Charterers News

Heidelberg Materials Northern Europe has taken a decisive step toward low-emission coastal logistics with the development of a next-generation methanol-powered cement carrier, an 80% emissions-cutting vessel that could redefine short-sea bulk operations in Scandinavia. Planned to enter service in early 2028, the newbuild is the product of a multi-stakeholder public-private partnership involving the Hartmann Group, the Green Shipping Programme (GSP) and the Norwegian NOx Fund,…

Marine decarbonization testing and advisory services company VPS has launched the latest update of its digital data-driven decarbonization platform, Maress 2.0.Maress monitors main engine and emissions equipment performance for offshore vessels. With powerful new analytics, high-resolution vessel insights and an intelligent data validation engine, Maress 2.0 helps its users sail smarter, improve their vessel and fleet performance and trust their data like never before.Maress 2.0 is designed to give users actionable insights at every level…

International shipbroker IFCHOR-Galbraiths (IG) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Brazilian dry bulk shipbroker Aries Shipping. Founded in 2005, Aries Shipping is a Rio de Janeiro based firm led by Marcela Rosman and Bruna Moraes.This move follows IG’s launch of a Houston desk dedicated to the US Jones Act tanker market and forms part of a broader strategy to expand its global footprint by establishing very experienced local teams in high-growth regions. South America is a growing market for commodities trading…

NYK Line and BHP Group have renewed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) reinforcing both companies’ commitment to support decarbonization and improv the safety of vessel operations.The renewed MoU continues research on technologies for ammonia dual-fuel vessels, the trial of biofuels and other measures to advance low-carbon shipping.Emma Roberts, Vice President Maritime & Supply Chain Excellence, BHP, said: “BHP welcomes the opportunity to build on our shared history with long-term strategic partner, NYK Line.

The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD), AIM Horizon Investments, and their partners have announced the successful closing of the Fund for Energy Efficiency Technologies (FEET), securing total commitments of up to $35 million, exceeding its initial target.As the world’s first fund for vessel retrofits leveraging a pay-as-you-save repayment mechanism, FEET directly addresses the long-standing financial barriers hindering the sector’s uptake of vessel retrofits.The fund has drawn strong interest from across the maritime value chain…

Accelleron, Turbo Systems United—its joint venture—and seawise have entered into a partnership agreement to expand the reach of Accelleron’s digital solutions in the Japanese maritime market. Under this agreement, certain Accelleron digital solutions, including LOREKA360° Tekomar XPERT Engine, will be available as optional features on seawise’s vessel data platform, swDPF. This marks the first such collaboration in Japan and is expected to enhance swDPF’s functionality while strengthening…

Sea, the intelligent marketplace for fixing freight, and Pole Star Global, the maritime compliance authority behind PurpleTRAC, have together transformed how charterers, compliance teams, and legal administrators manage regulatory risk.Now fully integrated, Sea’s Recap Manager, a solution for recap and contract management, and PurpleTRAC’s sanctions screening and vessel monitoring solution are powering a smarter, faster, and more secure approach to fixing freight in the tanker market. With 100% screening certainty, every vessel that is entered in Recap Manager is automatically vetted.

The U.S. and China on Tuesday began charging additional port fees on ocean shipping firms that move everything from holiday toys to crude oil, making the high seas a key front in the trade war between the world's two largest economies.A return to an all-out trade war appeared imminent last week, after China announced a major expansion of its rare earths export controls and President Donald Trump threatened to raise tariffs on Chinese goods to triple digits.But after the weekend…

Where does true value lie in maritime digitalization? How are shipowners leveraging improvements in data quality and how can a single source of truth support and inform decision-making? To kick-off London International Shipping Week, ABS Wavesight assembled a panel of industry leaders to seek out the answers, with CEO Staci Satterwhite asking the questions.The panel - made up of Robert Gaina, SVP, Commercial at Ardmore Shipping, Niraj Nanda, Chief Commercial Officer at Anglo-Eastern and Robert Desai, Chief Executive Officer at V.

Germany-based Bernhard Schulte Offshore (BSO) has taken delivery of its newest Commissioning Service Operation Vessel (CSOV), built by Ulstein Verft in Norway.The vessel, named Windea Clausius, was officially christened on September 4, and will serve the global offshore energy industry.Windea Clausius features two sterns and azimuth propellers at both fore and aft to ensure optimal performance in Dynamic Positioning (DP) operations, enhancing fuel efficiency.With the Ulstein’s TWIN X-STERN design…

Amid increasing pressure on shipping to achieve the IMO 2050 decarbonization targets, the Responsible Shipping Initiative (RSI) and DNV have completed a new study: "Decarbonization of the short sea dry bulk fleet", co-funded by the Swedish Transport Administration. The study finds that while Swedish cargo owners and charterers are committed to greener practices, a lack of regulatory and economic incentives for smaller tonnage is hindering their progress.Europe’s short sea general cargo fleet is ageing rapidly…

The London P&I Club has renewed calls on ship owners, operators and charterers to address potential risks when loading Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (FIBCs) containing dry chemicals. The warning follows a number of incidents reported across the industry including hold fires and cargo damage in bulk carriers and general cargo ships. The issue is particularly common with vessels loading in Chinese ports.Claims resulting from the incorrect storage and handling of FIBCs, also known as "jumbo bags," can lead to significant claims, the Club notes.

