Finnish Authorities Suspect Tanker Crew in Subsea Cable Damage
Finnish prosecutors are considering pressing charges against three senior officers of an oil tanker suspected of damaging undersea power and telecommunications cables in the Baltic Sea in December, police and the prosecutor said on Friday.Finnish authorities suspect the Cook Islands-registered Eagle S of having broken the Estlink 2 undersea power cable connecting Finland and Estonia as well as four…
China Accuses Taiwan of Politicizing Undersea Cable Damage
China's government on Friday said Taiwan was deliberately politicising the damage of undersea communication cables as part of a smear campaign, expressing anger after the island jailed a Chinese ship captain for an incident earlier this year.A Taiwanese court on Thursday sentenced the captain of the Togo-flagged ship to three years in jail after finding him guilty of intentionally damaging undersea cables off the island in February, in an incident that alarmed Taiwan officials.In a statement, Ch
Xeneta: Israel-Iran Conflict Threatens Safety and Stability of Ocean Supply Chains
Peter Sand, Xeneta Chief Analyst, shared insights following the escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict.“Geo-politics is once again threatening the safety and stability of global supply chains so we must hope for de-escalation in the conflict between Israel and Iran, with concerns it could see a de-facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz—a vital entry point for container ships calling at ports such as Jebel Ali and the wider Arabian Gulf region…
ICS Announces New Maritime Leadership Roles
Following the conclusion of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) Annual General Meeting and Board Meeting in Athens, which was opened by The Honorable Vassilis Kikilias, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Hellenic Republic of Greece, the organization announced several major developments, marking a pivotal moment for global maritime leadership.The board of ICS unanimously recommended John Denholm CBE as the successor to current Chairman, Emanuele Grimaldi. Mr.
Edda Wind Welcomes New CSOV to its Fleet
GONDAN Shipbuilders has delivered a newly built Commissioning Service Operations Vessel (CSOV) Austri Enabler to Norwegian shipowner Edda Wind.The Austri Enabler, designed by Norwegian company Salt Ship Design, is part of a new generation of vessels designed to mark a turning point in the offshore wind energy sector.Austri Enabler is the fourth and last vessel in a series of four sister vessels from Gondan and follows Nordri Enabler, Sudri Enabler and Vestri Enabler.
CCS Capacity to Quadruple by 2030, DNV Report Finds
DNV has published a report forecasting that carbon capture and storage (CCS) capacity is expected to quadruple by 2030, with sharp increase project pipeline capacity indicating that CCS is at a turning point.The immediate rise in capacity is being driven by short-term scale up in North America and Europe, with natural gas processing still the main application for the technology, according to DNV's CCS outlook report.In the longer term…
Industry Partners Complete STS Ammonia Bunkering Pilot off Western Australia
The successful completion of the first-ever ship-to-ship transfer (STS) of ammonia at anchorage in Western Australia, as part of the maritime decarbonization initiative led by Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonization (GCMD), has marked a major milestone in paving the way for ammonia as a viable marine fuel.Under the supervision of the Pilbara Port Authority (PPA), the pilot took place within the anchorage area of Port Dampier…
Learning from Ukraine, Taiwan Looks to Sea Drones to Counter China
In the shadow of the Taiwan Strait, a new chapter in asymmetric naval warfare is unfolding. Drawing lessons from Ukraine’s strategic use of maritime drones in the Black Sea, Taiwan is adapting similar technologies as a low-cost, high-impact defense against an increasingly assertive Chinese Navy.Off Taiwan’s eastern fishing port of Wushi, Thunder Tiger — a local defense technology company — has been testing the SeaShark 800…
The Best First Step for Shipowners Interested in Electrification
Ed Schwarz, Head of Marine Solutions Sales for Siemens Energy in the US and Canada, says education is the best first step for any shipowner interested in electrification.“Talk to someone who’s done it. Go aboard a vessel. Visit a hybrid ferry. Owners love sharing their stories and their hard-won insights.”The June issue of Maritime Reporter magazine has an in-depth interview with Schwarz where he says…
Ice “Memory” to be Protected in Antarctica
The Ice Memory Foundation is preparing for the upcoming transport of ice cores from mountain glaciers to the Ice Memory Sanctuary in Antarctica.The announcement was made as part of the launch of the UN Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences (2025-2034) during the third UN Ocean Conference in Nice on June 8.Preserved in the Ice Memory Sanctuary at Concordia Station, the cores will be available for…
Unsecured Watertight Doors Contribute to Sinking of Fish Tender
An Alaskan fish tender transiting Chiniak Bay to dump fish byproduct sank in part because the vessel’s watertight doors in the engine room and companionway spaces remained open, the National Transportation Safety Board has determined.The industrial vessel Cape Douglas was operating as fish tender on Nov. 6, 2024, near Kodiak, Alaska, when the 80-year-old vessel began to flood below deck. The captain and crewmember were unable to control the flooding and abandoned the vessel into a towed skiff.
