General Dynamics Electric Boat delivered the nuclear-powered attack submarine Colorado (SSN 788) to the U.S. Navy. The 15th ship of the Virginia Class, Colorado is the fifth of the eight-ship group known as Block III. According to the builder, these ships embody a Navy and industry commitment to reduce costs while increasing capabilities through an initiative comprising a multi-year procurement strategy, improvements in construction practices and the Design For Affordability (DFA) program. “This delivery demonstrates the skill and commitment of everyone involved in the Virginia-class submarine program,” said Electric Boat President Jeffrey S. Geiger, recognizing the contributions of the Navy, the shipbuilders and the supplier base.

Horizon Shipbuilding announced it will reorganize amid revenues insufficient for maintaining normal operations. Lance C. “Last year, Travis R. Short, President of Horizon Shipbuilding saw an opportunity to repeat a great construction performance from 2012. Namely, an unheard of quantity of vessels in a very short period of time starting from ground zero. Hornblower (HNY Ferries) offered just this type of opportunity through its NYC Ferry project and Horizon has achieved what most believed couldn’t be done.

CMA CGM, the world's third- largest container line, and CSSC Group have officially signed the contract for the construction of nine 22,000 TEU ships, the largest container vessels ordered to date. Representatives from CMA CGM, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group), Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding and CSTC signed the contracts in Marseille on September 19. The order from the French-based container shipping firm underlines a recovery in the industry this year following a prolonged downturn.

France hopes for agreement over the future of the STX France shipyards at a Franco-Italian summit on Sept. 27, but a separate deal on warship co-operation would take longer to negotiate, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Thursday. "I would like us to have an agreement between the French and Italian governments on STX for the summit on September 27," Le Maire told reporters after a meeting with suppliers in the aerospace sector. France clashed with Italy in July after ordering a "temporary" nationalisation of STX…

Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, rose for a sixth consecutive session, helped by stronger rates for capesize and smaller vessels. The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax, supramax and handysize shipping vessels, rose 21 points, or 1.45 percent, to 1,470 points. The capesize index was up 87 points, or 3.04 percent, at 2,948 points. Average daily earnings for capesizes, which typically transport 150,000-tonne cargoes such as iron ore and coal, increased $631 to $21,325 - their highest since Nov. 25, 2014.

The fourth of eight cruise ships Viking Ocean Cruises has ordered from Fincantieri has been delivered at the shipyard in Ancona. Viking Sun, as its sister ships, is placed in the small cruise ship segment. With a gross tonnage of about 47,800 tons, it has 465 cabins with accommodation for 930 passengers, with a total capacity of over 1,400 people, including the crew. The ship’s interior design team included London-based SMC Design and Los Angeles-based Rottet Studios. In addition to the all-veranda staterooms, the ship also has spacious suites with sweeping views, two pools, of which one Infinity Pool off the stern, and a Spa designed according to the wellness philosophy of the Scandinavian tradition, with a sauna and a snow grotto.

A module of the new cruise ship AIDAnova has been released into the water for the first time at the Neptun shipyard in Rostock, which belongs to the Meyer Group. This is the first of two floating parts, so-called Floating Engine Room Units (FERU), which was placed onto the Warnow river with a special lowering device. The complex module, which stretches over 120 meters long, 42 meters wide and is three decks high, is carrying AIDAnova's four Caterpillar dual-fuel engines, and hence is the heart of the vessel.

The liner shipping company Hapag-Lloyd has now completed the sale of three of its older container ships. The “Deira”, the “Najran” and the “Sakaka” will be transferred to shipyards in China and Turkey, which are specially equipped and certified for safe and environmentally sound recycling. The ships have a capacity of 4,101 TEU each and were delivered to UASC from Japanese shipyards in 1997 and 1998. They have been part of the Hapag-Lloyd fleet since the merger at the end of May.

Scorpio Bulkers Inc. said it has reached a deal with an unaffiliated third party to acquire six Ultramax dry bulk vessels for $142.5 million.   Of the six purchased Ultramax vessels – all built in China – three were delivered in 2015, one was delivered in 2016, and two were delivered in 2017.   Scorpio said the aggregate purchase will be funded by cash on hand, plus existing and new debt facilities currently under discussion with lenders.   With the six added vessels, Scorpio Bulkers owns 52 vessels (18 Kamsarmax and 34 Ultramax), with total carrying capacity of approximately 3.6 million deadweight tons. The company has also time chartered-in one Ultramax vessel.

Fincantieri and Carnival Corporation & plc announced today the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MoA) for the construction of one next-generation cruise ship for luxury brand Cunard. The agreement will become operational when all the financial and technical conditions will be satisfied, the shipbuilder said. The ship will be built at the Monfalcone yard and join the Cunard’s fleet in 2022. The 113,000 ton ship will carry 3,000 guests and be the 249th to fly the Cunard flag…

China launched world's largest bulk carrier 'Ore Tianjin' in the port city Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, reported China Daily. The mammoth ore ship, built by the Wuhan subordinate of China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC), can carry 400,000 metric ton deadweight (DWT). It will go into service for ore transportation between China and Brazil upon delivery, which is expected in April 2018. At 362 meters long, 65 meters wide and 30.4 meters deep, and a deck equivalent to three soccer fields, it's 25 meters longer than the world's largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford.

Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway totaled 6.7 million tons in August, an increase of 10.1 percent compared to a year ago, according to latest figures from the Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA). Shipments also bettered the month’s five-year average by 6.2 percent. LCA said shipments from U.S. Great Lakes ports totaled 6.3 million tons in August, an increase of 18 percent compared to a year ago. However, loadings at Canadian terminals in the Seaway totaled 360,000 tons, a drop of nearly 50 percent.

Recently, Radio Holland Canada and Radio Holland USA celebrated the renewals of key airtime contracts on the Great Lakes with Algoma Central Corporation (ACC), The CSL Group (CSL) and American Steamship Corporation (ASC). Collectively, the three companies operate approximately 65 Lakers which include tankers, self-loading and conventional bulk carriers. The companies signed initial agreements with Radio Holland in 2007. The new agreements include increased bandwidth to meet the growing needs for the companies’ business operations and crew welfare.

