Ten Years of SEACOP in the Caribbean
Starting with a few training sessions back in 2015, the EU Seaport Cooperation Project (SEACOP) has led to enhanced maritime security by combating illicit trafficking at sea in the region.Deployed across three strategic regions affected by maritime trafficking, Latin America, the Caribbean and West Africa, SEACOP, it is now a cornerstone of the region’s maritime security efforts, helping national authorities from 13 countries tackle transnational illicit trafficking through intelligence sharing…
Scandlines Converting Fehmarn Belt Ferries to Hybrids
Scandlines is taking another step in its long-term strategy to protect the Baltic region and the Fehmarn Belt, which the ferries cross daily.With a total investment of more than EUR 31 million ($35 million), the company is converting two of the ferries operating the Puttgarden-Rødby route to plug-in hybrid ferries.The aim is to reduce COâ‚‚e emissions by up to 80% and promote ferry operations based on power from renewable energy sources.On average…
Trump to Wind Down FEMA After Hurricane Season
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he planned to start "phasing out" the Federal Emergency Management Agency after the hurricane season and that states would receive less federal aid to respond to natural disasters.Trump also said he planned to distribute disaster relief funds directly from the president's office."We're going to do it much differently," Trump said in a briefing at the White House…
Ocean Workers Must Be Recognized as Frontline Group in the Climate Crisis
A global safety charity is calling for ocean workers to be recognized as a frontline group when it comes to the impacts of climate change.According to Lloyd’s Register Foundation’s latest World Risk Poll Focus On report, Risk perceptions and experiences of ocean workers, ocean workers are among one of the most vulnerable demographics in the face of climate change, with 80% of them saying they are worried…
Macron Discusses Climate Change Impacts With Pacific Island Leaders in Nice
French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday (June 10) met with leaders of Pacific island nations on the sidelines of a United Nations ocean conference in the southern French city of Nice.Macron discussed the impacts of climate change to the Oceania nations, one of the regions most prone to rising sea levels, and said Paris "will use its diplomacy in close link with our common interests in the Pacific."France possesses overseas territories in the Pacific…
Israel Strikes Hodeidah Port, Threatening Blockade
Israel stepped up pressure on Yemen's Houthis on Tuesday, deploying its navy to hit targets in the Red Sea port of Hodeidah and threatening the Iran-aligned movement with a naval and air blockade if attacks on Israel persist.Houthi-run Al Masirah TV said Israel carried out two strikes on the docks of Al Hodeidah port. The Israeli army said in a statement that the navy struck Houthi targets, adding the port is used by the group to transfer weapons.There were no immediate reports of casualties.
ADNOC Gas Awards $5 Billion In Contracts For Rich Gas Development Project
ADNOC Gas said on Tuesday it had taken a final investment decision on the first phase of its Rich Gas Development (RGD) Project, awarding $5 billion in contracts to expand and improve efficiency at the project.The contracts involve expanding processing units to boost throughput and improve operational efficiency across its Asab, Buhasa, Habshan onshore facilities and its offshore Das Island liquefaction facility, the company said in a statement.The contracts were awarded to British oilfield serv
Bipartisan Bill to Bolster American Shipping Fleet Passes House of Representatives
Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee Ranking Member Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) and Chair Mike Ezell (R-MS-04) announced their bipartisan American Cargo for American Ships Act passed the House of Representatives. The legislation will strengthen U.S. cargo preference laws to stop the ongoing decline of U.S. flagged ships engaged in international trade. The legislation now heads to the U.S.
Paris MoU Concludes 58th Committee Meeting in Sweden
The Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control (Paris MoU) successfully concluded its 58th Committee meeting in Malmö, Sweden, May 26-30, 2025. The meeting, formally opened by Ms. Pernilla Wallin, Deputy Director, Department of Civil Aviation and Maritime Affairs, Swedish Transport Agency, and chaired by Mr. Brian Hogan, marked progress in enhancing maritime safety, environmental protection…
INTERCARGO Bulk Carrier Casualty Report 2025: Safety Improves, But Security Threats Continue
INTERCARGO, the International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners, reports encouraging progress in bulk carrier safety, with vessel losses and fatalities continuing to decline over the last decade. However, serious security threats in 2024 demand urgent international action to protect seafarers and uphold freedom of navigation.The Bulk Carrier Casualty Report 2025 identifies the loss of 20 bulk carriers (≥10,000 dwt) between 2015 and 2024, resulting in 89 seafarer fatalities.
