Tag: maritime executive

Indian Coast Guard Rescues Crew Found Drifting in a Dinghy   Six seafarers are thanking the Indian Navy and the lucky chance that they were spotted by a passing vessel while they were adrift in a small dinghy. They were safely rescued and brought to an Indian port, reported to be in good health. The…

Royal Navy Reports HMS Dragon Downed First Supersonic Sea-Skimming Target The Royal Navy is reporting for the first time that one of its advanced Air Defence Destroyers, HMS Dragon, has downed a supersonic sea-skimming target. It was a test of a specially-modified Sea Viper missile system carried out during a month-long NATO exercise currently off…

UK Must Realize Its Biggest Allocation Round This Year to Meet Energy Goals Without action to address price inflation, capital cost, and UK supply chain competitiveness, the UK’s offshore energy industry trade association OEUK warns the UK will fail to meet the government’s Clean Power 2030 (CP30) targets. The group is recommending a series of…

Pennsylvania Extends Incentive Program to Attract New Cargo to Its Ports   Pennsylvania, located in the northeast United States, is extending a novel incentive program it operates rewarding carriers for each container they land in the state’s ports. According to state officials, the decade-old program supports tens of thousands of jobs and spurs economic growth.…

China’s “Invasion Barge” Piers Can Receive Five Ro/Ros at a Time   China’s “invasion barges” may be even more capable than previously assumed, according to a new analysis published by the Wall Street Journal.  In January, multiple analysts (including H.I. Sutton) noticed a “matching set” of three unique vessels at Guangzhou Shipyard – all barges, all…

Germany Licenses Emden Shipyard to Become First Local Ship Recycler   Emden Werft and Dock, which has been a provider of repair and conversion services for over 100 years, is set to become Germany’s first maritime recycling facility. According to The Munich Eye, the shipyard located on the Ems River in Western Germany near the…

Tariffs Open Up New Opportunities for Trade at Canada’s Great Lakes Ports   Prior to both the pandemic lockdown and the more recent trade tariffs, there was potential to expand direct container ship transportation between European ports and American Great Lakes ports. While tariffs on European trade threaten to reduce the volume of European imports…

South African Port Union Votes to Authorize Strike   The main labor union for South African ports operator Transnet is preparing to go out on strike by the end of the week if last-ditch wage negotiations fail.  The United National Transport Union (UNTU) is in talks with Transnet for renewal of its labor contract, which…

NYK Takes Delivery of First Methanol Dual-Fuel Bulker   The first vessel of the new segment of methanol-fueled bulkers was officially delivered in Japan on May 13. Owned by Kambara Kisen and operating under charter to NYK Bulk & Projects Carriers, the vessel was given the fitting name of Green Future. The vessel was built…

Video: Carbon Destroyer 1, EU’s First CO2 Carrier for CCS is Launched The first European-designed and built carrier for liquified CO2 to be used in a carbon capture and storage operation was launched on May 14 in the Netherlands. The vessel is being called a breakthrough designed to support a commercial-scale CCS project for the…

BIMCO Elects New President: Paul Pathy of Fednav [By BIMCO] Paul Pathy, President & CEO of Canada’s largest dry bulk shipping company, Fednav, has been elected as President of BIMCO at our general meeting in Copenhagen on Wednesday 14 May 2025.  He takes over as the 47th President and is the first BIMCO President from…

Superyacht Salvage Diver May Have Been Killed by Hydrogen Explosion   The diver that lost his life while working on the salvage of the lost superyacht Bayesian may have been killed by an explosion from a hydrogen torch, according to reports in Italian media.  The diver has been identified as 39-year-old Dutch national Rob Huijben,…

Vitol and Grindrod Wind Down Their Bunker Supply Firm, Cockett Group Commodities firms Vitol and Grindrod have decided to wind down their bunkering joint venture, the longtime bunker supplier Cockett. The 45-year-old company is solvent and in a good financial position, Vitol said, but after much discussion, it will be shut down because it is a…