In an effort to go green amid looming strict emission rules, South Korea will launch a pilot program to build the world's largest vessel powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), reports Yonhap. South Korean Ministry of  Oceans and Fisheries  said it will join forces with local shipyards, builders and state institutes to develop a class of 180,000-ton LNG-propelled vessels. The government launched a task force in January made up of local companies to develop the emerging marine transport sector to comply with the International Maritime Organization's sulfur cap on bunkers…

After successfully completing its initial public offer (IPO) recently, India's Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) has lined up expansion projects. The IPO's proceeds will be utilised to fund these expansions. The PTI reported that CSL is now setting sail to newer shores as it looks to set up ship-building and repair facilities in Andaman and Nicobar, Gujarat, Kolkata and Mumbai. The report quoted Nitin Gadkari, Indian  Shipping Minister, saying that the government is expanding Cochin Shipyard. CSL will have ship-building and repair facilities in Andaman and Nicobar, Gujarat and Mumbai.

Royal Australian Navy will commission the first of three new destroyers today (On 23 September). In continuing our reflective stories of previous ships that have carried the name HMAS Hobart, this is the story of Hobart (II). The second ship to bear the name Hobart was one of three Perth class guided missile destroyers built in the United States for the Royal Australian Navy. She was commissioned at the Boston Navy Yard on 18 December 1965 under the command of Captain Guy Griffiths.

Norway’s newest and largest factory stern trawler features an auxiliary engine package from Yanmar, based on two 6EY22ALW generating sets. The 81.2m long, 16.6m beam MV Granit was built at the Tersan shipyard in Turkey to the Skipsteknisk ST-117 design for Austevoll Island-based Halstensen Granit AS. The ship, yard number NB1067, was handed over to the owner at the end of August 2017. MV Granit is equipped for both white fish and shrimp, with all catches processed on board. She will be able to tow up to three trawls for shrimp, two for white fish.

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, rose to its highest in three-and-a-half years on Friday, boosted by strong capesize rates. The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax, supramax and handysize shipping vessels, rose 32 points, or 2.18 percent, to end at 1,502 points, its highest since March 2014. The capesize index was up 199 points, or 6.75 percent, at 3,147 points, its highest level since November 2014.

Oil rig builder Lamprell Plc reported a 64.7 percent fall in revenue in the first half of the year and cut its full-year forecast, hurt by lower activity levels across the industry. The company said it expected revenue for 2017 to be in the range of $370 million to $390 million, as it saw continuing low levels of walk-in work. Lamprell had forecast full-year revenue to be in the lower half of the $400 million-$500 million range in March. Lamprell, which runs three rig building yards in the UAE, said revenue fell to $159.2 million in the six months ended June 30 from $451.3 million a year ago.

Honolulu-based Hawaii Stevedores, Inc. has received confirmation from Hawaii State Department of Transportation (HDOT) that, together with the state, Hawaii Stevedores will continue the joint development of the Kapalama Container Terminal (KCT). The state has confirmed its commitment for Hawaii Stevedores to lease the new 84-acre, state-of-the-art KCT, which will be constructed at the former Kapalama Military Reserve Terminal at Sand Island in Honolulu, as part of the state’s $448 million harbors modernization plan.

Florida based naval architecture and marine engineering firm Boksa Marine Design said it has kept bust over the past few months, with many of its 2017 projects having progressed from design and engineering phases on some and build-to-water on others. Boska provided an update on several of those projects. J&M Metalworks of Green Cove Springs, Fla. has been working on the initial phases of construction of a 140’ passenger vessel. The vessel was designed by DeJong and Lebet, Naval Architects of Jacksonville, Fla..

Having compiled a summary of its worldwide shipbuilding activities regarding Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs), Damen Shipyards Group, with five vessels delivered in the last year and 15 currently under construction, claims unrivalled experience in serving the naval industry with its OPV portfolio. In addition to its own builds, the company says it is just as capable of completing complex naval projects in cooperation with local shipyards as it is in constructing vessels at its own yards. “OPVs are playing an increasingly significant role in modern naval operations.

The delivery of Svitzer Avon to the Port of Bristol in the U.K. signals the completion of Sanmar's six boat build contract as part of Svitzer's tugboat replenishment program known as the Silver Bullet Project. The conclusion of this order brings the collaboration between the Turkish tug builder and Canadian tug design specialist Robert Allan Limited (RAL) to a number in excess of 150 vessels. All six of Svitzer’s new high performance tugboats are RAL designed RAstar 2800 E designs designated by the builder as the Sanmar Terminal Class measuring 28.2m x 12.6m.

Parat Halvorsen AS said it recently secured a contract to design and fabricate a complete, turnkey steam boiler module for the Floating Production & Storage Offshore (FPSO) vessel Aoka Mizu owned by Bluewater Energy Services BV. The FPSO is being decommissioned for the Lancaster project which is owned and operated by Hurricane Energy UK. The module will include 2 x 3200kW electric steam boilers based on the PARAT MEL design and will provide an additional 9,600kg/hr of saturated steam for the FPSO marine and process systems.

Dominican Republic closed most of its ports ahead of Hurricane Maria, but the country's 34,000-barrel-per-day refinery was still running, the government said on Wednesday. Ports that suspended operations under the "red alert" declared for extreme weather conditions are La Romana, Samana, Arroyo Barril, Puerto Plata and Manzanillo, the Dominican Port Authority said in a statement. Maria was a Category 4 hurricane when it hit Puerto Rico earlier on Wednesday. The ports of San Souci and Haina…

Just a few weeks after delivery of the Crystal Bach, shipbuilder MV WERFTEN has handed over the Crystal Mahler, the second of four Rhine Class ships for client Crystal River Cruises. After the ceremonial change of flags, the ship was christened at the outfitting quay of MV WERFTEN in Wismar. Like its sister vessel, the 135-metre long and 11.4-metre wide river cruise ship was specifically designed for exploring Europe’s rivers. It complies with the highest safety and navigation standards…

Holland’s ROG Ship Repair said it has come to the aid of a Floating Production & Storage Offshore (FPSO) vessel ran into problematic weather conditions while being towed from Europe to the Middle East. Having recently been assigned a new contract, the 89,184 dwt, 248.1 m long FPSO Aoka Mizu (Japanese for Bluewater), owned and operated by Holland’s Bluewater Energy Services, will be utilized for the early production system (EPS) phase of the development on Hurricane’s offshore field in the North Sea.

Damen Shipyards Group said it has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Delo Group of companies, establishing plans to open a service hub in the Russian port of Novorossiysk. According to Damen, the new hub will aim to optimize the services provided to the growing number of Damen vessels operating in the region in addition to strengthening its relationship with the Delo Group. The LOI was signed by representatives from the two companies during the NEVA 2017 trade fair in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, hovered near a three-year high, supported by robust rates for capesize vessels. The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax, supramax and handysize shipping vessels, rose 34 points, or 2.4 percent, to 1,449 points - its highest level since November 5, 2014. The capesize index climbed 138 points, or 5.07 percent, to 2,861 points, its biggest gain since Nov. 25, 2014.

