Category: News Content Hub

Unmanned surface vessel demonstrated in UAE, another deployed offshore Africa An L25 remotely controlled vessel has been used for offshore energy and hydrographic surveying and an L42 USV starts survey work Martyn Go to rivieramm

UK’s non-pipeline carbon transport: what industry leaders need to address An upcoming session at a London CO2 shipping conference promises to expose the commercial realities behind shipping CO2 that could reshape the UK’s net-zero strategy Edwin Go to rivieramm

Engage Marine expands Australian tugboat fleet with Damen newbuild An Australian tug owner has increased its fleet of azimuth stern drive tugboats with the arrival of a newbuild from Vietnam Martyn Go to rivieramm

Devices enable reefer container condition monitoring on ships Crews can react rapidly to issues such as power failures and temperature deviations to prevent cargo spoiling Martyn Go to rivieramm

Dry bulk assesses US steel tariff increase as negative cargo growth looms Should trade disruptions continue through the second half of 2025, negative cargo growth by the end of the year may become inevitable Georgios Go to rivieramm

Explosions and fire on container ship off India, four crew missing Salvors and fire-fighting teams will be mobilised to fight a blaze on a Singapore-flagged container ship sailing out of Sri Lanka Martyn Go to rivieramm

Competitively priced Chinese-built bulk carriers make strong comeback in S&P market Buyer interest continued to focus on sub-Capesize vessels this week Georgios Go to rivieramm

Dry bulk newbuilding to remain muted as delivery times stretch to seven-year high The industry has adopted a cautious ’wait and see’ stance, awaiting greater clarity on the US port fee plan and IMO regulations Georgios Go to rivieramm

Belgium seeks alternative concepts for energy island as HVDC costs soar Second interconnector with UK a likely solution as contracts for HVDC convertor stations and cabling are put on hold David Go to rivieramm

Belgium’s Somtrans tied to fresh 1+1 LNG bunker vessel contract in China The LNG bunker vessel segment has seen a notable increase in newbuilding activity this year Georgios Go to rivieramm

Accident report: forecast severe weather sinks tugboat causing US$2M damage Better voyage planning and an emergency towline release in the wheelhouse could have prevented a towing vessel listing and capsizing in Texas Martyn Go to rivieramm

Greek tanker owner TOP Ships unveils Suezmax spin-off plan Spinning off new entities from core businesses has become an increasingly common strategy among publicly listed Greek shipping companies Georgios Go to rivieramm

Autonomous ship trials to be held in Singapore A consortium of Japanese companies, along with Singaporean research institutes and the nation’s maritime authority, will test unmanned ships under a new agreement Martyn Go to rivieramm

Megamas signs LoI with shipyard for new cable layer A Norwegian naval architect has provided the design for a specialised fibre-optic cable-laying vessel to be built in northern Europe Martyn Go to rivieramm

Focus shifts to salvage of evacuated, burning vehicle carrier off Alaska Fire-fighting vessels and salvage teams will be mobilised to an abandoned, fire-damaged vehicle carrier drifting off the US coast of Alaska in the Pacific Ocean Martyn Go to rivieramm

MAN ES rebrands itself Everllence The 267-year old engine company, which began as Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nürnberg (MAN) in 1758, has taken the name Everllence Jamey Go to rivieramm

Offshore contractor Allseas ‘going nuclear’ with plan for small modular reactors Five-year project will examine integrating high-temperature gas-cooled reactors on offshore vessels David Go to rivieramm

Nor-Shipping: Med Marine, Caterpillar combine for first battery-hybrid tug newbuild The Turkish shipbuilder will use a Robert Allan design with a Caterpillar integrated power system for a new series of electric-powered tugs Martyn Go to rivieramm

Nor-Shipping: raft of gas ship and LNG carrier tank designs green-lighted Class society Korean Register is working with several major shipyards to develop designs for new vessels and vessel components Jamey Go to rivieramm

North Star and Purus CSOVs: world’s first vessels with cyber notation delivered Vard has completed two of the first vessels to comply with new mandatory regulations for cyber resilience Martyn Go to rivieramm

WSF completes historic hybrid conversion of Wenatchee ferry Approximately 700 employees worked on the project over 21 months Rebecca Go to rivieramm

