Sunday 29 April 2007

Safe Cruise: U.S. Maritime Security Expo - Sept 19-20, 2006 in New York City

Safe Cruise: U.S. Maritime Security Expo - Sept 19-20, 2006 in New York City

Dublin Port

Dublin Port sought to join One51 ICG bid
29 April 2007 By Richard Curran - Sunday Business Post
Dublin Port sounded out the Department of Transport on the possibility ofjoining the One51/Doyle consortium bidding to buy Irish Continental Group(ICG), The Sunday Business Post has learned.Department officials and transport minister Martin Cullen were not keen onthe idea and declined to give the state port company the go-ahead for themove. Dublin Port is a 50 per cent shareholder in Greenore Port in Co Louth,while Philip Lynch's One51 owns the remaining stake. Disussions took placebetween One51 and Dublin Port with a view to the state company joining theconsortium, a source close to One51 confirmed.However, he said given the length of time it would have taken the portcompany to raise funds and take action on the bid, no deal materialised.However, a government source said Dublin Port's suggestion of gettinginvolved ''did not get enthusiastic response from officials''.One51 and the Doyle Group complained last week about delays in the duediligence process. They have written to the independent directors of ICGgiving specific details of how they say they have been ''severely hamperedby delays."The letter was sent on Friday and includes what it says are delays insupplying due diligence information, from management accounts, to auditfiles and details of lease agreements.The letter claims requests for divisional breakdowns of management accountshave not yielded adequate results and that as of Friday morning its advisersare ''awaiting a revised draft of a hold harmless letter relating to the UKtax files and a hold harmless letter relating to the Dutch tax files has notyet been furnished''.It also states that ''the implications on the timing of these delays weresuch that we could not meet the firm intention announcement deadline of 10May 2007 which you have imposed."The letter also warns that ''it is imperative that the independent directorsdo all within their powers to ensure the consortium be given access to thelevel of information that is necessary to create as level a playing field asis possible against an offer from the company's management team."

Monday 23 April 2007

Lough Ree water plans to create a ‘Dead Sea’ - Westmeath Independent

Lough Ree water plans to create a ‘Dead Sea’ - Westmeath Independent: "Karen Downey
reports
The Progressive Democrats have criticised the proposals to extract water from Lough Ree to supply Dublin city, saying this would lead to a destruction of the lake and the river Shannon, similar to what is occurring in the Dead Sea.
In the first edition of a constituency newssheet, the Longford/Westmeath Democrat, the PDs drew comparisons with the destruction of the Dead Sea. Over 30 years more than half the surface of the Dead Sea has disappeared with the water level dropping by 262ft. Experts agree that in less than 50 years the Dead Sea will have disappeared forever.
The article outlines that the cause of this destruction was the extraction of water from the River Jordan, the source of the Dead Sea’s water.
There is a proposal funded by the World Bank to reduce and reverse the damage through diverting water from the Red Sea in a canal or pipe system over 175km to the shores of the Dead Sea. This proposal, however, is meeting with opposition from the authorities at the Gulf of Aquaba, the suggested extraction point. "

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Nottinghamshire | Two lose appeal over sail death

BBC NEWS UK England Nottinghamshire Two lose appeal over sail death: "Last Updated: Monday, 23 April 2007, 12:55 GMT 13:55 UK
Two lose appeal over sail death
Laura had been sailing the catamaran with two friends
Two of the three holiday firm workers found guilty of negligence when a Nottinghamshire schoolgirl drowned have had their convictions upheld.
Laura Morgan, 11, of Woodborough, died on 31 July 2003 in Paleros in Greece when the catamaran she was in capsized and trapped her underneath.
The three employees of tour operator Sunsail had appealed against their suspended sentences. Two of the workers had their sentences reduced, but a third was overturned. "

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Hampshire | World's largest cruise ship calls

BBC NEWS UK England Hampshire World's largest cruise ship calls: "The world's newest and joint largest cruise ship has arrived in a British port for a promotional visit.
The 160,000 metric ton Liberty of the Seas has docked in Southampton on its first port of call and its only European visit.
The 1,112ft-long ship has 15 decks for 4,375 passengers. It is longer than three-and-a-half football pitches.
It is slightly bigger than Cunard's liner Queen Mary 2 and is the sister ship of Freedom of the Seas.
Facilities onboard include a surf simulator, rock climbing wall, ice skating rink and children's water park, as well as a casino and spas. "

