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Category: Op-Eds

  • Op-Ed: AC or DC charging for marine vessels

    Op-Ed: AC or DC charging for marine vessels A few years ago, crossing open waters on batteries was pioneering technology for tailor-built projects. But as the technology has proven its benefits, we are now entering the next phase with many types of vessels capable of doing emission free operations. One of the vital hurdles we…

  • Op-Ed: What SIRE 2.0 is really revealing about shipping

    Op-Ed: What SIRE 2.0 is really revealing about shipping Speak to anyone in a technical or HSQE role and the same story comes back. The pressure has been building for years and the industry is now carrying more weight than its current systems can absorb. Expectations keep rising while the time, people and mental bandwidth…

  • Op-Ed: The social revolution maritime didn’t see coming

    Op-Ed: The social revolution maritime didn’t see coming For years the maritime industry has talked about digital transformation as if it were purely about systems, sensors and software. Yet the most profound transformation now taking place is human. Across crews and offices, seafarers are connecting, mentoring and supporting one another online in ways that would…

  • Op-Ed: Contractors asked for a different conversation—so the industry built one

    Op-Ed: Contractors asked for a different conversation—so the industry built one The maritime coatings industry is facing pressures that can no longer be addressed in isolation. Shipyards are operating under tighter schedules. Fleets are aging. Performance expectations for corrosion control continue to rise. At the same time, contractors are navigating workforce shortages that directly affect…

  • Op-Ed: Biocrude’s role in charting a lower-carbon future

    Op-Ed: Biocrude’s role in charting a lower-carbon future Maritime shipping plays a key role in global trade, providing transportation for roughly 80% of goods bought and sold internationally. At the same time, maritime vessels generate significant emissions—contributing around 3% of total worldwide emissions, which is comparable to the annual emissions certain developed countries including Japan.…

  • Op-Ed: Saving shipyards from the “cliff-edge” with AI

    Op-Ed: Saving shipyards from the “cliff-edge” with AI The global shipyard sector is facing a skills time bomb. In the U.S. alone the average age of the nation’s 146,500 strong shipyard workforce is 55. This aging workforce challenge is further compounded by rising shipyard demand which is expected to more than double in the U.S.…

  • Op-Ed: The key objective in advancing shipping’s digital transformation

    Op-Ed: The key objective in advancing shipping’s digital transformation The maritime industry stands at a digital crossroads. Over the past decade, the conversation has evolved from seeing shipping’s digitalization as a “nice to have,” to essential. From AI-driven decision making to predictive maintenance and smart fleet management, digitalization has become central to improving the safety,…

  • Op-Ed: Navigating the Coast Guard’s emerging cybersecurity framework

    Op-Ed: Navigating the Coast Guard’s emerging cybersecurity framework Cybersecurity is becoming a formalized regulatory obligation for the maritime sector as the U.S. Coast Guard moves forward with new requirements under 33 CFR Part 101, Subpart F. Once finalized, these rules will establish mandatory cybersecurity controls for vessels and shoreside facilities operating in U.S. waters, marking…

  • Op-Ed: The overlooked role of seal compatibility in hydraulic fluid upgrades

    Op-Ed: The overlooked role of seal compatibility in hydraulic fluid upgrades Ask most people about hydraulic fluid upgrades in marine environments, and they might talk about biodegradability and fluid life. But one critical factor often gets overlooked until it’s too late: seal compatibility. The reality is that even the most advanced fluid can cause system…

  • Op-Ed: Why digital work instructions are critical for the future of shipbuilding 

    Op-Ed: Why digital work instructions are critical for the future of shipbuilding  The shipbuilding industry is navigating a period of profound change, driven by a generational workforce evolution and intense pressure to optimize operational efficiency. For decades, shipyards have built and maintained complex vessels using traditional 2D drawings and tribal knowledge. While proven, this methodology…

  • Op-Ed: Advanced feedstocks offer commercially sustainable GHG compliance

    Op-Ed: Advanced feedstocks offer commercially sustainable GHG compliance By Jesper Sørensen, Global Head of Alternative Fuels and Carbon Markets The regulatory landscape for shipping is evolving rapidly, and shipowners and operators now face a continuous cycle of planning, monitoring, reporting and compliance under new GHG-related regulations. The final quarter of 2025 sees FuelEU reporting approach…

