Cummins News

The December issue of Maritime Reporter magazine includes a feature story on Australian mining company Fortescue’s pioneering ammonia fuel trial on the platform supply vessel Green Pioneer.The Green Pioneer was named one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2025.The conversion journey of its diesel-electric power system to dual-fuel ammonia started in 2022, on land, when Fortescue converted a four-stroke Cummins engine at is Perth testing facility in Western Australia.“The Fortescue Green Pioneer is proof that safe, technical solutions for ammonia power engines exist” said Dr.

Maritime Partners has repowered the pushboat M/V John Austin, replacing its Cummins QSK38 (1300 hp @ 1800 rpm) with a Mitsubishi S12R-Y3 engine rated at 1260 hp @ 1600 rpm. After 28,000 hours on the previous platform, the decision to repower was driven by the need for reliability, reduced downtime, and a smarter long-term investment.The repower installation leveraged the vessel’s existing systems while making minor modifications. The S12R-Y3 fit within the original rail centers and paired with the Reintjes WAF 665 gearbox via adapter plate.

Carpentaria Marine Services, a marine services provider in northern Australia, is expanding its fleet after commissioning Incat Crowther to design a new multi-purpose offshore support vessel.Construction of the vessel, which will be deployed across northern and eastern Australia including Cape York and the Gulf of Carpentaria, is now underway at Richardson Devine Marine’s shipyard in Hobart, Australia.The new vessel will be utilized by Carpentaria Marine for a range of services including marine construction, dive operations, underwater surveying and remotely operated vehicle operations.

Interest in hybrid government and patrol boats is growing as boat builders demonstrate their many benefits.Launched last year at Seawork, Sweden-based Marell Boats says its M17 Patrol was the star of the show with its hybrid powertrain from Scania and propulsion system by Marine Jet Power.Like others in the patrol boat market, Project Manager Mario Celegin is seeing increasing interest in hybrid patrol boats. There’s a lot of reasons why: near-silent patrolling in electric mode…

The National Association of Manufacturers and CTIA has released a new joint report highlighting the key role 5G is playing in manufacturing in America.The report, "How 5G Is Modernizing Manufacturing," explores how manufacturers and wireless providers are leveraging robust commercial 5G networks to fuel the Manufacturing 4.0 movement and make American factories safer, more efficient, and more innovative.The wireless and manufacturing sectors are working together to leverage 5G's unprecedented speeds…

Kilimanjaro IX, a 53-metre high-speed ferry designed by digital shipbuilder Incat Crowther for Tanzania’s Azam Marine, has been launched by AFAI Southern Shipyard in Guangzhou, China and will soon begin sea trials.The vessel is the 12th high-speed ferry designed by Incat Crowther for the Tanzanian operator and will service Azam Marine’s popular routes to and from Dar-es-Salaam on the Tanzanian mainland and the islands of Zanzibar, Pemba, and Tanga.Capable of carrying 679 passengers at speeds of up to 37 knots…

Dating back to the year 1786, Thomas Jefferson wrote to a member of the Continental Congress on the importance of free press keeping government in check. He was quoted as saying if he had a choice between “a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to choose the latter.”The basis of the statement being that the government is the opinion of the people. It is not in the current U.S. shipping reporting.The first “newspaper” shipbuilding announcements consisted of new legislation capable of delivering us back to our former maritime dominance.

For the U.S. Navy, boats perform missions from mundane maintenance chores such as hull scraping and cleaning overboard discharges to clandestine special forces insertion and extraction. Some boats are about as basic as you can imagine, and some are equipped with sophisticated combat systems and weapons. Big or small, they all perform indispensable tasks for the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.Boats that are carried on and launched from ships are referred to as “shipboard boats,” to distinguish them from boats based at installations ashore.

Chem Carriers has completed the repower of the M/VCapt. Robert J. Banta, marking the final vessel in its current fleet to be powered by Laborde Products-supplied Mitsubishi engines. The twin-screw towboat is now running on twin Mitsubishi Tier 3 S12R-Y3MPTAW engines, each delivering 1,260 horsepower at 1,600 RPM.Originally built in 2015 by Main Iron Works of Houma, Louisiana, the 78-foot Capt. Robert J. Banta previously operated with Cummins QSK38 engines. With this repower, Chem…

Fortescue’s Green Pioneer, billed as the world’s first ammonia dual-powered vessel, left Singapore in January of this year on voyage past the Cape of Good Hope en route initially to Southampton, both for Port State Control and to demonstrate the use of ammonia in its engines to the UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), and then on to London’s Canary Wharf where is stayed through mid-April, before travelling to other north European ports.At the time when the IMO’s Marine Environment…

The maritime industry has worked with a single fuel source for over a century and with the rush to meet emission standards in both domestic and foreign markets, adapting to the current list of alternative fuels is going to present significant problems. Each market has its issues whether bluewater, brownwater, coastal, foreign or domestic.Chose any of the larger global shipbuilding yards and the basic bluewater ship design will include a large two stroke combustion engine.To remove…

Cummins received Approval in Principle (AIP) from DNV for its methanol-ready QSK60 IMO II and IMO III engines, available in power ratings from 2000 to 2700 hp (1491 - 2013 kW). The approval validates Cummins' retrofittable methanol dual-fuel solution for the global marine market.Cummins plans to launch the retrofit kits post-2028 to align with market demand and infrastructure readiness. Designed for diesel-electric systems, these kits can be integrated with battery technology…

BRIX Marine launched a Bridge Cat 49 (4519- DCT), built for Bridgemans Services Group. The personnel transfer vessel, Bridge Cat 49 (BC49), accommodates up to 45 passengers plus three crew and is built to meet Transport Canada passenger vessel requirements for use in British Columbia, Canada.The BC49 is constructed with a 45-foot aluminum hull and an 18.5-ft. beam, powered by twin Cummins QSL9 405HP diesel inboard engines paired with ZF marine transmissions for smooth operation. The vessel has a 500-gallon fuel capacity and a lightship weight of approximately 43,000 lbs.

