Evolve News

2024 marks 50 years of ship design work for Kongsberg Maritime. From setting the benchmark that set the standard for offshore supply vessels in the 1970s, to advanced anchor handlers that transformed the oil and gas industry, and a growing reference list in fishery and merchant ships, Kongsberg Maritime’s range of ship designs has continued to evolve over the past five decades.The early 1970s, at the dawn of the offshore oil and gas industry, saw the very first vessels, designed…

Jennifer Carpenter joined The American Waterways Operators (AWO), the national trade association representing the inland and coastal tugboat, towboat and barge industry, in August 1990 and became its president and CEO in January 2020. She highlights some of the greatest focus areas for the 80-year-old trade group—simultaneously looking at both the present day and the road ahead.The towboat, tug and barge industry is in a period of rapid evolution. How is AWO—now in its 80th year…

Shipowner and shipping fund manager Pelagic Partners announced it has teamed up with asset management firm Borealis Maritime to invest in a pair of platform supply vessels (PSV).Built in 2021, the 89-meter Aurora Coey – formerly Viking Coey – and Aurora Cooper – ex-Viking Cooper – are both dual-fuel and capable of operating on liquefied natural gas (LNG), as well as being ammonia-ready. The ice-class sister vessels are fitted with hybrid battery power, and Low Loss Concept (LLC) solutions that further reduce emissions…

KR has released two digital platforms, KR-DAON (Digital Application Online Network) and Nexawave, alongside the launch of its enhanced fleet management system, KR e-Fleet V3.The KR e-Fleet V3, an upgraded version of the existing fleet management system, focuses on enhancing operational efficiency through increased speed and simplification. It features an integrated vessel status display with survey and audit information, a new Thickness Measurement (TM) menu for tracking hull corrosion, and PSC Guidance with VR technology (KR-Real360) to assist in customer responses.

The International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (INTERCARGO) and RightShip have launched the Dry Bulk Centre of Excellence (DBCE), an independent, not-for-profit industry organisation dedicated to the administration of the Dry Bulk Management Standard (DryBMS) framework.DryBMS was developed by INTERCARGO and RightShip, with input from experts and stakeholders across the sector, as an industry tool to raise standards and best practices across safety, security, environmental performance, and social welfare in the dry shipping sector.

Finland-headquartered maritime tech company Groke Technologies (Groke) is working with BAR Technolgoes (BARTech) design and develop of situational awareness systems for the U.K. marine engineering consultancy’s WindWings wind propulsion technology.The companies have signed a partnership agreement following the debut installation of two 37.5 m (123 ft) tall WindWings sails on board MC Shipping-owned and Cargill-operated Kamsarmax bulker Pyxis Ocean. Groke’s camera and imaging solutions were also installed.Groke Technologies’ CEO Juha Rokka said…

ABS chairman and CEO, Christopher J. Wiernicki, said he sees a universal, global carbon tax on shipping on the horizon, as alternative blue fuels made with carbon capture emerge as a growing part of the maritime industry's ongoing energy transition.“We need to recognize that there is an intermediate step in the energy transition,” Wiernicki said during an appearance at the CERAWeek energy conference. “Last year the conversations were focused on going from oil to a green fuel economy.

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will initiate an environmental review of Vineyard Northeast’s proposed offshore wind energy project, located 29 miles offshore Nantucket, Massachusetts at its closest point. BOEM estimates the proposed project would generate up to 2,600MW of electricity, enough to power more than 900,000 homes with clean renewable energy. The approximately 132,370-acre Lease Area is located some 29 miles (mi) from Nantucket and approximately 39 mi offshore Martha’s Vineyard…

Industry trade group the Offshore Marine Service Association (OMSA) announced the addition of four CEOs to its board of directors.The new board members include Wes Bordelon, Chief Executive Officer, Bordelon Marine; Stacy Jo Stanley, Chief Executive Officer, Offshore Oil Services, Inc.; David Dantin, Chief Executive Officer, Odyssea Marine; and Lasse Petterson, Chief Executive Officer, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock."With the addition of these four executive leaders, OMSA pays homage to its roots while welcoming expanded opportunities in emerging energy frontiers…

India's navy evacuated all 20 crew from a stricken vessel in the Red Sea on Thursday, after a Houthi attack killed three seafarers in the first civilian fatalities from the Yemeni group's campaign against the key shipping route.The Iran-aligned militants fired a missile at the Barbados-flagged, Greek-operated True Confidence on Wednesday about 50 nautical miles off the southern Yemeni port of Aden, setting it ablaze.In a statement, the owners and manager said all 20 crew and three…

The maritime industry accounts for more than 90% of global trade and employs over 3 million people in the United States, and like other modes of transportation, our industry encounters unique risks. Waterfront workers are exposed to various hazards such as heavy machinery, hazardous substances, extreme weather and long hours. If not properly managed, these hazards can result in serious injuries, illnesses and even fatalities. That is why ensuring the safety of waterfront workers is a top priority for all of us who work in the maritime industry.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on Tuesday finalized two wind energy areas (WEAs) in the offshore Oregon region, aligning with government goals to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power along U.S. coastlines this decade to fight climate change.The two WEAs, Coos Bay WEA and Brookings WEA, are spread across 195,012 acres (78,919 hectares) and "the department continues to take steps to evolve its approach to offshore wind to drive towards union-built projects and a domestic-based supply chain," said the agency, which is part of the U.S.

