Vessel Owners News

This Safety Alert highlights the critical importance of preventing water intrusion into fuel tanks. The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) investigated a marine casualty that occurred in the Corpus Christi Shipping Channel, involving a towing vessel constructed in 2011 with a low freeboard. While pushing a barge loaded with methanol, the vessel encountered sea state conditions with 4-foot wave heights and sustained winds of 35 knots. These conditions caused water to fill the fixed containment area beneath the vessel's fuel tank vent pipes…

At least two oil tankers have made their way to Venezuela in recent days and others are navigating towards the country, a sign of state-run PDVSA's effort to expand floating storage and keep selling crude even as a U.S. blockade has reduced exports to a minimum.U.S. President Donald Trump this month announced a blockade of all sanctioned vessels going in or out of Venezuelan waters as part of a strategy to pressure Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The U.S. move has cut oil exports this month to about half of their November level.The U.S.

Throughout 2025 we have seen the subsea vessel market transitioning from a period of record highs towards a more cautious, but still fundamentally strong, outlook. While short-term activity and rates have softened in the latter part of the year, long-term demand - driven by deepwater projects and global energy infrastructure- remains robust. The market is watching closely how the influx of newbuilds and ongoing corporate consolidation will shape competition and vessel availability…

Tanker loading in Venezuela dwindled on Monday, with most ships moving oil cargoes only between domestic ports following U.S. action against two more ships and as state-run energy company PDVSA struggles to recover from a cyberattack, according to tracking data and sources.The U.S. Coast Guard this month seized a supertanker under sanctions carrying Venezuelan oil and tried to intercept two more Venezuela-related ships over the weekend, U.S. authorities said. One of them is an empty ship under U.S.

Venezuela's state-run company PDVSA is dealing with stuck oil cargoes, rising price discounts and demands from customers to change terms of spot contracts following the U.S. seizure of a ship carrying the OPEC country's crude, traders and sources said.As Washington's pressure on President Nicolas Maduro grows, the U.S. Coast Guard last week intercepted the vessel Skipper near Venezuela's coast, its first seizure of an oil tanker or cargo from the South American country. The U.S. also imposed sanctions against six ships and their linked companies.By the time the U.S.

Wärtsilä has identified four key trends it expects to shape the global shipping industry in 2026, citing accelerating digitalization, rising decarbonization pressures and growing uncertainty over regulatory trajectories.The company highlighted lifecycle optimization as a major theme, with vessel owners increasingly moving from short-term fixes to long-term strategies that account for environmental impact, operational efficiency and economic performance from vessel design to end-of-life.

Swiss marine power company WinGD has introduced its first high-pressure LNG dual-fuel engine, the X-DF-HP, developed specifically for the demanding operating profiles of ultra-large container vessels (ULCVs).Unveiled at Marintec China 2025, the new engine arrives at a pivotal moment for shipowners navigating the energy transition, with the IMO’s Net Zero Framework currently paused and the prospect of regional regulation becoming increasingly fragmented. As a result, interest in LNG-fueled tonnage continues to accelerate.Available in X82 and X92 bore sizes…

The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD), AIM Horizon Investments, and their partners have announced the successful closing of the Fund for Energy Efficiency Technologies (FEET), securing total commitments of up to $35 million, exceeding its initial target.As the world’s first fund for vessel retrofits leveraging a pay-as-you-save repayment mechanism, FEET directly addresses the long-standing financial barriers hindering the sector’s uptake of vessel retrofits.The fund has drawn strong interest from across the maritime value chain…

The Great Lakes Towing Company and Great Lakes Shipyard have promoted Gregg Thauvette and Thomas Rigolo, two long-time leaders whose commitment and expertise have been key to the companies’ continued success.Gregg Thauvette has been promoted to Executive Vice President to President of The Great Lakes Towing Company, where he will continue to oversee all harbor towing and fleet operations across more than 40 U.S. ports throughout the Great Lakes.With decades of maritime experience, Thauvette has been a driving force behind the Towing Company’s continued success and growth.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has adopted Guidelines for Fair Labour Market Services for Migrant Fishers at a meeting convened in Geneva from October 27 to 31.Guidance on recruitment processes, work agreements, complaint procedures, and enforcement measures is included to safeguard the rights of migrant fishers globally while also supporting employers in recruiting and retaining a skilled workforce.The guidance comes as the fishing industry continues to face human rights violations and inadequate regulatory oversight.

