Dockyard News

Ongoing fleet renewal by niche player Cool Carriers indicates continuing competitiveness at scale of the specialized, pallet-optimized reefership.Not so long ago, it seemed that the unrelenting march of containerization and ever-widening influence of the powerful ocean container line entities would finally usurp the conventional, breakbulk refrigerated cargo vessel. However, Limassol, Cyprus-headquartered Cool Carriers, the largest operator in the sector, displays remarkable resilience…

Nord Gas Solutions has been contracted to supply the Cargo Handling System (CHS) and LPG Fuel Supply System (LFSS) for eight new 90,000 m³ Very Large Gas Carrier (VLGC) vessels ordered by BW LPG. The vessels will be constructed at HD Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HD HM), marking the first time that VLGC vessels will be built at this yard within HD. The contract was signed in August 2026.Nord Gas Solutions has maintained a close partnership with BW LPG throughout the years, supporting the owner with service and after-sales support for vessels in operation worldwide.

Indian marine automation provider Accurate Industrial Controls is set to begin converting three patrol boats to Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs) as part of a six-vessel deal with the Indian Navy.The company has already undertaken a feasibility assessment of the first three vessels ahead of converting them to fully autonomous boats at Mumbai’s Naval Dockyard.Dharmesh Popatlal Gala, Accurate’s director of AI & Robotics, said the three vessels include a 13m Fast Interceptor Craft (FIC) used in coastal reconnaissance and two larger 23m Immediate Support Vessels (ISV).

ACUA Ocean's Mk1 USV PIONEER has successfully completed a five-day remotely operated offshore demonstration, validating persistent, multi-domain maritime operations using an uncrewed surface vessel.On Monday 22 June 2026, PIONEER departed Turnchapel Wharf, Plymouth, and operated continuously 16–20 nautical miles offshore until Friday 26 June, completing more than 100 hours at sea without physical intervention. The demonstration combined two independent mission systems operating simultaneously:A CommsAudit SPECTRA Super Resolution Direction Finding (SRDF) surveillance system…

Yiulian Dockyard Hong Kong is open for business following a major facility upgrade and workforce expansion, with on-site digital twin pipe fabrication adopted in cooperation with Irwin Limited.As the only dockyard in China that accepts vessels alongside laden, the yard targets unplanned dockings for vessels working southern China container ports (Hong Kong, Yantian, Shekou, Nansha) and the Pearl River Delta.General Manager Zhong Ying said: “To enter any other dockyard in China, you would be required to discharge your cargo first. In Hong Kong, you can come alongside laden.

Babcock International Group has confirmed the location for its new Capability Centre in Plymouth - a major milestone in plans to relocate up to 2,000 highly skilled employees into the heart of the city.The new Capability Centre will be based at 40-46 Royal Parade.Establishing this new facility, in addition to the Dockyard, will enable Babcock to free up vital space at its Devonport site, supporting the continued focus on delivering critical and complex Ministry of Defence programs in the South West.Harry Holt…

Japan’s Japan Engine Corporation and Kawasaki Heavy Industries have begun hydrogen co-firing operations on a full-scale main engine designed for large commercial vessels, marking a step toward the development of hydrogen-powered shipping.The work forms part of a government-backed project under New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, with participation from Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), MOL Drybulk, Onomichi Dockyard and ClassNK.The companies said the engine…

ABB has won a contract to deliver a fully integrated electrical power, propulsion and automation system for two hybrid-electric cable repair vessels being built for French shipowner Orange Marine at Colombo Dockyard PLC in Sri Lanka.The vessels, scheduled for delivery in 2028 and 2029, will support submarine cable maintenance operations across the Atlantic and Indian oceans as well as the Mediterranean, Black and Red seas. Orange Marine is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Orange Group and specializes in the installation and maintenance of subsea telecommunications cables.Under the agreement…

Tsuneishi Yura Dockyard has completed the prescribed technical training and consequently obtained an Approved Repair Yard license from GTT.GTT’s membrane containment systems currently equip approximately 85% of the LNG carrier fleet in operation worldwide.To date, Tsuneishi has focused on repair work for MOSS-type LNG carriers, accumulating a total of 108 completed vessels since the first one in 1982. “We will continue to develop our capabilities to enable repair and maintenance of both MOSS-type and membrane-type LNG carriers…

Norwegian ship designer and builder VARD has secured on order from France’s Orange Marine for two additional cable laying and repair vessels of the VARD 9 03 design, to be built at Colombo Dockyard in Sri Lanka.The vessels will be based on the same design as CS Sophie Germain, delivered to Orange Marine in July 2023.The order continues a long-standing collaboration between VARD and Orange Marine that began in 2012, when VARD was selected to design and construct the fiber optic cable laying and repair vessel Pierre de Fermat…

ClassNK has launched a joint pilot test with ten Japanese companies for its drawing approval system ‘NK-PASS’ and the ‘ClassNK 3DViewer, both compatible with 3DMBA (3D Model-Based Approval), scheduled for official release in spring 2026.3DMBA is an approach in which approval processes are centered on 3D models instead of conventional 2D drawings, and its adoption is expanding globally. By utilizing 3D models, it is expected to enhance visualization and accuracy for information that was difficult to identify in traditional processes…

US Coast Guard Sector San Juan Command Center watchstanders and the crew of the Horten Liberian-flagged tanker rescued a capsized rower in the Atlantic Ocean east of Puerto Rico, Wednesday night.Benoit Bourguet, 47, was in his single-man rowing vessel, City of Liverpool, which was reportedly struck by two rogue waves and capsized in 13 to 15-foot seas which forced Bourguet to deploy and board his life raft.Bourguet and the City of Liverpool vessel were competing in the World’s Toughest Row Race, a 3,000-mile rowing race from San Sebastian de la Gomera, Spain, to Nelson’s Dockyard in Antigua.