US Launches Public Consultation for Potential Seabed Mineral Lease Sale
The US Department of the Interior has announced the publication of a Request for Information and Interest to explore the potential for seabed mineral leasing offshore American Samoa.The Request for Information, scheduled for publication in the Federal Register in the coming days, will launch a 30-day public comment period and mark the first formal step toward what could be the first mineral lease sale in federal waters in over 30 years.The RFI…
EDHEC Launches Ratings to Estimate Climate Hit on Infrastructure Assets
A climate ratings firm created at French business university EDHEC has become the first to estimate projected financial losses for thousands of infrastructure assets under various climate change scenarios, its founder and chief executive said.Better understanding the potential costs of climate change is increasingly important as political pressures have led to rollbacks in environmental policies and…
Most G7 Members Ready to Lower Russian Oil Price Cap Despite US Engagement
Most countries in the Group of Seven nations are prepared to go it alone and lower the G7 price cap on Russian oil even if U.S. President Donald Trump decides to opt out, four sources familiar with the matter said.G7 country leaders are due to meet on June 15-17 in Canada where they will discuss the price cap first agreed in late 2022. The cap was designed to allow Russian oil URL-E to be sold to third…
Taiwan Sentences Chinese Ship Captain to Jail For Subsea Cable Damage
A Taiwanese court sentenced the Chinese captain of a ship to three years in jail on Thursday after finding him guilty of intentionally damaging undersea cables off the island in February, in a case that alarmed Taiwan officials.Prosecutors said the man was captain of the Chinese-crewed Hong Tai 58, registered in Togo, which Taiwanese authorities detained after suspecting the ship had dropped anchor near an undersea cable off southwestern Taiwan, damaging it.The court in the southern Taiwanese ci
Oil Prices Fall From Recent Highs Amidst Middle East Tensions
Oil prices fell on Thursday after sharp gains in the previous session as market participants assessed a U.S. decision to move personnel from the Middle East ahead of talks with Iran over that country's nuclear-related activity.Brent crude futures were down $1.02, or 1.5%, at $68.75 a barrel at 1253 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude fell $1.05, or 1.5%, to $67.10 a barrel.Both Brent and WTI surged more than 4% in the previous session to their highest levels since early April.U.S.
Australia to Boost Surveillance of Pacific Islands Waters For Illegal Fishing Fleets
Australia plans to significantly boost surveillance of Pacific Islands territorial waters, spending A$477 million ($310.72 million) on aerial patrols for illegal fishing fleets, tender documents viewed by Reuters show, as China takes steps towards sending its coast guard to the region.Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will visit Fiji on Friday, the Fiji Times newspaper reported, after the…
Methanol-Ready RoRo South Enabler Delivered to Wallenius Sol
Wallenius Sol took delivery of the RoRo vessel South Enabler from the Visentini Shipyard.In February 2025, a new chapter began in European shipping as Wallenius Sol announced the acquisition of Mann Lines, significantly expanding the Swedish shipping line’s customer base and presence in key markets. As part of the acquisition, a new vessel under construction was included. The new RoRo cargo vessel was officially delivered on 11 June…
OPEC Crude Tanker Vessel Loadings Soar
“In a possible sign that the unwinding of OPEC+ production cuts could increase seaborne volumes, the combined crude tanker loadings of OPEC countries has jumped…
Biofuel Blending: Whitchampion Bunker Tanker Earns Unique Certification
UK-based bunker operator John H. Whitaker (Tankers) Limited secured chemical certification from Lloyd’s Register (LR) on behalf of the Isle of Man Flag Administration for its tanker Whitchampion to load, carry and blend Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME B100) onboard under IBC Code and MARPOL Annex II regulations.The certification allows Whitchampion to perform onboard blending of biofuels with petroleum distillates and residual fuel oils.
