Barge In News

As offshore wind rises to meet ambitious climate goals, balancing the need for infrastructure with maintaining biodiversity has become a pressing challenge. One innovative, recent example is the installation of the UK’s first nearshore artificial nesting structures, designed to safeguard seabirds while enabling the development of the world’s single largest offshore wind farm.Hornsea 3, developed by Ørsted, plays a critical role in the UK’s clean energy transition. Yet the project faced a significant environmental challenge by needing to protect the black-legged kittiwake…

On Yonges Island, South Carolina, just up the Wadmalaw River from Charleston, the fourth-generation maritime company Stevens Towing Company continues to rewrite its own history. Long known for its towing and barge work, its ship repair business is growing at light speed, transforming what began decades ago as an internal maintenance yard into a dynamic commercial shipyard serving tugs, barges, OSVs, and dredge vessels from Florida to Virginia. At the center of this evolution is Kurt Olsen…

Italy’s Cimolai Technology  reached a major construction milestone on one of the largest crane projects currently underway in Europe, completing the lifting and erection of the main girder of the first of two massive 800-ton rail-mounted Goliath cranes at the Port of Chioggia.The lift, carried out at Cimolai Technology’s Chioggia facility in the Val da Rio port area, marks the conclusion of a critical technical phase in a complex, international heavy-engineering project. Once completed…

Bunker barge United LNG I was christened in the port of Antwerp, an important moment for shipping company Somtrans, main shipbuilding contractor RensenDriessen and outfitting partners TeamCo Shipyard and Gas & Heat.The vessel will enter service in early 2026, reinforcing the growing role of LNG bunkering in the Belgian and Dutch seaports.It is an estuary-class LNG bunker barge designed for both inland waterways and coastal service up to Zeebrugge. Measuring 135 x21.46 m, the barge carries eight cylindrical Type C cargo tanks of 1…

Dong Fang Offshore (DFO), one of Asia’s largest offshore wind service providers, has signed a major shipbuilding contract with Norwegian yard Westcon for a new subsea and cable lay vessel (CLV), set for delivery in 2027.Westcon will take over and complete construction of a large cable lay vessel already under build.DFO said the order supports its recent growth and replaces installation capacity lost in Taiwan after DeepOcean exercised an option to keep the Orient Adventurer working in Europe until 2028…

Schottel is supplying propulsion systems and a unique control concept for barges and tugs serving at Mineral Resources’ (MinRes) Onslow Iron project.All seven barges and two of the project's seven tugs are newbuilds being constructed by COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry in Zhoushan and Guangdong, China. Five barges have already commenced operations at the Port of Ashburton (Western Australia), with the final units scheduled for delivery in 2026. The two tugs are also scheduled to be delivered in 2026.Jeff Weber…

C&C Marine and Repair has promoted Nick Bergeron to General Manager.Bergeron brings more than 30 years of marine industry experience to his expanded role. Prior to joining C&C Marine, he spent 25 years with Zito Companies in a variety of leadership and operations positions.“Nick has been a tremendous addition to the C&C family,” said Tony Cibilich, Owner of C&C Marine and Repair. “He has an exceptional understanding of the business, and he works well with everyone. His leadership…

Officer Lee Tae Young, a first mate from the Republic of Korea, has been awarded the IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea, in recognition of his heroic actions that saved 12 fellow crew members from the Geum Seong No. 135 when it sunk in November 2024. He was honored during a special ceremony recognizing seafarers held in London on November 24, 2025, in the margins of the IMO Assembly taking place from November 24 to December 3, 2025. IMO Secretary-General Mr. Arsenio Dominguez applauded Mr.

TotalEnergies Marketing Middle East, a fully owned subsidiary of TotalEnergies based in Dubai, has time chartered a first-of-its-type 750 cubic meter hybrid lubricants bunkering barge from Tristar Group to supplement its Lubmarine division’s ship-to-ship operations in the port of Fujairah, UAE as of October 1st. The Tristar Eco Voyager, featuring a hybrid engine design that combines electric and biofuel power, coupled with an advanced powertrain, is designed to significantly reduce carbon emissions compared to traditional diesel propulsion barges.

It’s been said that American maritime is “having a moment” in Washington, DC.From President Trump’s Executive Order on Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance, to introduction of the bipartisan, bicameral SHIPS for America Act in Congress, the U.S. maritime industry has been a subject of focused attention at the highest levels of government, and rightfully so. At their core, these initiatives are driven by recognition that a strong maritime industry is not only vital to the American economy…

From inland towboats and tank barges, to oceangoing tankers and government fleets, Bergan Marine is literally everywhere you look on the waterfront. Kyle Durden, President & CEO, Bergan Marine Systems, discusses the rich history of this company; born in 1975 in Norway but operating from Florida since 1980, Bergan Marine Systems offers a full family of product and services that are connected, modular solutions that reduce installation and operating costs – ultimately providing better data.When Kyle Durden reflects on his maritime career…

The Governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, visited Navantia UK’s Appledore shipyard to view the contribution of the defense and maritime industry to the regional economy. The Bank’s policymakers regularly visit and speak to businesses across the UK, including the South West. These visits help them gain valuable insight as to how local businesses are performing in the current economic circumstances, and contribute to their wider perspective and understanding as to how the economy in the UK as whole is performing.

