Shipbuilding News

First steel was cut Thursday for the first of the UK Royal Navy’s five new Type 31 frigates, HMS Venturer.The historic ceremony took place at Babcock's factory in Rosyth, Scotland, where the Type 31 Inspiration class ships are being constructed."The frigates will be at the heart of the Royal Navy’s surface fleet, deterring aggression and maintaining the security of the UK’s interests as well as providing humanitarian relief when needed. The frigates will work alongside the UK’s Allies to deliver a warship presence across the globe and enable a forward naval presence…

McAllister Towing announced on Thursday it has signed a contract for the construction of two new tugs to be built at Washburn & Doughty Associates (W&D) in East Boothbay, Maine, with an option for two additional vessels.The 93- by 38-foot tractor tugs will each offer 84 metric tons bollard pull, further enhancing McAllister’s East Coast fleet with the ability to service its customers largest ships and bring McAllister’s tractor fleet to 39 tugs with a total of over 182,000 horsepower…

Classification society Bureau Veritas said it has issued novel design approval for what will be the world’s largest very large gas carriers (VLGC).The new 93,000-cubic-meter (CBM) capacity Panda 93P VLGC design has been developed by Jiangnan Shipyard, part of the CSSC Group (China State Shipbuilding Corporation), as an evolution of of the shipyard’s Panda gas carrier series, featuring optimized hull-form to allow increased cargo capacity without significant increases in fuel consumption.

Renewable energy company RWE said Thursday it would create an offshore wind operations hub at Grimsby’s Royal Dock, on the UK’s east coast.The new ‘Grimsby Hub’ will expand the existing Triton Knoll offshore wind farm base and will be the home for RWE’s specialist team for major component exchanges and offshore repairs. As part of the move, RWE’s 1.4 gigawatt (GW) Sofia offshore wind farm will also locate its operations and maintenance activities to the new hub in the future.RWE expects the new facility will accommodate around 140 RWE employees…

Shipbuilder Austal's Chief Financial Office Greg Jason has tendered his resignation from the company, to take an extended break, the company said Thursday.Jason started with Austal almost 15 years ago, serving in both finance and operational roles, the last nine years as CFO. He will conclude his tenure at Austal in December 2021, and, similar to previous senior management changes at Austal, will assist in the search and transition process to appoint a new CFO.Jason said: "Helping…

Manitowoc, Wis., shipbuilder Burger Boat Company announced it has begun work on a new vehicle and passenger ferry for the Eastern Upper Peninsula Transportation Authority (EUPTA), located in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.Due to launch Summer 2022, the 92-foot steel ferry will operate year-round on the St. Mary’s River in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula between Barbeau, Mich., and Neebish Island. The ferry was designed to operate in the harsh winter environment and through the solid ice conditions it will encounter on its route.The ferry is designed by Seacraft Design, LLC of Sturgeon Bay, Wis.

Finnish technology group Wärtsilä and Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) have teamed up to develop ammonia-fueled vessels as the cleaner burning fuel gains traction amid the maritime industry’s drive toward decarbonization.Under the joint development program (JDP) agreement signed between the two firms in July 2021, the partners will aim to develop ammonia-fueled vessels with four-stroke auxiliary engines available for future newbuild projects.Ammonia, which continues to gain interest as a marine fuel worldwide…

Norwegian shipbuilder Havyard Leirvik has delivered another offshore wind service operation vessel (SOV) to Danish vessel owner Esvagt.The vessel, Esvagt Havelok, is the third and last of the ‘triplet ships’ built by Havyard for Esvagt. The ship handed over Tuesday was the third in the same series, but it is the sixth wind farm service vessel that the Sognefjorden yard has delivered to the Danish offshore wind pioneer Managing director of Havyard Leirvik, Tor Leif Mongstad, says…

France should not have been surprised that Australia cancelled a submarine contract, as major concerns about delays, cost overruns and suitability had been aired officially and publicly for years, Australian politicians said.Paris has recalled its ambassadors from Canberra and Washington, saying it was blindsided by Canberra's decision to build nuclear-powered submarines with the United States and Britain rather than stick with its contract for French diesel submarines.Yet as early as September 2018, an independent oversight board led by a former U.S.

After a 30-day voyage from Altinova, Turkey, SAAM Towage's newest tug SAAM Palenque has arrived in Colón, Panama, where the company provides towage services on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.SAAM Towage Country Manager in Panama, Matia de Luiggi said, “We have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of this new tug, which will be an important reinforcement for our fleet. A compact vessel with advanced fire-fighting systems, it has all the technical specs for safely, efficiently serving…

Somerset, Mass. shipbuilder Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation delivered a new Chesapeake class pilot boat to the Associated Federal Pilots in Venice, La.With a deep-V hull designed by Ray Hunt Design, the new all-aluminum launch measures 52.6’ overall, with a 16.8’ beam and a 3.10’ draft. Powered by twin Volvo Penta D-16, EPA Tier 3-certified diesel engines, each producing 641 Bhp at 1800 rpm; the vessel’s top speed is 26 knots. A Humphree interceptor trim control system…

Finland-based CADMATIC said it is expanding its presence in Canada to support Seaspan Shipyards and to drive business development in the North American region. A local Canadian business entity, CADMATIC INC. has been set up in Vancouver and the recruitment of employees has started.The first employee for local customer services has already been hired. For the immediate future, CADMATIC plans to recruit more hull and outfitting application specialists, with other recruitments to support business development to follow.CADMATIC’s key customer in the region…

Australian shipping company SeaRoad said it has finalized an agreement with German shipbuilding yard Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) to construct a new roll-on /roll-off (RoRo) vessel with liquefied natural gas (LNG) propulsion worth more than 100 million euros.Construction on the 210-meter-long vessel will commence in late 2021. The ship will have a capacity of 4,227 lane meters and capability to transport heavy cargo with a unit weight of up to 100 tonnes. At over 40…

Mercy Ships is known globally for its charitable work performing medical procedures in developing countries. For the first time, the organization has a new ship, Global Mercy, recently delivered from a shipyard in China. Jim Paterson, Marine Executive Consultant, Mercy Ships takes Maritime Reporter & Engineering News inside the construction of the world’s largest civilian hospital ship.Jim Paterson already had a career and Chief Engineer’s Certificate when he joined Mercy Ships nearly 34 years ago, in search of a life change to make a difference.

