Ice News

Within the margins of the IMO Assembly meetings, on December 2, the World Maritime University (WMU), in collaboration with the 90 North Foundation, announced the release of the 2025 Arctic Report: The Arctic Ocean Region – Biodiversity, Governance & Protective Measures, a comprehensive assessment of one of the planet’s most rapidly changing and geopolitically significant regions.The report warns that the Arctic Ocean—long perceived as remote and inaccessible—is now experiencing profound environmental, economic, and political transformation.

A Canadian anti-whaling activist who has dodged arrest in Japan for more than a decade vowed at COP30 in Brazil to continue fighting for marine protection – taking aim in particular at deep-sea mining and Norway’s krill industry.Paul Watson urged delegates this week at the U.N. climate summit in the Amazon city of Belem to look beyond the world’s forests and remember that oceans also help to limit climate change, with phytoplankton producing much of the oxygen that we breathe.These photosynthetic organisms along with many ocean creatures are under threat…

At a ceremony at Halifax Shipyard, the Canadian Coast Guard and Irving Shipbuilding have marked the official keel laying of the eighth and final Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) – the future CCGS Sermilik.Today’s ceremony included the tradition of welding a coin to the hull of the ship to bring luck to the captain and crew during the life of the ship.The future CCGS Sermilik is named after the Sermilik Glacier, located in Sirmilik National Park in Nunavut.Under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS)…

Maritime technology company Orca AI has launched Co-Captain, a new function in its operational platform that allows vessels can share data with each other, in real time, to be better prepared for real-time events and emerging risks.By connecting a growing network of 1,000 Orca AI-installed vessels, with hundreds more set to join, Co-Captain turns every ship into both a sensor and source of awareness, says the company.Building on Orca AI’s advanced computer-vision technology, Co-Captain fuses these fragmented inputs into a single layer of collective intelligence.

Damen Shipyards Group unveiled the latest platform in its cargo vessels portfolio: the Combi Freighter (CF) 5000 ICE, the first in a new series of ice class cargo vessels.“Our aim has been to leverage the experience and the success we’ve enjoyed with our next generation cargo vessels to create a platform capable of economic ice navigation," said Remko Bouma, Commercial Director of Damen Cargo Vessels. "The CF 5000 is equally at home in open water and in ice, maintaining both the optimal cargo capacity and high efficiency of the conventional vessel.

ABB has secured a contract with Helsinki Shipyard to supply a complete electric power and propulsion solution for the Polar Max icebreaker, which is expected to be delivered to the Canadian Coast Guard by 2030.Polar Max will be constructed through an industrial collaboration between Canadian-controlled facilities in Helsinki, Finland and Lévis, Canada. The 22,800-ton, 138.5-meter vessel is the first shipbuilding project at Helsinki Shipyard under the ownership of Davie, the Quebec-based international shipbuilder.

Arguably there are no two names more closely related to Pilot Boat design and construction in the United States than Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding and Ray Hunt Designs. Together the dynamic duo has designed and built more than 80 vessels – not to mention a vibrant refurbish and repair operation – design and building for pilot organizations around the country. In a recent episode of Maritime Matters: The MarineLink Podcast, a trio of executives: Peter Duclos, President, Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding…

A Chinese container ship has completed a pioneering journey through the Arctic to a UK port, state-run news agency Xinhua reported, cutting in half the usual transit time for the electric vehicles and solar panels aboard destined for Europe.The Istanbul Bridge's maiden voyage, originally expected to take 18 days, was delayed by two days due to a storm off the coast of Norway but the ship still reached Europe earlier than the 40 to 50 days it takes freighters going through the Suez Canal or around the Cape of Good Hope.The new Northern Sea Route…

The Arctic is no longer a remote expanse beyond the edges of global commerce — it is now a contested arena where strategic competition, energy development, and maritime innovation converge. As climate change accelerates sea ice retreat, previously impassable waters are opening to navigation for longer periods each year. This change unlocks shorter trade routes, exposes massive untapped hydrocarbon and minerals reserves, and creates demand for ships able to operate in some of the harshest conditions on Earth.In this evolving environment…

After developing the technique some five years ago, Aker Arctic has now completed the research required to get its new design methodology for icebreaker hulls accepted into the Finish-Swedish Ice Class Rules. The method has also been adopted to Polar Class rules of several Class Societies (LR, ABS, DNV).Although the research focused on vessels typically sailing the Baltic Sea, Aker Arctic has also used the methodology in many of its recent newbuilding designs including, for example, Canada’s new icebreaker which is currently under construction.

The US Coast Guard has announced it will invest nearly $350 million to expand robotics and autonomous systems.The funding, provided under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), includes $11 million in fiscal year 2025 for immediate upgrades to critical autonomous systems.Initial investments include:$4.8 million to procure 16 VideoRay Defender remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to replace Deployable Specialized Forces’ aging fleet.$2 million to procure six Qinetiq Squad Packable…

Steerprop will deliver its new Contra-Rotating Propeller (CRP) azimuth propulsions to Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven GmbH for a new research vessel being built for the German Aerospace Center (DLR).Measuring 48 x 11 meters, the RV will serve as a floating laboratory for maritime research, primarily to be used for research voyages lasting from one to several days in the North Sea and Baltic Sea, accommodating up to 20 people onboard.The scope of supply from Steerprop includes two 14 CRP LM units, each rated at 750 kW and designed to Ice Class 1A standards.