Trump trade war makes resiliency shipping’s new currency US tariffs and port fees roil shipping markets and ’victimise’ Chinese and Hong Kong maritime stakeholders, but highlight the need to diversify shipbuilding John Go to rivieramm

Greek LPG player Seahawk Gas adds another vessel to growing fleet The Michalis Kourtesis-led company has purchased 2009-built, 20,550-m³ LPG carrier Navigator Gemini Georgios Go to rivieramm

Nor-Shipping: Höegh Autoliners’ ship ‘upcycling’ to cut ship recycling emissions by 97% The project is taking aim at delivering mass-produced steel for commercial construction with minimal emissions, according to consortium leaders Nordic Circles Jamey Go to rivieramm

Purus reaches 10-gas carrier orderbook in Korea with new LNG carrier order The shipowner said the vessel will be placed on long-term charter with a leading energy company Georgios Go to rivieramm

Greek owner Star Bulk sheds older ships, boosts share buybacks As part of its strategic fleet renewal initiative, Star Bulk divested 30 vessels during the 2023–2024 period Georgios Go to rivieramm

Japan passes legislation enabling offshore wind projects in its EEZ Bill will enable floating windfarms to be developed in deep water, helping Japan to achieve carbon neutrality David Go to rivieramm

Flex LNG refinances first of three LNG carriers Completion of the 10-year, $175M lease financing for the vessel Flex Courageous comes after vessel secures 10 years of additional backlog Jamey Go to rivieramm

Space Norway integrates Starlink with GEO/HEO services Communications via SpaceX’s Starlink low Earth orbit constellation will be offered to ships in the EMEA region Martyn Go to rivieramm

Solvang, BlackRock’s GIP launch joint venture in gas carrier market Solvang Gas Carriers is a 50-50 joint venture that will initially own Solvang’s modern fleet of 13 very large gas carriers Georgios Go to rivieramm

Award-winning tug supports Hong Kong’s green marine fuel bunkering Hongkong Salvage & Towage Services operates two LNG dual-fuel terminal tugs supporting the world’s largest FSRU in Hong Kong Martyn Go to rivieramm

Dry bulk market faces headwinds amid shifting trade patterns, geopolitical pressures The dry bulk sector is being shaped by a confluence of shifting trade routes, evolving policy dynamics and the long-term global energy transition Georgios Go to rivieramm

Milestone Kamsarmax delivery from revamped Chinese yard to Fredriksen’s Seatankers The delivery of Sea Lyra marked a significant milestone for both Seatankers and China Merchants Industry Qingdao Shipyard Georgios Go to rivieramm

HMM signs US$462M 10-year freight transport contract with Vale The contract, covering shipments between Brazil and China, is set to commence in July 2025 and continue through June 2035 Georgios Go to rivieramm

Marinakis’ Capital tied to US$281M order for two container vessels The Greek shipowner has been associated with a double-digit number of new container ship orders in South Korea Georgios Go to rivieramm

Integrated simulation improves LNG vessel efficiency, cuts emissions Gamma Technologies and CLEOS explore how integrated simulation boosts LNG carrier efficiency and emissions reduction across system lifecycles Craig Go to rivieramm

Low-emissions tugs delivered to Adriatic owner Tripmare Two reverse stern drive tugs are scheduled to arrive in Italy in August to handle ultra-large container ships Martyn Go to rivieramm

Red Funnel moves forward with e-foiling ferry The UK ferry operator opens up on demonstrating the technology to be used in its new Artemis EF-24 Passenger ferry Rebecca Go to rivieramm

Nemeca prepares to expand towage fleet Sanmar Shipyards has launched a RAstar 2900SX design tugboat for the Greek towage and salvage service provider Martyn Go to rivieramm

Vafias’ Brave Maritime continues buying spree with Japanese Handysize addition Brave Maritime has acquired 22 secondhand bulk carriers over the past two years Georgios Go to rivieramm

Waterjet propulsion chosen for SAR vessel newbuild series Danish Ministry of Defence’s acquisition and logistics organisation has ordered seven search and rescue vessels for maritime emergency response Martyn Go to rivieramm

Vellis family led Delia expands into tankers with trio from Pleiades Founded by members of the Vellis family, Delia operates through two distinct entities: Delia Bulkers and Delia Tankers Georgios Go to rivieramm

