Operations Centre News

Shipping and logistics firm Wilson Sons has opened new facilities at its Training Centre and Towage Operations Centre in Santos, São Paulo, including a tugboat manoeuvre simulator designed to improve operating safety, efficiency and sustainability.This simulator will train the company's captains and maritime workers on safety procedures and cutting-edge technology for its fleet of over 80 tugboats, which operate in more than 25 ports along the Brazilian coast, supporting domestic and international trade…

Rolls-Royce has signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with both Western and South Australian governments that outline a commitment to collaborate on workforce development, skills training, and critical technologies to support the growing defence sectors in each state.This marks a significant step forward in Australian preparations for the AUKUS submarine program which will provide the nation with their first conventionally armed nuclear navy.Under the agreements, both governments…

Maritime leaders from the UK and Korea have advanced the regulatory and commercial future of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS), following a technical workshop led by Lloyd’s Register (LR), the Korea Research Institute of Ships & Ocean Engineering (KRISO), and the UK’s National Physical Laboratory (NPL). Held at KRISO’s Daejeon headquarters, the workshop brought together 27 experts, including representatives from the British Embassy in Seoul, to accelerate joint strategies…

The annual Singapore Maritime Week was officially launched on Monday by Murali Pillai, Singapore’s Minister of State, Ministry of Law and Ministry of Transport.Organized by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, SMW 2025 is the 19th iteration of the event.Taking place at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre, SMW 2025 is expected to welcome more than 20,000 attendees from close to 80 countries. The expanded EXPO@SMW features close to 200 local and international exhibitors…

German navigation specialist Anschütz has developed a navigation and command system for autonomous and unmanned maritime operations. The approval-ready system has undergone extensive testing in autonomous operation and is currently being prepared for use in prototypes, according to the company.The autonomous navigation and command system from Anschütz provides navies with a sustainable capability and safety enhancement for unmanned systems. It ensures autonomous navigation and control and operation of unmanned platforms…

Norwegian technology company Vissim has been hired to deliver a Centralized Vessel Monitoring and Alerting System (CVMAS) to Qatar.The system is designed to enhance safety and security for offshore assets, improve efficiency in vessel logistics, and contribute towards reduced CO₂ emissions and increased maritime situational awareness.CVMAS will provide comprehensive monitoring and alerting capabilities, covering Qatar’s coastline and more than 300 offshore assets.The core of Vissim’s technology is a specially designed software platform which…

A new era of offshore operations has begun with the successful delivery of REACH REMOTE 1, a 24-metre unmanned surface vessel (USV) designed by Kongsberg Maritime. This ground-breaking achievement marks a significant milestone through collaboration between Kongsberg Maritime, REACH SUBSEA ASA, Massterly, and Trosvik Maritime.Designed to revolutionise offshore operations, the REACH REMOTE 1 is packed with cutting-edge KONGSBERG technology. Its delivery follows a programme of intensive sea trials…

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and Malaysia’s MISC have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration in innovation, research and development (R&D) and test-bedding activities, to advance digital transformation in the maritime industry.As part of the three-year arrangement, both parties will focus on integrating sustainable digital technologies into marine operations, enhance processes through data-sharing initiatives and cybersecurity…

In the first half of 2024, the Threat Intelligence team within Marlink’s Security Operations Centre has observed several activities carried out by malicious actors targeting the maritime industry.These activities include phishing, where malicious actors sending fraudulent e-mails or messages try to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information like passwords or financial details.Phishing attack trends include HTM/HTML documents with embedded links and QR codes to credential harvesting login landing pages hosted on difficult-to-block infrastructure…

Cyber threats to maritime are increasing rapidly, and later this year Marlink will unveil a report which classifies the growing problem. From common phishing schemes to targeted attacks on command and control systems, Cedric Warde, Vice President, Global Sales – Digital, Marlink discusses the threats and the means to help avoid them.REGISTER NOW for a free to attend micro conference on new and emerging USCG Cyber Security Rules - November 13, 2024 in New Orleans - with insights on their impact to vessel owner/operators:Cyber risks continue to expand across industries…

Equinor will establish and operate a new area-wide emergency preparedness solution for the southwestern Barents Sea."Together with the other operators, the authorities and the supply industry, we have through 50years developed the preparedness for the fields in the North Sea and in the Norwegian Sea. With Johan Castberg coming on stream towards the end of the year and increased activity in the north, we are now establishing an area-wide emergency preparedness system in the Barents Sea in the Barents Sea," says Grete B. Haaland, Equinor’s SVP for Exploration & Production North.Grete B.

