Tag: maritime executive

U.S. Intercepts 32 Stolen Cars Before Export From the Port of Houston Authorities in the U.S. are intensifying a crackdown on criminal syndicates masterminding the illegal exports of stolen vehicles that are often hidden in containers. In the latest report, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced that it has intercepted 32 vehicles at the…

Indian Court Detains More MSC Ships as MSC Elsa 3 Claims Grow The legal woes for MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company are continuing in India, with the Kerala High Court continuing to side with plaintiffs and attach MSC vessels as collateral for the growing number of claims. Twice this week, the court has ordered ships detained…

Australian Icebreaker Nuyina to Visit Remote Islands for Scientific Mission   Australian expeditioners and scientists are set to return to the uninhabited and remote territories of Heard Island and McDonald Islands (HIMI) after more than two decades. The voyages that will take place aboard the RSV Nuyina are being described as critical for understanding the…

Study: Hawaii’s False Killer Whales Could be Heading for Extinction   The Hawaiian population of the false killer whale is trending towards extinction, according to a new study in the journal Endangered Species Research.  The false killer whale is a large, sharp-toothed dolphin that hunts large fish like tuna and mahi-mahi. When first discovered, it…

Karpowership Keeps Expansion Going in New Partnership With Seatrium   Karpowership, the Turkish operator of floating powerplants, is continuing its expansion program with an agreement with Singaporean offshore yard Seatrium.  Karpowership is the world’s leading operator of mobile, charter-ready floating power plants. It operates a fleet of dozens of fuel oil or LNG-powered “powerships,” with…

Report: HMM Looks to Accelerate Diversification into Bulkers   South Korean carrier HMM is reportedly looking to accelerate its diversification into dry bulk carriers in response to the growing pressures on the container shipping segment. The company has mapped for the past few years a strategy to expand into non-container segments, but according to a report in…

Everllence and MEYER RE Partner to Explore Methanol Refits for Cruise Ships   Everllence, the rebranded MAN Energy Solutions engine business  and MEYER RE, the service business launched from Meyer Werft, are advancing their efforts for methanol retrofit solutions in the maritime industry, and especially for cruise ships. After forming a strategic partnership, the companies…

Malaysia Responded to Report of “Ghost Ship” Drifting Toward Oil Rigs The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency received a report on August 12 from an oil rig located in the Gulf of Thailand that a “ghost ship” was drifting toward its location. The vessel appeared to be burnt out and abandoned, raising safety concerns for the…

India’s First Offshore Wind Tenders Fall Flat and are Canceled The Solar Energy Corporation of India, a government entity set up to oversee the development of the country’s offshore wind energy sector, canceled its first two auctions after a year of attempting to drum up interest. Withdrawing the auctions is seen as a major setback…

Tropical Storm Erin to Pass North of Puerto Rico as Major Hurricane   The U.S. Coast Guard has set its first precautionary warning in place for ports in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands for the expected effects of Tropical Storm Erin, which will likely be a hurricane by Friday and a major hurricane…

Maritime Training School Owner Pleads Guilty to Defrauding the Coast Guard   The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan reported that the operator of a maritime training program for U.S. Coast Guard certificates has pleaded guilty to a felony charge related to falsifying records connected to a course he administered. Mel Stackpoole,…

Fincantieri Puts New Princess Cruise Ship Through Its Paces During Trials Italian shipbuilding Fincantieri completed sea trials for Princess Cruises’ second Sphere-Class ship, the Star Princess. The cruise ship, which is one of the largest ever built in Italy, is also the last of the pre-pandemic orders by Carnival Corporation, while continuing a strong year…

Federal Court Suspends Fishing in Pacific Islands Nat’l Monument   A federal district court has vacated a letter from NOAA Fisheries that told tuna boats to fish within the previously-protected Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument. In a summary judgment, U.S. District Judge Micah Smith found that he had little choice but to rule that the letter…

UK’s First Remotely Operated and Unmanned Vessel Certified Ahead of Trials   The hydrogen-powered Pioneer, a remotely operated and unmanned vessel (ROUV), has received the UK’s first certification under Workboat Code 3 ahead of its upcoming trials. Lloyd’s Register (LR), which issued the certification under authorization from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, reports it represents…

HD Hyundai Set to Start Shipbuilding in 2026 in the Philippines   After years of planning and preparation, efforts are now underway to resume shipbuilding at the former Hanjin shipyard in the Philippines, operated by HD Hyundai. The move comes as South Korea’s largest shipbuilder looks to expand its lower-cost operations and increase capacity to…