Hyundai Heavy Industries' shares closed 86% above their initial public offering (IPO) price on their trading debut in South Korea on Friday.The shipbuilder, one of the largest in the world, raised $935 million from its IPO, with much of the proceeds set to fund investments in new technology.A total of 1,633 domestic and foreign institutional investors placed bids to acquire shares earlier this month, valuing total bids at 1,130 trillion won ($962.3 billion), according to Hyundai Heavy.The institutional book for the IPO had been 1,836 times covered - the second-largest for an IPO in South Korea

Navigator Gas was awarded an Approval in Principle (AiP) for an ammonia fueled gas carrier design from DNV. The new design draws together a consortium including MAN Energy Solutions, Babcock International and the Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA), all of which have collaborated with Navigator Gas to earn the AiP.The design earned the AiP based on the special features notation (GF NH3) under DNV’s new rules for the use of ammonia as fuel in gas carriers. DNV, alongside the NMA…

Vitol’s Singaporean bunker operations company, V-Bunkers, placed an order to build two electric-hybrid bunker tankers, with the intention to deploy them for harbor ops in Singapore.The bunker tankers are being built at an undisclosed shipyard in China with Electric-Hybrid notation and will employ Energy Storage Systems (ESS) technology comprising Lithium ion batteries for energy storage and anautomated Power Management System (PMS) designed to efficiently manage power consumption to reduce GHG emissions.

Australian vessel designer Incat Crowther on Friday announced the launch of Tamoya, an Incat Crowther 17 to join Reef Ranger and Reef Resilience in Australia's Great Barrier Reef Joint Field Management Program fleet."Tamoya packs a lot of punch for her size, which is measured specifically to fit the home port berth. The main deck is dominated by an aft working deck with a quick launch and recovery system for a 3.4m RHIB, dive racks, deck winches, BBQ area, a sink and multiple deck lashing points…

Aerospace, defense and security company Babcock said it has secured the first export contract for its Arrowhead 140 (AH140) frigate through a design license agreement with PT PAL Indonesia (Persero), a state-owned enterprise that builds and maintains ships for military and commercial use from its facilities in Surabaya, Indonesia. The deal comes two years since Babcock’s AH140 design was first announced as the preferred bidder for the UK Type 31 frigate program at DSEI 2019, with…

Australian shipbuilding group Austal Limited announced its Austal USA arm has appointed Rusty Murdaugh as president, effective September 9, 2021.Murdaugh joined Austal USA in 2017 as chief financial officer, and has been serving as interim president of the company since February 2021. As interim president, Murdaugh led the addition of steel shipbuilding to the Austal USA manufacturing operations and the company’s facility expansion in Mobile by acquiring additional waterfront and services capability on the Mobile River. A U.S.

Techcross said its Europe office has signed a contract to install ballast water management systems (BWMS) aboard Dutch shipping company Anthony Veder Rederijzaken B.V.'s fleet of gas carriers.Through this order, 13 of Anthony Veder's vessels will be equipped with a direct electrolysis BWMS, Electro-Cleen System (ECS). Depending on the size of the vessel, products with 300 to 450 tons will be delivered sequentially by 2024, and delivery to the first vessel will begin immediately from the third quarter of this year.Founded in 1937…

Initial appropriations discussions are underway for Fiscal Year 2022, with a continued focus on federal shipbuilding programs. It has been rough going for the Navy as Congress raised questions about the President’s commitment to the Navy’s long-term shipbuilding program. Meanwhile, House appropriators are seemingly focused on continuing shipbuilding successes at the Maritime Administration and Coast Guard. With billions of dollars in the balance, the U.S. shipbuilding industry…

Japan's Yanmar said Thursday it had received an order for dual fuel 6EY22ALDF engines which will be used to power generators on board Mitsui O.S.K. Lines' new LNG-fueled large coal carrier. The coal carrier will be built by Namura Shipbuilding."Emission regulations in the marine sector are becoming ever more stringent, with LNG vessels being adopted globally as a means of reducing environmental impact. As this trend has progressed in recent years, dual-fuel engines have attracted ever more attention…

The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and South Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering  (DSME) said Thursday they would jointly develop designs for a 70,000 CBM very large, liquefied CO2 (LCO2) carrier.The joint development project (JDP) is responding to the development of carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) technology, which will ultimately require larger vessels for CO2 transport than those used in the existing food industry.“CCUS can play a role in reducing emissions in a range of industries…

The United States, Britain and Australia will establish a security partnership for the Indo-Pacific that will involve helping Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines, senior U.S. officials said on Wednesday, as Chinese influence over the region grows.Under the partnership, to be announced on Wednesday by President Joe Biden, British Prime Minster Boris Johnson and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, the United States will provide Australia with the technology and capability to deploy nuclear-powered submarines…

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Tuesday approved $1 billion for U.S. Coast Guard shore side infrastructure nationwide and $350 million for a heavy Great Lakes icebreaker as part of its budget reconciliation bill, an action that the Great Lake Maritime Task Force (GLMTF) called “great news for the Great Lakes.”The GLMTF described the heavy Great Lakes icebreaker as desperately needed and expects that a portion of the infrastructure funds will go to good…

