Marine Link
Saturday, April 4, 2026

Hall C News

31 Mar 2026

Drone Strike on Kuwaiti Oil Tanker off Dubai Signals Further Escalation in Gulf

© Nightman1965 / Adobe Stock

Tehran attacked and set ablaze a fully loaded crude oil tanker off Dubai on Tuesday, despite a threat by President Donald Trump that the U.S. will obliterate Iran's energy plants if it does not agree to a peace deal and open the Strait of Hormuz.Authorities in Dubai said the fire on the Kuwait-flagged Al-Salmi had been brought under control following a drone attack, with no oil leak and no injuries to the crew. Kuwait Petroleum Corp, the ship's owner, said the vessel's hull was damaged.The attack was the latest on merchant vessels in the strait…

25 Mar 2026

Asia Pacific Maritime 2026: Product Launches & Collaborations

Asia Pacific Maritime 2026 Opening Ceremony. Photo credit: Asia Pacific Maritime (APM)

Asia Pacific Maritime (APM) 2026 kicked off today to a record-breaking turnout, with its largest-ever edition occupying 6 exhibition halls across 2 levels at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands Singapore. Bringing together 819 exhibitors, including 20 international pavilions, the 19th edition sets the stage for three days of industry dialogue, innovation & tech breakthroughs in maritime collaboration, under the theme “Future of Vessels, Solutions for Tomorrow”.Navigating…

18 Mar 2026

From the Lakes, on the Lakes & for the Lakes: Captain Paul C. LaMarre III

Capt. Paul C. LaMarre III, Director Port of Monroe and President of the American Great Lakes Ports Association (AGLPA). Image courtesy AGPLA

For Capt. Paul C. LaMarre III, the maritime industry isn’t a career choice as much as it is a family inheritance — and, in his words, “all I’ve known my entire life.” In a recent interview with Maritime Reporter TV, Captain LaMarre gives unique insights on the operating efficiently, effectively and safely on the Great Lakes system – the United States’ ‘Fourth Sea’ – and with passion, intellect and purpose advocates for a strong U.S. maritime industry.A third-generation Great Lakes mariner…

10 Mar 2026

Report: COSCO Shipping Suspends Operations at Panama's Balboa Port

© LGAndrade / Adobe Stock

China's COSCO Shipping has suspended operations at Balboa port which is located at the entrance to the Panama Canal, according to local newspaper La Prensa, which published a notice to clients from the shipping and logistics conglomerate.Balboa is one of the two ports at the center of a year-long saga involving Washington, Beijing and the Panamanian government. The move follows a ruling by Panama's Supreme Court in late January that annulled the contract to operate the port held by a unit of Hong Kong's CK Hutchison.APM Terminals…

25 Feb 2026

EWM Welding Technology Sold in North America Through ESAB, Linde Collaboration

© ESAB

To offer U.S. fabricators access to advanced welding processes that improve performance and profitability, ESAB has collaborated with distributor Linde Gas & Equipment to sell welding technology from German manufacturer EWM in North America. Linde will feature EWM’s Titan XQ 500 puls, Titan XQ 400 puls and Phoenix XQ 505 puls multiprocess/pulsing welding systems at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026 in booth S63335, South Hall, Level 1.Manufacturers of construction, mining, aggregate and agricultural equipment especially benefit from the welding processes found in EWM machines…

25 Feb 2026

Babcock Celebrates Milestones in Type 31 Defense Program

© Babcock International Group

Babcock International Group has achieved two milestones in the delivery of the Royal Navy’s Type 31, Inspiration Class program, as the Steel Cut for HMS Bulldog and the Rollout of HMS Active took place at their Rosyth facility in Scotland.The ceremonial Steel Cut for HMS Bulldog marked the official start of build on the fourth of five Inspiration-class frigates, while the rollout of HMS Active saw the emergence of the second frigate from the purpose-built ship assembly hall, ahead…

20 Jan 2026

Production of Fifth Icon Class Ship Started at Meyer Turku Shipyard

On Monday, January 19, 2026, production of the fifth vessel in the Icon Class began at the Meyer Turku shipyard. The ceremonial event held in the steel hall was attended by representatives of the ship’s owner Royal Caribbean Group, the Meyer Turku organization, and the classification society.The traditional steel-cutting ceremony marked the start of more than two years of construction and outfitting work, involving thousands of professionals across different fields. Once completed…

20 Jan 2026

San Diego’s Historic Ferries Added to the National Register of Historic Places

© Flagship Cruises & Events

Two of San Diego Bay’s most cherished working vessels have earned national recognition. The Silvergate (built in 1940) and the Cabrillo have been officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Both vessels are owned and operated by Flagship Cruises & Events, San Diego’s oldest family-owned maritime fleet.This designation acknowledges the cultural, architectural, and maritime significance of the vessels, which are among San Diego’s last remaining historic ferries still operating on the water.

