Build News

A record crowd of more than 900 industry and community representatives gathered for the 11th annual State of the Port, where Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka outlined his vision for the future, highlighting “Build Bigger and Build Smarter” investment priorities.Hosted by the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association since 2016, ticket proceeds from the event have now raised more than $350,000 for local non-profit organizations. This year’s recipients were EXP and the Toberman Neighborhood Center in San Pedro.Seroka announced the Port handled 10.2 million container units in 2025…

At a general meeting of Kongsberg Gruppen on Thursday afternoon, the separation of Kongsberg Maritime was formally approved by the shareholders. The plan is to list the maritime company on the Oslo Stock Exchange on April 23.Kongsberg Gruppen ASA, as we know it today, will continue as two companies. The business areas Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and Kongsberg Discovery will form the new KONGSBERG, while the business area Kongsberg Maritime will be spun off as its own company…

As global demand for data storage and processing accelerates — driven by cloud computing, streaming media, and the explosive growth of artificial intelligence — the physical footprint of data centers has become a growing challenge. Land-based facilities face mounting constraints: limited space, water scarcity, grid congestion, long permitting timelines and rising community opposition. Against that backdrop, a once-niche concept is moving rapidly into the mainstream conversation: floating data centers.For maritime designers…

Oil prices slid about 2% on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump softened threats against Greenland and Iran, and as investors assessed the supply-demand outlook.Brent futures fell $1.01, or 1.6%, to $64.23 a barrel at 11:26 a.m. EDT (1626 GMT). U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell 96 cents, or 1.6%, to $59.66 a barrel, headed for its lowest close since January 15.Trump said he had secured total and permanent U.S. access to Greenland in a deal with NATO, whose head…

The Executive Management Team at UTC Overseas has announced the opening of its new office in Singapore, advancing the company’s global growth strategy and establishing its presence in the thriving Asia Pacific (APAC) market. The Singapore office will function both as the regional head office for UTC’s APAC expansion and as the local operational branch serving Singapore.UTC Singapore and the APAC Region will be under the leadership of Sven Hergemoeller, Executive Managing Director, Asia Pacific.

On Monday, January 19, 2026, production of the fifth vessel in the Icon Class began at the Meyer Turku shipyard. The ceremonial event held in the steel hall was attended by representatives of the ship’s owner Royal Caribbean Group, the Meyer Turku organization, and the classification society.The traditional steel-cutting ceremony marked the start of more than two years of construction and outfitting work, involving thousands of professionals across different fields. Once completed…

The Marshall Islands Flag State Administration and Bureau Veritas have formally approved SOLAS equivalency proposals submitted by Union Maritime and BAR Technologies for two MR2 tankers under construction at Wuhu Shipyard, China. The vessels will be equipped with BAR Technologies' WindWings advanced wind propulsion systems designed to reduce fuel use and emissions.The approvals cover detailed equivalency proposals addressing bridge visibility, navigation-light placement and radar line-of-sight, critical compliance factors affected by the installation of wing sails.

On January 20, Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will sign contracts for the construction of vessels for the Mar Aberto Program, an initiative aimed at renewing and expanding the Petrobras fleet.Petrobras and Transpetro are contracting five gas carrier ships, in addition to 18 barges and 18 pushboats, in a total investment of R$ 2.8 billion, with the potential to generate more than 9,000 direct and indirect jobs.All vessels will be operated by Transpetro and built in shipyards in three states.

A U.K.-led maritime consortium has set out plans to develop international standards for nuclear-powered commercial ships, as Britain seeks a leading role in efforts to decarbonize global shipping.The Maritime Nuclear Consortium, convened by Lloyd’s Register, brings together companies from the nuclear, maritime, insurance and regulatory sectors to address safety, security, regulation and commercial viability for nuclear-powered vessels.The consortium’s core members include Lloyd’s Register…

Subsea services provider OMS Group has signed contracts with Ulstein for the design and construction of two cable laying vessels (CLVs).The vessels will be designed by Ulstein Design & Solutions and constructed at Ulstein Verft, with delivery planned for 2028. Each vessel will be about 130 meters long and 22 meters wide, with cable capacity of up to 6,500 tonnes and accommodation for 75 people.The design includes two large cable tanks, two spare-cable tanks, an enclosed cable deck hangar, and an open deck above the hangar for remotely operated vehicles and containers.

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni urged NATO on Friday to develop "a coordinated presence" in the Arctic region to prevent tensions and respond to "interference by other actors", amid escalating tensions among Western allies over Greenland.In a letter read during the presentation of an Italian government paper on the Arctic, Meloni said the region was becoming increasingly important due to the development of new sea routes and its huge "energy and mineral resources".Italy…

Supermaritime, warehousing and breakbulk services provider, has announced that Milan Tevel will assume the role of General Manager Supermaritime Nederland, effective January 1, 2026. Milan Tevel succeeds Martien Burger, a longtime force behind Supermaritime’s expansion over the past decades. In addition, the company expands its warehousing capacity by almost 13,000 m2.Supermaritime provides stevedoring, cargo handling, global freight forwarding, and supply chain services for breakbulk shippers and carriers worldwide.

