United Kingdom News

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said in an advisory note on Wednesday that it was aware of increased tensions in the Middle East which could lead to an escalation of military activity having a direct impact on mariners.The UKMTO advised vessels to use caution when passing through the Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and Straits of Hormuz.The UKMTO, which gathers reports on threats to shipping, did not specify the nature of the increase in tensions that prompted its alert.The United States and Iran are expected to hold a round of talks this week on Iran's nuclear programme.

Kongsberg Maritime signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India’s Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) during Nor-Shipping 2025 initiating a collaborative effort to explore the design of India’s first indigenous polar research vessel.The proposed vessel is to support a wide range of scientific missions, including climate research, oceanography and polar logistics. It will incorporate Kongsberg Maritime’s integrated technologies to ensure safe, efficient and environmentally…

MarineShift360 has unveiled the first cohort of its Impact Accelerator Program, selecting three pioneering organizations to advance sustainability across the marine industry.Following a competitive selection process, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI, United Kingdom and Ireland), Secfuel (Sweden), and BAR Technologies (United Kingdom) were chosen for their potential to drive measurable environmental impact and accelerate industry-wide transformation.Each participant will receive tailored technical support…

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said on Tuesday that it received a report of an incident for a vessel 100 nautical miles east of Yemen's Aden, the first report by the agency in the area in months.The vessel's crew were safe and it was proceeding to the next port of call, UKMTO said, after reporting it was being followed by people in multiple small vessels for about two hours with shots being fired.The agency said it was investigating the incident, without identifying…

The IMO’s MEPC83 has approved the creation of a new Emission Control Area (ECA) in the North-East Atlantic Ocean. It will be the world’s largest ECA to date.The decision follows an official submission to the MEPC 83 of the research conducted by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) in collaboration with Porto University, demonstrating the proposal’s potential for reducing emissions while also benefiting public health and the environment.The new ECA will cover the territorial seas and exclusive economic zones of the Faroe Islands…

Foreign ministers from the G7 nations called China's recent military drills around Taiwan provocative and destabilizing while urging dialogue for "peaceful resolution of issues.""These increasingly frequent and destabilizing activities are raising cross-Strait tensions and put at risk global security and prosperity," the top diplomats from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America said in a joint statement on Sunday."G7 members continue to encourage the peaceful resolution of issues through constructive cross-Strait dialogue."Last week, China's

Worley has secured a contract by German state-owned Deutsche Energy Terminal (DET) for Phase 2 of the Brunsbüttel Floating Storage Regasification Unit (FSRU) terminal in Brunsbüttel, Germany.Under the contract, Worley will provide construction, installation and commissioning services, through its offices in the United Kingdom and Germany.Separately, Worley is also providing engineering and procurement services.DET, a wholly owned subsidiary of the German federal government, states…

The Panama Maritime Authority (PMA) is implementing necessary measures to refine its merchant fleet to safeguard its reputation.Under Executive Decree No. 512, if the Directorate General of the Merchant Marine (DGGM) becomes aware that a vessel within Panama’s merchant fleet, or its owner, appears on one of the international sanctions’ lists referenced in this legal framework, a deregistration process is immediately initiated.Since its enactment, the decree has been applied to 125 vessels…

Shell Eastern Trading, a subsidiary of Shell plc, has completed the previously announced acquisition of 100% of the shares in Pavilion Energy.Pavilion Energy, headquartered in Singapore, operates a global LNG trading business with contracted supply volume of approximately 6.5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa). The acquisition includes Pavilion Energy’s portfolio of LNG offtake and supply contracts, regasification capacity and LNG bunkering business.This acquisition helps to deliver on Shell’s ambition to solidify its leading position in LNG by growing sales by 4-5% per year through to 2030.

Danish offshore wind installation firm Cadeler has taken delivery of its latest jack-up wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV), Wind Pace, marking another significant milestone in the company’s ongoing fleet expansion.Delivered safely, on time, and within budget, Wind Pace has become the seventh vessel in Cadeler’s growing portfolio of wind turbine installation vessels.Wind Pace was officially named at a ceremony on the March 12, 2025, at the COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry (COSCO) shipyard in Qidong, China, where it was built.After the delivery, Wind Pace will be deployed in the U.S.

Crowley, the manager of oil tanker Stena Immaculate that was struck on its port side by the container ship Solong, causing a blaze, has reported that all 23 members of the ship’s crew are safe and without reported injuries, as it launches spill containment response efforts.On March 10, 2025, while stationary and anchored off the North Sea coast near Hull in the United Kingdom, the Crowley-managed tanker Stena Immaculate was struck on its port side by the container ship Solong.Crowley…

The International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds (IOPC Funds) has offered its view on the collision between the Solong and Stena Immaculate off the north-east coast of the UK on March 10, saying:“Whilst the United Kingdom is a 1992 Fund Member State and the Stena Immaculate appears to be a ship, as defined in the 1992 Civil Liability and Fund Conventions, according to reports, the tanker was carrying jet fuel, which is a non-persistent oil. Therefore, any claims for compensation in the event of pollution damage resulting from this incident would not be covered by the 1992 Conventions.