British aerospace, defense and security company Babcock has launched a new shipbuilding approach enabling international customers to build and support the company’s Arrowhead 140 frigate (AH140) in-country. Launched at DSEI 2021, Arrowyard enables the construction of the AH140 hull, superstructure and components, final assembly and outfitting and also supports the development of sovereign in-service fleet support capability.Babcock will share its experience in preparing and investing in facilities…

Revenues and core earnings at the Italian Sea Group at least doubled in the first half of the year thanks to new contracts, allowing the luxury yacht maker to narrow its full-year guidance to the higher end of a previously given range.Shares rose more than 4% after the results were released and were up 2.4% by 1200 GMT, outperforming a 0.6% drop in Milan's all-share index.The group had initially guided for 2021 net sales of between 160-170 million euros ($189-201 million) and adjusted earnings before interests, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) in the range of between 25-26 million e

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) on Tuesday announced it has ordered four new liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers from South Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd. (DSME) for delivery in 2024.The Japanese shipping company said it has signed time charter contracts for the four newbuilds with NOVATEK Gas & Power Asia Pte. Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Russia's PAO NOVATEK.The 174,000-cubic-meter capacity newbuilds will be equipped with the "cutting-edge" MAN Energy Solutions engines, which offer improved fuel efficiency, MOL said.

French engineering firm GTT announced on Tuesday it has received an order from its partner the South Korean shipyard Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) for the tank design of three new liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers on behalf of an Asian shipowner.As part of this order placed at the end of July, GTT will provide the design and associated engineering services for the tanks of the vessels which will each offer a capacity of 174,000 cubic meters. The tanks will be fitted with the GTT Mark III Flex membrane containment system.The vessels are scheduled to be delivered in the second and third quarters of 2024.

InfraStrata, the UK quoted company focused on strategic infrastructure projects and physical asset lifecycle management, has applied to Companies House to trade under the name Harland & Wolff Group Holdings plc.The company, which in 2019 bought Harland & Wolff, the Belfast shipyard that built the Titanic, has said it has over the past year and a half proceeded through various phases which have included, the acquisition of assets, significant upgrades to all its facilities, the introduction of state-of-the-art technology and has simultaneously established a substantial sales pipeline.

The U.S. Navy has awarded a $500-million design contract for the modernization of two of its shipyards in Hawaii and Washington.The indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity architecture-engineering contract awarded to Honolulu, Hawaii-based WSM Pacific SIOP by Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) on September 7 is for structural and waterfront-related projects at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY & IMF) in Hawaii and Puget…

Harland & Wolff welcomed 13 new apprentices to its flagship Belfast site as part of its very first ‘Apprentice Induction Day’.The scheme will run in line and with partnership from Northern Regional College and will see apprentices range from 17 - 28 years old, with a mixture of genders. Held on Friday, September 3, the day gave the newest recruits a chance to tour the site as well as learn more about the company’s heritage and significance within national and international maritime sectors.Harland & Wolff Apprenticeships are offered across three distinct functions…

Majestic Ferries Pte Ltd has selected Perkins’ marine engines to power more of their fleet, most recently through the supply of six Perkins E70M auxiliary engines. Two engines will power the generator set onboard each of the three new Incat Crowther 42 series offering a high-speed service on the Singapore/Batam route.“We have a good relationship with Majestic Ferries Pte Ltd,” said Danny Lim from Multico PowerDrive Pte Ltd, the Perkins distributor for Singapore. “The Perkins E70M engines do more than meet the power and application requirements…

A pair of fully-electric road ferries are now on their way from Damen Shipyards Galati to Lake Ontario, Canada, to begin operations. Ordered by the Ministry of Transportation, Ontario, Canada, the Amherst Islander II and Wolfe Islander IV, 68 and 98 meters in length respectively, departed the yard on August 26 to be loaded on the semi-submersible transport vessel Super Servant 4 and will arrive in Lake Ontario in mid-September.Both of the open-deck vessels are equipped to be fully-electric…

ABS has granted Approval in Principle (AIP) to VARD Marine for its 115-meter offshore patrol vessel (NGOPV) design.The VARD 7 115 NGOPV caters to a range of mission requirements, including air, surface, and sub-surface surveillance and engagement capabilities. The vessel arrangement offers a multi-mission bay and a set-down area for containerized mission payloads, with a configuration that can be tailored to meet a variety of mission objectives, ABS said.The vessel, which is to be unveiled at the Defence and Security Equipment International Show in London…

ABS, Hudong–Zhonghua Shipbuilding (HZS), and Wärtsilä have teamed to develop a flexible, future-ready, and modular concept for a future multi-fuel electric Liquefied Natural Gas Carrier (LNGC) vessel.The project will, partners say, apply various decarbonization technologies and solutions to the vessel design and operation models to investigate its performance against the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO’s) Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) up to at least 2050."The LNGC will be highly flexible…

Marubeni Corporation and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) are working together to develop a dual-fuel methanol/very-low sulfur fuel oil powered vessel to ship methanol from Russia.On September3, during the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia, the Japanese firms signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of the Russian Federation for Development of the Far East and the Arctic Regions, State Development Corporation VEB.RF, VTB Bank and ESN Limited Liability Company (ESN Group) to commence a joint study to build…

Container shipping firm Evergreen Marine has this week ordered 24 container ships for a total price of up to ~$1.1 billion from CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding in China.In a Taiwan Stock Exchange announcement on Wednesday, Evergreen said the order comprised newly-built 1,800 TEU, 2,300 TEU, and 3,000 TEU container ships.More precisely, the company has ordered two 1,800 TEU vessels, eleven 2,300 vessels TEU and eleven 3,000 TEU vessels.The total transaction price is between $958 million and ~1.1 billion.Evergreen Marine, the owner of the Ever Given container ship which earlier this year bloc

Naval architects and marine engineers sit on the front lines of the maritime industry’s battle toward decarbonization. Morgan Fanberg, President, Glosten, discusses the challenges and opportunities ahead.Put in context the challenge ahead for ship owners and ship designers to meet emission targets of 2050?I started my career in 1998 and as a young marine engineer, the challenges that I faced were taking old boats and meeting SOLAS requirements, developing ship yard packages for modifications such as oily water separator upgrades (for example).

