KIMM Fast Tracks AI System, Robotics Development
Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) has developed a new robot task artificial intelligence system designed to learn and perform everyday repetitive tasks by observing human demonstrations.The technology, developed by a research team led by Dr. Jeong-Jung Kim at KIMM’s Research Institute of AI Robotics, enables robots to complete common activities such as organizing items, clearing tables and manipulating objects.
Hydrogen Ship Fuel Requires Design-Based Safety Measures, DNV Study Finds
DNV has completed a multi-year study commissioned by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) examining the safety implications of using hydrogen as a fuel in ships.The study, titled Safety of hydrogen for use in ships, concludes that hydrogen-fuelled vessels require a design-based safety approach and recommends the use of secondary enclosures across all hydrogen-carrying components, including those located on open deck.Hydrogen is increasingly being considered as a potential marine fuel…
EXMAR Deploys Inmarsat's NexusWave Connectivity Service Across Fleet
Inmarsat Maritime, a Viasat company, is rolling out its NexusWave connectivity service across the fleet of Belgian gas shipping company EXMAR to support ship-to-shore communications and crew connectivity.The deployment targets EXMAR’s growing fleet of gas carriers operating globally in high-demand environments, where the company aims to strengthen links between vessels and shore-based teams while improving…
Oil Prices Go Up 6% as Hormuz Shipping Crisis Deepens
Oil prices rose sharply on Thursday as Iran stepped up attacks on oil and transport facilities across the Middle East, fuelling concerns of a prolonged conflict and potential disruptions to oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz.Brent futures LCOc1 climbed $5.95, or 6.47%, to $97.93 a barrel at 0915 GMT, having hit $100 per barrel in earlier trading, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 was up $5.25…
Oman Battles Fire at Salalah Port After Drone Strike
Oman's civil defence is working on containing a fire in fuel tanks at the country's Salalah port, Oman's state news agency reported on Wednesday, after drones struck oil storage facilities at the port.The state news agency, citing Oman's civil defence, said that containing the fire "might take time", without providing further details.Earlier on Wednesday, Oman's state TV said that drones struck fuel tanks in the port.
IEA Unleashes Record 400M Barrel Oil Stockpile Release Amid Iran War Disruptions
The International Energy Agency on Wednesday agreed to release a record 400 million barrels of oil from strategic stockpiles to combat a spike in global crude prices since the start of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, with the U.S. contributing the bulk of the supply.The IEA said all 32 member countries backed the move, the sixth coordinated stockpile release since the agency's creation in the 1970s. The United States will take a lead role by contributing 172 million barrels, according to U.S.
ATSB Releases Preliminary Report on Coral Adventurer Grounding
An Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) preliminary report has been released that outlines the order of events leading up to the grounding of the cruise ship Coral Adventurer near a remote port on the north-east coast of Papua New Guinea in December.The ATSB launched a transport safety investigation after the 93-metre Australian-flagged ship grounded on the morning of 27 December 2025, with 80 passengers and 44 crew on board.The cruise…
Six Vessels Attacked as War Puts Merchant Ships on Front Lines
Explosive-laden Iranian boats appear to have attacked two fuel tankers in Iraqi waters, setting them ablaze and killing one crew member on Wednesday, after projectiles struck four vessels in Gulf waters, said port, maritime security and risk firms.The latest attacks on ships linked to the U.S. and Europe mark an escalation in the conflict between Iran and U.S.-Israeli forces, raising the number of…
Coast Guard Interdicts Suspected Drug Smugglers in Eastern Pacific Sea
Coast Guard Cutter Forward (WMEC 911) intercepted a self-propelled semi-submersible (SPSS) vessel during a routine patrol on February 24 in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.A maritime patrol aircraft detected the vessel and reported the location to Forward watchstanders. Forward’s crew rapidly deployed its over-the-horizon cutter pursuit boat and an embarked MH-65 aircraft from the Helicopter Interdiction…
AMSA Detains Bulk Carrier Due to Unpaid Wages
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has taken swift action to protect seafarer welfare, detaining Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Ocean Bright and banning it from Australian ports for six months after nonpayment of crew wages.This week, AMSA received a complaint that seafarers onboard the vessel Ocean Bright had not been paid for two months, prompting investigation when the vessel docked in Newcastle.
