Nippon News

ClassNK has granted approval to the basic design drawings of a multi-purpose container carrier developed by Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line) utilizing 3D models.This marks the world's first ocean-going ship to complete the basic design process, including class approval, solely through 3D drawings from the conceptual design to the basic structural design, during the initial stages of ship construction, according to NYK Line and ClassNK.Traditionally, the sharing of design information among shipyards…

As part of its ongoing Aquarius Eco Ship Project, Eco Marine Power and Nakashima Propeller will explore the further use of carbo-fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) and glass-fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP) for ship structures and other maritime applications.Eco Marine Power will also investigate the use of CFRP propellers to improve energy efficiency and reduce underwater noise created by ship propulsion systems.CFRP & GFRP are composite materials that can offer a versatile and efficient solution for a range of ship structures by providing a balance of strength…

The wall climbing robot for steel structures - developed by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Sumitomo Heavy Industries, and MOL Ship Management  to support ship inspection and maintenance - has completed a demonstration test and earned the Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) Innovation Endorsement.The Innovation Endorsement is ClassNK's third-party certification program. It certifies and supports initiatives that contribute to the sustainable evolution of maritime and offshore businesses.The robot…

New U.S. sanctions on Moscow are more likely than previous ones to cut Indian imports of thermal coal from Russia because they specifically cite top exporters SUEK and Mechel, three major traders of Russian coal said.Russia, historically a minor exporter of the fuel to India, began boosting shipments to the south Asian country after Western sanctions against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.The latest U.S. sanctions also include Russia's payment system, financial institutions and energy production."With the new sanctions…

Idemitsu Tanker, IINO Kaiun Kaisha (IINO Lines), Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK), and Nihon Shipyard have established a consortium to conduct joint research and development of design concepts for Malacca Max-type very large crude oil carriers (VLCCs).The design concepts, including machinery and environment equipment, will be developed with a view of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the consortium that was initiated by Idemitsu Tanker said.Aiming to reduce emissions by 40% or more compared to previous levels…

Nippon Paint Marine appointed Gladys Goh as its President, effective immediately, making her the first female and foreign national to lead a principal operating company in Japan. The marine division is the founding business for the 140-year-old Nippon Paint Holdings Group, a leader and pioneer in marine paint and Goh Gladys joined Nippon Paint Malaysia in 2006, driving the brand to become Malaysia's top coatings provider and subsequently led expansion into new markets. She concurrently serves as Senior Vice-President…

Japanese shipping firm Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration Corporation (JX) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop a carbon capture and storage (CCS) value chain between Japan and Australia, including CO2 marine transport.The MoU focuses on the establishment of a CCS value chain by capturing CO2 emitted from ENEOS refinery and nearby various industries in Japan, transporting it by CO2 carrier to the Port of Bonython in Australia, and…

Japanese shipping major NYK Group has marked the start of construction of a test facility that will serve to assess the safety of biofuels and accelerate their practical application as marine fuels.NYK plans to complete the installation of the test engine in June and analyze the biofuel in combustion tests over the next three years.The test engine will be a reused generator from the tugboat Sakigake, which is currently being converted to an ammonia-fueled tug, according to NYK.NYK companies Boltech.

Late last year Japanese maritime leaders – Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK), Japan Engine Corporation, IHI Power Systems Co., and Nihon Shipyard Co., Ltd. – signed a series of contracts to buid the world's first ammonia-fueled medium gas carrier (AFMGC) equipped with Japan-make engines. The target is a completed ship by November 2026.While the project is significant, hurdles remain, namely:While development work is underway, today there is not yet a dual-fuel ammonia engine on the market…

Disruptions to Red Sea shipping caused by Houthi attacks will push up prices of consumer goods, an executive from port and freight operator DP World said on Tuesday as a missile struck another vessel in the region.The Iran-allied Houthi militia has threatened to expand its attacks to include U.S. ships in response to American and British strikes on its sites in Yemen.Attacks by the Houthis on ships in the region since November have impacted companies and alarmed major powers - an escalation of Israel's more than three-month-old war with Palestinian Hamas militants in Gaza.

Japan's Nippon Yusen, the country's biggest shipper by sales, on Tuesday suspended navigation through the Red Sea for all the vessels it operates, a spokesperson told Reuters.The company, also known as NYK Line, has also instructed its vessels navigating near the Red Sea to wait in safe waters and is considering route changes, the spokesperson said.It is the latest operator to cease traversing the key shipping corridor following an advisory from the Combined Maritime Forces to stay clear of the region after the launch of U.S.

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group company christened and launched a salvage tug being built for Nippon Salvage Co., Ltd. The ceremony took place at the Enoura Plant of MHI's Shimonoseki Shipyard & Machinery Works in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The vessel, named Koyo Maru, is scheduled for handover to Nippon Salvage in June 2024 following completion of outfitting work and sea trials.Koyo Maru measures 80.6 x 15.5 m with gross tonnage of approximately 3,000.