The world's first IMO Type B very large ethane carrier (VLEC), the Pacific Ineos Belstaff, has been launched at Jiangnan Shipyard in China.The first of an order of four of the largest VLECs ever commissioned, the ABS-Classed 99,000 cbm dual-fuel vessel is designed for long haul ethane transportation but can also handle other liquified gas cargoes such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and ethylene.As a tradition, Jiangnan always gives a nickname to a newly developed ship. Jiangnan has assigned this novel VLEC as Bluebonnet, the state flower of Texas, the home state of ABS’ world headquarters.

The Netherlands-based Damen Shipyards Group is one of the industry’s largest and most recognized shipbuilders, perhaps best known for its standardized, serial production workboats. Now with several dozen newbuild and repair yards on the map, the company has produced more than 6,000 vessels over its 90-year history—from harbor tugs and offshore supply ships, to ferries and patrol craft. But Damen does not have a shipyard in the United States, and therefore doesn’t directly build vessels for the Jones Act market. Instead, it licenses its designs to U.S.

Oslo-listed dry bulk shipowner Golden Ocean has ordered three "high-specification latest generation" 85,000 dwt ECO-type Kamsarmax vessels,which will be constructed at an unnamed "first-class" Chinese yard. Golden Ocean said the vessels would feature the latest and most efficient propulsion system, contributing with significant improvements in fuel consumption and emissions performance. The vessels will be dual-fuel ready, giving the company time to evaluate alternatives while…

This year is shaping up to be a banner year for new liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel vessel construction contracts, with nearly 30% of the gross tonnage ordered in 2021 comprised of LNG-fueled vessels, according to the latest report from Clarksons.The trend is expected to continue as major deep-sea sectors of the maritime industry are embracing LNG in efforts to reduce both local and global emissions, said industry coalition SEA-LNG. Notably, LNG-fueled vessels are one of…

Australia’s new icebreaker, RSV Nuyina, has begun its 24,000-kilometer voyage from the Netherlands to its new home port of Hobart. The vessel will be the main lifeline to Australia’s Antarctic and sub-Antarctic research stations and the central platform of the Australian Antarctic Division's Antarctic and Southern Ocean scientific research.Construction of the ship commenced at Damen’s Galați shipyard in Romania in May 2017, and the vessel was floated out in September 2018 prior to its scheduled arrival at its home port Hobart in 2020.

GTT announced it has received, at the end of July, an order from Korean shipyard Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries (HSHI) for the tank design of two new liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers on behalf of an European shipowner. The vessels will be delivered in the first quarter of 2024.GTT will design the tanks of the vessels, which will offer 174,000 cubic meters cargo capacity and will be fitted with the Mark III Flex membrane containment system developed by GTT.

A groundbreaking series of eight large container vessels capable of being operated on carbon-neutral methanol ordered by Maersk, along with an option for a further four vessels, are to be built to ABS Class, the classification society announced on Tuesday.Ordered in August, the vessels will be built by South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries and have a nominal capacity of approximately 16,000 containers. The series will replace older vessels, generating annual CO2 emissions…

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has cut first steel for the first of two LNG-powered cruise ships being built for Princess Cruises, a Carnival Corporation brand.The steel cutting ceremony took place last week in San Giorgio di Nogaro (Udine) at Centro Servizi Navali, a company that specialized in logistics and production of sheet metal for the Fincantieri yards located in northeastern Italy. The ship will be built in the Monfalcone yard.At 175,000 gross tons the “Sphere” vessels will be the largest ships built so far in Italy.

Finland-based marine equipment maker Wärtsilä will deliver a complete cargo handling system for a new LNG bunkering vessel being built in China for Italy's Fratelli Cosulich.The Wärtsilä system selected for this 8,200 cbm capacity bunkering vessel, under construction to at the Nantong CIMC Sinopacific Offshore and Engineering shipyard in China, includes a complete engineering, design and equipment supply package for the cargo handling system, including a loading and discharge system…

South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries has raised $935 million after pricing its IPO at the top of its indicative range, with much of the proceeds set to fund investments in new technology.It offered 18 million new shares or 20% of shares outstanding in a range of 52,000-60,000 won per share.It is expected to list on the KOSPI on Sept. 16.Hyundai Heavy plans to use about 760 billion won ($660 million) of the proceeds to invest in future technologies, including eco-friendly ships and digital ship technology…

Metals miner Nornickel said it will participate in the design and building of Russia's first dual-fuel liquefied natural gas (LNG) and diesel icebreaker to prepare for more capacity in the environmentally sensitive Arctic region.Russia, which has a fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers, has long considered LNG-powered icebreaking ships to develop the Northeast Sea Route into an international shipping lane from Arctic waters.Nornickel, the world's largest palladium and nickel producer…

Corvus Energy and Sanmar Shipyards are teaming up with the aim to develop a new range of zero-emission and hybrid tugs.The partners signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to jointly explore and establish a path for the future supply and integration of energy supply systems and fuel cell technology for an even wider range of innovative and cost-effective electric and hybrid tugs, with the plan to move toward a full cooperation agreement later this year.The vessels will be constructed at Sanmar Shipyards’ facilities in Turkey…

The U.S. Navy's future USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG 1002) recently conducted builder’s trials, consisting of in-port and at-sea demonstrations that allow the shipbuilder General Dynamics Bath Iron Works and the Navy to assess the ship’s systems.“Trials provide an opportunity for the Navy and industry team to test the capability and readiness of the ship,” Capt. Matthew Schroeder, DDG 1000 program manager, Program Executive (PEO) Ships. “DDG 1002 is a warship that is going to equip…

Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding said it will build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering barge for Crowley Maritime Corporation that, when completed, will be the largest of its kind in the U.S. Crowley said it has signed a long-term time charter with Shell to operate the new barge, and that the vessel is expected to be deployed to serve LNG-fueled ships that call on ports on the U.S. East Coast starting in 2024. It will be the second Jones Act-compliant bunker barge Shell has under…

A group of Russian maritime stakeholders have agreed to develop ship repair cluster in the country’s Far East.The trilateral agreement between PAO Sovcomflot, SMART LNG (a joint venture between PAO Sovcomflot and PAO NOVATEK) and Far Eastern Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Center (FESRC, a subsidiary of Rosneft) was signed by: Andrey Shishkin, CEO of FESRC and Vice-President for Energy, Localization and Innovation of Rosneft; Igor Tonkovidov, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sovcomflot, and Sergey Frank, Chairman of the Board of Directors of SMART LNG.

Israeli container shipping company ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd announced on Wednesday that it has exercised its option to long-term charter five additional 7,000 TEU liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel newbuilds from containership lessor Seaspan Corporation.Under the initial deal announced in July, ZIM has already entered into long-term charter agreements for ten 7,000 TEU LNG vessels scheduled to be delivered from the fourth quarter of 2023 into 2024. The option announced today…

Global Mercy, Mercy Ships' first newbuild and touted as the world's largest civilian hospital ship, completed its journey through the Suez Canal free of charge and is scheduled to dock in the Port of Antwerp in mid-September for further equipping.As the International Day of Charity (September 5, 2021) draws closer, Mercy Ships announced that the Global Mercy completed its journey through the Suez Canal and the ship is headed for a short courtesy visit in Malta. Global Mercy is the newest hospital ship of Mercy Ships…

Babcock International Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hyundai Heavy Industries Co Ltd (HHI), to focus on the Republic of Korea’s CVX Aircraft Carrier Program opportunity.John Howie, Babcock Group’s Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, signed the MoU on behalf of the company with Mr. Sam-Hyun Ka, CEO, Korean Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering (KSOE), the holding company of HHI at the Babcock Korea Limited facility in Busan. The agreement brings the two parties closer together…

A 12m workboat built by Strategic Marine has completed sea trials and was delivered to Tullow Ghana Limited.The vessel will be deployed to offshore deepwater projects in the Gulf of Guinea.To this end the vessel has been fitted with an advanced marine propulsion system, with waterjets designed to provide superior manoeuvrability.The workboat is designed to be launched and retrieved from a larger mothership with a single point lifting hook and will primarily perform line handling and crew transfer duties.

As the bid package goes out to shipyards, Sylvain Julien, Director, Naval Architecture, Specialized Ship Design, BMT, discusses how local stakeholder demands and futureproofing shipboard technology drove the design of a pair of ferries for the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company.The Isles of Scilly Steamship Company Ltd. has provided a lifeline to the Isles of Scilly since it was formed in 1920. When attention turned to designing a pair of new vessels – one passenger and one cargo – to service the island…

Canadian shipbuilder Seaspan Shipyards announced it is collaborating with BC Tech to support the association’s Digital Lift program aiming to provide skilled individuals, including those from under-represented groups, with reskilling and hands-on internship experiences.Seaspan said its three-year, $75,000 investment in BC Tech’s Digital Lift program will help grow and diversify the pool of tech talent in BC to meet the rising demand for technology skills across multiple sectors…

GTT announced it received in July an order from the Chinese Jiangnan Shipyard (Group) Co., Ltd. for the cargo handling system and tank design of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier on behalf of the Chinese ship-owner JOVO.This is GTT’s first order for a membrane LNG carrier from Jiangnan, making the shipyard the second Chinese LNG carrier yard to construct a vessel with GTT technology.GTT will design the tanks of the vessel with a cargo capacity 79,800 cubic meters. The vessel will be fitted with the GTT’s Mark III Flex membrane containment system and will be the first LNG carrier built in China to be fitted with the Mark III technology family.The vessel will be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Corvus Energy announced it has been selected by ABB Marine & Ports to supply the energy storage system for Crowley Maritime Corporation's all-electric tug eWolf—the first of its kind in the U.S.Crowley, which announced its plans to build and operate the innovative harbor tug in July, has tapped Master Boat Builders, Inc., in Alabama to build the vessel and ABB to deliver its integrated electric propulsion system and vessel control technology.The 82-foot-long vessel will be installed with 6.2 MWh of Corvus Orca Energy battery…

Prices have settled into a new reality this week as end buyers get back to buying at levels just shy of the historical peaks seen this year, closer to (and in some cases, just over) $600/LT LDT from the market leaders, on high-spec units.It has been a phenomenal year for the sub-continent ship recycling markets thus far, which has seen prices more than double in the space of the last 12 months, especially as supply gets tight. At the peak of the pandemic in the middle of 2020…

Shipbuilder Austal Australia said it has engaged Perth-based high-performance computing as a service (HPCaaS) company DUG Technology group to provide burst compute and storage services to the Henderson, Western Australia shipyard.HPCaaS (HPC) provider DUG plans to build the world’s first climate-positive HPC data center in Geraldton, Western Australia; powered by renewables and featuring the company’s patented immersion cooling system that reduces power consumption by up to 51%…

Wasaline's new car and passenger ferry Aurora Botnia, built at Rauma shipyard, was christened on Wednesday in Vaasa, Finland. The vessel will operate the route between Vaasa and Umeå, Sweden, daily.Aurora Botnia construction started with ceremonies in September 2019. The next major milestone was reached in February 2020 when the ship’s keel was laid. In September 2020, launching was celebrated one year after construction began, and in June 2021 the vessel first reached the sea.

