Lloyd News

The container shipping sector continued its gradual normalization in 2025, and ZIM Integrated Shipping Services’ latest financial results offer a clear snapshot of the industry’s transition away from the extraordinary profits generated during the pandemic-era freight surge.For the full year 2025, the Israeli liner carrier reported revenue of $6.9 billion, down from $8.4 billion in 2024 as freight rates softened across major trade lanes. Net income reached $481 million, a sharp decline from $2.15 billion the previous year…

As the conflict in the Gulf widens, maritime insurance premiums for war coverage are surging -- in some cases by more than 1000% -- dramatically driving up the cost of moving energy through a critical maritime corridor.The conflagration sparked by Saturday's Israeli-U.S. air strikes against Tehran has paralyzed traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a major shipping chokepoint. Iran on Monday said it would fire on any ship trying to pass, and at least nine vessels have suffered…

More tankers came under attack in Gulf waters on Thursday as the U.S.–Iran war escalated, and Iranian drones entered Azerbaijan, threatening to spread the crisis to more oil producers in the region.A Bahamas-flagged crude oil tanker was targeted by an Iranian remote-controlled boat laden with explosives while anchored near Iraq's Khor al Zubair port, according to initial assessments. A second tanker at anchor off Kuwait was taking on water and spilling oil after a large explosion on its port side.Nine vessels have come under attack since the conflict broke out between the U.S.…

London's marine insurance market has widened the area in the Gulf it deems as high risk as the conflict in the Middle East escalates, according to an advisory issued on Tuesday.Guidance from the Joint War Committee, which comprises syndicate members from the Lloyd's Market Association and representatives from the London insurance company market, is watched closely and influences underwriters' considerations over insurance premiums.The JWC added waters around Bahrain, Djibouti…

ACUA Ocean has announced the launch of FleetMind, an integrated platform monitoring system for autonomous vessels, filling a gap in the medium and large unmanned surface vehicle (USV) management capability.While existing autonomy software solutions focus on command and control, navigation and collision avoidance, end users are consolidating the number of systems being deployed. This necessitates a modular approach to the C2 software integration layer, allowing focus to be spent on reducing the operating burden of vessel management and maintenance.

Shipping companies Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd and CMA CGM are rerouting vessels around Africa, away from the Suez Canal and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz."Due to the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East region following the escalating military conflict, we have decided...to pause future Trans-Suez sailings through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait for the time being," Danish container shipping group Maersk said in a statement on Sunday.The company last month announced a gradual return of some services to the Suez route…

At least three tankers were damaged off the Gulf coast and one seafarer was killed as Iranian retaliation for U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran exposed ships to collateral damage, shipping sources and officials said on Sunday.Risks to commercial shipping have surged in the past 24 hours, with more than 200 vessels including oil and liquefied gas tankers dropping anchor around the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters, shipping data showed on Sunday.Iran has said it has closed navigation through the critical waterway…

Swiss marine power company WinGD has completed both Type Approval Testing (TAT) and Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) of its ammonia-fueled two-stroke marine engine, marking a milestone in efforts to decarbonize shipping.The test programs were completed in January 2026 on the X52DF-A-1.0 engine at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ Engine & Machinery (HHI-EMD) facility in South Korea. The tests were witnessed by classification society Lloyd’s Register together with representatives from major classification societies…

GT Wings has secured Lloyd’s Register (LR) verification of sea trials performance assessment methodology for its AirWing™ Jet Sail technology.The announcement follows some 10 months of commercial operation of a 20-metre AirWing™ onboard MV Vectis Progress, a general cargo vessel operated by Carisbrooke Shipping.Installed in March 2025, the AirWing™ has been operating on live commercial routes across the Atlantic, navigating North Atlantic winter conditions, as well as on voyages…

A film commissioned by Lloyd’s Register Foundation highlights why commitment to fishing safety matters by bringing stories of three very different communities.“All that separates us is distance” tells the stories of Emmanuel, Dede and James as they work to make a living in the fishing industry in the small communities where they live.Fishing is one of the world’s most dangerous occupations: at least 32,000 fishers die a year with some estimates putting the figure as high as 100…

In a move that further reshapes the global liner landscape, Hapag-Lloyd has agreed to acquire ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $4.2 billion, the companies announced today.Under the terms of the merger agreement, Hapag-Lloyd will acquire ZIM for $35.00 per share in cash, representing a 58% premium to ZIM’s prior-day closing stock price, a 90% premium to its 90-day VWAP, and a 126% premium to its unaffected share price of $15.50 in August 2025 prior to market speculation.The transaction…

Lloyd’s Register (LR) has released its latest Fuel Oil Bunker Analysis and Advisory Service (FOBAS) Fuel Quality Report covering July to December 2025, revealing a rise in the frequency and severity of off specification marine fuel incidents across several of the world’s busiest bunkering hubs.The second half of 2025 was characterized by a concentration of repeated fuel quality failures across major ports including Singapore, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Hong Kong and Port Klang. December saw the highest number of monthly off specification cases recorded in 2025…

