Sea Shipping News

Wärtsilä has signed a long-term overhaul agreement with Sweden’s Erik Thun Group, covering maintenance and technical support across its fleet.The agreement, developed with fleet management partner MF Shipping Group, includes overhaul services, field and technical services, workshop support and spare parts supply.The work is aimed at supporting the performance and lifespan of engines, propulsion systems and shaft line equipment across the fleet.Wärtsilä will provide maintenance and field services to reduce downtime…

EcoNavis Solutions is developing a next generation wind-assisted propulsion system designed to enhance the performance and commercial viability of Flettner-type rotor sails for deep-sea shipping. The company’s Eco Rotor Sail introduces a patented tail-appendage device designed to increase thrust, reduce power demand, and widen the range of wind angles in which rotor sails can operate efficiently.Flettner rotors, rotating cylindrical sails first introduced in the 1920s, are enjoying a come back as shipowners seek credible ways to cut fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

On March 25, Damen Shipyards Group delivered the second of four Combi Freighters (CF) 3850 to Reederei Bernd Sibum following successful sea trials in Shanghai. The vessels are being constructed at Damen Yichang Shipyard in China. The first vessel, delivered at the beginning of February, is currently on its maiden voyage, bound for Norway with a project cargo.The new generation CF 3850 vessels are designed for high efficiency. In their standard form the vessels are able to sail on 100% biofuel and are prepared for hybrid propulsion.

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,…

European powers said on Thursday they would work together to safeguard shipping in the Red Sea and send naval and other assets to protect Cyprus as the expanding U.S.–Iran war entered its sixth day.The conflict - which has widened beyond Gulf states to the Mediterranean, where a drone strike hit a British air base on Cypruson Monday, and as far afield as Asia - has convulsed global markets and sent oil and gas prices soaring.Italy, Spain, France and the Netherlands will send naval assets to protect Cyprus in the coming days…

President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday said France was sending its aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to the Mediterranean and working to build a coalition that would help secure maritime traffic imperiled by the escalating crisis in the Middle East.In a televised address to the nation, Macron said that action needed to be taken with the Straits of Hormuz closed and the Suez Canal and Red Sea shipping routes threatened by the widening conflict."We have economic interests to protect…

Samskip has announced an agreement with short sea shipping and multimodal operator CLdN to sell its UK and Ireland (UKI-trade) door-to-door and quay-to-quay cargo business.The transaction will enable Samskip to focus even more on the company’s long-distance multimodal network that connects destinations covering mainland Europe, the Nordics, Baltics and North Africa. With sustainability as a central part of Samskip’s strategy, this will contribute to the decarbonization of customer’s…

Odfjell SE has reported preliminary full-year and fourth-quarter 2025 results, delivering what the company calls a resilient financial result that demonstrates a robust business model.“The fourth quarter concluded a year dominated by significant uncertainty and more challenging market conditions. The 2025 result is a testament to the strength of our business model, the breath of our contract portfolio, and the relentless focus on safety and efficiency across the organization.

A.P. Møller - Mærsk has released its 2025 annual report with CEO Vincent Clerc, stating: “We delivered a strong performance and high value for our customers in a year where supply chains and global trade continued to be reshaped by evolving geopolitics. Across our operations, volumes grew and asset utilisation was very high. Our Ocean business set a new benchmark for reliability, Terminals delivered record results, and Logistics & Services continued to advance.“The year highlighted the need to strengthen and modernise global supply chains and critical infrastructure…

Deltamarin has signed a basic design contract with Jiangsu Zhenjiang shipyard (Group) CO., LTD for Meriaura’s new open deck carrier.Design work will start immediately at Deltamarin Finland, with delivery scheduled for early 2028. The ordered 6,800 DWT open deck carrier is 120 meters long and features 1A ice class and DP2 notation.Deltamarin developed the vessel concept together with Meriaura during 2025, based on Meriaura’s two preceding open deck carriers. The contract signed with the builder…

Technology group Wärtsilä will supply its Wärtsilä 25 ammonia solution to power a new cargo vessel for Norway-based Skarv Shipping Solutions, marking the first newbuild to use the company’s four-stroke ammonia engine technology.The vessel will be constructed at Huanghai shipyard in China and is intended to support Skarv Shipping Solutions’ strategy to deliver sustainable short-sea shipping services in Northern Europe.Wärtsilä will provide the Wärtsilä 25 Ammonia engine together with the complete fuel gas supply system and exhaust after-treatment…

Asia Pacific Maritime (APM), Asia’s premier exhibition and conference for Shipbuilding & Marine, Workboat, Offshore, and Electric & Hybrid Marine, will return for its 19th instalment, from 25-27 March 2026 at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, with its largest edition to date. Anchored by the theme “Future of Vessels, Solutions for Tomorrow”, APM 2026 is set to convene the global leaders to examine how the next energy technologies and innovation are driving the future of maritime.As decarbonisation targets intensify and digital innovation accelerates…

Interferry is calling for an immediate halt on the further implementation of the EU ETS for the ferry sector, maintaining the surrendering obligation for maritime emissions frozen at the 70% level scheduled for 2025, and halting the planned increase to 100% in 2026. The demand follows the recent decision to continue exempting road transport from a parallel ETS mechanism and the lack of clear regulations on the distribution of the funds collected.“This action must remain in place until road transport is also in an ETS and funds collected are actually ringfenced for maritime decarbonization.

