EU Launches Industrial Maritime Strategy
The European Commission has adopted a comprehensive Industrial Maritime Strategy to drive competitiveness, innovation and technological leadership in Europe’s maritime manufacturing and shipping industries. The strategy sets out a vision and concrete actions to reinforce Europe’s industrial sovereignty, trade and economic security, while supporting the sectors’ clean and digital transition.EU shipbuilding and shipping are vital to the Union's strategic autonomy, trade flows, mobility…
MTN Agrees to Offer Amazon Leo Satellite Internet for Maritime Connectivity
MTN, a network operator and pioneer in low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite technology adoption, has finalized an agreement to offer Amazon Leo, Amazon’s satellite internet, as an authorized reseller for maritime deployment. MTN will initially provide this service across key maritime industries, including commercial shipping, yachting, offshore, and cruise & ferry, among others.Powered by a constellation of thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit, the system will provide lower latency and higher transmission capacity than traditional geostationary satellite solutions…
Trump Halt on Offshore Wind Hits US Shipbuilders, Ports
U.S. shipbuilders and port operators are getting hit in the fallout from President Donald Trump’s campaign to wipe out the offshore wind industry, suffering hundreds of millions of dollars in lost government support, vanishing vessel orders, and an uncertain future for the billions of dollars' worth of investments.The impact represents an unintended consequence of Trump’s policy on the offshore wind industry, which has included stop-work orders and permit reviews for massive projects…
USCG Research Center Warns of Lithium-Ion Fire Hazards at Sea
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…
Bahri Opts for IMI-built Bulk Carriers
Saudi Arabia's Bahri announced the first order of six dry bulk carriers from International Maritime Industries (IMI), a milestone order marking the launch of Saudi Arabia’s first large-scale shipbuilding project.Ths ships will be built at IMI Ras Al-Khair shipyard. No further details on the ships were offered.
HAV Design Names New Managing Director
Norway-based ship designer HAV Design has appointed Richard Schofield as its new managing director.Schofield has 20 years’ management experience from maritime industries. He has held leadership roles at maritime suppliers Kongsberg Evotec and Vard Electro, at aquaculture industry supplier Optimar, and at ship designer Ulstein Design & Solutions. Schofield started his career at defense industry supplier BAE Systems.He joins HAV Design from a role as head of industrial competitiveness at cross-industrial cluster organization NCE iKuben.
HD Hyundai Advances Shipbuilding Cooperation with Saudi Arabia
Chung Kisun, Executive Vice Chairman of HD Hyundai, has met with H.E. Khalid AlFalih, the Minister of Investment of Saudi Arabia, to discuss the operation of the joint shipyard and engine plant being established in Saudi Arabia.The two parties also discussed cooperation on future naval ship projects.Following the meeting, a shipbuilding and marine equipment roundtable was held to discuss plans for expanding shipbuilding and establishing a local supply chain within Saudi Arabia.
World Maritime Day 2025 Focuses on Marine Environment
The ocean takes center stage on World Maritime Day 2025, as the IMO celebrates how the industry is stepping up action to protect the ocean.This year’s World Maritime Day, observed globally on 25 September, focuses on the sector’s impact on the marine environment, and what it can do to reduce pollution, curb greenhouse gas emissions and prevent biodiversity loss.Secretary-General of the IMO Arsenio Dominguez said: “IMO has, for many decades, worked to strike the right balance to ensure that the shipping industry is not the problem but the solution.
U.S. Shipbuilding Plots the Path Ahead
The military and Coast Guard budgets are established that will benefit the U.S. ship building and repair sector, but what will stimulate the commercial yards?This author has been scratching his head of late, after a thrilling dive into July’s U.S. Big Beautiful Bill Act, and has asked several colleagues where the funding for support commercial shipbuilding can be found? To answer that, we need to look elsewhere and to future programs.Setting the SceneMany column inches have been dedicated to the decline U.S. shipbuilding, whether signaled by the relatively small presence of a U.S.
World First: LCO₂ / Methanol Vessel gets Green Light
Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) have acquired Approval in Principle (AiP) from Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) for its jointly developed liquefied CO2 (LCO2) / methanol carrier. AiP acquisition for this type of carrier marks a world's first.Technologies for converting CO2 into fuel or chemical products are attracting attention as a means of utilizing CO2 in CCUS (Carbon dioxide Capture, Utilization and Storage).
Washington Watch: China Shipbuilding - Industry, Shippers Prep for Tariffs
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.
