BS Offshore, Ulstein Verft Launch CSOV Newbuild (Photos)
Germany-based Bernhard Schulte Offshore (BS Offshore) and Ulstein Verft have launched a new Commissioning Service Operation Vessel (CSOV), the Yno 320.The launch followed an extensive outfitting phase that included the installation of electrical and mechanical systems, piping, accommodation, and system integration.The Yno 320 was towed from Ulstein Verft’s dock hall to the outer dock on February 20.While stationed in the outer dock…
Ukraine’s Dry Bulk Shipments Up 87% Three Years After Russian Invasion
“Three years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the volume of dry bulk shipments from the two countries combined is 6% below pre-war levels. However, the past 12 months have seen the countries’ dry bulk shipments develop in complete opposite directions. While Ukraine has seen an 87% y/y jump in shipments, Russia’s have taken a 6% y/y fall. Overall, their combined volume has increased 3% y/y over the last 12 months…
ABS Sees Nuclear as ‘Generational Opportunity’ for US Shipbuilding
New nuclear reactor technology represents a once in a generation opportunity for U.S. industrial policy, as vessels propelled by advanced small modular reactors (SMR) could act as a catalyst for the revitalization of the country’s shipbuilding, according the Chairman and CEO of American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Christopher J. Wiernicki.Wiernicki added he believes the next step is development of a marinized SMR demonstrator.“It is a key transformational technology.
Italy’s Saipem and Norway’s Subsea7 Merger to Create Energy Services Giant
Energy services firms Saipem and Subsea7 have reached an agreement on the key terms for possible merger of the two companies under one unit to be named Saipem7, whose combined backlog would be over $45 billion.Saipem and Subsea7 shareholders will own 50% each of the share capital of the combined company, whose revenue is expected to be around $20.9 billion, and core earnings in excess of $2 billion.Saipem7 will become a global organization of over 45…
Freight Rates Frustrate Recyclers
A recent and ongoing uptick in freight rates across many sectors (especially dry, as wet rates have been performing far admirably in comparison) has resumed depriving global ship recycling markets of tonnage over the last couple of weeks, reports cash buyer GMS.“This has promptly manifested itself at the various sub-continent waterfronts this week in both India and even Pakistan that has now returned to an empty port position once again…
Hundreds Arrested Over Illegal Wildlife and Forestry Trade
Nearly 20,000 live animals, all endangered or protected species, have been seized in a global operation against wildlife and forestry trafficking networks, jointly coordinated by INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization (WCO).Operation Thunder 2024 (November 11 – December 6) brought together police, customs, border control, forestry and wildlife officials from 138 countries and regions, marking…
Incorrect Valve Led to Deadly Engine Room Fire
The installation of an incorrect valve in a pipe to a diesel oil tank led to a fatal fire aboard a cargo vessel docked in LaPorte, Texas, an National Transportation Safety Board shows.On Jan. 8, 2024, a fire broke out in the engine room aboard the cargo vessel Stride during bunkering, or fueling, operations while docked at the Barbours Cut Marine Terminal. The fire self-extinguished after crewmembers shut down all ventilation to the engine room.