Wasaline Will Launch Baltic’s First Carbon-Neutral Shipping Corridor Finland’s Wasaline will start operating the first carbon-neutral shipping route in the Baltic, achieving the company’s goal that was primarily set for 2030. The company has signed a biogas supply contract with Gasum and a FuelEU Maritime pooling agreement with Stena Line, which will enable its vessel…

Coast Guard Contractor Removes Derelict Minesweeper From San Joaquin Delta   A contractor working for the U.S. Coast Guard has finished removing the oil-soaked hull of a wooden minesweeper from Little Potato Slough, completing the last large vessel removal of the cleanup for the wreck-ridden waterway near Stockton, California.  The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta has long…

Iraq Releases Tanker Detained in Smuggling Investigation The Liberian-flagged tanker that Iraq detained last week as it seeks to crack down on oil smuggling in the Persian Gulf has been released and is back underway. The AIS signal from the tanker Liliana (158,300 dwt) shows the vessel making 8 knots bound for the UAE. Iraqi…

China Coast Guard Sends Unusual Patrol to Strait of Luzon   The China Coast Guard has dispatched three large cutters to the strategic Strait of Luzon, a rare patrol that has caught the attention of Philippine defense planners.  On August 7, the Canadian-run Dark Vessel Detection system alerted Philippine forces that three China Coast Guard…

Disney’s New Cruise Ship Leaves Building Hall at Meyer Werft   Disney Cruise Line is kicking off a new phase of growth that will see a dramatic expansion of the operation over the next few years. The cruise line is set to introduce two new ships at the end of this year, and work has…

Turkey Releases Captain Jailed for 30 Years for Cocaine in Cargo Turkish authorities quietly late on Friday, August 8, released the Croatian Captain Marko Bekavac, who had been previously sentenced to 30 years in jail after authorities found cocaine aboard the bulker he was commanding. The captain and his family were surprised by the sudden…

U.S. Coast Guard Re-Commissions Icebreaker Aiviq as USCGC Storis   The U.S. Coast Guard has formally recommissioned the icebreaking offshore tug Aiviq as the USCGC Storis, adding an “interim icebreaker” to supplement USCGC Polar Star and USCGC Healy. It is the first oceangoing icebreaker that the Coast Guard has acquired in more than 25 years. …

Registration Opens for CSA Annual General Meeting, Conference & Exhibition [By: Caribbean Shipping Association] Registration is now open for the 55th staging of the Caribbean Shipping Association’s (CSA) Annual General Meeting, Conference & Exhibition, to be held from October 12 to 14, 2025, in Paramaribo, Suriname. Hosted by the Suriname Port Management Company, this year’s event promises…

Iran’s Crude Oil is Stacking Up at Sea   Kpler, the commodities and data analysis firm, has calculated that Iran’s stock of crude oil held afloat has increased from 5 to 35 million barrels between January and July this year, with the volume held on tankers now estimated to be 40 million barrels. Iranian Oil…

The Tariff Roller-Coaster Ride   The roller-coaster ride of U.S. tariffs has become very taxing in more ways than one as manufacturers, consumers, shippers and port directors alike wonder what’s next. Manufacturers are scratching their heads on exactly how production schedules should proceed, not knowing if consumers will pick up the extra tariff costs added…

British and American Governments Warn of Terrorist Threat in UAE   On August 8, the British Foreign Office warned British citizens that “terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in the United Arab Emirates.” Foreign ministries normally issue explicit threats of terrorist threats in other countries only after fierce internal debates. In…

On the Caspian Sea, Tensions Between Russia and Azerbaijan are Rising   Tensions are rising between Azerbaijan and Russia over a maritime dispute which is largely unheard-of but which could have significant impact should it erupt. Azerbaijan is proud of its sovereign achievements since it achieved independence from the collapsing Soviet Union in 1991, but…

U.S. Trade Deal Secures Peace and Influence in the Caucasus   The United States appears to have sealed the solution of a complex geopolitical problem in the Caucasus which has proved impossible to solve since the break-up of the Soviet Union, generating several wars and hindering trade and development in the affected countries over the…