Over 300 Maritime Delegates Headed to Fort Lauderdale for 23rd CSEC [By: Caribbean Shipping Association] Over 300 shipping and logistics leaders from across the Caribbean, Latin America, and the United States are set to convene in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for the 23rd Caribbean Shipping Executives’ Conference (CSEC), hosted by the Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA). Scheduled for…

ABS Encourages Involvement in New U.S. Center for Maritime Innovation [By: ABS] ABS, as the secretariat operating the U.S. Center for Maritime Innovation (USCMI) under a cooperative agreement with the United States Maritime Administration, announced the mechanism for U.S. maritime stakeholders to join Technical and Regional Working Groups addressing topics in Maritime Energy, Maritime Operations,…

RINA Appointed for Atal Solutions’ $123.7M Retrofitting Project [By: RINA] RINA, the inspection, certification, ship classification and consulting engineering company, is the classification society of Atal solutions $123.7M retrofitting project. Atal Solutions — alongside Damen Shipyards Group, Blue Astra Maritime Shipping, and a consortium of partners — has undertaken a major initiative toward transforming the…

Portchain Reaches 150 Terminals on Its Global Berth Alignment Network [By: Portchain] Portchain is proud to announce that 150 container terminals have joined the Portchain Network. These terminals represent over 38% of global container terminal capacity, marking a milestone in the mission to bring predictability, efficiency, and sustainability to global container vessel operations. Each terminal’s…

Royal Navy’s Top Officer Suspended Over Alleged Affair With Subordinate   The Royal Navy’s top officer has been suspended from duty for an investigation into alleged misconduct, the UK Ministry of Defence confirmed last weekend. It is the first time in 500 years that a misconduct inquiry has been launched against its top uniformed leader. …

Captain Missing After Fishing Vessel Sinks Off Grays Harbor   On Friday, a commercial fishing vessel capsized in off the coast of Washington, leaving the skipper missing. At about 0815 hours on Friday morning, the fishing vessel Captain Raleigh was under way off the coast of Raleigh when it began taking on water. The master…

Equinor Nears Walk Away from Empire Wind as Stop Work Order Costs Mount Equinor is lashing out at the Trump Administration and the Department of the Interior saying it has been unable to get information and resolve the stop work order on the Empire Wind offshore energy project. Four weeks ago, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum…

DP World to Invest $760M to Create Transshipment Hub in Dominican Republic Plans were announced laying the groundwork for the creation of a transshipment hub in the Dominican Republic. It comes at a critical time as shippers consider steps to manage the Trump policies ranging from tariffs to port fees for Chinese-built ships.  DP World,…

Coast Guard Boat Crew Shoots Out Engine of Migrant Smuggling Boat On Saturday evening, a U.S. Coast Guard boat crew shot out the engine of a high-speed smuggling boat off Point Loma after the vessel ignored repeated commands to stop and be boarded.   At about 1750 hours, Coast Guard Sector San Diego spotted an 18-foot cuddy cabin…

Fincantieri Achieves its Best Ever Order Intake and Quarterly Results Italian shipbuilding group Fincantieri reported its best ever financial results with a strong long-term outlook as it also achieved its best ever quarterly order intake. The results demonstrate the corporate strategy, which is expanding the technical nature and future orientation as the group expands its…

Russian Navy’s Weakness in the Mediterranean Becomes Clear   Since the downscaling of its Mediterranean footprint at Tartus in Syria from a fully-fledged naval base, complete with refueling, logistics and munitions warehouses, Russia’s Mediterranean Squadron has been without an alternative facility. This might not be a serious operational impediment had Russian naval vessels been able…

Mines Could Protect Taiwan From China – If Installed Quickly Enough   [By David Axe] If China ever makes good on decades of implicit threats to invade Taiwan, most of its ground force will have to land at ports. Relatively little of it can come over beaches, because they ‘lack purpose-built infrastructure for unloading large…