Yanmar Power Technology Co., Ltd. (YPT), a subsidiary of Yanmar Holdings Co., Ltd., has embarked on the development of a hydrogen-fueled four-stroke high-speed engine for power generation for coastal vessels in Japan as part of the Nippon Foundation’s zero emission ship demonstration experiment. The engine utilizes hydrogen as a fuel, emitting no CO2 during combustion.In parallel with the hydrogen engine development, YPT will also work on the creation of a hydrogen engine-compatible hybrid electric propulsion vessel, combining hydrogen engine generators with batteries.

Hapag-Lloyd will continue to divert its vessels around the Suez Canal for security reasons, a spokesperson for the German container shipper said on Friday, adding a further assessment would be made on January 2.Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and Nippon Yusen, Japan's largest shipping companies, also said their vessels with links to Israel were avoiding the Red Sea area. Both companies said they were monitoring the situation.Shipping companies including Hapag-Lloyd and Denmark's Maersk earlier…

Toymaker Basic Fun's team that oversees ocean shipments of Tonka trucks and Care Bears for Walmart and other retailers is racing to reroute cargo away from the Suez Canal following militant attacks on vessels in the Red Sea.Suppliers for the likes of IKEA, Home Depot, Amazon and retailers around the world are doing the same as businesses grapple with the biggest shipping upheaval since the COVID-19 pandemic threw global supply chains into disarray, sources in the logistics industry said.Florida-based Basic Fun usually ships all Europe-bound toys from its China factories via the Suez Canal…

Classification society ClassNK reports it has issued an approval in principle (AIP) for the “Advanced Maneuvering Assistant System”, the core technology for the autonomous navigation system, developed by Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd., Kawasaki Kinkai Kisen Kaisha, Ltd., Japan Radio Co., Ltd. and YDK Technologies Co., Ltd.The system automatically generates some routes for avoiding a collision with other ships on a monitored route when a collision with another ship due to OZT is predicted and assists the operator in avoiding the collision.

The crew of the Galaxy Leader commercial ship seized by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis last month have been allowed "modest contact" with their families while various countries push for their release, the vessel's owner said this week.The Bahamas flagged car carrier was taken to the port of Hodeidah in the Houthi controlled north of Yemen after being boarded at sea on November 19 by commandos with the group.The vessel's crew is made up of nationals from Bulgaria, Ukraine, the Philippines, Mexico and Romania, Galaxy Maritime said.

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding has held a christening and handover ceremony for a demonstration test ship to transport liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO2).The ship will be used for the "CCUS R&D and Demonstration Related Project / Large-scale CCUS Demonstration in Tomakomai / Demonstration Project on CO2 Transportation" being conducted by Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).The ceremony took place at the Enoura Plant of MHI's Shimonoseki Shipyard & Machinery Works in Yamaguchi Prefecture…

Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K LINE) and the Nippon Foundation have demonstrated autonomous navigation on a roro for a round-trip route of approximately 1,000 miles (1,600km) between Hitachi Port and Kushiro Port.The 11,413gt Hokuren Maru No. 2 sails the route routinely in service for operator Kawasaki Kinkai Kisen. Three autonomous voyages have been undertaken since October 1, 2023.“We confirmed that recognition, analysis, and decision making by the autonomous navigation system are executed with a high degree of accuracy in coastal navigation,” said K Line in a statement.

The United States is reviewing "potential terrorist designations" for Yemen's Houthi rebel group in response to its seizure of a cargo ship, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Tuesday.Kirby's comment was significant because one of the Biden administration's first acts after taking office in January 2021 was revoking terrorist designations of the Houthis over fears the sanctions they carried could worsen Yemen's humanitarian crisis.The Iran-backed Houthis…

The Galaxy Leader commercial ship was "illegally boarded by military personnel via a helicopter" on Nov. 19 and is now in the Hodeidah port area in Yemen, the vessel’s owner said on Monday."All communications were subsequently lost with the vessel," Isle of Man registered Galaxy Maritime Ltd, owner of the pure car carrier Galaxy Leader, said in a statement."The company, as a shipping concern, will not be commenting further on the political or geopolitical situation."Yemen's Iran…

Two commercial ships that diverted their course in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden were connected to the same maritime group whose vessel was seized by Yemen's Houthis, according to shipping data and British maritime security company Ambrey.Israel on Sunday said the Houthis had seized a British-owned, Japanese-operated cargo ship in the southern Red Sea, describing the incident as an "Iranian act of terrorism" with consequences for international maritime security.The Houthis, an ally of Tehran…

Israel said on Sunday that Yemen's Houthis had seized a British-owned and Japanese-operated cargo ship in the southern Red Sea, describing the incident as an "Iranian act of terrorism" with consequences for international maritime security.The Houthis said they had seized a ship in that area but described it as Israeli. "We are treating the ship's crew in accordance with Islamic principles and values," a spokesperson for the group said, making no reference to the Israeli account.The Houthis…