Med Marine Launches a State-of-the-Art Tugboat for Remolcanosa [By: Med Marine] MED MARINE launched a new RAmparts 2300-W series tugboat for REMOLCANOSA at its EREGLI SHIPYARD on July 18th. MED MARINE is proud to contribute to REMOLCANOSA’s fleet with a high-performance, 23-meter harbour tug, equipped to deliver 50 tonnes of bollard pull and meet the demands…

Ports Urge Congress to Reverse Cuts to Port Infrastructure Funding [By: American Association of Port Authorities] Today, the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) and a broad coalition of every donor and energy transfer port sent the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and the Energy and Water Development Subcommittees leaders a letter, urging them to reverse a…

Electric Propulsion Technology for Industry Earns ABS Certification [By: ABS] ABS issued a New Technology Qualification (NTQ) certificate to HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) for their next-generation electric propulsion solution: the Medium Voltage Direct Current (MVDC) power system for ships. The Breakerless-MVDC Power System builds…

Fincantieri Marine Repair Achieves ISO 9001 Certification [By: Fincantieri] Local commercial and military ship maintenance experts, Fincantieri Marine Repair, recently received certification for its quality management systems (QMS), commonly referred to as ISO 9001. “Professional maritime companies, like ours, must continually demonstrate our value to customers, and this world recognized certification is a reminder of…

Workboat Diverts to Lanzarote After Finding 49 Stowaways Spanish authorities were working to resolve a situation after a workboat traveling from Dakar, Senegal, reported to the authorities that it had discovered an unusually high number of stowaways hiding amongst its cargo equipment. Typically, the ships find just a few people, but this barge was reporting…

Retailers Project Nearly 6 Percent Decline in U.S.’s 2025 Imports   With new tariffs putting pressure on international trade, the National Retail Federation today, August 8, issued its outlook for U.S. imports, projecting they will finish 2025 down 5.6 percent or 1.4 million TEU lower than last year. After having adjusted its outlook several times…

Ireland Tracks Shadow Tanker as it Avoids Sailing the English Channel Ireland reports that an increasing number of shadow fleet tankers are opting to sail along its west coast to avoid sailing through the English Channel, where they could be challenged by UK authorities to produce insurance documentation. The Irish Times reports the vessels are…

U.S. Coast Guard Tracks More Chinese Research Vessel Activity in the Arctic   For the second time in weeks, the U.S. Coast Guard reports it is tracking Chinese research vessels operating in the Arctic. The U.S. says that the presence of these vessels is consistent with a three-year trend of increased activity from Chinese vessels…

New Zealand Execute Complex Medevac from the US’s Antarctic McMurdo Station The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) has carried out a medical evacuation of three staff at the U.S. Antarctic McMurdo Station. The mission is being described as complex and high-risk owing to the fact that it was undertaken in the height of the…

Senators Introduce Bill to Clear Barriers to Naval Shipyard Hiring Four senators from New England have introduced a bill that would compel the administration to speed up hiring for production roles at the Navy’s four public shipyards, which provide maintenance for the service’s nuclear-powered subs and carriers.  The Trump administration rolled out a comprehensive hiring freeze…

Panama is First Registry to Enforce Rules to Crack Down on STS Actions The Panama Ship Registry started its new rules as of August 6, requiring reporting of planned ship-to-ship (STS) offshore oil transfers as the latest step in a series of crackdowns targeting the shadow tanker fleet. Panama had announced plans for the new…

German Divers Begin Testing Retrieval System for Seabed Ordnance   Sponsored by a German government environmental program, a Baltic Sea diving and salvage company has begun an extended trial of new techniques to clean up decaying ammunition from the seabed. Germany has a pressing need to solve the problem because the aging munitions in its…

Marcura Buys Brightwell Navigator, Consolidating Crew Payment Sector   Maritime operations tech company Marcura has acquired Brightwell Navigator, the crew payroll services unit of the Atlanta-based financial services firm Brightwell. The Brightwell Navigator service is overwhelmingly popular for cruise line crew payment processing, a high-demand sector for payroll services because of the thousands of crewmembers…

Maersk Surprises with Improved Outlook Despite Volatile Environmenment Maersk, the largest publicly-traded shipping and logistics company and long considered a bellwether for the global economy, surprised with a stronger-than-expected second quarter financial report and outlook. The company believes shippers have been able to adjust, or are still waiting, in the face of a “volatile external…