Australian Police Bust Smuggling Boat With $400M in Cocaine   Police in New South Wales, Australia have arrested five people in connection with a one-tonne shipment of cocaine seized from a boat off the province’s central coast.  The police were tipped off about a possible inbound shipment of drugs when they received word of a…

Despite Houthi Truce, Diego Garcia Stays Busy   The United States appears to be withdrawing a number of B-2 Spirit strategic long-range bombers from Diego Garcia, its Naval Support Facility in the British Indian Ocean Territory. A flight of three such aircraft were being tankered towards and across Northern Australia en route back to Whiteman…

Top Admiral Says India Was Prepared to Strike Port of Karachi   On Saturday, just at the point when the conflict between India and Pakistan was threatening to escalate out of control, the United States brokered an immediate ceasefire between the two nuclear armed countries. The agreement was still holding as of midday Sunday, despite…

How Freight Forwarders Can Contribute to Maritime Decarbonization A freight forwarder is an organization that helps other companies manage freight transportation across transport modes and geographies. As freight moves from one location, like a factory in China, to another destination, like a distribution centre in Kansas, it will often use multiple modes of transportation. Companies…

Morocco’s Tanger Med Wins Contract to Upgrade Liberia’s Ports   Morocco is further expanding its footprint in the African port sector with a new deal to modernize Liberia’s major ports. Last week, the Liberian National Port Authority (NPA) signed a modernization agreement with Tanger Med Engineering, a subsidiary of Tanger Med Group. According to NPA, the…

Mooring Lines in Poor Condition Caused Cargo RoRo Endurance to Break Free Worn-out mooring lines that were not replaced on time are being called the reason a US-flagged cargo RoRo broke free from its dock and out-of-control hit a pier and dry dock at the Port of Bremerhaven in Germany. Germany’s Federal Bureau of Maritime…

Canada Marks 80th Anniversary of Battle of the Atlantic Canada is maintaining its tradition of honoring the heroism of sailors who took part in the Battle of the Atlantic and ended up paying the ultimate price. On May 4, the country commemorated the 80th anniversary of the battle that was the longest continuous military campaign…

Robberies Continue in Singapore Strait with Six Ships Hit in May   ReCAAP (Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia) is sounding the alarm as the robbery spree in the area around the Singapore Strait continues. The organization, which marked 20 years, is expressing concern and warning of the…

Salvage Diver Dies as Specialist Team Prepares to Raise Superyacht Bayesian A salvage diver working on the preliminary efforts preparing to raise the superyacht Bayesian was killed today, May 9. Italian officials confirmed the incident without providing further details. Local media are reporting that a 39-year-old salvage diver, a Dutch national, died as teams were…

UK Increases Funding and Areas to Spur Offshore Wind Energy Development Offshore wind energy continues to be a key portion of the UK’s plan for renewable energy with the government announcing on May 9 that it will expand funding and the available areas in response to strong demand from the industry. The UK continues to…

Chinese Warships Cut Off Philippine Navy Vessel Near Scarborough Shoal   China’s gray-hull naval fleet has joined in the pattern of close-quarters encounters between Chinese and Philippine forces in the South China Sea. In years past, these run-ins were almost always carried out by China Coast Guard and Chinese maritime militia vessels, and the PLA Navy…

Berge Bulk Begins Pilot for Onboard Carbon Capture System on Bulker   Berge Bulk has become the latest ship owner to begin to test an onboard carbon capture system. Interest continues to grow in the technology as a means of maintaining the economic life of in-service vessels as the new emissions regulations emerge, as well…

Aging Vessels, Manning, and Training Issues Affect Seafarers’ Happiness   While crew satisfaction has stabilized, the latest edition of the Seafarer Happiness Index highlights the strains from aging vessels, safe manning issues, and a lack of training among the key concerns of seafarers. The quarterly survey run by The Mission to Seafarers, in collaboration with…

