First Phase News

Brazil's Federal Audit Court (TCU) on Monday voted six to three to recommend that operators of existing container terminals at the Santos port be barred from participating in the first phase of bidding for a planned mega terminal, citing concerns over market concentration.The decision deals a blow to companies such as Danish shipping group Maersk, MSC and others already operating container terminals in Latin America's largest port, as these companies will only be able to enter a second phase of the auction if the first does not attract valid bids.The two-phase model, proposed by port regulator

The Digitally Enabled Efficient Propeller (D.E.E.P) project, led by industry consortium and funded by Innovate UK, has been launched to investigate the development of a new generation of marine propellers produced using advanced additive manufacturing (AM) processes, integrated with digital twin technology.The innovation is set to transform propellers from passive hardware into smart, cyber-physical systems capable of monitoring their performance throughout their operational life.The D.E.E.P concept has secured funding from Innovate UK…

Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard Company (ASRY) unveiled an innovative solar energy project that it says embodies the vision of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to build a future based on sustainability and innovation.The ASRY solar energy project is touted as the largest of its kind in the world in the ship repair and shipbuilding sector, in partnership with Kanoo CleanMax Renewables.The total capacity of the solar power plant is 22.5MW in the first phase, plus 22MW in the second.

At Gastech 2025, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) received approval in principle (AIP) from ABS for its concept design of a 16,000 TEU container ship with an electric propulsion system.ABS completed design reviews based on class requirements, analyzing the power system including key elements such as power generation, power conversion and propulsion motors.“ABS, HD KSOE and HHI share a commitment to leveraging our combined resources and expertise to advance electrical applications in the maritime industry.

The U.S. Coast Guard’s Facilities Design and Construction Center completed a contract modification with The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company Aug. 25 to remove up to 100 submerged concrete piles under the old Pier November at Base Charleston in North Charleston, South Carolina. The modification, with a potential value of approximately $14.8 million, includes work that is necessary to complete construction of new, modernized piers to provide support and logistics for up to five…

The development Argentina’s vast Vaca Muerta share is transforming the nation into a rising energy exporter, with oil and pipeline gas already flowing abroad and an ambitious multi-phase ‘Argentina LNG’ initiative aiming to secure a permanent place in the global liquefied natural gas (LNG) market. While geological resources appear sufficient, the scale and pace of development, however, present challenges.‘Argentina LNG’ is a large-scale LNG scheme designed to massively develop Vaca Muerta's resources to deliver energy to domestic and international market.

Taihan’s cable laying vessel (CLV), PALOS, has successfully completed the installation of export cables for the 364.8 MW Yeonggwang Nakwol offshore wind farm in South Korea.The project, being developed Nakwol Blue Heart, is located near Songido, is a large-scale initiative to develop a 364.8MW wind power complex.With a total project cost of $1.6 billion, the facility will generate enough electricity to power approximately 250,000 households year-round upon completion. The overall…

Vessel operators must embed cybersecurity into their operational procedures to meet USCG 33 CFR Part 104, writes Nicolas Furgé, President, Cyber, MarlinkAs cyber threats continue to grow in both scale and complexity, maritime stakeholders, from shipowners and operators to port facilities are facing new regulatory demands to improve cyber resilience.The latest cybersecurity rules from the United States Coast Guard (USCG), amending parts 101, 104, 105 and 106 of 33 CFR Sub-chapter F, represent a major shift in how cybersecurity is addressed by U.S.-flagged vessels and U.S.

The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation successfully completed the world’s first maritime pilot demonstrating the full value chain of onboard captured carbon dioxide (CO2) in China.The pilot encompassed two phases. In the first phase, Shanghai Qiyao Environmental Technology (SMDERI-QET) conducted a ship-to-ship (STS) transfer of 25.44 metric tons (MT) of captured CO2 from the container vessel MV Ever Top to the receiving vessel Dejin 26. The CO2 was subsequently offloaded from Dejin 26 to a tank truck at a jetty in Zhoushan…

Global shipping groups are looking to Brazil's courts to overturn competition rules that bar them from participating in the first round of bidding on a major new container terminal at Latin America's largest port, due to take place later this year.Danish shipping group Maersk filed a lawsuit on Monday in Sao Paulo against Brazil's marine transport authority (Antaq), and its general director, according to a document seen by Reuters. The lawsuit called for "procedural corrections to ensure a fair process" to assign the Tecon 10 terminal at the Port of Santos.The bidding rules…

Domestic U.S. shipping interests are closely monitoring a United States Trade Representative (“USTR”) proposal for import and export trades involving Chinese vessels. There is an ongoing Section 301 investigation prompted by domestic industry concerns about China’s industrial ambitions in sectors that are critical to U.S. economic and national security. The outsized role of China in international ocean shipping is greater than many would expect. China’s global tonnage of the shipbuilding market share grew from less than 5% in 1999 to over 50% in 2023.

