MSC: How the World’s Largest Boxship Fleet Squeezes More Miles from Every Molecule
It’s trite (but true) to say that in the maritime industry’s quest to cut emissions, there is no ‘silver bullet’ solution, rather a series of small step changes that cumulatively add up over time. Maritime Matters: The Marinelink Podcast, recently hosted Giuseppe Gargiulo, Head of Newbuildings, MSC and Daniel Bischofberger, CEO, Accelleron, to specifically discuss the development and delivery of Accelleron’s FITS2 technology, and automation technology built with MSC and premised on Accelleron’s cumulative 100+ years of turbocharger experience.
Trump Targets Venezuelan Oil Exports with ‘Sanctioned’ Tankers Blockade
U.S. President Donald Trump ordered on Tuesday a "blockade" of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, in Washington's latest move to increase pressure on Nicolas Maduro's government, targeting its main source of income.It is unclear how Trump will impose the move against the sanctioned vessels, and whether he will turn to the Coast Guard to interdict vessels like he did last week. The administration has moved thousands of troops and nearly a dozen warships - including an aircraft carrier - to the region."For the theft of our Assets…
US Subcommittee Mulls Technology: Can the Coast Guard Keep Up?
US Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee Chairman Mike Ezell (R-MS) chaired a hearing, entitled “Changes in Maritime Technology: Can the Coast Guard Keep Up?” on Tuesday.The maritime industry is undergoing a rapid period of transformation, including the adoption of autonomous technology and robotics that could transform the sector, as well as threats from drones and cyber-attacks that require increased vigilance.Ezell introduced the hearing saying: “Last February…
Danish Container Traffic Hits Record in Third Quarter
The third quarter of this year has broken all records when it comes to the most loaded containers transported to or from major Danish ports.Containerized goods equivalent to 137,000 TEU containers arrived at a Danish port in the third quarter, while in the other direction, containerized goods equivalent to 122,000 TEU were shipped out of Danish ports.The majority of containers to and from Denmark go via APM Terminals' container terminal in Aarhus, where there has also been a significant increase during 2025.The increase in volumes is due…
BIMCO Adopts FuelEU Maritime and ETS Clauses for S&P
The Documentary Committee of BIMCO has adopted a FuelEU Maritime Clause and an ETS Clause for incorporation into Memoranda of Agreements (MoAs) for the sale and purchase of ships.The FuelEU Maritime Regulation and the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) impact the sale and purchase of ships, and the clauses have been developed to help provide certainty for both parties during the process.“Regulations such as the FuelEU Maritime and EU ETS are complex and reshape our industry. Therefore, contractual clarity is essential.
Bulker Newbuilding Contracting Drops to Five-Year Low
Between January and November 2025, the capacity of bulker newbuilding contracting has fallen 54% y/y to 25m DWT, reaching its lowest level since 2020. Consequently, the dry bulk orderbook is now 4% smaller than a year ago, accounting for 11% of the dry bulk fleet.“Contracting has likely eased due to a cloudy market outlook,” says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analysis Manager at BIMCO.The number of ships contracted has seen an even steeper decline, down 61% y/y so far in 2025. Only 281 ships have been ordered, the lowest number since 2016.
The Expanding Shadow Fleet Poses a Growing Threat to Maritime Safety
The shipping industry has always been good at navigating uncertainty; however the rapid expansion of the shadow fleet represents a different kind of risk. It’s not just regulatory or geopolitical; it’s informational. Each vessel that goes dark removes a small piece of the world’s safety awareness, and that loss is beginning to matter, writes Yarden Gross, CEO and Co-founder of Orca AI. A parallel system moving out of sightConcern over the shadow fleet’s growth is now being voiced at senior industry level.
Sweden to Choose Frigate Supplier Early 2026
Sweden will choose a supplier for its multi-billion Swedish crown acquisition of four new frigates early next year, the defence minister said on Monday.Sweden is in an intense buildup of its forces in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and is looking to increase its navy fleet with bigger ships."I think and I hope that we can make a decision by early next year in regards to our new frigates program," Swedish Defence Minister Pal Jonson told a news conference with the French…
Is There a Viable LNG to Ammonia Fuel Pathway?
