Maritime Industry Top News
Houthis to Escalate Attacks
The United States will keep attacking Yemen's Houthis until they end attacks on shipping, the U.S. defense secretary said on Sunday, as the Iran-aligned group signaled it could escalate in response to deadly U.S. strikes the day before.The airstrikes, which the Houthi-run health ministry said killed at least 53 people, are the biggest U.S. military operation in the Middle East since President Donald Trump took office in January. One U.S.
Baltic Subsea Cable Repaired
Finland's Cinia said on Friday its C-Lion1 submarine telecoms cable between Finland and Germany, which was suspected to have been damaged in January, had been repaired.Cinia suspected the damage had occurred in the early hours on January 26 in the same area where damage was detected in another subsea fibre optic cable linking Sweden and Latvia."The cable fault was minor and communications through the cable worked normally…
Singapore Marine Fuel Sales Drop
Singapore marine fuel sales fell to their lowest in 20 months in February, official data showed on Friday. Volumes at the world's top bunker hub totalled 4.15 million metric tons, down 7.1% month on month and sliding 8.1% year on year, data from Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) showed.Weak demand has weighed on the market since the start of the year, dragging premiums down, trade sources said.
Is the Black Rock, CK Hutchison Port Deal in Peril?
China's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO) reposted a commentary criticizing CK Hutchison's port deal with U.S. firm BlackRock as a betrayal of China, sending shares of the Hong Kong-based conglomerate sharply lower on Friday.The repost of the critical state media commentary by China's governing body overseeing the territory highlights the complex geopolitical pressures the firm faces, as investors…
Electric Tugboat Passes Sea Trials
The first electric tugboat in Latin America, which will operate in Chile thanks to an agreement between Enap and SAAM Towage, continues to advance with the latest sea trials and bollard pull testing at the shipyard vicinity in Tuzla Bay, Istanbul.This process inspects compliance with technical specifications and verifies the static behavior and performance of the different systems installed, thus guaranteeing safe operations.The tug…
O'Grady Tapped for Leadership at NUWC Newport
Stephen O’Grady, of East Providence, Rhode Island, has been selected as the next deputy technical director for technical excellence at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport.Formerly the director of technology and strategy for the Undersea Warfare (USW) Combat Systems Department, O’Grady spearheaded the organization’s product vision. He will replace John Babb, who will retire in April.As deputy technical director…
DOF Hooks FPSO Installation Job Off Africa
Norwegian offshore supply vessel operator DOF Group has secured a contract for the installation of a floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit from an undisclosed client offshore Africa.DOF will deliver project management, engineering, logistical services and offshore execution.The contract value has been deemed ‘significant’ by DOF, which means its value is between $15 million and $25 million.To carry out the installation duties…
First Foundations for 1.6GW German Offshore Wind Project Reach Dutch Port
The first eight foundations for the Nordeseecluster, a 1.8GW offshore wind project being built in the German North Sea, have arrived and been offloaded in the Dutch base port Eemshaven.The foundations are around 85 meters long on average and weigh approximately 1,500 tonnes each, the equivalent to the weight of around 800 cars.Built by RWE, the offshore wind project will consist of Nordseecluster A with 660MW…
ABS Raises Concerns Over IMO’s ‘Wild Card’ Carbon Levy Proposal
Uncertainty about the scale and nature of the IMO’s proposed carbon levy is holding back investment in shipping, according to the Christopher J. Wiernicki, Chairman and CEO of American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).“A carbon levy is a wild card. It will all depend on how it is implemented and enforced. There’s a huge question mark over whether this will deliver for the industry and there is much still to be decided…
DNV Grants AiP for Shell and Brevik Engineering’s LCO2 Carrier Design
DNV has awarded a detailed Approval in Principle (AiP) to Shell International Trading and Shipping Company and Brevik Engineering for their design of a 74,000 cubic meters (cbm) liquid carbon dioxide (LCO2) carrier.The vessel is specifically designed for the Asia Pacific market to enable cost competitive transport of CO2.This AiP from DNV covers a comprehensive scope across a wide range of disciplines, including the assessment of specific technical challenges for LCO2 carriers.
