Technology News

ABS and Akselos have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance engineering and certification processes for floating offshore wind projects.The companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on solutions aimed at optimizing design, reducing costs, and improving efficiency for the floating wind sector globally.The collaboration utilizes ABS's expertise in offshore certification and classification with Akselos' simulation technology for structural risk mitigation and optimization. Together, they aim to support the U.S.

After what we would argue has been an incredibly eventful 2024 with massive deals, tremendous dayrate developments, further charterer backlog build, and the first series of newbuild orders in years, now comes the time when we turn our gaze towards 2025. What are some of the main trends we expect for next year, and how do we see the continuation of today's developments impact the year to come. Overall, we find continued strides for the better in the offshore support market although we foresee an industry that will not fire on all cylinders…

Brunvoll won another contract with Myklebust Shipyard for the delivery of a comprehensive thruster package, an additional vessel for REM Offshore, the option originally announced in May 2024. Like the previous contract, this agreement also includes an option for a third additional vessel.Brunvoll’s thruster package consists of two propulsion azimuth thrusters, two retractable azimuth thrusters, and a tunnel thruster. This configuration is the same as the previous vessel announced in May, except that this vessel with be equipped with a slightly larger tunnel thruster.

Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore (BV) and Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) have partnered up to develop Floating CO2 Storage Units (FCSU) and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) projects in the Republic of Korea in an effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions.The collaboration will center on validating and certifying cutting-edge CCS technologies that are cost-effective and sustainable.By blending BV's certification expertise with SHI's innovative technology, the partnership aims to set new industry standards and accelerate the deployment of CCS solutions that can drive a greener…

Anemoi Marine Technologies completed the installation of five Rotor Sails onboard the 400,000 dwt Very Large Ore Carrier (VLOC), Sohar Max, making it the largest vessel to receive wind propulsion technology to date. Sohar Max is a first generation Valemax, built in 2012 in China’s Rongsheng shipyard, and is a project that  showcased collaboration between Brazilian mining giant Vale S.A., Omani shipowner Asyad and UK-based Rotor Sail provider Anemoi.The five 35 m tall, 5 m diameter Rotor Sails were retrofitted onboard Sohar Max at the COSCO Zhoushan shipyard in China, in October 2024.

Stowaways are an ongoing issue for the security of ships and the safety of crew members, as well as incurring substantial associated costs for shipowners and insurers. Worldwide, information about stowaways is incomplete and incidents are under-recorded, but the financial cost per incident is known to be rising, costing the industry millions of US dollars every year. In recent years, increasing global migration by sea has meant that encountering people in difficulty in small or…

Houston-based Noble Corporation contracted with Kongsberg Digital for the delivery of navigation, engine and dynamic positioning (DP) simulators based on Kongsberg Maritime’s K-Pos DP system. The simulators will be tailored and integrated with Kongsberg Maritime’s Riser Monitoring System (RMS) and electronic Well Specific Operating Guidelines (eW-SOG) to meet Noble’s training needs.Noble will be the first company globally to implement such an advanced DP drilling training solution for in-house Nautical Institute-accredited training.

Political winds blowing a raft of new tariffs and incoming supply uptick suggests a volatile 2025 Bearish sentiment crept into the car carrier market in June after the European Union (EU) announced increased import tariffs for Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs) up to as much as 45.3%. The EU tariffs, which came into play in November for a period of five years and were increased following an investigation into Chinese state subsidies to domestic car manufacturers, are weighing…

BlueBox Systems, developers of intelligent freight tracking solutions, has further developed its BlueBoxCargo tracking platform.The new features include the tracking of CO₂ emissions for sea freight, simplified shipment registration for smaller customers and extended analysis options that further optimize decision-making for customers. This includes, for example, a new routing function for air freight customers. The enhancements give customers access to even more precise and comprehensive…

Gatehouse Maritime, a provider of  AIS (Automatic Identification System) network monitoring and maritime domain awareness software, announced the award of a new contract from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.The contract, initially set for one year, includes an option for a four-year extension, underscoring the long-term strategic importance of the partnership.Under the newly awarded contract, the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will use Gatehouse Maritime's industry-leading AIS Network Monitoring system to enhance their management of U.S. national waterways.

Iridium Communications Inc. announced the service launch of Iridium Certus GMDSS, a generational advancement in maritime satellite communication safety services.Iridium Certus GMDSS, the only truly global GMDSS service available, features distress alert, safety voice, and Maritime Safety Information (MSI); includes additional regulated services like Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) and Ship Security Alert System (SSAS), and provides the fastest weather-resilient broadband service available for conducting ships' business when other systems are blocked or unavailable.

How propane offers unmatched reliability and resiliency when severe weather strikesPorts are critical hubs for global trade and shipping logistics, and they can’t afford to slow down due to extreme weather events. Especially in the Northern U.S., winter storms bring extreme freezing temperatures that can quickly create issues for any diesel or electric engines powering port equipment. Meanwhile, ports along the Gulf Coast and Atlantic Coast must be prepared for hurricanes every year that can knock out the power grid and slow down operations for days…

Techcross, a leading ballast water management system (BWMS) manufacturer in Korea, said it has become the first in the industry to obtain Cyber Resilience Certification from the Korean Register (KR), a certification that evaluates ability to respond to cyber threats during design, operation, and recovery process based on the UR E27 regulations established by the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS). With the growing adoption of digital technologies into ships, the risks of cyber threats and attacks have increased significantly.

