Maritime Industry Top News
Two Compact Ship Assist Tugs Delivered to US Owner
Robert Allan Ltd. has announced the delivery of two very compact high bollard pull ship handling tugs, Rascal and Rowdy, to Brusco Tug & Barge in the US.The RAscal 2000-D series tugs were constructed at Diversified Marine Inc. of Portland, Oregon, and at over 40 short tons are the highest bollard pull tugs of this size designed to date by Robert Allan Ltd.These compact tugs are well suited for harbors where smaller though still powerful ship assist tugs are needed…
Battery Electric Tug Designed for Shandong Port
Robert Allan Ltd. has been awarded a contract to design an AmpRA 3600 battery-electric tug for Shandong Port Group – Rizhao Port Towing Company, in China.Two vessels will be constructed at Rizhao Gangda Shipbuilding Heavy Industry and will be the fifth and sixth tugs designed by Robert Allan Ltd. for this owner.Following on the development of the successful battery-electric and hybrid designs operation in Canada…
Six Dead in Hudson River Helicopter Crash
The US Coast Guard is coordinating with local, state and federal agencies in response to the helicopter crash in the Hudson River that occurred Thursday afternoon in New York City near the Holland Tunnel.The tourist helicopter crashed into New York City's Hudson River, killing all six aboard, including three children, Mayor Eric Adams said.The victims were believed to have included a family from Spain and the pilot…
Santos Port Anticipates Trade War Boom
Brazil's Santos Port Authority, which administers the largest port in the Southern Hemisphere, said the draft of the port will be deepened to attract larger vessels in coming years.Speaking at the headquarters of the Santos Trade Association, Beto Mendes, director of port operations, said on Thursday the plan is to deepen the draft to 16 meters and then 17 meters, potentially by 2031.Attracting larger vessels would allow Brazil to strengthen trade ties with commercial partners such as China…
Panama Canal Traffic Dropped in March
The number of vessels that transited the Panama Canal, the world's second-busiest waterway, fell to an average of 33.7 per day in March for a total of 1,045 ships that month, according to a bulletin on Thursday by its administrative authority.In February, an average of 34.8 vessels per day crossed the waterway, an increase from 32.6 per day in January, but still below the maximum number of ships authorized.Transits…
US Targets China Oil Storage Terminal in Iran-Related Sanctions
The Trump administration imposed sanctions on Iranian oil trading networks on Thursday, including on a China-based crude oil storage terminal linked via a pipeline to an independent refinery, just days before direct talks between the U.S. and Iran.The sanctions came after Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. will hold direct talks with Iran on Saturday in Oman. President Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran would be in "great danger" if the talks were unsuccessful.The U.S.
Australia Border Force Intercepts Foreign Fishing Vessels
Australian Border Force (ABF) has apprehended 14 foreign fishers and destroyed two foreign fishing vessels in two recent interceptions, as operations targeting illegal…
Bardex in the Running for 2025 Ventus Award With OmniCrane™
Bardex, a global leader in products and engineering services that tackle marine-based challenges, is honored to be a Ventus Award finalist. The awards, in eleven categories, recognize and celebrate people and products that advance the feasibility and adoption of offshore wind and other ocean renewables. Bardex was selected as one of four finalists in the Health, Safety & Environment category for its proprietary OmniCrane…
R.M. Young: President Transition as Namesake Tom Young Retires
R.M. Young Company, a leader in meteorological instrumentation, announced the retirement of President Tom Young, marking the end of an era for the family-founded and operated company. Tom, who has been an integral part of the company since 1991, officially stepped down as President on April 1, 2025. He is succeeded by Eric Mannix, President and CFO.Tom Young’s career at R.M. Young Company spans over three decades…
Subsea7 Secures Contract Extension for Seven Viking Subsea Vessel
Eidesvik Seven Chartering, a joint venture company between Subsea7 and Eidesvik Offshore, has entered into an agreement with Subsea7 to extend the contract for the subsea vessel Seven Viking.Subsea7 declared the remaining option for 2026 and 2027 was added as a firm year in addition to an option for 2028.The 2027 and 2028 rates are based on current market terms. “We are very pleased to see this new…
ClassNK Greenlights Mitsubishi’s CCS System Onboard Ships
ClassNK has issued an approval in principle (AiP) for an Onboard Carbon Capture and Storage system (OCCS) developed by Mitsubishi Shipbuilding.The certification confirms its feasibility from regulatory and safety perspectives.Interest in CO2 capture the method from exhaust gases is growing alongside fuel conversion as part of efforts to reduce GHG emissions from ships.In response, the development of OCCS is progressing.
