Marine Highway Program gets a new name but less money

THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION’S Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity making $12,423,000 available in Fiscal Year 2023 funds through what is now called the United States Marine Highway Program (USMHP) and was previously named America’s Marine Highway Program.

The FY 2023 funding level is worth less than one-third of the nearly $39 million awarded to 12 projects under the program’s original name back in October 2022.

The program seeks to increase the use of

America’s navigable waterways, especially where water-based transport is the most efficient, effective, and sustainable option.

“Since the establishment of the marine highways program, MARAD has awarded more than $91.6 million in competitive grants to eligible organizations for marine highway services,” said Maritime Administrator Ann Phillips. “These grants have supported the development and expansion of marine highways, vessels, and landside ports and infrastructure, which are critical to building supply chain resilience.”

HOS to acquire six OSVs from Chouest affiliate

HORNBECK OFFSHORE SERVICES INC. (HOS) reports that it has entered into a definitive vessel purchase agreement with Nautical Solutions LLC, an affiliate of Edison Chouest Offshore, to acquire a total of six high-spec new generation offshore supply vessels (OSVs) for an undisclosed amount of cash.

All the vessels are U.S.-flagged, Jones Actqualified, 280 class DP-2 OSVs with capacities of circa 4,750 DWT. Based on certain conditions, HOS anticipates taking serial deliveries of all six vessels over the next 12 to 15 months.

“We are very excited about this additional acquisition, which continues our growth strategy for the benefit of our employees, oilfield and non-oilfield customers and other constituents,” said HOS president and CEO Todd Hornbeck. “We continue to explore our strategic plans for additional growth and business diversification initiatives as we look to the future.”

This is not Covington, La.-based

The Department will evaluate projects using criteria including the effect on movement of goods, level of non-federal funding investment, use of domestic preference, consideration of equity, and environmental justice. The Department will also consider geographic diversity when selecting grant recipients, as well as how the project addresses challenges faced by rural areas.

Applications for the Marine Highway Program grants must be submitted through Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. EST on April 28, 2023.

Hornbeck Offshore’s first acquisition of offshore supply vessels from Chouest. Back in January last year it announced that it had agreed to acquire 10 Chouest vessels. Eight of those vessels were, like those in the latest acquisition, U.S.-flagged, Jones Act-qualified, 280 class DP-2 OSVs. The other two others were Mexican-flagged 240 class DP-2 OSVs with capacities of about 3,200 DWT.

Then, as now, the parties did not disclose the price.