18 Jan 2026

China's Military Monitors US Vessels Transiting the Taiwan Strait

(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Justin Stack)

China's military said it had followed and monitored the transit of guided-missile destroyer USS Finn and oceanographic survey ship USNS Mary Sears through the Taiwan Strait on January 16 and 17, it said on an official WeChat account Saturday.A spokesman for the Eastern Theatre Command of the People's Liberation Army said in the statement that it remains "on high alert at all times" to "resolutely defend national sovereignty and security".The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.(Reuters - Reporting by Casey Hall; Editing by Toby Chopra)

09 Jan 2026

Ulstein Verft Launches First of Two JP Morgan’s CSOV Newbuilds

(Credit: Ulstein Verft)

Norwegian shipbuilder Ulstein Verft has launched first of the two offshore wind commissioning service operation vessels (CSOVs) under construction at its yard for J.P. Morgan.On January 2, Ulstein Verft towed the CSOV yard number 322 from the dock hall to the outer dock, where the yard’s heavy-lift department installed the vessel’s tower using a crawler crane with a lifting capacity of up to 600 tonnes.Late in the month, on January 7, the vessel was towed further out and moored alongside the quay…

08 Jan 2026

AI Goes Subsea: Autonomous Welding Robot Debut

The MARIOW robot performing autonomous welding of a fillet weld underwater.
Copyright: DFKI, MARIOW Team

Underwater welding is one of the most demanding and hazardous tasks in the maritime and offshore world, relying heavily on a small, highly specialized pool of industrial divers. As port infrastructure ages and offshore structures expand, demand for underwater repair continues to outpace available manpower. A new research project out of Germany aims to fundamentally change that equation.Led by the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence, the MARIOW (Maritime AI-Guided…

05 Dec 2025

Dajin Forms Offshore Wind Alliance with German Port Terminal Operator

(Credit: Dajin Heavy Industry)

Dajin Heavy Industry and Germany’s Briese Schiffahrt have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop offshore wind marshalling services at a new terminal in the Port of Cuxhaven in Germany.The agreement, signed on November 26, aims to establish an international offshore wind industry hub on more than 20 hectares of newly built port area in Cuxhaven.The initiative will use Dajin’s fleet of deck carrier vessels and Briese’s global shipping network to support the handling and…

24 Nov 2025

Chinese Oil Majors Invest in Onboard Oil Testing

CMT joint-Managing Director Uwe Krüger. © CMT

China’s leading marine lubricant suppliers are embracing onboard oil testing technology. The adoption of portable lube-oil analyzers represents a shift in how the country’s oil majors including Sinopec, PetroChina, and CNOOC, look to service and support ships calling at Chinese ports.According to Germany’s CM Technologies GmbH (CMT), whose onboard test kits are already standard tool kits for European fleets, China’s lubricant producers are now integrating condition-based monitoring tools into their supply programs.“We are seeing a real transformation in China’s fuels and lubricants market…

17 Nov 2025

Ulstein Verft Launches Nexans Electra CLV Ahead of Outfitting

(Credit: Oclin/Martin Giskegjerde/Supplied by Ulstein Verft)

The hull of the Nexans Electra cable laying vessel (CLV) was launched from the dock hall at Ulstein Verft, marking a major milestone in the vessel’s journey towards completion.The hull has been constructed in a roofed, controlled environment at the Norwegian yard, enabling optimal conditions for precision painting and work quality.With the launch, which took place on November 13, 2025, the vessel moves from the dock hall to the outfitting quay, progressing toward its role in supporting…

02 Sep 2025

Wallenius Marine, KNUD E. HANSEN Launch New RoRo Concept at Donsö Shipping Meet

© Wallenius Marine

Wallenius Marine and KNUD E. HANSEN have launched a new RoRo (roll on/roll off) design at Donsö Shipping Meet.The new concept builds on the Sleipner PCTC concept and on operational data from the Sleipner vessels Future Way and Way Forward. The new RoRo design, which includes an engine room in the bow, creates a large cargo capacity of 2,720 lane meters, equivalent to 181 trailers.The Sleipner RoRo concept allows for loading and unloading to be carried out quickly and efficiently using the stern ramp and main deck across the full width of the ship…

