Abs News

Demand for high-capability offshore support vessels for floating offshore wind is expected to strengthen in the late 2020s, with availability constraints emerging in some segments as early as 2029, according to a new report from ABS.Produced by ABS in collaboration with Intelatus Global Partners, Floating Offshore Wind and the Vessels That Support It examines the role large anchor handling tug supply vessels (AHTSs) and multipurpose support vessels (MPSVs) are expected to play in project execution…

ABS has signed two agreements with South Korean shipbuilding organizations aimed at advancing software-defined vessel technology and strengthening workforce development for the U.S. and Korean shipbuilding industries.The first agreement will see ABS Consulting and affiliate ABS Wavesight support HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) in developing its software-defined vessel (SDV) platform by providing software quality assurance advisory, verification and validation support.The collaboration is intended to help establish a framework for software quality…

The quest to rebuild U.S. shipbuilding capability quickly is premised on partnering with existing shipbuilding powers outside of China, with several recent announcements today solidifying the connection between the two allies.Four separate partnerships were recently announced, three today, underscoring a growing bilateral effort to rebuild America's maritime industrial base through investments in shipbuilding capacity, workforce development and advanced manufacturing technologies.The announcements, made in conjunction with the launch of the Korea-U.S.

ABS has awarded approval in principle (AIP) for a concept design for a nuclear-powered 15,000 TEU containership developed in collaboration with the Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering (KRISO) and the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI).Equipped with a small modular reactor (SMR), the concept is part of an ongoing joint development project with ABS, KRISO and KAERI to evaluate the technical feasibility of nuclear-powered commercial shipping. The vessel…

Anemoi Marine Technologies has secured design assessment certificates from Bureau Veritas covering several versions of its Rotor Sail wind-assisted propulsion technology, expanding third-party certification of its product range.The approvals cover the company's fixed and rail-deployed 3.5-metre by 24.5-metre Rotor Sails, including explosion-rated (EX-rated) versions and shorter variants designed for vessels operating under air draft restrictions. Applications are also being progressed…

Bordelon Marine has completed the conversion and redelivery of the MV Lilly Bordelon, a Stingray Series 260 Class DP-2 Ultra-Light Intervention Vessel (ULIV).Repurposed from an existing platform, the Lilly Bordelon has been transformed into a subsea intervention vessel designed to deliver solutions for offshore operations. The vessel features over 5,500 sq. ft. of clear deck space, a mezzanine deck supporting two work-class ROVs, with an integrated ROV control room.Equipped with a 60-ton active heave-compensated crane with over 3…

SciencoFAST launched the MarineFAST Slide-In, a Marine Sanitation Device with a rail-mounted installation system that allows the unit to either slide directly into existing hull tanks and slide back out, or drop into an existing tank or space for easy inspection or maintenance.“The MarineFAST Slide-In was developed to solve one of the most common challenges in marine sanitation—tight equipment rooms and limited-service access,” said Bob Millerbaugh, Executive Vice President, Marine Sales.

Seatrium Limited has announced that it has achieved the first export of electricity to the Singapore national grid from its Floating Living Lab (FLL), marking a step forward in next-generation floating energy infrastructure.The FLL is a world-first, Remote-CON notated floating DER platform, classed by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and supported by a Remote Operations Centre (ROC), built on DNV's assurance frameworks for remote operations. It integrates distributed energy…

Classification society ABS has reviewed bound4blue's methodology for calculating Pwind values used to quantify the contribution of the company's eSAIL suction sails toward compliance with maritime emissions regulations.The review covered the company's methodology for producing aerodynamic force matrices used in Pwind calculations for the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI), the Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI) and FuelEU Maritime compliance.bound4blue said the methodology combines computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling…

ABS has launched Eagle CRoute, an online tool designed to help containership operators improve operational flexibility through route-based lashing reduction factor calculations.Changing port rotations, blank sailings, evolving stowage plans and shifting geopolitical conditions are increasing pressure on operators to make faster loading decisions. Eagle CRoute supports these decisions by calculating specific reduction factors for onboard lashing force assessments for any given…

The offshore energy industry is in the midst of a new investment cycle, driven by major developments in South America, renewed demand for energy security and an increasing reliance on digital technologies to improve asset performance. For Matt Tremblay, Senior Vice President, Global Offshore at the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), the opportunities are significant — but so are the challenges.Speaking with Offshore Engineer in Houston, Tremblay described an industry that is “very busy…