Lloyd’s Register (LR) Advisory has been appointed by Geneva-based LPG trader and shipowner Geogas to support the development of a multi-year emissions compliance plan and operationalization of FuelEU pooling, as it prepares for the first compliance cycle of FuelEU Maritime.Under the agreement, LR Advisory will provide insight into the commercial implications of current and forthcoming emissions regulations, alongside targeted knowledge transfer to build internal capability. The…

Supply chain technology solutions company WiseTech Global has partnered with Hapag-Lloyd to trial the integration of Internet of Things (IoT) technology for real-time global container visibility, tracking and data collection.Hapag-Lloyd’s fleet of 2 million containers are equipped with IoT devices that frequently transmit location updates directly to WiseTech’s ecosystem of platforms for the logistics, global trade and supply chain industry. This pilot specifically tests the ability to ingest and process millions of data points daily…

Lloyd’s Register (LR) has further enhanced its capabilities in China with the announcement of three new senior appointments. Tianxiang Li (TX), LR’s Director of Global Technical Support Office (TSO), has been appointed as President for Greater China. He will lead senior client relationships and strategic engagement, strengthening alignment between LR’s global technical leadership and the priorities of Chinese owners, yards and designers. TX joined LR in 2008 and held leadership positions in the Technical Support Office since 2011.

Shipping groups Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk will resume some transit routes through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal this month under their shared services network, Maersk said on Tuesday.Shipping companies are weighing a return to the critical Asia-Europe trade corridor after vessels were rerouted around Africa in late 2023 following attacks in the Red Sea, which Yemen's Houthis said were to show solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd's joint ME11 service, a route connecting India and the Middle East with the Mediterranean, will resume routing through the Red Sea and the Suez Ca

Lloyd’s Register (LR) has published the maritime industry’s first dedicated Guidance Notes for onboard hydrogen generation, providing clarity on the safe design and integration of hydrogen generator technologies on ships.The new Guidance Notes respond directly to growing interest from shipowners, yards and technology developers in producing hydrogen onboard using alternative fuels such as LNG, methanol and ammonia.While hydrogen is widely seen as a key fuel for decarbonization, limited supply and availability of complex bunkering infrastructure significantly slow adoption in shipping.

French shipping and transport company CMA CGM said on Thursday it was taking measures to put some of its vessels in areas of safety due to harsh weather in parts of the Atlantic."Severe weather conditions are currently impacting the navigation conditions in the Atlantic, along the French, Spanish and Moroccan coastlines, with an event of exceptional intensity and duration, particularly in the Bay of Biscay," it said."As a precautionary measure, CMA CGM Group has decided to place vessels transiting the area in safe positions to ensure the safety of crews and cargo.

A U.K.-led maritime consortium has set out plans to develop international standards for nuclear-powered commercial ships, as Britain seeks a leading role in efforts to decarbonize global shipping.The Maritime Nuclear Consortium, convened by Lloyd’s Register, brings together companies from the nuclear, maritime, insurance and regulatory sectors to address safety, security, regulation and commercial viability for nuclear-powered vessels.The consortium’s core members include Lloyd’s Register…

Lloyd’s Register (LR) has introduced significant enhancements to its Condition Assessment Program (CAP) Thickness Measurement Analysis process, designed to improve consistency, transparency and predictability in the assessment of tankers built to Common Structural Rules (CSR).The updated methodology addresses concerns regarding variability in CAP outcomes for CSR vessels. By aligning thickness measurement analysis directly with the vessel’s original CSR design requirements, LR has moved away from percentage-based acceptance criteria and adopted fixed, clearly defined thickness values.

Lloyd’s Register (LR) will assume the Chair of The Open Class 3D Exchange (OCX) Consortium this month (January 2026).LR’s Nathan Lindop will take over as both Chair and Coordinator of the Consortium, succeeding DNV’s Ole Christian Astrup, who has held the position since the group’s formation in 2019.The planned rotation comes as the initiative moves from its early development phase into broader industry adoption, with more shipyards, designers and technology providers now building…

Analysis of more than 40 million alarm-related events shows most alarms offer little operational value, disrupt rest and push crews toward risky workarounds. New research from Lloyd’s Register (LR) has revealed that excessive and nuisance shipboard alarm systems are routinely overwhelming crews and, in many cases, actively undermining safety at sea. The findings, published today in Effective Alarm Management in the Maritime Industry are based on data collected from 11 operational vessels, spanning over 2,000 days and more than 40 million alarm-related events.

Major shipping companies are devising strategies for a return to the Suez Canal after more than two years of disruptions due to security risks in the Red Sea.They have been rerouting vessels via longer, costlier routes around Africa since November 2023, following attacks on commercial ships by Yemen's Houthi forces, reportedly in solidarity with Palestinians during warfare in Gaza.A ceasefire agreement reached in October 2025 led some companies to explore resumption plans, though U.S. President Donald Trump's warnings of possible U.S.