Corporate News

Thordon Bearings has secured a significant contract to convert the rubber tailshaft bearings across an entire fleet of Panama-operating tugs, pilot vessels, and workboats to water-lubricated polymer bearings. The agreement with the unnamed operator follows the successful retrofitting of Thordon’s SXL tailshaft bearings to twelve of its twin-screw tugs last year during scheduled dry dockings. The remaining 32 vessels will now be converted in batches at planned maintenance intervals over th...

Hefring Marine announced an investment of €2.2 million led by Faber Ventures with participation by Innoport VC, Two Ravens, MD-One, Riverstone Ventures, Idlewild Management LLC, and Sukna Holdings.  Hefring Marine is an Icelandic deep-tech company that specialises in intelligent maritime solutions, with a mission to empower vessel operators and managers to enhance safety, efficiency, and sustainability.  An AI-driven on-board system The company’s main product, IMAS, is an...

Oceania Cruises, the culinary- and destination-focused cruise line, announces its newest ship Allura will enter service one week earlier than scheduled. Due to join the fleet in summer 2025, her inaugural sailing will now depart Trieste, Italy, on July 18, 2025, cruising six days to Athens, Greece, calling at gems in the Eastern Mediterranean including Rijeka, Croatia; Ravenna, Italy; Dubrovnik, Croatia; and Kotor, Montenegro. The line is also opening for sale a one-of-a-kind four day voyage s...

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., “Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings”, “Norwegian”, “NCLH” or the “Company”) will hold its Investor Day at the New York Stock Exchange where it will discuss its new comprehensive “Charting the Course” strategy, which includes a refreshed vision; strategic initiatives centred around four pillars encompassing people, product, growth platform and performance; and three-year financial and sustainability...

International maritime law firm - Campbell Johnston Clark (CJC) has added a senior member to its team in Singapore, following the appointment of Chua Aik Hui as Director. Joining the maritime law firm’s transactional team at the partner level, Aik Hui specialises in advising multinational financial institutions, sponsors, owners, and lessors on asset financing in the maritime and offshore oil and gas sectors. Extensive industry experience  Aik Hui also has significant experience in...

A new logistics and freight yard beside Southampton Container Terminal is predicted to give a significant extra competitive edge to cargo and haulage operations in the port.  The new yard and operation has been created in a deal between Southampton Container Terminal operator - DP World and Williams Shipping, one of Southampton’s oldest and most established maritime and logistics businesses. Cargo expansion The yard is twice the size of the existing Williams Shipping yard, which is...

AV Dawson, owner and operator of Port of Middlesbrough, has signed a long-term partnership with Italian offshore cable manufacturer, Prysmian.  The Italian firm, which has been a tenant at Port of Middlesbrough for several years, has signed a 10-year agreement, cementing a long-term partnership, in preparation for its future growth. Part of the new partnership deal Prysmian, which is a world pioneer in the manufacture and installation of subsea and offshore wind cables, first starte...

This year, like any other Maritime UK is taking a stand to support women in the sector, urging the industry to get involved in Women in Maritime Day. International Day for Women in Maritime 2024 (18th May) celebrates women in the industry and is intended to promote the recruitment, retention and sustained employment of women in the maritime sector. Enhancing safety measures This day shines a spotlight on the progress of industry has made over the last year, but also the changes we as an ind...

Scottish exporters of perishable goods are set to benefit from a £750,000 investment into reefer point infrastructure at the Port of Greenock, which marks a significant upgrade to the country’s refrigerated cargo capabilities. The substantial increase in reefer points, from 32 to 220, solidifies the port’s position as a pioneer hub for refrigerated and frozen cargo on the West Coast. It will significantly increase ease of access to global markets for food and drink manufacture...

Brunvoll is an essential partner in Hurtigruten's Sea Zero project, driving the maritime industry towards emission-free transits. Together with Hurtigruten and the other industry partners, we are exploring game-changing propulsion and autonomy solutions, and defining the fjord cruise vessel for the future. Zero-emission sea journeys “We are delighted to take part in this project aimed towards zero emission sea journeys along the longer Norwegian coast,” says Kåre Øyvi...

