Leveraging Human Factors for Safer Maritime Vessel Ops
A safety management system, while vital, can only take a company so far. The real change has to be cultural throughout an organization.Many maritime companies can operate effectively under the International Safety Management Code, which governs safety and pollution prevention for ships. Frameworks like these enable carriers to act compliant with basic safety standards, but there is a significant human element not quite covered by such standards.
The Bridge and Beyond: AI, AR Revolutionize Maritime Decision Making
It’s already possible to have smart decision support on the bridge: With Furuno’s technology, live video imagery of the front view from the vessel has navigation information superimposed on it including heading, AIS data, radar target tracking, object identification, route waypoint and chart information.SEA.AI’s bridge support system can identify larger vessels not fitted with AIS up to a range of 7.5 kilometers (nearly five miles)…
Singapore Bunker Sales Hit Two-Month low in November
Sales of marine bunker fuel at Singapore retreated to a two-month low in November after soaring in October, data from Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) showed.Bunker sales at the world's biggest ship refueling hub totaled 4.46 million metric tons in November, down 8.5% month-on-month but higher by 4.6% from a year ago, the data showed.Total vessel calls for bunkering fell 4.5% from the prior month to 3…
Ship Recyclers Set for Positive Year-End
The Baltic Exchange’s main sea freight index eased for the fourth straight session on Friday, falling close to 0.5%, its lowest since July 2023. “This has certainly assisted the ship recycling sector with the supply of tonnage of late, fueling its survival into early 2025,” says cash buyer GMS.“As we stand on the edge of the final weeks of 2024, compared to the rest of the year, it certainly seems as though there has been more of an uptick in the markets of late…
India’s Merchant Navy Welfare Board Expands Greek Cooperation
The Merchant Navy Welfare Board (India) has signed an agreement with the Global Seafarers Organisation as part of its efforts to expand its presence across global ports.And as part of the Board’s initiative to appoint International Coordinators to oversee the welfare of Indian seafarers across global ports, Dr. N. Reuben Paul meet with the Indian Ambassador Shri Rudrendra Tandon at the Indian Embassy in Athens…
Europe Dominates Cruise Ship Orderbook
Newly released data from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) states that about 97% of the world’s fleet of cruise ships was built in Europe, and 98% of ships on order, based on cost, will be built here.The total investment cruise lines are making in new ships built in Europe from 2024 to 2036 is currently €57 billion, with additional orders anticipated.In the next 12 years, 72 of the 76 ocean cruise ships will be built in European shipyards (97%) of which 40 in Italy (52.6%)…
Engine Room Fire Sparks Request for New IMO Requirements
The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released its report into the engine room fire on board ro-ro passenger ferry Stena Europe as it approached Fishguard, Wales.At 2115 on 11 February 2023, a fire broke out in the engine room of the vessel while on passage from Rosslare, Ireland, to Fishguard, Wales. The fire caused significant damage to the engine room but nobody was injured and there was no damage to the environment.
Australia Declares Sixth Offshore Wind Zone
The Australian Government has declared a new offshore wind zone in Bass Strait, north of Tasmania.Tasmania has some of the best wind resources in the world. Bass Strait has been named as one of the top options for offshore wind energy generation in the country by the Australian Energy Market Operator.The new zone could support up to 20GW of renewable energy – more than half of the current electricity demand across southeast Australia.
Two Russian Tankers Flounder in Storm
A Russian oil tanker carrying thousands of tonnes of oil products split apart during a heavy storm on Sunday, spilling oil into the Kerch Strait, while another tanker was also in distress after sustaining damage, Russian officials said.The vessels were in the Kerch Strait between mainland Russia and Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, when they issued distress signals.Russian investigators…
House Oversight Committee Releases Memo on USCG Misconduct Probe
House Committee on Oversight and Accountability has released an interim staff memorandum providing an update on the Committee’s ongoing investigation into the United…
Baltic Index sees Fourth Consecutive Weekly Loss
The Baltic Exchange's dry bulk sea freight index, which measures shipping rates for vessels transporting dry bulk commodities, recorded its fourth consecutive weekly decline on Friday…
Netherlands Navy CCS arrives at Damen after Sea Trials
Combat Support Ship (CSS) Den Helder (A834) arrived in Vlissingen this morning after successfully completing her maiden voyage and sea trials.The new supply ship for the Royal Netherlands Navy departed from the Damen Naval shipyard in Galați, Romania on 16 November for her Sea Acceptance Tests (SATs) and is now in Vlissingen-Oost for the final outfitting phase of the project. In the coming months,…
Authorities Attempt to Reopen Germany's Mosel River
Navigation authorities will attempt to install a temporary lock system on the river Mosel in west Germany this weekend to enable the river, an important route for…
Trump Signals Support for ILA Dockworkers
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday appeared to back the anti-automation stance of some 45,000 union dockworkers on the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts, whose…
China: US-backed Philippines 'provoked trouble' in South China Sea
China accused the Philippines on Friday of having "provoked trouble" in the South China Sea with U.S. backing, a week after Beijing and Manila traded accusations…
Hindustan Shipyard Lays Keel for New Indian Navy’s Fleet Support Ship
The keel of the first of five Fleet Support Ships (FSS), being built at Hindustan Shipyard, was recently laid at a ceremony held at the shipyard.The HSL VC11200 project project, when delivered, will considerably enhance the Indian Navy’s operational capabilities also marks a major milestone in the shipyard’s ability to undertake complex projects.The Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) is providing classification services for all five vessels.
Maersk says Global Trade could rise 7% in 2025
Maersk expects global trade growth rising as much as 7% next year, bolstered by strong demand from the United States where a potential port strike and tariffs on foreign-made goods loom…
Sweden: New Offshore Wind not Commercially Viable
Developing offshore wind projects off Sweden's coasts is not commercially viable currently, a government commission tasked with reviewing and speeding up the system…
NOAA Unveils FLA Keys Marine Sanctuary Restoration Blueprint
After more than a decade of collaboration with cooperating agencies, community experts and public input, NOAA today released the final management plan and environmental impact statement for Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.The documents outline NOAA’s regulatory recommendations and mark a critical milestone in the most comprehensive public process to restore the Florida Keys’ delicate ecosystem.The first management plan update since 2007 — crafted with extensive collaboration among NOAA…
Taiwan: China's threat towards island is "evolving"
Taiwan's defense ministry said on Friday that China's threat to Taiwan and the region has been evolving since 2022, when it began its current series of war games…