Sunday 22 April 2007

On Getting Run Over By A Container Ship
Clark March 14th, 2007
If you have arrived at this website, it is either because you are one of my friends and family who have been following my trip around the world, or because you have recently read about me in a magazine and know me as that guy who got run over by a container ship.
Yes, it is true. A container ship did run over me and my little sailboat, but we both survived. Myself and my two crewmembers miraculously came out without a scratch. Condesa took about six months and $40,000 to be herself again.

Sunday 15 April 2007

RTÉ.ie Radio1: Seascapes

RTÉ.ie Radio1: Seascapes: "APRIL 12 - 13
The National Coastal Conference - 'Towards the Sustainable Development of Ireland's Coast,' will be held at the Boole Library in University College, Cork. Details Email to iconet@ucc.ie
APRIL 14
The annual general meeting of the Irish Sailing Association will be held at 5pm in Poolbeg Yacht Club in Dublin.
APRIL 15
The Irish Boat Jumble will be held at Carrickfergus Sailing Club in County Antrim. For information phone a Northern Ireland number 07721 888789 or Email to: john.boatjumble@btinternet.com
MAY 5 - 7
The Bagenalstown Festival of Boats will take place.
MAY 6
The Tuskar Run Sea Race will take place in Wexford on this Bank Holiday Weekend. This is a race that Ferrycarrig Rowing Club runs every 2 years and is a 15-mile open sea race from Rosslare Harbour to Wexford Town. Details from phone 087 6561939.
MAY 25 - 28
The Bell Lawrie Scottish Sail Racing Series will take place at Tarbert in Scotland.
MAY 26 - 27
Athy Water Festival. "
JUNE 2 - 4The Inland Waterways Association Suir Rally to Carrick-on-Suir will be held on the June Bank Holiday Weekend, June 2-4.
The Cork Ocean to City Race will also take place also on the June Bank Holiday Weekend, when the fleet of rowing boats will race to the city centre. For details phone Cork (021) 4847673 or go to the website www.oceantocity.com
JUNE 4Join the Tall Ship TENACIOUS on a 6-day voyage from Dublin to Falmouth. For details and those of other voyages aboard this ship go to the website www.jst.org.uk
JUNE 14Clifden Open Boat Angling Tournament will be held from Thursday, June 14 to Monday, June 18 at Clifden in Connemara, Co.Galway. For details go to www.clifdenstationhouse.com
JUNE 22 - 24The SAAB Sailing Cruiser Racing National Championships will be held at the Royal Cork Yacht Club in Crosshaven.
AUGUST 18The Inishbofin Charity Challenge Swim will be staged.

Friday 13 April 2007

Bourbon Dolphin:

Bourbon Dolphin: BOURBON is giving top priority to rescue operations and to crew members’ relatives

BOURBON is giving top priority to the rescue of the 5 missing people and support to the families of those involved. The Bourbon Dolphin accident occurred Thursday evening while the ship was on operations 75 nautical miles North West of the Shetland Islands with 15 people on board.

This accident is a terrible tragedy, with 3 people confirmed deceased and 5 people still missing. The 7 others have been treated at the hospital in Shetland Islands. None of these 7 were seriously wounded.

Rescue teams from the Shetland Coast Guards went to the zone immediately and they are still in the rescue zone with the Royal Air Force searching for the 5 missing people.

BOURBON is in close contact with the families and is doing all it can for them and a BOURBON support team is in place at Bourbon Offshore Norway headoffice. A plane has been chartered to fly relatives, officials and Bourbon Offshore Norway Executives to Shetland Islands.

Jacques de Chateauvieux, CEO of BOURBON, and Christian Lefevre, Deputy CEO of BOURBON and Bourbon Offshore CEO will arrive at Bourbon Offshore Norway Headquarters during the afternoon.

The company emergency response team in Norway, supported by BOURBON emergency management team in Marseilles is, according to the Safety Management System plan, assessing the information available at this time.

New information will be released as soon as relevant facts are available and fully checked.



