UK Confirms It Will Build Six New Warships
British defence minister Grant Shapps said he would order up to six new warships for the Royal Marines, as the government starts to indicate where a recently announced rise in defence spending will be directed.British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced in April that he would lift defence spending to 2.5% of GDP a year by 2030, saying the British arms industry must be on a "war footing" when the world is at its most dangerous since the Cold War.Shapps said on Tuesday that the new vessels, known
No Evidence of Ship-to-ship Transfer of Iranian Oil off Malaysia, PM Says
Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Tuesday there was "not one shred of evidence" of ship-to-ship transfers of sanctioned Iranian oil off Malaysia, amid U.S. concern that Iran was using Malaysian service providers to move its oil.A senior U.S.
Final Rule on Demurrage & Detention Cleared to Take Full Effect May 28
The final rule on Demurrage and Detention Billing Practices is clear to take full effect on May 28, 2024, following recent actions by the Office of the Management and Budget (OMB) and the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC).The FMC issued its final rule on Detention and Demurrage Billing Practices on February 23, 2024, and gave notice of the May effective date except for the “Contents of Invoice” section 541.6.
Alfa Laval Names New UK Managing Director
Global heat transfer, separation and fluid handling company Alfa Laval has appointed Rachel Bridges as its Managing Director, who also became the first female to take the post.Having spent 20 years at global power technology company Cummins in both the marine and aftermarket businesses, Bridges brings a wealth of experience to Alfa Laval as it gets poised for further growth.Bridges will now oversee business in a multitude of sectors including marine…
ClassNK, StormGeo Team on Maritime Decarbonization
ClassNK has partnered with StormGeo for seamless sharing and verification of emission data.The collaboration marks a ilestone for the companies, establishing the sharing and verification of emission data, to meet the requirements of their shared clients. Shipping companies that use StormGeo’s s-Insight platform will be able to share their validated emissions data to ClassNK MRV Portal* via API, for…
DFDS to Invest $1.2 Billion in Six Battery Electric Ships
DFDS said it will invest $1.2 billion in six battery electric vessels for operation in the English Channel, to be deployed on the Dunkirk-Dover and Calais-Dover routes to carry passengers and freight between the U.K. and the European Union.The first two electric vessels will be in operation by 2030, while the rest are expected to follow before 2035, the company said.“This is an important step towards decarbonizing cross-Channel transport…
Methanol-Fueled Tugboat Launched
Today, a 'world first' was unveiled in the Port of Antwerp-Bruges: the Methatug, a tugboat which runs on methanol, part of a 'greening program' for the port's fleet. The project is financed by the European research program Horizon 2020 and is part of the FASTWATER project, which aims to demonstrate the feasibility of methanol as a sustainable fuel for the shipping industry.The 30-m-long tugboat has a traction force of 50 tons and can store 12…
Marlink Expands Global Service Support Network
Marlink is expanding its global service support network in strategic maritime locations in Houston, Bratislava, Athens, Dubai, Singapore and Tokyo, covering strategic business locations and supporting customers in close proximity. Instead of a centralized model, Marlink provides a local approach for customer support.Marlink is also strengthening its 2nd Level Maritime Network Operations (MNOC) by expanding its operations coverage in Bratislava to 24x7…
Future Fuels: Momentum Builds for Ammonia
Strong demand is driving development but emissions issues remain, writes René Sejer Laursen, ABS Director – Fuels & Technology, Global SustainabilityThe interest in ammonia stems both from its zero emissions when used as fuel and because its production isn’t dependent on biogenic carbon sources.To realize large-scale production of green ammonia to serve new markets, its production capacity, along with that of renewable electricity and green hydrogen…
Interview: Caroline Yang, CEO, Hong Lam Marine & President, SSA
![“You need all hands on deck to support this: the owners, charterers, bankers and even the governments: all need to have a skin in this decarbonization journey.”
– Caroline Yang, CEO, Hong Lam Marine & President, Singapore Shipping Association [SSA].
