News

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) reports it has banned its third ship in 2024, this time citing an “unseaworthy” condition for the action. The authority is known for a strict policy and for taking actions both to protect seafarers and the Australian environment.

Russia is continuing to play a “shell game” moving around its tankers in an effort to avoid sanctions and maintain the vital financial flow. This comes as demand has been falling according to Bloomberg and many of the sanctioned tankers are now sitting idle.

FreeStar Subsea Services is a new company born from the merger of Vriezoo ROV Services and Mark Offshore. The collaboration offers a unique combination of ROV and survey support services with FreeStar’s own, recently acquired and outfitted vessel, the SSV Navicula Star.

Nigeria's two largest labor unions have launched a nationwide strike, and port workers have joined in the walkout. Following a directive from the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has closed the nation's seaports indefinitely. 

Designs for a 3,500 TEU ammonia-fueled containership received the first stage Approval in Principle marking a milestone for the application of ammonia as an alternative marine fuel. The project, which involves an industry task force led by the Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping, collaborated on the key challenges of safety for both seafarers and port communities.

On Monday, AP Moller-Maersk told customers that it would be canceling several sailings due to severe port congestion, and told investors to expect a $3 billion improvement in full-year EBITDA due to the same service disruption. 

The Port of Prince Rupert, British Columbia intends to cement its dominance as a gas exporting hub for Asian markets with a $1.3 billion export facility, thanks to U.S. company AltaGas and its Dutch partner Royal Vopak.

At a March meeting of the UN International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in London, a majority of member states expressed support for a levy on greenhouse gases emitted by the global shipping industry.

CMA CGM is warning customers that a salvage operation has been ordered for one of the containerships it has on charter for the Asia-West Africa service. Full details on the extent of the fire have not been released but in a customer advisory, the carrier was recommending that shippers notify their cargo underwriters without delay.

Shipbuilder Damen and CMB.TECH are partnering to build some of the first hydrogen-powered tugboats. The project expands Damen’s repertoire after the company added an electric tug also in the ASD class and in keeping with the Saverys' declared strategy to lead the industry to decarbonization alternatives.

Italy’s Grimaldi Group working with the European Space Agency (ESA) is proceeding to the second phase of a program designed to develop and validate an assisted guidance system using satellite technology for docking maneuvers of large car carrier vessels.

Noting that reliable real-world data regarding the impact of different low-carbon fuels on shipping has not yet been developed, researchers plan to use sophisticated tools to capture data from an in-service bulker.

The expansion of the SolarDuck office in Tokyo signifies its commitment to the Japanese market and serves the Asia Pacific region to accelerate commercialization.

An unusual confluence of supply and demand is driving ocean freight rates back up towards late-pandemic highs, according to logistics insiders - and it is prompting some of the same market behavior, sending shippers scrambling to ensure that they can move their inventory.

In the wake of the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, a team of experts at the Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering are launching an in-depth study of all similar U.S. bridges to assess the risk of another disastrous ship strike. 

The container shipping segment ticked pasted a significant milestone recently according to industry analysts Alphaliner. It comes as the sector continues to grow and they expect the era of the large ships will expand as carriers look for more economies of scale as they balance against the emerging emissions regulations.

Marflet Marine, one of Spain’s oldest private shipping companies, is joining the growing list of ship operators adopting wind-assisted propulsion. The company has signed a contract to install four eSails, a suction sail design, from Bound4blue on one of its four product tankers.

China is continuing to push forward with its efforts to develop electric propulsion for shipping. At the beginning of the year, COSCO commissioned the first two pure-electric containerships and now coastal carrier Ningbo Ocean Shipping has ordered two vessels it is calling the first of their kind in China and the largest in the world.

The Government of Cyprus in an ongoing dispute with the long-time leaseholder at the port of Larnaca announced it has terminated the concession and assumed direct management of the port.

German energy company RWE has decided to proceed with a large, two-phase, offshore wind farm project which is part of its long-term plans for renewable energy. The company points out the project provides synergies with its existing operations and can be used to provide renewable power to industrial customers.