The maritime industry has long wrestled with the challenge of attracting and retaining skilled seafarers. But according to Eric Griffin, VP of Offshore Energy & Fishing, Maritime, at Inmarsat, one factor now sits firmly at the center of the conversation: seamless connectivity.On October 22, Maritime Reporter & Engineering News will host a webinar entilted Crewed Up or Crew Cut? Rethinking retention and recruitment at sea. Click here to register and to learn from vessel owners their own experience in utilizing connectivity for seafarer recruitment and retention.“Traditionally…

In a large-scale program involving 50 different shipowners, A.P. Moller - Maersk is retrofitting around 200 vessels in its time-chartered fleet. The main aim of the program is to reduce the slot cost by improving fuel efficiency and cargo-carrying capacity leading to a decrease in both cost and greenhouse gas emissions.“Our medium- and long-term chartered fleet makes up a significant proportion of our operations as well as of our total fuel consumption. By working closely with our partners…

A.P. Moller - Maersk (Maersk), in close collaboration with the owners, is retrofitting around 200 vessels in its time-chartered fleet as part of a large-scale program involving 50 different shipowners.The main aim of the program is to reduce the slot cost by improving fuel efficiency and cargo-carrying capacity leading to a decrease in both cost and greenhouse gas emissions.Maersk has set the target of a 35% absolute reduction in its scope 1 greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to the 2022 baseline year.In total…

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released its report on the investigation of a fatal man overboard from the fishing vessel Kingfisher (DH 110), approximately 30 nautical miles east-north-east of Wick, Scotland.On July 12, 2024, as the crew were engaged in manually shooting a string of creels, a deckhand became entangled in a creel’s leg rope and was pulled overboard. His personal flotation device (PFD) inflated on immersion, but he was pulled underwater by the weight of the fishing gear.

By 2030, the alternative-fueled fleet will be able to burn up to 50 million tons of oil equivalent (Mtoe) of low-greenhouse gas (GHG) fuels annually, double the estimated volume needed to meet the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2030 emissions target. Yet today, actual consumption of low-GHG fuels remains at just 1 Mtoe. This widening gap between capacity and use highlights both the scale of industry commitment and the urgent need for fuel producers and infrastructure…

Atlantic Towing Limited has achieved a milestone in its decarbonization journey with the successful retrofit of the Atlantic Shrike. Equipped with Vard Electro’s SeaQ Energy Storage System, the Platform Supply Vessel has recorded an 11% fuel savings across all operations and substantial CO2 savings.As the maritime industry faces mounting pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance fuel efficiency, vessel owners are seeking solutions to modernize their fleets. In 2021, Atlantic Towing Limited, a subsidiary of J.D.

Turkish port authorities have begun informally requiring shipping agents to provide letters declaring that vessels are not linked to Israel and not carrying military or hazardous cargo bound for the country, according to two shipping sources.The move is another step Turkey has taken against Israel after it last year severed trade with the country, worth $7 billion annually, over its war in Gaza with Palestinian militant group Hamas.The sources said the harbour master's office had verbally instructed port agents to provide written assurances…

The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has found the owner, operator, and local agent of the container ship X-Press Pearl liable for environmental and economic damage caused by the 2021 fire and sinking of the vessel.The ship's registered owner, EOS Ro Pte. Limited, along with others, has been fined $1 billion under the polluter pays principle.The Singapore-flagged vessel had 1,486 containers on board at the time, 81 of which were identified as containing hazardous. It arrived in Sri Lankan territorial waters of Sri Lanka with a container already leaking nitric acid and caught fire on May 20, 2021.

Cat Pushes Forward on Hybrid Electric Solutions, Alternative FuelsAs the maritime industry continues its transformation driven by decarbonization mandates, OEMs like Caterpillar are central to paving the path. Will Watson, Marine Product Manager, Caterpillar, discusses latest efforts by the company to unlock the potential with hybrid electric and alternative fuel solutions.Key Takeaways to Caterpillar Marine’s Hybrid Propulsion•Hybrid Propulsion Systems: Diesel + battery solutions…

Container shipping company Hapag-Lloyd reported a 3.1% decline in first-half net income on Thursday and lowered the top end of its full-year earnings forecast, largely due to uncertainty over geopolitical issues and U.S. trade policy.The world's fifth-largest shipping firm projected full-year earnings before interest and taxes ranging between 200 million euros and 1.1 billion euros, compared with a previously expected range of breakeven to 1.5 billion euros.Frequent changes in U.S.

The federal district court in Anchorage, Alaska, has entered final judgment against three Kodiak-based commercial fishing companies and their manager for multiple violations of the Clean Water Act.The court entered default judgments against company manager Corey Potter and F/V Knot EZ LLC, Aleutian Tendering LLC, and Alaska Tendering Company LLC, and imposed a civil penalty of $1,182,265 for the violations. The case was filed on October 24, 2024, by the Department of Justice on behalf of the Coast Guard against Corey Potter and three of his related companies.

The London P&I Club has renewed calls on ship owners, operators and charterers to address potential risks when loading Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (FIBCs) containing dry chemicals. The warning follows a number of incidents reported across the industry including hold fires and cargo damage in bulk carriers and general cargo ships. The issue is particularly common with vessels loading in Chinese ports.Claims resulting from the incorrect storage and handling of FIBCs, also known as "jumbo bags," can lead to significant claims, the Club notes.

The owners of three vessels chartered by India's Nayara Energy have asked to end their contracts with company, six sources familiar with the matter said on Tuesday, under pressure from EU sanctions imposed on the Russian-owned refiner.Nayara, majority-owned by Russian entities including oil major Rosneft, runs India's third-biggest refinery and exports refined products and also supplies them domestically.Fresh European Union sanctions unveiled on July 18 that target Russia and its energy sector over Moscow's war in Ukraine, have been increasingly disruptive to Nayara.