Denmark's damZgard Mechanics to Join Thordon Bearings’ Distributor Network
Thordon Bearings, a leader in environmentally safe, high-performance shaft bearing and seal systems, has welcomed Denmark’s damZgard Mechanics to its network of authorized distributors.With a reputation as a leading supplier of mechanical engineering solutions to Denmark’s maritime industries, damZgard Mechanics will be responsible for facilitating existing and new maritime customer requirements and developing new business opportunities in other markets outside of marine.Home to some of world’s leading shipowners…
Lamprell Extends Long-Term Offshore Contract with Aramco
Offshore construction firm Lamprell has secured an extension of its longstanding offshore long-term agreement with Aramco, strengthening strategic collaboration ongoing since 2018.The renewal reaffirms Lamprell’s technical and operational expertise and solidifies the company’s role as a key partner in advancing Saudi Arabia’s energy and maritime sectors.“We are proud to have delivered several LTA Contract Release Purchase Order projects to date and are working on several others…
Trump Signs Executive Order to Revitalize US Maritime Industry
U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at ‘restoring American maritime dominance’ through the revival of domestic shipbuilding industry and weakening China’s grasp on the global shipping market.The Order directs the creation of a Maritime Action Plan (MAP) to revitalize U.S. maritime industries, which will provide a strategy with specific actions to restore and create sustained resiliency for the American maritime industry.Up until now, government procurement processes and over-regulation have hindered private industry’s ability to build vessels on time and on budget…
Steelpaint Warns Against Carbon Emissions of Steel Corrosion
Germany-based corrosion specialist Steelpaint is calling for urgent action to address the significant environmental impact of steel corrosion, warning that inadequate corrosion protection is contributing more to global CO2 emissions than the entire aviation industry. With the maritime industries consuming an estimated 100 million tonnes of steel annually, premature corrosion and subsequent steel renewal work is increasing carbon emissions dramatically, said Steelpaint’s Managing Director Klaus Müller.Steel production remains one of the most carbon-intensive industrial processes.
Merger: Hendrik Veder Group (HVG) and Dutch Steel Fabricators (DSF)
After several years of collaboration, Hendrik Veder Group (HVG) and Dutch Steel Fabricators (DSF) are consolidating, creating a “one-stop-shop” for lifting and rigging solutions. Two companies within the DSF Group—Gouda Constructie and Breda Constructie—will collaborate with HVG to offer an expanded range of lifting and rigging solutions to clients in the Offshore and Maritime industries. Customers will benefit from a fully integrated package of solutions, covering everything from design to installation.
The ABC of business at Seawork
Seawork sector-specific hubs, associations, pavilions and trails, offer exhibitors and visitors the opportunity to gather together in a mutually beneficial location.Whether networking via social events, meetings or speaking sessions on-site, Seawork is the place to do business.ADC - the Association of Diving Contractors, is hosting the Underwater Intervention Pavilion in the newly named Associations Hall. The member-led not for profit organisation represents the Inland/Inshore…
Inside Vietnamese Shipbuilding: Challenges and Opportunities
While many economic sectors were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam's shipbuilding industry continued to grow, affirming its strong and growing position in the international space. Vietnam's shipbuilding industry achieved many accomplishments in 2024 with the construction, launching and delivery of many specialized ships, contributing to the world's fleet, operating on global shipping routes.By 2030, to develop the maritime economy, the Vietnamese fleet is expected to be restructured and developed to about 1…
DOI Implements GoM Name Change
As directed by the President, the US Department of Interior (DOI) has announced that Gulf of Mexico (GoM) will officially be known as the Gulf of America.The U.S. Board on Geographic Names, under the purview of the Department of the Interior, is working expeditiously to update the official federal nomenclature in the Geographic Names Information System to reflect the change, effective immediately for federal use. “The Gulf of America, formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico, is one of the most vital assets in the Nation’s history and economy. Spanning over 1,700 miles of U.S.
USTR Finds China's Shipbuilding Dominance is Actionable Under Law
The U.S. Trade Representative's office on Thursday said it has found China's targeted dominance of the global shipbuilding, maritime and logistics sectors is "unreasonable" and is "actionable" under U.S. trade law.The findings of a USTR probe, first reported by Reuters on Tuesday, did not include a specific recommendation of penalties against Beijing, leaving next steps up to President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office on Monday.USTR said its report "supports a determination that China's targeting of the maritime…
SHIPS for America Act rolled out on the Hill
The bipartisan, bicameral bill will fuel U.S. economy, strengthen national security by responding to China’s threat over the oceans. Currently, the number of U.S.-flagged vessels in international commerce is 80; China has 5,500.Today, Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Senator Todd Young (R-IN), Representative John Garamendi (D-CA-8), and Representative Trent Kelly (R-MS-1) introduced the Shipbuilding and Harbor Infrastructure for Prosperity and Security (SHIPS) for America Act, comprehensive legislation to revitalize the United States shipbuilding and commercial maritime industries. After decades of neglect, the United States has a weakened shipbuilding capacity, a declining commercial shipping fleet that is dwarfed by China, and a diminished ability to supply the U.S. military during wartime.
Financiers Report Better Alignment with Net Zero Goals
The Poseidon Principles, which represents nearly 80% of global ship finance, has published its fifth Annual Disclosure Report, showing progress towards decarbonised shipping.Continued growth of climate transparency from financial institutions shows that the global finance portfolio for shipping has moved closer to alignment with ambitious decarbonisation trajectories set by the IMO, aiming to remove emissions from international shipping by 2050.The report showcases the climate alignment of 35 major financial institutions across 14 countries.This year’s report…
Gas Supply Deal Signed for Galveston LNG Bunker Port
Galveston LNG Bunker Port (GLBP) announced a gas supply agreement (GSA) with Energy Transfer’s Houston Pipeline Company (HPL), in a new milestone for the development of the region’s first dedicated liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunker terminal.The newly signed agreement outlines the terms for the supply of natural gas and the construction of additional pipeline facilities needed for efficient delivery to the GLBP facility on Shoal Point in Texas City, Texas. This agreement is crucial for GLBP to provide LNG marine fuel to a broad range of customers within the Galveston Bay Port complex…