Offshore Vessels Feature MAN L21/31 GenSets for Diesel-Electric Propulsion [By: MAN Energy Solutions] Wenchong shipyard in China, part of the CSSC Group, has ordered four shipsets of 3 × MAN 8L21/31 MK2 GenSets in connection with the construction of 4 × 96m C-CSOVs (Construction and Commissioning Service Operation Vessels) operated by DO (Deutsche Offshore Schifffahrt…

Damen Completes Green Retrofit Project for BAM Shipping [By: Damen Shipyards Group] Damen Shipyards Group, together with partners including Atal Solutions has completed its retrofit of four bulk carriers for BAM Shipping. The project has involved the integration of a series of efficiency boosting technologies and is expected to lower the vessels’ fuel consumption and…

Houthis’ Fight With Israel Could Mean Continued Risks for Shipping   Yemen’s Houthi rebels have begun to clarify their version of the Red Sea truce agreement announced by the White House, and it appears that international shipping may still face risks on the waterway.  On Tuesday, President Donald Trump announced that the Houthis had “capitulated”…

Trump Replaces Nominee for Maritime Administrator   President Donald Trump has switched nominees for the post of Maritime Administrator, withdrawing the nomination of Capt. Brent Sadler (USN, ret’d) and substituting Capt. Stephen Carmel, a former Maersk Line Ltd. executive with decades of commercial maritime experience. No formal announcement was made for the change; MARAD has…

Wärtsilä Completes Commercial Launch of Onboard Carbon Capture Solution   In a development Wärtsilä is calling a breakthrough in decarbonization for in-service vessels and new build vessels, it announced the commercial availability of its onboard carbon capture system. The company reports successful trials at sea and its plant in Norway, saying the ability to capture…

US Calls on UN Security Council to Crack Down on North Korea’s Violations In an unusual move for the Trump administration, it is turning to the United Nations’ Security Council, calling for action to crack down on North Korea’s sanctions violations. It specifically cited data on North Korea shipping munitions, including artillery shells and rockets…

Always Ready. Always Present. Ad Shows How Mariners Put America First [By: American Maritime Partnership] The American Maritime Partnership (AMP) – the voice of the American maritime industry – today launched a new ad –   “Always Ready. Always Present.” – a patriotic tribute to the American mariners and vessels who power U.S. national, homeland, and economic security. …

U.S. Tariffs Create Uncertainty for Ship Leasing and Finance   As the U.S. considers a new wave of tariffs targeting Chinese-linked goods and services, Leigh Hansson, Global Regulatory Enforcement Partner at law firm Reed Smith, examines the growing regulatory uncertainty facing the global shipping industry. The latest proposals from the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) have…

Russian Immigrant Tries to Steal Luxury Yacht From Florida Marina   After an extended chase, police in Martin County, Florida have arrested a Russian national on charges of attempting to steal a vessel to flee to the Bahamas – twice. On Monday evening, Russian citizen Nikolai Vilkov, 29, was apprehended aboard a stolen 68-foot luxury…

Mexico Agrees to Phased-in Rollout of Lowered Cruise Passenger Head Tax After pressure from the cruise industry and concerns raised by local government in the states where cruises contribute to the economy, Mexico’s federal government has reportedly agreed to a lower amount and phased-in rollout to the hefty head tax planned for cruise passengers. News…

Damen Delivers Second CSD 600 in Record Time from Stock [By: Damen Shipyards Group] Damen Shipyards Group, a leading manufacturer of dredgers and dredging equipment, is pleased to announce the successful sale and delivery of the second Cutter Suction Dredger (CSD) 600 in its new series of standard dredgers. The CSD was available from stock,…

Better Safeguarding Measures are Needed to Support Cadets at Sea [By: The. Hood] Cadets are increasingly struggling to complete their cadetships due to a shortage of available placements onboard. In some instances, this scarcity has reportedly led to situations where individuals in positions of influence have taken advantage of cadets seeking essential sea time. According…

