Shipping News

Grieg Maritime Group has signed a contract with GT Wings to install at least two of their AirWing20 on their fleet.Energy efficiency will be crucial for both climate action and commercial success going forward. Waiting for new fuels and new ships will not be enough to succeed; measures must also be implemented on the existing fleet.The GT Wings AirWing20 is a Jet Sail that will enable Star Kirkenes to take advantage of the wind, reducing fuel consumption.The AirWing was selected for its high thrust output and compact footprint…

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…

Shippers on Wednesday said they needed more clarity on the terms of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire before resuming transit through the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran said the waterway remained closed to vessels sailing without a permit.The six‑week conflict had brought traffic through the strait - a chokepoint for about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments - close to a standstill, pushing global energy prices sharply higher.Iran said it would offer safe passage in coordination with its armed forces…

Commodities trader Glencore and Taiwan's state refiner CPC have chartered a tanker each to load Middle Eastern crude for Asia, while vessels in the Gulf are preparing to exit via the Strait of Hormuz, a day after the ceasefire in the U.S.-Iran war.The two-week truce hinges on letting ships pass through the strait, a chokepoint for about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments brought to a near standstill by the six-week conflict, sharply driving up global energy prices.Asian refiners rely on the Middle East for more than half their supply of crude and naphtha…

Shippers said on Wednesday they needed more clarity on the terms of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire before resuming transit through the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran issued fresh warnings about any vessels attempting to sail through the waterway.The six‑week conflict had brought traffic through the strait - a chokepoint for about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments - close to a standstill, pushing global energy prices sharply higher.Iran said it would offer safe passage in coordination with its armed forces…

Hapag-Lloyd voiced cautious optimism on Wednesday on the prospect of resuming shipping through the Strait of Hormuz after a two-week ceasefire agreed between the U.S. and Iran, but said that resuming normal traffic throughout its network would take at least 6-8 weeks.Speaking in a call to customers, CEO Rolf Habben Jansen echoed guarded remarks by peer container shipping group Maersk, saying that more security assurances were needed. “Even if a ceasefire has now been agreed overnight…

Maersk said on Wednesday the two-week ceasefire agreed between the U.S.

French President Emmanuel Macron said about 15 countries were planning to facilitate the resumption of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil supply usually flows, after a ceasefire between the United States and Iran was announced."About 15 countries are currently mobilised and are participating in the planning, under France's leadership, to enable the implementation of this strictly defensive mission in coordination with Iran to facilitate the resumption of traffic…

Korean Register (KR) has launched an upgraded version of its maritime conventions database, adding artificial intelligence (AI)-powered features to help shipowners navigate increasing regulatory complexity.The organization said Version 24 of its KR-CON platform introduces enhanced search functionality and a restructured classification system, aimed at improving access to international maritime regulations.The upgrade comes as amendments to frameworks set by the International Maritime Organization…

The future of shipbuilding and maritime competitiveness will be featured at the Maritime Risk Symposium 2026, hosted by the Institute for Homeland Security, Sam Houston State University. On June 2–3 at LyondellBasell Center for Petrochemical, Energy and Technology in Pasadena, Texas, leaders from industry and academia will examine the strategy, workforce, investment, and partnerships needed to advance America’s maritime comeback.A new era in American shipbuilding is emerging—and the U.S. Gulf Coast stands at its center.

Iron ore shipments on the Great Lakes in March 2026 decreased 23.5 percent from a year ago. Loadings were also below the month’s 5-year average by 35.1 percent. The iron ore trade stands at 2.7 million tons, a decrease of 7.7 percent compared to 2025. For the first three months of the year, iron ore shipments are 21.2 percent below their 5-year average.Since 1880, Lake Carriers’ has represented the U.S.-flag Great Lakes fleet, which today can move more than 90 million tons of cargos annually that are the foundation of American industry…

World Fuel Services and West Coast Clean Fuels have established a methanol bunkering capability for vessels across U.S. ports, following a pilot fuel delivery in South Florida.The companies said the over-the-water methanol bunkering operation demonstrated a scalable and regulatory-compliant solution that is now ready for wider deployment.The capability includes U.S. Coast Guard-approved procedures, trained personnel and purpose-built equipment, enabling shipowners and operators…