DP World is trialing an innovative carbon reduction program at its UK logistics hubs, London Gateway and Southampton, aimed at helping cargo importers cut their emissions.Starting on 1 January 2025 for an initial six-month trial, the Carbon Inset Program will reward importers with 50kg CO₂e of carbon credits for every loaded import container they move through DP World’s UK terminals. These independently certified credits, issued quarterly, will showcase participating companies’ efforts to reduce the indirect (Scope 3) emissions in their supply chains.Unlike traditional carbon offset credits…

Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) has strengthened its collaboration with bound4blue by contracting three 22-meter high eSAIL suction sails. The fully autonomous Wind Assisted Propulsion System (WAPS) will be installed on a newbuild MR Tanker from New Times Shipbuilding in Jiangsu Province, China in late 2025. This agreement follows EPS’s first project with bound4blue earlier this year, which involved retrofitting three eSAILs on Pacific Sentinel, a 50,000dwt vessel, in February.

Kongsberg Digital announced a significant agreement with Transnet SOC Ltd (Transnet) to deliver state-of-the-art simulator technology to the Transnet Academy in Durban, South Africa.Transnet plays a role in the South African economy by providing infrastructure and fostering economic growth through port operations. Scheduled for delivery in June 2025, the suite of Kongsberg simulators will support Transnet’s mission to enhance trade facilitation, sustainability, and economic growth by boosting training capacity and staying ahead of industry demand.

Successful engine-retrofit of Very Large Container Vessel ‘Maersk Halifax’ to dual-fuel ME-LGIM unit. MAN Energy Solutions has announced the successful retrofit of the main engine of the ‘Maersk Halifax’ to a dual-fuel MAN B&W ME-LGIM unit. MAN PrimeServ, MAN Energy Solutions’ after-sales division, carried out the work, the first such project globally involving a VLCV (Very Large Container Vessel).The 15,000 teu vessel entered service in 2017 and was originally powered by an MAN B&W 8G95ME-C9.5 prime mover.

ShoreLink delivered its Shore Power Cable Management System at the Port of La Spezia, marking the connection of cruise vessels to shore power and significantly reducing emissions while ships are docked.Following a successful Factory Acceptance Test (FAT), ShoreLink's Cruise Cable Management System has recently arrived in La Spezia and is currently in storage, ready to be deployed. In cooperation with MONT-ELE, ShoreLink’s solution will enable cleaner port operations and support…

The first jacket foundation for the substation of the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project has departed from the Danish Port of Esbjerg and is on its way to the United States to be installed at the country’s largest offshore wind farm.The first of three offshore jacket foundations, standing 60-meter-tall and weighing approximately 2,445.6 tonnes, has been shipped from the production site at the Port of Esbjerg where it was manufactured.The jacket foundation will serve…

Six new electric tugboats, including the groundbreaking Volta 1, have arrived in the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, with t e Volta 1, Europe’s first fully electric RSD tugboat, serving as the poster child for the port’s ambition to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.The electric tugboat Volta 1 is a European first. With a bollard pull of 70 tons and powerful batteries that can fully recharge in just two hours via a 1.5 MW charging station, this tugboat is completely emission-free. In addition to the Volta 1, five diesel-powered tugboats also arrived in Antwerp today.

German container line operator Hapag-Lloyd has implemented Shipshave’s In Transit Cleaning of Hull (ITCH) solution for proactive fouling removal on two of its container ships, achieving significant fuel savings and emissions reduction results.In order to independently verify the benefit of proactive fouling removal, Shipshave in cooperation with Hapag-Lloyd commissioned DNV to analyse operational performance data from two Hapag-Lloyd container ships equipped with the ITCH solution.The vessels are of 8…

Marlink is supporting digital transformation for Thoresen Shipping with the migration of its fleet to the Sealink NextGen solution.Thoresen Shipping FactsThoresen Shipping is a global dry bulk shipping operator headquartered in Thailand with a presence in Dubai, London and Singapore. Dating to 1904, Thoresen Shipping owns a modern fleet of 24 Supramax and Ultramax bulk carriers.Marlink will deploy a complete hybrid network comprising guaranteed throughput by blending VSAT with Starlink LEO and additional backup services.

The Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) will meet for its 109th session at IMO Headquarters in London (in-person with hybrid participation) from 2 to 6 December 2024.The meeting will be chaired by Mrs. Mayte Medina of the United States, supported by Vice-Chair, Capt. Theofilos Mozas of Greece.The MSC deals with all matters related to maritime safety and maritime security which fall within the scope of IMO, including autonomous vessels, safety of alternative fuels and technologies, piracy and armed robbery against ships, cyber security and e-navigation and many others.