  • Op-Ed: Lowering barriers to nutrition at sea

    Op-Ed: Lowering barriers to nutrition at sea By Oren Saar, CEO, Agwa Crew shortages are intensifying, younger generations are less willing to accept outdated conditions, and expectations around seafarer wellbeing are rapidly evolving. Nutrition sits at the heart of this shift: what crews eat on board directly affects their health, morale, safety, and willingness to…

  • Op-Ed: How offshore operators can boost efficiency digitally

    Op-Ed: How offshore operators can boost efficiency digitally By Damien Bertin, Business Director, Opsealog After several years of volatility, the offshore support vessel (OSV) sector is experiencing a rare period of relative stability. Supply remains tight and operators are looking at their business with cautious optimism. But market calm should not be mistaken for a…

  • Op-Ed: Identity Is the cybersecurity perimeter in maritime operations

    Op-Ed: Identity Is the cybersecurity perimeter in maritime operations By Bill Moore, CEO, Xona The maritime sector is now a front line in cybersecurity conflict. Nation-state actors are targeting vessels, ports, and shipyards, not just to steal data, but to disrupt operations and gain strategic advantage. As connectivity expands across navigation, propulsion, and cargo systems,…

  • Op-Ed: Biofouling—A challenge the industry can’t ignore

    Op-Ed: Biofouling—A challenge the industry can’t ignore By Nick Cowley, president of Cathelco The relationship between biofouling management and the maritime industry is a complicated one. Despite the proven benefits of limiting biofouling growth—including emissions reduction, protection of ecosystems, and improved vessel performance—it remains an overlooked solution for shipowners. The 83rd session of the International…

  • Op-Ed: Government shutdown—The cost of congressional inaction

    Op-Ed: Government shutdown—The cost of congressional inaction By Tracy Zea, President & CEO, Waterways Council Inc. (WCI) Niels Bohr, the Danish theoretical physicist who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922, said, “Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future.” While he may have been referring to physics, this could not be more pertinent…

  • Op-Ed: Fuel pathways need solid foundations

    Op-Ed: Fuel pathways need solid foundations LNG has created a strong basis in terms of safety, emissions, availability and costs that biomethane and e-methane benefit from, says Lana Sissing, Client Manager at Titan Clean Fuels. While there is still plenty of scope for growth, LNG is now, in many respects, a mainstream marine fuel. It…

  • Op-Ed: Asset management vital for aging global fleet

    Op-Ed: Asset management vital for aging global fleet By Adam Dennett, CEO, SpecTec With the age of vessels at a 40-year high ship owners and operators need to act now and use asset management technology combined with a culture of safety to ensure the ongoing integrity of their vessels and the welfare of their crews.…

  • Op-Ed: How a sludge problem becomes a decarbonization solution

    Op-Ed: How a sludge problem becomes a decarbonization solution By Nicholas Ball, CEO, XFuel With only 15 years to eliminate the majority of its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the shipping industry is facing a challenge to deliver decarbonization at an affordable cost. Nicholas Ball, XFuel’s CEO, believes that circular economics is the key for shipowners…

  • Op-Ed: Behind the supply chain of decarbonization

    Op-Ed: Behind the supply chain of decarbonization By Mükremin İnan, AVS Ship Supply Global, supply services director Decarbonization dominates the maritime agenda, and rightly so. Alternative fuels, emissions targets, and retrofit strategies fill headlines and policy papers. But behind every decarbonization effort lies another, often under reported, challenge: what it takes to physically support this…

  • Op-Ed: Engineering reliability at sea via smarter filtration

    Op-Ed: Engineering reliability at sea via smarter filtration By Ulrich Latz, global product manager, industrial filtration; and Simone Ortner, global engineering and product manager, hydraulic filtration, Eaton Technologies GmbH The health of a ship’s propulsion, hydraulic and cooling systems often comes down to one factor: how well the working fluids are filtered. No matter if…