OceanWise was awarded the contract to work on a unique project involving the historic and impressive HMS Warrior vessel. This iconic piece of British history is moored in Portsmouth as part of the National Museum of the Royal Navy. HMS Warrior is an "ironclad, 40-gun, steam-powered frigate, built for the British Navy in 1859-1861″. OceanWise is proudly working with a number of project partners including Waves Group Limited, Nortek, Gill instruments and RS Divers to install a variety of en...

Zero-emissions goal energised by Forum Mobility’s new charging stations. A new charging depot that will be operated by Forum Mobility broke ground Wednesday, aimed at meeting the accelerating demand for heavy-duty electric trucks serving the Port of Long Beach. The facility, scheduled to go online in the fall, moves the Port closer toward achieving a goal of zero-emissions operations for drayage trucks by 2035. Mobility’s new charging depot “As an industry pioneer in the sus...

Harbor Lab, the maritime software company modernising the outdated accounting practices hampering the $14 trillion shipping industry, has raised a $16 million Series A funding round led by European VC Atomico.  With participation from existing investors Notion Capital, Venture Friends, SpeedInvest and The Dock, and new investors Endeavor Catalyst and maritime VC TMV, the round follows a Seed round of €6.1 million. It takes total funding for the Greek startup to some $22.5 million. A...

Complete with over 100 user-requested features, streamlined vessel applications and enhanced user experience, ABS has launched Eagle Unified™, an industry-renowned structural design verification software tool. The launch is the latest in a series of investments in major new engineering capabilities that have been delivered by ABS in recent weeks. LNGC capabilities Eagle Unified™ is a single tool that can support multiple vessel types, with containership Eagle Unified™ is a...

A new feeder fleet of two tugs and two barges dedicated to serving a wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) from Maersk Supply Service (MSS) has been ordered by Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) to ABS Class. The innovative system is designed to deliver components to the construction site, allowing the ABS-classed WTIV to remain on location, promising faster wind farm installations. Offshore wind components Designed to serve the U.S. offshore wind market, the novel articulated tug/barge (ATB) co...

Maersk has inaugurated a specialised cross dock warehouse in Rotterdam on its Maasvlakte II terminal. It will accelerate the flow of cargo significantly from arrival on a vessel to the point of sale, especially in the Benelux, German and French hinterland. Warehouse features After discharging containers from an arriving vessel, the products can be unpacked, transloaded to conventional trucks, and dispatched to their final destination within hours. Maersk welcomed Starbucks as the first custo...

Orbital Marine Power (Orbital), the renewable energy company focused on the commercial deployment of its innovative floating tidal turbine technology, has selected Global Energy Group as preferred supplier to lead the manufacture and assembly of turbines for the company’s initial Orkney projects which have secured contracts under the UK Government’s Contract for Difference auction rounds 4 and 5. Turbine manufacture It is anticipated that turbine manufacture will start at Global...

Trade moving through the Port of Long Beach gained momentum in April 2024, marking the eighth consecutive month of year-over-year cargo growth at the nation’s second-busiest seaport. Dockworkers and terminal operators moved 750,424 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) last month, up 14.4% from April 2023. Imports rose 16.3% to 364,665 TEUs and exports declined 19.9% to 98,266 TEUs. Empty containers moving through the Port increased by 30.7% to 287,493 TEUs. Operational excellence “...

Shipping company ACL’s new transatlantic service in partnership with BG Freight Line and Peel Ports Group will have transit times up to two weeks faster than any similar service travelling between Dublin/Belfast and North America via a UK or Continental transshipment port. The partnership will offer importers and exporters quicker than ever before access to/from the USA and Canada with direct calls at the major ports of Halifax, New York, Baltimore and Norfolk via the Port of Liverpool....

High Eye is thrilled to announce a significant milestone in the journey of innovation and growth: the selection of the Airboxer VTOL UAV by the Dutch Navy. After an extensive study of maritime VTOL UAV systems, the Dutch Navy recognised the Airboxer's suitability for the challenging maritime domain. With over a decade of development, the Airboxer has evolved to its current level through dedication and craftsmanship. They are immensely proud that the Dutch Navy acknowledges the qualities of the...