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Salvage Plan

RTÉ News: Salvage plan to rescue stranded tanker
A salvage plan to recover the chemical tanker West Sailor has been approved by the Irish Coastguard this afternoon.
The plan is to tow the vessel to the Cork Dockyard for repairs.
The operation, which will see a tug tow the stranded vessel, is due to commence at 10pm tonight and it is expected to take 30 hours to reach County Kerry.
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Monday 9 April 2007

Scotsman.com News - Latest News - Greece cleans up oil spill from sunken cruise ship

Scotsman.com News - Latest News - Greece cleans up oil spill from sunken cruise ship: "Greece cleans up oil spill from sunken cruise ship
By George Georgiopoulos
ATHENS (Reuters) - Experts struggled on Monday to disperse an oil spill along the coast of the Greek island of Santorini caused by the sinking of a cruise ship as a search took place to try and locate two missing French passengers."

Sunday 8 April 2007

Cruise ship captain blames currents for sinking - CNN.com

Cruise ship captain blames currents for sinking - CNN.com: "Story Highlights• Captain of cruise ship blames currents off Greek island for sinking
• Captain and five officers of sunken Greek cruise ship charged with negligence
• Nearly 1,600 evacuated when ship sinks off Aegean island
• Two French passengers still not been accounted for "

Saturday 7 April 2007

IOL: Cruise ship officers charged after sinking

IOL: Cruise ship officers charged after sinking: "Cruise ship officers charged after sinking
07/04/2007 - 15:08:25
A Greek prosecutor today pressed negligence charges against the captain and five officers of a cruise ship that sank off an Aegean Sea island, state television reported.
The six officers were charged with causing a shipwreck through negligence, breaching international shipping safety regulations and polluting the environment. All were released pending further investigations.
Earlier it was revealed that divers are searching the sunken wreckage of the ship for the bodies of a Frenchman and his daughter, missing after the vessel foundered on a volcanic reef in Greece.
They are the only two people missing after what passengers described as a chaotic evacuation in the Aegean Sea.
Nearly 1,600 people were rescued from the sinking ship in a three-hour operation, but some passengers complained of an insufficient supply of life vests, little guidance from crew members and being forced into a steep climb down rope-ladders to safety."

BreakingNews.ie: Ireland

BreakingNews.ie: Ireland: "The bodies of two teenagers whose boat capsized in a forest park lake in Co Down were today recovered.
The victims, an 18-year-old man and a 16-year-old girl who are believed to be related, were found after a search operation lasting almost eight hours at Castlewellan Forest Park in Co Down.
The alarm was raised after 1am by another man who was on the boat, but he managed to swim to shore.
Police, coastguard and fire service personnel were dispatched to the scene near a caravan park. A police helicopter using infra red equipment was also deployed.
The bodies were recovered at around 11.30am as a crowd of people gathered at the scene of the tragedy.
The families and locals began to leave the scene at around 12.40pm.
There were tears as teenagers comforted each other. Relatives and neighbours also hugged each other as the extent of the tragedy began to hit home.
The victims were named later by police as 16-year-old Clare Steele and Rory McAlinden, aged 18. They were both from Castlewellan."

Reuters AlertNet - Greek boats search for missing French tourists

Reuters AlertNet - Greek boats search for missing French tourists: "By Karolos Grohmann
ATHENS, April 7 (Reuters) - Greek rescue boats on Saturday scoured the waters around the Aegean island of Santorini for two French tourists missing after the evacuation of a cruise ship which ran aground.
The 22,412-tonne Sea Diamond, run by Louis Cruise Lines, ran aground on Thursday just minutes away from the shore of the picturesque island, one of Greece's most popular tourist destinations. It listed and was evacuated within a few hours.
Louis Cruise Lines said there were 730 Americans, 112 Spaniards, 100 French and many other foreign nationals on board, including Germans, Britons and Australians, plus the crew."