India: Battle to Put Out Container Ship Fire Ongoing as Search for Missing Crew Continues
The fire fighting operation is ongoing onboard the Singapore-registered container vessel Wan Hai 503, off the coast of India, as search and rescue operation for the four missing crew continues.A fire broke out on Wan Hai Lines (Singapore) Pte Ltd.-managed container ship Wan Hai 503 on June 9 off India’s Kerala coast, following multiple explosions that forced several crew members to jump overboard.According to the latest update from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA)…
Infrastructure: USACE Funding Better Than Zero, But a Missed Opportunity
On May 15, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released its Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Work Plan that allocated funds from the FY25 Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act. That bill provided funding for the Corps’ Civil Works mission, typically funded in the annual Energy and Water Development appropriations bill.The Corps’ FY25 Work Plan provided nearly $200 million for inland waterways construction projects…
RWE Inks O&M Deals with Clarkson Port Services for Nordseecluster OW Project
RWE Offshore Wind has awarded two long term agreements to Clarkson Port Services to support the operations and maintenance activities at its 1.6 GW Nordseecluster offshore wind project.The Dutch division of Clarkson Port Services will build a new warehouse facility in the port of Eemshaven.The new building, approximately 1,700 square metres in size, will be located in the Beatrixhaven on the premises…
Hanwha Group gets Green Light to Increase Austal Stake
Hanwha Group received the OK from the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment (CFIUS) to increase its shareholding in Australian shipbuilder Austal to 19.9% from the current 9.9%, the South Korean conglomerate said.Austal, which supplies defence vessels to the U.S. Navy, is seeking independent verification of this approval, according to a separate statement.Hanwha, which currently holds a 9.9% stake in Austal and holds a further 9.9% economic interest through a cash-settled total return swap…
AI (predictably) Drives Maritime Start-Up Growth
The rise of AI, regional innovation hotspots, and a wave of funding define this year’s maritime tech landscapeFor the third year running, the “Global Maritime Tech Startup Map” has been released—an evolving snapshot of the world’s most promising maritime software startups. The 2025 edition charts 176 startups across categories from vessel condition monitoring to crewing software, highlighting a growing appetite for artificial intelligence and an increasingly global spread of innovation....
MacGregor to Supply Winch Package for SPEC’s AHTS Newbuilds
MacGregor has secured a contract to supply an advanced anchor handling towing winch (AHTW) package for a series anchor handling tug supply (AHTS) vessels owned by SINOPACIFIC Engineering & Contracting (SPEC).The MacGregor AHTW package is designed to support the complex operations of SPA90 (90T BP AHTS ABS Class) AHTS vessels, ensuring precision, safety, and operational efficiency in all offshore conditions.The MacGregor scope of supply includes anchor windlass with roller chain stoppers…
AAL Shipping Hits 95% of ESG Targets in 2024 Sustainability Report
AAL Shipping (AAL), a project cargo carrier, released its 2024 Sustainability Report, revealing the company has met 95% of its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) objectives across global operations. The report, developed in alignment with Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards, reflects AAL’s deepening commitment to sustainable maritime logistics.A key highlight is AAL’s progress in environmental stewardship.
Shadow and Dark Fleets: Increasing Size and Concerns
Global insurer Allianz Commercial recently issued its 2025 Safety & Shipping Review, examining maritime risk trends and losses. The report revealed that the shipping industry has made significant improvements when it comes to maritime safety in recent years. During the 1990s the global fleet was losing 200+ vessels a year. This total had halved 10 years ago and is now down to a record low of 27 as of the end of 2024 (from 35 in 2023).Despite the ongoing trend for fewer large losses…
Maritime Salvage: Disaster Response Lessons from Real Life, Sort of…
There are a few stories that I often tell when the subject of leadership in disasters is discussed. I figured I’d put them down on paper so I can stop repeating myself.It was pre OPA90, a single-skin tanker had run over a rock in the Port of New Jersey. It put a hole in the bottom, and heavy fuel oil was draining out the bottom and would do so until the oil head level in the tank would equalize with the waterline.
ABL Lands Work on BP’s Indonesian Gas and CCUS Project
Energy and marine consultancy ABL, a subsidiary of ABL Group, has been awarded a contract to provide marine warranty survey (MWS) services to BP’s Tangguh UCC project in Indonesia.The Tangguh UCC Project comprises Ubadari field development, enhanced gas recovery through carbon capture, utilization and storage (EGR/CCUS) and onshore compression, operated by bp in Papua Barat Province, Indonesia.Tangguh’s EGR/CCUS…
