The Society News

Classification society DNV presented Australian green technology, energy and metals company Fortescue with class and statutory certificates for its dual-fueled ammonia-powered vessel Green Pioneer. This marked the culmination of a project that began in 2021, when DNV was engaged by Fortescue to work on the feasibility study and 'Fuel ready (Ammonia)' notation for the vessel’s conversion. DNV's Technology Qualification process provided the framework for the qualification and assurance of the engine modifications, where industry rules were yet to be developed.

Japan’s first dual-fuel LNG bunkering vessel KEYS Azalea has completed its first ship-to-ship LNG bunkering in Western Japan.The vessel - owned and operated by KEYS Bunkering West Japan Corporation, a joint venture established by Kyushu Electric Power, NYK Line, Itochu Enex, and Saibu Gas - bunkered LNG for the car and truck carrier Daisy Leader 2 at the Port of HiroshimaKEYS Azalea was delivered to KEYS Bunkering West Japan Corporation earlier in April. It is equipped with a…

Norwegian shipyard Myklebust Verft has been selected to build a pair of innovative hydrogen-powered passenger ferries ordered by Norwegian transport company Torghatten Nord.The design, produced by The Norwegian Ship Design Company for operations in the challenging waters of the Vestfjordstrekninga fjord in the Arctic Circle, received approval in principle (AIP) in August 2022 from Lloyd's Register, who has signed on to class the first-of-their-kind vessels.At 117 meters long with a 120-car capacity…

This week at Singapore Maritime Week, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is advancing ambitious decarbonization targets for the maritime transportation sector, both domestically and internationally.DOE is teaming with over 15 government and industry partners in Singapore to foster partnerships and collaborate on clean energy solutions aimed at achieving net zero-emissions in the maritime sector by 2050. Domestically, DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is joining with ABS to create opportunities for data and information sharing to strengthen U.S. shipping. The U.S.

The Biden administration said it would not renew a license set to expire early on Thursday that had broadly eased Venezuela oil sanctions, moving to reimpose punitive measures in response to President Nicolas Maduro’s failure to meet his election commitments.Just hours before the deadline, the U.S. Treasury Department announced on its website that it had issued a replacement license giving companies 45 days to “wind down” their business and transactions in the OPEC country's oil…

The SMM 2024 trade show will run from September 3-6 this year, and organizers are expecting more visitors and exhibitors than last time; the exhibition halls are nearly fully booked.“We are expecting more than 2,000 international exhibitors from 70 nations,” says Claus Ulrich Selbach, Business Unit Director Maritime and Technology Fairs & Exhibitions at Hamburg Messe und Congress. “We are overwhelmed by the response. We are actually setting-up an additional hall to accommodate all requests.

A large number of ports across the United States are making headway toward ambitious decarbonization targets, but many are running up against significant challenges that threaten their progress, according to a new report from classification society ABS and trade group the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA).Financial constraints, low technology readiness and physical space limitations are among key obstacles identified the ABS and AAPA report, "Port Decarbonization Survey: Trends and Lessons Learned"…

Rapid technological change, complex regulation and competitive pressures are driving digital transformation in the shipping industry. But navigating a confusing software landscape can be difficult, and sound decision-making is essential to minimize innovation risk, according to OrbitMI.Industry spending has soared in recent years on intelligent process automation solutions geared to boosting efficiency, reducing costs, curbing emissions and improving safety for shipping companies…

A new report offers safety recommendations for ship owners and port authorities seeking to establish green shipping corridors.As the shipping industry continues to make progress toward its decarbonization goals, a number of green shipping corridors are being being set up as maritime routes that help to enable the use of low- and zero-emission lifecycle fuels such as methanol, ammonia and hydrogen, as well as other green technologies. To date, more than 30 green shipping corridors…

ClassNK has granted approval to the basic design drawings of a multi-purpose container carrier developed by Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line) utilizing 3D models.This marks the world's first ocean-going ship to complete the basic design process, including class approval, solely through 3D drawings from the conceptual design to the basic structural design, during the initial stages of ship construction, according to NYK Line and ClassNK.Traditionally, the sharing of design information among shipyards…

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding, part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, has acquired an approval in principle (AiP) from the Japanese classification society ClassNK for its ammonia fuel supply system (AFSS).The AiP has been issued for the AFSS developed for the X-DF-A, a large, low-speed two-stroke ammonia-fueled engine under development by WinGD, a Swiss designer and licensor of large marine engines.In June 2023 Mitsubishi Shipbuilding and WinGD concluded a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to undertake joint technical studies on an AFSS…

KR has released two digital platforms, KR-DAON (Digital Application Online Network) and Nexawave, alongside the launch of its enhanced fleet management system, KR e-Fleet V3.The KR e-Fleet V3, an upgraded version of the existing fleet management system, focuses on enhancing operational efficiency through increased speed and simplification. It features an integrated vessel status display with survey and audit information, a new Thickness Measurement (TM) menu for tracking hull corrosion, and PSC Guidance with VR technology (KR-Real360) to assist in customer responses.

