Firefighting Systems News

The William E. Moran has entered service in New York, bringing enhanced capability and performance to Moran’s evolving fleet. As the first vessel in the company’s next-generation class, it is purpose-built to meet the demands of modern port operations, support evolving customer needs, and advance Moran’s goals for safety, efficiency, and environmental responsibility. These next-generation tugs will be among the largest in the fleet, underscoring Moran’s continued focus on delivering safe…

A next-generation fire suppression system capable of autonomously detecting oil fires aboard naval vessels and targeting and extinguishing them has been developed domestically for the first time. The system uses AI to determine the authenticity of a fire, activating only when an actual fire occurs. It concentrates its discharge solely on the fire source, much like a firefighter extinguishing flames.A research team led by Senior Researcher Hyuk Lee at the AX Convergence Research Center…

Expansion into Harbor Tug sector helps Master Boat Builders nearly double in size, from 200 to 400 employees building eight to nine vessels per year, and the prospect of a new drydock plus additional partnerships and government construction contracts promises to power the company forward further, faster. Garrett Rice, President, Master Boat Builders, discussed the impetus for the company’s growth, and the growth in U.S. shipbuilding overall since the start of 2025 when President…

Johnson Controls International (JCI) and Denmark-based VIKING Life-Saving Equipment have signed a global agreement to provide coordinated fire safety service solutions for the maritime and offshore industries.As part of the partnership, VIKING has been appointed as the globally approved, trained, and certified service provider for all marine and navy firefighting systems and equipment supplied by JCI.JCI’s Marine and Navy division is a major global manufacturer of firefighting systems…

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released its report on the fire and subsequent loss of power on board the Finland registered roll-on/roll-off cargo ship Finnmaster at Hull, England.At 2013 on 19 September 2021, a fire broke out in the auxiliary engine room on the Finland registered roll-on/roll-off cargo ship Finnmaster during departure from Hull, England. Finnmaster lost power, but the fire was later extinguished and the vessel safely re-berthed with the assistance of tugs.

In 2023, the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) published a set of best practice and recommendations for the safe carriage of electric vehicles, and it has now published an updated version titled “Risk mitigation for the safe ocean and short-sea carriage of electric vehicles”.IUMI Secretary General, Lars Lange, explains: “The volume of cars being shipped by maritime transport globally is around 20 million units per annum. EVs have been transported in ever larger numbers since 2017.

The Maritime Technologies Forum (MTF) has published a comprehensive report, aimed at addressing the critical issue of transporting electric vehicles (EVs) on Pure Car and Truck Carrier (PCTC) vessels.The report, titled Safe Carriage of Electric Vehicles, offers detailed insights into the characteristics of EV fires and provides a framework for considerations necessary to supplement the safe carriage of EVs.The report further highlights the necessity of measures such as early detection…

Marine safety solutions provider VIKING Life-Saving Equipment and firefighting systems supplier FAIN have signed an exclusive worldwide agreement for VIKING to provide certified services for marine fire systems and equipment delivered and installed by FAIN.FAIN supplies the full spectrum of firefighting systems for marine use, including CO2, foam, DP, water-mist, sprinkler, alternative gases and more.Headquartered in Yangsan, South Korea, the company is a major supplier to shipyards in China…

Multraship Towage & Salvage has christened its newest tug, MULTRATUG 36, at its home port of Terneuzen in the Netherlands.The vessel is a Damen ASD Tug 3212, and represents the latest delivery from the order of three tugs Multraship placed with Damen to expand its fleet further to meet additional customer and project requirements.MULTRATUG 36 is a 32-meter tug, with a bollard pull of maximum 89.5 tonnes. This vessel is intended for deep-sea and coastal towage, salvage, and other operations.One of the upcoming projects the tug will support is the Princess Elisabeth Island project…

Aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) has been used to extinguish fires aboard maritime vessels since its introduction in the 1960s. For decades, AFFF was the foam of choice due to its effectiveness and affordability. However, over the last 15 years, its use has come under increased scrutiny due to health concerns related to its fluorinated materials.In 2009, international restrictions were introduced when perfluorooctanoic sulfonic acid (PFOS), a per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS)…

Survitec, a provider of survival technology solutions, has welcomed recent fire safety guidance from classification society DNV but warns that additional steps are necessary to ensure methanol-fuelled vessels are fully fire-safe.In a study published in their White Paper, “Do we need new fire safety standards for methanol?”, Survitec reveals that traditional fire-fighting methods are inadequate for dealing with methanol fires. The findings, presented this week at the SMM trade fair in Hamburg…

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has selected Star International to provide safety maintenance for its three-strong fleet of smaller-sized cruise ships.The five-year partnership includes the annual inspection and repair of firefighting systems and life-saving equipment (including SOLAS inflatable lifejackets) onboard the Bolette, Borealis and Balmoral.Star’s Managing Director, Matthew Ball, commented: “Having worked with Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines on a number of occasions recently, we were delighted when they approached us for this long-term contract to help safeguard their passengers and crew.

