Maritime Industry Top News
Strategic Marine Delivers First New Passenger Catamaran for Bintan Resort Ferries
Strategic Marine, an aluminum shipbuilder, marked the naming and delivery of Putri Mayang Sari on August 12, 2026, the first of three next-generation 43-meter passenger catamarans under construction for Bintan Resort Ferries (BRF) at the company's Singapore shipyard.Designed and built by Strategic Marine, Putri Mayang Sari is intended to support BRF's fleet renewal and expansion plans, enhancing passenger transport services between Singapore and Bintan.
SEA.AI, Anschütz to Integrate Machine Vision into Autonomics Navigation Suite
SEA.AI and Anschütz have agreed a partnership to integrate SEA.AI's vision into the Autonomics Navigation Suite, adding understanding of what radar and AIS cannot see. The companies plan to integrate SEA.AI’s technology into the Autonomics Navigation Suite for bridge systems, with design and validation work beginning immediately. The Autonomics Navigation Suite is designed to provide components for autonomous navigation and navigation assistance systems in line with the new MASS code.
Perfect Storm: High Bunker Prices Meet Declining Fuel Quality
Marine fuel buyers entered 2026 facing a perfect storm, suffering some of the highest bunker prices ever experienced, paired with a sharp and concerning decline in fuel quality. Across the traditional marine fossil fuel supply chain, VPS has seen a marked rise in fuel quality issues, with the Middle East conflict playing a major role in driving both price volatility and quality deterioration. For ship owners/operators…
Kongsberg to Add Three More Satellites to Maritime Surveillance Network
Kongsberg has unveiled plans to add three more satellites to its N3X maritime surveillance constellation in early 2027, doubling the number of satellites in the network to six as it expands space-based monitoring capabilities for the Norwegian Armed Forces.The additional satellites are intended to improve revisit rates and provide near-real-time coverage, strengthening maritime situational awareness…
Tanker Hit by Projectile Catches Fire Off Saudi Red Sea Coast
A tanker was struck by an unknown projectile 63 nautical miles west of Saudi Arabia's port city of Yanbu, leading to a fire on the vessel's main deck, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said on Monday.The UKMTO said all crew were safe and accounted for with no reported environmental impact.Yanbu is Saudi Arabia's main Red Sea oil port, where millions of barrels a day are loaded, and has become the main route out for Saudi oil skirting the Strait of Hormuz…
Iran Tightens Enforcement of Strait of Hormuz Transit Rules
Iran has issued a warning that vessels violating its arrangements for transiting the Strait of Hormuz could face restrictions, including fines, detention, or confiscation, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority wrote in a post on X.The warning heightens risks for the charterers and shipowners whose vessels transit through the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for the world's energy shipments.The PGSA, a new body Iran has established with the aim of managing the strait, has said cargo owners should ref
ARC Group Receives FEMA Award for Disaster-Relief Supply Deliveries
American Roll-On/Roll-Off Carrier Group Inc. (ARC Group) announced that it has been awarded an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide national “cross-dock” and incident base support during emergencies and disaster response operations. Under the contract (No. 70FB7026D00000002), ARC will provide logistics capabilities that help FEMA position and rapidly deliver critical…
HydroComp Releases PropCad 2026
HydroComp has released PropCad 2026 to improve the daily tools used by propeller designers, manufacturers, and researchers to develop, inspect, and document marine propeller geometry.This year's release focuses on a smoother CAD Import workflow, more direct 3D model interaction, and continued modernization of the data-entry tables used throughout PropCad.Interactive Pitch-Plane Control for CAD Import…
Strong Demand in India Flips Russian Urals to Premium
Russian Urals crude delivered to India has flipped to a premium against the dated Brent benchmark for the first time since May as stronger Asian demand coincides with tighter export availability, three trading sources said.Cargoes of Urals crude for October delivery were offered this week at premiums up to $1 a barrel to dated Brent, compared with discounts of $1 to $2 a barrel for September-arrival cargoes…
Oil Prices Set for Second Weekly Gain as US Threatens Iranian Sanctions
Oil prices were steady on Friday and were on track for a second straight weekly gain after the United States threatened to impose the toughest sanctions in history with no end in sight for disruptions to Middle East oil flows.Brent crude futures rose 20 cents, or 0.21%, to $93.98 a barrel by 1307 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was up 7 cents, or 0.08%, at $86.90.The Brent benchmark has gained more than 6.1% while WTI has risen 5.3% this week…
Iran-Linked Oil Tanker Attacked by Somalian Pirates
An oil tanker under U.S. sanctions for allegedly transporting Iranian petroleum products has become the latest victim of resurgent Somali piracy when it was boarded off the coast of Yemen and diverted toward Somalia.The Eritrea-flagged Sibu 1 was seized on Thursday by six armed individuals, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The tanker was sanctioned last December by the U.S.