Hunter Marine's Operations Division has selected MarineCFO’s Vessel 365 fleet optimization technology, along with Endurance Personnel for managing time cards, scheduling and personnel reporting functions, and Endurance Maintenance, a complete maintenance solution from scheduling, outside services and capacity planning to quality control. Darrick Lee, Hunter Marine Purchasing Manager said the company will use MarineCFO's suite of products to achieve Subchapter M compliance and to help streamline existing business processes.

Kalmar, part of Cargotec, is to continue its cooperation with Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) with a new order for container-handling equipment. The order, comprising five Kalmar reachstackers and two empty container handlers, was booked in Cargotec's 2017 third quarter intake. Delivery will commence in Q4 2017 and continue into Q2 2018. MSC, a world leader in global container shipping, has a network of over 480 offices in 155 countries and a fleet of 490 container vessels. As well as sea freight, the company offers integrated warehousing and haulage services.

World Marine of Alabama (WMA) said it has won a contract to drydock and repair the Dredge Wheeler, a hopper dredge owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Since the Wheeler’s commissioning at Avondale Shipyards in 1982, WMA’s facility in Mobile, Ala. has drydocked and repaired the Dredge Wheeler on many occasions, including a complete repowering of the vessel in 2012. As the largest and most powerful hopper dredge in the USACE fleet, the Dredge Wheeler is a 408-foot trailing suction hopper dredge with a hopper capacity of over 8,200 cubic yards.

Louisiana shipbuilder Conrad Shipyard said it has been awarded a contract to build two 3,000HP ocean service tugboats for Seattle’s Harley Marine Services. The two new vessels, designed by Entech Designs, LLC, will be 100-feet in length, with a beam of 34’. They will be powered by Caterpillar 3512C Tier 4 ARated Diesel Marine Engines, and equipped with two Caterpillar C4.4 99Kw at 1,800RPM generators. The two vessels are scheduled to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2018 and first quarter of 2019 respectively.

If you are an American thinking Asia for converting a vessel, building a drydock or contracting a medium-sized newbuild, then Krzysztof Kozdron, Managing Director of Germany-based Schulte Marine Concept (SMC), is the man you need to speak to. Easy to talk to, the Shanghai-based naval architect and engineer knows shipbuilding from all sides. Parent company Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) has owned and operated ships for 150 years, and he draws on that and his own 25 years of project experience.

Two newbuild next generation CrewZer Class catamarans, SEACOR Puma and SEACOR Panther, have been delivered and have entered service for SEACOR Marine. The vessels were designed by Incat Crowther and built by Astillleros Armon in Spain and are unique in their capability to transfer personnel and equipment to offshore platforms at maximum speeds in excess of 40 knots. The design features 30 percent more deadweight capacity than its predecessor, while offering equivalent service speeds, Incat Crowther said.

Diana Shipping, a global shipping company specializing in the ownership of dry bulk vessels, today announced that, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, it has entered into a time charter contract with Unico Logistics, Seoul, for one of its Panamax dry bulk vessels, the m/v Maera. The gross charter rate is US$11,900 per day, minus a 5% commission paid to third parties, for a period of minimum nine months to maximum eleven months. The charter is expected to commence on September 19, 2017.

Contract freight rates paid by Beneficial Cargo Owners to move their products by container have increased for a 4th consecutive quarter, according to actual contract rate data from the Drewry Benchmarking Club. Average contract rates on two major container trade routes - from Asia to North Europe and North America – have increased by another 4% between the second and the third quarter of this year. This means that the latest Drewry Benchmarking Club Contract Index has increased by 39% in the year to the third quarter, based on $2 billion of ocean freight spending.

Austal USA delivered its sixth littoral combat ship to the U.S. Navy on Friday, September 15. The future USS Omaha (LCS 12) is the nation’s 10th littoral combat ship delivered to the Navy, the first of two that the shipbuilder will deliver this year. “They’re here and ready. Our Independence-variant littoral combat ships are coming off the line with exceptional quality and under the congressional cost cap,” said Austal USA President Craig Perciavalle. The Omaha delivery follows the USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) commissioning which took place in Galveston, Texas, earlier this summer. With the USS Jackson (LCS 6) and USS Montgomery (LCS…

Environmental compliance challenges are nothing new to the cruise industry. Initiatives to enhance environmental compliance, from clean technologies to improved processes and procedures, have significantly reduced the impact cruise vessels have on the environment and improved the quality of discharge. These onboard initiatives address what is in the vessel’s control, but cannot simplify the increasingly complex regulatory environment in which cruise lines operate. Enforcement of environmental regulations is on the rise as international…

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, inched higher on Monday, hitting a fresh nearly three-year high as rates for panamaxes and smaller vessels increased. The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax, supramax and handysize shipping vessels, rose 13 points, or 0.94 percent, to 1,398 points, the highest since Nov. 10, 2014. However, the capesize index slipped 4 points, or 0.15 percent, to 2,681 points.

The U.S. Coast Guard has awarded Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) a Long Lead Time Material (LLTM) contract for the first Offshore Patrol Cutter, USCGC Argus (WMSM 915). The LLTM contract awarded on September 7, 2017 allows Eastern to move forward on an aggressive schedule to deliver a capable and affordable platform to meet the Coast Guard’s mission needs. The award includes main propulsion, machinery control, electrical and mechanical equipment orders that need to be placed…

A Panama flagged bulk carrier, DL Carnation, has been banned from entering Australian ports for a period of 12 months after authorities uncovered a scheme which saw the vessel’s crew being intentionally underpaid. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said it received a complaint on Friday, September 8 via the International Transport Workers’ Federation alleging discrepancies in the payment of wages for the crew of the DL Carnation. An AMSA surveyor attended the vessel in Gladstone and found that the ship was operating with two sets of wage accounts on board: one showing the amount of pay the crew should have been receiving in line with their Seafarer Employment Agreements, and the other showing what the crew was actually receiving.

Genting Hong Kong appointed travel industry veteran Tom Wolber as President and CEO of Crystal Cruises, effective September 15. Wolber brings to the role over three decades of experience in general management, operations, newbuild construction and business development. He joins Crystal most recently from the Walt Disney Company where he served in various executive roles for 28 years, 10 of which were with Disney Cruise Line where he served as Senior Vice President of Operations. Wolber helped transform Disney Cruise Line into a global cruise line.

