Marine Systems News

If 2025 proved anything for Germany’s shipbuilding and marine equipment sector, it is that the industry retains both resilience and relevance, even amid geopolitical turbulence. According to The Association for Shipbuilding and Marine Technology (VSM), the year closed with strong order activity, renewed investor confidence and a clear signal that German yards and suppliers remain essential to Europe’s maritime industrial base.One of the year’s most tangible confidence boosters came early.

ABB and HDF Energy have signed a joint-development agreement (JDA) to develop a high-power fuel cell unit for marine applications.The agreement builds on an earlier Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between ABB and HDF Energy in 2020, envisaging the collaboration.Foreseeing pilot installations in 2028 - 2029 and serial production from 2030, the agreement initiates a significant step forward for developing fuel cells as a commercially viable option to support maritime decarbonization.The…

ABB has verified what it calls a major advancement in vessel Dynamic Positioning (DP) technology, following successful Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) proving trials and sea trials on board the new wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) Norse Wind.By integrating ABB Ability Marine Pilot Control - a ship control system that unifies dynamic positioning, maneuvering, and transit functionalities into one intuitive interface - with Azipod propulsion units, the vessel showcases distinctive advantages of system-level synergy.Meeting all performance expectations…

The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has launched an international sea trials program in partnership with the French Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service (Shom). The joint program represents the most comprehensive test of S-100 data standards to date and will form part of the International Hydrographic Organization’s (IHO) coordinated test bed framework. Throughout the trials, the UKHO and Shom will collect evidence to inform safety and efficiency use cases, while providing guidance on the introduction of the S-100 data framework, which is set to underpin the future of maritime navigation.

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…

As maritime industries accelerate toward electrification, the U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development Center (RDC) has issued a warning: lithium-ion batteries—the same technology powering the global shift to hybrid and all-electric vessels—pose a unique and evolving threat when things go wrong. The April 2025 white paper, Lithium Battery Fire Hazards in the Maritime Environment, lays out the risks, firefighting challenges, and post-incident dangers associated with lithium battery fires at sea…

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 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.

Seaspan Shipyards has signed a contract with Newfoundland-based Genoa Design International to provide technical design services for the Canadian Coast Guard’s new heavy polar icebreaker.Under the deal, Genoa will expand its workforce to more than 100 naval architecture and marine systems designers as it supports the vessel’s design and build phases at Vancouver Shipyards, as part of the agreement that extends a long-standing partnership between the two Canadian firms.The new heavy polar icebreaker will be the first of its kind built in Canada in over 60 years.

Hanwha Ocean, one of the leading shipbuilders in South Korea, has awarded ABB the contract to supply a complete electric power and propulsion system for Singapore’s first floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal.ABB ’s integrated electrical system on board the Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) will comprise a medium voltage generator, 6.6kV switchboards for cargo and regasification, and the motor, transformer and drive for propulsion.The floating terminal will also feature ABB’s remote control and remote diagnostics system…

Joël Lightbound, Canada’s Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement, and the Honourable Stephen Fuhr, Secretary of State (Defence Procurement), have announced that the Government of Canada has identified German company Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems (TKMS) and Korean company Hanwha Ocean as the two qualified suppliers for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP).Delivery of the first Canadian Patrol Submarine is expected no later than 2035.The new submarine fleet will be deployable in the Arctic with extended range and endurance that will provide stealth…

Japan clinched a landmark A$10 billion ($6.5 billion) deal on Tuesday to build warships for Australia, marking Tokyo's most consequential defence sale since ending a military export ban in 2014 as it steps away from postwar pacifism to counter China.Under the agreement, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries 7011.T will supply the Royal Australian Navy with three, upgraded Mogami-class multi-role frigates built in Japan from 2029. Eight more frigates will be built in Australia.Designed to hunt submarines…

The Australian Government is accelerating the delivery of a larger and more lethal surface combatant fleet with the selection of the upgraded Japanese Mogami-class frigate as the preferred platform for the Royal Australian Navy’s future fleet of general purpose frigates.Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ Mogami-class frigate was assessed as best able to quickly meet the capability requirements and strategic needs of the Australian Defence Force (ADF).The upgraded Mogami-class frigate boasts a range of up to 10…

General Dynamics' second-quarter profit and revenue topped analyst estimates, driven by robust orders in its marine segment from Columbia- and Virginia-class submarine programs, boosting shares 5% in early trading.The defense company's nuclear-powered submarine-making marine systems segment produced 22.2% more revenue. The unit is now expected to generate 2025 revenue of $15.6 billion with a 7% margin.During the quarter, the Pentagon modified a submarine production contract awarded to the company's marine segment…

Order intake, exports, and green technology demand fuel confidence for 2025Germany’s maritime equipment and offshore supply industry is posting steady growth in 2024 and setting an optimistic course for 2025, according to new figures released by the VDMA Marine Equipment and Systems Association.With an average turnover increase of 5.5% in 2024, German maritime suppliers are proving resilient in the face of global supply chain volatility, geopolitical tensions, and a fiercely competitive international market.

