From Kings Point to Yonges Island: Kurt Olsen, VP of Shipyard Ops, Stevens Towing
On Yonges Island, South Carolina, just up the Wadmalaw River from Charleston, the fourth-generation maritime company Stevens Towing Company continues to rewrite its own history. Long known for its towing and barge work, its ship repair business is growing at light speed, transforming what began decades ago as an internal maintenance yard into a dynamic commercial shipyard serving tugs, barges, OSVs, and dredge vessels from Florida to Virginia. At the center of this evolution is Kurt Olsen…
Helm Operations Announces Leadership Transition
Helm Operations, a provider of maritime operations and crew management software, announced a key leadership transition as James Wadsworth assumes the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Nolan Barclay, Helm’s first employee and most recent CEO, will continue to support the company as Chairman.Wadsworth brings more than two decades of maritime industry experience and visionary leadership to the role. He joined Helm a decade ago after nearly ten years with ClassNK in Japan, where…
Seagems Extends Wärtsilä Partnership to Boost Fleet Reliability
Technology group Wärtsilä has renewed and expanded its Lifecycle Agreement with Seagems, a Brazil-based offshore operator formerly known as Sapura, covering its fleet of offshore support vessels.The renewed agreement expands the scope of services and strengthens the strategic partnership between the companies, aiming to enhance vessel reliability and reduce carbon emissions.The new deal reflects broader trends in the maritime industry toward collaborative, long-term partnerships…
Shipnet Celebrates Consistent Growth for Dry Docking Software
Norway-based maritime technology business, Shipnet, has announced consistent growth since its launch in 2021 for its dry docking software with project numbers at an all-time high.The technical project management tool which aids businesses create efficiencies while their vessels are in dry dock has seen year-on-year growth since 2021 and has now conducted a total of 486 projects.“We released our dry dock product in 2021 and saw a steady increase in adoption throughout 2022 and 2023 and since then we’ve seen growth of 185 per cent…
Photon Marine, Silverback Marine Launch Funded Electric Workboats
Photon Marine, a developer of high-performance electric outboard propulsion systems, and Silverback Marine, a builder of commercial aluminum vessels, announced that eight electric workboat configurations have been approved for funding through California Air Resources Board (CARB) Clean Off-Road Equipment (CORE) Voucher Program. This marks the first inclusion of an electric outboard motor in the program.Starting in August, commercial fleet operators across California—including ports…
Floating Wind and the Taming of Subsea Spaghetti
Preparing for industrialization, the floating offshore wind industry is tackling its unique mooring and cabling challenges.The idea of keeping floating offshore wind platforms in place using dynamic positioning has been considered. The trouble is: it could take up to 80% of the electricity generated by the turbine to do it.So, as Maersk Supply Service said a few years back: In a field of 100 turbines with 4-5 mooring lines each, there is going to be a lot of subsea “spaghetti.” It’s not a problem unique to the industry…
Adonis by Ripple Operations Joins Forces with Certus Online
Adonis, a specialist in global HR, payroll and crew management software under the Ripple Operations brand, has formed a strategic marketing alliance with Certus Online, a provider of maritime booking and operational solutions. This partnership aims to enhance their collective service offerings for the maritime industry.This collaboration represents a pivotal move toward delivering seamless, integrated solutions for maritime operators. By combining Certus Online’s advanced Booking Platform…
Cadmatic Names Detlef Schneider CEO
Cadmatic, a developer of digital 3D-based design, engineering and information management software solutions, announced it has appointed Dr. Detlef Schneider as its new CEO effective from October 7. 2024. Schneider will succeed Jukka Rantala, who has led Cadmatic for 23 years.Schneider brings years of experience in various roles within the engineering software business, having held leadership positions in both privately owned companies and listed corporations within industries closely related to Cadmatic’s operations.
PIL Launches Employee Training Academy
Pacific International Lines (PIL) has launched its learning and development center of excellence, the PIL Academy, to provide training in maritime and transport logistics for all its employees.The academy aims to strengthen workforce capabilities and future proof careers. It will collaborate with organizations and technology partners to develop a holistic curriculum with accredited courses that will benefit the company and industry.As the 12th largest shipping carrier in the world and Southeast Asia’s largest homegrown liner…
Future Ships: Picture Perfect
Big data, advanced computers and AI are allowing vessel designers to prepare models that leave essentially nothing to chance.“Lastly, it may be of considerable importance to form from the draught a block model of the vessel from which a still more accurate judgment may be formed of the fitness and beauty of the body. And should any defect be discovered, farther alterations must still be made, till the draught and the model are perfectly approved of. These different alterations and repeated calculations may appear very tedious…
The Digital Revolution & US Shipbuilding
The competitive landscape in shipbuilding has changed dramatically, as ‘Industry 4.0’ capabilities driven by the digital revolution have given the edge to those that scout and adopt solutions that deliver on the promise of increasing efficiency while cutting costs. Juan Prieto discusses the CADMATIC suite of solutions for North American shipyards seeking to capture the competitive edge.Digital technologies are evolving at breakneck speed, unlocking tremendous efficiency gains for shipbuilders.
Neu Seeschiffahrt to Implement Yara Marine’s FuelOpt
German shipping company Neu Seeschiffahrt has inked a deal to install Yara Marine Technologies' (YMT) propulsion optimization technology across its fleet of six very large ore carriers (VLOC) and two recently acquired Newcastlemax vessels in 2024.YMT's FuelOpt system reduces fuel consumption and associated emissions by automatically adapting the vessel’s propulsive power to real-time environmental conditions. YMT says the system is available for newbuilds or retrofit, and is compatible with any type of propeller or engine as well as all existing and future fuels.