A pair of hybrid crew transfer vessels (CTV) with extensive zero-emission capability have been delivered to service the Hornsea Project 2 offshore wind farm in the U.K. North Sea for Ørsted.The newbuilds, MHO Asgard and MHO Apollo, built by AFAI Southern Shipyard in China, are the third and fourth Incat Crowther-designed vessels for MHO & Co, following on from MHO Esbjerg and MHO Gurli.MHO Asgard and MHO Apollo are powered by an advanced propulsion system that was developed in collaboration with Danfoss and Volvo Penta.

Boatbuilders SAFE Boats International and Diverse Marine are teaming up to build vessels for the burgeoning U.S. offshore wind market.For the past three years U.S.-based SAFE Boats has been working with U.K.-based Diverse Marine promoting SAFE Boat designs in European markets, and now the companies have entered a formal partnership agreement to brings Diverse Marine’s crew transfer vessel (CTV) designs and experience to the U.S. offshore wind market.In support of the Biden Administration’s call to build a clean energy economy…

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding has initiated a feasibility study with TotalEnergies for the development of a liquefied CO2 (LCO2) carrier, a key plank in the CO2 ecosystem as carbon dioxide capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) attracts increasing attention worldwide. An LCO2 carrier would play a pivotal role in transporting CO2 from its emission sources to storage sites or facilities for utilization, and demand for these vessels is expected to increase in the future.Mitsubishi Shipbuilding is actively pursuing commercialization of LCO2 carriers…

What’s not to like about 2021 for container shipping? Freight rates are record high, record amounts of cargo are shipped across the Pacific Ocean, as well as globally, and the previous yearly record for new container ship orders has just been broken (measured in capacity) in less than eight months.As a result of very healthy shipowner bottom lines and carriers experiencing a lack of tonnage, 619 container ships are now on order for future delivery. Of those, 381 have been ordered in 2021 alone and never has 3.44m TEU been ordered in such a short time span.

A steel cutting ceremony was held on Wednesday for the U.S. Navy’s newest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Doris Miller (CVN 81).Slated to be the fourth Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier, CVN 81 is currently under construction at Huntington Ingalls Industries' Newport News Shipbuilding shipyard in Newport News, Va. Doris Miller’s keel is scheduled to be laid in 2026 and delivered to the Navy in 2032.Doris Miller is the second ship of the two-carrier contract award HII received in January 2019 for the detail design and construction of the Gerald R.

Brazil's largest integrated port and maritime logistics operator Wilson Sons said it is building four tugs that will reduce nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions by more than 75%.The IMO Tier III vessels were developed by Damen Shipyards Group and are being built at Wilson Sons' shipyard in Guarujá. The total cost to implement IMO Tier III standards is US$290,000."Nitrogen oxide is a greenhouse gas, which can be 300 times more polluting than carbon dioxide itself. Tier III is a great differential of this project and shows how much we are in the vanguard of the Brazilian naval industry…

Construction is well underway on a 42-meter patrol vessel for operation in Thailand, naval architect Incat Crowther announced.The vessel is being built by Seacrest Marine and has been developed as a solution to a strict set of mission requirements for use in patrol, rescue and enforcement activities within Thai domestic waters.The vessel will be the eighth Incat Crowther-designed vessel to be built by Seacrest Marine and will accommodate 16 crew and six officers below decks with a 14-day autonomy.The main deck will house crew and officer messes…

Japanese shipping giant Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and its dry bulk subsidiary MOL Drybulk have signed a memorandum of understanding with steelmaker Tata Steel to develop and deploy an environmentally friendly bulk carrier.MOL will partner with Tata Steel on this innovative project to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in its supply chain.Peeyush Gupta, Vice President, Supply Chain, Tata Steel, said: "The objective of the agreement is to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the ocean transportation of raw materials for production of steel.

The second of two Austal Auto Express 118 trimarans constructed for Fred. Olsen Express of the Canary Islands has completed sea trials off the coast of Balamban, Cebu, in the Philippines. Launched in April, Bañaderos Express (Austal Hull 395) is planned for delivery in September 2021.Bañaderos Express has achieved contract speed of 37.5 knots during multiple trials, the vessel's builder Austal said. Austal Limited chief executive officer Paddy Gregg said, “Austal’s proven trimaran hull design and integrated smart-ship technology…

A.P. Moller-Maersk said on Tuesday it had ordered eight vessels which are able to run on carbon-neutral methanol to accelerate the decarbonization of its fleet and meet increased customer demand for greener transportation.The Danish company has vowed to only order new vessels which can use carbon-neutral fuel as it seeks to deliver net-zero emissions by 2050. As vessels typically have a lifetime of 20-35 years, this means it must have a carbon-neutral fleet by 2030.The eight vessels…

When MS Otto Sverdrup departed Hamburg, Germany, on itsmaiden voyage on August 24, Hurtigruten marked off three milestones: Introduction of Hurtigruten Expeditions’ third battery-hybrid powered cruise ship; Introduction of the first year-round expedition cruises from Germany; and a return of expedition cruises after more than a year of pandemic pause.Since the very first expedition cruise in 1896, Hurtigruten Expeditions has helped to define the expedition cruise category, with today a growing fleet of smaller…

Danish shipbuilder Karstensens Shipyard placed main propulsion equipment orders for two new fishing vessels with Wärtsilä. The first vessel is a custom designed 77-m overall length fishing vessel the ‘Christina S’, owned and operated by the Fraserburgh, Scotland based Simpson family’s Christina S Fishing Company in partnership with P&J Johnston. It will be powered by a Wärtsilä 31 main engine, and will also feature other Wärtsilä solutions including an NOx Reducer emissions reduction system, the reduction gear, controllable pitch propeller, and ProTouch propulsion remote control system.

