Sanmar Delivers Its Sixth ElectRA Tugboat to Norwegian Operator
Turkish shipbuilder Sanmar has delivered the sixth electric power tugboat from its ElectRA series to Norwegian operator Buksér og Berging.Named BB ELECTRA by its new owners, the tug will be based at the Port of Oslo.It boasts exclusive-to-Sanmar ElectRA 2200 SX design from Canadian naval architects Robert Allan, and represents the eighth tug that Sanmar has delivered to Buksér og Berging.With an overall length of 22.2 meters excluding fenders, molded breadth of 10.84 meters and least molded depth of 4.4 meters, BB ELECTRA has 1.718 kWh of battery power.
Fortescue Conducts World's First ammonia Bunker Trial in Singapore
Fortescue has conducted the world's first ammonia marine bunker operation in the port of Singapore, the city-state's Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) and the Australian mining company said on Friday.The Singapore-flagged Fortescue Green Pioneer was loaded with liquid ammonia from an existing facility at Jurong Island's Vopak Banyan Terminal for the trial, Fortescue and MPA said in a joint statement.The vessel is dual-fuelled and can adopt ammonia for bunkering in combination with diesel.
Yard Starts Worldâs First Container Vessel Methanol Dual Fuel Retrofit
Zhoushan Xinya Shipyard held a steel cutting ceremony on March 8, 2024 for the 14,000 TEU Maersk Halifax methanol dual fuel retrofit project, marking what will be the world's first container vessel methanol dual fuel retrofit.Representatives from Maersk project team, ABS, and headquarters leaders and employees of the company attended the ceremony.The vessel is scheduled to arrive in early July this year and will undergo conversion and repair for a period of about three months. To ensure the smooth implementation of the project, the yard has built a 500-ton gantry crane overhead the No.3 dock.
Adapted ME-GI Gas Engine Runs on Hydrogen
MAN Energy Solutionsâ licensee, MITSUI E&S Co. Ltd., has announced that it has successfully tested a 50-bore MAN B&W two-stroke engine up to 100% load at its Tamano facility while running on hydrogen, a world-first for the maritime industry.In collaboration with MAN Energy Solutions, MITSUI converted one of the four cylinders of an MAN B&W ME-GI (-Gas Injection) engine to hydrogen operation. The hydrogen was supplied from a hydrogen gas-supply system that MITSUI developed in 2023.Stable operation was achieved at various loads and operating conditionsâŚ
Cochin Shipyard Cuts First Steel for SAMSKIP's Zero-emission Containership
Indian shipbuilder Cochin Shipyard has cut first steel for the first vessel in Samskip's new series of zero-emission, autonomous ready shortsea containerships.The first of two contracted vessels, Samskip SeaShuttle, will also be among the world's first zero-emissions short sea container vessels fueled by green hydrogen.The 135-meter-long containerships were ordered by marine robotics specialist Ocean Infinity for scheduled delivery in 2025 and will be operated under long-term charter by Rotterdam-based shipping company Samskip on its west European routes.
Virtual Marine: Simulator Training is the Real Deal
In the commercial maritime and offshore industries, where worker safety and competency are crucial, effective training practices are an absolute must. While hands-on, in-the-field learning will always be a vital component of any marinerâs training, marine simulation has become a welcome enhancement to the education process. And in some cases, itâs seen as a safer alternative to traditional survival craft and rescue boat training.A leader in this space is Virtual Marine, based in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Chemical Tanker is World's First Equipped with Wind Propulsion
Chemship commissioned its first ship with wind assisted ship propulsion. This makes the MT Chemical Challenger the first chemical tanker in the world to be equipped with sustainable wind technology. The ship will serve on shipping company Chemshipâs Trans-Atlantic route between the East Coast of the United States and the Mediterranean.This week four 16-metre-high aluminum wind sails were installed on board the 134-meter-long vessel. The VentoFoils from Econowind create a direct wind surface of 180 m2.
