Vessel Operator News

Wallenius Wilhelmsen, the world’s largest RoRo vessel operator, has signed a multi-year contract with a leading global player in the premium car segment, valued at more than $1 billion.Spanning three years, the contract covers both shipping and logistics services, as well as the use of biofuel.The contract started between January and April 2024 with rates in line with current market levels, and also entails a mutual two-year extension option. “We see manufacturers shifting priorities and increasingly looking for solutions which provide predictability in their supply chains.

Norwegian offshore vessel operator DOF Group has secured a ‘substantial’ subsea engineering procurement removal and disposal (EPRD) contract from Norske Shell in the Atlantic region.The contract outlines 100 combined days of utilization of DOF’s vessels Skandi Hera and Maersk Installer.DOF will deliver an integrated solution of project management, engineering, design, analysis and survey.Described as ‘substantial’ by DOF, this means that the contract is valued between $23.8 million and $47.8 million (NOK 250 million to NOK 500 million).The scope includes recovery and recycling of umbilicals…

Wallenius Wilhelmsen, the world’s largest RoRo vessel operator, has declared options to build four additional next-generation Shaper Class pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) vessels. The 9,300 CEU methanol dual fuel vessels can utilize alternative fuel sources, such as methanol, upon delivery.They will also be ammonia-ready and able to be converted as soon as ammonia becomes available in a safe and secure way.These next generation vessels will play a key role in the introduction…

Fueltrax reports it has won a series of contracts from a group of deep sea and offshore support vessel operators working with a global oil company in Southeast Asia.Of 30 ships that implemented a fuel management system at the urging of their oil company customer to ensure accurate fuel usage transparency and emissions tracking, 28 of them chose the Fueltrax Electronic Fuel Management System (EFMS), the Texas-based company said.The patented Fueltrax EFMS measures direct fuel consumption and transfers on board, enabling vessel operators to reduce operational and fuel costs.

Cyan Renewables, a portfolio company of Seraya Partners, will build Siemens Gamesa’s first service operations vessel (SOV) in Asia to facilitate the servicing of wind turbines for the Hai Long offshore wind projects in Taiwan.Siemens Gamesa awarded a 15-year charter contract to Cyan Renewables. The contract will begin in 2026 and the SOV will be used to service 73 SG 14-222 DD offshore wind turbines in Hai Long offshore wind farms, located about 50 km off the coast of Changhua County in Taiwan.As one of the largest offshore wind farms in Taiwan with a total installed capacity of over 1GW…

Swire Shipping announced that Westwood Shipping Lines, a niche vessel operator it acquired in June 2022, has changed its name to Swire Shipping.According to Sire, the rebrand—which took effect February 1—will help Westwood to leverage synergies and capabilities in containers, networks, and projects across the global Swire Shipping network to better serve customers throughout North America, Japan, South Korea and China.“The integration of Westwood Shipping Lines reflects our continued investment and expansion in the North Pacific.

Wallenius Wilhelmsen has signed significant contracts whose combined worth amounts to $1.2 billion for the world’s largest RoRo vessel operator.The contracts have been signed with a leading global construction and mining equipment manufacturer, and with one of the largest automotive distributors in the Americas.The first multi-year shipping contract with equipment manufacturer has a duration of three years, plus a two-year extension option.It is valued at approximately $1 billion in total…

Norwegian offshore vessel operator Østensjø Rederi announced it has sold the multipurpose vessel Edda Fjord to an undisclosed buyer.The vessel was delivered to its new owners in Haugesund, Norway on January 24, 2024 and is now en route to embark on new projects in Brazil.Edda Fjord, built in 2002 by Flekkefjord Slipp og Maskinfabrikk, has operated in a number of different segments through the years and is considered the predecessor to Edda Fides and the Edda Accommodation concept…

Cyan Renewables, a portfolio company of Seraya Partners, has acquired a majority stake in Sentinel Marine to strengthen its position in the UK offshore wind market and boost its local content.Singapore-based Cyan Renewables, Asia’s first dedicated offshore wind vessel operator, has reached an agreement to acquire a 75% stake in Sentinel Marine, a maritime environmental response vessel operator in the UK that currently owns the youngest fleet of Emergency Response and Rescue Vessels (ERRVs) in the UK.Sentinel Marine boasts a fleet of 13 modern…

Wallenius Wilhelmsen, the world’s largest RoRo vessel operator, has signed a multi-year shipping contract with South Korea’s construction machinery company and taken delivery of two vessels.Through its 80% owned subsidiary EUKOR, Wallenius Wilhelmsen welcomed the 2009-built, 6,600 CEU Morning Camilla vessel following the declaration of a purchase option under the long-term charter-in agreement.The purchase price is $30 million, well below the assessed charter-free valuation of around $70 million…

Seaspan Energy announced the launch of Seaspan Garibaldi, the first of three 7,600m3 liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering vessels being built by CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering (CIMC SOE) in China.The newbuild is named after Mount Garibaldi, or “Nch’ḵay̓” as the Squamish Nation has known it for thousands of years. This series of vessels will be named after iconic West Coast mountains and the first two vessels will be delivered in 2024 with the third vessel arriving in 2025.The Seaspan Garibaldi will be based in the Panama region…