Yinson Production and “K" Line Energy Shipping (UK) (KLES), a London-based subsidiary of Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha ("K" LINE), have entered into an agreement to jointly develop and market solutions for the transportation and injection of liquefied CO2.Under the memorandum of understanding (MoU), Yinson Production and KLES will jointly develop and market a floating storage and injection unit (FSIU) and a liquefied CO2 carrier.The collaboration will target carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects being developed mainly in Europe.For CCS projects worldwide…

Union members at General Dynamics' Electric Boat submarine-making unit have voted to ratify a new contract, the United Auto Workers said on Wednesday.The union, representing over 2,400 marine drafters at Electric Boat, said 85% voted in favor of the ratification of the new five-year agreement which secures a 30% wage increase over the life of the contract and an improved wage progression.In total, members will see a cumulative $115,000-per-member increase in total compensation during the agreement…

German naval conglomerate Thyssenkrupp and Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri have signed an Industrial Cooperation Agreement as part of a broader strategic partnership to provide the Philippine’s Navy with advanced submarine capabilities solutions.As part of the Horizon III military modernization initiative, the Philippine Navy aims to enhance its archipelagic defense by acquiring cutting-edge weapon systems. In particular, the introduction of submarines would be a game-changer in securing territorial waters…

Union members at General Dynamics Electric Boat unit voted to authorize a strike, the United Auto Workers said on Tuesday.The move comes amid an ongoing labor dispute post the expiration of the members' contract on April 4 at Electric Boat, a part of the defense contractor's marine systems segment, which assembles nuclear-powered submarines for the U.S.

The University of Osaka, in collaboration with Imabari Shipbuilding, Japan Marine United Corporation, ClassNK and MTI will establish the Open Collaboration Laboratory for Enabling Advanced Marine Systems (OCEANS) at the University of Osaka in April 2025.Nihon Shipyard (NYS), a sales and design company owned by Imabari Shipbuilding and Japan Marine United Corporation (JMU), will also participate in the design and engineering research activities led by OCEANS.The initiative aims to promote the global competitiveness of Japan’s maritime industry.In an era of unprecedented change…

To ensure safe passage, high-value assets such as Navy aircraft carriers require escorts when entering or exiting crowded harbors. The Perception Autonomy for Vessel Escorts (PAVE) system from Charles River Analytics automates the process to reduce the number of people required and increase the speed for each mission.The company has now won a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract sponsored by the Naval Sea Systems Command which is worth up to $1.8M.While PAVE is not the first of its kind…

At the Undersea Defence Technology conference, thyssenkrupp Marine Systems and Ulstein Verft signed a Letter of Intent for joint efforts to deliver the next advanced frigates to the Royal Norwegian Navy.The 2024 Fleet Plan outlines that Norway will acquire five or six frigates to replace the Fridtjof Nansen-class frigates. Potential candidates include the British Type 26, the German F127, the American Constellation-class, and the French FDI.In the event of a contract award for thyssenkrupp Marine Systems and Ulstein Verft…

Germany's budget committee is expected to approve state guarantees worth up to $4.27 billion to help Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS)  win an order from Argentina for three submarines, two sources in the budget committee said on Wednesday.Several media outlets have reported that a French shipbuilder is also been in the running for the order, worth some 2.2 billion euros, which has not yet been made.The guarantees would cover the construction and delivery of three Type 209 submarines…

German naval conglomerate Thyssenkrupp and Finland-based consulting and engineering company Elomatic have signed a design and engineering contract to support the development of a new Polarstern ship, bound to become the largest and most advanced research and polar logistics icebreaker.The ship will be built at the large and modern shipyard of tkMS in Wismar. The shipyard has a remarkable track record in developing complex icebreaking ships, with more than 120 ships built for polar regions.In December 2024…