Wah Kwong NatPower and Huzhou Wuxing Ruituo Energy have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop zero-carbon inland shipping corridors, focusing on electrification infrastructure across key waterways in China.The partnership will establish a network of electric vessel charging and battery-swapping facilities, integrating energy supply, digital systems and operational services into a unified platform.The initial phase will focus on the Hangzhou–Jiaxing–Huzhou region in Zhejiang province…

Bahrain's effort to secure a U.N. resolution to authorise "all necessary means" to protect commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz ran into new obstacles on Wednesday, underscoring divisions over how to deal with Iran's effective closure of the waterway that has resulted in the worst energy-supply disruption ever.Bahrain, which took over the presidency of the 15-member U.N. Security Council for the month of April, had circulated a fresh version of a draft resolution that dropped a previous explicit reference to binding enforcement…

Bahrain has circulated a revised U.N. Security Council draft resolution on protecting commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz, retaining language authorising “all necessary means” but dropping an explicit reference to binding enforcement.Shipping through the waterway, through which roughly a fifth of global oil supplies pass and which underpins Gulf economies, has already slowed to a near‑halt after Iran struck vessels amid its conflict with the United States and Israel.Bahrain’s initial draft…

Tehran attacked and set ablaze a fully loaded crude oil tanker off Dubai on Tuesday, despite a threat by President Donald Trump that the U.S. will obliterate Iran's energy plants if it does not agree to a peace deal and open the Strait of Hormuz.Authorities in Dubai said the fire on the Kuwait-flagged Al-Salmi had been brought under control following a drone attack, with no oil leak and no injuries to the crew. Kuwait Petroleum Corp, the ship's owner, said the vessel's hull was damaged.The attack was the latest on merchant vessels in the strait…

Japan’s Japan Engine Corporation and Kawasaki Heavy Industries have begun hydrogen co-firing operations on a full-scale main engine designed for large commercial vessels, marking a step toward the development of hydrogen-powered shipping.The work forms part of a government-backed project under New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, with participation from Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), MOL Drybulk, Onomichi Dockyard and ClassNK.The companies said the engine…

A little over a day and half since the Soo Locks opened providing access to Lake Superior and critical raw materials like iron ore, and the U.S.-flagged Great Lakes commercial fleet is at a standstill in the St. Marys River and Whitefish Bay, the critical connection between Lakes Superior and all other Great Lakes.The only way into Lake Superior is through the St. Marys River and Whitefish Bay, but ice conditions and a lack of a heavy U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker are creating substantial delays for American shipping and manufacturing. Some U.S.

Ship-refuelling companies along Africa's coast are seeing a surge in business as more vessels divert around the Cape of Good Hope, with war in the Middle East reshaping global shipping routes and boosting the continent's role as a bunkering hub.Carriers have been avoiding the Suez Canal and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait since late 2023, when Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping began. U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have reinforced the shift,…

Bahrain has put forward a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that would authorise countries to use "all necessary means" - diplomatic language for force - to protect commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz, according to a text seen by Reuters on Monday.Diplomats said the draft text was backed by other Gulf Arab states and the United States, although they said it was unlikely to get through the council, where Russia and China had veto power.France circulated a more conciliatory alternative draft resolution…

"Global iron ore shipments have risen 5% y/y during the first 12 weeks of 2026, supported by stronger Chinese import demand. However, this increase has not been matched by Chinese steel production which fell 4% y/y during the first two months of the year. As a result, the additional supply has boosted portside inventories, which reached a record high of 179.5m tons on 12 March,” says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analysis Manager at BIMCO.Steel production in China has been on a downward trend since 2023, pressured by falling domestic demand.

Iran has told the United Nations Security Council and the International Maritime Organization that "non-hostile vessels" may transit the Strait of Hormuz if they coordinate with Iranian authorities, according to a note seen by Reuters on Tuesday.The U.S.-Israeli war against Iran has all but halted shipments of about one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas through the strait, causing oil supply disruption.The note from Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs was sent to the 15-member Security Council and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday.

Shipping companies are facing mounting pressure on investment decisions as decarbonization regulations translate emissions targets into direct operating costs, according to a survey commissioned by Wärtsilä.The study, based on responses from 225 senior maritime executives, found that more than 90% of respondents remain confident in their ability to navigate the energy transition, despite growing complexity in decision making.Uncertainty around technology pathways, fuel availability…