Operation News

Imoto Lines and Marindows have outlined plans to build the next generation zero-emission domestic container ship capable of hybrid operation using Japan's first exchangeable container batteries, alongside onboard batteries and generators.The joint project between the companies aims to address three major challenges of the maritime industry - decarbonization, crew shortage, and safe navigation.The three-year project is supported by the Ministry of the Environment, Government of…

If nothing else, building vessels in the U.S. is a complicated business.In a session on the domestic shipbuilding marketplace, at Marine Money’s late-November 2023 conference held in New Orleans, Ben Bordelon, president and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards (with more than a dozen facilities, in Mississippi and Louisiana), described his company’s architecture as a “three-legged stool approach: commercial newbuilds, government newbuilds and repair/conversion capabilities”.On the same panel…

Damen Naval has selected Kongsberg Maritime Sweden to deliver controllable pitch propellers and shaft lines for the four Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) frigates for the Netherlands and Belgium.As part of this contract, Kongsberg will supply four shipsets of its controllable pitch propeller systems and associated equipment including blades, hubcaps, hubs, and shaft lines.The four ASW frigates will replace the current Karel Doorman-class multi-purpose frigates. They will be deployed for a wide variety of tasks, with anti-submarine warfare as their main purpose.

Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, part of technology group Wärtsilä, will supply cargo handling and fuel supply systems for three new large sized ethane gas carrier (VLEC) vessels being built for Purus.The ships are under construction at the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) yard in South Korea.In line with the Purus’ emphasis on achieving net zero carbon emissions for its fleet by 2030, the new vessels are designed to be as efficient as possible in all respects.The Wärtsilä cargo handling…

Singapore has the potential to supply over 1 million metric tons of low-carbon methanol annually by 2030 to meet rising demand for alternative bunker fuel, a Singapore minister said on Tuesday.Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) late last year started seeking proposals from companies to supply methanol as a marine bunker fuel at Singapore from 2025."On aggregate, the submissions have the potential to supply over one million tonnes per annum of low-carbon methanol by 2030," said Amy Khor, a senior minister of state, at the Singapore Maritime Week conference on Tuesday.The submissions

French engineering company GTT has received an order from an Asian shipyard for the tank design of eight new Liquefied Natural Gas Carriers (LNGCs).The order, booked in the second quarter of 2024, is on behalf of a Middle Eastern ship-owner.GTT will design the tanks of these eight vessels, which will each offer a capacity of 174,000 m3.The tanks will be fitted with a membrane containment system from the NO96 series developed by GTT.NO96 technology is a cryogenic liner used to contain liquefied gas at low temperatures during shipping, onshore and offshore storage, at atmospheric pressure.

UK-based offshore vessel designer Chartwell Marine has started the construction of its new Brevity Class crew transfer vessel (CTV) at the Diverse Marine shipyard, becoming the latest in its growing pipeline of new vessel builds to supply the global offshore wind market.Chartwell Marine’s current new build pipeline now exceeds 15 vessels across six local shipyards – with 14 offshore wind vessels launched and operational at major offshore wind farms, including two in U.S. waters.The company’s latest CTV entered build in March 2024…

ClassNK has granted its Innovation Endorsements for Products & Solutions to an internet payment facility V.Pay, an AI maritime camera surveillance solution V.Sight, and a wearable AR smart-glass solution V.Sion, developed by iO3.ClassNK has verified the functions of V.Pay: crew internet payment facility with user-friendly portal, flexible Wi-Fi plans, payment integration, real-time account management and simplified crew internet access.For V.Sight, ClassNK has reviewed: maritime camera surveillance with AI video analytics…

Eureka Shipping announced it has ordered a new cement carrier from Holland Shipyard Group in the Netherlands for scheduled for delivery in 2025.Eureka Shipping, jointly owned by SMT Shipping and The CSL Group, said the 12,500 dwt mechanical/pneumatic cement ship will replace two older vessels in the Great Lakes region while maintaining the same cargo capacity for operations.The newbuild will be fitted with a diesel-electric a propulsion system consisting of four generator sets…

Bellingham, Wash. shipbuilder All American Marine (AAM) announced it has been awarded a contract to build a new research vessel for the marine sciences program at  the California Polytechnical Institute at Humboldt (Cal Poly).The vessel is a 78’ x 26.7’ semi-displacement aluminum catamaran that was developed by Nic de Waal of Teknicraft Design in Auckland, New Zealand. The vessel will be inspected to U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Subchapter T standards and will operate as a multipurpose research vessel in the Near Coastal Waters of Northern California and Oregon, as well as Offshore on Ocean Routes.