18 Jul 2025

Barcelona to Scale Back Cruise Capacity Amidst Overtourism Concerns

© Adobe Stock/Nancy Pauwels

The port of Barcelona, Europe's busiest for cruise ships, will scale back its passenger terminal capacity by 2030 as the city tries to put the brakes on surging arrivals and address concerns about overtourism.The city hall and port authority agreed on Thursday to reduce the number of terminals to five from seven, lowering the port's capacity for simultaneously handling cruise ship passengers to 31,000 from 37,000 by the end of the decade.Barcelona recorded a 21% increase in cruise…

26 Jun 2025

Konecranes Installed Unique Crane Solution for Naval Frigates at BAE Production Facility

© Konecranes

Konecranes has completed an order for BAE System’s new Govan shipbuilding hall that includes two 20t x 56m electric overhead travelling (EOT) cranes and two 100t x 70m Goliath cranes. The hall will be able to build two Type 26 naval frigates at the same time, accelerating efficiency and removing any impact of the Scottish weather on production. The order was completed in June 2025.Measuring 170m long and 80m wide, the hall consists of more than 6,000 tonnes of steel and 20,000m3 of concrete, and accommodate up to 500 workers per shift.

16 Jun 2025

Are Workboats Really Going Green?

Tug DELTA BILLIE at Oakland, California.      
Photo source California Air Resources Board

Tugboat and towboat owners across the nation eye fuel efficiency and emission reduction technologies and techniques in advance of increasingly stringent regulations.he first half of 2025 has seen a great deal of attention on emissions from vessels, with an eye towards their continued reductions in the coming years. Mid-April saw the International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s much anticipated Maritime Environment Protection Committee’s MEPC 83 meeting participants lay out plans for reduced greenhouse gas emissions in the coming years…

10 Jun 2025

RWE Inks O&M Deals with Clarkson Port Services for Nordseecluster OW Project

(Credit: Clarkson Port Services)

RWE Offshore Wind has awarded two long term agreements to Clarkson Port Services to support the operations and maintenance activities at its 1.6 GW Nordseecluster offshore wind project.The Dutch division of Clarkson Port Services will build a new warehouse facility in the port of Eemshaven.The new building, approximately 1,700 square metres in size, will be located in the Beatrixhaven on the premises of Clarkson Port Services.Construction of the new storage hall with adjoining office facilities is to start this summer…

05 Jun 2025

Obituary: A Personal Reflection on “Shipping Legend” Jim Lawrence

Source: LinkedIn Post

“Shipping is a people business”, so the saying goes. Jim Lawrence, who passed away at the beginning of June, truly embodied that. Certainly, he was a great participant at maritime events. When not up on the podium serving as the moderator, he would be walking around, shaking hands, talking about a particular transaction or development (and, sometimes, the intrigue behind it), along with everything that goes along with networking. He will certainly be remembered as a “people person” and deservedly celebrated for that aspect.

02 Jun 2025

FEMA Staff Concerned by Head’s Comments

© Mike Mareen / Adobe Stock

Staff of the Federal Emergency Management Agency were left baffled on Monday after the head of the U.S. disaster agency said during a briefing that he had not been aware the country has a hurricane season, according to four sources familiar with the situation.The U.S. hurricane season officially began on Sunday and lasts through November. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast last week that this year's season is expected to bring as many as 10 hurricanes.The remark was made by David Richardson, who has led FEMA since early May.

02 Jun 2025

Optimarin Launches Guardian Ballast Water Treatment System

© Optimarin

Optimarin has unveiled its latest ballast water treatment system, Optimarin Guardian, ahead of Nor-Shipping 2025. Designed to meet the evolving needs of vessel operators—specially in light of geopolitical uncertainty and rising energy costs—Guardian combines high treatment efficiency with low power consumption and reduced lifecycle cost.The launch is part of Optimarin’s broader strategy to respond to changing market dynamics through increased supply chain flexibility, expanded service offerings…

02 Jun 2025

Jotun Introduces Hull Performance Solutions 2.0 at Nor-Shipping

© Jotun

Jotun, a global leader in marine coatings, announced the launch of the next generation of its Hull Performance Solutions (HPS). Included in HPS 2.0 are two new products for different trades and environments, alongside the established and newly speed-loss verified SeaQuantum X200, best-in-class technical service, hull condition management and performance guarantees to deliver a solution that is Tailored to trade.HPS 2.0 will include four elements, that, in combination will optimize vessel efficiency: tailored to trade…