Singapore posted record port performance in 2025, supported by resilient global trade and fuel offtake.The nation achieved a record of 3.22 billion gross tonnage (GT) of vessel arrivals and 44.66 million TEUs of container throughput in 2025 – a 3.5% and 8.6% increase from 2024, respectively.Marine fuel sales also hit a new high at 56.77 million tonnes, a 3.4% increase from 2024, with continued growth in the use of alternative marine fuels, which increased to 1.95 million tonnes in 2025 compared to 1.35 million tonnes in 2024.On 14 January 2026…

Fluid Marine, a U.S. builder of mission-ready rigid inflatable boats for law enforcement, search and rescue, and commercial operators, announced today that Tony Van Meter has joined the company as Executive Vice President, effective January 12, 2026.Van Meter brings more than three decades of experience in the maritime industry, with a career that began in operational service with the United States Coast Guard, followed by service as a Marine Enforcement Officer, and later progressing…

PhilaPort capped off a milestone year in 2025, posting record container throughput and outperforming national and regional trade trends to remain a leader among U.S. East Coast container ports.PhilaPort handled a record 889,268 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2025, representing a 6% year-over-year increase in container volume. This result exceeded overall U.S. trade growth projections of approximately 3%, underscoring Philadelphia’s continued strength in the container market.

C&C Marine and Repair has delivered the M/V Al Sloss to Canal Barge Company, completing the first vessel in a four-boat newbuild series currently under construction for the New Orleans-based operator.The 2,600-horsepower, 87- x 34-ft. towboat was designed by C&C Marine and Repair’s in-house engineering team and constructed on an accelerated schedule, with delivery completed in approximately six months.Delivery of the remaining three vessels in the series is scheduled to follow at two- to three-month intervals.The M/V Al Sloss is powered by two Mitsubishi S12-R main engines…

In a strategic step to consolidate the country's industrial and export capacity, the ASENAV shipyard and multinational towage services company SAAM signed their first shipbuilding contract.The agreement outlines the manufacturing of a tugboat in Valdivia, designed under the strictest international standards. Construction is expected to take approximately 15 months, with the vessel scheduled to join SAAM's fleet in Canada during the first half of 2027.The vessel, a RAstar 3200W model designed by Robert Allan, will be 32 meters long and have over 80 tons of bollard pull.

Oil prices fell slightly on Monday after Iran said it had total control following the biggest anti-government demonstrations in years, easing some concerns over supply, while investors also weighed efforts to resume oil exports from Venezuela.Brent crude futures lost 28 cents, or 0.44%, to $63.06 a barrel by 1402 GMT while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $58.78 a barrel, down 34 cents, or 0.58%."Lower European equity markets and lack of additional supply disruptions is moderately weighing on oil prices…

Vard, the Norwegian subsidiary of the Fincantieri Group, has signed a new contract with existing customer Ocean Infinity for the design and construction of four Multi-Purpose Robotic Vessels (MPVs).The contract, whose value exceeds $230 million (€200 million), also includes a comprehensive scope of supply from Vard Electro, which will deliver the full suite of SeaQ systems for remote operations.Also, Vard Interiors, responsible for the complete interior solutions, will combine…

The Rio Tinto marine team ia a leading charterer, chartering and operating a fleet of more than 230 ships to transport over 300 million tonnes of product every year. Glencore shares rose by 10% on Friday following news it is in talks with Rio Tinto  about a takeover that would create the world's largest mining group, valued at almost $207 billion.While Glencore gained, Rio Tinto shares fell by as much as 3%, reflecting investor scepticism towards a deal and concerns it will overpay.The two miners have discussed combining their operations before.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced today that it will reissue 56 existing nationwide permits and issue one new permit for work in wetlands and other waters that are regulated by Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and/or Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899.One existing permit will not be reissued.A pre-publication copy of the new final nationwide permit action is posted to the Office of the Federal Register website. The final action is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register in the coming days.

Francbord, a new Breton industrial group resulting from the evolution of the Ecomer group, announced its merger with the SME Enag, strengthening the group's position as a supplier of technological solutions dedicated to the maritime sector and industry.This operation was made possible thanks to a new fundraising initiative by the maritime sector decarbonization fund managed by Bpifrance, Unexo, a subsidiary of Crédit Agricole, Go Capital, and the Mer Invest fund, a subsidiary…

The quest to rebuild the U.S. iceabreaking fleet continues to move at lightening speed, with Seaspan Shipyards (Seaspan) signing agreements with Bollinger Shipyards (Bollinger) and Rauma Marine Constructions Oy (Rauma) to provide its Multi-Purpose Icebreaker (MPI) design and associated supply chain packages to enable rapid construction and delivery of up to six vessels for the U.S. Coast Guard’s Arctic Security Cutter (ASC) program.Rauma will build up to two vessels in Finland with delivery expected in 2028 under the contracts formally announced by the U.S. Coast Guard last week.