Portugal Finds Cocaine Hidden in Rotting Hides as Koreans Seize Missed Box   Portugal’s Judicial Police seized more than 1.5 metric tons of cocaine, which they believe was part of a larger smuggling ring using animal hides to obscure the drugs. It is the latest in a series of large drug seizures as police report…

MSC Sues to Limit Liability to $14 Million for Loss of MSC Elsa 3 off India   MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, as the charterer of the lost containership MSC Elsa 3, along with the vessel’s owners, has filed an admiralty suit in India seeking to limit their liability. The companies are citing the large number…

Antarctic Krill Fishery Hits Cap, Prompting Overfishing Concerns   The krill fishery off Antarctica has surged in volume this year, so much so that the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) has decided to close the fishing season five months early.  The volume of the krill catch took off this year…

CEO Behind $29M Hawaiian Shipbuilding Fraud Sentenced to 13 Years in Jail The U.S. Department of Justice reports that the long-running fraud case involving a tour boat known as the Semisub has finally concluded with the CEO and his then-wife each sentenced to jail. The U.S. filed fraud charges in 2022 against CEO Curtiss E.…

Ukraine Claims to Steal Secrets of Russia’s Newest Ballistic-Missile Sub   Ukraine’s intelligence service says that it has gotten hold of an extensive set of secret files about the nuclear ballistic missile submarine Knyaz Pozharsky, Russia’s newest Borei-A class sub. If legitimate, the leak is an embarrassment for Russia’s internal security apparatus, and could be…

DNV and Wilhelmsen Launch Independent Maritime Software Company DNV is launching a new independent maritime software company with stand-alone management designed to focus on the changes within the space. The new company, to be known as CFARER, builds from the previous DNV Maritime Software offering and will also incorporate Wilhelmsen Port Services’ digital subsidiary Diize.…

EU Approves €11 Billion French Program to Aid Offshore Wind Energy   The European Commission approved a €11 billion (US$12.7 billion) French program designed to support offshore wind energy and accelerate the transition to clean energy. While the EU has strict rules for government aid programs, the review found that this program will contribute to…

Russian Oligarch’s Megayacht to be Auctioned Off   The U.S. government has reached the end of the long process to forfeit and auction off the seized Russian megayacht Amadea, which was captured by the FBI in Fiji and sailed back to San Diego in custody three years ago.  The Amadea is a 350-foot motor yacht…

UK Funds Demonstration of Ammonia-Fueled High Temperature Engine   A demonstration project for the development of an ammonia-fueled Carnot-cycle engine has been selected for the UK’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition, according to sponsor MOL. The project is led by Carnot Ltd., developer of an uncooled, ultra-high-temperature Carnot-cycle engine that can be adapted to run on…

China Reports Fast Response to Containership Fire China’s Ministry of Transport is highlighting its fast response to reports of a container fire aboard a foreign-flagged ship far out to sea. They are reporting thanks to a well-organized response, the fire was contained, saving the vessel and removing the risk to the crew. The reports of…

Austal Launches Defense Shipbuilding Australia with Government Nod In what management is calling a “defining moment” for the company, Austal and the Government of Australia have agreed on terms for a Strategic Shipbuilding Agreement. It took nearly two years to reach terms for the agreement, which sets the company up as a major supplier to…

India Protests Trump’s Pressure Campaign on Russian Oil Imports   The government of India confirmed Monday that it plans to resist pressure from the Trump administration to stop buying Russian oil.  India ramped up purchasing of Russian oil after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. As Europe shut down its own imports, large…

Facing Manning Crisis, RFA Highlights Willingness to Train Older Cadets   Facing an existential crisis in manning, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary is highlighting its successes in recruiting and training the next generation of seafarers. The door for new entrants is open, and RFA accepts promising cadets of working age; no “only-under-40” rules apply, and indeed two…

California Extends Carbon Capture Barge Service to Tankers The California Air Resources Board (CARB) issued an executive order that authorizes the expanded use of the carbon capture barge service of STAX Engineering to service tankers. The order is timely as CARB’s Ocean-Going Vessels at Berth regulation took effect for tankers at the Ports of Los…

Assembly Begins on Matson’s New “Aloha Class” Ships at Philly Shipyard   Hanwha Philly Shipyard and Matson marked a key milestone in the construction of the first of three new “Aloha Class” containerships as assembly began. The first grand block of the Matson vessel, which is being named Makua, was lowered into the construction dry…