Ellerman City Liners has launched a new short-sea shipping service connecting the Baltics with the UK and the Benelux region, establishing a new route for the company in the region.The BALTEX service will operate on a fixed weekly rotation, calling at Riga, Latvia; Gdynia, Poland; Teesport and Tilbury in the UK; Rotterdam, the Netherlands; and Oslo, Norway. The weekly service offers a capacity of 1,160 TEU per leg and provides fast transshipment connections to Spain and Portugal via the Port of Tilbury, one of the UK’s major short-sea and deep-sea hubs.

The World Shipping Council (WSC) announced that Höegh Autoliners has joined as a member, further strengthening the Council’s representation of the global liner shipping industry, including the vehicle carrier sector.“We are pleased to welcome Höegh Autoliners to the World Shipping Council,” said Joe Kramek, WSC President & CEO. “Vehicle carriers are a core part of liner shipping that move global trade. Höegh Autoliners brings valuable expertise and perspective as we work with policymakers on safety…

Russian drones struck two foreign-flagged vessels on Monday, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said, the second such attack in four days on Black Sea shipping as the war nears the end of its fourth year.Kuleba said the vessels were sailing under the flags of Panama and San Marino, and that one person had been injured.The Panamanian ship was en route to pick up vegetable oil and the San Marino-flagged vessel had just been loaded with corn, he added."This is further evidence that Russia is deliberately attacking civilian vessels…

CIMAC and the Maritime Battery Forum have published the second paper on the environmental impact of batteries in deep-sea shipping concluding that the transition to battery-powered deep-sea vessels is no longer constrained primarily by technical or regulatory limitations but rather by the human and organizational readiness.Class societies, flag states, and international standards organizations have all developed rules and guidelines that sufficiently address the technical and safety requirements for implementing battery systems on ocean-going vessels.However…

Methanol is emerging as a practical alternative fuel for deep-sea shipping as engines and technical systems reach high readiness levels, but high costs and limited supply continue to constrain wider adoption, classification society DNV said in a new report.As the industry explores multiple decarbonization pathways, methanol is gaining attention as a practical and scalable alternative fuel for deep-sea shipping, supported by over 450 methanol-capable vessels in operation and on order and technical solutions now available for all major ship types.DNV’s latest white paper…

The October delay at IMO of its Net Zero Framework continues to spark debate, and enthusiasm, about net zero fuel choices, including what LNG’s role should be.Debate is expected to continue too, as shipowners face a more complicated regulatory landscape now. Despite the uncertainty created by the delay, regulations continue to force emissions reductions, including existing IMO regulations such as CII and regional regulation such as FuelEU.With the number of dual-fuel LNG ships being ordered higher than methanol or ammonia alternatives…

Interferry, the global association representing the ferry industry, announced the appointment of six new members to its Board of Directors. These new director appointments, approved at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Sorrento on October 6, reflect the diversity and global reach of the ferry industry. The newly appointed directors, each approved for a four-year term, are:Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, General Manager, Lagos State Waterways Authority, and Interferry’s first African Director…

Yara Clean Ammonia, together with Yara International, CMB.TECH and North Sea Container Line, has marked the official start of construction on Yara Eyde, the world’s first container ship powered by renewable ammonia.The steel cutting ceremony, held earlier in September, represents a major milestone in efforts to decarbonize short-sea shipping and demonstrate the viability of ammonia as a low-emission fuel.Set to operate on the Oslo–Porsgrunn–Bremerhaven–Rotterdam route, the 1,200 TEU vessel will connect industrial clusters in Northern Europe with sustainable logistics solutions.

Financially, 2024 was a positive year for Damen Shipyards Group. Revenue remained just above USD$3.47 billion (3 billion euros). Net profit rose from USD$49.8 million (43 million euros) to USD$67.1 million (58 million euros). The order book was filled with a record USD$6.83 billion (5.9 billion euros) in new orders, rising to USD$12 billion (10.4 billion euros). In 2024, Damen delivered no fewer than 146 new vessels to clients. This included the Volta 1 and the Bu Tinah. The former is Europe's first fully electric tug, which has been put into service by the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium.