Unite News

The Methanol Institute (MI) and SEA-LNG, key representatives of the methanol and LNG industries respectively, have expressed their deep concerns following the recent announcement by the European Commission impacting the trade of biomethane and biomethane-based biofuels such as biomethanol.The Commission has noted the intention to exclude the automatic certification of biomethane and biomethanol-based fuels produced through mass balance chain of custody in third-party countries outside the EU gas grids within the Union Database (UDB)…

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…

As dusk descends upon our nation's ports, casting shadows over the waterfront, another shadow looms in the digital landscape — the threat of cyber warfare. In an era where connectivity reigns supreme, our maritime infrastructure stands at a critical juncture, balancing vulnerability and resilience. The recent White House announcement of a Presidential Executive Order, and a hefty $20 billion in Inflation Reduction Act funding proposal to fortify our ports, underscores the gravity of the situation.It is a fact that at this time China has manufactured 80% of our nation’s ship-to-shore cranes…

MAN Cryo announced its design for an ammonia fuel-supply system to safely provide ammonia to marine-engine applications has been awarded an Approval in Principle from classification societies, DNV and Bureau Veritas.MAN Cryo, part of MAN Energy Solutions, developed the system in cooperation with Chinese company Yada Green Energy Solutions, with whom the company has previously cooperated to provide equipment for LNG and methanol marine fuels.Xiang Guangqing, Chairman, Yada Green Energy Solutions…

Germany’s United Heavy Transport (UHT) and Korea’s Dongbang Transport Logistics have joined forces in a new strategic alliance combining their expertise in heavy lift vessels and transport.UHT and Dongbang Transport Logistics signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), symbolizing the integration of UHT's heavy lift expertise and Dongbang's mastery of open deck carrier operations."In this strategic alliance, UHT in conjunction with United Engineering Solutions and Dongbang unite their strengths…

Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria signed an agreement on Thursday on a joint plan to clear mines floating in the Black Sea as a result of the war in Ukraine, following months of talks between the NATO allies.Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler, his Romanian counterpart Angel Tilvar and Bulgaria's Deputy Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov signed a memorandum of understanding in Istanbul to form a trilateral initiative to clear the explosives."With the start of the war, a threat of floating mines in the Black Sea has arisen. To combat it ...

“Safety is not merely a box to check but a dynamic force shaping the trajectory of our industry. It acts as both a boundary condition, defining the limits within which we operate, and a catalyst for change, propelling us toward innovative solutions and practices that align with our commitment to a greener future.”That was the message to shipping industry leaders at COP28 from ABS Chairman and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki.Speaking at the International Chamber of Shipping Shaping the Future of Shipping Summit, he emphasized the pivotal role of safety in delivering a more sustainable industry.

NAVTOR, an e-Navigation and performance technology provider to the maritime industry, and Voyager Worldwide, a provider of maritime technology solutions, have agreed to merge.The combined company will deliver products and solutions to approximately 18,000 vessels globally. The transaction is expected to close by December 2023.Both companies provide maritime technology solutions that enable shipping companies to improve safety, efficiency, compliance, and operational performance…

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, on Thursday named the world’s first-ever container vessel sailing on green methanol.At a ceremony in Copenhagen on September 14, where the Maersk-owned vessel arrived from Ulsan in South Korea, Von Der Leyen acted as the ship's godmother and named the vessel 'Laura Maersk'.The Danish-flagged 172-meter-long vessel has been described as a key milestone for A.P. Moller-Maersk’s plans to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions in 2040 across the entire business.To meet its 2040 target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions in time…

Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” Line) has adopted NavFleet as a fleet monitoring system platform provided by Navtor A.S., and witnessed by Norwegian Embassy in Japan, “K” Line signed a MoU with Navtor regarding the development of “K” Line 24/7/365 global fleet monitoring and support system through the use and functional expansion of NavFleet on August 25.Navtor is Norway-based company developing the maritime DX business that is well known as a provider of electronic navigational charts…

A new study from consultancy Arup demonstrates the benefits that Canada could obtain from investing in infrastructure that would enable the uptake of low and zero emissions shipping fuels.The Canadian Green Shipping Corridor Assessment was commissioned by Oceans North, a charity that supports marine conservation and climate action in partnership with Indigenous and coastal communities, and the Vancouver Maritime Centre for Climate. Using case studies, it shows how investing in…

The Sea Cargo Charter, a global framework for assessing and disclosing the climate alignment of chartering activities, has released its annual report covering 2022, highlighting the disclosure of emissions data and calling for action from the IMO.The 33 signatories covered by the report account for more than 17% of total bulk cargo transported by sea over the year. Their average reporting rate increased since last year to 90%.“While achieving full decarbonisation by 2050 may seem far off…