Bulker Loaded with Coal for Israel Becomes Center of Controversy An activist group based in Malta has identified a bulker laden with coal bound from Colombia to Israel and is demanding action from the government as the flag state of the ship. At the same time, Colombia’s government is demanding action and threatening to use…

At Least 76 Dead, Dozens Missing in Migrant Vessel Capsizing off Yemen At least 76 people have died and dozens more remain missing after a migrant boat sank off Yemen’s Gulf of Aden coastline, according to the International Organization for Migration. The vessel was attempting a crossing to Yemen, the starting point for established overland…

Op-Ed: Yacht Industry Needs Serious Reform to Ensure Crew Safety   The recent tragedy in the Bahamas involving stewardess Paige Bell has sharply illuminated an ongoing crisis within the yachting industry that I’ve seen for a long time, a crisis that goes beyond isolated incidents and exposes deep-rooted issues of safety, accountability, and cultural indifference…

Interview: The African Maritime Transport Charter Moves Ahead   Two weeks ago, Uganda became the 15th African Union member to ratify the Revised African Maritime Transport Charter. This helped reach the threshold needed for the charter to enter into force, which will formally happen in August. Indeed, it is a significant milestone for the African…

Alaskan Fishing Operator Faces $1.2 Million Fine for Oil Discharges   Last week, a federal court fined a vessel operator in Alaska nearly $1.2 million for multiple alleged violations of the Clean Water Act. Corey Potter, manager of three fishing tender companies, was found in default in a civil enforcement suit alleging repeated bilge water…

From Words to Action: Making the ISM Code Fit for Today’s Seafarers   The International Maritime Organization’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) has sent a clear message: the ISM Code is overdue for serious reform. Meeting in London for its 110th session, the Committee called for a comprehensive overhaul of the guidelines governing safe ship management—guidelines…

Six Days After Barge Collision, a Third Injured Child Passes Away The U.S. Coast Guard reported Sunday that another victim of last week’s barge collision has passed away, bringing the death toll to three.  At about 1100 hours on Monday morning, Coast Guard Sector Miami received notice from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue that a barge had…

Op-Ed: In Shipbuilding, Don’t Confuse Efficiency with Effectiveness   We often hear the terms used interchangeably, but doing things right (efficiency) is not the same as doing the right things (effectiveness). True success in complex industries like shipbuilding and maritime operations demands alignment between the two. Yet in practice, that alignment is rarely achieved and often confused as…

Nexans and Crowley Wind Services to Develop and Operate Cable Lay Barge [By: Crowley] Nexans, a leader in the world’s energy transition which invested in the U.S. with its subsea transmission cable manufacturing facility in South Carolina, today announces an innovative partnership with Crowley Wind Services, a leading American shipping and logistics company, to develop…

BSM’s 1st Methanol Bunkering Simulator to Prepare for Low Carbon Future [By: Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement] As the global shipping industry moves rapidly toward decarbonisation, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) has launched its first methanol bunkering simulator at its Maritime Training Centre in Kochi, India, in partnership with maritime technology leader Wärtsilä. This state-of-the-art training platform equips seafarers…

MacGregor Strengthens Leadership in Global Maritime Operations Under Triton [By: MacGregor] MacGregor continues to serve its maritime and offshore customers with its wide portfolio of cargo and load handling equipment under the ownership of Triton, a leading European mid-market investment company. The transaction between Triton and MacGregor’s previous owner, Hiab (former Cargotec) Corporation, was closed…

Commander Gen. Randall Reed, USAF, to Headline Maritime Security Conference [By: New York Council Navy League of the United States] New York Council Navy League of the United States will hold the fourth annual New York Maritime Security Conference on October 23 at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan. James Spear, President of the New…

DNV’s Alternative Fuel Vessel Order Figures for July 2025 [By: DNV] A total of 28 new orders for alternative-fuelled vessels were placed in July 2025, according to the latest data from DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight (AFI) platform. This is slightly up from the 19 orders recorded in June, in line with the steady pace of…

Former Federal Maritime Chairman Louis Sola Joins Thorn Run Partners [By Thorn Run Partners] Thorn Run Partners (“TRP”), one of the nation’s leading government affairs firms, announced today the addition of Louis Sola as a Partner. Lou is the third new partner to join TRP this month. Over the past six years at the U.S.…

