Potential Solutions News

Seatrium has issued a notice of arbitration against an affiliate of Maersk Offshore Wind, escalating a dispute over the termination of a contract for a wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) intended for the Empire Wind 1 project in the United States.The move follows a notice of arbitration delivered by the buyer on October 21, one day after Seatrium notified the buyer that the vessel would be ready for delivery by January 30, 2026. The dispute will be heard in London under the…

The IMO Council met for its 132nd session from July 8 to 12, 2024, at IMO headquarters in London, and among the key outcomes of the meeting were the decisions to live-stream plenary sessions of the Council and make Council meeting documents accessible to the public.Decisions on advancing multilingualism, improving the Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS) and supporting the sustainability of the IMO Member State Audit Scheme were also taken.The Council is the executive organ of IMO and is responsible…

ClassNK is one of the world’s leading maritime classification societies with more than 9,200 ships totaling more than 273 million gross tons under class at the end of 2023, and a global service network of more than 120 survey offices. Last month while in Tokyo we had the opportunity to sit with Hiroaki Sakashita, President & CEO, ClassNK, a marine industry veteran for his insights on the trends driving ship classification today and in the future.Hiroaki Sakashita took the helm at ClassNK at one of the most historically significant times in history…

ClassNK has issued an Approval in Principle (AiP) for an onboard CO2 capture and storage (OCCS) system developed by China Shipbuilding Power Engineering Institute Co., Ltd. (CSPI), a member of CSSC Power (Group) Co. Ltd. (CPGC).In addition to fuel transition, interest in capturing CO2 from ships' exhaust gas is growing as a way to reduce GHG emissions, and the development of onboard systems for capturing and storing CO2 is being undertaken. To encourage the development of the related technology…

To mark the start of Maritime Safety Week in the UK starting July 3, The Seafarers’ Charity has funded five episodes of a new maritime safety podcast “Sea Views” in collaboration with The CHIRP Charitable Trust.The podcast is hosted by Julia Gosling, who brings her extensive 20-year experience in maritime safety and search and rescue. She is joined by co-host Adam Parnell, Director of the CHIRP Maritime Programme.“CHIRP's mission is to share insights, raise awareness, and save more lives at sea.

In the maritime industry, seafarer safety and professionalism are critical to ensuring smooth operations and minimizing risks. As technical advancements continue to reshape every industry including ours, large language models like ChatGPT and Bard have the potential to directly assist seafarers in performing their duties more safely and professionally. So, how can a seafarer leverage these tools to enhance their onboard performance? Let’s look at some examples.One example is in providing instant, human-readable access to regulations and guidelines.

A consortium has secured European Union funding to develop solutions minimizing methane slip from marine engines, advancing the environmental and climate benefits of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a ship fuel.Coordinated by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, the Green Ray project brings together several companies from across the shipping value chain: shipyard Chantiers de l’Atlantique, ship owner CMA CGA, classification society DNV GL, technology group Wärtsilä, the Finnish Meteorological Institute…

The maritime industry’s movement toward remote vessel operations will not only build a more diverse workforce, it will benefit from it, argues marine robotics company Ocean Infinity.Greater workforce diversity, whether it be considered along lines of ethnicity, gender identity, sexuality, age, socioeconomic status, neurotype, physical ability or any other parameter, has shifted over the course of the last decade from a ‘nice to have’ to a fundamental value. The modern view of society that the thought leaders at Ocean Infinity subscribe to, is often characterized as ‘intersectionality’.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Port of Rotterdam Authority have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish the world’s longest Green and Digital Corridor to enable low and zero carbon shipping.Signed by Quah Ley Hoon, Chief Executive of MPA, and Allard Castelein, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre on the sidelines of the biennial World Cities Summit, the MoU will bring together stakeholders across the supply chain to realize the first sustainable vessels sailing on the route by 2027.

One of America's top seaports is set to launch an interagency effort to provide relief to agricultural exporters who are facing shortages of export capacity and skyrocketing logistics costsThe Port of Oakland announced Monday it is launching a program that involves the use of additional yard space and equipment, restored export ship calls and assistance to agricultural export users.The port will open and operate a 25-acre off-terminal, paved container yard equipped to move containers off chassis and store them for rapid pick-up.

Global maritime group Wilhelmsen and the Norwegian offshore supply base firm NorSea have together acquired an 18% stake in the Norwegian deep-sea mining company Loke Marine Minerals."As the energy transition continues to gather pace, we are actively looking at new projects and business areas, outside of the oil and gas industry, where NorSea’s unique port infrastructure and proven service and supply know-how can continue to be a key driver of success. The development of the seabed mineral industry in Norway is far from certain…

UECC has emerged as a leader in regards to decarbonization, with an order earlier this year for its third LNG battery/hybrid Pure Car/Truck Carrier (PCTC). Glenn Edvardsen, CEO, discusses the strategy and the future for this Oslo-based ship owner.Glenn, to start, can you give a by-the-numbers overview of UECC?United European Car Carrier is a pan-European trading carrier, trading up to the Baltic, as far east as Turkey and down to north Africa. We operate about 18 vessels (of which) UECC-owns six, ranging from (a capacity of) 5,000 cars down to 1,000.

