New Entrants News

Ship-refuelling companies along Africa's coast are seeing a surge in business as more vessels divert around the Cape of Good Hope, with war in the Middle East reshaping global shipping routes and boosting the continent's role as a bunkering hub.Carriers have been avoiding the Suez Canal and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait since late 2023, when Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping began. U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have reinforced the shift,…

Ship-refuelling companies along Africa's coast are seeing a surge in business as more vessels divert around the Cape of Good Hope, with war in the Middle East reshaping global shipping routes and boosting the continent's role as a bunkering hub.Carriers have been avoiding the Suez Canal and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait since late 2023, when Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping began. U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have reinforced the shift,…

Applications are now open for the 2026 edition of the IG Shipping Course, a two-week, residential training program run by shipbroker IFCHOR Galbraiths. Now in its sixth decade, the IG Shipping Course has trained more than 1,000 professionals from across the maritime sector. The course is designed not only for new entrants to shipping, but also professionals transitioning from adjacent sectors such as finance, law and energy, and experienced maritime professionals seeking to broaden…

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has opened applications for additional licenses to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a marine fuel in the Port of Singapore.The license application is open to both existing LNG licensees and new entrants. This call follows the recent updates to the Singapore LNG bunkering licensing framework and standards, which now include the provision of sea-based LNG reloading and the supply of liquefied bio-methane and e-methane in the Port of Singapore.Licensees are required to implement end-to-end LNG bunkering supply arrangements…

Brazil's Federal Audit Court (TCU) on Monday voted six to three to recommend that operators of existing container terminals at the Santos port be barred from participating in the first phase of bidding for a planned mega terminal, citing concerns over market concentration.The decision deals a blow to companies such as Danish shipping group Maersk, MSC and others already operating container terminals in Latin America's largest port, as these companies will only be able to enter a second phase of the auction if the first does not attract valid bids.The two-phase model, proposed by port regulator

RenewableUK and the Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC) have released a new report showing that the number of people working in the offshore wind industry has risen from just over 32,000 two years ago to nearly 40,000 today – an increase of 24%.The Wind Industry Skills Intelligence Report 2025 has also revealed that the number of people working in onshore wind in the U.K. now stands at just over 15,000. This brings the UK’s total current wind industry workforce to over 55,000.The report projects future job numbers by examining three potential deployment scenarios for offshore wind in 2030…

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee advanced the bipartisan Mariner Exam Modernization Act, introduced by Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee Ranking Member Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) and Chair Mike Ezell (R-MS-04).“Our country’s maritime industry shouldn’t be held back by an antiquated credentialing system,” said Rep. Carbajal. “The Mariner Exam Modernization Act is a commonsense step to ensure our licensing process reflects the skills mariners actually need on the job—eliminating redundancy…

The Global Risks Report 2025, produced by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with Marsh McLennan and Zurich Insurance Group, finds that nearly two-thirds of over 900 surveyed experts anticipate a turbulent decade ahead.The top five risks identified are:State-based armed conflict: Wars in Ukraine, the Middle East and Sudan have brought unprecedented instability, propelling armed conflict to the top of the global risk list. This issue, ranked ninth last year, now holds the number one spot…

A new labor forecasting tool (LFT) is predicting around 16,000 additional workers could be needed in the UK’s offshore wind industry by 2030, and 12,000 extra workers will be needed specifically for carbon capture and hydrogen projects by 2027. It also highlights a significant increase in demand for workers in the West of Shetland oil and gas basin.The new resource, the first of its kind to focus on the engineering construction industry (ECI), provides insights into workforce numbers across regions and sectors…

The U.S. Department of Energy's refusal to grant export permit extensions to liquefied natural gas (LNG) developers that fail to meet a construction deadline poses a new hurdle for greenfield plants, analysts said on Thursday.The DOE last month said it would grant future extensions solely on extenuating circumstances and rejected an extension for Energy Transfer's proposed Lake Charles LNG project.The change will fall heavily on firms without a track record and available financing, analysts said.Around a dozen LNG projects in the U.S.

The market for old oil tankers is booming, and it's all down to efforts by Western nations to curb trade in Russian crude.As Western shipping and maritime services firms steer clear of Russian oil to avoid falling foul of sanctions or harming their reputations, new companies have leapt into the void, and they're snapping up old tankers that might normally be scrapped.The European Union banned all seaborne Russian crude imports from Dec. 5, with a fuel import ban to follow in February.