Is LNG to ammonia a viable pathway for helping shipowners get to net zero?From an engine point of view there is a pathway, but there are two points to consider, says Lars Tingbjerg Danielsen, Two-Stroke Promotion Manager – Newbuildings at Everllence. First, the case where an engine is capable of burning both methane and ammonia; second the case where an engine starts its service burning methane and then later switches to burning ammonia.“If we look at the idea of an engine capable of burning both methane and ammonia, it is our belief that this is not a request from the market.
Tanker Vessel Order Book Hits 9-Year High
“Due to low contracting volumes in 2022, the crude tanker order book/fleet ratio bottomed out at 2.8% in March 2023. It has climbed steadily since and has now hit a nine-year high of 14.1%. The order book may kickstart the renewal of a fleet that has grown older on average since 2018,” says Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.Since 2023, 325 crude tankers with a deadweight capacity of 68.7m tonnes have been contracted and the order book now contains 309 ships totalling 65.8m deadweight tonnes (DWT).The three largest shipbuilding nations in the world…
Rejected Livestock
The recent rejection of around 2,900 dairy cattle on the Spiridon II raises animal welfare and pollution concerns when, after a long sea voyage, the laden vessel has again had to return to sea.The 52-year-old livestock carrier has left Turkey after its cargo was rejected by local authorities. Court transcripts translated by Animal Welfare Foundation indicate that 58 cows died in transit to Turkey, 140 cows had miscarriages in transit, 50 newborn calves were present on board, but another 90 are unaccounted for.Having departed from Montevideo…
Energy Transition' Future: Fractured, Bumpy and Long
As COP30 kicks off its second week in Brazil, much has changed since the landmark Paris climate agreement was penned 10 years ago.The spirit of cooperation that once reigned has been shattered by economic rivalries and a stark divergence in climate policies among the world’s biggest polluters.The landmark UN COP21 climate agreement signed in Paris on December 12, 2015 saw 195 nations commit to setting binding targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to limit global warming to "well below" 2 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial levels.
LNG: Greenwashing or Realism
The October delay at IMO of its Net Zero Framework continues to spark debate, and enthusiasm, about net zero fuel choices, including what LNG’s role should be.Debate is expected to continue too, as shipowners face a more complicated regulatory landscape now. Despite the uncertainty created by the delay, regulations continue to force emissions reductions, including existing IMO regulations such as CII and regional regulation such as FuelEU.With the number of dual-fuel LNG ships being ordered higher than methanol or ammonia alternatives…
Container Freight Rates Could Plunge with End of Houthi Attacks
Houthi militia have reportedly ceased attacks on Israel and shipping in the Red Sea, and the impact could be seismic for global ocean container shipping, warns Chief Analyst Peter Sand at Xeneta. However, an immediate largescale return to the region will require a series of further assurances.“Details are sketchy, and you cannot base the safety of crews, ships and cargo on the word of Houthi militia. Carriers need far more assurance than that and, perhaps more importantly, so do insurance companies…
ENFORCER Vessel to Strengthen Netherlands Coastguard Fleet
Earliest mid-2026, the Netherlands Coastguard will be strengthened with ENFORCER, a Damen FCS 5009 vessel. This vessel will be deployed to ensure the continuity of general coastguard duties in the North Sea. ENFORCER will provide additional support until the new generation of Coastguard ships goes into operation.The duties of the Coastguard have expanded in recent years. The Rijksrederij (the Government Fleet Agency, part of Rijkswaterstaat) has therefore issued instructions for the charter of ENFORCER.