J.F. Lehman & Company (JFLCO), a middle-market private equity, has through its investment affiliates sold Global Marine Group (GMG) to Keppel Infrastructure Fund (KIF).With a legacy dating to 1850, GMG is one of the leading providers of subsea telecom maintenance and installation services, supporting mission-critical global communications infrastructure.Headquartered in the United Kingdom, the company serves a diverse base of customers with high-reliability solutions that ensure…

In the ever-evolving world of maritime trade, ship ownership is a key indicator of economic influence and global commerce. As we enter 2025, Veson Nautical offers its Top 10 Ship Owning Nations, offering a detailed analysis of fleet values and industry shifts. This year, China has surged to the top, overtaking Japan in total fleet value, while geopolitical events and shifting market dynamics continue to shape the rankings.Let’s take a closer look at the global giants of ship ownership and the forces driving their dominance.1.

Vessels in the northern Gulf have received multiple VHF radio challenges, including demands to alter course, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said on Friday, adding they could be part of an Iranian military exercise.The UKMTO, which monitors marine security in the region, advised seafarers that vessels near Iranian waters may experience such VHF hailing during the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' exercise.Naval units from the Revolutionary Guards were conducting operations in the Gulf's Strait of Hormuz on Friday as part of the exercise…

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has joined 47 governments in a joint submission to the final round of negotiations at the IMO on a GHG emissions pricing mechanism for international shipping.The joint text is supported by major shipping nations such as Greece, Japan, Korea and the United Kingdom, the world’s largest flag States including Bahamas, Liberia, Marshall Islands and Panama, all EU States (and the European Commission), other African countries such as Nigeria and Kenya…

At a special meeting of the board, held on-line, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) have unanimously appointed Thomas A. Kazakos asits next Secretary General. Kazakos will replace Guy Platten who will be stepping down in June 2025.Kazakos has been the Director General of the Cyprus Shipping Chamber, the representative National-Member Association of Cyprus at ICS, since 1995. Emanuele Grimaldi, Chairman of the International Chamber of Shipping said: “After a thorough search and interview process my board is delighted to confirm the appointment of Thomas Kazakos to this important position for our industry. The coming decade will be pivotal for our industry…

Maritime entrepreneur is a long-time advocate for diversity and inclusion in the shipping industry. Ms. Karin Orsel, co-founder and CEO of the MF Shipping Group based in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, has been selected to receive the 2025 IMO Gender Equality Award. The Award is bestowed on individuals who have made significant contributions to advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women in the maritime sector. The IMO Council endorsed Ms. Orsel as next year's recipient during its 133rd session held in London from 18 to 22 November 2024.

New EU and British sanctions are based on false claims of missile transfers to Russia and are "unjustified", Iran Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Tuesday.Brussels on Monday added the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) and its director to its list of sanctions on Iran, which it said were a consequence of Tehran's support of Russia in its war with Ukraine.On the same day, Britain imposed sanctions against Iran's national airline and shipping carrier, measures it said were taken in response to Iran's transfer of ballistic missiles to Russia."Iran considers the i

A vessel 60 nautical miles southeast of Yemen's Aden reported on Monday a missile splashing into the sea in its close proximity, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.UKMTO added that the vessel and its crew were safe. The same vessel was passing through the Red Sea 25 nautical miles west of Yemen's Mokha on Sunday when it reported a missile splashing into the sea nearby, UKMTO said.Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi militants have been attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea for more than a year to try to enforce a naval blockade on Israel, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in Israel's year-long war in Gaza.

Soaring costs, project delays and limited investment put targets out of reachAfter a year of canceled projects, broken turbines, and abandoned lease sales, the global offshore wind industry no longer has much chance to hit the lofty targets set by governments in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere ... with the exception of China.Reuters spoke to 12 offshore wind companies, industry researchers, trade associations, and government officials in six countries to come up with a global picture of the state of the industry and its outlook…

A ship passing through the Red Sea 25 nautical miles west of Al-Mukha, Yemen, reported on Sunday that a missile had splashed into the sea nearby, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said.It did not name the vessel or the owner but cited the relevant company security officer as saying the vessel and crew were safe and proceeding to the next port of call.Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi militants have been attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea for more than a year in a bid to enforce a naval blockade on Israel, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in I

A new study published by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) indicates that up to 4,300 premature deaths can be avoided by an emissions control area in the North Atlantic. The economic benefits of this health benefit could amount to as much as €29 billion ($31 billion).As part of an international coalition that has already contributed to the establishment of an Emission Control Area (ECA) in the Mediterranean, NABU is committed to an ECA in the North Atlantic (AtlECA) and plans to submit a proposal to the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) in spring 2025…