Renowned News

Carnival Corporation's Cunard cruise line announced it has taken delivery of its newest cruise ship, Queen Anne, from Italian shipbuilding group Fincantieri.The newbuild was officially handed over on Friday during a ceremony at the Fincantieri Marghera shipyard in Venice. The 114,000-ton ship spans 14 decks and has capacity for up to 3,000 passengers.Queen Anne, the 249th ship to sail under the Cunard flag – and the third built by Fincantieri – will now set sail for Southampton ahead of her seven-night maiden voyage to Lisbon on May 3. She will arrive in her homeport on April 27.

Compliance, performance, profitability, sustainability; take the biggest ‘pain points’ for almost any shipping company and watch NAVTOR’s digital ecosystem work wonders. Here Tor Svanes, Founder and CEO, explains how NAVTOR has grown to lead the smart shipping world, why the recent merger with Voyager Worldwide was so critical, and how he hopes to help steer the industry towards brighter, simpler, and more intelligent horizons.“The morning of the announcement I got a text from the boss of one of our biggest competitors…

KOTUG International, a marine services and towage provider based in the Netherlands, announced on Thursday it has concluded its acquisition of Kotug Seabulk Maritime (KSM), taking full ownership of the Caribbean marine towage business.KOTUG said it has acquired the interest of its joint venture partner, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based SEACOR Holdings via its Seabulk subsidiary KS Maritime Holdings, owner of the 50% share in KSM.Founded in 2017, KSM acts as the exclusive provider of maritime terminal support services for Buckeye Partners’ Bahamas Hub…

The UK Chamber of Shipping announced the appointment of Rhett Hatcher as its next chief executive, replacing Sarah Treseder.Hatcher has recently retired from the Royal Navy. He brings with him a broad wealth of experience. His last role was as the UK National Hydrographer and Deputy Chief Executive at the UK Hydrographic Office. He gained a thorough understanding of Whitehall while in senior appointments at the Ministry of Defense, where he was responsible for global strategy…

Victaulic, manufacturer of mechanical pipe joining, fire protection, and flow control solutions based in Easton, Pa., announced it has acquired Utility Coatings & Fabrication, Inc. (UCF) located in West Jordan, Utah.“This acquisition represents Victaulic’s fourth consecutive investment in the last four years, highlighting the company’s strategic vision for ongoing growth,” remarked Rick Bucher, President and Chief Executive Officer of Victaulic. “Victaulic remains dedicated to…

The Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) represented by BMW Oracle Racing and the Société Nautique de Genève (SNG), the Americas Cup defending champion, represented by Team Alinghi were entwined in a 2.5-year legal battle over multiple court cases, including hearings in the New York Supreme Court and the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court, prior to the 33rd edition of the race, due to take place in 2010.The parties disagreed about the location, format, and restrictions on boat design, all of which were changed by the courts prior to the race.

Vroon announced it has acquired a livestock carrier from the Tsuneishi Group.The 83.9-meter-long vessel, Aurochs, purpose-built by Tsuneishi Group (Zhoushan) Shipbuilding Inc. in 2017, is the youngest livestock carrier operating in the global market.The ship will be renamed Friesian Express and managed by Vroon's Livestock Express team as the 13th vessel in the company's livestock fleet. The ship has just departed from Australia on its maiden voyage under our ownership.Following its restructuring last year…

Force Technology won a deal to deliver its SimFlex4 AR solution as part of an extensive upgrade for the Queensland-based maritime simulation and training facility, Smartship Australia, which focuses on professional pilotage training and development. Smartship's facility in Brisbane includes five marine simulators, including two full mission bridges, one Tug bridge, and two-part task simulators.FORCE Technology’s SimFlex simulator was originally selected when Smartship Australia was first established in 2011.

Norwegian shipowner Hunter Group has entered into a three-year back-to-back charterparty for an eco-design and scrubber fitted Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) with an internationally renowned counterparty.Delivery of the 2016-built vessel is expected to take place during March/April 2024.The company will charter the vessel in at a fixed rate of $51,000 per day, before subsequently chartering the vessel out on a floating index-linked spot rate contract."This agreement is yet another…

Kenny Ballard has been appointed Mustang Survival’s new President, taking over responsibilities from Juanita Killen, who stepped into the role of Interim President in 2023. Additionally, Lance Richardson takes on the newly created role of VP, Manufacturing and Innovation for the Wing Group, Mustang Survival’s parent company.Ballard brings a wealth of experience from previous executive roles with renowned brands, including Osprey, SwissGear, Wenger Outdoor, Kelty, and, most recently, his own successful consulting firm.

Floating platform developer Gazelle Wind Power has appointed clean energy finance industry expert Álvaro Ortega as Chief Financial Officer (CFO).Ortega is the former Vice President of Finance at Avangrid Inc., a publicly traded company on the NY Stock Exchange and the U.S. subsidiary of global energy leader Iberdrola.“Finding someone with a track record like Álvaro’s is rare. Due to his financial expertise and passion for renewable energy, his joining the team is a home run for Gazelle as we enter an exciting phase in our company’s development,” said Gazelle CEO and Founder Jon Salazar.

