Focus News

LeeWay Marine, a Dartmouth, Nova Scotia based owner and operator or survey and research vessels, announced Bill Sanson will be joining the team as President, taking on the day-to-day oversight of LeeWay operations.Sanson comes to LeeWay from the Royal Canadian Navy and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the maritime domain. “With his extensive marine background, deep operational experience and fresh perspective, we’re confident Bill will be a tremendous asset to the LeeWay team.” said Jamie Sangster, CEO of LeeWay. “He’s an operator and a leader.

Centus Marine, a Malaysian operator of fast crew boats, has selected Singaporean shipbuilder Strategic Marine to build the next generation of high-speed personnel transfer vessels, developed by AIRCAT.The new vessel, developed in partnership with AIRCAT Vessels and based on the AIRCAT 35 Crewliner surface effect ship (SES) platform, will be designed to achieve speeds exceeding 50 knots while ensuring the safety and comfort of passengers during transit to and from offshore oil and gas platforms.An advanced lift system will allow the vessel to achieve minimum draft on water…

Northern Offshore Services (N-O-S) on Monday announced it has ordered a series of new E-Class crew transfer vessels (CTV) for scheduled delivery during the second half of 2025.A N-O-S spokesperson told MarineLink the order is for four CTVs from Penguin Shipyard in Singapore.The 36.5-meter-long (loa) aluminum catamaran vessels will feature updated and improved hull design for improved fuel efficiency, reduced environmental impact and enhanced stability, the N-O-S announcement said.

Esgian has no rig contracts to announced but provides an update on rig moves and drilling operations in the US Gulf of Mexico, Canada, Morocco and Norway in its Week 38 Rig Analytics Market Roundup.Report SummaryDrilling Activity and DiscoveriesExxonMobil has abandoned the Persephone C-54 well on EL 1169 in the Orphan Basin offshore Newfoundland, Canada.Seadrill’s 12,000-ft drillship West Neptune has resumed drilling operations on LLOG’s Who Dat South exploration well in the US Gulf of Mexico…

Ammonia-to-power solutions company Amogy announced it is teaming up with a group of industry partners to explore the technological feasibility of an innovative offshore ammonia cracking solution aimed at delivering low-cost, accessible clean hydrogen fuel.The consortium will focus on developing an Offshore Ammonia Cracking Solution technology. HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) will design the ammonia supply system and integrate it into the overall system, Amogy will provide its ammonia-cracking technology…

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has unveiled nearly $300 million in grants from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law aimed at transforming and expanding ferry systems across the United States. This substantial investment will support the modernization of ferry services, which are vital for millions of Americans.Each year, ferries facilitate approximately 56 million trips nationwide, playing a crucial role in transporting people and goods…

Marine energy infrastructure solutions company Höegh LNG announced it has rebranded as Höegh Evi in a move that reflects its expansion beyond liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels and terminals.Standing for “energy vector infrastructure,” the name Evi encompass a wider range of clean energy solutions, including floating infrastructure for ammonia and hydrogen, as well as carbon transport and storage (CCS), in addition to LNG.“In a world of rapid change and evolving energy demands, customers need a partner to help them balance today’s energy security needs with tomorrow’s clean energy ambitions.

Seaspan on Thursday announced its Vancouver Drydock has completed a Vessel Life Extension (VLE) program for the 38-year-old Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker vessel CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier. After undocking at the end of April 2024, the vessel completed an in-water work period in preparation for ship commissioning and sea trials, finally departing Seaspan on August 17, 2024.According to Seaspan, the ship repair and overhaul project was the largest and most complex ever undertaken at Vancouver Drydock.The entire project consisted of more than100 separate upgrades including…

On November 19th and 20th, maritime professionals from Greece and beyond will gather in Athens for the highly anticipated Hellenic Maritime Forum. This esteemed event will provide a dynamic platform for industry stakeholders—including shipowners, ship managers, port authorities, regulators, classification societies, technology firms, and suppliers—to address key issues affecting the maritime sector.A major focus will be the need for decarbonization. As global sustainability efforts intensify, the maritime industry is under increasing pressure to reduce its carbon footprint.

Classification society DNV and Navigation Brilliance (Brinav) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate in fast-tracking the development and approval of autonomous and remote-controlled shipping technologies.The signing of the MoU signifies a wider collaboration effort between DNV and Brinav and a strategic step towards realizing the potential of the autonomous technology for maritime industry.Brinav, a specialist in maritime autonomy and green technologies…

Dutch maritime start-up accelerator PortXL has presented its 2024 cohort and connected them to partners and mentors.The Matchmaking Monday event took place at the RDM, the Rotterdam space for innovative companies, technology education, high-quality test facilities and field labs.For the partners and PortXL’s team this was the conclusion of months of gathering industry questions and problems, and finding and evaluating start-ups and scale-ups to match these challenges. In the coming months the innovators will go through the program with the goal of collaborating with industry players…

The U.S. Coast Guard worked alongside international partners to seize tens of millions of dollars worth of cocaine from drug smugglers in the Caribbean Sea.The Coast Guard said its cutter Diligence offloaded more than 4,125 pounds of cocaine, worth an assessed street value of approximately $54 million, in Port Everglades, Fla. on Monday.The illegal narcotics were seized in international waters during three separate interdictions, involving U.K. Royal Navy ship HMS Trent (P 244), U.S. Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement Team Pacific (PAC-TACLET), U.S.