Fincantieri, Accenture Launch JV for Cruise, Defense and Ports Digitalization
Fincantieri and Accenture have signed an agreement to establish Fincantieri Ingenium, a new joint venture created to accelerate digital transformation across the cruise, defense, and port infrastructure sectors. The company will be owned 70% by Fincantieri NexTech – a subsidiary of the Fincantieri Group – and 30% by Accenture.The initiative stems from a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in July…
EU Puts Countermeasures on Hold Following Trump's Tariffs Frieze
The European Union will pause its first countermeasures against U.S. tariffs after President Donald Trump temporarily lowered the hefty duties he had just imposed on dozens of countries, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday.The bloc was due to launch counter-tariffs on about 21 billion euros ($23.25 billion) of U.S. imports from next Tuesday in response to Trump's 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium. It is still assessing how to respond to U.S.
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…
Master of Grounded Passenger Vessel was Asleep at Helm
New Zealand’s Transport Accident Investigation Commission has released its report into the grounding of the passenger vessel Fiordland Navigator – attributing the accident to the fatigued master who fell asleep at the helm.The accident occurred on January 24, 2024. The Fiordland Navigator ran aground while making a turn in Doubtful Sound. There were nine crew and 57 passengers on board, and several people received minor injuries.
BIMCO Approves Revisions to War Risk Clauses
The Documentary Committee of BIMCO has approved revisions to its War Risk Clauses to reflect changes in the geopolitical challenges facing the shipping industry.The Documentary Committee reviewed the existing BIMCO War Risk Clauses and agreed on the updated versions, BIMCO War Risk Clause for Voyage Charter Parties 2025 (VOYWAR 2025) and the BIMCO War Risk Clause for Time Charter Parties 2025 (CONWARTIME…
“Bank Effect” Caused Tanker to Strike Pier
A tank vessel struck a pier at Joint Base Charleston’s Naval Weapons Station in South Carolina after a pilot allowed the vessel to get too close to a riverbank, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Wednesday.The 604-foot-long tanker Hafnia Amessi struck Naval Weapons Station Pier B while transiting the Cooper River on January 14, 2024. A Charleston Branch Pilots Association pilot was navigating the vessel, which sustained damage to its side hull plating.
Spark Gas Conversion Reduces Methane Slip on LNG Carriers
Wärtsilä has introduced a new methane slip reduction solution for its Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel engine. The new technology, which converts Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel (DF) engines to spark gas operation, enables a more optimized combustion process, thereby improving efficiency and lowering methane emissions.Whilst operating on LNG, the conversion is designed to reduce methane emissions up to 75% more than…
Drones to Supply Royal Navy Carrier Strike Group
For the first time a fleet of drones will fly crucial supplies between ships of the UK Carrier Strike Group when it deploys to the Indo-Pacific later this month.Alongside its F35B stealth jets and naval helicopters, flagship HMS Prince of Wales’ air group will also consist of nine powerful octo-copters for remotely moving items – food, packages from home and engineering parts – around the task group.The…
Windward Tracks Change to GPS Jamming Hotspots
Winward’s latest report, focused on Q1 2025, indicates a major change in how vessels experiencing GPS jamming are appearing on tracking maps.The average distance vessels “jump” to when their AIS is jammed grew from 600km in Q4 2024 to 6,300km in Q1 2025. “This distance completely disrupts trade and safety measures at sea, making it nearly impossible to track vessels within any realistic or relevant geographical vicinity…