Bahrain: ASRY and Noatum Maritime Form JV
ASRY has formed a joint venture (JV) with Noatum Maritime, part of AD Ports Group’s Maritime & Shipping Cluster, offering a diversified portfolio of maritime solutions for the provision of marine services in Bahrain.The collaboration aims to sharpen the current marine service offering at ASRY Shipyard on an exclusive basis by leveraging Noatum Maritime’s operational expertise and modern fleet. It will then target external clients within Bahrain.ASRY CEO…
Interim Guidelines Agreed for Training Seafarers on Green Ships
The IMO’s Sub-Committee on Human Element, Training and Watchkeeping (HTW) has agreed on draft interim generic guidelines for training seafarers working on ships powered by alternative fuels and new technologies. These draft guidelines will be submitted to the Maritime Safety Committee for approval in June 2025.Meeting in London from February 10 to 14, the Sub-Committee agreed that such guidance should…
IMO Working Group Fails to Finalize GHG Emissions Pricing Scheme
International efforts to curb GHG emissions from shipping took a step forward as the IMO's Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships (ISWG-GHG 18) concluded its latest round of discussions on Friday.The IMO's 2023 GHG Reduction Strategy commits Member States to adopting mid-term measures to reduce GHG emissions from ships in late 2025, including:• a technical element, namely…
Chinese Drills Upset Australia and New Zealand
New Zealand said the Chinese navy conducted a live-fire exercise in international waters near the Pacific nation on Saturday, a day after it held a similar drill between Australia and New Zealand that forced airlines to divert flights."Reporting from the New Zealand Defence Force that the Chinese naval Task Group has advised of a second window for live firing activity, on Saturday afternoon," a spokesperson…
Russia Orders Divers to Inspect Ships After Tanker Blasts
Russia has ordered divers to inspect ships in its ports, a government letter seen by Reuters shows, after suspected attacks on four oil tankers that visited in recent weeks.At the same time the Russian navy will help protect from the threat of drones and unmanned vessels, it said.Three oil tankers around the Mediterranean, and another in the Russian Baltic, have been damaged by blasts in the last month.All four had recently called at Russian ports…
Bulk Carrier Sustains Damage to Ballast Tank
A Liberia-flagged cargo ship carrying corn from a Russian port to Turkey is trying to stop water leaking in after sustaining a crack in the Sea of Azov earlier this week, Russia's port agency said.The vessel, Pavel Grabovskiy, was loaded with 2,939 tons of corn.
Underwater Sabotage: A Baltic Sea Timeline
The Baltic Sea region is on high alert after a string of power cable, telecom link and gas pipeline outages since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, and the NATO military alliance has boosted its presence with frigates, aircraft and naval drones.Several investigations are under way but no suspects have been brought to trial.FEBRUARY 2025: FINLAND-GERMANY TELECOM CABLESwedish and Finnish police said on…
Trump Hopes to Ship Alaskan Gas to Asia
When President Donald Trump sat down to lunch with his Japanese counterpart this month, talk turned quickly to how Tokyo could help realize a decades-old proposal to unlock gas in Alaska and ship it to U.S. allies in Asia.Trump and his energy tsar Doug Burgum framed the venture as a way for Japan to replace Middle East energy shipments and address its trade imbalance with the U.S., according to two…
Suez Canal Chairman Positive About Returning Business
Egypt's Suez Canal Authority chairman Osama Rabei said on Sunday that 47 ships have been rerouted from Cape of Good Hope to Suez Canal since the start of February.Earlier this month, Rabie said that the Red Sea crisis did not create a sustainable alternative route to the canal and that there were positive indicators for the return of stability in the region.Iran-backed Houthi militants have attacked vessels in the Red Sea area since November 2023, disrupting global shipping by forcing vessels to
Ailsa Shipbuilding Company Model Collection Debuts
An exhibition of ship models depicting vessels built by Ailsa Shipbuilding Company (Troon and Ayr) in the 19th and 20th centuries opens at the Scottish Maritime Museum on Irvine Harborside today (Friday, February 21).The collection of six detailed ‘builder’s models’, which are on long-term loan from South Ayrshire Council, were crafted by the Ailsa Shipbuilding Company’s model-making department between…
Schmidt Ocean Institute Successfully Concludes Inaugural Antarctic Expedition
After a year of preparing the ship and crew, Schmidt Ocean Institute’s research vessel Falkor (too) has completed its first science expedition to Antarctica. The three-week expedition, which ended in early January, was ambitious in its science scope and required operational refinements to navigate safely in unfamiliar environmental conditions.“Operating our ship in the Southern Ocean marks a significant milestone in Schmidt Ocean Institute’s history…
'Militarizing' Civilian Vessels will Speed up Defence Output, says Kongsberg
Adapting civilian platforms for military use can speed up defence production while increasing standardization, the CEO of Norway's Kongsberg Gruppen said, as pressure to boost military spending in Europe grows under President Donald Trump."The processes need to be simplified so that we get the speed up," arms manufacturer Kongsberg's Geir Håøy told Reuters in an interview published on Friday."What we see is that…
Talking Marine Vessel Coatings with Christer Øpstad, Jotun
Sourcing and maintaining marine coatings systems are arguably a shipowner’s most critical means to ensure a long and productive lifecycle for ships, boats and offshore rigs. At the same time, coatings have become a central part of the ship efficiency, decarbonization discussion. Christer Øpstad, Global R&D Director Fouling Protection, Jotun, discusses how these macro trends are driving R&D within his laboratories today.To start us off…
