Global Operations News

Chevron has chartered its first hybrid electric bunker tanker from V-Bunkers that will be used to provide fuel to maritime customers in Singapore region.The bunker tanker is expected to consume approximately 20% less fuel compared to a conventional tanker as it goes about its operations, which can reduce emissions and costs, according to Chevron.Instead of three auxiliary engines, as a conventional fueling barge this size would have, the barge has two auxiliary engines and an electric power distribution system.Current technology doesn’t allow barges to run completely on electricity…

ABB announced it has secured a 15-year agreement covering service for Carnival Corporation brand vessels powered by Azipod XO electric propulsion systems.The deal aims to simplify service management of Azipod XO propulsion units, with ABB experts remotely available 24/7 to support the vessels’ electric engineering crew on maintenance, based on ABB Ability Remote Diagnostic System and ABB Ability Condition Monitoring for Azipod propulsion. The owner accumulates data about Azipod propulsion performance…

Team Resolute, a consortium of Navantia UK, BMT and Harland & Wolff, has unveiled its evolved design for a Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ship.The progress towards a mature design is a key part of the UK Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) £1.6 billion 'Manufacture Contract’ for three FSS ships that will provide the Royal Fleet Auxiliary with enhanced capability to support global operations for the Royal Navy. The design from BMT’s UK based engineers and naval architects represents a significant advancement in naval logistics capability…

Meyer Group has appointed Bernd Eikens as Group CEO starting in December 2023.Eikens has worked in different management positions for UPM-Kymmene for 25 years, since 2013 as a member of the group executive team. His international career includes positions in the US, China, Germany and Finland. Most recently, he headed the successful implementation of a pulp mill project in Uruguay with an investment volume of $3.5 billion.He has been a member of the Meyer Turku advisory board since 2019 and…

Cargill has signed a three-year contract that will see ZeroNorth become Cargill’s primary software provider for optimisation of over 600 vessels. Cargill commenced its strategic partnership with ZeroNorth in 2020. The partnership has expanded over time, with Cargill and ZeroNorth working together to develop ZeroNorth’s fuel model and dry bulk solutions.Eman Abdalla, Global Operations Director for Cargill Ocean Transportation, added: “We are delighted to announce that we’ve chosen ZeroNorth as our vessel and voyage optimisation digital platform.

The Sea Cargo Charter, a global framework for assessing and disclosing the climate alignment of chartering activities, has released its annual report covering 2022, highlighting the disclosure of emissions data and calling for action from the IMO.The 33 signatories covered by the report account for more than 17% of total bulk cargo transported by sea over the year. Their average reporting rate increased since last year to 90%.“While achieving full decarbonisation by 2050 may seem far off…

Malmö, Sweden-based Chris-Marine is long-tenured in the business of keeping engines running smoothly, efficiently. Led by its energetic young CEO Jens Groth, this 60-year-old- company finds itself in transition: firmly rooted in its traditional business of creating the tools and technique to keep commercial ship engines running smoothly, but at the same time transitioning its revenue to include services, particularly as ships at sea increasingly run with fewer, less experienced crew.

Maritime satellite communications company Marlink has completed the migration of UNI-TANKERS’ owned fleet to its global hybrid network solution.The Danish shipping company UNI-TANKERS selected Marlink as an expert partner to support its digital transformation, combining hybrid high-throughput connectivity with cloud-data access, remote IT support, and proactive cyber security to improve performance and operational safety. UNI-TANKERS runs a fleet of approximately 40 owned and chartered oil and chemical tankers.

Svitzer, the towage arm of Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk, announced two senior leadership appointments: Kasper Karlsen as Global Chief Operating Officer and Deniz Kirdar True as Managing Director in the AMEA region.Karlsen has held different leadership positions in the A.P. Moller-Maersk group over the last 15 years and has been with Svitzer since 2020, holding the role of regional COO in Europe and standing in as UK Managing Director following the merger of the UK North and South clusters in June 2022.

Palantir Technologies signed a deal valued at $20 million over five years to expand its partnership with South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries Group, one of the world's largest shipbuilding conglomerates. The conglomerate's shipbuilding affiliates including Hyundai Heavy will use Palantir's operating system, known as Foundry, to strengthen data-driven decision making, said Palantir's Chief Operating Officer Shyam Sankar.Companies in the export-driven economy, faced with supply chain snarls and volatility for raw material prices…

Crowley has appointed Bob Karl as senior vice president and general manager of the company’s new business unit, Crowley Wind Services. As Crowley elevates the scope of its offerings in wind energy, Karl will lead the company’s wind services team in the strategic development and expansion of services to support the emerging sector. The development of a wind service business unit will see the company continue to leverage its expertise and assets to provide landside and marine logistic solutions throughout the wind lifecycle.