  • Op-Ed: Preventing falls overboard—Industry’s call to lead

    Op-Ed: Preventing falls overboard—Industry’s call to lead By Mike Breslin, Senior Director – Safety & Sustainability, AWO America’s tugboat, towboat, and barge industry is the safest mode of bulk freight transportation in the United States. We have significantly less injuries and fatalities when compared to truck and rail, and our industry has driven fatality rates…

  • Op-Ed: Digitalization won’t replace seafarers; it will protect them

    Op-Ed: Digitalization won’t replace seafarers; it will protect them By Fabian Fussek, Co-Founder and CEO, Kaiko Systems Shipping is an industry that often prides itself on tradition. But some traditions shouldn’t continue, especially when they create added burdens on crews. Today, the reality on many vessels is that seafarers are still forced to manage an…

  • Op-Ed: The impact of climate change on shipping

    Op-Ed: The impact of climate change on shipping By Roberta Weisbrod, Executive Director, Worldwide Ferry Safety Association Ocean workers are on the front line of climate change, the Lloyd’s Register Foundation (LRF) concludes based on a massive survey conducted with the Gallup Organization of workers in a range of fields. The survey, of 147,000 workers in…

  • Op-Ed: What July port performance data reveals

    Op-Ed: What July port performance data reveals By Fraser Robinson, Co-Founder and CEO at Beacon July 2025 showed notable variations in global port berth times, with some significant increases at major container hubs alongside efficiency improvements at others. According to Beacon’s July 2025 port performance data, North America recorded the largest regional average increase (+0.139…

  • Op-Ed: Smarter ship design starts with data

    Op-Ed: Smarter ship design starts with data By Jonathan Strachan – CTO, Houlder Today volatile markets, rising costs, and shifting environmental legislation all contribute to a high-stakes operating environment in the maritime industry. Traditionally, shipowners and operators have relied heavily on experience and gut instinct to guide decisions when it comes to ship design. While…

  • Op-Ed: Electrostatic spray reduces overspray in shipyards

    Op-Ed: Electrostatic spray reduces overspray in shipyards By Joanna van Helmond, PPG Product Development Director, Marine Fouling Control, Marine and Protective Coatings Increasing pressure for more sustainable operations and tighter margins in the maritime industry encourages shipowners and yards to explore ways to improve efficiency and reduce waste. One technique gaining attention is electrostatic coating…

  • Op-Ed: Shipbuilding funding “Big Beautiful Bill”

    Op-Ed: Shipbuilding funding “Big Beautiful Bill” By Edward McDonald, Owner, Edward Maritime LLC I am writing to share my thoughts on the recent approval of the “BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL,” which provides a significant $29 billion increase in funding for shipbuilding, focusing mainly on naval shipyards that handle government contracts. Edward McDonald. While the funding from…

  • Op-Ed: Smarter talent investment for a leaner DoD

    Op-Ed: Smarter talent investment for a leaner DoD By Lt. Gen. Mark Faulkner, USMC (Ret.), president, Institute for Defense and Business Recent memoranda issued by Department of Defense (DoD) leadership signals a pivotal shift in the approach to its civilian workforce. The directives outline a clear intention to streamline the structure, placing an emphasis on…

  • Op-Ed: Sustainability means cleaning up our water, too

    Op-Ed: Sustainability means cleaning up our water, too By Peter Satchwell, global business director, Wärtsilä Water & Waste The maritime industry finds itself navigating increasingly choppy regulatory waters. Shipowners and operators today face an ever-expanding array of rules and compliance requirements, with the complexity and scope of mandatory reporting growing exponentially. Whilst this regulatory evolution…

  • Op-Ed: 5 things to know about FuelEU Maritime and IMO MEPC 83

    Op-Ed: 5 things to know about FuelEU Maritime and IMO MEPC 83 Commentary from Maria Angeles Lopez, Decarbonization Manager at Peninsula As of January 1, 2025, the maritime industry has been navigating a new regulatory landscape with the introduction of FuelEU Maritime, a regulation aimed at reducing emissions and encouraging the transition to cleaner fuels through an…