St. Johns Ship Building Delivers Crew Transfer Vessel to Atlantic Wind [By St. Johns Ship Building] St. Johns Ship Building, a Palatka, Florida-based Jones Act facility owned by Americraft Marine, is pleased to announce the successful delivery of the Atlantic Endurance, the second of two Chartwell Ambitious-Class Crew Transfer Vessels (CTVs) ordered by Atlantic Wind…

Columbia Group Calls For Overhaul Of Maritime Training [By Columbia Group]   Columbia Group is calling for urgent reforms in maritime education to address a growing shortage of qualified seafarers and to secure the future of the Greek shipping industry. Despite Greece’s status as a global shipping powerhouse, controlling more than 20% of the world’s…

Workhorse Bulker Casts Off for Last Time as a Liverpool Record Holder To look at her, the Yeoman Bank, a self-discharging bulk carrier, looks fairly ordinary. However, after more than 30 years of service, she is sailing off as a record holder.  Holcim UK, a manufacturer and supplier of sustainable construction and building materials, reports…

New Lock Opens Access for Larger Ships at North Sea Ports   The new lock at Terneuzen in the Netherlands officially opened to traffic today, August 1, marking a critical expansion in capacity for shipping heading to the port of Ghent and connecting between the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. It is part of an effort…

USCG: Rotten Wood, Poor Inspection Caused Historic Maine Schooner Demasting The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has released a critical report on the demasting of a historic schooner, blaming the catastrophic incident on rotten wood that had gone unnoticed for years due to poor inspections. About three years after the mainmast of the 144-year-old schooner Grace…

NATO Maritime Task Force Sails into Arctic and High North NATO is reporting that a task force of ships is currently operating in the Arctic and High North in an effort to strengthen its maritime presence and practice operations in the region. NATO joins the rush to the region, which has also seen a Chinese…

Dali’s Owner/Operator Sue Hyundai Claiming Manufacturing Defect As a federal court in Baltimore continues to hear pre-trial motions and collect evidence for the claims pending related to the containership Dali’s March 2024 incident destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge, the owner and operator of the vessel are now suing the builders of the vessel alleging negligence or…

Malaysia Closes Anchorage to Curtail Illegal Anchoring and STS Activity     Malaysia’s maritime authorities are taking several new steps to strengthen enforcement in an attempt to stop the illegal anchoring and ship-to-ship transfers taking place in its waters. Because of its location near the busy Singapore Strait, Malaysia is one of the areas cited…

Chishan Group Reactivates Idle Chinese Shipyard, Adding to New Capacity   The Chishan Group, a leading operator in China’s distant-water fishing fleet and an alleged user of Uighur forced labor, has bought its own shipyard in Rongcheng, Shandong Province. On July 22, Chishan Group closed on the acquisition of Shandong Baibuting Shipbuilding, a sizeable yard…

Scotland Gives SSE Approval for What Could be the World’s Largest Wind Farm In what is being called a “vital step” for Scotland and the UK’s renewable energy ambitions, the Scottish Government has granted consent for the proposed Berwick Bank offshore wind farm. If the project is developed, it would supply twice the annual needs…

First-of-its-Kind, Jones Act Cable Lay Barge Operated by Nexans and Crowley The growth of the U.S. offshore wind energy, telecommunications, and other sectors continues to contribute to the growth of U.S. shipping. Cable manufacturer Nexans and Crowley Wind Services announced a new partnership that will develop and operate a Jones Act-compliant cable lay barge.  …

South Korean Amphib Catches Fire, Injuring Three Crewmembers [Brief] On Thursday, three crewmembers aboard a Republic of Korea Navy amphib were injured in a fire that broke out in a machinery space, the service reported.  At about 1549 hours on Thursday, the tank landing ship ROKS Hyang Ro Bong caught fire while transiting into a…

Japan’s Defense Force and Shipbuilders Colluded in Fraud Payments and Gifts Japan’s Ministry of Defense issued a final report detailing a more than 40-year scheme in which the country’s shipbuilders collected fraudulent payments that funded equipment used on the country’s submarines and gifts to members of the Maritime Self-Defense Force. The Ministry apologized to the…

Product Tanker Causes Protest in Australia as it Likely has Russian Oil The issue of intermediaries in the oil supply chain surfaced in Australia this week as a tanker arrived from India, likely with Russian oil. It is leading to calls to close loopholes in the sanctions, which so far have focused on direct Russia…

Evergreen Boxship Suffers Stack Collapse off South America   The container ship Ever Feat has arrived at the port of Montevideo, Uruguay with a collapsed stack of containers, some of which appear poised to go over the side, according to local reports.  About 30-40 containers are reported to have toppled over in rough weather during…