Kongsberg to Design and Equip Olympic’s Two Subsea Construction Vessels
Kongsberg Maritime has signed a contract for the design and equip two multi-purpose subsea vessels for Olympic Group, which will be methanol-ready and feature battery hybrid technology.The UT7623 Sustainable Energy Vessels (SEVs) are the first references for Kongsberg Maritime’s latest subsea construction vessel designs and will feature a fully integrated package of technology including rim-drive propulsion…
Japanese Partners Get ClassNK Blessing for Large Ammonia-Powered Carrier
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and its partners Namura Shipbuilding and Mitsubishi Shipbuilding have secured an approval in principle (AiP) from Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) for a large-size ammonia-powered ammonia carrier.The AiP was awarded for the ship’s ammonia fuel compatible design.The companies are developing the vessel in anticipation of wide use of ammonia as a zero-carbon fuel and hydrogen carrier…
Livestock Carrier Delay Sparks Concern Over Continuing Trade
Ethical Farming Ireland and several other NGOs have sent an open letter to the European Commission and Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, Olivér Várhelyi, after the breakdown at sea of the livestock carrier Express M.The Express M departed Romania for Haifa on February 22 with 2,400 cattle and 460 sheep on board. Ethical Farming Ireland and Israel Against Live Shipments tracked the voyage.Shortly after departure…
Hybrid Warfare
This week, ABS issued type approval for IACS UR E27 cyber resilience requirements to Hanwha Systems for its cybersecurity solution SecuAider®.IACS requirements UR E26 “Cyber Resilience of Ships” and UR E27 “Cyber Resilience of On-Board Systems and Equipment” now apply to new ships, and they aim to help the industry protect itself from cyberattacks.Hybrid warfare tactics, where cyber campaigns precede or accompany physical confrontations…
Steel Cut for Australian Emergency Towing Vessel
A steel cutting ceremony has been held for a new RAsalvor 6500 at Rizhao GANGDA Shipbuilding (Shandong Port) in Shandong Province, China.Designed by Robert Allan Ltd. for Smit Lamnalco, Australia, and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, the new emergency towing vessel will provide first response capability in the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait – some of the most precious marine environments…
Dual-Fuel LNG Tractor Tug Delivered to Turkish Owner
The 39-metre tug Silivri has been delivered to The BOTAS Petroleum Pipeline Corporation in Turkey.The TRAktor V3900-DF series tug was recently completed at Uzmar Shipyard to a design by Robert Allan Ltd.Silivri is only the second vessel in the world to combine Voith Schneider propulsion with dual-fuel LNG/diesel engines. This unique arrangement has only been combined once before, on her sistership Sultanhani…
Robosys Automation Unveils Autonomous Trial Boat
Robosys Automation, maritime autonomy software developer, has unveiled its new autonomous trials boat, which has been commissioned to deliver testing and sea trials in support of integrating clients’ software and hardware with the VOYAGER AI suite.Robosys’ new boat, the “Pioneer,” is a 6.75 meter SeaPro Center Console 222 supplied by Kirby Marine US and is powered by a Suzuki DF 250 APX outboard engine.The…
U.S. Sanctions: Second Tanker Moored Near Syrian port
A second tanker under U.S. sanctions is moored near the Syrian port of Banias and may deliver a diesel cargo from Russia, data shows, as Moscow and Damascus strengthen ties.Moscow backed former Syrian autocrat Bashar al-Assad during more than a decade of civil war in Syria, but wants to improve relations with the new interim leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, as Russia wants to retain the use of its two military bases in the country.According to LSEG data…
U.S. Targets 'Shadow Fleet', Iran's Oil Minister
The United States imposed sanctions on Thursday on Iran's Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad and some Hong Kong-flagged vessels that are part of a shadow fleet that helps disguise Iranian oil shipments, the Treasury Department said.President Donald Trumpre-imposed a "maximum pressure" policy on Iran in February that includes efforts to drive its oil exports to zero in order to stop Tehran from obtaining…
China Shipowners' Association Opposes U.S. Port Fees
The China Shipowners' Association opposes a U.S. proposal to slap hefty port entry fees on ocean cargo carriers that own or have ordered vessels from China, saying it violates international rules and U.S. laws, according to a statement seen by Reuters on Thursday.U.S. President Donald Trump's administration aims to partially pay for an American shipbuilding comeback with those fees, according to a draft executive order seen by Reuters.The CSA's members include China's COSCO Shipping…