BBC NEWS | Europe | Divers search for Greek ship pair

BBC NEWS Europe Divers search for Greek ship pair: "Greek navy divers are continuing to search for two French tourists missing after a cruise ship sank off the Greek island of Santorini on Thursday.
The 45-year-old man and his 16-year-old daughter were among 1,600 people aboard the Greek-flagged Sea Diamond when it ran aground and began taking in water.
The remaining passengers and crew were evacuated hours before the vessel sank in the Aegean Sea.
The captain is due to be questioned by a public prosecutor. "

RTÉ News: ITF says Ireland can expect more ships

RTÉ News: ITF says Ireland can expect more ships: "Saturday, 7 April 2007 06:40
The International Transport Federation has said Ireland can expect the arrival of more and more ships whose crews are seeking payments and basic working rights.
The ITF's General Secretary, David Cockcroft, said Ireland was now at the forefront of a global battle against the abuse of seafarers."

RTÉ News: Two missing after boat capsized

RTÉ News: Two missing after boat capsized: "Saturday, 7 April 2007 08:36
Two young people are missing after their boat capsized on a lake in Castlewellan in Co Down.
The alarm was raised at around 1am this morning by a third occupant of the boat who swam ashore and raised the alarm.
A search is getting under way for the missing 18-year-old and a 16-year-old."

RTÉ News: Public urged to take care on beaches

RTÉ News: Public urged to take care on beaches: "Saturday, 7 April 2007 06:40
The Irish Water Association has called for the public to take care at the beaches this weekend. The IWA says that there an average of 13 people drown every month and that many people will take to the water for the first time in the year this weekend.
They have advised that lifejackets should be worn on boats, with care taken on the inland waterways, on rivers and at beaches."

Friday 6 April 2007

2 missing after cruise ship sinks off Greek island

2 missing after cruise ship sinks off Greek island: "Two people are missing after a Mediterranean cruise ship sank Friday, 15 hours after striking a reef off the Greek island of Santorini. A 45-year-old French man and his 16-year-old daughter are missing, said officials."

Thursday 5 April 2007

RTÉ News: 1,200 evacuated from Greek cruise ship

RTÉ News: 1,200 evacuated from Greek cruise ship: "1,200 evacuated from Greek cruise ship
Thursday, 5 April 2007 17:54
Around 1,200 passengers have been evacuated from a Greek cruise ship that ran aground near the Aegean island of Santorini.
Officials said around 300 crew members remained on board the Greek-flagged Sea Diamond, which was listing after its hull was holed.
The Louis Cruise Lines, which runs the ship, said many Americans and Germans were among the passengers, and there was no record of any Irish people on board."

Tuesday 3 April 2007

BBC NEWS | Northern Ireland | First cruise ship arrives in city

BBC NEWS Northern Ireland First cruise ship arrives in city: "The first cruise ship to visit Belfast this year arrived in the city on Saturday. The Black Prince brought about 400 visitors and is scheduled to make seven calls to the city this year."

Mercy Ships UK - News

Mercy Ships UK - News: "The world’s largest non-governmental hospital ship, the Africa Mercy, has successfully completed ‘sea trials’ enabling it to sail on its inaugural trip to Africa. The former Danish rail ferry, has been converted into a state-of-the-art hospital ship at a cost of over £30 million and will provide free healthcare and community development services to the poorest people of Africa"

Monday 2 April 2007

Irish Sailing Academy: Home page

Irish Sailing Academy: Home page:
"The Irish Sailing Academy mission is to share our passion of sailing with others.
We love what we do and are dedicated to promoting one of the most exiting sports around today. Whether it's racing round the cans, crossing an ocean or just going for a blast on a sunny summer's day sailing has something to offer.
It doesn't matter if you're 8 or 80 you can always get that 'life is good' feeling after a sail. So come join us at the academy and let the world be your oyster."

Sunday 1 April 2007

Nautilus UK

Nautilus UK: "Maritime union officials today condemned the owners and operators of a new ferry service between Portsmouth and Cherbourg as 'thoroughly irresponsible'.
Crew members onboard the Cyprus-flagged vessel Celtic Mist are serving in 'appalling conditions' - with some suffering from exposure to CO2 in the engineroom, said Nautilus UK/ITF inspector Tommy Molloy."