Classification society ABS announced it has awarded ECOLOG, a mid-stream Carbon Capture, Utilization and Sequestration (CCUS) service provider, with an industry first ISM Document of Compliance for the operation of liquified CO2 carriers on behalf of the Bermuda flag administration.ABS audited ECOLOG to verify compliance with the International Safety Management Code.ECOLOG plans to build and own CO2 terminals and a carrier fleet to service the emerging CCUS sector, connecting hard to abate emitters with cost competitive sequestration sites and carbon utilization facilities.“Carbon capture…

Wärtsilä reports it has signed a long-term Guaranteed Asset Performance agreement with CSBC-DEME Wind Engineering Co Ltd (CDWE), a joint venture between CSBC Corporation and DEME Offshore. The agreement covers CDWE’s new 216 meters-long installation vessel, the Green Jade. Marco Kanaar, CEO of CDWE, owner of the Taiwan-designed and -built offshore heavy lift DP3 installation vessel Green Jade says: "High utilization of our Green Jade is of utmost importance to our business which is why we have selected the Wärtsilä thrusters and engines for its reputation for excellent quality and reliability.

The collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge has highlighted what engineers say is an urgent need to better protect the piers holding up spans over shipping channels as the size of cargo ships has grown in recent decades.Federal authorities continue an investigation into why a massive cargo ship lost power and crashed into a pier of the Francis Scott Key Bridge early Tuesday, bringing down the structure and killing six workers who had been filling potholes atop it.The Maryland Transportation Authority did not respond to questions about what…

We think of Bermuda as a tiny paradise in the North Atlantic. But long before cruise ships moored up, prison ships carried hundreds of convicts to the island, first docking in 1824 and remaining there for decades.Islands have long been places to deport, exile and banish criminals. Think of Alcatraz, the infamous penitentiary in San Francisco, or Robben Island in South Africa, which held Nelson Mandela. The French penal colony Devil’s Island was immortalised in the Steve McQueen film Papillon…

Compliance, performance, profitability, sustainability; take the biggest ‘pain points’ for almost any shipping company and watch NAVTOR’s digital ecosystem work wonders. Here Tor Svanes, Founder and CEO, explains how NAVTOR has grown to lead the smart shipping world, why the recent merger with Voyager Worldwide was so critical, and how he hopes to help steer the industry towards brighter, simpler, and more intelligent horizons.“The morning of the announcement I got a text from the boss of one of our biggest competitors…

Fortescue has conducted the world's first ammonia marine bunker operation in the port of Singapore, the city-state's Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) and the Australian mining company said on Friday.The Singapore-flagged Fortescue Green Pioneer was loaded with liquid ammonia from an existing facility at Jurong Island's Vopak Banyan Terminal for the trial, Fortescue and MPA said in a joint statement.The vessel is dual-fuelled and can adopt ammonia for bunkering in combination with diesel.

Corvus Energy has developed a DNV-accepted method for data-driven state of health (SOH) testing.SOH tests for marine battery systems are mandatory and give an overall assessment of the condition, performance and safety of the batteries over time. These tests help determine the battery's capacity, efficiency and remaining life. Using data-driven approaches in these tests enhances accuracy and efficiency in monitoring and maintaining marine battery systems. In addition, the test…

EH Group said its EH Fuel Cell System TRACE-M250, designed for high power and maritime applications, has been awarded approval in principle (AIP) following an assessment by classification society DNV to confirm that the fuel cell design meets all the applicable maritime rules, regulations, codes and standards.Based on EH Group’s stack technology, the 250kW EH TRACE-M250 module is designed to improve efficiency and safety, in a more compact and lightweight module, the Switzerland-based manufacturer said…

Norwegian shipbuilder Vard has secured a contract for the design and construction of one tailor-made offshore wind commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV) for Norwind Offshore, with options for two additional vessels.Vard signed the contract with Navigare Capital Partners, a shareholder in Norwind Offshore.The new CSOV vessel, scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2026, is of VARD 4 19 design, developed by Vard Design in Ålesund in close collaboration with Norwind Offshore.The hull will be built in Vard Shipyards Romania – Braila and the outfitting…

Classification society ClassNK announced it has granted an Innovation Endorsement for Products & Solutions to a vessel and voyage performance monitoring platform called Cassandra, developed by Deep Sea Technologies SMPC.Cassandra integrates performance data from vessels with AI technology, and then enables real-time monitoring of the ship’s current status. It is cloud-based and designed to monitor fuel consumption, CO2 emissions, as well as hull and engine performance from shore.ClassNK has verified the functions of Cassandra.CO2 emissions monitoring…

The maritime industry, often viewed as conservative and measured in its approach to technological integration, is on the cusp of a transformative era with artificial intelligence (AI) emerging as a prominent player. Insights from key exhibitors at the upcoming Posidonia Shipping Εxhibition reveal a new landscape, where industry leaders strategically align with the inexorable rise of AI and consider adopting it already.According to Theodore Vokos, Managing Director, Posidonia Exhibitions S.A.…