Propulsion Systems News

Fincantieri and Viking celebrated the delivery of “Viking Mira” at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Ancona.The ceremony was attended by Jeff Dash, Viking’s Executive Vice President and Head of Business Development, Giorgio Gomiero, Senior Vice President Operations of Fincantieri and Gilberto Tobaldi, Director of the Ancona Shipyard.With a gross tonnage of approximately 54,300 tons, “Viking Mira” features 499 staterooms and can accommodate up to 998 passengers. The vessel, which will offer itineraries in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe…

Strategic Marine and Mainprize Offshore have signed a Protocol of Delivery and Acceptance (PODA) for the MO15 and MO16 crew transfer vessels (CTVs), extending a multi-vessel offshore renewables vessel program announced in 2024.The agreement follows the earlier delivery of the MO10, MO11, MO12 and MO14 Supa Swath vessels.The new vessels are intended to support offshore wind operations and maintenance activities in Europe as Mainprize Offshore continues expanding its fleet.The vessels…

The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) has celebrated the keel-laying of its seagoing technology platform at the FSG Shipyard in Flensburg.The ship, named Modularis, will serve as a floating laboratory for innovative maritime technologies. The name combines the adjective 'modular' with the Latin noun 'maris' ('of the sea'), reflecting how DLR intends to use the platform: to test innovative technologies flexibly and under real operating conditions at sea.The focus will be on climate-compatible propulsion systems…

Michael Carter and Steven Henderson grew up together in North Carolina, attended the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) together, and most recently jointly founded Fleet Zero, a company aiming to develop modular, containerized battery technology for electrifying cargo ships. As of the interview, the company has raised about $60 million in funding, it employs 40 people, it recently opened a new manufacturing/R&D facility in Houston where it is targeting to produce 300 MW hours of batteries this year.There’s a familiar narrative in maritime: an industry steeped in tradition…

Korean Register (KR) has published the "Numerical Calculation Guidelines for the Determination of the Attained EEDI," developed through a joint research initiative with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) and Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI).The guidelines establish a standardized methodology for numerical analysis based on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), providing an alternative to the conventional physical model testing previously used to verify vessel energy efficiency.As the International Maritime Organization (IMO) continues to tighten greenhouse gas reduction regulations…

ABB has secured a contract from Spanish shipbuilder Navantia to supply power distribution and propulsion systems for two new coastal hydrographic vessels being built for the Spanish Navy.The vessels, scheduled for delivery by 2028, will be equipped with ABB’s Onboard DC Grid power system, PEMS power and energy management system, transformers, thruster motors and batteries.The systems are designed to improve energy efficiency, operational flexibility and reliability while reducing fuel consumption and emissions.ABB will also oversee engineering…

Anemoi Marine Technologies’ Rotor Sail wind-assisted propulsion system has completed more than eight years of continuous commercial operation after M/V Afros successfully passed its second intermediate dry dock survey.The survey, conducted by Lloyd’s Register in China in April, confirmed the structural integrity and operational condition of the vessel’s four Rotor Sails, Anemoi said.The 64,000-deadweight-tonne Ultramax bulk carrier Afros became the first bulk carrier fitted with Rotor Sails when the system was installed in 2018.According to Anemoi…

Berg Propulsion has secured a contract to supply propulsion systems and electrical integration technology for two all-electric harbor tugs being built under India’s Green Tug Transition Program.The vessels are under construction by Mumbai-based KMEW Group on behalf of India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and are expected to enter service in the fourth quarter of 2027, subject to regulatory approval.The program aims to deploy 50 green tugs across India’s major ports…

Kongsberg Maritime has won a contract from Austal USA to supply propulsion systems for the next four vessels in the United States Coast Guard’s Offshore Patrol Cutter Heritage Class program.The contract covers delivery of Kongsberg Maritime’s Promas propulsion system, as well as steering gear, rudders, fin stabilisers and tunnel thrusters for the vessels.The Offshore Patrol Cutter program is expected to include up to 25 ships and is designed to replace the Coast Guard’s medium…

DOF Group has secured four 12-year charter and services contracts in Brazil following a competitive tender process, supporting Petrobras’ deepwater subsea inspection, maintenance and repair operations.The contracts will lead to the construction of four new remotely operated vehicle support vessels (RSVs), with operations expected to begin from 2030, DOF said.The vessels are expected to be built by Brazil’s Navship yard, with delivery of the first two planned within four years of contract signing.The newbuilds will be DP2-class vessels designed for deepwater operations…

Wärtsilä has signed a long-term overhaul agreement with Sweden’s Erik Thun Group, covering maintenance and technical support across its fleet.The agreement, developed with fleet management partner MF Shipping Group, includes overhaul services, field and technical services, workshop support and spare parts supply.The work is aimed at supporting the performance and lifespan of engines, propulsion systems and shaft line equipment across the fleet.Wärtsilä will provide maintenance and field services to reduce downtime…

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has obtained an approval in principle (AiP) from classification society ClassNK for a liquefied CO2 (LCO2) carrier design equipped with wind-assisted propulsion systems.The vessel, developed with Samsung Heavy Industries, is designed to transport liquefied CO2 and incorporates three Wind Challenger units, a rigid sail system that uses wind power to assist propulsion.The approval covers a design with a cargo capacity of about 40,000 cubic meters intended…