Teekay Takes FuelOpt Tech on 25 Vessels
Teekay Tankers signed agreements to equip 25 additional tankers with Yara Marine Technologies’ FuelOpt propulsion optimization technology. The order follows the installation and evaluation of FuelOpt onboard Zenith Spirit in 2021, followed by a further three vessels in 2022.Teekay placed the new orders in Q1 and Q2 2023 after having confirmed that the use of FuelOpt onboard four of its vessels, operating with steady shaft power, resulted in fuel savings and emissions reductions of 3-5% through 2022. FuelOpt is compatible with all existing and future fuels and is designed to be user-friendly.
AST Announces ‘Try Before You Buy’ Offer for OneWeb
Following the launch of OneWeb’s 18th satellite deployment, Applied Satellite Technology (AST) Ltd has brought to market an opportunity for maritime organizations to ‘try before you buy’ the new OneWeb service.AST is enabling maritime users across Europe, the Mediterranean and 50 degrees North to get connected to the fast, reliable and affordable OneWeb service with the additional benefit of AST’s exclusive bandwidth management solution INTEGRA Control, a data management software offering real-time, application-level control.With OneWeb’s LEO constellation, industries, such as maritime, offsho
MPC Container Ships Taps zero44 for CO2 Management Tools
Berlin-based zero44 signed a partnership with MPC Container Ships, which will use zero44's digital CO2 management solution for its fleet.Spun off by company builder Flagship Founders in May 2022, zero44 has developed a CO2 management software for commercial vessels. The software focuses on the implications of the CII and the EU ETS regulation.
DOT Announces $703M in Port Funding; 41 Projects in 22 States
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.
Battery-Electric Surge: ESS Scales Up in Maritime
Ask the right government department in any G7 state and you’ll find funding to put battery power for your vessel. Beyond funds, new battery makers and system integrators are ironing out safety issues, and a growing number of giga-sized cell factories offer hope that costs will fall for marine energy storage, as ESS choice grows. Efforts are also underway to recycle rare earth elements and to augment or greenify staggeringly high plant electricity inputs. Apart from funding, the drivers of change include constraints on shipping in Emissions Free Areas like the fjords of Norway…
Nautilus Labs Hires Sundsted as CTO
Nautilus Labs, the technology firm unlocking commercial decarbonization for the ocean supply chain, announced the designation of Todd Sundsted as Chief Technology Officer (CTO).In his new role, Todd Sundsted, who is based in New York, will lead product development, engineering, and data science, including the enhancement of Nautilus’s AI capabilities and best-in-class machine learning models. Prior to joining Nautilus Labs, Sundsted was CTO at Odeko, which builds smart mobile ordering and supply chain management software for coffee shops and cafés…
New Hybrid Self-discharging Coaster Will Offer "Zero Emission" Port Calls
EST-Floattech has been contracted by Hoogendijk Electric to design and deliver the complete battery system for Hagland Pioneer, the third newbuild hybrid coaster for Norwegian shipping company Hagland, currently being built at Royal Bodewes shipyard and due for delivery halfway 2023.EST-Floattech’s battery system enables the 5,000-DWT self-discharging bulk carrier to make zero-emission port calls. The vessel, one of a series of three, will also sail in full-electric mode, for example in environmentally sensitive environments, such as in fjords or near-coastal communities.
IT Bug Jams Baltic-North Sea Traffic
A software problem that blocked all ship traffic in the main channel between the Baltic and the North Sea on Sunday was not a hacker attack and has been fixed, a spokesperson for Germany's Kiel Canal Waterways and Shipping Authority said on Monday.The incident was caused by the installation of a new vessel traffic management software system, the spokesperson said.Fixing a small error in the code allowed the channel to go back into full operation after more than 12 hours of outage, the spokesperson added."The traffic controller went down at 8 o'clock yesterday morning.
Tidewater Inks Fleet Management Software Deal with Tero Marine
Offshore service vessels owner Tidewater has signed a partnership agreement with Tero Marine to provide consultancy services and the fleetwide implementation of Tero Marine’s TM Master fleet management software suite.The move is part of Tidewater's wider initiative aiming to transform its fleet to global systems and processes, create efficiencies through automation, digitalization to connect and integrate onshore and offshore, and scalability to optimize fleet efficiency for new acquisitions.
Kongsberg Digital Enters K-Sim Connect Partnership with Mintra
Kongsberg Digital (KDI) revealed it has entered into a partnership with digital learning and human capital management software specialist Mintra. The contract enables KDI to provide Mintra with its K-Sim Connect simulations as cloud-based subscription applications for use with the Trainingportal learning and competency management system.In addition to accommodating KDI’s cloud-based simulation as a fundamental facet of its own courses, Mintra will be reselling K-Sim Connect subscriptions through its Marketplace, which is an online platform for buying and selling training.
Bourbon Partners with MariApps to Transform Fleet Management Process
MariApps Marine Solutions said Thursday it would provide its flagship product smartPAL to BOURBON Marine & Logistics to support the company in its digitalization efforts.The French offshore vessel owner Bourbon offers support services to the offshore industry. MariApps said Bourbon had been looking for a solution that would help it optimize its fleet management process including its day-to-day operations in crewing, maintenance, Quality, Health Safety & Environment (QHSE), and finance In MariApps' digital software solution suite…