  • Op-Ed: Washington must address corrosion crisis

    Op-Ed: Washington must address corrosion crisis By Jennifer Merck, Vice President of Maritime, Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP) The U.S. is racing to modernize its maritime industrial base. Historic legislation is in motion. Public and private investments are surging. Shipyards are once again in the national spotlight. But beneath this promising momentum lies…

  • Op-Ed: Why ship retrofit strategies need a rethink

    Op-Ed: Why ship retrofit strategies need a rethink By Matteo Di Maio, Co-founder and Director of Bluestone Group As decarbonization deadlines close in, shipowners are under unprecedented pressure to retrofit and upgrade their fleets while minimizing off-hire. Yet the technical services models many still rely on, built around planned yard stays and standardized approaches, were…

  • Op-Ed: Overcoming shipping’s complexity challenge

    Op-Ed: Overcoming shipping’s complexity challenge By Richard Leahy, technical service manager, Castrol The maritime industry faces extraordinary complexity. Today’s specialized global fleet—from dry and wet cargoes to passenger vessels—is a remarkable achievement of modern engineering that continues to evolve in sophistication and capability. Examining these ships reveals an intricate interplay of processes, machinery and crew.…

  • Op-Ed: Alternative lenders will ignite shipping’s growth

    Op-Ed: Alternative lenders will ignite shipping’s growth By Tobias Backer, executive director, Pelagic Capital The introduction of protectionist policies by the new U.S. administration has reignited uncertainty across the global economy. The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) World Economic Outlook suggests that every major economy will be impacted by the newly introduced tariffs, resulting in a…

  • Op-Ed: Can thrusters be designed for purpose and value?

    Op-Ed: Can thrusters be designed for purpose and value? by Juho Rekola, director, sales & project management, Steerprop. Thrusters tailored for your vessel need not cost more than cookie-cutter solutions and will inevitably reduce total lifecycle costs. In many industries, standardization has become a byword for efficiency. Containerization is the classic example in shipping, with…

  • Op-Ed: Mitigating nurdle pollution requires a multi-stakeholder effort

    Op-Ed: Mitigating nurdle pollution requires a multi-stakeholder effort By Emma Forbes-Gearey, Loss Prevention Officer, West P&I Earlier this January, reports surfaced detailing a significant incident involving the spillage of nurdles from shipping containers. Over 1,000 sacks of plastic nurdles were lost from a Danish ship, while 25 tonnes of plastic pellets fell from a Liberian…

  • Op-Ed: Simulation tools in shipbuilding

    Op-Ed: Simulation tools in shipbuilding By Joakim Heinolainen, Technical Consultant, and Janne Huotari, Senior R&D Engineer, at NAPA Design Solutions Simulation tools have long been fundamental to ship design and operation, supporting everything from voyage optimization to stability analysis. However, their role is rapidly expanding and evolving. Beyond traditional applications, these tools are now being…

  • Op-Ed: Nutrition at sea with AI-powered onboard farming

    Op-Ed: Nutrition at sea with AI-powered onboard farming By Oren Saar, CEO of Agwa The maritime industry is investing heavily in digitalization, decarbonization, and operational efficiency – and rightly so. But there’s a quieter, yet well-known issue playing out across thousands of vessels: limited access to fresh, nutritious food, and the toll this takes on…

  • Op-Ed: Dry docks and the future of U.S. shipbuilding

    Op-Ed: Dry docks and the future of U.S. shipbuilding By René Fredriks, Managing Director, Trelleborg Marine & Infrastructure As global shipbuilding powerhouses ramp up capacity and innovation, U.S. shipbuilding finds itself at a critical moment. With over 100,000 American jobs and $40 billion in GDP linked to the sector, shipbuilding is not just an industrial…

  • Op-Ed: Hydraulic fluids and the future of compliance

    Op-Ed: Hydraulic fluids and the future of compliance By Joe Weinand, industrial lubrication specialist, Chevron Behind every successful marine operation lies an increasingly complex challenge: meeting increasingly stringent environmental standards for hydraulic fluids without sacrificing performance. Operators are under pressure to address fluid toxicity, biodegradability, and bioaccumulation potential while maintaining the operational demands of their…