We are well into the discussions advising shipbuilders and operators how the U.S. will create a renaissance of the maritime industry. Federal Legislation, Executive Orders, and new foreign partnerships driving the promise of commercial competitiveness with the leading global shipbuilders. Most of the shipbuilding rhetoric indicates the domestic markets will be left to survive on their own. This despite the fact the domestic operators and builders have proven to be the strongest…

Master Boat Builders, Inc. announced it has taken delivery of a new floating dry dock, giving the company direct control over launch schedules and accelerating vessel deliveries.Designed and built by Conrad Shipyard, the dry dock measures 155’ long x 66’ wide with 41’ tall wing walls, features a 2,000‑ton lifting capacity, and incorporates a barge bow to enable efficient towing. Master Boat will use the dock to launch recently constructed vessels. Previously, Master Boat rolled…

The American Waterways Operators, the trade association of the American tugboat, towboat and barge industry, has released a new video on the industry's contributions to U.S. national and homeland security.The two-minute video, The Tugboat, Towboat and Barge Industry: Supplying America, Securing America, notes that while the mariners who transport cargo and facilitate commerce on America's rivers, coasts, harbors and Great Lakes are critical to powering the economy, they also play…

The path toward funding the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) – and the critical inland infrastructure maintenance and construction of locks and dams that it does – is neither straight nor clear. Jen Armstrong, VP, Government Relations, Waterways Council, visited recently with Maritime Reporter TV to discuss in detail the historical context of how USACE funding has evolved in the past 50 years. A functional and efficient locks and dams system is not simply a matter of catering to inland waterway operators; rather it is a logistics imperative to fuel the U.S.

Raymarine, a leader in marine electronics, announced that its Pathfinder Radar System has been selected by New Orleans-based Blessey Marine to support the company’s inland tow boat and barge fleet operating across the United States.As required on new and refitted vessels, Blessey Marine’s full fleet will be outfitted with Raymarine Commercial radars and displays in the coming months. These radar systems will help the Blessey Marine fleet transport its customers’ wide array of bulk cargoes safely and efficiently throughout the navigable inland waterways of the U.S.…

Tanco Terminals is expanding its liquid barge facility at the Ports of Indiana–Jeffersonville to meet rising demand for blended fertilizers across southern Indiana and northern Kentucky.The $750,000 expansion includes two new 45,000-gallon tanks designed to support regional cooperative Premier Ag, which is the customer of Tanco Terminals. The tanks will enable on-demand blending of fertilizer additives tailored to local soil conditions, a capability expected to increase throughput…

ST Engineering’s Marine business and Siemens Energy have been awarded a second contract by Transcontinental Capital Corporation (Bermuda), a subsidiary of Seaboard Corporation, to deliver Estrella del Mar IV, a barge-mounted power plant to Santo Domingo in Dominican Republic.The new power plant will be based on its predecessor, the Estrella del Mar III, which was commissioned in 2022.When completed, it will enhance the Dominican Republic’s energy infrastructure with greater efficiency…

Saipem, in consortium with BOS Shelf LLC and BOS Shelf International FZCO, (both companies being affiliates to the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic, SOCAR) has been awarded three new offshore contracts for the Shah Deniz Compression project operated by bp in Azerbaijan.The overall value of the contracts is approximately $700 million, and Saipem’s share amounts to $600 million.Saipem’s scope of work encompasses the transportation and installation of a new 19,000-ton compression platform in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea…

The Towing Vessel Inspection Bureau (TVIB) announced that Rio Marine, Inc. has become the first maritime services provider to achieve certification under the American Waterways Operators’ (AWO) Responsible Carrier Program (RCP).The RCP is a safety management system for the tugboat, towboat, and barge industry that sets standards for safety, environmental stewardship, and continuous improvement. To earn certification, companies undergo a third-party audit evaluating policies, procedures, employee practices, and operational performance.Capt. David A. Foret Jr.

St. Johns Ship Building, a Jones Act shipyard and a subsidiary of Americraft Marine, has been awarded a new contract by Johnson Bros. Corporation, a Southland Company, for the construction of three 140’ x 40’ x 8’ steel material deck barges with spud wells.All fabrication and assembly work will be performed at St. Johns Ship Building’s Palatka, Florida facility. The project further accelerates the shipyard’s growth, following multiple recent vessel deliveries and new contract awards from both commercial and government customers.This contract also supports St.

Combifloat Group of the Netherlands and Poseidon Barge of the United States, with the backing of Marine Equipment Solutions (MES), have launched a new joint venture (JV) under the name of Poseidon Jackup to bring ‘world-class’ modular jack-up technology to North America.The partnership will offer Jones Act compliant solutions tailored to the needs of U.S. and Canadian marine contractors.Poseidon Jackup introduces purpose-built, modular jack-up barge systems engineered for performance…