Shipping must engage with the decarbonization realities that lie ahead by changing the way it crafts maritime legislation to reflect its place in the interconnected, interdependent world economy, says Eero Lehtovaara, ABB Marine & Ports.ABB Marine & Ports Head of Regulatory & Public Affairs, Eero Lehtovaara has carved out an unusual - and possibly unique - role in the maritime industry over recent years, as a ‘stakeholder’ simultaneously mindful of the perspectives of owners, seafarers…

Big data, advanced computers and AI are allowing vessel designers to prepare models that leave essentially nothing to chance.“Lastly, it may be of considerable importance to form from the draught a block model of the vessel from which a still more accurate judgment may be formed of the fitness and beauty of the body. And should any defect be discovered, farther alterations must still be made, till the draught and the model are perfectly approved of. These different alterations and repeated calculations may appear very tedious…

Demand for data that can inform strategies for asset management and performance monitoring is driving the wider adoption of digital tools in shipbuilding. Vessel designers are increasingly able to employ a software-driven approach that creates efficiencies and satisfies compliance.Shipowners want visibility on assets over their lifecycle, and as the era of planned maintenance routines gives way to predictive interventions, shipyards are turning to 3D models to create digital twins…

In a climate of increasing complexity, with new regulations, environmental concerns and commercial considerations, how can owners and operators control their fleets, and futures, from dry land? NAVTOR’s Tor Håkon Svanes believes the answer lies in innovation and integration – developing solutions that evolve in line with the needs of a dynamic global industry.“There are smarter ways to do things.”Tor Håkon Svanes, the NavFleet Product Manager at NAVTOR, is referring to a recent chat with a new customer.The unnamed fleet manager…

Plaquemines Port Harbor and Terminal District announced it signed a letter of intent (LOI) with APM Terminals (APMT) to build a container terminal on the West Bank of Plaquemines Parish, La.Plaquemines Port will lease the land to APM under a 30-year agreement with extension options. APMT, one of the largest terminal operators in the world and is a subsidiary of shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk, estimates the initial investment in terminal infrastructure will be approximately $500 million…

Every day, nearly 60 fully loaded very large crude-oil carriers sail between the Persian Gulf and Chinese ports, carrying about half of the oil that powers the world's second-largest economy.As the vessels enter the South China Sea, they ply waters increasingly controlled by China's growing military, from the missile batteries and airfields at its bases on disputed islands to its stealthy Type 055 destroyers.But when crossing the Indian Ocean, joined by others headed to China from Africa and Brazil…

Ammonia power solutions company Amogy on Wednesday announced it has completed its Technology Verification phase with classification society Lloyd’s Register.This includes the assessment and certification of novel technologies through its Technology Qualification process where novel technologies are evaluated in terms of their technology maturity and associated risks. The first phase was undertaken in 2022, during which the technology readiness level of its core components and system interfaces were identified and assessed.

Austal USA Advanced Technologies is working with the US Navy on technical solutions that will power the next-gen of navy assets. Don Hairston recently took the helm of the AAT team, and discusses how additive manufacturing and artificial intelligence are powering the future of naval asset design, construction and lifecycle maintenance.Don, what specifically attracted you to the position as GM of Austal USA Advanced Technologies?I liked Austal USA as an up-and-comer; it offers tremendous growth opportunities.

“If we are to state our strategy in one word, it’s decarbonization,” said Juha Kytölä, director of R&D and engineering at Finnish tech company Wärtsilä. “What we are going toward is to supply the market with a portfolio of products that are ready for zero-carbon fuels.”In order to achieve its sustainability goals—including a 2030 target for carbon neutrality in its own operations—Wärtsilä has been taking big strides in research and development, having ramped up its investment on this front in recent years, Kytölä said.

Marine Technology Reporter (MTR) has been unveiled as the exclusive video media partner of the Oceanology International exhibition and conference and will be delivering extended broadcast coverage from the 2024 event (Oi24).The collaboration will enhance Oi24’s value as a multi-media platform that communicates the changes in the fast-paced ocean technology, science, and engineering sectors and showcases the developments of the leading innovators to the global industry.As a premier news source in the marine technology and subsea sectors…

Orca AI, headquartered in Israel and founded in 2018, has a simple yet complex premise: develop and deliver an intelligent safety platform for the maritime industry to prevent collisions. To date it has attracted attention and business globally, working with SeaSpan, NYK, MSC, Shell Shipping and Marubeni amongst others. Maritime Reporter TV recently caught up Orca AI CEO and co-founder Yarden Gross for insights on the reality today, and the promising potential for AI in the maritime sector.Yarden…