  • Op-Ed: Navigating opportunities in the 2025 insurance market

    Op-Ed: Navigating opportunities in the 2025 insurance market By Simon de Burgh Codrington, Managing Director, Risk Strategies The marine insurance industry continues to navigate uncertain waters in 2025. Prices in the global marine cargo market are starting to ease. Importers and exporters now have more room to negotiate. Still, cargo theft is a growing problem,…

  • Op-Ed: The hidden threat in America’s shipbuilding revival

    Op-Ed: The hidden threat in America’s shipbuilding revival By D. Terry Greenfield, Principal Consultant, CONSULEX The United States is embarking on one of the most ambitious shipbuilding revivals in recent history, driven by growing global maritime competition, renewed investments in national defense, and the strategic need to revitalize our industrial base. But as we rebuild…

  • Op-Ed: Social media as a tool for professional development at sea

    Op-Ed: Social media as a tool for professional development at sea By Josephine Le, founder of The Hood Platform Over the past 30 years, we have witnessed first-hand the global embrace of digitalization. Things that were once physical and paper-based are now electronic, transportation is becoming automated, and communication is no longer just face-to-face. While…

  • Op-Ed: Purpose-built forged metal optimized for “end use”

    Op-Ed: Purpose-built forged metal optimized for “end use” By Royce Lowe, All Metals & Forge Group LLC Working with an experienced supplier of open die forgings, seamless and contoured rolled rings, and complex forged parts that prioritizes the “end use” of the part form in the early stages of the process helps ensure quality, performance,…

  • CMT: AI not yet intelligent enough to diagnose engine problems

    CMT: AI not yet intelligent enough to diagnose engine problems AI might be everywhere but Glueckstadt, Germany-headquartered Condition Monitoring Technologies GmbH ( CMT) is cautioning against placing sole reliance on artificial intelligence in ship condition monitoring. It says that human expertise remains essential to ensure safety and accuracy in maritime operations. Founded in 2023, CMT…

  • Op-Ed: Do not overlook BWM Convention compliance

    Op-Ed: Do not overlook BWM Convention compliance By Tommi Vihavainen, Product Owner – Logbook, Safety Solutions, NAPA As we watch for the outcomes of the 83rd meeting of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO’s) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 83), ballast water management may not be the hottest topic in shipping, but it remains a vital…

  • Op-Ed: Change and opportunity in U.S. shipbuilding’s new era

    Op-Ed: Change and opportunity in U.S. shipbuilding’s new era For organizations looking to work with U.S. shipbuilding, understanding the requirements will be crucial to success, writes Darren Guillory, SSI ShipConstructor Will the next decade be a golden age for American shipyards? From the clouded perspective of 2025 it is hard to discern whether plans for…

  • Op-Ed: Offshore maritime insurance amid climate change

    Op-Ed: Offshore maritime insurance amid climate change By Robert Mackay, Business Development Lead, FDR The maritime industry is facing escalating climate-related challenges. The rising frequency and severity of extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and typhoons, profoundly affect offshore construction projects. However, with all the warnings in place, there is a feeling that, despite all…

  • Boom! A systematic approach to maritime risks

    Boom! A systematic approach to maritime risks By Luis Llamas and Thomas “Buddy” Bardenwerper, Jones Walker LLP Maritime Practice Group The bilge alarm is sounding. Smoke is billowing. Oil is spreading. A lot needs to happen in these critical, heart-pounding moments; coming up with an emergency response plan shouldn’t be one of them. Operating a…

  • Op-Ed: Service vessels at the heart of marine electrification

    Op-Ed: Service vessels at the heart of marine electrification By James Edwards, Chief Engineer – Marine, Helix Decarbonization is at the top of the agenda across the marine value chain. Suppliers and operators are investing record amounts to allow the industry to meet commitments such as the IMO’s pledge for net zero shipping emissions by…