Carbon Ridge, a developer of onboard carbon capture and storage solutions for the maritime industry, has achieved a shipping industry first with the successful deployment of a centrifugal onboard carbon capture system (OCCS) aboard an LR2 product tanker owned by Scorpio Tankers Inc.Conducted in partnership with Scorpio Tankers Inc., a leader in the seaborne transportation of refined petroleum products, the pilot aboard the vessel signals a milestone in the development and scaling…

Noatum Maritime, part of AD Ports Group’s Maritime & Shipping Cluster, opened its first office in Shanghai dedicated to its agency and maritime services arm – Noatum Maritime Services. The new office contributes to the Group’s international expansion strategy and capitalises on Shanghai’s prominence as a major trade and logistics hub.Noatum Maritime Services provides comprehensive solutions to charterers, owners, operators and ship managers for all vessel and cargo types, from load to discharge, leveraging expertise gained from operating in more than 814 ports worldwide across 118 countries.

Several Greek-managed tankers transporting Russian oil to Asia are increasingly avoiding the Red Sea, opting instead for the longer route around Africa, due to escalating security threats from Houthi attacks, three oil traders and LSEG shipping data show.The rerouting follows a deadly drone and speedboat assault earlier this month on a Liberian-flagged, Greek-operated bulk carrier off Yemen, which killed four seafarers. The Iran-backed Houthi group also sank another vessel in July…

IntroductionThe increase in geopolitical tensions in the Middle East recently resulted in Iran threatening to close the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz (the “Strait”) to international shipping. Inevitably, this led to considerable concern over the impact that the closure of the Strait (or attacks on vessels passing through the Strait) would have on the flow of goods and energy products, as well as the potential disruption to international markets that would drive up prices.The Strait holds geographical importance as one of the world’s most important choke points.

Australia’s BHP Group has signed contracts with COSCO Shipping Bulk, a subsidiary of COSCO Shipping, for the charter of two ammonia dual-fueled Newcastlemax bulk carriers.The new vessels to be built under the arrangement will be two of only a handful of vessels in the world capable of using ammonia as a marine fuel.The two vessels, expected to be delivered from 2028, will primarily transport iron ore from Western Australia to Northeast Asia.When run on lower or low to zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions ammonia…

In a webinar organized by the Maritime Authority of Jamaica this week, some of the top names in the maritime world came together to endorse the International Maritime Organization’s Day of the Seafarer initiative.This year Day of the Seafarer took the theme of ‘My Harassment-Free Ship,’ stating that bullying and harassment was unacceptable in all its forms, with those on the webinar looking at ways bullying could be stamped out.Hosted by Sean Moloney, the panel comprised of Captain Steven Spence (Head of Safety…

Bernhard Schulte Offshore announced the delivery of its latest Commissioning Service Operation Vessel (CSOV) from Ulstein Verft in Norway. The newbuilding, which was christened ‘Windea Curie’ on June 26, is now being deployed for the charterer TenneT, an offshore transmission system operator in the European Union, to support its offshore grid connection facilities in the North Sea.‘Windea Curie’, which utilizes Ulstein’s TWIN X-STERN design, features two sterns and azimuth propellers located at both fore and aft…

“Every owner’s playbook needs to keep a line of sight on three things—regulation, technology readiness timelines and boundary conditions – and must include the elements needed for a short-, mid- and long game such as energy retrofits, electrification and nuclear.”That was the message from Christopher J. Wiernicki, ABS Chairman and CEO, to Greece’s foremost shipowners, ship managers, and charterers at the ABS Hellenic National Committee Meeting.“The solution calculus for owners in today’s operating environment is 70% fuel, 15% energy efficiency and 15% performance optimization.

The global maritime sector is entering an era of heightened geopolitical and regulatory uncertainty that threatens to offset long-term safety gains, according to Allianz Commercial’s 2025 Safety and Shipping Review. While vessel losses have reached a record low, the industry faces a volatile landscape shaped by trade conflict, increased sanctions, shadow fleets, and ongoing security threats in key shipping lanes.The review underscores how fast-evolving global tensions — from attacks…

As the FuelEU Maritime regulation enters into force, the shipping industry may be looking at a surprising upside. Instead of acting solely as a cost driver, the regulation could create a net financial gain, potentially around USD$279 million (€250 million), according to a recent analysis by maritime data and compliance firm OceanScore.OceanScore’s analysis focuses on the balance of GHG intensity compliance under FuelEU. The initial compliance deficit across vessels exceeding the regulation’s threshold is estimated at around 2.1 million metric tons (MT) of CO₂e…

There were 57 ships in the queue at the Port of Newcastle in Australia when the Pasha Bulker ran aground there in 2007.The coal ship was grounded for about three weeks before it was able to be towed away for repairs.The Pasha Bulker wasn’t the only vessel that had attempted to ride out the gale at anchor, and the majority of other vessels that did so also dragged their anchors.The port subsequently implemented a vessel arrival system which involves issuing a notice of readiness seven days in advance so vessels can adjust their arrival time accordingly.