Worldâs First Ammonia-powered Containership Ordered
Partners behind a project to develop the worldâs first ammonia-powered containership have placed an order to build the groundbreaking vessel at Qingdao Yangfan Shipbuilding, in China.Expected to be delivered by mid-2026, the 1,400 TEU ice-class containership Yara Eyde will run on ammonia as fuel, serving routes between Norway and Germany.The vessel will be owned by Delphis, the container division of CMB.TECH, and operated by NCL Oslofjord AS, a joint venture between North SeaâŚ
Seatrium Secures World-First CCS Retrofit
Seatrium has secured the worldâs first full-scale, turnkey carbon capture and storage (CCS) retrofit from Solvang ASA, Norway.The retrofit of a 7MW Wärtsilä CCS system will be carried out on Solvangâs 21,289 cubic meter ethylene carrier, Clipper Eris, and is scheduled to commence in the third quarter of this year. The project will use amine cleaning technology to capture 70% of the CO2 in the exhaust gas from the main engine.Seatriumâs scope of work includes basic design, detailed engineeringâŚ
Seatrium Renews Exclusive Deal with Gaslog and Shell for LGN Carrier Repairs
Singapore-based Seatrium has renewed its long-term favored customer contract (FCC) with GasLog LNG Services and Shell International Trading and Shipping Company (STASCO) to provide ship repairs, refurbishment and upgrading for their LNG carriers until 2029, with further renewal options.The contract marks a collaborative partnership between Seatrium and these two leading maritime companies with whom the Singaporean group has established a long history of collaboration.The contract involves the repairsâŚ
Ulsan Hosts First Ship-To-Ship Methanol Bunkering Operation
The Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and Ulsan Port Authority have announced a world first with the completion of a ship-to-ship (STS) bunkering of green methanol to the 16,000 TEU container ship Ane Maersk at Ulsan Port, South Korea.The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries established the relevant institutional foundation, including the âGuidelines for Approval of Self-Safety Management Plan for Methanol Supplyâ and accumulated know-how through two methanol supply demonstrationsâŚ
ONE Trials Dual-Temperature, Controlled-Atmosphere Container
Ocean Network Express (ONE) has launched the worldâs first dual-temperature refrigerated container equipped with controlled atmosphere functionality in collaboration with Pan Pacific International Holdings (PPIH) and NAX Japan.It is the world's first use of marine transportation of the dual-temperature refrigerated container equipped with controlled atmosphere functions that will transport various types of perishable goods and fruits from Japan to overseas stores of Don QuijoteâŚ
Japan Takes the Lead on Ammonia as Maritime Fuel
Late last year Japanese maritime leaders â Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK), Japan Engine Corporation, IHI Power Systems Co., and Nihon Shipyard Co., Ltd. â signed a series of contracts to buid the world's first ammonia-fueled medium gas carrier (AFMGC) equipped with Japan-make engines. The target is a completed ship by November 2026.While the project is significant, hurdles remain, namely:While development work is underway, today there is not yet a dual-fuel ammonia engine on the marketâŚ
Tidal Transit Starts Works on âWorldâs Firstâ Retrofit E-CTV
Tidal Transit, a supplier of purpose-design crew transfer vessels for the offshore wind industry, has begun the design and engineering phase of a project to deliver what is said to be the worldâs first retrofit electric crew transfer vessel (E-CTV).Over the next 15 months, Tidal Transit will retrofit a diesel-powered Mercurio 20-meter vessel, Ginny Louise, with over two megawatt-hours (MWh) of battery capacity, electric motors and propulsion pods.The finished product, e-GinnyâŚ
Saudi Arabia Unveils Oil Platform-Inspired Adventure Tourism Rig
Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), has launched the masterplan for THE RIG â a world-first adventure tourism destination to be built on an offshore platform in the Arabian Gulf.The vision for THE RIG project is to redefine the sea sports and leisure experience while celebrating the legacy of Saudi Arabia's rich oil and gas heritage.The project will be developed by PIFâs subsidiary the Oil Park Development Company (OPDC), under its CEO Raed N.