Ammonia dual-fuel engine shows 90% reduction in GHG, reports Wärtsilä Significant breakthrough for Wärtsilä dual-fuel engine demonstrated during testing shows the potential of green ammonia to help meet shipping’s net-zero ambitions John Go to rivieramm

NYK introduces Japan’s first battery-driven workboat A fully electric workboat is manoeuvring vessels into docks at a shipyard near Tokyo, Japan Martyn Go to rivieramm

Britoil Offshore Services to add six AHT newbuilds to growing fleet BOS inks contract with Chinese shipyard for the construction of six anchor handling tugs, with options to build two more John Go to rivieramm

Germany commissions Wilhelmshaven’s second terminal after Greek LNG carrier delivery Energy Endurance, a 2024-built LNG carrier owned by Anna Angelicoussis-led Alpha Gas, delivered the commissioning cargo on 16 May Georgios Go to rivieramm

Ava Ocean selects connectivity for harvesting vessel Inmarsat’s NexusWave bonded connectivity service will be installed on a vessel built to harvest scallops in the Barents Sea Martyn Go to rivieramm

Wilhelmsen Ships Service’s vessel charging station supports Singapore’s electrification push New vessel charging facility underpins transition of all harbour craft to net-zero emissions in the Port of Singapore by 2050 John Go to rivieramm

Dry bulk faces potential ‘supply overhang’ by end-2026 Bulk carriers ordered during the previous newbuilding upcycle have begun entering the fleet, raising concerns of a potential oversupply Georgios Go to rivieramm

Putting hard GHG numbers to IMO’s pricing mechanism In the wake of MEPC 83, Singapore think tank GCMD has developed a simple compliance calculator to help shipowners explore how the two-tiered, Greenhouse Gas Fuel Intensity-linked pricing system could impact operational costs Selwyn Go to rivieramm

Tug owners weigh in on sector digitalisation  Harbour towage providers are investing in digitalisation technologies to optimise operations, reduce emissions and improve scheduling in ports Martyn Go to rivieramm

EPS signals growing industry acceptance of AI-driven navigation Eastern Pacific Shipping has retrofitted a bulk carrier and Suezmax tanker with autonomous navigation technology, marking further industry acceptance of AI-driven navigation Edwin Go to rivieramm

Images: MSC box ship capsizes off India, 24 crew rescued MSC has seen a container ship casualty, with several containers containing hazardous substances, according to the Indian Coast Guard Jamey Go to rivieramm

Electric Orkney project announces milestone as hydrofoil ferry arrives Artemis EF-12 Workboat XL’s arrival is an important step in the Electric Orkney project, with the vessel set to start trials Rebecca Go to rivieramm

Tsantanis’ United Maritime ups ‘targeted’ offshore vessel investment Stamatis Tsantanis is among a group of prominent Greek shipowners expanding into the offshore vessel market Georgios Go to rivieramm

MCA moves from ‘start over’ seafarer certification system in digital revolution The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency will fundamentally transform seafarer certification from September 2025, ending an outdated system that forced mariners to start over when switching vessel types while introducing digital assessments that replace memorisation with practical skills application Edwin Go to rivieramm

Asian LNG demand rebounds as European imports retreat IGU, Rystad Energy and GIIGNL report 2.4% growth in global LNG trade in 2024, led by China and India, while European imports fell sharply Craig Go to rivieramm

Women in Maritime Today: ZEMBA CEO Ingrid Irigoyen offers a ‘bold new approach’ Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance president and chief executive explains how her team, made up mainly of women, thrives with a “little extra effort, grit in the face of headwinds, boldness that is just the right mix of self-assurance and humility, and…

Video: container ship runs aground next to a house in Norway, duty officer questioned Norwegian police said the officer of the watch is being questioned in relation to a container vessel that grounded within metres of a seafront home near Trondheim Jamey Go to rivieramm

Four-stroke ammonia genset to ditch pilot fuel  Danish initiative aims to develop pioneering, small-bore dual-fuel engine concept that operates on pure ammonia, dispensing with the need for pilot fuel John Go to rivieramm

Greenland’s Royal Arctic Line to end HFO use Clean Arctic Alliance welcomes Greenland government-owned shipping line’s decision Rebecca Go to rivieramm

Spain’s Ibaizabal tied to US$197M order for two LNG bunker vessels The LNG bunker vessel market has experienced a significant uptick in ordering activity in recent months Georgios Go to rivieramm