MacGregor to Supply Crane for Ulstein SX121 Vessel Order
MacGregor has secured a contract to supply a 165-ton active heave compensated (AHC) crane for a newbuild Ulstein SX121 vessel ordered by Jan De Nul and under construction at China Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI) shipyard. The order is part of a 1+1 vessel program, with delivery scheduled for February 2028.The order is booked into MacGregor’s second quarter 2026 order intake.MacGregor’s local presence and production capabilities in China provide CMHI with direct access to design…
Decrepit Port Infrastructure has Vessels Stacked Off Venezuela
Venezuela's dilapidated oil port terminals are imposing a de facto export cap on the country's resurgent crude production, with tankers having to wait up to 30 days to load because of ageing infrastructure, power outages and quality issues, according to shipping data, sources and documents.The delays are putting roadblocks on a U.S. plan to quickly boost Venezuela's oil exports following a flagship pact with global trading houses.
Ships Trickle Through Strait of Hormuz
Seven commodity ships sailed along the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, just half the previous day's tally, showed data from shiptracker Kpler, amid concern over risk to Middle East shipping as U.S.-Iran peace talks remain in limbo.Of the total, four ships entered and three exited the waterway, which was used by nearly a fifth of global shipments of crude oil and liquefied natural gas before war began in February.The seven did not include any very large crude carriers or liquefied natural gas tanke
Everllence’s 175D Engines to Power Four Offshore Tugs Destined for Guyana
Everllence has signed a contract with a Turkish shipyard within the high-speed segment. The contract comprises 16 × 175D gensets bound for 4 × Rampage 6000‑DE offshore terminal tugs designed by Robert Allen.These will be operated by Smit Lamnalco, a Boskalis company, in Guyana, South America to support an FPSO fleet in the Stabroek Block.The newbuilds’ roles will combine towing, safety, logistics, dynamic positioning and maintenance functions, supporting large‑scale deepwater oil production.
Lehmann Marine Secures first AQUBE Order
Lehmann Marine has secured the debut commercial order for its newly developed AQUBE liquid-cooled battery system.The high-power energy storage platform AQUBE has been selected by shipbuilder Lloyd Werft in Bremerhaven to power a research vessel built for the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Germany’s national research center for aeronautics, space, energy, and transport.Set for delivery in 2027, a new 48-meter-long…
MITSUI E&S Commercializes Ammonia Dual Fuel Engines
MITSUI E&S has completed the commercialization of large ammonia-fueled marine engines and ammonia fuel supply systems, the only Japanese manufacturer to do so.In February 2026, MITSUI E&S conducted land-based tests involving the integrated operation of the ammonia dual fuel engine MITSUI-Everllence B&W 7S60ME-C10.5-LGIA-HPSCR which was witnessed by ClassNK. This verification confirmed the engine complied…
Wilson Sons Launches Third High-Powered Tugboat
Wilson Sons, a port and shipping logistics operator with over 188 years of experience, launched WS Ariel on August 20 at Pier Mauá (Rio de Janeiro). WS Ariel is the third high-powered tugboat in the company's new shipbuilding series.Like WS Halcyon and WS Capella, launched in January and May this year, respectively, WS Ariel was built at Wilson Sons’ shipyard in Guarujá (São Paulo). Belonging to the same ASD 2312 class (23 meters long…
Houston Ship Channel Trade Tonnage Climbs 16%
Trade activity across the Houston Ship Channel region remained strong, while Port Houston gained momentum with increases in imports, empties and a modest decline in exports.“Our region remains resilient through evolving global trade conditions. Vessel activity in the nation’s busiest waterway is up, and we continue to see steady cargo movement that helps power industries like energy, manufacturing and retail…
Taiwan Plans Record High Defense Spending
Taiwan's government on Thursday proposed an 18% rise in defense spending for next year, including for drones and missiles, taking it above T$1 trillion ($31.41 billion) for the first time as Taipei bolsters its military to ward off China.The budget details come as Beijing, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has ramped up military and political pressure over the past few years to assert its claims…