Shipbuilder Vard announced it has delivered a new commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV) to Norway's Rem Offshore.The vessel—NB 948, to be named Rem Wind—was constructed at Vard Vung Tau in Vietnam and handed over one month before contractual delivery date, the builder said.Tailor-made for worldwide services and maintenance operations at offshore wind farms, the 85-meter-long vessel is of VARD 4 19 design with a 19.5-meter beam, accommodation for 120 people, a height-adjustable motion-compensated gangway with elevators…

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued the final air quality permit for Dominion Energy’s 2.6 GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project located off the coast of Virginia Beach in the United States.Issued on April 9 following a 30-day public comment period, the permit authorizes the construction and operation of the largest offshore wind project in the U.S.

DEME’s DP3 offshore installation vessel Orion has departed for the United States to prepare for the installation of 176 foundations on the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project, following the wrap up of works at the 882 MW Moray West offshore wind farm in Scotland.DEME’s flagship Orion vessel has completed monopile installation works on Ocean Winds’ Moray West offshore wind farm project in Scotland.Despite harsh winter conditions, DEME managed to install 29 monopiles in approximately two months.Meanwhile…

The IMO's Facilitation Committee held its 48th session (FAL 48) from April 8 to 12, in person at IMO Headquarters in London.The Facilitation Committee (FAL) meets annually to deal with matters related to the facilitation of international maritime traffic, including the arrival, stay and departure of ships, persons and cargo from ports. The Committee also addresses electronic business and aims to ensure that the right balance is struck between regulation and the facilitation of international maritime trade.

The efficacy of surface preparation and coating application in the new construction shipbuilding industry is fundamentally anchored in a well-coordinated, integrated approach. This intricate process, essential for achieving top-tier corrosion control, is methodically segmented into five crucial stages:Raw material entryPainting the modulesSmall partsPainting of erection joints at the module levelFinal paint and ship's completion. Each stage is crucial in its own right but achieves…

Imabari Shipbuilding will install a MAN B&W 7S60ME-Ammonia engine with SCR in connection with the construction of a 200,000 dwt bulk carrier for a joint venture between K Line, NS United and Itochu Corporation.The business represents one of the first projects for MAN Energy Solutions’ ammonia-powered engine that is currently under development in Denmark. MITSUI E&S will build the engine in Japan.Bjarne Foldager – Country Manager, Denmark – MAN Energy Solutions, said: “The interest in this revolutionary engine had been overwhelming…

The discharge of scrubber water from ships out to 22km (12 nautical miles) from the Danish coasts will be prohibited by law. The ban will come into effect on July 1, 2025, for ships with scrubbers in open operation, where the wash water is discharged into the sea. For ships with scrubbers in closed operation, the ban on water discharge will take effect on July 1, 2029.The Ministry of Environment has stated that scrubber water has contributed to excessive levels of a number of heavy metals and tar substances such as lead, cadmium, anthracene and benz(a)pyrene in the marine environment.

The Coastal Sustainability Alliance (CSA), an industry collaborative effort led by Kuok Maritime Group (KMG), has announced the start of construction of its first fully electric PXO-series tug (e-tug) and supply boat (e-supply boat) by PaxOcean Group.The zero-emissions vessels are among the first and largest local electric harbour craft designed for operation in Singapore’s coastal waters. They are targeted for deployment in 2025, ahead of the nation’s goal for all new coastal…

Here’s some good news for America’s sea power. While the U.S. Navy has initiated another review of its 30-year shipbuilding plan in the face of widespread dissatisfaction, one element within that plan has been praised: the decision to provide funding for continued construction of amphibious warfare ships. These vessels offer unmatched flexibility and the capability of transporting, deploying, and supporting ground combat forces – typically U.S. Marine Corps – to conduct amphibious assaults, humanitarian operations, or disaster relief missions.

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…

Nine people, including a baby, have died after their boat capsized while trying to cross the Mediterranean in stormy weather, and another 15 people are feared missing, Italy's coast guard said on Thursday.The Italian coast guard said it received a cooperation request from the Maltese search and rescue (SAR) authority after the boat capsized approximately 30 miles (50 km) southeast of the island of Lampedusa on Wednesday .The coast guard said it dispatched its own patrol boat to the scene…

Electronic Fuel Management Systems (EFMS) company Fueltrax reports it has opened a Vessel Operations Center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.This is Fueltrax’s second such center and the first outside of the company’s headquarters in the U.S. It provides closer-to-region coverage for Asia-Pacific customers.Ruben DeLeon, Fueltrax’s Vice President of Product Support, drew on his seven-year tenure at NASA's Mission Control Center in driving the establishment of the Kuala Lumpur facility.As DeLeon explains…