Lim News

Avikus, HD Hyundai's autonomous navigation in-house startup, has verified that its autonomous navigation system is capable of reducing fuel use by as much as 15%, which is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 10%.The fuel savings were quantified on a 325,000-ton very large ore carrier (VLOC) operating several times on a 5,800-mile route from Singapore to Brazil using Avikus’ autonomous HiNAS Control system.The verification of this performance was conducted through procedures that were jointly developed by HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering and Avikus…

Pavilion Energy, the charterer of Singapore’s recently delivered first membrane LNG bunker vessel Brassavola, has concluded its first Ship-to-Ship (STS) LNG bunkering operation.Pavilion Energy said on February 19, 2024, the bunkering operation to Rio Tinto chartered dual-fueled bulk carrier, Mount Api was successfully completed.Brassavola was recently delivered by Seatrium, to owner Indah Singa Maritime, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsui O.S.K Lines (MOL).Seatrium Delivers Singapore’s…

Seatrium has delivered Brassavola, Singapore’s first membrane LNG bunker vessel built locally by the group, to owner Indah Singa Maritime, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsui O.S.K Lines (MOL).Following delivery, Brassavola will be chartered by Pavilion Energy to supply LNG bunker in the Port of Singapore.The vessel, which is expected to start operations in February 2024, will also be deployed by TotalEnergies Marine Fuels to serve its customers under a long-term agreement with Pavilion Energy.Measuring 116.5 meters in length and 22 meters in width…

A book detailing the history of the IMO has been published to mark 75 years since the adoption of the IMO Convention, creating for the first time a global body to promote the safety and security of shipping and the protection of the marine environment.The IMO Convention entered into force in 1958 and the new Organization met for the first time the following year. The IMO's first task was to adopt a new version of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).“Safer shipping…

The cost of shipping goods through the Red Sea is rising as Yemen's Houthis step up attacks on ships they deem connected to Israel with fears of a spillover that could disrupt global supplies sailing through the region, industry sources said.Yemen's Houthis said on Tuesday they hit a Norwegian commercial tanker with a missile in their latest protest against Israel's invasion of Gaza, underlining the risks of a conflict that has shaken the Middle East.Around 23,000 ships pass through the narrow Bab al-Mandab Strait connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden…

ABS Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Christopher J. Wiernicki expressed the thanks of a grateful industry to IMO Secretary General Kitack Lim at the official gala dinner to mark the transition to his successor Arsenio Dominguez. Speaking to more than 250 assembled leaders of the shipping industry at COP28, Wiernicki detailed Secretary General Lim’s “glittering legacy of achievement” and honored their shared commitment to safety. “Consider the water under the bridge since January 1, 2016, when he took office.

Shipping’s journey of digital transformation is as much about cultural change - from the boardroom to onboard vessels - to adapt to new ways of working with data collaboration at the core as it is about technology adoption, according to a new Bureau Veritas-backed research study.Digital transformation of the industry “demands a systemic shift in how we work together,” Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore’s VP Digital Solutions & Transformation, Laurent Hentges, said in the foreword to the report by research firm Thetius…

Pakistan has become a Party to the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, 2009 (Hong Kong Convention).Vice Admiral (Retd.) Iftikhar Ahmad Rao, Maritime Minister and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Maritime Affairs, Pakistan, deposited the instrument of accession with IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim at IMO Headquarters in London on November 30.The deposit follows an IMO-run national seminar in Karachi to…

Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco has been confirmed as the next Secretary-General of the IMO. The IMO Assembly unanimously approved the decision of the Council at its 129th session on November 30.Dominguez Velasco will take up the office of Secretary-General on January 1, 2024, for an initial term of four years. He becomes the Organization's 10th elected Secretary-General.The outgoing Secretary-General, Kitack Lim, congratulated his successor on his appointment. "I am confident that the Membership as a whole has made a wise decision, and that Mr.

The IMO and the Republic of Korea have signed a suite of agreements to formally establish and boost the IMO-Republic of Korea Sustainable Maritime Transport Cooperation (SMART-C) program.The goal of the KRW 25.5 billion (approximately $20 million) SMART-C program is to promote sustainable maritime transport systems and a sustainable marine environment by building knowledge and developing technical capacity in developing countries via long-term thematic projects.This Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding will ensure long-term programming of several technical cooperation projects.

The Joint IMO/ILO Conference on Work at Sea held on November 13 involved the sharing of best practices, views and experiences on: ensuring the rights of seafarers and fishers; identifying gaps in the current regulatory framework, including in relation to responsible management; and exploring how governments, industry, IGOs and NGOs can collaborate to improve the relevant international maritime legal framework.In his closing remarks International Labour Organization (ILO) Director-General Gilbert F.

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.