Without action from the shipping sector to decarbonize, the sector will be responsible for approximately 17% of global CO2 emissions by 2050. And given the scale of the change required, we must address this now. Across the industry, many are wrestling with what steps to take to drive their decarbonization journeys.Last year, Shell and Deloitte published a joint report, Decarbonizing Shipping: All Hands on Deck, assessing the key factors affecting decarbonization of the shipping sector.

Gregory Darling and Applied Satellite Technology (AST) works with shipowners to help them use their bandwidth more efficiently for ship business and crew needs.When Gregory Darling, Group MD, AST, worked in the marine industry in the 1980s with a marine survey company, he needed to get word to one of his ships off of West Africa to recalibrate its course and head off to a new job. But the ship had left port, and radio calls to the ship went unanswered, resulting in two days of lost time and revenue.“That was frustrating and costly…

Environmental concerns are influencing a greater need for renewable and sustainable energy across the world with specialist technologies being at the forefront of new designs and solutions. As maritime industries begin to tackle the climate change issues, ports and shipping companies are looking for carbon-free alternatives by testing potential solutions for vessels. The requirement to make a move toward greener shipping is imminent. As companies start to concentrate their efforts in developing efficient solutions for improving performance and reducing emissions…

Singapore-based offshore rig builder Keppel Offshore & Marine has partnered up with Energy Market Authority (EMA) to develop energy solutions in the areas of distributed energy resources, digitalization and emerging low carbon alternatives.As part of the $10 million partnership, EMA and Keppel O&M are launching a grant call for solutions relating to energy storage systems and smart power grids for the offshore and marine environment. "These solutions should seek to reduce overall energy usage and carbon footprint while enhancing overall operational efficiency.

Ship owners increasingly face complex investment decisions as they try to navigate the most efficient course to the low-carbon future. Ever since the IMO set the industry’s ambitious emission-reduction targets for 2030 and 2050, owners have been inundated with information about future fuels and technologies that may, or may not, ultimately lower the carbon footprints of their fleet.Some of the new technologies hold promise, but the day-to-day viability of too many of them remains unproven; the same can be said for many of the potential fuels.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Singapore Shipping Association (SSA) and Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) have launched the Maritime Digitalization Playbook (MDP), to support maritime companies in accelerating their digitalization plans as the economy reboots and enters a new normal post-COVID-19.Senior Minister of State for Transport and Health, Dr. Lam Pin Min, said, “This pandemic has accelerated digitalization, regardless whether you are a multinational company or a local SME.

CYSEC SA, a cybersecurity company from Switzerland, has been awarded a contract by the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop a solution mitigating the cyber risks related to ship tracking using satellite communications.The digital revolution also impacts the shipping industry by integrating automated navigation, cargo-tracking systems and digital platforms which facilitate operations, trade and the exchange of data. To achieve this transformation, the mitigation of cyber security…

Top shipping, retail and transport companies are looking to develop an alternative marine fuel which aims to reduce carbon emissions from ships, in another step to push the sector to go green.International shipping accounts for 2.2% of global carbon dioxide emissions, according to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), more than aviation's 2% share.The IMO, a United Nations agency, has said it aims to halve greenhouse gas emissions from 2008 levels by 2050.Investor and activist pressure is prompting companies to look to speed up reducing the industry's carbon footprint.Denmark's A.P.

Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA) announced that Despina Panayiotou Theodosiou (WISTA Cyprus), CEO of Tototheo Maritime, was re-elected to a second term as President.WISTA International elected Alexandra Anagnostis-Irons, President of Total Marine Solutions (WISTA USA) as Secretary, and Fabiana Simões Martins (WISTA Brazil), as Board Member, to the WISTA International Executive Committee at the 39th WISTA International Annual General Meeting on Grand Cayman on 30 October 2019.Naa Densua Aryeetey (WISTA Ghana), Head, Shipper’s Services & Trade Facilitation, Ghana Shippers’ Authority, was re-elected to a third term as a Board Member.Despina P. Theodosiou, CEO Tototheo Maritime was re-elected to her second term as WISTA International President.

ABS, a global provider of classification and technical advisory services, and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd. (DSME) have signed a joint development project (JDP) agreement to explore decarbonization and digitalization strategies for Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCC) and Ultra Large Container Ships (ULCS).A press release from ABS quoted Patrick Ryan, ABS Senior Vice President, Global Engineering and Technology as saying: "ABS is assisting leading shipping lines with evaluation of their decarbonization and digital strategies all over the world. This JDP will help us harness the potential of digitalization and drive forward decarbonization goals for the industry.”The JDP aims for DSME to develop ABS approved VLCC and ULCS vessel designs…

Now that the fuel sulphur regulations have come into force from January 1, 2020, charterers and operators will begin to feel the pressure to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.Gulf Oil Marine has partnered with marine technology firm Azurtane to help customers monitor and manage energy usage and emissions compliance.The change in fuels resulting from the 2020 0.5% sulphur regulations has meant a step change in marine lubricant performance requirements.Gulf Oil Marine has been evaluating and testing lubricants that can improve engine efficiency and lower emissions.