Maiden Voyage News

On March 25, Damen Shipyards Group delivered the second of four Combi Freighters (CF) 3850 to Reederei Bernd Sibum following successful sea trials in Shanghai. The vessels are being constructed at Damen Yichang Shipyard in China. The first vessel, delivered at the beginning of February, is currently on its maiden voyage, bound for Norway with a project cargo.The new generation CF 3850 vessels are designed for high efficiency. In their standard form the vessels are able to sail on 100% biofuel and are prepared for hybrid propulsion.

The Grimaldi Group has taken delivery of the new PCTC Grande Seoul.Built by Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Company Limited (SWS) and China Shipbuilding Trading Company (CSTC) – both part of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) – the vessel is the Italian group’s ninth ammonia-ready unit.With a length of 200 meters, a beam of 38 meters, and a gross tonnage of approximately 77,500 tonnes, the Grande Seoul has been designed for the efficient transport of vehicles (cars, SUVs, vans, etc.), both electric and powered by traditional fuels, as well as any other type of rolling cargo.

Maersk has taken delivery of Tangier Mærsk, the first vessel in a new series of six mid‑size vessels.The delivery took place at Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Group’s yard in Jingjiang, China, where the vessel was named Tangier Mærsk.The six vessels in this new series have a capacity of 9,000 TEU each and are equipped with a dual fuel engine able to operate on methanol.On its maiden voyage, Tangier Mærsk will call Shanghai and enter deployment on Maersk’s TP15 service, which connects…

The MV Isle of Islay began her maiden voyage from Cemre shipyard in Turkey back to Scotland last night.Following her official handover to owners Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd. (CMAL) last week, a crew from CalMac is now onboard and will sail her back to Scotland. The repositioning voyage is expected to take around two weeks, depending on weather conditions.During the journey home, MV Isle of Islay will call at two to three European ports for refueling, depending on need and fuel testing results.

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.

On October 22, the port of Shanghai hosted a ceremony for the official naming and delivery of the Grimaldi Group’s latest vessel, the Grande Melbourne.This is the third of a series of seven cutting-edge, ammonia-ready pure car and truck carriers (PCTC) commissioned at Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Company Limited (SWS) and China Shipbuilding Trading Company Limited (CSTC), both subsidiaries of CSSC.With a length of 200 meters, a beam of 38 meters, and a gross tonnage of approximately 77…

Stena Line’s newest vessel, Stena Connecta, was officially named at the CMI Shipyard in Weihai, China on October 16, and will soon begin her maiden voyage to her new home port on the Irish Sea. Alongside Stena Futura, which entered service in September, these two new freight ferries will boost freight capacity by 40 percent on the Belfast–Heysham route.Attending the ceremony were Stena Line CEO Niclas Mårtensson, members of the company’s executive team, and Stena AB owner Dan Sten Olsson.Stena Connecta is a New Max RoRo ship built for maximized freight capacity…

A Chinese container ship has completed a pioneering journey through the Arctic to a UK port, state-run news agency Xinhua reported, cutting in half the usual transit time for the electric vehicles and solar panels aboard destined for Europe.The Istanbul Bridge's maiden voyage, originally expected to take 18 days, was delayed by two days due to a storm off the coast of Norway but the ship still reached Europe earlier than the 40 to 50 days it takes freighters going through the Suez Canal or around the Cape of Good Hope.The new Northern Sea Route…

The Grimaldi Group has welcomed the Grande Svezia into its fleet, the second in a series of 10 next-generation PCTC vessels under construction at China Merchants Heavy Industries Jiangsu.Measuring 220 meters in length and 38 meters in width, with a gross tonnage of 91,611 tons and a service speed of 18 knots, the Grande Svezia can carry up to 9,000 CEU (Car Equivalent Units) across 14 decks.Like her sister ship Grande Shanghai, delivered less than a month ago, the vessel is designed…

Union Maritime’s new wind-assist tanker Brands Hatch has completed its maiden voyage, achieving more than a third of its propulsion power from wind when conditions were favorable.The vessel is the first newbuild tanker installed with BAR Technologies’ WindWings®.Brands Hatch achieved significant fuel savings while maintaining strong sailing speeds in challenging weather.Union Maritime also employed sail-aware weather routing from Ascenz Marorka on the voyage. Whilst on global routes each WindWing can save an average of 1.5 tonnes of fuel per wing per day.

The Grimaldi Group has taken delivery of the Grande Auckland, the second of seven PCTCs commissioned from Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Company Limited (SWS) and China Shipbuilding Trading Company Limited (CSTC) – two companies that are part of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited (CSSC).With a length of 200 meters, a beam of 38 meters, and a gross tonnage of around 77,500 tons, the Grande Auckland has been designed for the transport of vehicles — cars, SUVs, vans,…

Italian shipping firm Grimaldi Group has welcomed the second ammonia-ready pure car and truck carrier (PCTC), Grande Tianjin, from Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding (SWS), a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited (CSSC).The delivery of a 9,000-car capacity PTCT built for Grimaldi Group also marks SWS's 600th vessel or offshore platform since its inaugural delivery, the 150,000-ton Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) unit Hai Yang Shi You 111, in 2003.The Grande Tianjin is compatible with electric vehicles…

Global project heavy lift specialist AAL Shipping (AAL) is preparing to take delivery of its sixth 32,000-deadweight (DWT), 700 metric ton (MT) heavy lift Super B-Class vessel, the AAL Dammam. Unveiled at a naming ceremony at the CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipyard in Guangzhou, China, she is part of an eight-vessel newbuild fleet totaling 256,000 DWT and will immediately enter service with her maiden voyage, transporting offshore renewable energy cargo from China to the UK.The methanol…

Researchers have identified a shipwreck off Porkkala, in southern Finland, as the Swedish warship “Falken,” a 17th-century vessel built in Stockholm and considered the “little sister” of the iconic Vasa ship.The shipwreck was discovered 50 years ago, but it is only now that Associate Professor Niklas Eriksson has been able to identify it thanks to a digital 3D model of the ship created by the Finnish Maritime Archaeological Society.“We have realised that a lot of this ship still is preserved," Eriksson said during a dive at the site.

The world's largest car carrier making its maiden voyage is generally cause for celebration. But in the case of Chinese car manufacturer BYD and its mammoth new BYD Shenzhen -- a 16,300 dwt, 9200 CEU, LNG Dual-Fuel PCTC that measures 219.9 x 37.7m with a 9.2m draft -- the ship instead represents the flooding of a market with cheap electric vehicles (EVs).The world's largest car-carrying ship - with the equivalent of 20 football fields of vehicles - completed its maiden journey late last month to dock in Brazil's Itajai port.BYD…

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Storis (WAGB 21), the Coast Guard’s first polar icebreaker acquired in more than 25 years, has departed on its maiden voyage.The motor vessel Aiviq, acquired Dec. 20, 2024, from an Edison Chouest Offshore subsidiary, was renamed Storis following modifications to enhance communications and self-defense capabilities.The vessel will expand U.S. operational presence in the Arctic and support Coast Guard missions while the service awaits the delivery of…

Today, the Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT) welcomed the maiden voyage of Quetzal, Crowley’s newest LNG-powered containership. With capacity for up to 1,400 20-foot container equivalent units (TEUs), Quetzal provides more cargo capacity than the company’s vessels previously used in the Central American and Caribbean trade with the U.S. and is fueled by lower-emission LNG.Quetzal is the first of Crowley’s new Avance Class of ships—which consists of four new vessels suited to transport perishable goods like food and pharmaceuticals…

Union Maritime, a UK shipowner, has launched its first wind-assisted vessel, Buran, fitted with Norsepower Rotor Sails™ designed to harness wind energy and enhance fuel efficiency.Its launch marks a major milestone as the company seeks to expand its fleet with 34 wind-assisted ships, including six chemical tankers equipped with Norsepower Rotor Sails™. Once complete, Union Maritime will operate the largest fleet using this technology globally, with the rotor sails expected to generate up to 10% of each vessel’s annual energy needs from wind.

AAL Shipping has held a formal naming ceremony for its fifth Super B-Class vessel, the AAL Dubai, at the CSSC Huangpu-Wenchong Shipyard in Guangzhou, China.The latest addition not only enhances AAL’s third-generation newbuilding fleet but also commemorates the company’s 30th anniversary, reaffirming its unwavering commitment to innovation and excellence in global project shipping.The 32,000 dwt AAL Dubai – a methanol-ready multipurpose heavy lift vessel - was named after one of the Middle East’s premiere project cargo hubs…

A.P. Moller - Maersk celebrated the name-giving of its newest dual-fuel methanol container vessel in Mumbai on February 28 as a part of the vessel’s maiden voyage to India. The vessel, named Albert Maersk, is the eleventh vessel in Maersk’s fleet capable of operating on methanol.“India is among the world's fastest-growing major economies, with a thriving manufacturing sector, a booming e-commerce industry, and expanding exports. Shipping and logistics are high on India’s priorities…

COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers has taken delivery of the Green Rizhao, a 77,000dwt general cargo ship which was certified as being built with zero carbon emissions by China Classification Society (CCS).The vessel’s maiden voyage will involve transporting machinery and containers from Chinese Ports to Brazil.The news comes as China's shipbuilding boom saw the nation account for 55.7% of deliveries and 74.1% of orders in 2024. Its shipbuilding capabilities have advanced to include 24,000 TEU container ships, LNG carriers and cruise ships such as the Adora Magic City.

When talk turns to fuel transition in the maritime sector, the conversation usually starts with: ‘yes, change is happening, but the majority of the world fleet continues to operate as it always has; with diesel fuel’ and ends with ‘change is being driven by a handful of pioneers: the big companies.’Enter Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller - Mærsk, one of the biggest and most innovative companies operating ships globally today, and its world’s first large methanol-enabled container vessel dubbed Ane Mærsk…

Vard has delivered a new cable laying vessel (CLV) to Denmark’s subsea specialist NCT Offshore less than two years after the contract was signed.The newly delivered vessel, based on the VARD 9 01 design, has been specially designed and equipped for subsea cable laying operations.In less than 18 months since the first steel was cut, the vessel has been assembled, outfitted, commissioned, and is ready to commence her maiden voyage towards Denmark where she will be further fitted and tested…