BYM Marine & Maritime News

BYM Marine & Maritime News: "UK. Maritime & Coastguard Agency detains seven foreign ships in the UK during February
Thursday, 22 March 2007

The Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) announced today that seven foreign ships were under detention in UK ports during February 2007 after failing Port State Control (PSC) safety inspection.
Latest monthly figures show that there were six new detentions of foreign flagged ships in UK ports during February 2007, compared with three new detentions during January 2007. One vessel remained in detention from the previous month. The overall rate of detentions compared with inspections carried out over the last twelve months is just below 4.5%, a slight decrease compared with January's twelve month rate.
During the month of February 130 Port State Control inspections were carried out in the UK. For those ships inspected during February a total of 31 vessels had no deficiencies raised against them, 66 had between one and five deficiencies, 19 had between six and ten deficiencies, 12 had between eleven and twenty deficiencies and 2 vessels had more than twenty deficiencies.
Five general cargo vessels and one bulk carrier were detained in February. One vessel was registered with a flag state listed on the Paris MOU black list, four were registered with states on the white list and one was registered with a state on the grey list.
Vessels detained in February included:
a 1,707 GT general cargo vessel with inoperative main and defective emergency steering gear;
a 2,323 GT general cargo vessel whose port lifeboat davit collapsed during abandon ship drill;
a 36,433 GT bulk carrier detained in very poor condition, indicating a lack of maintenance of the ship and equipment under the International Safety "

Maritime Union Leaders Sentenced | World Latest | Guardian Unlimited

Maritime Union Leaders Sentenced World Latest Guardian Unlimited: "Maritime Union Leaders Sentenced

Friday March 30, 2007 5:31 AM
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) - The leader of a national maritime union was sentenced Thursday to 6 years in prison for spending organizational funds on personal luxuries, including a bachelor party and repairs for a dive boat.
U.S. District Judge James Cohn sentenced Michael McKay, 59, to 6 years, and McKay's brother, Robert, 56, to 15 months.
The McKays were found guilty in December of racketeering conspiracy and several lesser charges stemming from their time as president and secretary-treasurer, respectively, of American Maritime Officers."

Royal Caribbean Names Godmother of Liberty of Seas

Royal Caribbean Names Godmother of Liberty of Seas: "Royal Caribbean Names Godmother of Liberty of Seas
Friday, March 30, 2007

After a six month search, Royal Caribbean International today named travel agent Donnalea Madaley godmother of the cruise line’s newest ship, Liberty of the Seas, at Cruise Lines International Association’s Cruise3Sixty conference. Donnalea, of Ontario-based Marlin Travel, was selected from among nearly 2,500 nominations of exemplary women travel agents who have demonstrated dedication to philanthropy and service in their communities. In the spirit of maritime tradition, Donnalea will participate in the naming ceremony of Liberty on May 18, 2007, and help launch the cruise ship, a prestigious role often performed by dignitaries and celebrities. In addition to being chosen as Liberty’s godmother, Donnalea also will receive a $25,000 check from Royal Caribbean for Hands Across the Nations (HATN), a service organization created and led by Donnalea and her"

Cruise ship news, shipping reports at MARITIME MATTERS

Cruise ship news, shipping reports at MARITIME MATTERS: "LUSITANIA Revisited
April 1: Ireland's Supreme Court ruling allows LUSITANIA dive to proceed. Santa Fe venture capitalist Gregg Bemis seeks to conduct a forensic dive to solve remaining mysteries about the sinking of the Cunard ship by a German submarine May 7, 1915. The wreck lies within Ireland's territorial waters, approximately 12 miles off the southwest coast, 300 feet below the surface. Previously a license for the dive had not been granted by Ireland which claims the LUSITANIA is an archaeological site. Bemis will be searching for evidence of the cause of the second explosion heard by survivors, many believe the ship was carrying high explosives and not just the munitions and chemicals listed on its manifest. Others argue an explosion in the ship's steam-generating plant was the cause. Bemis hopes to recover more items from the LUSITANIA for museums to display, although valuable art, rumored to have been on board the ship, belongs to the Irish government. The dive may commence as early as summer 2008 when divers will cut a circular 6-foot hole in the hull to begin the exploration."

NSnet - Maritime News and Information

NSnet - Maritime News and Information: "French oil port strike could pinch summer supplies: A strike by workers at the Mediterranean terminal Fos-Lavera over employment at a new Gaz de France (GDF) terminal is now in its third week. The dispute started on March 14 when GDF rejected a union demand that only port staff should hook up liquefied natural gas cargoes at a GDF terminal due to start up at the end of 2007. The two sides failed to reach a compromise on Thursday, but continued talks on Friday may be resolving the issue. The terminal is the world's third-largest port for refined oil products. If the strike continues, the French strike could crimp summer fuel supplies to Europe and the United States. See 'Talks held on Marseille port row,' BBC News, 3/29/07."