Maritime Training: Training for a Brain Built on Instant Answers
In a previous article, we explored how shrinking attention spans demand new approaches to training. But atten-tion is only part of the story. Memory itself is changing. Today’s mariners, like the rest of us, live in a world of instant answers, with tools like Google, Siri, and now AI agents and copilots. Instead of storing knowledge, the reflex is often to look it up. This profound shift changes what training should emphasize. Rather than focusing exclusively on rote memorization…
EU Unveils Sustainable Transport Investment Plan
The European Commission has adopted its communication on the Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP), setting out a roadmap to rapidly accelerate the energy transition of aviation and waterborne transport sectors.To meet the fuel targets set out in the ReFuelEU Aviation and FuelEU Maritime Regulations, a significant volume of around 20 million tonnes of sustainable alternative fuels (13.2 Mt of biofuels and 6.8 Mt of e-fuels) will be needed by 2035. This calls for substantial investments from the market…
Powering On with Methanol, or Not
This week, Rolls-Royce announced that it has successfully tested the world’s first high-speed marine engine powered exclusively by methanol on its test bench in Friedrichshafen.Together with its partners in the meOHmare research project, Rolls-Royce says its engineers have therefore reached an important milestone on the road to climate-neutral and environmentally friendly propulsion solutions for shipping.Also this week, Everllence announced the world’s first conversion of its…
Everllence and Partners Complete S90 Methanol Engine Retrofit
Everllence has announced the world’s first conversion of an Everllence B&W S90 two-stroke engine to dual-fuel methanol running following the successful sea-trials of COSCO Shipping Lines’ 20,000+ TEU container vessel, COSCO Shipping Libra.The vessel’s 11S90ME-C engine was retrofitted to an 11S90ME-LGIM (-Liquid Gas Injection Methanol) unit.Everllence PrimeServ – Everllence’s after-sales division – partnered with COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry from concept to execution in delivering the world’s first S90 methanol engine retrofit…
Robosys Automation Receives AMC Search Contract Award to Support ASV Training
Robosys Automation, a leader in maritime autonomy and remote operations, has announced a new contract award from the Australian Maritime College, AMC Search, to supply its advanced VOYAGER AI software as a retrofit to its OPT WAMV-16 Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV).This contract builds upon the current successful collaboration between Robosys and AMC Search for where VOYAGER AI is deployed in the Australian Maritime College’s (AMC) Bridge Simulators to build trust in AI navigation testing for STCW watchkeepers as well as to test autonomous COLREGS based Collision Avoidance.
US Pressure on India Could Propel Russia's Shadow Oil Exports
Donald Trump is putting more pressure on India to slash its Russian oil purchases. This could deprive Moscow of vital revenue, but it will mostly just push more Russian oil into an increasingly large shadow market.The U.S. president said on Wednesday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to stop buying oil from Russia, an agreement India has yet to confirm.India has become a major trade buyer of Russian oil since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It purchased 1.9 million barrels per day (bpd) of Russia’s crude in the first nine months of 2025…
Oldendorff to Reduce Iron Ore Trade Emissions
Salzgitter Flachstahl and Oldendorff Carriers have entered into a long-term agreement to reduce carbon emissions in the maritime transport of iron ore, marking a further step toward decarbonizing Salzgitter’s steel supply chain.Starting in January 2026, Oldendorff will transport iron ore for Salzgitter from various loading ports to Hamburg using bulk carriers operated with a focus on fuel-efficient practices. By optimizing cargo flows and routing, the collaboration is expected to reduce CO₂e emissions by at least 20%.
Exploring the Evolution of Ship Management at Maritime Cyprus 2025
The “Maritime Cyprus 2025” Conference featured a panel discussion, titled “Safeguarding Shipowners in a Rapidly Changing Environment”, organized by the Cyprus Shipping Chamber.Speakers included:Mark O’Neil (Columbia Group)Sebastian von Hardenberg (Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement)Dieter Rohdenburg (InterMaritime Shipmanagement) and Jan Meyering (Marlow Navigation) Topics included decarbonization, digitalzation, ESG compliance and geopolitical uncertainty and how ship-management companies are acting as strategic partners to shipowners…