The floating offshore wind industry, currently at its beginnings, is set for massive growth in the years to come, which has now led the classification society DNV GL to released the first integrated rule set for floating offshore wind structures."The rules provide both new entrants and experienced stakeholders a set of well-tested rules and standardized processes for these new structures," the company said.According to forecasts in the Carbon Trust’s new Floating Wind Joint Industry Projects report…

Industries are adapting to an increasingly digitalized landscape. The floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) industry is no different. As concerted efforts are made to improve project economics Matt Tremblay, ABS Senior Vice President, Global Offshore, discusses how digitalization can increase safety, reduce costs, and build robust technical and operational capabilities.No one could have predicted what a challenging year 2020 would become. Offshore production activity fluctuated dramatically with changing market economics and a global pandemic…

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) said Tuesday it is accepting applications from eligible and qualified institutions to apply for a Centers of Excellence (CoE) designation, which will recognize and support community or technical colleges and maritime training centers that prepare Americans for careers in the maritime industry.“These educational institutions benefit America’s national security and economy by growing and strengthening our maritime workforce,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L.

Ocean mapping at scale is the target of a new unmanned systems player started by two ex-US Navy SEALS. They have big ambitions, from new building unmanned vehicles to creating the intelligence that will drive them to changing how accessible ocean data is. Elaine Maslin learned more. The pace of change in the ocean mapping space has been fast in recent years. New entrants have come into the scene offering “force multiplier” mapping using autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and unmanned surface vessels (USVs).

Offshore wind currently represents just a small piece of the world’s energy supply. But that’s changing faster than ever before as new and existing players look to tap the huge resource potential—and market opportunities—being unlocked by shrinking costs and technological advances, as outlined in a recent comprehensive market report.In the coming two decades, the rapidly maturing offshore wind market is expected to become a trillion-dollar business as the pace of installed capacity growth accelerates…

Another year has passed since our last mapping of the maritime software landscape, and it is once again time to review the latest developments and trends in this space.Overall, 2019 was another turbulent year for most shipping markets, overshadowed by preparations for the IMO 2020 sulfur regulations, rising geopolitical tensions, the trade war between the USA and China, as well as natural disasters disrupting global supply chains. This article provides insight into the changes seen in the maritime software landscape under these turbulent conditions: On a high-level…

Shipping directly employs over 640,000 workers at sea and on shore, and supports over 1.4 million workers through indirect and induced employment, said European Community Shipowners' Associations (ECSA).These professionals possess a wealth of maritime knowledge, skills and heritage unique in the world. If Europe is to retain its pre-eminence in global shipping, this know-how needs to be cherished and cultivated.The sector must therefore attract a sufficient number of quality new entrants and retain experienced seafarers, including women seafarers and other under-represented groups.“European shipping and the broader maritime sector are strategically important for the EU – in terms of its contributions to trade, geopolitical role and as an important source of employment.

Sean Dalton, Chair of the Cargo Committee of the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) has said at the organization’s annual conference in Toronto, Canada, that there has been a 2.5 percent increase in 2018 global premiums to $16.6 billion but that this increase was largely attributable to growth in global trade and exchange rate fluctuations. He added that the marine cargo market was in a state of “accelerating change” driven by underwriters taking action to address unprofitable results and to improve performance.Dalton stated: “On a global basis…

Power companies including Ørsted, Vattenfall, Innogy, SSE and Scottish Power and financial investors such as infrastructure and pension funds are active in UK offshore wind power, said Deloitte.Japan, China and other countries in Asia are also showing increasing interest in the market, it said.With natural advantages including a long coastline, high wind speed and areas of shallow seabed providing desirable conditions for the construction of large offshore wind farms, the UK is the world's leading offshore wind power market.There is 7.9 GW of offshore wind capacity in the UK already and the government has set an ambitious target of over 30 GW by 2030. Accounting for 14.7% of the total power generation, offshore wind power has seen substantial growth in the UK.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) informed that the Sub-Committee on Implementation of IMO Instruments (III) brings together flag, port and coastal States, together with observer delegations, to consider implementation issues.At its sixth session (1-5 July), the Sub-Committee is expected to finalize updates to key instruments which assist in implementation, said the UN body.The key instruments include the updated Survey Guidelines under the Harmonized System of Survey and Certification, the Non-exhaustive list of obligations under instruments relevant to the IMO instruments implementation Code (III Code), and Procedures for port State control…

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has taken delivery of a new survey craft as the latest acquisition in its Dredging Services division’s ongoing fleet replacement program in excess of $28 million. The vessel, valued at approximately $220,000 was built by a local company in Durban.Carl Gabriel, Executive Manager for TNPA’s Dredging Services division, said the new vessel is replacing the South African port landlord’s existing Survey Craft, Swift, which is 32 years old and…

Another year; another major fleet takeover by Kirby Corporation. But the leader of the inland tank-barge sector is not growing for growth’s sake: a deeper look at the numbers shows a disciplined strategy at work.“Kirby is definitely the big gorilla in the inland barge market,” affirmed Jefferies analyst Randy Giveans. Indeed, Houston-headquartered Kirby Corp has been extremely active buying fleets over the past few years, most recently acquiring the 63 tank barges of Cenac Marine in March for $244 million.