NOV announced it has signed a contract to design and equip two wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) newbuilds for Denmark-based Cadeler. The new vessels will have the largest jacking capacity in the industry and will be able to transport and install seven complete 15 MW turbine sets or five sets of 20-plus MW turbines, NOV said.Under its deal with COSCO SHIPPING Heavy Industry and Cadeler, NOV will supply the overall design for the GustoMSC NG-20000X self-propelled jack-up…

Finnish naval architecture firm Deltamarin said it has signed design contracts with China Merchants Jinling shipyard (Weihai) for the complete basic and detail design packages of three RoPax vessels. These are the 10th, 11th and 12th Stena E-Flexer vessels for two different end clients.Vessel no. 10 will be chartered by a Canadian federal Crown corporation, Marine Atlantic, from Stena RoRo. The vessel will have a capacity of 1,100 persons and approximately 2,600 lane meters. It has liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual fuel engines and a battery hybrid solution to minimize emissions.

Huntington Ingalls Industries' (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division christened amphibious transport dock Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the christening was livestreamed, and a small socially distanced event was held with limited in-person attendance.“Shipbuilding is about teamwork and bringing together the most intellectually and physically challenging efforts we can imagine for a common purpose,” Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson said. “We each leverage our essential and unique abilities to estimate…

America’s largest military shipbuilding company Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced on Monday that Danny Hernandez will succeed Beci Brenton as the company’s corporate director of public affairs upon Brenton’s October 31 retirement. Hernandez will join HII on September 13, transition into the position, and report to the executive vice president of communications, while based in the company’s Washington, D.C. office.Brenton joined HII as corporate director of public affairs in 2011 after serving in various public affairs roles during her 26-year career with the U.S. Navy.

A noticeable degree of concern remains evident in the sub-continent ship recycling markets, as both Bangladesh and (especially) India witnessed unexpected declines in steel plate prices over the week. Even the Turkish market recorded a cooling of its own, with sentiments there reportedly starting to simmer off.Bangladesh saw steel prices cool off and jump back up by about USD 20/LDT over the last couple of weeks and a healthy number of Chattogram Buyers have subsequently decided…

Croatian shipping company Jadroplov has ordered two bulk carriers in China.In a brief statement on Thursday, the company said it had on Wednesday evening signed a contract for two newbuild 63,000 DWT bulk carriers.The contract was signed with an unnamed Chinese shipyard. Jadroplov will have an option to order one more vessel of the same type.The company, based in Split, did not say how much it would pay for the vessels, nor when they're expected to be delivered.At the end of the second quarter of 2021, the Jadroplov's fleet consisted of five ships with a total carrying capacity of 242,727 DWT.

SCHOTTEL Inc (USA) and SCHOTTEL Canada Inc have entered into a cooperative agreement with two Canadian West Coast marine industry companies to support the increasing local fleet of SCHOTTEL-propelled vessels. In the agreement, Seaspan Vancouver Drydock, based in North Vancouver, will act as a service and support center while McRae Electric, based in Burnaby, will be electric and controls service provider.Since the establishment of SCHOTTEL Canada Inc in 2016, the number of vessels equipped with SCHOTTEL propulsion systems in the Pacific Northwest area have increased enormously.

The United States' first zero-emissions, hydrogen fuel cell-powered, electric-drive ferry has been launched and is gearing up for operational trials off the U.S. West Coast.Constructed by Bellingham, Wash. shipbuilder All American Marine, Inc. (AAM), SWITCH Maritime's 70-foot newbuild Sea Change will operate in the California Bay Area as the United States' first hydrogen fuel cell vessel, developed to demonstrate a pathway to commercialization for zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell marine technologies. While still working on permitting of hydrogen fuel systems for maritime vessels with the U.S.

Conrad Shipyard said it has delivered the first of four ABS-classed spud barges to McDonough Marine Service, headquartered in Metairie, La.The identical spud barges each measure 180’ by 54’ by 12.5’, have deck strength of 2,500 pounds PSF, and four spud wells. The remaining barges are on schedule for delivery in the third and fourth quarters of 2021. The barges are being constructed at Conrad’s Deepwater South facility in Amelia, La., one of five Conrad shipyards located along the Louisiana/Texas Gulf Coast.Patrick M.

UZMAR Shipyards has chosen Steerprop to deliver six SP 20 WD azimuth propulsion units for a series of three Robert Allan Ltd. designed RAmparts 2300_UZM tugs being built.The contract for the six SP 20 WD azimuth propulsion units, delivering 1,610 kW of power each, was signed in April 2021 and will be delivered in the third quarter of 2021.“The Robert Allan designed RAmparts 2300_UZM tugs with 50+ ton of bollard pull are very efficient and agile tugs, providing a lot of performance in a compact package,” said Donato Agostinelli, Sales Manager at Steerprop.

ABS said Wednesday that the new FPSO ordered by China National Offshore Oil Company Energy and Technology Services  Company (Cenertech) to serve the Lu Feng 12-3 Oilfield would be built to ABS Class.The 100,000 DWT FPSO is the center of a development plan for the field which also comprises a new Well Head Platform (WHP) with a modular drilling rig; connected to the FPSO through a three-kilometer-long subsea cable and pipeline. ABS has been chosen by Lu Feng 12-3 operator, SK Innovation…

Billionaire John Fredriksen-owned offshore drilling company Northern Drilling said Tuesday it had canceled a drillship resale contract with the South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME).In May 2018, Northern Drilling signed agreements with DSME to buy two newbuilding 7th generation DP3 and ultra-deepwater capable drillships DSME known as the West Aquila and the West Libra, for $296 million each with $90 million paid at contract signing and the remainder at delivery.