DP World said on Monday that it had entered into a deal to buy two other Dubai state-owned maritime companies for a total of $405 million.   The Dubai-based ports operator will acquire Maritime World, the 100 percent owner of Dubai Maritime City, for a purchase consideration of $180 million, and 100 percent of Drydocks World by means of a capital injection of $225 million.   Both deals are expected to close before the end of the first quarter of 2018, it said. Reporting By Tom Arnold 

South Korea's major shipyards are projected to report weaker-than-expected earnings for the third quarter of the year, due to increased costs and the construction of low-priced ships amid decreased new orders. Yonhap News Agency, quoting data compiled by Yonhap Infomax, said that Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) is expected to log an operating income of 106 billion won (US$93.6 million) during the July-September period, compared with the previous year's operating earnings of 322 billion won.

Shipyards in China have surpassed  South Korea again in terms of receiving the most orders for new ships and platforms, while fierce battle for the number one position in shipbuilding orders continues. China ranked first globally with 195 vessel orders, while South Korea was second with 104 during the first eight months of this year, Yicai Global reported citing Clarkson Research Services. According to the report, total global orders for January to August were 489 vessels, up about 40 percent annually.

This year, Hapag-Lloyd will once again make investments to maintain and expand its container fleet. The liner shipping company has ordered a total of 7,700 refrigerated containers (Reefers) of the latest generation – including 7,000 x 40-foot and 700 x 20-foot units. In addition, 1,000 of the new containers are equipped with “Controlled Atmosphere” technology, which slows down the ripening process of various types of fruits and vegetables, thereby allowing them to be transported for longer periods of time while maintaining a consistent quality. Production will already begin in September.

During the first quarter of the year, new car exports and imports passing through the Port of Gothenburg rose by 12 per cent compared with the first quarter of 2016. The Port of Gothenburg became the number one vehicle handling port in Scandinavia, due largely to the rise in imports. The number of cars exported and imported through the Port of Gothenburg has grown steadily since 2012 and the trend appears to be holding. According to new figures released by the Swedish government agency Transport Analysis and the industry and employers’ organisation Ports of Sweden…

A new warning that bauxite may become unstable when carried in bulk on a ship, potentially causing the vessel to capsize, has been issued by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Bauxite is one of the world’s major sources of aluminium with around 100 million tonnes transported annually by sea. In 2015, a bulk carrier sank while transporting bauxite, with the loss of 18 seafarers. Research presented this week to an IMO Sub-Committee found that certain forms of bauxite…

The Government of India signed a loan deal worth USD 76 million with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), for a project to upgrade the environment management plan at Alang-Sosiya ship recycling yards. The total cost of the project will be $ 111 million, out of which $76 million will be provided as soft loan from JICA. Out of the remaining amount, $25 million as taxes and fees will be borne by Government of Gujarat and the balance $10 million will be shared by Ministry of Shipping & Government of Gujarat.

CMA CGM, the world's third-largest container shipping firm, said it expected operating profits to improve further in the second half as the market continues to recover, and confirmed an order for nine giant vessels. The announcements by French-based CMA CGM underlined a recovery in the industry this year after a prolonged downturn that sparked a series of consolidation deals. In a second-quarter results statement on Friday, CMA CGM said its board had approved an order for nine container ships…

The Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA) said U.S.-flag Great Lakes freighters (lakers) moved 10.1 million tons of cargo in August, an increase of 7 percent compared to a year ago. The month’s shipments also bettered the August long-term average by approximately 60,000 tons. Iron ore cargos for steelmaking totaled 4.7 million tons, an increase of 4.7 percent compared to a year ago. Coal loadings neared 1.6 million tons, an increase of 8.5 percent. Limestone cargos increased nearly 10 percent to 3.2 million tons. Year-over-year U.S.-flag cargos total 50.4 million tons, an increase of 1.3 percent over the same point in 2016. Iron ore shipments have increased 6 percent to 27.6 million tons. Coal cargos are virtually unchanged – 7.5 million tons.

Hong Kong's port expects a slight rise in container shipping volumes this year despite continuing global turmoil in the sector. The global container industry, which transports everything from bananas to iPhones, is showing signs of better returns after a near-decade long slump. Nevertheless, worries over global retail demand and too many ships have continued to put the brakes on a bigger recovery. Hong Kong's Secretary for Transport and Housing, Frank Chan Fan, said container…

Japanese car manufacturer Toyota Motor Corporation is turning to LNG-powered ships to transport its cars across the globe, according to a report from Japanese daily Nikkei. The company has backed an investment in up to 20 LNG-powered car carriers with the capacity to carry 7,000 vehicles each, as it  is preparing for the environmental regulations that will go into force in 2020. Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK), Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line) and Toyota’s Toyofuji Shipping are expected to be in the running for the contract, which is estimated to be approximately $1.83 billion.

Rolls-Royce said it has won an order to deliver its first EPA Tier 4-compliant propulsion systems from MTU to WETA (Water Emergency Transportation Authority) for installation in three brand-new catamaran ferries. The first of the three high-speed ferries is expected to enter service on the San Francisco Bay in late 2018. The San Francisco Bay is subject to special environmental protection. “Our goal is to operate a ferry service that is sustainable, cost-efficient and eco-friendly,” said Nina Rannells, WETA Executive Director.

Britain’s largest independent ship repairer and marine engineering services provider Burgess Marine announced that in partnership with Portsmouth City Council it has opened a new ship repair facility within Portsmouth Commercial Port, U.K. Burgess Marine Ltd. and MMD Shipping Services Ltd, part of Portsmouth City Council, launched this new strategic partnership in style with an emergency three-day alongside docking for Wightlink Ferries. Burgess Marine and MMD have been building a relationship over the last few months for the use of Flat House Quay in Portsmouth’s Commercial Port.

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, touched a fresh near three-year high on Thursday, supported by firmer rates across vessel segments. The overall index — which factors in rates for capesize, panamax, supramax and handysize shipping vessels — rose 24 points, or 1.8 percent, to 1,361 points, a peak since November 2014. The capesize index gained 14 points, or 0.53 percent, to 2,642 points. The main capesize activity this week has been from the west Australian market…

Remarks from Federal Maritime Commissioner William P. Doyle at the FTR Transportation Conference 2017, Indianapolis, Ind. On September 13, 2017, I voted to expedite the Commission’s decision and support THE Alliance’s amendment authorizing creation of a contingency trust fund designed to protect customers’ cargo and the ocean transportation chain should one of THE Alliance’s carriers experience financial distress or an insolvency event. I support the goal behind this amendment: the smooth and continuous flow of cargo even in the face of another ocean carrier bankruptcy or catastrophic failure.