Classic WWII-Era Laker Makes Final Voyage to a Scrapyard   The classic WWII-era laker Cuyahoga has completed her final voyage and arrived at a scrapyard in Port Colborne, Ontario. Damaged in a conveyor fire in 2024, the Cuyahoga was deemed unsuitable for repair and consigned to demolition.  The Cuyahoga is an 18,000 dwt self-unloader built in…

Trump Threatens to Hike India’s Tariff Rate Over Russian Oil Imports On Wednesday, after securing tentative trade deals with Japan and the EU, President Donald Trump ratcheted up the pressure on India with the announcement of a 25 percent tariff rate on Indian exports. The announcement also includes an extra surcharge to penalize India for…

Seatrium to Pay Fines to End Decade-Old Corruption Investigation in Brazil   Singapore-based Seatrium reports it has concluded a series of agreements related to a 2015 corruption case involving its predecessor companies. With finalized agreements in both Brazil and Singapore, the company believes it can now move forward without the recurring developments in the case.…

Electrical Fire Knocks Out Power at Hyundai Samho Shipyard A major electrical fire that burned for nearly nine hours has caused significant damage at the HD Hyundai Samho shipyard in South Korea. Officials are reporting that all of the power has been turned off to the yard, but fortunately, the fire struck just hours after…

Fincantieri Reports All-Time High Total Backlog of €57.7B as of Mid-Year   The Fincantieri group reported a strong financial performance in the first half of 2025, citing growth in each of its key areas of business. The company continues to follow a strategy to diversify and strengthen its role not only as a leading cruise…

After Trump’s Complaints, BOEM Rescinds All US Offshore Wind Study Areas The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has rescinded all Wind Energy Areas (WEAs), the designated study areas for offshore wind development on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. The decision doubles down on the White House’s “day one” executive order on offshore wind, which…

U.S. Navy Wants to Buy Combat USVs for Containerized Payloads   U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command has released an RFI for another set of new unmanned surface vessels, which might be in line to fulfill the unkept promises of the Littoral Combat Ship. Nearly 30 years after the conception of the Streetfighter, the Navy has…

Royal Caribbean Reports Strong Results, But Investors See Concerns As another demonstration of the booming cruise industry, Royal Caribbean Group reported what appeared to be strong results and a positive outlook. Investors, however, detected a few elements that raised concerns that issues ranging from economic uncertainties, tariffs, global conflicts, and more might be starting to…

South Korean Shipbuilders Report Strong H1 as Orders Shift from China The South Korean shipbuilding industry experienced a strong rebound in orders during the first half of 2025, and especially so in the containership segment. The Korea Development Bank’s overseas economic research institute issued the report on July 29 and attributed much of the gains…

Russia Protests Norway’s Decision to Sanction Russian Fishing Companies On Thursday, the Russian government summoned Norway’s ambassador to Moscow to complain about new limits on sanctioned Russian fishing vessels.  The Russian commercial fleet is suspected of involvement in subsea surveillance activity in the Barents and Norwegian Seas, a continuation of a long tradition of spy…

Canada Designates First Zones for Offshore Wind Energy off Nova Scotia   After extensive exploration, the Canadian federal government and the Province of Nova Scotia took the first definitive steps for the development of Canada’s offshore wind energy industry. Calling it a “key step,” the local and federal government jointly presented the first four zones…

Eric Stolzenberg Named Director of NTSB Office of Marine Safety [By: National Transportation Safety Board] Longtime mariner and investigator Eric Stolzenberg has been named director of the National Transportation Safety Board’s Office of Marine Safety. The office investigates major marine accidents within the United States and its territories, as well as accidents involving U.S.-flagged vessels…

Report: To Avoid Tariffs, Korea May Invest $200B in US Shipbuilding   After Japan and the European Union both convinced the Trump administration to lower their base tariff rates to just 15 percent, South Korea is anxious to do the same – and like its economic competitors, it is thinking about putting cash on the…

Bureau Veritas Joins “Wind for Shipping” Project to Drive Wind Propulsion [By Bureau Veritas] Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore (BV) and Bureau Veritas Solutions Marine & Offshore (BVS) are delighted to announce their participation in Wind for Shipping (W4S), a European research and development initiative funded by the Interreg North-West Europe programme. Launched in January…