  • Op-Ed: Thinking of privatizing NOAA? Think again

    Op-Ed: Thinking of privatizing NOAA? Think again By Dr. Roberta Weisbrod, Executive Director of the Worldwide Ferry Safety Association The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), encompassing the National Weather Service, the National Ocean Service, fisheries, and weather satellites, provides critically important information to shipping businesses, the military, and ordinary citizens.  NOAA is the world…

  • Op-Ed: Breaking barriers on the evolving role of women at sea

    Op-Ed: Breaking barriers on the evolving role of women at sea By Julia Anastasiou, Crew Management Officer, OSM Thome NOTE: Saturday, March 8, is International Women’s Day. Thirty years ago, when I began my career in the maritime industry, women at sea were a rarity. The challenges were formidable—lack of representation, limited career pathways, and…

  • Op-Ed: Steel and aluminum tariffs

    Op-Ed: Steel and aluminum tariffs What is old, what is new, and what recent actions mean for industry By Jonathan R. Todd, Benesch Law United States President Donald Trump is no stranger to steel and aluminum tariffs. Trade actions targeting those commodities were a large part of his First Term agenda when he launched those Section…

  • Op-Ed: How the SHIPS for America Act can restore U.S. maritime leadership

    Op-Ed: How the SHIPS for America Act can restore U.S. maritime leadership By Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) Flanked by two oceans, the United States has always been a maritime nation. Our dominance over the oceans was a key factor in establishing the U.S. as the most powerful nation on Earth. My family has lived this. Both…

  • Op-Ed: Digitalization for better asset performance management

    Op-Ed: Digitalization for better asset performance management By Ilari Leinonen, Product Owner, Elomatic The maritime industry is currently navigating a period of transformation, which is driven by increasingly stringent regulatory frameworks and an industry-wide push towards decarbonization. With these factors in mind, ship owners and operators are under more scrutiny than ever before. Heightened stakeholder…

  • Op-Ed: Is decarbonization driving unintended consequences?

    Op-Ed: Is decarbonization driving unintended consequences? By Peter Soles, Principal, Business Development at Glosten  In recent years, the messaging around alternative fuels and zero emission vessels in marine industry magazines, online forums, news websites, and social media has been a steady stream, bordering on a wide-open fire hydrant. As a result, many in the U.S.…

  • Op-Ed: Coatings and predictive data key to CII challenges

    Op-Ed: Coatings and predictive data key to CII challenges By Chris Birkert, Marine Segment Manager at AkzoNobel Chris Birkert. 2025 is a watershed year for the global maritime industry. Fuel EU has now come into effect and the scope of EU Emissions Trade System (EU ETS) has been extended, both adding additional considerations for vessel…

  • Op-Ed: Complying with Coast Guard’s final rule on cybersecurity

    Op-Ed: Complying with Coast Guard’s final rule on cybersecurity By Jim Kearns and Andy Lee, Jones Walker LLP On January 17, the U.S. Coast Guard released a final rule on cybersecurity in the U.S. marine transportation system. The rule establishes cybersecurity requirements for U.S.-flag vessels, facilities, and Outer Continental Shelf facilities that are regulated under…

  • Op-Ed: Rethinking cargo handling systems

    Op-Ed: Rethinking cargo handling systems By Taisuke Inui, CEO, MarFlex Driven by regulatory pressure and the pursuit of more efficient, sustainable operations, the maritime industry is rapidly evolving. From alternative fuels to vessel propulsion, technological advancements are reshaping nearly every aspect of shipping. Yet one crucial area remains largely overlooked when it comes to the…

  • Op-Ed: Clean Ports Program grants for extreme weather

    Op-Ed: Clean Ports Program grants for extreme weather By Dr. Robert Moorcroft, Senior Carbon Reduction Scientist, Tunley Environmental In November, the U.S. ports industry received one of the biggest injections of investment ever seen when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released nearly $3 billion as part of its Clean Ports Program. The grants, funded…

  • Op-Ed: Industry thoughts on tariffs come to light

    Op-Ed: Industry thoughts on tariffs come to light Over the last couple of days, Stamatis Tsantanis, chariman and CEO of global shipping company Seanergy Maritime and United Maritime, and Cary S. Davis, president and CEO of the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) have released official statements on the Trump administration’s recent tariffs. In all,…