A keel laying ceremony held on September 7, 2017 at Colombo Dockyard PLC in Sri Lanka signaled the start of construction on a new cable lay vessel for Japanese owner Kokusai Cable Ship Co. Ltd (KCS). Vard Design secured the ship design contract with builder Colombo Dockyard for KCS’s newest vessel, a VARD 9 01 design tailor-made for installation and repair of subsea telecom cables, with a high capacity below-deck cable carousel. Developed in close cooperation with the ship owner…

16 August of last year the FPSO North Sea Producer was beached in Chittagong, Bangladesh. The ship was allowed to leave the UK based on the false promise that it would be further operationally used in the Tin Can port in Nigeria. One year on, the battle to hold the owners and cash buyers accountable for the illegal export of the FPSO is not over. The North Sea Producer (ex Dagmar Maersk) was deployed in the McCulloch field in the North Sea, transporting and extracting oil from the UK continental shelf for 17 years…

A steel cutting ceremony was held at Meyer Turku shipyard, Finland for the first of two Costa Cruises ships to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). The ship will sail in October 2019 with a sister ship following in 2021. Costa Cruises’ president, Neil Palomba, announced today that newbuild NB-1394 will be named Costa Smeralda, and added, “The two new Costa Cruises ships are a true innovation and set new standards for the entire sector. Meyer Turku CEO, Jan Meyer, said, “In the last two years…

Eastern Shipbuilding’s forward-thinking inland towboat design now features CAT Tier 4 propulsion and aftertreatment. When Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) introduced its cutting edge 4,000 hp Thunderbolt inland towboat designed around twin azimuthing AAA Propulsion electric V-Pod propulsion and diesel-electric technology back in 2015, the approach was collaborative, with input from operators, naval architects (Gilbert Associates, Inc. (GAI)) and propulsion OEM’s. In selecting the podded propulsion system for inclusion on the design…

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, slipped on Wednesday as rates for capesize vessels fell. The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax, supramax and handysize shipping vessels, fell 7 points or 0.52 percent to 1,337 points. The capesize index lost 96 points or 3.52 percent to end at 2,628 points, marking its biggest one-day percentage decline in two weeks. Average daily earnings for capesizes, which typically transport 150,000-tonne cargoes such as iron ore and coal, fell $813 to $19,129.

Rigid inflatable boat (RIB) manufacturer RIBCRAFT has introduced the newest and largest model in its  model line, the 41’ RIBCRAFT 12.5, with the recent delivery of a specialized USCG Sub Chapter T Certified tour boat to a customer in New England. Engineered as an offshore platform for tour operators, security and patrol operations, military applications and even recreational boaters, the 12.5 combines RIBCRAFT’s deep V hull and bow sheer with an extended waterline and generous beam.

Interferry CEO Mike Corrigan explains the Stronger Together vision behind the trade association’s drive to extend its networking and lobbying influence. Over the past four decades, Interferry’s reach and purpose has evolved with increasing effect from its U.S. origins in 1976. Back then, it was formed as the International Marine Transit Association with a focus on networking among its members. Now it is highly respected and influential as the only body representing the ferry industry worldwide.

Euroseas announced that it signed a memorandum of agreement to purchase the M/V EM Athens and EM Oinousses, both feeder size containership vessels of 2,506 teu built in 2000. The Company also announced that it acquired the option to purchase from Euromar two additional container vessels, the M/V EM Corfu, a feeder size containership vessel of 2,556 teu built in 2001, and the M/V Akinada Bridge, a post-panamax size container vessel of 5,600 teu built in 2001 until September 30, 2017.

Konecranes signed a major service agreement in which its Antwerp-based service organization will perform all of the maintenance and repair work on more than 150 Konecranes Noell Straddle Carriers of different generations for MSC PSA European Terminal (MPET), the single largest container terminal in Europe. The purpose of this service agreement is to achieve consistently high availability of the entire machine fleet. MPET, which handles the majority of containers in the Port of Antwerp, saw steady growth in 2016.

New research considered by International Maritime Organization (IMO) this week about the behaviour of an aluminium ore that featured in a high-profile shipping casualty in 2015 could lead to changes in industry rules about how such cargoes should be handled. IMO’s Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers (CCC 4, 11-15 September) this week is considering the latest research results on the potential instability of bauxite when carried as a ship’s cargo. Bauxite is one of the world’s major sources of aluminium.

A Ukrainian delegation led by its Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade Ms. Nataliya Mykolska, met Secretary, Ministry of Shipping Shri Ravikant in New Delhi  to discuss the potential for developing sustainable partnership between the two countries in the area of shipbuilding. Giving an overview of ship building industry in their country, the Ukrainian delegation invited senior officials of the Ministry of Shipping to visit Odessa and Kiev to study the logistic chain and shipbuilding yards in particular.

As of 12 noon today, the U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port (COTP) approved restricted commercial vessel transit through Port Canaveral to allow the port to support the arrival of critical fuel supplies destined for Florida consumers, and to receive cruise ships that were diverted from Port Canaveral prior to the arrival of Hurricane Irma. Port Canaveral previously had limited operations capability due to lack of water and limited electric power. However, this update to the port's Condition Zulu confirms the port's ability to regain full operational capability over the next few days, as efforts are well underway at Port Canaveral to resume normal operations. Port Canaveral CEO, Capt. John Murray, said, "Our ability to supply the critical fuel needs of Florida has been a priority.

The new Arleigh Burke-class (DDG 51) guided missile destroyer Delbert D. Black (DDG 119) was launched by Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division on Friday, September 8, in Pascagoula, Miss. “A quality launch is a critical milestone in a ship’s life,” said Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias. “Our world-class shipbuilders have once again met this goal in launching DDG 119. We look forward to continuing this success as we prepare DDG 119 to join the fleet as USS Delbert D. Delbert D. Black was translated via Ingalls’ rail car system to a floating dry dock.

The German defence procurement agency said on Tuesday it has awarded a contract valued at nearly 2 billion euros ($2.4 billion) to a consortium of shipbuilders led by Lurrsen Werft for five new corvettes to be delivered from 2022 to 2025. The agency said the contract would give the German navy additional proven warships to keep up with its increased responsibilities within the NATO alliance. The consortium also includes Thyssenkrupp and German Naval Yards, which had undertaken legal action to be added to the group. In July Germany's competition regulator, the federal cartel office, said it would not block moves by Lurssen and Thyssenkrupp to expand the consortium after finding no evidence of antitrust concerns.