Wilhelmsen and Thyssenkrupp announced on September 29 their joint venture company, Pelagus 3D, marking the entry of a new player into global maritime and offshore services market."Pelagus 3D envisions to be the largest one-stop, on-demand digital manufacturing partner for the maritime and offshore industries. It uses Additive Manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing to deliver maritime spare parts more efficiently in terms of time and cost, allowing customers to ensure their vessels’ seaworthiness and keep their operations moving on schedule…

The IMO’s commitment to the preservation of the marine environment is being highlighted on World Maritime Day, September 28, 2023, with the theme "MARPOL at 50 – Our commitment goes on."This year sees the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), the primary global treaty for the prevention of pollution of the marine environment by ships from intentional, operational or accidental causes.IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim notes that achievements have already made in regulating to protect ocean health…

ABS signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Korea Hydrogen Industry Association (KHIA) and the University of Ulsan, Foundation for Industry Cooperation to develop a small, 40-seat vessel for tourism, equipped with electric propulsion using a 350kW hydrogen fuel cell.The zero-emission vessel qualifies as one of the research, development and demonstration projects associated with Korea’s national hydrogen strategy.Ock Taeck Lim, Professor at the University of Ulsan,…

Avikus, HD Hyundai's autonomous navigation in-house startup, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Busan City, South Korea, and Korea Marine Consulting and Project Management Company (KMCP Co., Ltd.) for the development of an eco-friendly autonomous maritime tourism taxi service.Avikus will supply specialized self-navigating solutions for water taxis, while KMCP will provide an eco-friendly maritime taxi platform and assume the role of operating the water taxi service.

The International Maritime Organization's Council (IMO) has elected Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco from Panama as its secretary-general, the UN shipping agency said on Tuesday.Dominguez beat six other contenders from China, Turkey, Kenya, Finland, Dominica and Bangladesh in a vote and will take office on January 1, 2024, for a four-year term, subject to the approval of the IMO Assembly.Dominguez will take the helm at a crucial time as the shipping industry grapples with challenges including pressures to speed up decarbonization.A trained naval architect…

The fifteenth Intersessional Working Group on Greenhouse Gases (ISWG GHG 15) that concluded last week left key details undecided, says advisory service company UMAS.The meeting was the final working group meeting before the 80th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) this week. MEPC 80 is a critical moment for the IMO because it coincides both with the adoption of a Revised GHG Reduction Strategy (Revised Strategy), as well as being the point that a set of policy measures key for enabling that strategy…

IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim has delivered a speech at the working group meeting on the revision of shipping’s GHG strategy.The Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships (ISWG-GHG 15) is meeting for five days before MEPC 80 meeting (3-7 July).There are two main themes: the finalization of the draft 2023 IMO strategy on reduction of GHG emissions from ships, and the further assessment and selection of measures, both technical and economic elements.Lim said: “You have already reiterated your commitment to finalize the revision of the initial strategy at MEPC 80.

The IMO Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) held its 107th session from May 31 to June 9, 2023.Highlights of the meeting included the adoption of amendments to the LSA Code and MSC.81(70) Revised recommendation on the testing of life-saving appliances for the ventilation of totally enclosed lifeboats. ABS reports that the Committee adopted Resolution MSC.533(107) introducing amendments to the LSA Code to provide performance requirements that will require totally enclosed lifeboats to provide a means of ventilation operable from inside the lifeboat at a rate of not less than 5 m3/hour per person…

The IMO invites everyone in the maritime industry to celebrate the International Day for Women in Maritime on social media using the hashtag #WomenInMaritimeDay.The International Day for Women in Maritime is held each year on May 18 to celebrate women working across the maritime industry. This year's theme is: “Mobilizing networks for gender equality”.The day celebrates women in the industry and promotes the recruitment, retention and sustained employment of women in the maritime sector…

Seven IMO Member States have nominated a candidate for the post of Secretary-General of the IMO in what could be a win for diversity in maritime.Three of the seven are women, and if elected, Nancy Karigithu of Kenya would also be the first African to hold the post. The other female nominees are Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry (Dominica) and Minna Kivimäki (Finland).They are joined by nominees Moin Uddin Ahmed (Bangladesh), Suat Hayri Aka (Türkiye), Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco (Panama) and Zhang Xiaojie (China).The term of the current incumbent…

Insurers continue to cover grain shipments from Ukraine through a U.N.-backed corridor although more clarity will be required soon, a senior Lloyd's of London official said on Thursday, after the export accord was renewed for at least 60 days.The deal allowing the safe wartime export of Ukrainian grain from its Black Sea ports, initially brokered last July by Turkey and the U.N., was renewed on Saturday for just half the intended period.Insurance for ships going into the three Ukrainian ports covered by the agreement has been vital…