Babcock has been awarded two further contracts for work on the UK’s new Dreadnought Class submarine worth a combined £121 million.The contracts include a 4.5-year £66 million contract with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to provide input into the development of the support solution for the UK’s new Dreadnought Class submarines. The new Class of submarine will replace the Vanguard Class in the early 2030s to maintain a Continuous At Sea Deterrent.Babcock will also provide the MOD with technical and management support…

Hy2gen, the global developer, financier builder, owner and operator of renewable hydrogen and hydrogen-based e-fuels plants, and Amogy, the provider of ammonia power technology, today have signed an MoU to collaborate in the field of renewable ammonia.The agreement encompasses the pooling of resources to advance the use of renewable ammonia as a maritime fuel, participate in joint development projects and secure the safe usage of ammonia on board maritime vessels.Amogy’s ammonia-to-power solution aims to decarbonize the hard-to-abate sectors…

On 28 October, the maritime leaders of tomorrow - World Maritime University (WMU) class of 2023 - graduated. The WMU 2023 graduating class includes 283 graduates from 71 countries, including a record of 99 women graduates.WMU President, Professor Maximo Q. Mejia, Jr., delivered welcome remarks. As a WMU graduate himself, President Mejia reflected on the power of the WMU experience and how it affects the way one thinks, works, plans, and interacts. “You have acquired information that you did not possess before you enrolled here," he said.

FarSounder and NSSLGlobal have joined forces to introduce FarSounder’s Argos product line to their defense, commercial, and leisure clients. These innovative Forward Looking Sonars (FLS) are used for safe navigation and obstacle avoidance. FarSounder’s technology is renowned in the cruise and leisure markets and is increasingly being adopted in both the Scientific/Exploration and Defence sectors both of which are moving towards Unmanned Surface Vessels (USV).Vessels are often operating in more challenging environments such as higher latitudes where there may be ice, poorly chartered areas, or austere ports. This unique patented technology paints a clear picture of what lies ahead underwater of the vessel…

MAN Energy Solutions has announced a partnership with industry leaders and research institutes that will develop engine concepts for hydrogen-fueled, medium-speed engines in the maritime sector.Dubbed ‘HydroPoLEn’, the project is supported and funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. It aims to transform propulsion systems within shipping and develop key technologies such as injection, ignition and advanced tribological systems, while part…

Norway's Kongsberg Maritime and Turkey's BMA Technology have partnered up to support the supply of low-voltage electrical products and engineering services to Turkish shipyards.BMA Technology, based in the Gebze Organized Industrial Zone, east of Istanbul, is a technology company providing electrical system solutions for the marine industry.As part of the alliance agreement, BMA Technology will manufacture, assemble, and test Kongsberg Maritime low-voltage electrical products in its facility in Türkiye.

Praxis Automation, a company specializing in ship automation, electrical propulsion, and dynamic positioning systems, will outfit 59 vessels of Saudi-based Rawabi Vallianz Offshore Services's (RVOS) with Praxis DP-2 systems.Under this RVOS fleet-wide contract, new build and existing offshore support vessels will be equipped with Praxis dynamic positioning systems, as well as customised equipment and software for digitization of the fleet in phases agreed with RVOS, one of the…

Shipbuilder Austal Vietnam announced Wednesday that it has launched a new high-speed catamaran built at the company’s shipyard in Vung Tau for the Degage Group of French Polynesia.The 66-meter Apetahi Express is undergoing final fit-out, prior to sea trials which are due to commence in May. The vessel is scheduled for delivery in June 2023. The new ferry is anticipated to commence operations between Pape’ete (Tahiti) and Vaitape (Bora Bora) in French Polynesia in July 2023.Austal Limited Chief Executive Officer Paddy Gregg said…

China celebrated its 19th National Maritime Day on July 11, with celebrations taking place in museums and schools along with a range of technical conferences.The Ministry of Transport released the 2022 China Shipping Development Report which showed that container throughput at ports increased by 4.7% and the volume of rail-water multi-modal transport routes increased by 16% year-on-year.China Daily reports Vice-Transport Minister Fu Xuyin saying: “By the end of last year, the Chinese fleet reached a carrying capacity of 370 million deadweight tons…

This year sees a milestone moment for Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania as the yard marks 130 years of operation. Part of the Damen Shipyards Group since 1999, the Galati yard has been responsible for some of the company’s largest and most complex vessel deliveries to date.The Galati yard, on the banks of the Danube, first opened its gates in 1893. Beginning life as a mechanical construction and iron and bronze foundry, by 1897, it had gone into the ship repair business and was known as G. Fernic et Co Shipyard.

Kongsberg Maritime announced it has established a dedicated manufacturing facility and service team to provide in-country support for its waterjet customers in the United States.Kongsberg Maritime has been manufacturing Kamewa waterjets for over 40 years, delivering more than 10,000 units globally. The company will now offer a step-change in support for its North American customers, including local manufacturing of waterjets, local service support and spare parts, from its facility in New Orleans.John Huschilt…

The United States' Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on Tuesday issued a final environmental assessment (EA) on potential impacts from offshore wind leasing on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Mexico, marking another step toward the potential first-ever offshore wind lease sale in the Gulf.The assessment, completed with the help of the Gulf of Mexico Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force—a collaboration between Tribal, Federal, state, and local government agencies—found "no significant impacts to environmental resources"…