The first hybrid Platform Supply Vessel (PSV), which uses batteries and diesel for propulsion, has started operating for Equinor in Brazil.With the battery bank installed, the PSV is able to operate with hybrid propulsion, switching between the use of electricity and diesel. This is expected to reduce emissions by up to 40% during vessel’s activities.The PSV will be part of the logistics of the Bacalhau field, in the Santos Basin, where Equinor has a majority stake secured in…

Offshore vessel operator DOF Group has secured three subsea service contracts, valued over $36 million, from Australian-based operators.The contracts will employ construction support vessel (CSV) Skandi Hercules, adding approximately six months of utilization in 2024 and into the first quarter 2025.The contracted scope includes the team’s inhouse capability to deliver project management and engineering, logistics support and execution of various remediation activities, pre-commissioning and commissioning support, and field decommissioning operations.Mons Aase, DOF Group’s CEO, said: “These awa

Norwegian offshore vessel operator DOF Group has secured two new projects – one in the North Sea and the other in Asia Pacific region – whose combined revenue is expected to bring in $30 million to the company. The first contract for DOF covers engineering, procurement, removal and disposal (EPRD) for a North Sea operator, including the project management, engineering, logistics and execution of an FPSO cessation project. According to DOF, it will disconnect, transport and pre-moor the floating unit, and retrieve and recycle the mooring system.

Kongsberg Digital has partnered with Locar, a Brazilian offshore vessel operator, to enhance its digital infrastructure and optimize DP operations.Locar will integrate Vessel Insight, Kongsberg Digital’s vessel-to-cloud infrastructure to derive valuable data insights from their vessels. This implementation aims to provide Locar with a new level of transparency and optimize fleet performance.The initial vessel to undergo this digital upgrade is Marina I, a DP2 vessel from Locar's fleet; she will enter service at the beginning of 2024 for Brazilian energy company Petrobras.

ABS is working with offshore support vessel operator Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) on its decarbonization journey with greenhouse gas inventory and sustainability reporting services. ECO has nearly 300 vessels.ABS specialists have been working with the ECO team since 2022 providing a gap analysis for the ECO environmental, social, and governance (ESG) report using the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Framework.This led to a full sustainability reporting project in 2023, where ABS supplied technical guidance on the GRI Framework…

Damen Shipyards Group has officially launched a fully electric service operations vessel (SOV), 70 meters x 17 meters, with its offshore charging capabilities.To achieve offshore charging, Damen has partnered with UK-based MJR Power & Automation – a company that has previously developed an offshore charging system for a crew transfer vessel.The charging system uses the motion-compensated gangway to create a connection between the vessel and a turbine or substation offshore, in much the same way a personnel transfer is undertaken.

Australian offshore vessel operator MMA Offshore has acquired the vessel “Offshore Solution” to supplement its multi-purpose support vessel fleet. The Offshore Solution is a 2016 European-built, 54-meter, DP-2 multi-purpose support vessel fitted with two deck cranes, dual moon pools, and accommodation for 42 people. According to MMA Offshore, the vessel is suitable for operations globally and can undertake a wide range of offshore services, including surveys, remote operations…

Norwegian offshore vessel owner Havila Shipping said Monday it had sold the platform supply vessel Havila Commander and the AHTS vessels Havila Jupiter and Havila Venus, following demands from lenders.A day later, Norway-based offshore vessel operator DOF announced the expansion of the fleet "with the addition of the high end AHTS Skandi Jupiter and Skandi Mercury, formerly known as the Havila Jupiter and Havila Venus respectively.""DOF are proud to be selected by the vessel’s new owners to be commercial and technical managers of these advanced offshore support vessels which will add to…

Lloyd's Register (LR) will classify two methanol-ready Commissioning Service Operations Vessels (CSOVs) being built by VARD for the UK-based offshore vessel operator North Star."The new tonnage will increase North Star’s offshore wind capabilities as it progresses its ambition to add 40 hybrid-powered SOVs to its fleet by 2040. The introduction of the two CSOVs will expand North Star’s capabilities to support commissioning and maintenance work essential to ensuring offshore wind farms can operate.

North Star, a UK-based offshore vessel owner, with a growing fleet of offshore wind support vessels, has hired sustainable shipping specialist Dr Tamara Topić to lead on the implementation of its environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) strategy."Dr Topić brings a wealth of experience and expertise in maritime sustainability, environmental impact assessment, and corporate governance. With a PhD in sustainable shipping from Newcastle University’s Marine, Offshore and Subsea Technology department, and a M.Sc.

U.S.-based offshore vessel operator Hornbeck Offshore Services confirmed Monday it had reached a final settlement agreement with the surety (the “Surety”) for two Multi-Purpose Support Vessels (MPSVs) that had been under construction at Gulf Island Shipyards.Gulf Island Shipyards (GIS) sued Hornbeck Offshore in 2018 over what it said was the wrongful termination of two shipyard construction contracts for the final two vessels in the company's fifth offshore support vessel (OSV)…

Gulf Island Fabrication said Thursday that its subsidiary, Gulf Island Shipyards, had resolved its lawsuit with the U.S. offshore vessel operator Hornbeck Offshore Services relating to the construction of two multi-purpose supply vessels (“MPSV”).Gulf Island Shipyards (GIS) sued Hornbeck Offshore in 2018over what it said was the wrongful termination of two shipyard construction contracts for the final two vessels in the company's fifth offshore support vessel (OSV) newbuild program.Hornbeck…