Three Dead, Seven Missing in Capsizing off San Diego Three people are dead and seven are missing after a rustic vessel capsized off Del Mar Beach in San Diego, sending the passengers into the water.  At about 0630 hours on Monday morning, Coast Guard Sector San Diego received an alert from local first responders that…

Study Quantifies Net GHG Emissions Savings From Onboard Carbon Capture   The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) based in Singapore released what it believes is the first comprehensive study looking at the emissions savings and costs associated with the use of onboard carbon capture and storage systems. The center notes that while life cycle…

HD Hyundai and Maersk Cooperate on Researching Decarbonization Technology HD Hyundai and A.P. Moller – Maersk have agreed to expand their long-term working relationship to jointly develop future decarbonization solutions for vessels while HD Hyundai will expand its use of Maersk’s integrated logistics services across its affiliates. The companies plan to explore technology for vessel…

U.S. Suspends Bombing Over Yemen After New “Ceasefire” With Houthis   The Trump administration has decided to implement a mutual ceasefire with Yemen’s Houthi rebels, President Donald Trump announced in a press conference Tuesday. He said that U.S. bombing runs over Yemen would cease “effective immediately,” and that he would take the Houthis “at their word”…

Poland Sells Derelict Russian Tanker for Scrap After Seven Years in Gdynia Polish authorities confirmed that a deal has been reached and pending final documentation a derelict Russian-owned product tanker will finally be departing after more than seven years at the dock in Gdynia. The vessel had drawn new interest after safety and security concerns…

Troubled Ferry Glen Sannox Has Vibration Issues   The long-delayed Scottish ferry Glen Sannox had another setback in March, when a failed weld seam put the ship out of commission for two days – and resolving the matter fully could take even longer. The ferry just entered operations after six years of construction delays.  The five-inch…

Marine Corps Could Be Among First Users of Electric Wing-in-Ground Craft The U.S. Marine Corps is exploring the idea of buying Regent’s new all-electric wing-in-ground (WIG) craft to move troops around in the littorals of the Pacific Islands, the service’s R&D lab told media at a conference in D.C. last week.  The Marine Corps’ new…

Large Hybrid Zero-Emission Ferry Readied for Delivery to Scandlines Denmark’s Scandlines is anticipating the delivery of its newest ferry which is completing trials and certification in Turkey. When the hybrid-electric vessel enters service later this year it will be the first the line had that is capable of operating in a fully zero-emission mode. The…

Equinor Sells Its Largest International Asset as it “High-Grades” Portfolio Norway’s Equinor entered into an agreement to sell its interest in Brazil’s Peregrino field. Operating for nearly 15 years it was the company’s largest international asset while the move is part of a strategy to hone the company’s portfolio. PRIO, Brazil’s largest independent oil and…

Exercise Moves Strategic Cargo in Baltic Demonstrating Escort Capabilities   The Joint Expeditionary Force, a coalition of 10 European nations, recently demonstrated its skills and practiced coordination as it moved a strategic cargo through the Baltic region. The exercise known as Baltic Express involved warships from Denmark and Sweden, and a pair of RAF Typhoon…

After Twin Blasts on Aid Ship, NGO Says Malta is Obstructing Repairs   The operator of a small aid ship that had planned to make a forbidden voyage to Gaza says that Maltese authorities are interfering with personnel transfers and salvage efforts, two days after suspected Israeli drone strikes disabled the vessel. The vessel has also…

Drone Boat Shoots Down a Fighter Jet For the First Time in History   For the first time in history, an unmanned drone boat has shot down a fixed-wing fighter aircraft in combat, according to Ukraine’s military intelligence directorate (GUR).  On May 2, a Ukrainian Magura-7 naval drone operating near Novorossiysk opened fire on a…