Looking back at history one could argue that it was French author Jules Verne in his book “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”, published in 1869, who was speculating about a new power source much in the same out of the box thinking that H.G. Wells employed when he wrote about inter-planetary flight in “War of the World’s. Verne was writing about “electricity” from batteries using seawater which he created after studying the model of the newly developed French Navy submarine “Plongeur” at the Exposition of 1867.In the novel…

The digitalization trend in offshore energy operations is hardly news, but the speed of technology evolution, driven by artificial intelligence with the companion threat of cyber breaches offers as many questions as answers, as many challenges as opportunities. To help put things in perspective Offshore Engineer TV interviewed Matt Tremblay, SVP, Global Offshore Markets, American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) recently in Houston to discuss the investments in effort and capital this…

ABS, Polaris Shipping, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and autonomous navigation solutions provider AVIKUS have signed a four-party Concept Study Agreement for the implementation of a Conditional Unmanned Bridge.Under the agreement, the parties will jointly develop an autonomous navigation concept enabling unmanned bridge operation during deep-sea voyages, when defined conditions are met, on one of Polaris Shipping's 325K Very Large Ore Carriers (VLOCs).The concept is not a fully unmanned operation across the entire voyage.

Antipollution, a member of V Group, and ONEX Shipyards & Technologies (ONEX) have signed a letter of intent covering the construction of up to eight eco vessels to be built to ABS Class in Greece.The project covers four vessels plus four options and marks a significant step for Greek shipbuilding while advancing environmental services for the country's maritime sector. To be constructed by ONEX, which is reviving shipyards in Elefsis and Syros, the vessels underscore growing investment…

ABS and MOBY Robotics Inc. have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to advance technologies supporting subsea mining and offshore mineral transport.The MoU establishes a framework for ABS to support MOBY in the development, certification and eventual classification of autonomous robotic systems and other key technologies in accordance with ABS Requirements for Subsea Mining and ABS Offshore Rules. Areas of focus include subsea and surface robotics, vertical lifting systems…

Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore (BV) has announced the appointment of Dr. Jeffrey Guo as Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific, and Maciej Lepicki as Vice President, Greater China, effective June 1, 2026.As Senior Vice President for Asia Pacific, Jeffrey succeeds Alex Gregg-Smith, who was appointed President of BV Marine & Offshore in January 2026. He will oversee the strategic development and operational management of BV's maritime business across the region, with responsibility for market growth…

Shipping companies including Maersk and mining giant Vale are turning to ethanol as a marine fuel to cut emissions as abundant supply and lower cost make it more attractive than other low-carbon fuels, with further commercial usage expected as early as next year.The use of ethanol in shipping could open a new demand channel for the fuel, which in some countries is blended into gasoline, while offering shipowners another pathway to cut conventional fuel use to meet emission reduction…

ABS and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (HD HHI), signed a joint development agreement to support the development of a U.S.-flagged 50,000 DWT oil and chemical tanker.Under the agreement, ABS will review the HD HHI design in accordance with ABS Rules and U.S. Coast Guard requirements.“From the first 100,000 DWT tanker to today’s most advanced tanker designs, ABS has provided owners and operators with the insight and guidance they need to achieve their goals, always with a focus on safety.

The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) have completed a joint development project for a high-efficiency 16,000-TEU ultra-large container ship equipped with a battery hybrid system.ABS awarded approval in principle (AiP) to HD KSOE and HD HHI for the vessel's electrical analysis and electrical design following design reviews conducted in accordance with class requirements.The project…

Connecticut Maritime Association has decided to move its annual meeting and exposition to Houston for the coming year. In the last few years attendance has shrunk and I suppose leadership thinks that Houston has more potential to draw interest from the maritime community. This leaves me to wonder what the “Maritime Community” actually is.Connecticut Maritime Association had an interesting origin. In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s many bulk ship owner/operators got sick of the long commute into New York City and decided to move their offices to Stamford Connecticut…

In an open letter to the industry, ABS has set out a measured and data-driven approach to support the development of an effective global framework for maritime decarbonization.Titled, The ABS View: A Practical Path Forward on IMO Mid-Term Measures, it reflects broad alignment across the industry on the need for one international approach to emissions reduction, while recognizing that implementation will be shaped by real-world constraints across the global fleet.The thinking is based on the findings of a detailed ABS assessment of the key drivers influencing the industry’s transition.

ABS issued approval in principle (AIP) for the integration of a nuclear reactor into a cargo vessel propulsion system developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) and Capital Maritime Group.This design uses a special synthetic fluid to carry heat from the reactor core. Today’s designs typically focus on micro-scale thermal outputs of 10 to 20 megawatts. The MIT design’s near-atmospheric operating pressure can allow for thinner…