Sentinel Marine’s latest new-build emergency response and rescue vessel (ERRV) has been deployed to service in the North Sea after being christened at Aberdeen Harbor. The new vessel, Mariner Sentinel, is operating on behalf of Statoil at its Mariner field to the east of Shetland – the sixth of nine vessels to join the firm’s fleet since 2015. Statoil’s Aberdeen-based offshore logistics and services supervisor, Line Kaldestad, officially named Mariner Sentinel in her role as the ship’s godmother.

Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 3,991,471 tons in August, an increase of 18.6 percent compared to a year ago, the Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA) reported. August’s loadings were also nearly 12 percent ahead of the month’s five-year average. LCA said loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 3,358,064 tons, an increase of 21.4 percent compared to a year ago, while shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 633,407 tons, a slight increase over a year ago. Year-to-date the Lakes limestone trade stands at 16,626,332 tons, an increase of 0.7 percent compared to a year ago.

Norwegian shipping firm Hoegh Autoliners denied on Tuesday allegations made by South Africa that it and Japanese rival Mitsui O.S.K Lines had colluded to fix transport tariffs to and from South Africa. Hoegh Autoliners specializes in transporting cars, controlling 50 specialized vessels or 6-7 percent of the global fleet in this market. South Africa's Competition Commission said on Tuesday Hoegh Autoliners had been referred for prosecution on seven charges relating to collusive tendering, price fixing and market division.

A new ATB tug for Great Lakes Dredge and Dock (GLDD), M/V Douglas B. Mackie, was launched in Mobile, Ala. The vessel is being built by Eastern Shipbuilding and is scheduled to be delivered this fall. The design for the 14-knot ATB was developed by GLDD from an Ocean Tug and Barge concept with the hull lines completely revised by MARIN, a model basin in the Netherlands. Ship Architects, Inc. (SAi) completed the functional design and subsequent Class package. During the functional design process…

Trade association Interferry stages its 42nd annual conference in Split, Croatia, next month with an agenda highlighting the income and savings potential in three key areas – the customer experience, ship technologies and safety issues including cyber security. The event runs from October 7-11 and is on course for record attendance with some 300 delegates already registered among member and non-member operators and suppliers. “I think the high level of interest is a response to the pace of change in our industry,” suggests Interferry CEO Mike Corrigan.

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, snapped a six-day winning streak on Tuesday, weighed down by weaker rates for capesize vessels. The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax, supramax and handysize shipping vessels, ended down 11 points, or 0.81 percent, at 1,344 points. It had touched near three-year highs on Monday. The capesize index broke a five-session gaining streak to close down 89 points, or 3.16 percent, at 2,724 points.

Orient Overseas (International) Limited (OOIL), a company with principal business activities in container transport (OOCL) and logistics services (OOCL Logistics), is delighted to announce its joining of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC). "As a signatory, we are honored to be the first Hong Kong-based enterprise in the international transportation and logistics industry to take part in this important initiative," said a statement from OOIL. Through our business strategies…

ABS has granted Approval in Principle (AIP) to Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) hull design. ABS and HHI collaborated with the objective of developing a technically feasible and class compliant FLNG hull design, using the latest industry trends while maintaining high safety standards. The ABS AIP demonstrates the design substantially complies with Class and Regulatory requirements and minimizes risk to project schedules and safe operations, giving regulatory agencies and other key stakeholders confidence in the design.

Will your vessel be honored as a “Great Workboat of 2017” in the December 2017 edition of Marine News? Every year, Marine News profiles the most outstanding vessels built in shipyards in North America, recognizing builders, owners and designers as leaders in their field. This edition — the much anticipated end-of-the-year edition — generates much excitement, as your work is profiled and delivered to the largest audited b2b maritime industry audience in this genre. The only way…

Norco Holdings, the Poole-based manufacturer of lightweight composite structures and GRP moldings, has been selected by Atlas Elektronik UK (AEUK) to build the fleet of replacement workboats ordered recently by the UK MoD and due to be delivered over the next six years. The contract is for 30+ boats in total, ranging in size from 11 to 15 meters. As the primary composites supplier for the project, Norco will be producing the major components for the new vessels including hull, deck, superstructure and associated multipurpose modules.

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, touched a near three-year high on Monday, supported by higher rates across all vessel segments. The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax, supramax and handysize shipping vessels, gained 23 points, or 1.73 percent, at 1,355 points - the highest since Nov. 2014. "The market has been solely driven forward by the capesize shipping segment this year. Only recently have we seen panamax and handysize climb to profitable freight rates…

Silversea Cruises has place an order worth about €310 million (US$371.4 million) with Fincantieri for the construction of a new ultra-luxury cruise ship. The new vessel, tentatively named Silver Moon, will be a sister ship of Silver Muse, delivered in April at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Sestri Ponente, Genoa. At 40,700 gross tons and with a capacity to accommodate 596 passengers on board, the ship will maintain the small-ship intimacy and spacious all-suite accommodations. According to the builder, the new ship will achieve Green star 3 Design notation assigned to units that are designed, built and equipped in order to prevent air and water pollution, as well as the COMF-NOISE A PAX and COMF-NOISE B CREW notations assigned on the basis of the ship’s measured noise levels.

Bureau Veritas, TMC Marine and the London P&I Club have issued a new booklet providing operational guidance for preventing blackout and main engine failures. In a joint project, classification society Bureau Veritas and consultancy TMC Marine, a Bureau Veritas Group Company since 2016, have cooperated again with the London P&I Club to produce the second booklet in a series on loss prevention issues. The new publication focuses on the marine engineering issues and procedures related to loss of propulsion incidents and how to prevent them.

Wight Shipyard Co Ltd (WSC) boss Peter Morton has purchased a stake in Aluminium Marine Consultants (AMC) and takes his place on the board, securing the Isle of Wight boat build business well into the future. AMC Commercial Director, Rob Stewart, said, “We are looking forward to working together, having been neighbors for some time. With a healthy order book, the future for AMC, the Isle of Wight and U.K. Stewart added that AMC will remain separate and continue to trade under the same name but will benefit from Wight Shipyards Co Ltd’s experience, backing and support going forward.