Carboline has named Priscila Nobre as the company’s inaugural Vice President of Supply Chain. She will oversee the company’s Sales Inventory and Operations Planning, Service Centers, Customer Service and Transportation departments.Carboline is a global manufacturer of high-performance coatings, linings, and fireproofing products based in St. Louis, Missouri, US.“Recent economic and environmental crises show us how dependent customers are on their supply chains and how strong supply chains make strong customer relationships,” Nobre said.

Marine Jet Power (MJP), a global provider of waterjet propulsion, and Derecktor Shipyards New York announced the launch and christening of two groundbreaking passenger ferries for Chatham Area Transit (CAT) of Savannah, Georgia.These vessels represent a significant milestone as the first hybrid passenger ferries in the United States powered by waterjet propulsion.The two 65-foot ferries, The Juliette Gordon Low II and The Susie King Taylor II, powered by MJP UltraJet 305 waterjets, incorporate cutting-edge hybrid technology, marking a new era in sustainable maritime transportation.

There’s more to domestic dredging than meets the eye. Dredging Contractors of America CEO Bill Doyle is just the guy tell you why.William P. Doyle serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Dredging Contractors of America (DCA). DCA represents the dredging industry on key issues before Congress and is an active partner to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, public port authorities, state and local governments, as well as allied construction and maritime organizations.Immediately prior to this appointment, Mr. Doyle served as the Port of Baltimore’s Chief Executive for three years.

The maritime industry’s elusive quest to achieve so-called ‘zero’ emissions continues. Where it ends is not a one-size-fits-all discussion.The year-end maritime industry discussions tend to move away from global influence and back drift to national and domestic debates. As this happens, a positioning of a relatively small group of American owners and operators prepare for the upcoming business year and markets. The propulsion debate continues to be future fuels based upon sustainability and climate change.

Hong Kong & Kowloon Ferry Limited (HKKF) took delivery of two new hybrid ferries, designed by Incat Crowther and built by Hong Kong-based Cheoy Lee Shipyards. The 40-m ferries can transport up to 450 passengers and will service the busy commuter routes between Hong Kong and the islands of Lamma Island, Peng Chau, and Hei Ling Chau. Uniquely, one of the new ferries sports a carbon hull, while all others in the series of a nine vessel order will be aluminum hulls.Each vessel will…

All American Marine (AAM) has secured a contract to build a 63-foot hybrid catamaran for the Orange County Sanitation District (OC San).The Teknicraft Designed vessel, designed to support ocean sampling and scientific research, will feature a hybrid propulsion system powered by Cummins QSB 6.7 engines paired with ABB’s Series Hybrid technology.The vessel is designed to meet California’s zero-emissions standards, providing 30% of its operational power through a BorgWarner Energy Storage System (ESS)…

Silverback Marine has been awarded a multimillion-dollar DoD contract for its new OX series truckable tractor tug.Designed in collaboration with Elliot Bay Design Group of Seattle, Silverback Marine partnered with Darley Defense to secure the contract. Thespecific department of the DoD will remain anonymous until the first vessel is delivered, scheduled for late 2025.For illustrative purposes, Silverback Marine received permission from industry friends including Tradewinds Towing…

California shipbuilder Moose Boats announced it has secured a contract with the City and County of San Francisco to build an M1-46 fireboat to service the San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The vessel will be operated by the San Francisco Fire Department’s Airport Division.The 46-foot catamaran will be the rescue boat used by the San Francisco Fire Department in case of emergency at the airport—the 13th busiest in the U.S.According to San Francisco Fire, “The Airport Division is responsible for providing fire protection…

Birdon America on Thursday announced it has received a $14.75 million order from the U.S. Coast Guard for long lead time materials (LLTM) required to begin construction on the first Inland Construction Tender (WLIC) and the first River Buoy Tender (WLR).The vessels will be the first two built as part of Birdon’s $1.187 billion contract to design and build 27 new Waterways Commerce Cutters (WCC) to replace the Coast Guard's aging fleet of 35 inland tenders that support the service’s aids to navigation (ATON) mission in federal inland waterways.Denver-based Birdon America…

The first-of-its-kind hydrogen-fueled ferry Sea Change will soon begin public service, providing zero-emissions transport for passengers in San Francisco Bay.The groundbreaking commercial passenger vessel is the world’s first powered 100% by zero-emission hydrogen fuel cells. It was developed by owner SWITCH Maritime with grant support from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) as a solution to reduce emissions from the marine transportation system.A group of private and public sector partners came together to officially launch the Sea Change on July 12…