When he joined Glosten more than 26 years ago as an intern, little did Morgan Fanberg know that one day he’d be at the helm leading one of the largest privately owned naval architecture firm in the United States. But this USMMA-grad was well outfitted for the task, and in this Maritime Matters: The Marinelink Podcast, Fanberg’s passion for the maritime industry and his company is clear as he candidly discusses the challenges he, his team and the maritime industry face in meeting legislatively mandated goals…

Container liner shipping company ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd., announced it has entered into a new long-term operational cooperation with Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) on the Asia - U.S. East Coast and Asia - U.S. Gulf trades.The new services are scheduled to be launched in February 2025, subject to regulatory approvals and filings, ZIM said.Eli Glickman, ZIM President & CEO, said, "This important collaboration reflects ZIM's commitment to both delivering an outstanding shipping solution to its customers…

Classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR) is collaborating with Amogy and RotoBoost in a study aimed at reducing emissions in the maritime industry. The joint development project (JDP) will assess the potential of advanced technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells, ammonia-to-power systems, and pre-combustion Carbon Dioxide Capture Storage (CCS) systems from technical, financial, and regulatory perspectives.This partnership marks a significant step toward evaluating how these…

The United States has remained the largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) so far in 2024, but a steep drop in selling prices and a sharp swing in export volumes to key markets is likely testing exporter appetite to stay on top.The United States shipped a record 56.9 million metric tons of LNG during the first eight months of 2024, according to Kpler.That surpassed the 54.3 million tons from Australia and 53.7 million tons from Qatar during that period, and marks only the second straight year that U.S.

Naval architecture and marine engineering firm BMT announced it has teamed up with Canadian ferry transportation company Greenline Marine to develop a new all-electric ferry design.The new 32-meter Greenline 150 Passenger Electric Ferry is equipped with the latest in electric propulsion technology and features an optimized hull form and propulsion system, with hull, propellers and rudders engineered to reduce the energy required for movement. This focus on efficiency directly…

Everywhere you turn, discussions about a labor shortage are prevalent, and this issue is not confined to any specific industry. The maritime sector has been grappling with this challenge for years, and from an external perspective, it can seem as though we are unable to attract enough talent for both seagoing and shoreside positions.Having spent over a decade within the industry, I can affirm that labor shortages are just as influenced by hiring processes as they are by recruitment efforts.To clarify…

Naval architecture and marine engineering firm C-Job Naval Architects announced it has appointed Heidi Landen-Greene as president of C-Job Houston, overseeing sales and engineering teams located in the company’s office in the city and overall U.S. operations.Prior to joining C-Job, Landen-Greene’s experience in the industry includes technology director and operations director roles for the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). These titles are the most recent in a long and impressive 28-year career at ABS overseeing strategic projects, as an engineering director and in various manager positions.

Designed for the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), Cobham Satcom’s two new satellite Safety Terminals are prepared for new generation safety services from maritime satellite service providers, Inmarsat Maritime (SAILOR Fleet C) and Iridium (SAILOR 7200 GMDSS).The new products for the new satellite-based safety services with voice, messaging and data functions from Inmarsat and Iridium can integrate the Long-Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) system, and the Ship Security Alert Systems (SSAS) into a single product…

Norwegian shipbuilder Vard has secured a contract to provide design and equipment to Cochin Shipyard in India for two Service Operation Vessels (SOVs), one of VARD 4 07 and one of VARD 4 19 design, being built for North Star.Vard has previously delivered 12 designs to the Cochin Shipyard. The first hybrid electric SOV to be delivered by Cochin Shipyard is of VARD 4 07 design and is tailored to meet North Star’s specific requirements.The focus has been to develop a competitive…

As two U.S. aircraft carrier battle groups patrolled the Indian Ocean this week in an explicit effort to deter Iran from striking Israel and sparking a major regional conflict, a very different military messaging effort was underway in a luxury conference centre in Manila.The 35th annual Military Law and Operations Conference organised by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command – running from Aug. 27-30 – is held every year in a different country in the region – but its presence in the capital of the Philippines this week was likely far from a coincidence.Since late 2023…

Danish subsea cable and services firm NKT, in close collaboration with SSEN Transmission, has completed the turnkey project of connecting the Shetland Islands to the main grid in Scotland with the Shetland HVDC Link.The 320 kV HVDC interconnector is now a key contributor to the integration of renewable energy in Great Britain.Interconnected power grids are essential to the green transition and with the completion of the Shetland HVDC Link, 600 MW of renewable energy can now flow…