Image courtesy Hong Lam Marine](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/you-need-all-hands-on-150051.jpg)
Caroline Yang, by anyone’s standard, is a busy woman. She is the CEO of Hong Lam Marine, a Singapore ship owner, which owns, operates and manages its own fleet of 33 vessels. She also is the president of the Singapore Shipping Association [SSA], a national trade association in one of the world’s most important and dynamic maritime hubs. She shares insight on her dual positions and the many challenges…
Brunvoll System to Propel Cyan Renewables New SOV
Brunvoll has signed a contract with Vard for the delivery of a comprehensive propulsion and maneuvering system for Cyan Renewables' new Service Operation Vessel (SOV).The vessel will have the first azimuth propulsion thrusters from Brunvoll with an 8-degree tilted propeller and nozzle, for enhanced performance during dynamic positioning operations.The delivery for the new SOV consists of two azimuth propulsion thrusters…
Collapsed Baltimore Bridge Blasted into Pieces
U.S. crews in Baltimore set off controlled explosions on Monday to allow them to remove a portion of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge from the bow of the massive container ship that toppled the span in March.The detonations were meant to break the bridge's truss into small sections, enabling salvage crews to use cranes and barges to haul away the twisted metal wreckage, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said.
U.S. and Taiwan Navies Quietly Held Pacific Drills in April, Sources Say
The U.S. and Taiwan navies conducted joint drills in the Pacific in April that, officially, did not take place, four people briefed on the matter said, as the two militaries boost cooperation amid rising Chinese military threats.Washington and Taipei have been expanding their military cooperation in recent years amid almost daily Chinese incursions into Taiwan's air defence identification zone and drills by Chinese forces near the island.U.S.-Taiwan military engagement…
Partners Explore Medium-voltage Direct Current Power Systems on Ships
Classification society ABS announced it is partnering with South Korean shipbuilders HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co., Ltd. (HD KSOE) and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Co., Ltd. (HHI) to explore the technical feasibility for medium-voltage direct current (MVDC) power systems on ships.Under a newly signed memorandum of understanding (MOU), the partners will collaborate on design assessment…
US Coast Guard Orders Two More Fast Response Cutters
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has opted to extend its Sentinel-Class Fast Response Cutters (FRC) build program, exercising a contract option with Bollinger Shipyards for two additional vessels.The move brings the total number of FRCs awarded to Bollinger up to 67 vessels since the program’s inception. To date, the U.S. Coast Guard has commissioned 55 FRCs into operational service.“We’re incredibly proud of our long history supporting the U.S.
Siem Offshore Rebrands as Sea1 Offshore Following Chairman Exit
Siem Offshore has changed its name to Sea1 Offshore following an ownership change that saw the company's founder and chairman exit the Norwegian offshore support vessel (OSV) firm.Kristian Siem, longtime leader of Siem Offshore, stepped away earlier this year after reaching a deal to acquire nine vessels in exchange for his 35% stake in the company.The name has been formally registered in the Cayman Islands Registrar of Companies and change officially took effect May 7, 2024.
Orcas Sink Sailing Yacht in Strait of Gibraltar
An unknown number of orcas have sunk a sailing yacht after ramming it in Moroccan waters in the Strait of Gibraltar, Spain's maritime rescue service said on Monday, a new attack in what has become a trend in the past four years.The vessel Alboran Cognac, which measured 15 meters (49 feet) in length and carried two people, encountered the highly social apex predators, also known as killer whales, at 9 a.m.
NASSCO Christens Fifth Ship in US Navy's ESB Program
San Diego shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO recently christened USNS Robert E. Simanek (ESB 7), the fifth ship for the U.S. Navy’s Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) program.The ESB ship class is a highly flexible platform designed to support multiple maritime-based missions. ESB ships are mobile sea-based assets and are a part of the critical access infrastructure that supports the deployment of forces, equipment, supplies, and warfighting capability.
Alert Systems Failed to Notify Crew in Fishing Vessel Fire -NTSB
A fishing vessel's fire detection and notification system failed to notify crewmembers when the stern trawler caught fire in Tacoma, Wash. last spring.The Kodiak Enterprise was docked at a Trident Seafoods facility in Tacoma when a fire broke out in its the dry stores room on April 8, 2023, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said in its recent report on the incident.A deckhand from a nearby vessel first saw the fire and reported it to a Trident security guard…
Salvors Set to Blast Collapsed Baltimore to Pieces
U.S. crews in Baltimore plan to set off controlled explosions on Monday to allow them to remove a portion of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge from the bow of the massive container ship that toppled the span in March.The detonations will break the bridge's truss into small sections, enabling salvage crews to use cranes and barges to haul away the twisted metal wreckage, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said.