WinGD, an engine maker for the merchant shipping industry, has won a contract to integrate hybrid energy systems on four newbuild car carriers for Japanese owner NYK Line.The company said the order further expanded its portfolio of future-ready power solutions for companies navigating shipping’s energy transition.The four pure car and truck carriers (PCTC) will run on LNG, with WinGD’s 7X62DF-2.1 two-stroke engines coupled with shaft generators, DC-links and battery systems.WinGD said it has optimized spinning reserves…

SFL Corporation said Wednesday it had entered into long-term charters with "a leading Asia-based transportation company" for two ultra-modern dual-fuel car carriers, designed to use liquified natural gas (LNG).The vessels are sister vessels of the two 7,000 CEU Pure Car and Truck Carriers under construction, chartered to the Volkswagen Group, and scheduled delivery from the shipyard is in Q1-Q2 of 2024.The aggregate construction cost will be approximately $155 million, and the charter period will be ten years from the delivery of the vessels…

Fairbanks Morse Engine (FME), a division of Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD), shipped two 16-cylinder Fairbanks Morse engines to Fincantieri Marinette Marine in Marinette, Wis., for the USS Cleveland (LCS 31), the 16th ship of the U.S. Navy's Freedom-class LCS variant.FME was awarded a contract in 2019 to build and deliver Main Propulsion Diesel Engines (MPDE's) for the vessel.FME has provided power and propulsion services to the U.S. Navy for more than 70 years and powers more than 80% of the Navy's ships with medium-speed applications.

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, will deliver two large, 120 ft. double telescopic service cranes and one 50 ft. telescopic stores crane for a self-propelled hopper dredge. Currently being built for Manson Construction Co., the Frederick Paup will be the largest ever self-propelled trailing suction hopper dredge built in the USA and will operate all over the country.The order was placed by Keppel AmFELS, Inc. and booked into Cargotec’s 2020 fourth quarter order intake. The cranes are planned to be delivered to the yard by the end of 2021…

My brother, who is the executive editor of my favorite boating magazine (Soundings), and I occasionally send strange tidbits to each other by email. For some reason he sent me an email about the 17th Century ship Vasa and focused on one of the causes of the vessel’s failure to float properly.This is the Wikipedia paragraph he focused on:"The use of different measuring systems on either side of the vessel caused its mass to be distributed asymmetrically, heavier to port. During construction both Swedish feet and Amsterdam feet were in use by different teams.

Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) awarded a $1.7-billion construction project, an effort toexpand and reconfigure a dry dock complex at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) in Kittery, Maine, to increase the shipyard's capacity to maintain, modernize, and repair the Navy's attack submarines and return them to the fleet on time.The seven-year project, part of the Navy's comprehensive Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP), will construct an addition to Dry Dock 1 within the existing flood basin area…

The U.S. Navy announced Friday, August 13, 2021 that Fincantieri Marine Systems North America has been awarded a multiple award contract (MAC I) to support sustainment efforts for Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) homeported in Mayport, Fla.“We are excited about the opportunity to service, repair, and modernize Freedom variant LCS”, said Shawn Johnston, FMSNA’s VP. “We have a tremendous team of professionals poised to help the Navy maintain and repair these ships both here in the U.S.

Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku said it has been chosen by the Finnish Border Guard to build its new multipurpose vessels.The parties signed a letter of intent for the construction of two new vessels to replace three decommissioned patrol vessels as part of the Finnish Border Guard's Vessel Ship 2025 project.In order to carry out the acquisition, the Finnish Border Guard organized a tender during the spring of 2021, which was won by Meyer Turku Oy. The goal is to conclude a final…

Fairplay Towage Polska has ordered a Shoalbuster 2711 ICE vessel from the standardized workboat portfolio of the Netherlands-based Damen Shipyards Group. The company will use the newbuild to perform Designed with extremely shallow draft capability, large cargo capacity and 45 tonne bollard pull, the vessel will be built in Poland and used for diverse operations, including in the offshore wind industry, in the Baltic and North seas.Despite the standard nature of the design, Damen is able to tailor the vessel to the requirements of its clients.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s new cruise ship Norwegian Prima was floated out at the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera (Venice) this week.The Norwegian Prima is the first of six vessels of the Norwegian Cruise Line’s (NCL) new Prima Class of ships. NCL is part of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.Along with her sister-ships, “Norwegian Prima” will form the backbone of the future NCL fleet, being more than 142,500-tons, almost 300 meters long, and accommodating 3,215 guests, Fincantieri said Friday.

America’s largest military shipbuilding company Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced on Thursday that its Ingalls Shipbuilding division has named Jack Norris as director of state and local government affairs.Norris will lead all state and local government relations efforts in support of the Pascagoula, Miss. shipbuilder’s strategic goals and will collaborate with community and economic development partners, HII said.“Jack has a strong government relations background that includes 20 years of experience managing public policy and supporting economic recovery and growth…

Singapore-based shipbuilder Keppel Offshore & Marine has delivered Dmitry Mendeleev, Russia’s first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) bunkering vessel. Designed and built by Keppel O&M, the 5,800m3 ice-class LNG bunkering vessel (LBV) Dmitry Mendeleev was delivered to Shturman Koshelev. When the vessel was ordered back in 2019, it was said that it would, once delivered, be chartered by Gazprom Neft for Baltic Sea operations.The LNG bunkering vessel is the fourth newbuild LBV by Keppel O&M and was built at its Keppel Nantong Shipyard in China to Keppel’s proprietary MTD 5800V LNG design.

Finnish technology group Wärtsilä said it will supply the engines and fuel gas supply systems for two new Ro-Pax ferries being built at the Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) yard in Finland for Australian ferry fleet owner and operator TT-Line Company Pty Ltd.TT-Line currently operates two ferries, Spirit of Tasmania I and Spirit of Tasmania II, both of which operate with Wärtsilä engines, on the route between Melbourne, Victoria and Devonport, Tasmania. This fleet is now being renewed by the building of two new 212-meter-long vessels…