James News

At least five people, including a child, died in an attempt to cross the English Channel from France, hours after Britain passed a bill to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda to try to deter the dangerous crossings.The deaths of one child, a woman and three men occurred on an overcrowded small boat carrying around 110 people attempting to cross one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. The French coastguard was still searching for survivors."After becoming initially stranded on the shore, the boat set out to sea again.

Partners CY Shipping and BigLift Shipping have ordered two new heavy transport vessels (HTVs), increasing their HTV fleet to six vessels.The first vessel, owned by CY Shipping will be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2025, while the second vessel, owned by BigLift Shipping, is schedule for delivery in second quarter of 2026.Newbuilding contracts for the two new HTVs have been signed with Jing Jiang Nanyang Shipbuilding in China. The vessels, jointly designed by CY Shipping and BigLift Shipping…

Construction on a new passenger ferry, designed by Incat Crowther for Western Australian ferry operator Rottnest Fast Ferries, has commenced at Austal Philippines.The new ferry will operate on the popular Perth to Rottnest Island tourism route with the 32-meter aluminum catamaran set to have an operational capacity of up to 400 passengers and five crew seated over three decks. The vessel will also feature extensive cargo and luggage space for passengers, including bicycle storage areas on the main and mid decks.

Virginia-class submarines, an aircraft carrier and frigates being built for the U.S. Navy are now years behind schedule because of skilled labor shortages, design issues, and supply chain challenges stemming from the pandemic, the Navy said on Tuesday.U.S. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro in January ordered a comprehensive review to examine national and local causes of the challenges to shipbuilding with Tuesday's results showing that five classes of ships being built for the U.S.

The Canadian government has awarded a contract to shipbuilder Chantier Davie Canada Inc. of Lévis, Quebec, for initial work related to the construction of new Program Icebreakers. Under this $19.6-million contract including taxes, Davie will begin work to develop the initial design.A series of six new Program Icebreakers is planned to replace the Canadian Coast Guard’s (CCG) medium icebreakers that operate in Atlantic Canada and the St. Lawrence waterways during the winter, and in the Arctic during the summer.This contract enables the shipyard to initiate project planning phases…

Jeffrey G. Sipes has been named chief executive officer at engineering and construction firm S&B, parent company to naval architecture and marine engineering firm TAI Engineers.“S&B has a remarkable record of growth and success over the past sixty years, and we look forward to decades of further success. The markets we serve are changing, creating new opportunities for growth. Jeff is the leader who can successfully guide the company to capitalize on these opportunities. He brings extensive experience and a deep understanding of both S&B’s markets and the company’s distinctive capabilities…

Classification society ABS said it has granted an approval in principle (AIP) to OceanSTAR Marine & Offshore Investment Pte. Ltd., for its newbuild floating storage and offloading (FSO) design.The OceanSTAR FSO-01 is a shipshape hull design specifically developed to cater to midsize FSOs with a storage capacity to scale up to 750,000 barrels of oil for operational demands in Asia Pacific and African coastal offshore fields. Other features include a larger strengthened deck area…

Berge Bulk informs it has placed an order for two ammonia dual fuel vessels from China's Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding Heavy Industry as part of a push by the dry bulk shipowner to decarbonize its operations.The two 210,000-DWT Newcastlemax vessels will meet the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Tier III NOx (nitrogen oxides) standards and Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) Phase 3 compliance for greenhouse gas emissions.The Singapore-headquartered company has been…

Danish vessel owner Esvagt and South Korea-based shipping company KMC Line have formed strategic partnership to cooperate on offshore wind opportunities in the East Asian country.A new collaboration between Esvagt and KMC Line, formalized through the signing of the letter of intent, is aiming to unlock the considerable potential in South Korean offshore wind industry.Combining the two shipping companies' respective strengths is the new partnership's strongest card to secure a significant market position in the developing offshore value chain in the country…

Because there are so many different kinds of passenger vessels, the critical topic of passenger safety can sometimes appear as a set of niche topics, each one just distantly connected to another. After all, passengers aboard a cruise ship in the Caribbean face safety issues that are much different than a commuter going from Jersey City to Manhattan or a tourist crossing from the Mukilteo, Wash. ferry terminal to Whidbey Island or a family on a fishing vessel in Miami.Importantly, though, for passenger vessel operators, a commitment to safety is not siloed.

HII announced that Virginia-class submarine Massachusetts (SSN 798) was recently launched into the James River at the company’s Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division.Shipbuilders transferred the submarine from a construction facility to the floating dry dock, where it was later submerged and moved by tugboats to a submarine pier at the shipyard for final outfitting, testing and crew certification.“Following the christening of this mighty submarine in May, witnessing Massachusetts launch into the river is a source of immense pride for our shipbuilding team…

HII announced today that its Newport News Shipbuilding division (NNS) recently began topside testing of the electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) on aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN 79).EMALS, first integrated into USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), replaces the existing steam catapults currently in use on the U.S. Navy’s Nimitz-class aircraft carriers.Following successful “no-load” testing on catapults one and two, known as the ‘bow cats,’ the NNS team, alongside the John F. Kennedy crew, has now started “dead-load” testing.

