Technology News

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) identified multiple unmanned maritime system (UMS) operations occurring within and near major West Coast port approaches without prior coordination with cognizant Captains of the Port (COTP). The lack of advance notification reduces maritime domain awareness and limits the USCG’s ability to effectively assess operational risk, support safe vessel movement, and protect the Marine  Transportation System (MTS).UMS, including remotely operated and autonomous vessels, are rapidly advancing in capability, complexity, and operational presence throughout the MTS.

If you’re viewing today’s arrival of UK ETS with mounting unease, fear not! NAVTOR’s Performance Director Jacob Clausen is here to help simplify complexity, turning compliance challenges into commercial gain. How do you feel about adding another layer of complexity on top of your existing regulatory reality? Not too excited, I imagine.The arrival of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) for parts of the shipping sector (cargo and passenger vessels over 5,000 GT) on 1 July may feel both new and familiar.

Danish marine equipment supplier Svanehoj has secured its first contract to supply LNG tank gauging systems for the conversion of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier into a floating storage unit (FSU).The company will deliver four LNG density and temperature (LTD) gauging systems to Drydocks World Dubai for the conversion of the LNG carrier LNG Bayelsa into the FSU Cap Lopez.The conversion is being carried out for Dixstone Lower Gulf FZCO as part of a floating LNG development aimed at expanding Gabon's offshore gas infrastructure.

MacGregor has secured a series of offshore load handling modernization and upgrade contracts during the first half of 2026, strengthening its position in the offshore services market.The contracts, booked in the company's first- and second-quarter 2026 order intake, cover engineering, upgrades and modernization projects aimed at improving the performance and extending the operational life of offshore cranes and other load handling equipment.Among the projects is the complete replacement of crane control systems with MacGregor's latest technology…

Aker Solutions has been awarded a substantial contract to deliver a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) substructure for a European offshore wind project by an undisclosed customer.The company's scope of work includes engineering, procurement and construction.Aker Solutions said it will book the award as order intake in the second quarter of 2026 in its Renewables and Field Development segment.The company defines a substantial contract as having a value of between $250 million (NOK 2.5 billion) and $400 million (NOK 4.0 billion).The customer and the offshore wind project were not disclosed.

The offshore energy industry is in the midst of a new investment cycle, driven by major developments in South America, renewed demand for energy security and an increasing reliance on digital technologies to improve asset performance. For Matt Tremblay, Senior Vice President, Global Offshore at the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), the opportunities are significant — but so are the challenges.Speaking with Offshore Engineer in Houston, Tremblay described an industry that is “very busy…

Chick sexing is a core concept for an experienced engineer. Fortunately, maritime engineers do not have to perform chick sexing, but the concept is extremely important and ties into engineering intuition and experience.We all know engineers and mechanics who have an amazing ability to diagnose certain problems that completely elude solution by the rest of the community.It is often called intuition, but there is actually no such thing as intuition; it is actually related to learning and experience.

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, has received an order from Hitachi Zosen Marine Engine Co., Ltd. (HZME) for its MAmmoSS ammonia fuel handling system.[The Mitsubishi Ammonia Supply and Safety System (MAmmoSS) consists of an Ammonia Fuel Supply System (AFSS) and an Ammonia Gas Abatement System (AGAS), along with control equipment to integrate and regulate these systems.]HZME is a dual licensee of Everllence SE and WinGD, major licensors of marine engines.

Cavotec signed an order worth approximately EUR 1.5 million for shore power equipment for the expansion of a cruise terminal in Southern California.The shore power systems will enable cruise vessels to connect to the local electrical grid while at berth, helping to significantly reduce emissions and noise compared with running onboard engines.The order includes Cavotec's PowerMove, PowerFeed and PowerCover shore power technologies. Delivery is scheduled for the third quarter of 2027.

How well do we really understand the electrical systems powering today’s vessels? Many of us realize how important electricity is to our modern world but may be a bit shaky on the specifics. The Welsh comedian Tommy Cooper once joked, "Electricity is a wonderful thing. Do you realize that if we didn't have electricity, we'd be watching television by candlelight?"For those who have worked on vessels for many years, the increasing complexity may be a sore point, especially for those who have been hands-on in their careers and been zapped a few times.