Vard Holdings Limited said it won a contract for the design and construction of an expedition cruise vessel for Coral Expeditions of Australia. Newly developed by Vard Design in Norway in cooperation with the customer, the vessel is specially designed for small ship expedition cruises to remote and exotic destinations in the regions of Asia-Pacific. The vessel of VARD 6 01 design, measuring 93.5 x 17.2 meters, with room for 120 guests. True to the Coral Expeditions business concept…

MacGregor has signed a five-year frame agreement with Teekay Shipping Ltd to provide spare parts, maintenance, training and project support for approximately 115 of Teekay's vessels. The agreement was signed during the second quarter of 2017, and will see MacGregor, part of Cargotec, provide spare parts, maintenance, training and project support for hatch covers, hose-handling cranes, general-purpose cranes, offshore mooring/loading systems, deck machinery winches, steering gear and compressors on board Teekay vessels. “The business relationship with Teekay goes back to Pusnes and Hatlapa brands with separate types of agreements. When discussions first took place it was clear there was a tremendous spread of installed base,” said Steve Goodchild, UK Branch Manager.

MPC Container Ships Invest B.V., a wholly owned subsidiary of Oslo-listed MPC Container Ships AS, has successfully completed the issuance of a new senior secured bond issue of USD 100 million. The bond issue has a 5 year tenor, carries a floating interest rate of 3m LIBOR + 4.75% and has a borrowing limit of USD 200 million. The bond issue received strong demand and was oversubscribed. The net proceeds from the bond issue will be used to finance acquisitions of additional container vessels and for general corporate purposes.

The vessel owner-operator and shipbuilder  ASL Marine Holdings said that a fire occurred in its shipyard in Batam, Indonesia. ASL press release that initial investigations showed the incident occurred on board a tanker that was being repaired at one of its dry docks. The fire likely started inside and was confined to the pump room, the company added in its statement. Whilst this may restrict damage and deaths, nevertheless five people died and one person is injured, they were employees of our subcontractor. Initial investigations suggest that there was no explosion.

Diana Shipping Inc. has announced that, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, it has entered into a time charter contract with DHL Project & Chartering Limited, Hong Kong, for one of its Panamax dry bulk vessels, the m/v Ismene. The gross charter rate is US$12,000 per day, minus a 5% commission paid to third parties, for a period of minimum 12 months to maximum 15 months. The charter is expected to commence on September 16, 2017. The m/v Ismene is currently chartered, as previously announced…

A group of investors has pumped nearly $40 million into Norwegian shipbuilder Kleven. Norwegian cruise, ferry and cargo operator Hurtigruten and its owners, Petter A. Stordalen and TDR, will be the largest partner in the newly established company, with a 40 percent share. Current owners, John Kleven AS and H-Invest AS are bringing new funds to the company. Additional investors include Åge Remøy and Magnus Roth's InYard Invest, Lürssen-Group, and Per Lillebø. "It has been important for us to bring in new investors with an industrial…

First steel was cut Friday at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Monfalcone for a new ship for Carnival Corporation brand Princess Cruises. The vessel will be the fourth edition of the class for Princess Cruises, following Royal, Regal and Majestic, delivered by the same yard in 2013, 2014 and 2017 respectively. Works for the construction of a bow section for this unit began last November at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Castellammare di Stabia, Naples. The section will be then transported by sea and assembled to the rest of the unit in Monfalcone, where delivery will take place by the end of 2019.

A Navis NavDP4000 DP-2 system has been commissioned on board the third vessel in a series of four currently under construction on Arctech Helsinki Shipyards.   This project is a further development of the two multifunctional icebreaking supply vessels Vitus Bering and Aleksey Chirikov delivered for same owner back in 2012 and 2013.   The multifunctional icebreaking standby vessel is designed for year round operations in harsh conditions of Arctic waters, as she was built to Icebreaker 6 class of Russian Maritime Register. She is also designed to act as an accommodation vessel.   The previously delivered Gennadiy Nevelskoy and Stepan Makarov already started operations serving Sakhalin-2 project.

Fifteen tankers will be built at South Korean shipyards to transport the products of the Yamal LNG plant, TASS cites Russian President Vladimir Putin as saying. “We have noted with satisfaction the successful cooperation in the energy sector: South Korean companies are participating in the Sakhalin-1 and Sakhalin-2 projects, we are working on the issue of increasing purchases of liquefied natural gas,” the report quoted President Putin. Besides, Vladimir Putin marked the advantages…

The 14,400 TEU capacity CMA CGM Theodore Roosevelt became the largest container ship to call the port of New York and New Jersey when it arrived at the APM Terminals Elizabeth container terminal. The ultra-large container ship also established a new record as the largest vessel to pass under the raised roadbed of the Bayonne Bridge, which now gives air draft clearance to vessels of up to 18,000 TEU capacity. Until recently, container ships calling the Port of New York & New Jersey were mainly of the 5,000-8,000 TEU size class.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL)  announced that on August 31, the MOL-operated car carrier Swan Ace (capacity: 6,400 standard passenger cars) called at the Port of Kisarazu in Chiba Prefecture and loaded 800 used vehicles. It was the first call for MOL-operated car carriers of Japan – East Africa trade. On the same day, the cargo owner, port officials, and other guests attended a commemorative ceremony at a hotel in Kisarazu City. Vast used vehicle export yards are clustered around the Port of Kisarazu.

DryShips Inc, a diversified owner of ocean going cargo vessels, has announced that it has taken delivery of the previously announced high specifications second newbuilding Very Large Gas Carrier (VLGC). The VLGC will be employed under a time charter on a fixed rate with five years firm duration to an oil major. The charterer has options to extend the firm employment period by up to three years. The Company expects a total gross backlog associated with this time charter of up to $92.7 million including the optional periods.

The vessel was named Khankendi by the President of Azerbaijan, H.E. Ilham Aliyev, at a ceremony in Baku Shipyard and launched by the Shah Deniz consortium. Baku Shipyard LLC, a joint venture between Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd (Keppel O&M), State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) and Azerbaijan Investment Company (AIC), has completed a Subsea Construction Vessel (SCV) for the Caspian region. The Khankendi will be deployed to the Shah Deniz field where it is expected to perform subsea installation and construction work over the next eleven years.

The Port of New Orleans welcomed the return of roll-on, roll-off service with the inaugural call of the Bahri Yanbu, a new state-of-the-art multipurpose vessel, in mid-August at the Nashville Avenue Terminal Complex operated by Ports America. “The return of roll-on/roll-off service to the Port of New Orleans – for the first time since 2005 – helps us meet the diverse needs of the marketplace and increases our global competitiveness,” said Brandy D. Christian, Port of New Orleans President and CEO.

