Pax News

Incat Crowther was commissioned by South Korean shipbuilder Kangnam Corporation (Kangnam) to design a new 80-m high-speed catamaran RoPax ferry for operation by Korea Express Ferry (KEF). The new vessel will service routes between Incheon Metropolitan City and the Yellow Sea islands of Daecheongdo, Baengnyeongdo and Socheongdo in Ongjin County, Republic of Korea (South Korea).The project renews the successful partnership between Incat Crowther, Kangnam and KEF, with the companies…

On March 9, the IMO sub-committee on Ship Systems and Equipment convened for its 12th session (SSE12), and DNV reports that the action plan to evaluate the adequacy of fire protection, detection and extinction arrangements in vehicle, special category and ro-ro spaces was revised in order to reduce the fire risk of ships carrying new-energy vehicles.The group agreed to give priority to the development of the following guidelines before developing any draft amendments to SOLAS…

Long-distance ferry routes form a key part of Japan’s national transport infrastructure, connecting the archipelago’s four major islands and littoral centers of population, commerce and industry.RoRo passenger (RoPax) ferry fleet renewal and development has been a constant process over the past two decades in particular, driven largely by freight demand in combination with the pursuit of cost efficiencies and in response to new legislative edicts and rising customer expectations.

WiseTech Global and Tailwind Shipping Lines, a subsidiary of Lidl, one of Europe’s largest retailers, have announced direct data integration to enable freight forwarders to plan, book, confirm and manage shipments in real-time from within the CargoWise logistics execution platform.Tailwind Shipping Lines operates three liner services which connect key regions across the world: the Panda Express Service (PAX) between China and the Mediterranean; the Tiger Express Service (TEX) between Bangladesh…

The European Commission has selected 70 projects to help decarbonize transport and strengthen the competitiveness of EU industries by installing the infrastructure needed for recharging or refueling.The projects will receive over €600 million ($696 million) in funding from the Connecting Europe Facility to stimulate sustainable investments in urban areas, including ports and airports, as well as along road sections of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T).Twenty-four ports will receive funds to deploy onshore power supply…

Two new aluminum high-speed Ro-Pax ferries designed by Incat Crowther for the Integrated Transport Centre (ITC), an affiliate of the Department of Municipalities and Transport in Abu Dhabi, have successfully completed sea trials and are now operating on the ~42-kilometer route between Dalma Island and Jebel Dhannah on the UAE mainland.The new 56-meter vessels, Jazirat Dalma and Al Dhannah, built by Singapore based Penguin International Limited in Batam, Indonesia, can transport up to 192 passengers and 25 vehicles at speeds of up to 39 knots.

Mercedes Pinto, the third 123-meter dual-fuel Ro-Pax fast ferry Incat Crowther designed for Spanish operator Baleària, has been launched by shipbuilder Astilleros Armon Gijon in Spain.Work on the vessel’s internal fit-out will now continue before sea trials in early 2026. The new vessel comes after the success of its twin vessels Eleanor Roosevelt and Margarita Salas, also built by Astilleros Armon Gijon.Capable of transporting 1,200 passengers and 425 vehicles, Mercedes Pinto…

Singaporean aluminum boat builder Strategic Marine has delivered another fast crew boat (FCB) to Truth Maritime Services (TMS) in Thailand.Following the successful handover of the first two Gen 4 FCBs, TMS RANOD and TMS RAMAN, in 2024, these vessels have been operating efficiently and meeting the needs of TMS’s clients.The addition of two more 42-meters vessels underscores the company’s commitment to fleet expansion and enhanced service capabilities in the Southeast Asian and in Middle east offshore energy sector.TMS…

Malaysia-based offshore services firm Sapura Energy, through its Offshore Support Vessel & Geosciences business, has secured multiple vessel contracts in Malaysia and Thailand, worth around $22.6 million.The newly secured contract will keep Sapura Energy’s accommodation workboats and geosurvey vessels engaged for an extended period during the financial year 2026.The contracts include the chartering of two 200-pax-capacity workboats, KPV Redang and Sapura Duyong, to support offshore operations in East Malaysia.The contract for KPV Redang started in February for a duration of one year…

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recommended that land-based firefighters be better prepared for marine vessel firefighting following a fatal fire on the roll-on/roll-off container vessel Grande Costa D’Avorio in Newark, New Jersey.The Grande Costa D’Avorio was docked at Port Newark on July 5, 2023, when a vehicle used by shoreside workers to push used vehicles onto the vessel caught fire on an interior garage deck. The ship’s captain ordered use of the vessel’s carbon dioxide extinguishing system…

The Grimaldi Group has commissioned the construction of nine ropax vessels from China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Weihai), a China Merchants Group company. The deal is worth a total of $1.3 billion.The new ships have been designed to elevate the quality of maritime transport for both rolling cargo and passengers in the Mediterranean and the Baltic Sea. All nine will be equipped with engines capable of running on methanol.Four of the new vessels will sail under the Italian flag and be operated under the Grimaldi Lines brand…