Three Dead, 14 Missing After Two Riverboats Capsize in China   Three people are dead and 14 remain missing after two tour boats capsized on the Liuchong River in Guizhou Province, China, and a massive rescue operation is under way to search for any survivors. On the afternoon of May 4, several passenger boats were out on…

What’s New in the Revised SHIPS for America Act   On April 30, Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), together with several original co-sponsors, reintroduced the SHIPS for America Act in the U.S. Senate, first introduced in December 2024, divided into two bills. Companion legislation was also introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Trent…

India and Pakistan Halt Maritime Trade   Amid the ongoing tension between India and Pakistan, the two countries have taken further steps to limit their trade relations. On Saturday, the Indian government suspended imports of goods from Pakistan. The ban was imposed with immediate effect, with the government saying the measure is in the interest of…

Iranian Arms Ship Makes Northbound Transit Through the Suez Canal   A sanctioned Iranian cargo vessel, which in the past is likely to have been involved with shipping arms to Syria, has just completed a northerly passage up the Red Sea.  The Iranian-owned cargo vessel Elyana (IMO: 9165827) was located on May 3, underway and…

Kongsberg Maritime Selects Corvus Energy Battery Systems for Matson’s Ships [By: Corvus Energy] Matson Navigation Company’s three new 3600 TEU Aloha Class containerships, the largest container ships built in the United States, will use Kongsberg Maritime Hybrid Electrical Systems that incorporate Corvus Energy Orca ESS. Corvus Energy, a leader in marine energy storage solutions, has been…

New Crowley Vice President of Operations for Fuels Business Serving Alaska [By: Crowley] Industry leader Josh Cheshier has been named vice president of operations for the Crowley Fuels business unit, which provides energy distribution and supply chain solutions throughout Alaska. With more than two decades of expertise in the energy sector, Cheshier brings a strong…

Wallenius Wilhelmsen Acquires Remaining Shares in Armacup [By: Wallenius Wilhelmsen] Wallenius Wilhelmsen acquires the remaining shares in Armacup, bringing the shareholding percentage from 65 percent to 100 percent. The transaction was closed on April 30, 2025. As previously communicated, the amended shareholder agreement that was entered into in 2022 stated that Wallenius Wilhelmsen was to buy…

European Built Offshore CO2 Carrier to Be Christened & Launched on May 14 [By: INEOS] The dedicated CO2 carrier currently under construction at Royal Niestern Sander shipyard in the Netherlands is a cornerstone in Greensand’s mission to deliver EU’s first full-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) value chain.  The construction of this unique vessel in the…

DEME Completes Acquisition of Havfram to Expand Position for Offshore Wind Belgium’s DEME Group which is an established leader for installations of offshore wind energy reported that it has completed the acquisition of Norway-based Havfram. The agreement to acquire the company was announced in April with DEME highlighting that it would expand its footprint in…

TotalEnergies Breaks Ground for Middle East’s First LNG Bunkering Terminal The Middle East is set to have its first LNG bunkering facility to be located at the Port of Sohar in Oman. The groundbreaking for the Marsa LNG plant, a $1.6 billion investment by TotalEnergies and OQ Exploration and Production (OQEP), took place a year…

U.S. Navy Goes Hypersonic Proving Sea-Based Launch Approach The U.S. Navy reported on May 2 that its Strategic Systems Programs conducted a successful end-to-end flight test of a conventional hypersonic missile. While it was conducted from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, it is a key step toward the nation’s first sea-based hypersonic weapon…

Japan’s Mitsubishi Shipyard Completes Largest Overhaul Contract for US Navy   The U.S. Navy’s Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary mobile base USS Miguel Keith recently completed a five-month Regular Overhaul but instead of undertaking it as a U.S. shipyard, it was completed at Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) in Yokohama. It marks the first time a…

Port Operations in Bandar Abbas, Iran Remain Heavily Disrupted Iran’s clerical leaders are attempting to suppress discussion in Iran on the causes of the explosion in Bandar Abbas port on April 26. The official narrative pushes the idea that the explosion was caused by a safety breach in handling hazardous material. Officials are also claiming…