Multraship Towage & Salvage has christened its newest tug, Multratug 35, at its home port of Terneuzen, the Netherlands.The vessel is a Damen ASD Tug 3212. Damen and Multraship signed the contract for the vessel – together with a second, identical ASD Tug 3212 – in June last year. Prior to the contract, Damen had already commenced construction on the tugs as part of its practice of building standard vessels for stock. Multraship’s Managing Director, Captain Leendert Muller, said: “Our business has grown to meet additional customer and project requirements…

New Orleans-based marine towage provider Crescent Towing announced it has taken delivery of its newest tugboat, Angus R. Cooper II.The new escort tug was constructed at Blakeley BoatWorks in Mobile, Ala., to be added to Crescent's ship assist operations in the Port of Savannah, Georgia. It is powered by twin Caterpillar 3516E EPA Tier 4 engines, each producing 3,004HP to power Kongsberg 255 fixed pitch azimuthing drives (z-drives).This vessel is named in recognition of The Cooper Group’s longtime Chairman and CEO.

Battery-powered Öresundslinjen ferry notches up an environmental first with turnkey conversion and decontamination of soon to be outlawed PFAS/PFOS fire-fighting foam to an environmentally friendly alternative.Scanunit has carried out what it believes is the world’s first replacement and decontamination of a PFAS/PFOS1 foam firefighting system on a commercial vessel. Aurora, a 1992-built ferry operated by EQT-owned Öresundslinjen (a subsidiary of Molslinjen), was the vessel concerned…

The first large cruise ship ever to be built in China has been delivered, potentially leading the way for a new market player to rise within the global cruise shipbuilding industry.The 5,246-passenger Adora Magic City, built by China State Shipbuilding Corporation’s (CSSC) Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding (SWS) based on Fincantieri' Vista-class design, will commence its maiden voyage from Shanghai in January 2024, operated by Asian cruise line Adora Cruises.The Chinese-built ship will service the domestic market with four-to-five day sailings…

A new IMO resolution will see the phase-out of foam firefighting systems that use fluorinated foams containing perfluoro-octane sulfonic acid (PFOS) as the foam-producing component. The new rules come into effect under a rolling programme beginning in 2026, but Swedish maritime engineering specialist Scanunit believes that a proactive replacement strategy should be put into effect now.Foam firefighting systems on ships typically make use of a family of synthetic chemical compounds known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended Tuesday that engine-room fire detection and fixed fire extinguishing systems be installed in small passenger vessels previously exempted from U.S. Coast Guard regulations in Subchapter K.The NTSB issued the recommendations after investigating an engine room fire aboard the Spirit of Norfolk during a sightseeing cruise near Naval Station Norfolk, Viriginia, on June 7, 2022, with 108 people on board. The fire was too large for the crew to fight, and the passengers and crew were evacuated to other vessels.

U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced more than $703 million to fund 41 projects in 22 states and one territory that designed to help improve port facilities through the Maritime Administration’s Port Infrastructure Development Program. Following is the full list of FY 2022 Port Infrastructure Development Grant Awards:ALASKANorth Extension Stabilization Step 1 Project ($68,700,000), Anchorage, AlaskaThe Project will reconfigure and realign the shoreline within the “North Extension” (the area north of the existing general cargo terminals) at the Port of Alaska in Anchorage, Alaska.

Lindblad Expeditions has shared images of its newest fleet addition ahead of the vessel's inaugural voyage in the Galápagos Islands.The National Geographic Islander ll is an expedition cruise ship acquired to replace Lindblad Expeditions' vessel National Geographic Islander for year-round operations in the Galápagos. Accommodating just 48 guests in 26 suites, the ship will sail for Lindblad Expeditions with a 1:1 guest-to-crew ratioThe 3,370 GT, 280-foot-long ship was built by…

A containerized liquefied natural gas (LNG) solution jointly developed by Marine Service GmbH and Newport Shipping has received approval in principle (AIP) from classification society Bureau Veritas (BV).The 40' ISO LNG Fuel Tank Container System is suitable for LNG-fueled newbuildings and retrofits of container vessels.The LNG fuel tank container is a class approved Type C LNG fuel tank in accordance with the IGF-code and is based on German TÜV certified IMDG Container. The capacity of the tank is 31 gross tonnes and about 33m3 of LNG.

The proliferation of serious fires onboard container ships in recent years has shocked the shipping industry. Here we examine the causes and impact of such fires and the urgent efforts being made by a wide variety of stakeholders to solve this seemingly intractable problem.Over the last decade there has been a 70% fall in ship total losses[1]. This has been widely credited to long term improvements in ship safety management and loss prevention programs. Counter to this trend, there has been a substantial increase in the number of fires in containers carried onboard container and RoRo ships.

Finnish shipbuilder Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) revealed it has entered into three major supply contracts worth over €100 million ($117.4 million) in total for the main equipment of Pohjanmaa Class multi-purpose corvettes commissioned by the Finnish Defense Forces.The most crucial contracts for the supply of critical main equipment with long delivery times were signed during spring and summer in highly unusual circumstances, the shipbuilder said, adding that the coronavirus pandemic has posed significant challenges to numerous businesses…