  • Op-Ed: Cutting fuel costs at the source

    Op-Ed: Cutting fuel costs at the source By Per Funch-Nielsen, Director, AuctionConnect The pathway for decarbonization in the shipping industry has been laid out by the IMO, providing clear objectives and checkpoints along the way. The global industry regulator has set a goal of net zero-emissions from ships for around 2050. Indicative assessments of progress…

  • Op-Ed: Market barriers as Sweden’s alternative fuel development ramps up

    Op-Ed: Market barriers as Sweden’s alternative fuel development ramps up By Nils Igelström, Managing Director at GAC Sweden Sweden’s rapid development of alternative fuels has the potential to help shipping’s maritime sector. But the challenges of accessing markets beyond northern Europe could hinder real progress. Sweden is at the forefront in the production of renewable…

  • Op-Ed: Building green towing capacity

    Op-Ed: Building green towing capacity By Gareth Prowse, head of decarbonisation, Svitzer The maritime industry is progressing in its journey toward decarbonization, driven by tightening environmental regulations and rising expectations for sustainable practices. This shift, extending to the port and towage sectors, presents both challenges and opportunities, and Gareth Prowse, head of decarbonization at Svitzer—a…

  • Op-Ed: Urgent reality of regulations to set in for the shipping industry

    Op-Ed: Urgent reality of regulations to set in for the shipping industry By Steve Esau, COO of SEA-LNG In 2025, the urgent reality of regulations will set in for the shipping industry. With the arrival of the new year, we begin the five-year countdown to IMO’s first notable deadline – reducing greenhouse gas emissions by a…

  • Op-Ed: Ferry success comes into focus via public-private partnerships

    Op-Ed: Ferry success comes into focus via public-private partnerships By Timothy O’Brien, SVP of Ferries and Transportation, Hornblower Group It’s easy to say that 2024 is the year of the ferry, but that would ignore the strong return and sustained growth of the nation’s most reliable, accessible, and adaptive ferry systems since the pandemic.  What…

  • Op-Ed: Rising to USCG’s new maritime security directive

    Op-Ed: Rising to USCG’s new maritime security directive By Michael Devolld, maritime transportation system cybersecurity lead at ABS Consulting On February 22, 2024, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register, updating maritime security regulations and introducing new regulations establishing minimum cybersecurity requirements for U.S.-flagged vessels,…

  • Op-Ed: The degradation and recovery of U.S. shipbuilding

    Op-Ed: The degradation and recovery of U.S. shipbuilding by Ted Williams, president of Senesco Marine LLC Global maritime supremacy has been a cornerstone of our national security for decades. However, today, we have not only lost this supremacy, we are not even close to being able to regain it if needed. We are a nation…

  • Op-Ed: Embracing innovation in mooring and fender technologies

    Op-Ed: Embracing innovation in mooring and fender technologies As the world becomes more interconnected, ports must evolve to handle the increasing pressures of larger vessels, rising trade volumes, and stricter environmental standards. Richard Hepworth, president of Trelleborg Marine and Infrastructure, explains how innovative mooring and fender systems will be central to reshaping how ports operate.…

  • Op-Ed: Shipping must innovate for a seamless fuel transition

    Op-Ed: Shipping must innovate for a seamless fuel transition By Johannes Schurmann, commercial director, FincoEnergies (GoodFuels) Shipping is currently at a critical juncture, as it continues its transition to sustainable fuel. Decarbonization by 2050 is now the target, set by the IMO, but the path forward is uncertain. Factors including the costs of decarbonization on…

  • Op-Ed: A decade of financial restructuring in maritime

    Op-Ed: A decade of financial restructuring in maritime By Scott C. Clarkson, United States Bankruptcy Judge, Central District of California, Santa Ana, Calif. Over the past decade, several international shipyards, boat builders, and marine shipping companies have encountered financial difficulties due to various external challenges. Notable examples include Harland & Wolff, the historic Belfast shipyard,…