World’s Largest Battery-Electric Ship Launched by Incat   Incat is heralding a milestone in the shipping industry as it floated out the world’s largest battery-electric ship which it says is also the largest electric vehicle of its kind ever built. The ferry China Zorrilla (approximately 14,000 gross tons) being built for Argentina-based Buquebus was floated…

Coast Guard Takes Over Response as Oil Well Continues to Spray   Six days after a spill began at a marshland well site in the Pass a Loutre area of the Mississippi Delta, the Coast Guard has decided to federalize the response effort and tap the Oil Pollution Liability Trust Fund. As of Thursday, the…

Port Canaveral Plans $500 Million Investment to Upgrade Operations   Port Canaveral located in central Florida is continuing to experience strong growth as not only the second-busiest cruise homeport, but also in its cargo operations and support of the space programs. The port mapped out a comprehensive five-year plan to expand capacity and capabilities across…

Mediterranean ECA Limits on Shipping’s Sulfur Emissions Are Now in Effect The Mediterranean Emission Control Area officially launched today, May 1, under the MARPOL Annex of the International Maritime Organizations. Officials are hopeful that it will help to clean the Mediterranean region and contribute to the overall improvements already seen in air quality since the…

SECNAV Visits Korean Shipyards During Indo-Pacific Tour Just over a month after becoming the new Secretary of the Navy, John Phelan visited two of South Korea’s large shipbuilders as part of his tour through the Indo-Pacific region. The shipyards are anxious to build their ties with the U.S. Navy which Phelan was quick to point…

Coast Guard Greenlights Full Production of First Polar Security Cutter   The U.S. Coast Guard has signed off on the transition to full production of the first hull in the Polar Security Cutter series (PSC). The long-delayed project is a mission-critical replacement for the Polar Star, the United States’ sole remaining heavy icebreaker.  The service…

ISA Chief Warns That Unlicensed Deep Sea Mining Ores Will Be Hard to Sell   The head of the UN’s International Seabed Authority has panned the Trump administration’s unilateral licensing program for subsea mining outside of the boundaries of the U.S. exclusive economic zone, and warned that there could be problems in selling the products.…

Three Workers Killed in Scaffold Collapse at Port Arthur LNG Terminal   On Tuesday, a scaffold collapsed on a tank under construction at an LNG export terminal in Texas, killing three men. The accident happened on the work site for Sempra’s Port Arthur LNG plant, about 90 miles to the east of Houston. At about 0200…

New Docks Nearing Completion, Delivery to Grand Bahama Shipyard   After years of planning, the Grand Bahama Shipyard on Freeport in the Bahamas is preparing for the arrival of its two new large dry docks. They will be among the largest in the Western Hemisphere and permit the shipyard to resume servicing large cruise ships…

COSCO and Seaspan Place Large Orders Despite Threat of U.S. Port Fees   While the threat of U.S. port fees for Chinese-built ships continues to loom, it does not appear to have changed the orders of several major operators. Reports are indicating that Chinese shipyards booked billions of dollars in orders from independent charter owner…

CMA CGM Expands Air Cargo Operations Closing Air Belgium Acquisition CMA CGM is accelerating the development of its air cargo business launched in 2021 as an adjunct to its logistics operations. The group received approval from the Belgian courts today, April 30, for its offer to acquire the bankrupt Air Belgium and transfer of the…

Coast Guard Finds Undeclared Hazmat and Stolen Cars at Port of NY & NJ   The Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection are increasing their scrutiny of containers at the Port of New York and New Jersey, and have begun to focus on undeclared hazardous materials in the cargo – including export cargo. …

Mitsubishi Launches Energy-Saving Ferry as Japan Grows Sea Transport   The christening and launch were held today, April 29, for the first of two new large car ferries ordered by Shinnihonkai Ferry Co. and Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency (JRTT). The vessels that incorporate the latest energy-saving designs are also part of a…