Finnish propulsion expert Steerprop and Seaspan Shipyards have expanded their collaboration on Canada’s next-generation polar icebreaker.Initially selected in late 2023 to supply two advanced ice-classed bow thrusters for the new flagship vessel, Steerprop will now also support the integration of the tunnel thruster into the vessel, ensuring hydrodynamic performance, smoother coordination with the shipyard, and reduced lifecycle costs. Seaspan’s heavy polar icebreaker is one of…

Escalatory and retaliatory moves kept key trading routes and markets on edge as freight rates propped up this week, with the Baltic Exchange Dry Index reporting a whopping 7.4% overall increase, reports cash buyer GMS.Capesize, Panamax, and Supramax indices all firmed in unison to the tune of 1.0%, 0.4%, and 0.5% respectively. As trading rates jumped, so did crude oil—albeit marginally—ending the week at USD 62.74/barrel (vs. USD 62.14/barrel at the start of the week).“Mixed in…

Scientists have detected the DNA of an invasive marine species in Arctic Canada suggesting the region’s waters are no longer cold enough to be a natural barrier.The study, published in Global Change Biology by researchers at British Antarctic Survey (BAS), provides the first evidence of a non-native invasive barnacle species.Climate change is warming the Arctic nearly four times faster than anywhere else on Earth. As a result, Canada’s Arctic waters are losing their thermal barrier against invasive species.

SunStone Maritime Group A/S, touted as the world’s largest tonnage provider to the expedition cruise industry, announced the delivery of the seventh and final vessel in this first series of newbuilds, the Douglas Mawson. The delivery took place at China Merchants Heavy Industry in Haimen, China, on September 9, 2025.Named after Sir Douglas Mawson, the Australian geologist and Antarctic explorer whose work was central to the study of the polar regions, it is the third Infinity vessel to go to Aurora Expeditions…

The U.S. Coast Guard responded to two Chinese research ships operating offshore Alaska between Sunday and Tuesday. In both instances, the Coast Guard Arctic District deployed USCGC Healy (WAGB-20) to monitor and query the vessels.An HC-130J Hercules fixed wing aircraft from Air Station Kodiak was also deployed Sunday to provide aerial support.On Tuesday, the Chinese-flagged research vessel JIDI was operating approximately 265 miles northwest of Utqiagvik, Alaska.On Sunday, August 31…

Twelve British seafarers have been recognized for going above and beyond the call of duty, receiving the prestigious Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service which is celebrating its 20th anniversary on Merchant Navy Day, September 3.Captain Chris Phillips, 56 from Pembrokeshire, bravely led his 30-person crew on a rescue mission during the dead of Winter in 2024, saving 89 lives at sea, including women and children, and a baby.Born from a long line of seafarers, Phillips was inspired by his father and grandfather, both sea Captains, to join the Merchant Navy at the age of 16.

The Association of Maryland Pilots has taken delivery of its fifth Chesapeake Class launch from Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation since 2002. “The Maryland Pilots have some unique features and configuration control is essential to be sure their operators can seamlessly operate all the boats in their fleet. However, this must be balanced with new equipment and design updates, as well as, in some cases, retrofitting their existing boats. To make this happen over the span of 20 plus years requires a very high level of detail in the design and its execution…

Yara Clean Ammonia (YCA), the world’s largest ammonia distributor, has signed a long-term shipping contract with Navigator Amon Shipping, securing access to two vessels that will strengthen YCA’s position as a global leader in the low-emission ammonia market.The two modern medium gas carriers (MGCs), each with 51,000 cbm capacity, are equipped with dual-fuel engines and ice-class notation. They will provide reliable, year-round access to Northern Europe while enabling the use of renewable and low-emission fuels.By securing flexible…

Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC), together with its subsidiary RMC Defence Oy, is building four Pohjanmaa-class multi-role corvettes for the Finnish Navy as part of the Squadron 2020 project. The high-performance multi-purpose corvettes are designed for the varying conditions of the Baltic Sea, including ice operations. The corvettes are built in a closed special facility constructed specifically for the project to guarantee the required level of security and quality. The Rauma shipyard also fulfils the security requirements of NATO.

Rapid falls in the level of the Caspian Sea are affecting ports and oil shipments and threatening to inflict catastrophic damage on sturgeon and seal populations, according to Azerbaijani officials.The Caspian, the world's largest salt lake, holds significant offshore oil reserves and is bordered by five countries that are all major producers of oil or gas or both: Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan.Azerbaijan's Deputy Ecology Minister Rauf Hajiyev told Reuters that the sea had been getting shallower for decades…

The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) has accepted the sixth and final Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel (AOPV), His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Robert Hampton Gray.The AOPVs are ice-capable patrol ships designed to enhance the Canadian Armed Forces’ presence in the Arctic, and to assert and uphold Canadian sovereignty. These versatile ships can operate anywhere in the world, bolstering the RCN’s capability to support international peace and security. In addition to performing operational missions and tasks…