Britain's Trident nuclear-deterrent system misfired during a test last month, sending a missile crashing into the ocean off the Florida coast near the submarine that launched it, The Sun newspaper reported on Wednesday.The Ministry of Defense confirmed that an "anomaly" had occurred during the test but said Britain's "nuclear deterrent remains safe, secure and effective".With Defense Secretary Grant Shapps on board the HMS Vanguard to witness the test, The Sun said, the first…

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…

Angela Chao, chair and CEO of the Foremost Group, has died in a car accident, the New York-headquartered dry bulk shipping company announced on Monday.Angela Chao was an experienced and well-respected shipping executive, having worked her way up through several leadership positions at the company founder by her father, Dr. James S.C. Chao, with her mother, the late Ruth Mulan Chu Chao, in 1964.Before joining Foremost Group in 1996, Angela Chao worked in the mergers and acquisitions department of Smith Barney…

The European Commission's recommendation for the EU's 2040 climate targets, calling for a 90% net GHG emission reduction, are ambitious and critically important, especially following updates suggesting that EU 2030 goals may not be met, says the World Shipping Council (WSC).The climate targets point to the importance of providing renewable marine fuels for maritime sector decarbonization. Committing the EU to production of zero-GHG fuel pathways is essential, not least because European Member States account for one-fifth of global shipping energy sales…

Strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen have not fully diminished the group's appetite to disrupt Red Sea shipping, defence minister Grant Shapps said on Monday."These attacks have had a significant effect on degrading Houthi capabilities. But the Houthis' intent to continue disrupting the Red Sea has not been fully diminished," Shapps told parliament.(Reuters - Reporting by Muvija M, writing by William James; Editing by Kate Holton)

Britain and the United States on Thursday said they had imposed coordinated sanctions on four key Houthi figures for their roles in supporting or directing attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.Attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthis have disrupted global shipping and stoked fears of global inflation. They have also deepened concern that fallout from the Israel-Hamas war could destabilize the Middle East.Those sanctioned were Houthi Defence Minister Mohamed Nasser al-Atifi…

SEACOR Marine announced it will convert four of its platform supply vessels (PSV) to battery hybrid power in a move to enhance efficiency and slash emissions.The Houston-headquartered marine transportation firm said on Thursday it has ordered containerized energy storage systems (ESS) from Norway's Kongsberg Maritime for install aboard SEACOR Ohio, SEACOR Alps, SEACOR Andes and SEACOR Atlas.The four 278.4-foot-long PSVs are all of Kongsberg Maritime's UT771 CDL design and were built in China from 2018 to 2020.

The Indian Navy said on Thursday it had rescued the crew of a U.S.-owned vessel in the Gulf of Aden after an attack by Yemen's Houthi movement as tensions in the region's sea lanes disrupted global trade.Following the attack on the U.S. Genco Picardy late on Wednesday, the U.S. military said its forces had conducted strikes on 14 Houthi missiles that "presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the region".Attacks by the Iran-allied Houthi militia on…

The United States' Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro is directing a comprehensive analysis of the Navy shipbuilding portfolio amid ongoing labor issues and supply chain shortages that have negatively impacted vessel delivery timelines.Del Toro tasked newly-confirmed Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development & Acquisition (ASN RD&A) Nickolas Guertin and Commander Naval Sea Systems Command Vice Adm. James Downey to conduct the analysis, with an interim progress…

Singaporean shipbuilder Penguin International Limited last week held a ceremony marking the delivery of a milestone vessel.The 40-meter aluminum crewboat, Pelican Breeze, is noteworthy for being Penguin's 100th newbuild vessel powered by Cat C32 ACERT main propulsion engines and Cat C4.4 auxiliary generators."Back in 2014, almost two decades after we built our first ship, we took our first step with Caterpillar and Tractors Singapore with our first Cat C32-powered vessel, which was only our 95th newbuild at the time," said Penguin's managing director, James Tham.

Crowley on Wednesday announced it has taken delivery of its groundbreaking vessel eWolf, the first all-electric, ship assist harbor tugboat in the United States.The 82-foot tug, designed by Crowley’s engineering services team and built by Coden, Ala. shipbuilder Master Boat Builders, will enter service at the Port of San Diego this spring following final demonstration trials and completion of Crowley’s microgrid shoreside charging station. The vessel will operate with zero emissions while providing the complete performance capabilities of a traditional tug…