charlie Tom “WD” James Jr., 64, died immediately when he was trapped between two vehicles at 9:14 am on March 13 while military equipment was being loaded onto flat-deck railcars headed for Fairbanks, Alaska.

The victim was killed instantly, according to the port.

In a statement released the day of the accident, TOTE said the man had been employed by contractor Sea Star Stevedoring.

“Totem Ocean will continue to keep the victim’s family in our thoughts and prayers and would ask that the Anchorage community do the same,” the statement read in part.

James was veteran of the US Army and had retired from the Anchorage Fire Department in 2014 after 34 years of service. He had worked as a longshoreman for more than a decade, according to port officials.

This month’s death was the fourth at the Port of Anchorage in four years.

In June 2012, a California man stole a taxi, drove through port security and jumped to his death from a fuel tank. A month later, a security guard drove a truck off the dock. And in August 2011, a construction worker was killed when the ground collapsed beneath his bulldozer while working on a major port expansion project.

The latest death is currently being investigated by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Port of Anchorage Sees Annual Tonnage Increase

By Mark Edward Nero

The Port of Anchorage saw an increase in overall tonnage in 2014, the first time in three years such an occurrence has taken place, according to the port.

Last year, containerized cargo and vehicle tonnage across the dock was up four percent over 2013 numbers, based on business numbers reported by the port’s two resident ocean carriers, Horizon Lines and Totem Ocean Trailer Express.

Also, a total of 15 fuel tankers called on the Port of Anchorage in 2014 compared to only five in 2013, according to Port Director Steve Ribuffo. The total related quantity represents a 59 percent increase in fuel delivered over the dock when compared to 2013, according to the port.

“We’ve had a steady flow of fuel traffic at the Port of Anchorage in 2014 and so far in 2015,” Ribuffo said. “Essentially, there had been at least one tanker here offloading petroleum every month and we don’t see the surge letting up anytime soon.”

The fuel arrives by tanker or barge and travels through one of the nine petroleum offload headers on the two dedicated petroleum docks.

In 2013, 4.2 million barrels of fuel entered the port from domestic and foreign suppliers; that number jumped to 6.7 million barrels in 2014.

“While there’s a real and serious need to modernize our dock infrastructure, it's very clear from a business perspective that we can successfully support more tonnage within the same footprint,” Ribuffo said.

Port of Tacoma Names Summit Award Winners

Winners have been announced in the Port of Tacoma’s first-ever Summit Awards, given for outstanding contributions to port business and the surrounding community.

The “Business Magnet” award was given to container transload company MacMillan-Piper. In giving the award, the port said the recipient had doubled its warehouse transloading space to 202,000 feet to support handling bulk cargoes in the past year, and also helped improve air quality by reducing the number of idling and draying trucks by unloading import containers and load them with exports in the same location.

International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 23 received the port’s “Livable Community” award for donating more than $200,000 in money and goods during holiday drives and other fundraisers during the past year. Union members also donated thousands of hours of their personal time to organizations such as Tall Ships Tacoma, St. Leo’s Hospitality Kitchen and the Multiple Sclerosis Walk.

Totem Ocean Trailer Express, which provides weekly trailership service between Tacoma and Anchorage, received the port’s “Environmental Stewardship” award. It was lauded for being the first commercial cargo carrier in Puget Sound to install shore power. As such, the company’s ships now operate off the commercial power grid when at berth instead of from the ship’s own diesel-powered generators.

TOTE Names Tacoma Terminal In Honor of Longtime Exec

The Federal Way, Washington-based shipping line Totem Ocean Trailer Express has named their Port of Tacoma terminal the Robert P. Magee Marine Terminal in memory of and tribute to the longtime TOTE executive, who passed away in November, 2009.

The new name is displayed on signs at each gated entrance to the 47-acre terminal, as well as in front of the facility's administration building.

TOTE will hold a formal dedication ceremony on Sept. 21 at the newly christened terminal.

Robert Magee joined TOTE in May 1986 as Vice President of Marine Operations, going on to become President and CEO of TOTE. He later became Chairman of Sea Star Line and then Chairman & CEO of American Shipping Group, the parent of TOTE.

Magee received numerous maritime and community leadership awards during his long career. These awards are on display in the lobby of the terminal administration building.

The Robert P. Magee Marine Terminal, specially designed to serve the ro/ro vessels TOTE operates, was built by the port in the mid-1980s and significantly upgraded in 2003 with a $12 million port investment. Most recently, TOTE, the Environmental Protection Agency and the port joined forces in 2010 to outfit the terminal berths with ship-to-shore power systems. The completion of this more than $5 million project now allows TOTE to plug at-berth vessels into the landside power grid and shut off their auxiliary engines, thereby significantly reducing vessel emissions while calling at the port.

TOTE Installing Rain Garden

The Federal Way-based carrier Totem Ocean Trailer Express plans to install the South Sound's first industrial rain garden next week at the Port of Tacoma.

Plans call for more than 100 TOTE employees and volunteers, in conjunction with Seattle-based non-profit Stewardship Partners, to create the rain garden through the planting of about 600 native plants at the TOTE terminal along the Blair Waterway. The Port of Tacoma and the Tacoma Garden Club are also contributing to the project.

According to Stewardship Partners, which assists landowners with restoring and preserving natural landscapes, rain gardens are planted depressions that work like a native forest by capturing and naturally filtering stormwater redirected from rooftops, driveways, and other hard surfaces. Rain gardens reduce flooding by absorbing water from impervious surfaces; filter oil, grease and toxic materials before they can pollute streams, lakes and bays; help to recharge the aquifer by increasing the quantity of water that soaks into the ground; and, provide beneficial wildlife habitat.

Native plants are recommended for rain gardens because they generally don't require fertilizer and are more tolerant of one’s local climate, soil, and water conditions, and attract local wildlife such as native birds.

The TOTE rain garden will be fed by water from the terminal and the roofs of terminal buildings.

TOTE is no stranger to environmental firsts at the port. The carrier, working with the port and utilizing American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding from the US Environmental Protection Agency, added shore power at the terminal in 2010 to allow ships to cut emissions by turning off their auxiliary diesel engines while docked at the terminal and connecting to the landside electrical power grid.

American Shipping Group Promotes Two Execs

Saltchuk subsidiary American Shipping Group, the parent of ocean carriers Sea Star Line and Totem Ocean Trailer Express, has announced two executive management promotions.

Frank Peake has been named as vice president of the Federal Way, Wash.-based ASG and Steve Hastings has been named as president of Sea Star Line.

In his new role, Peake – who has served the past six year as Sea Star president – will be charged with strategic planning for the three ASG subsidiaries, including Sea Star, Totem, and Interocean American Shipping.

American Shipping Group Chairman Tim Engle said Peake will also assist in shaping ASG’s strategic vision.

Hastings, a 14-year veteran of Sea Star, has served in a number of key leadership roles at the carrier, most recently serving two years as Vice President, Operations.

The Jacksonville, Fla.-based Sea Star offers Jones Act carrier service between ports in Florida, Texas and Puerto Rico.

Totem, also based in Federal Way, Wash., offers Jones Act ro/ro service between the Washington state Port of Tacoma and the Port of Anchorage in Alaska. Totem also offers trucking and rail service throughout the Lower 48 to and from its Tacoma terminal, as well as rail and trucking connecting service throughout Alaska.

Interocean is a technical ship management and ship crewing firm based in Moorestown, New Jersey.