Accident report: towboat grounds in Illinois causing US$2M damage Investigators found a wheelhouse watch alarm system was switched off and the pilot left the helm unattended before grounding on the Mississippi River Martyn Go to rivieramm

Sweeping new EU and UK sanctions on Russia move beyond listing individual vessels Analysts note the latest measures mark a strategic shift, as authorities target Russia-linked ships, owners and insurers Georgios Go to rivieramm

Floatel secures contracts, sells accommodation vessel  Norwegian accommodation semi-submersible owner has four vessels almost fully employed in 2025 and limited availability in 2026 Martyn Go to rivieramm

Qatar aims to increase non-Qatari LNG trading volumes three- to fourfold by 2030  With the Middle Eastern emirate currently trading 10M tonnes of physical LNG cargoes, its energy minister said the ’ambition’ is to reach 30-40M tonnes of non-Qatari LNG cargoes by 2030 Jamey Go to rivieramm

Freeport LNG brings third LNG tank back online for first time since 2022 fire The Texas-based LNG export facility said it has now completed the final phase of recovery and restoration work that followed a fire at the terminal in June 2022 Jamey Go to rivieramm

MSC cleared to take controlling share in Brazil’s Wilson Sons Gianluigi Aponte-controlled MSC subsidiary has splashed more than US$760M for a 56% stake in the maritime and port logistics operator Jamey Go to rivieramm

Ports invest in digitalisation to improve ship-call planning   Initiatives adopted by Port of Antwerp-Bruges and Port of Rotterdam improve efficiency for ships approaching harbours Martyn Go to rivieramm

US Department of Energy set to greenlight pending LNG export applications Citing a ’mandate to unleash American energy dominance’, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said DOE will issue final orders for US LNG exports to non-free trade agreement countries Jamey Go to rivieramm

Milestone in tug propulsion celebrated at industry technology conference Robert Allan and Schottel celebrated 500th rudderpropeller installation at towage sector conference Martyn Go to rivieramm

Shell investors re-elect CEO Wael Sawan, query use of LNG to cut emissions With close to 99% support, Shell chief executive Wael Sawan was asked about a takeover bid for UK energy major BP and LNG’s compatibility with stated environmental goals Jamey Go to rivieramm

Four Seasons Yachts secures financing for second vessel Marc-Henry Cruise Holdings has secured financing to construct a second ultra-luxury vessel, Four Seasons II Rebecca Go to rivieramm

ITS Awards 2025 highlight pioneering owners, vessels and innovations  ITS Awards were presented to winners at an industry gala dinner in Antwerp, Belgium Martyn Go to rivieramm

Svitzer bets on TRAnsverse tugs to reduce its environmental impact in ports  Two Svitzer TRAnsverse tugs are heading to Australia and more are under construction, including the world’s first methanol-battery tugboat Martyn Go to rivieramm

MAN set to deliver ‘world’s most powerful methanol engine’ Under construction in China, is the first of a dozen 82,440-kW slow-speed engines that will power a series of container vessel newbuilds Riviera Go to rivieramm

Engine compartments become energy rooms as tug industry hits hybrid-electric revolution  Towage industry is embracing battery technology to reduce emissions from port operations but needs fuel-flexible gensets as back-up support Martyn Go to rivieramm

Asian owners drive dry bulk S&P activity amid rising demand for smaller tonnage Owners are increasingly focusing on Supramax and Handysize vessels, with Chinese-built tonnage making a strong return to the sales charts Georgios Go to rivieramm

IMO 2028: a salient step towards shipping’s decarbonisation VPS Group’s Steve Bee and Emilian Buksak dissect IMO’s new binding Net-Zero Framework for shipping, detailing the implications of its global fuel standard and economic measures Steve Bee Go to rivieramm

Onboard carbon capture most effective with biofuels, Langh Tech tells Greek owners Langh Tech emphasised OCC can help reduce the overall cost of biofuels and accelerate the sector’s fuel transition Georgios Go to rivieramm

Has the trade war peaked? Dry bulk market grapples with uncertainty The key driver for any second-half upside – or downside – will likely be the uncertainty surrounding US tariff policy Georgios Go to rivieramm

Norway finally launches Utsira Nord floating wind tender Tender for floating offshore windfarm was delayed for two years and some potential bidders have already withdrawn their interest David Go to rivieramm