Stolt Tankers is First to Apply Graphene Hull Coating Technology
Stolt Tankers reports it is the first shipping company in the world to apply a cutting-edge sustainable coating to the hull of one of its vessels.The X-GIT FUEL graphene technology, developed by Graphite Innovation & Technologies (GIT) Coatings, has the potential to reduce fuel consumption and resulting greenhouse gas emissions.X-GIT FUEL is a hard foul release hull coating that creates an ultra-low friction surface to increase vessel performance, without the use of biocides, silicon oils or toxic components.
MOL First Shipping Company to Issue 'Blue Bonds'
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. has decided to issue âblue bondsâ through a public offering in Japanâs domestic market in January 2024, reportedly the worldâs first blue bonds in the shipping industry, which refer to the guidance provided by the International Capital Markets Association (ICMA) and other organizations.The Blue Bond Framework developed for the issuance of the bonds will ensure that all uses of the bondsâ proceeds will contribute to a sustainable blue economy, and the bonds received the highest rating of âBlue1(F)â from the Japan Credit Rating Agency, Ltd.
EnFAIT Horizon 2020: Tidal Turbine Costs Cut 40%
A European project, led by one of Scotlandâs leading tidal developers, has demonstrated that the cost of tidal energy could potentially be reduced by as much as 40 percent, and has produced findings that could redefine the boundaries on what can be achieved by tidal power globally. The $22m EnFAIT (Enabling Future Arrays in Tidal) Horizon 2020 project, brought together seven partners including Scottish tidal developer Nova Innovation, who manage the worldâs first offshore tidal array - the Shetland Tidal ArrayâŚ
New Autonomous Zero-emission Containership Design Unveiled
A new design for an autonomous zero-emission short sea containership has been unveiled by Belgium based ZULU Associates.The 200 TEU vessel, featuring an auxiliary wind assistance system, is a larger seagoing development of an inland waterways 90 TEU X-Barge, currently under final construction design.The latest design is produced by Dutch ship naval architects Conoship International, said Zulu Associates CEO Antoon Van Coillie.âWeâre delighted to be working with Conoship International who share our passion for innovation,â he said.
NYK, JERA, Resonac to Study Supplying Ammonia as Fuel to Vessels
NYK, JERA Co., Inc. and Resonac Holdings Corporation signed an agreement to jointly study the supply of ammonia as fuel to ships.As part of the Green Innovation Fund Project of the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), NYK is conducting research and development of a tugboat equipped with a domestic ammonia-fueled engine (A-Tug) together with other partner companies. As part of this initiative, in conjunction with the completion of the A-Tug scheduled for next JuneâŚ
Worldâs First Hydrogen-Powered Tugboat Enters Operation
Port of Antwerp-Bruges and CMB.TECH have announced a world first: the Hydrotug 1, the first hydrogen-powered tugboat, is ready for operation in the Antwerp port area.The Hydrotug 1 is the first tugboat in the world to be powered by combustion engines that burn hydrogen in combination with traditional fuel. It is the first vessel that uses the BeHydro V12 dual fuel medium speed engines â each providing 2MW â with the latest EU Stage V emissions aftertreatment.With these enginesâŚ
Yara Plans Worldâs First Ammonia-Powered Container Ship
Yara Clean Ammonia, North Sea Container Line, and Yara International have joined forces to realize the world's first container ship that will use clean ammonia as fuel. Named Yara Eyde, the vessel will be the first to sail emission-free sea route between Norway and Germany.Yara Eyde will operate between Oslo, Porsgrunn, Hamburg and Bremerhaven, so that from 2026, Norwegian companies can trade their products emissions-free in and out of Norway. Yara International is participating as cargo-owner.
FINLAND: âA Birthplace for Icebreakersâ
Finnish companies have designed about 80 percent of the worldâs icebreakers, and about 60 percent of them have been built by Finnish shipyards.Finland is home to a strong and vibrant maritime cluster, with a mix of large, medium and small shipyards, as well as a deep pool of marine engineering expertise and a broad network of vessel equipment suppliers.As one of the worldâs northernmost countries, Finland is also home to a fleet of icebreakers that keep imports and exports flowing through its harbors, even during the coldest winter months.