Offshore floating solar company SolarDuck and the Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN) have been awarded a USD$3.64 million (€3.2 million) subsidy from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) for the Steady Seas research program. The project will advance the foundational design of SolarDuck's Offshore Floating Power & Utility Hub (OFPH), a single-platform offshore solar solution developed to provide reliable power, communications and other utilities to remote offshore and subsea assets.As offshore energy activity moves further from shore…

For decades, floating nuclear power occupied a niche position in the energy debate – technically feasible, strategically intriguing, but commercially marginal. Today, however, combined pressures of decarbonization, energy security, land constraints, rising electricity demand and water scarcity are making floating nuclear power a more serious proposition for policymakers, utilities, and infrastructureFloating Nuclear offers a potential source of reliable, low-carbon electricity and heat (and…

After several years of strong activity, the Middle East offshore market has become more volatile, with geopolitical tensions disrupting day-to-day operations. Following US and Israeli military action and subsequent Iranian attacks on neighbouring Gulf states, operators introduced precautionary measures, including temporary rig suspensions and down-manning in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar.This triggered a sharp short-term slowdown from late February into March.The April ceasefire allowed offshore activity to recover gradually…

Japanese offshore services company MODEC has secured a contract to supply a SOFEC internal turret mooring system for the Coral Norte floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) project offshore Mozambique, being developed by Eni and its partners.MODEC is collaborating with the Technip Energies-JGC joint venture on the project to support integration and execution of the mooring system.The Coral Norte project is being developed by Eni together with CNPC, ENH, XRG and KOGAS.The project…

CORE POWER has launched a feasibility study to evaluate the use of BWX Technologies' mPower small modular reactor (SMR) technology in floating nuclear power plants designed to be built in shipyards and deployed near energy demand centers.The study will assess technical, regulatory and commercial pathways for integrating BWXT's mPower reactor design into floating nuclear facilities, the company said on Tuesday.The mPower reactor was originally developed as a Generation III+ integral…

Maritime recruitment has become more digital, but many platforms still replicate familiar agency workflows online. JobMarineMan.com, developed by ship and crew management company Marine MAN, is taking a different approach: a direct recruitment ecosystem built for shipowners and seafarers.The premise is straightforward but a departure from how the industry normally works. A shipowner gets a corporate presence on the platform with full account control; a seafarer gets a structured profile in a growing seafarer database.

VINGA vessel naming ceremony and 40 years of design collaborationcutFOLDER-VINGA-serien-webb.pdf [Full background and tech spec - MR DEC 2026cutVinga VesselA newly built tanker in Furetank's VINGA series will be named at the Port of Uddevalla on 28 August. The vessel was designed by Furetank and FKAB Marine Design, the cumulative of 40 years of vessel design collaboration."We know operations and FKAB knows shipbuilding. Our collaboration has been a winning equation over the years — one plus one has equalled three.

Italian engineering, certification and consulting company RINA has secured a contract to provide safety assessment services for Indonesia's Green Hydrogen Hub Project H2WATT, a key initiative being developed by PLN Puslitbang, the research and development arm of state-owned utility PT PLN.The H2WATT project is aimed at supporting Indonesia's energy transition through the development of an integrated green hydrogen ecosystem and forms part of the country's broader efforts to build a low-carbon energy framework.Under the contract…

Fincantieri has wrapped up its inaugural Maritime Security Hackathon, awarding top honors to startup Lares Technologies for a solution designed to coordinate manned and unmanned maritime assets across multiple operational domains, underscoring the growing role of autonomous systems and artificial intelligence in maritime defense.Held in collaboration with Talent Garden and Silicon Mountain, the two-day event brought together more than 70 participants, including startups, software developers…

ANTWERPEN was delivered to EXMAR, the Belgian gas shipowner and infrastructure developer, a ship powered by WinGD’s X52DF-A ammonia-fueled engine, reported to be the world’s first ocean-going ship designed to operate on ammonia fuel.The achievement is the result of a collaboration between WinGD, EXMAR, engine builder HD Hyundai Engine Machinery Division (HHI EMD) and shipyard HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. This is the first in a series of four newbuild ammonia dual-fuel midsize gas carriers, for EXMAR, each to be named after a Belgian city.ANTWERPEN is a 46,000m³ LPG/ammonia carrier.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and Japan Airlines (JAL) have entered into an agreement with Lloyd's Register and U.S.-based REGENT Craft to jointly develop certification and operational approval processes for REGENT's fully electric Seaglider vessel, as the companies work toward commercial deployment in Japan.The initiative marks the first collaboration in Japan involving a classification society aimed at supporting the commercialization of Seaglider vessels.Seagliders are fully electric wing-in-ground effect craft that operate a few metres above the water surface using ground effect.

Following the divestment of Wärtsilä Water & Waste to Solix Group AB, Hamworthy recently launchedas an independent specialist in marine water and waste systems. The business enters its next chapter with full operational continuity for customers worldwide, bringing together more than a century of engineering heritage, established installed-base expertise and global lifecycle support capabilities under the historic Hamworthy name.The launch marks the return of Hamworthy as a standalone marine environmental systems company and brand…

Hydrogen of Dutch Origin (H2DO) and its partners have launched a feasibility and concept study for a 30-50 MW offshore green hydrogen project in the Dutch North Sea, aimed at demonstrating how offshore hydrogen production could support the expansion of offshore wind capacity while reducing pressure on onshore infrastructure.The study, funded under the Dutch Topsector Energie (TSE) program, will evaluate the development of an offshore hydrogen production facility connected to shore by pipeline.The project seeks to convert electricity generated by offshore wind farms into green hydrogen at sea…