ADNOC Gas said on Tuesday it had taken a final investment decision on the first phase of its Rich Gas Development (RGD) Project, awarding $5 billion in contracts to expand and improve efficiency at the project.The contracts involve expanding processing units to boost throughput and improve operational efficiency across its Asab, Buhasa, Habshan onshore facilities and its offshore Das Island liquefaction facility, the company said in a statement.The contracts were awarded to British oilfield services firms Wood Group and Petrofac, and to Kent.ADNOC Gas, a subsidiary of the United Arab Emirates'

Retrofit specialist GLO Marine has secured hydraulic system upgrade job on Bluewater’s Haewene Brim floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit, following the successful delivery of the project’s first phase.The contract builds on the collaboration between GLO Marine and Bluewater in  Phase 1 of the FPSO upgrade program, where GLO Marine delivered the full feasibility and engineering scope, including detailed technical analysis, prototype validation, and a complete set of engineering deliverables.Aa part of the second phase…

HX Expeditions has launched an excursion program in Arctic Canada developed in partnership with Inuit Elders, local residents and community-born staff.It marks the first time a global cruise company has introduced a community-led program of this scale in the region. Launching in summer 2025, the community-led excursions will be offered on HX’s 25-day Northwest Passage sailings: westbound from Greenland to Alaska aboard MS Fridtjof Nansen, HX’s newest hybrid-powered vessel, and eastbound from Alaska to Greenland aboard MS Roald Amundsen…

A joint venture project developing the first marine fuel facility for liquefied natural gas in the U.S. Gulf Coast has secured final permits and construction is expected to begin later this year, executives involved said on Monday.The global shipping industry has been looking for fuel solutions to cut carbon emissions, with LNG seen as a cleaner alternative.U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is seeking to expand LNG exports to help reduce Europe's dependency on Russian gas after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine three years ago.U.S. LNG can be used as a marine fuel in U.S.

Dutch offshore installation firm Van Oord has started scour protection works at RWE Nordseecluster offshore wind farm, kicking off the offshore construction for the first phase of the 1.6GW project.The scour protection provides full protection for the monopiles that will be installed later this year.The works are being executed by Van Oord’s flexible fallpipe vessel Stornes, which is equipped with a dynamic positioning system, a flexible fallpipe, and in-house developed ROV technology.“This allows us to install the scour protection with high precision and efficiency…

China's Guangzhou Port, the largest shipping hub in the country's south, opened a direct route to Chancay port in Peru on Tuesday, state broadcaster CCTV reported, a move it said would reduce logistics costs and bolster trade with Latin America.Located north of Lima, Chancay recently began operations with non-stop voyages to and from Asia, accommodating the largest vessels on South America's Pacific coast.The announcement comes as Beijing aims to further strengthen its relationship with resource rich Latin America amid trade tensions with the United States.On Tuesday, the 300 metre vessel COSC

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (“USTR”) issued a detailed notice on April 17, 2025, regarding actions and proposed actions in response to China's alleged targeting of the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors for dominance. The measures, USTR argues, will “disincentivize the use of Chinese shipping and Chinese-built ships, thereby providing leverage on China to change its acts, policies, and practices, and send a critically needed demand signal for U.S.-built ships.” Below, we break down the key elements of the notice and their potential impacts.

Taiwanese shipping firm Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp has purchased three 8,000 TEU methanol dual-fuel-ready container ships from Japanese ship leasing company Shoei Kisen Kaisha.The vessels, being built by Imabari Shipbuilding, are scheduled for delivery between 2028 and 2029.Yang Ming said the acquisition will strengthen its global service network and reinforce its commitment to providing customers with reliable and sustainable transportation service.To support business growth and maintain core competitiveness…

Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) said it intends to award a contract for seven new loch-class electric ferries to Poland's Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A in Gdansk, Poland.The Small Vessel Replacement Program (SVRP) will see seven fully electric vessels built in the first phase, with an additional three delivered in phase two of the project, which will be procured through a separate competitive tender process later in 2025."These seven new vessels, when combined with the six major new vessels joining the fleet in 2025 and 2026…

Woodside Energy has held talks with several potential buyers of stakes in its Louisiana liquefied natural gas plant, including Tokyo Gas, Japan's JERA and Saudi Aramco-backed MidOcean Energy, multiple sources told Reuters.The timing of the stake sale is a test case for buoyant market expectations around LNG with the return of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency. Trump has said trade partners should buy more U.S. energy and issued several executive orders in his first weeks in…

Woodside Energy has held talks with several potential buyers of stakes in its Louisiana liquefied natural gas plant, including Tokyo Gas, Japan's JERA and Saudi Aramco-backed MidOcean Energy, multiple sources told Reuters.The timing of the stake sale is a test case for buoyant market expectations around LNG with the return of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency. Trump has said trade partners should buy more U.S. energy and issued several executive orders in his first weeks in…

A.P. Møller - Maersk has decided to initiate a share buy-back program of up to DKK 14.4 billion (around $2 billion) to be executed over a period of 12 months.The purpose of the program is to adjust the capital structure of the company ultimately through cancellation of shares repurchased. It was in February last year due to market uncertainties caused by disruptions in the Red Sea.The first phase of the share buy-back program will run from February 7 to August 6, 2025. The shares to be acquired will be limited to a total market value of DKK 7.2 billion (around $1 billion).