Cummins said Thursday that Tom Linebarger will end his term as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Jennifer Rumsey, President and Chief Operating Officer (COO), will assume the role of President and CEO.Rumsey will be the seventh CEO and first woman to lead the company since it was founded in 1919. "Linebarger will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors and in an Executive Chairman role, working directly with Rumsey on specific initiatives that position the company for continued success…

Richard Murphy has been named President and Chief Executive Officer of BPA Worldwide, a leading global assurance provider of media, technology, events, and sustainability compliance. He replaces Glenn Hansen, who has announced his intent to retire in June 2023. In the interim, Hansen has been named Executive Strategic Advisor to focus on BPA iCompli Sustainability and Event Audit practices.Murphy brings 30 years of experience with BPA to this position. He was formerly Executive Vice President…

A.P. Moller-Maersk's towage operator Svitzer announced it will merge its U.K. North and U.K. South clusters into one unified team, in a move targeting greater operational efficiency and service delivery across the region."Like most businesses, Svitzer has been affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. In the U.K. specifically, Svitzer also faces the effects of Brexit, increased competition and continuously developing customer demands, all of which increase the need for regional alignment," the company said in a press release.

John McDonald will become ABS Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer as Tony Nassif has announced his plans to retire on December 31, 2021.As part of the company’s succession planning process, McDonald will assume the head operations role on July 26, 2021. Celebrating 25 years of service with ABS this year, McDonald joined ABS in 1996 as a surveyor and served in various frontline operational roles in Korea, the Northern Europe and Africa Region and the Central Region for the former Americas Division.

U.S.-based offshore support vessel owner Tidewater said Wednesday it had agreed to acquire Swire Pacific Offshore Holdings Limited (SPO), a subsidiary of Swire Pacific Limited for around $190 million. Tidewater said the transaction would create the industry’s largest fleet of offshore support vessels with 203 vessels in total, including crew boats, tug boats and maintenance vessels. "SPO’s fleet of 50 OSVs consists of 29 AHTS vessels and 21 PSVs; pro forma for the transaction…

DNV will acquire industrial cyber security specialist Applied Risk, aiming to build the world’s largest industrial cyber security practice.Cyber threats to the maritime community is a large and growing problem, with the maritime industry experiencing a 400% increase in attempted attacks between February and June 2020, according to Naval Dome. As proven by well-publicized examples in recent years, recovery can cost hundreds of millions of dollars and can effectively shutter global operations for extended periods.In January 2021…

Marlink, a smart network solutions provider, will provide a global hybrid network solution to vessels operated by Subsea 7, a subsea installation giant in the offshore energy industry space.Marlink will provide a secure hybrid network solution to Subsea 7, combining its global Sealink VSAT solution with L-band back-up, global 4G cellular services, and connection to the Tampnet network for operations in the North Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.The contract, of an undisclosed value…

French oil major Total said it will contribute to a project led by shipping giant Maersk aiming to develop new alternative fuels and carbon neutral solutions for ships.The nonprofit Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping was formed in 2020 as the maritime industry continues efforts to reduce its environmental footprint. The center will create overviews of decarbonization pathways, accelerate the development of selected decarbonizing fuels and powering technologies, and support the establishment of regulatory, financial and commercial means to enable transformation.

A.P. Moller-Maersk's towage operator arm Svitzer on Tuesday announced its commitment to become fully carbon neutral by 2040.The Denmark based company said it will am to reduce the CO2 intensity of its entire fleet by 50% by 2030, paving the way for fully carbon neutral operations in 2040 in line with A.P. Moller-Maersk’s ambition. Svitzer will measure progress against a 2020 baseline, which saw the company’s fleet of approximately 400 vessels emit 280,000 tonnes of CO2.Svitzer's decarbonization agenda includes changing the fuel mix of its fleet.

The names of the British Royal Navy's five next-generation Type-31 frigates have been announced by the First Sea Lord, Admiral Tony Radakin. Approved by HM The Queen, the vessels will be named HMS Active, HMS Bulldog, HMS Campbeltown, HMS Formidable and HMS Venturer.Grouped together as the Inspiration Class, the names of the new vessels are drawn from former warships and submarines whose missions and history will inspire Royal Navy operations. The names also represent the Royal Navy’s future vision: HMS Active signifies the forward deployment of Royal Navy ships to protect U.K.

Hornblower Group announced on Wednesday it has acquired two offshore vessels: the Seaward Explorer and Seaward Endeavor, previously the California Responder and Pacific Responder, respectively. Seaward Services, Inc. (SSI), part of the Hornblower Group of maritime businesses, is offering the multipurpose supply vessels for charter, with prompt availability.The Seaward Explorer and Seaward Endeavor were built at VT Halter Marine in Mississippi, commissioned by Marine Spill Response Company (MSRC) in response to the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

The Biden administration recently issued a sweeping Executive Order [1] aimed at protecting and enhancing competition, and the transportation sector—including air, ocean, and rail—is among the industries specifically identified and likely to see heightened antitrust scrutiny under the new directives. This executive action was soon followed by the long-awaited announcement of Biden’s pick to lead the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division (Division), Jonathan Kanter, who…