Marlink closed the 100% acquisition of Diverto, a pioneer in the provision of advanced IT and OT security solutions for enterprise and critical infrastructure.Based in Zagreb, Croatia, Diverto is an expert in the delivery of cybersecurity services and solutions. Its portfolio covers professional services including penetration testing, red and purple teaming, security audit, risk management, compliance and other cybersecurity services. Agnostic to the technologies deployed by its customers…

Kongsberg Maritime has received Approval in Principle from classification society DNV to enable a key role to be transferred from a ship to a shore-based control center.The move will enable the role of Chief Engineer to be located in a Remote Operations Centre (ROC), where the duties can be carried out from a desk-based workstation, instead of onboard a vessel.From the workstation, the Chief Engineer will be able to monitor and control systems including the Power Management System, ballast water system and deck machinery on three vessels.

An increasing demand for safety and sustainability in the maritime industry has been instrumental in the advancement of simulation technology, which is revolutionizing maritime training by providing immersive, cost-effective, and risk-free learning experiences.Although simulation training has been used in the maritime industry for several decades, early simulation technologies were very basic compared to the sophisticated systems available today. The development of computer-based simulation technology in the latter half of the 20th century revolutionized maritime training.

X-Press Feeders, Global Energy Trading Pte Ltd (GET), and PSA Singapore (PSA) have successfully completed the first simultaneous methanol bunkering and cargo operation (SIMOPS) in Singapore on May 27, 2024.The SIMOPS was conducted at the new Tuas Port with the support of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), together with various government agencies and local research institutions. The use of the mass flow metering (MFM) system for methanol, together with the use of digital bunkering…

Singapore is one step closer to developing its full capability to deliver methanol bunkering at a commercial scale. Close to 1,340 metric tonnes (MT) of blended methanol was bunkered ship-to-ship on May 24, and there will be another operation for simultaneous methanol bunkering and cargo operations for a container vessel this week. These operations will also test the use of mass flow meters (MFM) and digital bunkering.The blended methanol, comprising 20% ISCC-certified bio-methanol combined with conventional methanol…

China ended two days of war games around Taiwan in which it simulated attacks with bombers and practiced boarding ships, exercises that Taiwan condemned as "blatant provocation" on Saturday, detailing a surge of Chinese warplanes and warships.Chinese state television's military channel said late on Friday the drills had concluded. A commentary in the official People's Liberation Army Daily said they had lasted for two days from Thursday to Friday, as previously announced.China's defence ministry did not answer calls seeking comment on Saturday.China…

Fortescue, with the support from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and partners, has completed propulsion and maneuverability trials of its Singapore-registered Fortescue Green Pioneer dual fuel ammonia-powered vessel in the Port of Singapore.The trials were conducted using 6.4 m3 (4.4 tonnes) of liquid ammonia, in combination with diesel and Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (HVO), a second-generation biofuel, as marine fuel over 10 days from April 23, 2024 to May 2…

In 2018, convicted cocaine trafficker Slobodan Kostovski fled a Brazilian prison and made his way back to Europe with a fake passport.The Serbian senior quickly fell into old habits, police allege. Last August, Kostovski was arrested in Belgrade, accused of shipping 2.7 metric tonnes of cocaine from Brazil aboard a 22-meter vessel apprehended near Spain’s Canary Islands.Nicknamed “the General” by his associates, he had been trafficking “large amounts” of powder to “Europe for a long period of time,” Serbian police wrote in a 2022 intelligence report obtained exclusively by Reuters.

Subrosa Group (SRG) announced it is rolling out a new Maritime Security (MarSec) division, SRG Maritime Security, to deliver security services globally to the commercial shipping and offshore industries, private vessels and superyachts.SRG's CEO, Niall Burns, said, "The establishment of our Maritime Security division is a direct response to the critical need for elite armed protection for large vessels navigating increasingly perilous waters worldwide. Incidents of maritime attacks are alarmingly on the rise…

A Spanish navy ship is sailing at full speed towards a Maltese-flagged commercial vessel that may have been hijacked by pirates off Somalia, the European Union's Somali counter piracy force said on Friday.If confirmed, it would be the first successful hijacking involving Somali pirates since 2017 when a crackdown by international navies stopped a rash of seizures in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.EUNAVFOR's joint operations centre in Spain said it received an alert on Thursday about the "alleged pirate-hijacked vessel" Ruen, which was approximately 500 nautical miles east of Socotra Isl

Marlink has further strengthened its cyber security portfolio with the addition of CyberGuard Unified Threat Management (CyberGuard UTM) to secure its customers’ digital transformation strategies.CyberGuard UTM reflects the growth of cyber threats in the maritime industry and the need to protect people and assets across a broader range of digital solutions. In particular, the growth of new LEO and 4G/5G services with greater bandwidth speed and lower latency require increased…

The president of Cyprus outlined a proposal on Thursday to open a maritime corridor to help deliver more aid to Gaza, a plan which he said could be operational quickly but which diplomats said faced challenges.Under the plan presented by President Nikos Christodoulides at a humanitarian conference in Paris, aid would be sent by sea to Gaza from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, the closet European Union member state about 370 km (230 miles) away."We hope immediately to implement it…