Container Ship Order Book Hits New Record High
Despite increasing trade policy uncertainty and falling freight rates, the container ship order book has continued to expand. It now totals more than 1,350 ships with a combined capacity of 11.8m TEU, says Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.In 2025, global average container freight rates fell an estimated 13% year-on-year while US import tariff increases raised concerns about increasing trade protectionism.
FMC Issues Warning on Strait of Hormuz Surcharges
The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has issued a statement saying it is closely monitoring the impact the current conflict in the Middle East is having on shipping conditions through the Strait of Hormuz.Under its statutory authority, the Commission ensures that rates, charges, and rules that common carriers have implemented as a result of the threats to commercial shipping in the Strait and neighboring…
Report into Spirit of Discovery Tragedy Released
The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released its report into the loss of propulsion in heavy weather experienced by Spirit of Discovery in the Bay of Biscay which led over 100 injuries and one fatality. Shortly after 1230 on 4 November 2023, the passenger vessel Spirit of Discovery lost propulsion in heavy weather while crossing the Bay of Biscay, France. Over 100 passengers were injured during this period.
Australia Intercepts Illegal Fishers
The Australian Border Force (ABF) has intercepted two foreign vessels and their crews suspected of illegal fishing near Trochus Island, as Operation BROADSTAFF continues to net offenders targeting the Torres Strait and northern Queensland.Launched in February 2026, Operation BROADSTAFF is a multi-agency operation designed to deter, detect and disrupt illegal foreign fishing across northern Queensland and the Torres Strait.On Saturday 7 March 2026…
Bernhard Schulte Offshore Takes Delivery of New CSOV
Bernhard Schulte Offshore (BSO) has taken delivery of a new commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV). The Windea Carnot, which was built at Ulstein Verft in Norway on behalf of an institutional investor, was handed over to its new owner, BSO, following completion.The Windea Carnot is the third of three sister ships built at Ulstein that BSO has integrated into its modern offshore fleet since the middle of last year.
Breakthrough Technology Unveiled at Oceanology International
Major industry announcements and new product launches continued to drive significant visitor numbers and plentiful business activity as Oceanology International 2026 (Oi26) surpassed expectations on the second day at Excel London.Among the companies taking center stage, expanding platform OceanSight used Oi to unveil its new collection of ocean technology brands built to advance marine sensing and subsea intelligence…
CMA CGM Expects Q1 Volumes Growth Despite Gulf Crisis
French shipping company CMA CGM expects first-quarter volumes growth of around 4.5%, despite major disruption to the global transport industry due to the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran."Growth in CMA CGM's volumes in the first quarter should be around 4.5 percent.
Chubb to Serve as Lead US Insurer for Gulf Shipping Amid Iran War
Insurance giant Chubb will be the lead partner on the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation's $20 billion Maritime Reinsurance Plan aimed at resuming commercial shipping in the Gulf, the agency said on Wednesday.The U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran has widened sharply in recent days and paralyzed shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a major global chokepoint in the Gulf.Iran said…
Maersk Redistributes Bunker Fuel to Ensure Supplies
Container shipping group Maersk said on Wednesday it is redistributing fuel to ensure supplies for its vessels as the Iran war disrupts the flow and storage of maritime fuel in the Middle East.The Danish carrier, one of the world's biggest container shipping groups, has 10 ships stranded in the Gulf. U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran have fueled hostilities that threaten one-fifth of the world's oil…
Tankers Ablaze, Iranian Oil Still Shipping
Two foreign tankers carrying Iraqi fuel oil were subjected to unidentified attacks inside territorial waters, causing them to catch fire, Iraq's director general of the General Company for Ports Farhan al-Fartousi told Reuters on Wednesday.Iraq evacuated the 25 crew members from the two vessels and fire is still ablaze on both ships, he added.This follows news that three vessels had been hit by unknown projectiles…