NSnet - Maritime News and Information

NSnet - Maritime News and Information: "Container accident shuts down shipping in the Rhine: The German cargo ship Excelsior lost 31 of its 103 containers on the Rhine River on Sunday afternoon. The river is one of Germany's busiest commercial shipping routes. One container was retrieved by Tuesday, but the accident has closed a 12-mile stretch of the river around Cologne. German Transport Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee said he hoped traffic could resume by Friday. A crack in the cargo ship's hull is suspected to have led to Sunday's accident. See 'Germany's Rhine Closes to Shipping, Associated Press at WashingtonPost.com, 3/27/07."

IOL: Amateurs poised for Telkom airwaves

IOL: Amateurs poised for Telkom airwaves: " March 29 2007 at 06:10PM

Amateur radio operators offered on Thursday to step in if monitoring of shipping emergency calls is affected by a Telkom strike.
The strike, by staff at Telkom's maritime radio facility in Milnerton, Cape Town, is set to start at midnight. Hans van de Groenendaal, spokesperson for the SA Radio League, said the league had contacted rescue authorities to offer its services. He said members routinely monitored the amateur frequencies used by yachts in South African waters, and had in the past alerted authorities to boats in distress. Monitoring all shipping frequencies would simply be an extension of this. The league counts some 1 400 radio amateurs nationwide as members."

NSnet - Maritime News and Information

NSnet - Maritime News and Information: "Three dead in Sydney ferry accident: Three people were killed, eight injured and a 14-year-old girl was still missing on Thursday after a collision between the HarbourCat ferry Pam Burridge and a private motor cruiser beneath Sydney Harbour Bridge late on Wednesday night. It was the second fatal accident in two months involving ferries, in what is one of the busiest parts of the harbor. A number of helicopters, police divers and several boats including two other ferries helped with the search and rescue operation. Police divers have been searching for the missing teenage girl, who is from Queensland. The cruiser rolled over and later sank after the collision; the ferry has been moored nearby. Both boats will be inspected by police; the crew of the ferry have been tested for alcohol and drugs. See 'Divers search for girl missing after fatal ferry crash,' ABC News Online, 3/29/07."

Coast Guard Helping Stuck Ship Back into Shipping Channel

Coast Guard Helping Stuck Ship Back into Shipping Channel: "Coast Guard Helping Stuck Ship Back into Shipping Channel
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Coast Guard crews are working to get a freighter ship unstuck after it lost power and ran aground near the central span of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. The bridge was shut down in both directions this morning as a precaution, snarling rush hour traffic. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the freighter lost power after passing through the central span of the bridge. The pilot of the vessel ran it into a sandbar so it wouldn’t drift near the bridge. Fox showed Coast Guard tugboats circling the freighter. The most recent view showed them helping the ship back into the deeper waters of the shipping channel. Source: fox"

Aker Yards and MSC Signed Cruise Ship Contract

Aker Yards and MSC Signed Cruise Ship Contract: "Aker Yards and MSC Signed Cruise Ship Contract
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Aker Yards has signed a contract with MSC Cruises to build a 4th MSC Musica Class Cruise ship. The MSC Magnifica will be built at Aker Yards, Saint-Nazaire and delivered in 2010. The value of the contract is approximately $546.8m (EUR 410 million.) The contract is subject to financing. Like its three predecessors (MSC Musica, MSC Orchestra and MSC Poesia, this 89,600 GT cruise ship is 294 metres long and just over 32 metres wide, and complies with the Panama Canal Standard. "

Chemical Online News for chemical processing professionals

Chemical Online News for chemical processing professionals: "True Hybrid Tug To Be Built By Foss Maritime
3/12/2007
Seattle, WA - Foss Maritime Company announced that it plans to build the true hybrid tug boat, a “green” vessel that will significantly reduce harmful nitrogen oxide, particulate matter, sulphur dioxide and carbon emissions. It will also consume less fuel and be quieter than its conventional predecessors."