Northern Offshore Services (N-O-S) has taken delivery of the world’s first 100% biomethanol-powered crew transfer vessel (CTV), chartered by Vestas.M/V Transporter, designed, developed and provided by N-O-S, is a conversion from A-Class to T-class.The vessel is a 25-meter, high-speed catamaran with an updated and improved hull design, 24 pax seating, specially designed for fast and reliable transfer of technicians and light cargo.The initiative is in collaboration with Vestas…

DFDS and the government of Jersey have signed a contract under which DFDS will provide freight and passenger services connecting Jersey of the Channel Islands to the UK and France for 20 years.Beginning 28 March 2025, the new service will include routes from Jersey to Poole and Portsmouth in the U.K., and Saint-Malo in France.DFDS committed to increase the frequency of ferries to address high demand in peak periods, introducing high-speed ferries to the UK and investing in three new vessels by 2032."We are excited to embark on this journey with Jersey and the local community.

Anne-Marie Mountifield, Chair of Maritime UK Solent, said: "Keith's proven track record and commitment to our regional maritime sector will be invaluable to Maritime UK Solent, particularly at this exciting time as we continue to showcase the world-class innovation and pioneering spirit, working collaboratively to support the region’s exceptional maritime sector”. Keith has recently retired from Wightlink after nine years as CEO. During this time, he was instrumental in establishing…

As the Military Sealift Command (MSC) celebrates its 75th anniversary, it is looking to the future through the eyes of a forward-thinking “innovation cell” named for a ship from its storied past. USNS Taluga (T-AO-62) was the first Navy replenishment ship that was operated by civil service mariners.The Taluga Group is a three-person team of Director John Bruening, Dean Vesely and Jerit VanAuker who are focused on capability development and adoption of innovative practices.The Tulaga Group team have diverse backgrounds to help them look at problems in different ways.

Corvus Energy has received Type Approval from RINA for its large-scale marine energy storage system, the Blue Whale ESS. RINA Type Approval confirms that the Blue Whale ESS complies with RINA Rules for the Certification of Lithium Battery Systems. This approval, along with recently awarded type approval from DNV, demonstrate that the large-scale energy storage system complies with the most stringent regulations and safety requirements in the industry.The result of a multimillion-dollar development program…

Graphene-based coatings manufacturer GIT Coatings (Graphite Innovations & Technologies Inc.) and Australian cruise line Coral Expeditions have entered into an agreement to use a combination of robotic hull grooming and graphene-based hard foul release coatings on the passenger vessel, Coral Adventurer, marking a first for the global cruise industry.In April, the Coral Expeditions’ 120-passenger ship, Coral Adventurer, was initially coated with GIT’s graphene-based hard foul release coating.

Corvus Energy has received type approval from DNV for its Blue Whale marine energy storage system (ESS).The DNV type-approval confirms that the large-scale ESS complies with the most stringent rules, regulations, and safety requirements in the industry, as defined by one of the leading maritime class societies.The Blue Whale ESS is designed specifically for large vessels, like cruise ships, Ro-Pax and service operation vessels (SOV), and vessels that require a large amount of energy.The Blue Whale design incorporates the safety features from the Corvus Orca ESS…

DEME's new fallpipe vessel—the world's largest—was officially named Yellowstone by Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid, Princess of Belgium, during a ceremony in Zeebrugge on Tuesday.Originally a bulk carrier, the ship was converted at Pax Ocean Shipyards in Singapore for rock placement work in the offshore energy industry. The DP2 vessel has a payload capacity of 37,000 tonnes and features a central vertical fallpipe that is capable of operating in water depths of 600-700 meters…

Stena’s new Ro-Pax vessel, Ala’suinu, equipped with Wärtsilä propellers has received DNV’s Silent(E) notation, issued to vessels that demonstrate the ability to effectively reduce emissions of underwater radiated noise.Technology group Wärtsilä has designed and delivered controllable pitch propellers for Stena’s new Ro-Pax vessel, Ala’suinu, which has successfully completed sea trials.Following these sea trials, Ala’suinu became the first Ro-Pax vessel to fulfil the DNV Silent(E) notation…

Caroline Yang, by anyone’s standard, is a busy woman. She is the CEO of Hong Lam Marine, a Singapore ship owner, which owns, operates and manages its own fleet of 33 vessels. She also is the president of the Singapore Shipping Association [SSA], a national trade association in one of the world’s most important and dynamic maritime hubs. She shares insight on her dual positions and the many challenges facing shipowners today.Hong Lam Marine started in 1981 with two steel tankers and today it owns about 33 vessels…

Finnlines has turned to a innovative graphene-based hard foul release hull coating to reduce fuel consumption and emissions across its ro-ro and ro-pax fleets.After starting with its first vessel in 2022, the Finnish shipping company has already applied GIT Coatings' XGIT-FUEL low-friction hull coating to four vessels as part of a recently signed fleet agreement, reducing fuel consumption and emissions by around 7% compared to previously used coating.Over the past decade, Finnlines…

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…