Recycling experts divided as regulatory tension and compliance dilemmas loom A panel comprising representatives from international organisations, maritime bodies and legal experts reached different conclusions on how best to move forward on a ship recycling regulatory landscape characterised by overlapping jurisdictions and contradictory requirements Edwin Go to rivieramm

Women in Maritime Today: Anemoi Marine’s Clare Urmston is on a mission to clean up shipping Anemoi Marine Technologies’ chief executive believes in pushing the boundaries and wants to save 100 tonnes of CO2 emissions per day from shipping by installing 500 rotor sails by 2030 John Go to rivieramm

Women in Maritime Today: AIT Worldwide Logistics’ Chelsea Lamar describes her passion for sustainability AIT Worldwide Logistics vice president of global sustainability Chelsea Lamar explains how her passion for sustainability has driven her career in shipping Rebecca Go to rivieramm

Women in Maritime Today: Marita Krems is a woman in MAN’s world MAN Energy Solutions’ senior vice-president for its global four-stroke division says her main goal is to help usher shipping into a cleaner future Selwyn Go to rivieramm

STAX celebrates International Day for Women in Maritime 2025 with all-women crew STAX, a maritime emissions capture start-up, is making waves with an all-women-operated STAX barge on 18 May, the International Day for Women in Maritime 2025 Craig Go to rivieramm

Capesize market ends week on strong note, yet outlook remains fragile Analysts have noted a rise in bauxite exports from Guinea and a pickup in coal activity out of East Australia Georgios Go to rivieramm

As shipping honours women, data shows women less inclined to work in maritime With a crewing crisis brewing in the maritime sector, a survey by IMO and WISTA ahead of International Women in Maritime Day revealed flagging numbers of women at work across a wide swathe of the maritime world Jamey Go to rivieramm

Women in Maritime Today: bound4blue’s Cristina Aleixendri harnesses the wind An aerospace engineer and cofounder of bound4blue, Ms Aleixendri oversees the company’s strategic direction as deputy chief executive, steering the WAP developer towards success Selwyn Go to rivieramm

Aramco deals bolster US LNG as company eyes stakes in export projects Saudi state-owned oil major Aramco says it is looking at taking an equity interest in and LNG offtake from the Louisiana LNG project and Port Arthur LNG 2 Jamey Go to rivieramm

Maran Tankers tied to sale of oldest VLCC at firm price levels The Angelicoussis Group has a reputation for strategic fleet renewal, combining timely sales with significant investment in newbuildings Georgios Go to rivieramm

Regulatory convergence, industry innovation dominate ship recycling forum The forum concluded with clear industry consensus on the need for regulatory coherence and practical implementation strategies as the Hong Kong Convention approaches its entry into force on 25 June, marking a watershed moment for the maritime sector Edwin Go to rivieramm

Olympic Notos awarded five-year contract with Aker BP Long-term fixture for Twin X-Stern CSOV pushes Olympic Subsea’s backlog to US$500M John Go to rivieramm

EU’s fresh crackdown on Russia brings total blacklisted vessels to 340 While the EU targets the ’shadow’ fleet again, Kpler data shows stable Russian crude oil flows Georgios Go to rivieramm

Video: MSC box ship grounds in apparent GPS jamming incident A video shows the vessel stuck and listing, the container ship’s AIS beacon status reads ’Aground’, and multiple sources are reporting that GPS jamming is to blame Jamey Go to rivieramm

Marinakis’ CCEC maps out LCO2 carrier deployment, seals long-term LNG carrier charters  The US-listed Greek owner sees growing momentum in the LCO2 carrier sector, though firm projects are not expected before 2028–2029 Georgios Go to rivieramm

Baltic countries sign MoU to bolster energy co-operation Agreement focuses on exploiting the potential of renewables and interconnectors between states David Go to rivieramm

Centus Marine expands fleet with new fast crew boat Strategic Marine has built a second vessel with hybrid propulsion to support offshore operations in Sarawak, Malaysia Martyn Go to rivieramm

Greece’s Athenian Sea Carriers prioritises AMP ahead of new fleet launch The traditional Greek shipping company has embarked on a strategic shift, moving away from the VLCC segment to focus exclusively on smaller tankers Georgios Go to rivieramm