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, touched a near 5-month high on Thursday, driven by stronger demand across vessel segments. The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax, supramax and handysize shipping vessels, rose 46 points to 1,296 points, a level last touched on April 13. The 3.68 percent jump was its biggest in a single day since Aug. 11. The capesize index climbed 176 points, or 7.22 percent, to 2,614 points, a peak not hit since late March.

The Cruise Lines International Association, has released the findings from two new reports about the Asian Cruise market. The first, 2017 Asia Cruise Trends, is a comprehensive analysis of the cruise industry within Asia. The second, the 2016 North Asia Economic Impact Study, reveals the economic impact the cruise industry has had to the North Asian market. “While the Asian cruise market has grown tremendously within the past four years – it has the potential to capture a much larger percentage of the Asian population…

Wärtsilä said it booked an order in June to supply the cargo handling system and cargo tanks for a new 3,000 cubic meter capacity liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunker barge currently under construction. The vessel, which is being built in Romania and will be outfitted in the Netherlands, will be owned by LNG Shipping, a consortium between Belgium based Victrol and CFT Corporation based in France. When delivered, it will be chartered by Shell Western LNG B.V., operating out of Rotterdam to provide the company with additional flexibility to bunker LNG fuelled ships…

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has received an order from Yangzijiang shipyard in China to equip five 62,000 dwt open hatch bulk carriers (OHBC) with hatch covers and cranes. Equipment deliveries will start in 2018 and continue until 2019. The order was booked into Cargotec's third quarter 2017 order intake.   The order comprises the design of key hatch cover components and the delivery of 20cranes; four per vessel. Each crane will be fitted with an active rotation control (ARC) system, which stabilises and automatically rotates a load in the air.  

The naming ceremony of the Bibby WaveMaster 1 took place on September 6,  at the cruise terminal in the Port of Rotterdam in front of more than 125 guests from the U.K.-based Bibby Group, Damen and a range of industry partners. More than 10 members of the Bibby family attended while the Damen family was represented by Chief Commercial Officer Arnout Damen. The naming, by Lady Sponsor Jacky Blaikie, is the culmination of a program that began nearly four years ago to develop a vessel that could meet the needs of the offshore wind industry in an efficient…

Japan's shipper giant Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line) and Kawasaki Kinkai Kisen Kaisha (K Line Kinkai) will work on a joint study for what would be Japan’s first LNG-powered ferry. "K Line Kinkai and K Line) have agreed to work on joint study for K Line Kinkai’s newbuilding passenger ferry being fueled by LNG, whose study includes specifications, engine types and any related technical verifications for LNG handling," said a statement from the company. K Line Kinkai has been studying introduction of a ferry fueled by LNG…

Meyer Turku shipyard said it will more than double its investments from €75 million ($89.6 million) to €185 million ($221 million) as it aims to boost steel production to fulfill its record order book stretching into 2024. The investments include a new plate cutting line, a new profile cutting line and a new panel line to the steel halls to be ready by end of 2018/start of 2019. Head of steel production of Meyer Turku, Mika Heiskanen, said, “We are rebuilding Turku shipyard into a modern ship assembly factory.

The City of New York Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) Staten Island Ferry Division and Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. (ESG) cut steel to officially begin the construction of the first of three new 320’ Staten Island Ollis Class Ferries. The steel cutting ceremony held August 29, 2017 took place in Eastern’s steel processing and pre-fabrication building at its Allanton facility in Panama City, Fla. Attending the ceremony from Staten Island Ferry Division was John Collins, Director of Ferry Engineering and Bill Tomalonis, Vessel Construction Manager SIF Division.

Bollinger Shipyards has delivered the 25th Fast Response Cutter (FRC) USCGC Jacob Poroo to the U.S. Coast Guard on September 5, 2017 in Key West, Fla. The vessel’s commissioning is scheduled for November 8 in New Orleans. Ben Bordelon, Bollinger president and CEO, said, “This FRC built by Bollinger Shipyards will be the second FRC to be stationed in Pascagoula, Miss. Previous cutters have been stationed in Florida; San Juan, P.R.; Cape May, N.J.; Ketchikan, Alaska; Pascagoula, Miss. and Honolulu, Hawaii.

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index rose nearly 3 percent on Wednesday to post its biggest percentage rise in three weeks as rates for all vessel segments perked up. The overall index tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities was up 35 points at 1,250 points. The Baltic index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax, supramax and handysize shipping vessels, rose 2.88 percent to register its biggest one-day percentage rise since Aug. 17. "Sentiment in the dry bulk market remains firm across the segments with rates continuing to edge higher thus far into the week…

ISA Towage B.V. (formerly known as V.O.F. Sleepboot ISA) has taken delivery of a Shoalbuster 3209 from Damen Shipyard Hardinxveld (DSHa). The vessel was already in stock at the yard and was handed over to the client within four weeks of the order being agreed. Damen’s extensive range of Shoalbuster vessels offers some of the most versatile workboats available in the marketplace today, capable of taking on a wide variety of roles. The purchase of the 3209 by ISA Towage B.V. marks…

Aiming to support shipbuilding modernizations that will increase productivity and allow U.S. shipyards to compete more effectively in global markets, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) has awarded $9.8 million to 18 U.S. yards through its Small Shipyard Grant Program. “Small shipyards play a significant role in our country’s maritime sector, which contributes to our economy, security, and infrastructure,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.

German shipbuilder Meyer Werft has laid the keel for AIDAnova, set to become the first cruise ship worldwide that will operate both at sea and in port fueled with liquefied natural gas (LNG). With AIDAnova’s first building block lowered into place on September 6, 2017, Carnival Corporation & plc officially marked the start of construction of seven fully LNG powered cruise ships due to be commissioned between 2018 and 2022 for four of its 10 cruise ship brands. The seven vessels for Carnival Cruise Lines…

Port handles 60 mln tonnes/year of foreign and domestic seaborne coal. Guangzhou port, the largest coal transport hub in southern China, has halted foreign coal imports, according to traders who use the port and said they had been informed of the shutdown by customs authorities and senior company officials. Traders said the move caught merchants using Guangzhou by surprise and interpreted it as a sign of Beijing stepping up its campaign to cut pollution caused by the burning of coal.

South Korean shipbuilding industry has surpassed China in three months and reached the top of global monthly shipbuilding orders. A report in Yonhap said that South Korean shipyards recaptured the No. 1 position in new orders worldwide in August amid a plunge in overall numbers. The local shipbuilders clinched new orders worth a combined 130,000 compensated gross tons (CGTs) last month to build nine vessels, the report said quoting  data compiled by global research firm Clarkson Research Institute. Chinese rivals came next with 110,000 CGTs, or seven ships.