Tanker and Towboat Collide in “Challenging” Mississippi River Conditions   On Sunday night, a tanker collided with a towboat’s tow on the Mississippi near New Orleans, sinking one barge and setting half a dozen adrift in the river.  At about 1630 hours Friday, the towboat Ginny Rose got under way from a fleeting area near…

Wasaline’s Aurora Botnia Slated for Biggest Ever Battery Retrofit Finnish ship owner Wasaline is partnering with marine battery manufacturer AYK Energy to undertake the biggest battery retrofit so far carried out on a vessel. Built in 2021, Aurora Botnia which was already billed as one of the most efficient vessels will add a new battery…

Germany Adds FSRU and LNG Terminal as it Works to Manage Import Supply   Germany’s federally owned Deutsche Energy Terminal GmbH (DET) announced the arrival of its third FSRU unit and the second to be placed in the port of Wilhelmshaven. Coming a little over two months after another German company terminated an FSRU contract…

SDHI, Wheel & Time to Launch Integrated F.A.S.T. Logistics Ecosystem [By: Swan Defence and Heavy Industries Limited] Swan Defence and Heavy Industries Limited (SDHI), India’s largest shipbuilding and heavy fabrication company, has signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Wheel & Time Shipping Transport Logistics, a specialist in moving heavy and oversized cargo. With the…

U.S. Coast Guard Seizes Four Tonnes of Cocaine in Mid-Atlantic   Earlier this month, the crew of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Calhoun made an unusual drug bust – not unusual for the substance or the quantity, but for the location on the high seas of the mid-Atlantic.  On April 12, Calhoun’s crew detected a…

Atal Solutions New $123.7M Retrofitting Project to Drive Green Shipping [By: Atal Solutions] If the shipping industry were a country, it would be the sixth-largest polluter in the world. With its $123.7M retrofitting project, Atal Solutions — alongside Damen Shipyards Group, Blue Astra Maritime Shipping, and a consortium of partners — is taking direct action…

New Canadian Tankers to Shuttle Oil Products to East Coast Ports Algoma Central Corporation, known for its dry bulk operations, has commissioned the first of two newly built product tankers that will be used for service in conjunction with Canada’s Irving Oil. The vessels will service Canada’s largest refinery with deliveries to ports in Atlantic…

CMA CGM Will Double Logistics Operation in Turkey with Acquisition   CMA CGM through its subsidiary CEVA Logistics is continuing the efforts to expand its logistics portfolio with the acquisition of Turkish logistics firm, Borusan Tedarik. The deal which is valued at approximately $440 million will double CEVA’s footprint in a key strategic market and…

Video: Fishermen Scramble to Save Sheep as Dhow Tilts Off Yemen Video is making the rounds online showing the efforts by local fishermen in Yemen attempting to pluck sheep from the ocean after the vessel they were on began listing. According to some reports, the vessel which was traveling between Somalia and Djibouti ran aground…

Product Tanker Makes Near-Zero-Emissions Atlantic Crossing   A product tanker operated by Odfjell has finished a near-zero-carbon transit of the North Atlantic, demonstrating the cost-effectiveness of sail power and biofuel.  Bow Olympus just completed a voyage from the U.S. Gulf Coast to Terneuzen, powered by four suction sails and a bunker stem of 100 percent biofuel…

Unprecedented Bleaching Event Affects 84 Percent of World’s Corals   One year after the official declaration of the fourth global coral bleaching event, NOAA and the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) have updated the initial impact of the catastrophe. From January 2023 to March 2025, the bleaching event has impacted 84 percent of the world’s reefs, with 82…

Oil Spill Response Under Way Near Pass a Loutre, Louisiana   On Sunday, the U.S. Coast Guard launched a response to a spill near an oil production site in the Bird’s Foot of the Mississippi Delta.  The spill is located near the Garden Island Bay Production Facility, a marshland well collection point near Pass a…