India’s Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE) that sets the stage for long term cooperation between the two companies. They have agreed to jointly explore newbuilding opportunities in India and abroad and to share technical expertise.KSOE oversees the operations of some of the world’s largest shipyards, including Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hyundai Mipo Dockyard and Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries.CSL has built a robust reputation as a key player in India’s maritime sector.

U.K. defense contractor Babcock International has unveiled plans to relocate over 2,000 staff from its Devonport Royal Dockyard to a new center in Plymouth city center, in a move designed to stimulate regional economic growth and social development.The announcement comes as Babcock outlines its increasing influence across society as its impact, beyond the balance sheet from the Defense Dividend, is revealed.To further unlock potential and transform thousands of lives and businesses…

Indian state-owned Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders said it would buy a controlling stake in Sri Lankan peer Colombo Dockyard in a deal not exceeding $52.96 million to grow its shipbuilding and repair business.The transaction, involving the acquisition of at least 51% equity in Colombo Dockyard, will close within six months, after which the Sri Lankan shipbuilder will become a part of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, according to a regulatory filing on Friday.Colombo Dockyard was not immediately available for comment outside business hours.Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders also builds warships and submarines, and

Lloyd’s Register (LR) and HD Hyundai MIPO Dockyard (HMD) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on advancing digital manufacturing for Type C tanks.The MoU sets out a joint commitment to develop and verify a streamlined, digitally enabled production process for Type C tanks, which are expected to see increased demand due to their ability to store pressurized and cryogenic cargo/fuel of LNG or liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO2).It aims to establish a transparent quality assurance scheme through the production of Type C tanks for storing LNG or LCO2.

For more than 120 years, Tsuneishi Shipbuilding has been a force in global shipbuilding, evolving from a small domestic enterprise into an internationally respected brand. Established in 1903 by Katsutaro Kambara, Tsuneishi's journey mirrors the broader industrial and economic transformations of Japan and the maritime world itself.Kambara's initial venture, Kambara Kisen Co., Ltd., was focused on shipping operations. By 1917, the company established its own construction and repair facility, Shiohama Dockyard, at the site of today's Tsuneishi Factory.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended a ceremony for the launch of a "new multi-purpose destroyer", state media KCNA reported on Saturday.The 5,000-tonne warship was equipped with the "most powerful weapons" and built "within 400-odd days perfectly with our own strength and technology", the report said, quoting Jo Chun Ryong, a secretary in the ruling Workers' Party.Kim, in a speech from the launch reported by KCNA, said the warship would be handed over to the navy and go into…

‘Bingo42’ is namesake of an innovative new 42,000 dwt bulk carrier that will be jointly developed and marketed by Onomichi Dockyard and Tsuneishi Shipbuilding, a pair of historic Japanese shipbuilders. The name Bingo 42 is derived from ‘Beyond Innovation, Navigating Green Ocean’, and the initiative was driven by the recognition of a shared challenge concerning the design workload for new vessels. In Japan, shipyards typically undertake all stages of design, from basic design to production, on an individual company basis.

Crowley’s new LNG-powered containership Quetzal has successfully begun its inaugural commercial voyage, opening the company’s next era of faster, frequent ocean shipping with a new class of vessels for the U.S., Central America and the Dominican Republic.With capacity for up to 1,400 20-foot container equivalent units (TEUs), Quetzal and its three forthcoming sister Avance Class ships will provide more cargo capacity while using lower-emissions liquefied natural gas (LNG) for fuel.

The multi-purpose vessel Prima Verde, said to be the world’s first vessel able to run on marine gas oil (MGO) and wind assisted propulsion simultaneously, has been delivered.Operated by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) company MOL Drybulk and owned by Daishin Shipping, the vessel), was delivered at Onomichi Dockyard.The vessel has a range of environmentally friendly features, and is the world's first vessel of any type to use green steel materials, an engine that can run exclusively on marine gas oil (MGO) and a wind assisted vessel propulsion system.JGreeX…

Green Yard Kleven and the Brazilian shipowner Oceanica have signed a contract to convert the vessel Oceanicasub XVII from an Anchor Handling Tug Supply (AHTS) vessel to a ship capable of performing Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) operations.Oceanicasub XVII will be equipped with mezzanine decks for ROV equipment, extended crew capacity, and areas for charterers. At the same time, the ship will undergo a general upgrade and class re-approval.The UT712L anchor handler vessel was originally delivered from Green Yard Kleven as B313 back in 2007 under the name Rem Balder.

Successful engine-retrofit of Very Large Container Vessel ‘Maersk Halifax’ to dual-fuel ME-LGIM unit. MAN Energy Solutions has announced the successful retrofit of the main engine of the ‘Maersk Halifax’ to a dual-fuel MAN B&W ME-LGIM unit. MAN PrimeServ, MAN Energy Solutions’ after-sales division, carried out the work, the first such project globally involving a VLCV (Very Large Container Vessel).The 15,000 teu vessel entered service in 2017 and was originally powered by an MAN B&W 8G95ME-C9.5 prime mover.