Singapore-based Sembcorp Marine said Monday it was proposing to change its name from “Sembcorp Marine Ltd” to “Seatrium Limited."This follows the completion of the combination of the company's businesses and Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd on February 28, 2023, and will adopt a new branding for the enlarged entity."The proposed change of name is subject to shareholders’ approval and will not affect the identity of the Company or any of its rights and obligations, nor will it affect any of the rights of shareholders or the Group’s daily business operations and financial standing…

British union Unite on Friday said several Sparrows offshore services workers have voted to strike at dozens of platforms on the UK continental shelf including those of BP and Shell.Around 150 Sparrows workers across more than 20 oil and gas platforms have voted for strike in a dispute over pay, the union said in a press release.This comes after the union last week announced its Sparrows members working on BP’s Andrew, Clair, Clair Ridge, ETAP, Glen Lyon and Mungo installations backed strike action in a separate dispute over pay and conditions.The strike action will hit BP’s platforms from Mar

Reuters Events has officially launched their flagship offshore wind event, US Offshore Wind 2023 (USOW23) being held in the Hynes Convention Center, Boston, July 11-12, 2023.The event will unite more than 1000 offshore wind developers, utilities, OEMs, financiers, and supply chain executives, hosting industry-breaking discussions covering all corners of project development, from permitting through to construction.Click here to see the Speaker and Agenda line-upU.S. Offshore Wind ConfEx 2023 will feature more than 70 speakers across two tracks…

Around 600 workers at Liverpool port, one of Britain's busiest ports, will end strike action after agreeing a pay deal with employer Peel Ports, the Unite union said on Thursday.Unite said workers had voted "overwhelmingly in favor" of pay rises worth 14.3%-18.5% negotiated earlier this week, ending a wave of strike action that began on Sept. 19.The port in Liverpool, northwest England, handles more than 70 million tonnes of cargo from across the globe, according to Peel Ports.(Reuters - Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar; Editing by Sandra Maler)

Workers at a Liverpool port, owned by Peel Ports Group, will go on strike from Monday for two weeks after talks with the port operating company broke down due to disagreements over increase in pay, UK's Unite union said on Friday.Peel Ports' board has continued to deny workers a pay rise while its profits soared, Unite said, adding that "any chance to halt the industrial action has been lost after Peel Ports board intervened to stop the deal, which had been agreed in principle, from going ahead."Nearly 600 dock workers at the Liverpool port went on strike from Oct. 11 and to Oct.

Damage to the Nord Stream gas pipeline from Russia to Europe was caused by powerful explosions, Danish police said on Tuesday, echoing earlier findings into leaks that erupted in the network under the Baltic Sea and that have been blamed on sabotage.In what a Swedish newspaper described as the first publicly released footage of damage to the system, film from a private drone appeared to show a gaping rupture in one pipe. Expressen reported a 50-meter section missing from one area of pipeline.Dwindling flows of gas from Russia…

Over 500 dockworkers at the Port of Liverpool, one of Britain's largest container ports, have launched a two-week strike over pay, the Unite trade union said on Tuesday, adding to a wave of industrial unrest caused by soaring inflation.The Liverpool strike from Sept. 19 to Oct. 3, which was announced earlier this month, will overlap a second walkout by workers at Felixstowe, Britain's top container port, which starts on Sept. 27.More than 560 port operatives and maintenance engineers…

More than 560 dockworkers at the Port of Liverpool, one of Britain's largest container ports, will go on strike from Sept. 19 to Oct. 3 over pay, the Unite union said on Friday, adding to a summer of industrial unrest caused by soaring inflation."Workers across the country are sick to death of being told to take a hit on their wages and living standards," Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said in a statement."MDHC needs to think again, table a reasonable offer and fulfil its previous pay promises…

More than 1,900 workers at Britain's biggest container port, Felixstowe, have begun eight days of strike action that will cause disruption to trade and supply chains.The staff at Felixstowe, on the east coast of England, are taking industrial action in a dispute over pay, becoming the latest workers to strike in Britain as unions demand higher wages for members facing a cost-of-living crisis. read moreBelow is a look at Felixstowe's operations and the possible impact from the strike:How big is the port?About 48% of all containers brought into the UK are transported through the Felixstowe port…

More than 1,900 workers at Britain's biggest container port are due on Sunday to start eight days of strike action which their union and shipping companies warn could seriously affect trade and supply chains.The staff at Felixstowe, on the east coast of England, are taking industrial action in a dispute over pay, becoming the latest workers to strike in Britain as unions demand higher wages for members facing a cost-of-living crisis."Strike action will cause huge disruption and will generate massive shockwaves throughout the UK's supply chain…

The company that operates Britain's biggest container port, Felixstowe, said on Friday it believed its pay offer to workers was fair and it was disappointed strike action due to begin on Sunday had not been called off.More than 1,900 workers at Felixstowe represented by the Unite union plan eight days of strikes from Aug. 21 in a dispute over pay."The company is disappointed that Unite has not taken up our offer to call off the strike and come to the table for constructive discussions to find a resolution…