Technology group Wärtsilä has launched a next-generation bridge and ship-handling simulator aimed at supporting maritime training as the industry shifts towards digital navigation and more complex vessel operations.The new platform, NTPRO 7, is designed to provide immersive training environments for ship-handling, navigation and decision-making across a range of operational scenarios.The simulator incorporates RealSea visualization powered by Unreal Engine 5 and an advanced sound system to enhance realism…

Saildrone has announced its newest platform, Spectre. At 52 meters (170 feet) long, weighing 250 tonnes, and capable of up to 30 knots, Spectre is a high-endurance USV designed to deliver multi-mission effects above and below the surface. Spectre’s design is engineered from the keel up for long-range, quiet, persistent operations.Spectre is Saildrone’s largest, fastest, and most capable platform to date.The US Navy is facing unprecedented challenges in maintaining maritime superiority across numerous regional hotspots simultaneously, says the company.

After 14 months in daily public transport service in Fredrikstad, Hyke’s fully electric F-15 Shuttle has demonstrated low energy consumption, strong passenger demand, and a compelling case for electric ferries as a cost-effective urban mobility solution.Traffic jams plague cities worldwide, yet their waterways remain underused. After successful public transport, Norwegian tech company Hyke has shown there’s a better alternative to building bridges or tunnels by unlocking the potential of water and existing urban infrastructure.Between April 2024 and July 2025…

C&C Marine and Repair held a keel laying ceremony at its Belle Chasse shipyard, marking a milestone in a new series of four hybrid escort tugs being built for Green Tug Towing (GTT). The vessels will support LNG carrier operations at Woodside Energy's Louisiana LNG terminal in Calcasieu Parish.The GTT series joins a separate series of four hybrid escort tugs already under construction at C&C, bringing the shipyard's active tugboat program to a total of eight vessels. Together…

Woodside Energy has awarded a services contract to Green Tug Towing – a joint venture of Harbor Docking & Towing and Saltchuk Marine – for the design and construction of four new tugs to be built at C&C Marine and Repair in Belle Chase, Louisiana, and delivered to Louisiana LNG in 2028.With this award, valued at more than $300 million, Woodside and its contractors have now committed more than $1 billion to Louisiana suppliers for the foundational development of the Louisiana LNG…

Belgian shipowner Exmar has named two ocean-going ammonia dual-fuel midsize gas carriers, said to be the world’s first, marking a milestone in the development of low-emission shipping.The two vessels, ANTWERPEN and ARLON, were built in South Korea in cooperation with HD Hyundai as part of a multi-year development programme.Each vessel has a cargo capacity of about 46,000 cubic metres, including 45,000 cubic metre cargo tanks and two 500 cubic metre deck tanks. The design incorporates…

For centuries, shipowners have fought a persistent enemy beneath the waterline: biofouling. Barnacles, algae, slime and other marine organisms attach themselves to hull surfaces, increasing hydrodynamic drag and reducing vessel efficiency. Traditionally, the fight against fouling relied on antifouling coatings, diver cleaning teams, and periodic drydock maintenance. But in the last decade, a new class of underwater robotics has begun to change that equation.Robotic hull-cleaning systems…

One of North America’s busiest ferry routes is joining the growing trend for U.S.-based operators to make the efficiencies of electrification central when they modernize their fleets, after an integrated hybrid-electric propulsion system from ABB was selected for the new ship ordered by Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA).Shipbuilder Senesco Marine contracted ABB to deliver full propulsion and automation systems for the 75-car passenger and vehicle ferry, which will replace the 45-year-old Cape Henlopen in connecting Lewes, Delaware and Cape May, New Jersey.

RINA has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with South Korea’s Hanwha Group to promote the adoption of battery-hybrid propulsion systems in the maritime sector.The agreement involves Hanwha affiliates Hanwha Power Systems, Hanwha Aerospace and Hanwha Engine, and targets the development of hybrid propulsion solutions for both newbuild vessels and retrofits, with a focus on the roll-on/roll-off ferry segment.The partners said the collaboration aims to accelerate the transition to lower-emission vessels by combining Hanwha’s expertise in propulsion…

Swan Defence and Heavy Industries Limited (SDHI) has secured an order from Energy ONE Limited to build four ammonia dual-fuel bulk carriers, marking the first such vessels to be constructed in India.The contract covers four 92,500-deadweight tonne bulk carriers, which will be among the largest commercial ships built at an Indian yard, the company said.The vessels will measure about 229.5 meters in length with a beam of 37 meters and will be equipped with ammonia-fueled propulsion systems.

The Maritime Technologies Forum (MTF) has published new guidelines to support the safe operation of ships using wind-assisted propulsion systems, as the shipping industry increasingly adopts technologies aimed at reducing fuel use and emissions.The guidelines provide recommendations for developing and implementing safety management systems tailored to vessels equipped with wind-assisted propulsion systems (WAPS), including rotor sails, suction sails and wing sails.The report highlights the need to address operational…