Inmarsat Maritime, a Viasat company, has launched a new report Digital Wave: Transforming Vessels into Floating Offices and Remote Homes. The report explores the growing importance of ‘always-on’ onboard connectivity as ships and their crew become increasingly reliant on digital technology.  In an era that sees ships functioning as ‘floating offices’, a reliable network connection optimises vessel operations and enhances life on board. Equally, the consequences of a...

Technology group - Wärtsilä has designed and delivered controllable pitch propellers for Stena’s new Ro-Pax vessel, Ala’suinu, which has completed sea trials. Following these sea trials, Ala’suinu became the first Ro-Pax vessel to fulfil the DNV Silent(E) notation, satisfying the criteria in the operating conditions at 11 and 18 knots. This environment class notation from DNV was introduced to protect sensitive marine ecosystems, applying to vessels that demonstrate...

Ricardo, a global strategic, environmental, and engineering consulting company, has received Approval in Principle (AiP) from Lloyd's Register, the global provider of classification and compliance services to the marine and offshore industries, for the design of its cutting-edge multi-megawatt containerised fuel cell power plant solution. RFC500 design, build, and test Ricardo designed and developed the technology as part of the Sustainable Hydrogen Powered Shipping (sHYpS) project, for which...

ClassNK has partnered with StormGeo for seamless sharing and verification of emission data. The collaboration marks a significant milestone for the two as it establishes the sharing and verification of emission data, to meet the requirements of their shared clients. Shipping companies that use StormGeo’s s-Insight platform will be able to share their validated emissions data to the ClassNK MRV Portal via API, for a seamless verification process. This process enables shipping comp...

Brunvoll has signed a contract with VARD for the delivery of a comprehensive propulsion and manoeuvring system for Cyan Renewables new Service Operation Vessel (SOV). Azimuth propulsion thrusters The vessel will have the first azimuth propulsion thrusters from Brunvoll with an 8-degree tilted propeller and nozzle, for enhanced performance during dynamic positioning operations. The delivery for the new SOV consists of two azimuth propulsion thrusters, two retractable azimuth thrusters, a...

ABS, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co., Ltd. (HD KSOE), and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Co., Ltd. (HHI) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the technical feasibility for medium-voltage direct current (MVDC) power systems on ships. The agreement opens the door to collaboration on design assessment, new technology qualification as well as the development of rule guidance to provide clear directives on technical requirements, safety standards, and...

Shipping company ACL’s new transatlantic service in partnership with BG Freight Line and Peel Ports Group will have transit times up to two weeks faster than any similar service traveling between Dublin/Belfast and North America via a UK or Continental transshipment port. Service access and upgrade The partnership will offer importers and exporters quicker access to/from the USA and Canada with direct calls at the major ports of Halifax, New York, Baltimore, and Norfolk via the Port...

GIS is defined as “A geographic information system (GIS) that integrates hardware, software, and data for capturing, managing, analysing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information.”  In a simpler form, GIS are tools that enable users to look at data in a spatial context showing how the data relates to each other by location. Data is everything It can reveal relationships, patterns, and trends that users may not be able to visualise from a list of num...

Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) is pleased to announce that it has promoted eight lawyers to counsel. They are: Nerina Erasmus – Corporate Nerina’s practice focuses on domestic and cross-border M&A, joint ventures, and private equity transactions, with particular expertise in the energy and infrastructure sectors. She is dual-qualified in England & Wales and South Africa. Valentina Keys - Environment, Health & Safety She also specialises in providing stand-alone...

Tokyu Land Corporation and SolarDuck B.V., in collaboration with Kyocera Communication Systems Corporation, have completed the installation of Japan's first offshore floating solar photovoltaic (OFPV) power plant on the sea surface, under the Tokyo Bay eSG Project (the Project), an initiative of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Policy Planning Bureau.  This project is a demonstration project by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government that aims to realise the world's most advanced energy gener...