Corporate News

Inmarsat, the pioneer in global, mobile satellite communications, launches Fleet Safety to modernise safety communication and improve safety standards in global shipping. Several years in the making, and a successor to the maritime safety service, Inmarsat C, the formal launch follows the successful conclusion of Fleet Safety sea trials. Fleet Safety was granted International Maritime Organization (IMO) approval under Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) requirements following the...

IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim has highlighted the significant progress on the implementation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative and the critical role of seafarers in delivering global trade, during a visit to Odesa, Ukraine. In Odesa, on Monday (29 August), Secretary-General Lim was able to gain first-hand experience of the Black Sea Grain Initiative and hear how ship safety and port management is being implemented. Maritime humanitarian corridor "I appreciate the UN and all other stakehold...

The F-126 platform, due to enter service in 2028, will have an overall length of around 160 metres and displacement of approximately 10.000 tons. It will accommodate up to 114 crew members with 80 additional berths. The multipurpose frigate is capable for operational missions in all maritime warfare domains, but is also able to perform other duties, such as: enforcing naval embargos, counter-piracy missions, long time maritime patrolling, maritime escort and convoy tasks, the support of special...

A new life jacket that will increase survival time in cold water has been developed jointly by one of the UK’s largest port operators and a specialist safety supplier. The personal floatation device has been two years in the making, filling a gap in the market for marine pilots, and could be rolled out to other workers in water-based roles. Peel Ports Group – working in partnership with Mullion Survival Technology, a producer of marine safety equipment – developed the jacket a...

Global technology brand, HONOR announces Gateway to the Future, an initiative designed to enrich cultural heritage through the power of technology. Launched during its IFA 2022 keynote, HONOR challenged two popular artists to creatively reimagine the Wasserschloss, an iconic landmark located in Hamburg’s Speicherstadt, a UNESCO World Heritage Site using augmented reality (AR). Set against the backdrop of surging interest in the metaverse and the growth of hybrid tourism, the project aims...

The Seafarers’ Charity is celebrating the announcement that Robert Greenwood, trustee of the charity, has been awarded the Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service. Robert was nominated for the Merchant Navy Medal for his considerable dedication over many years to improving safety and welfare in the fishing industry; one of the most dangerous professions in the world. Extensive knowledge Robert Greenwood has been a trustee for The Seafarers’ Charity for five years. During that...

On 3 September 2022, a ceremony was held to name the new vessel on the Gdynia-Karlskrona line. Champagne was broken on the side of the Stena Estelle ferry by the Deputy Mayor of Gdynia for Economy, Katarzyna Gruszecka-Spychała, the ship's godmother. “Sail on the Baltic Sea, connecting Gdynia with Karlskrona, Poland with Sweden. Be a joy for the crew and passengers on every voyage. Bring glory to those who built you! I name you Stena Estelle,” said Katarzyna Gruszecka-Spychala, and t...

Neste and the University of Helsinki have agreed on a five-year cooperation to support the work of the new CoastClim research centre (Centre for Coastal Ecosystem and Climate Change Research). CoastClim is a new research centre of the University of Helsinki that is carrying out groundbreaking research on the link between the state of the seas and climate change. Combating climate change is at the heart of both CoastClim’s activities and Neste’s strategy. Supporting the research cent...

Lloyd’s Register (LR) has completed the acquisition of OneOcean, a supplier of voyage compliance, safety, and environmental solutions, from Equistone Partners Europe. The move accelerates LR’s ambition to be the maritime industry’s trusted adviser for compliance, safety, and sustainability solutions, enabling its clients to benefit from the more efficient, cleaner, and safer operation, providing a holistic, single-platform view of vessel and voyage performance. Digital soluti...

Equinor and Norwegian technology company Vissim have completed the development of a new and expanded ocean space surveillance system for energy operators on the Norwegian and UK continental shelves. “The new system is one of the world’s most advanced ocean space surveillance and vessel traffic management (VTMS) systems. It has been designed to improve safety and cost efficiency of all the marine operations,” says Håvard Odden, Vissim’s Senior Vice President for mar...

With the addition of the JE Russell team, Crowley’s established leadership role in diverse and innovative vessel design, naval architecture and construction management grows. This newly embedded synergy provides enhanced solutions from the beginning for customers seeking high-performance, sustainable vessels with thoughtful, functionally designed interiors that offer modern, increased comfort and privacy within crew accommodations of the vessel design process. Offering interior design...

P&O Maritime announced a partnership with P&O Maritime Logistics which will help in the decongestion of customer supply chains with the unique Multi Carrying Vessels (MCVs) which can now transport containerised cargo in the Middle East region. Connecting ports between Europe and Asia By connecting Port of Jeddah – a key port between Europe and Asia – and Port of Sudan, will enable a faster-than-anticipated service to all customers by offering a liner route between the ter...

Hutchison Ports and Terminal Investment Limited Sàrl (TIL), the terminal investment company of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), are pleased to announce the intention of a collaboration to develop a new container terminal in the Europahaven, where the north side of the Hutchison Ports ECT Delta terminal and Hutchison Ports Delta II (the former APMT-R site) are located. Both locations on the Delta peninsula are part of the new container terminal and will facilitate...

The first-ever direct container service connecting China and Scotland has berthed at Greenock Ocean Terminal after its maiden voyage – as it gets set to transport over one million bottles of whisky to the Far East. The new east and west bound freight route from Ningbo, China, arrived for the first time at Scotland’s deepest container terminal on Saturday morning at 9.35 am. Partnership and service The service – a partnership between KC Liner Agencies, DKT Allseas and China X...

  Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group company based in Yokohama, today held a christening and launch ceremony for the SUNFLOWER MURASAKI, the second of two large LNG-fueled ferries being built for Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL). The ceremony took place at the Enoura Plant at MHI’s Shimonoseki Shipyard & Machinery Works in Yamaguchi Prefecture. This followed a christening and launch ceremony in March 2022 for Japan&rsqu...

On Monday 29 August, 2022 around 12.30 CEST a fire broke out in the cooling container of a truck on car deck onboard Stena Scandica. The vessel was on its way from Nynäshamn, Sweden to Ventspils, Latvia carrying 241 passengers and 58 crew. The fire was put out by the Stena Line crew, using the extinguishing system on board. The integrity and stability of the vessel was not compromised, but due to the incident the vessel lost power and started to drift slowly off course. “At Stena Li...

The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Bashir Jamoh has stated that the Agency will continue to take deliberate steps to work with critical institutions and professional bodies to reposition Nigeria’s maritime industry. Speaking during a courtesy call by a branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to the Agency, Jamoh stated that working with the association and the judiciary was sacrosanct to the Agency, given the complex and time s...

SAFE Boats International is proud to announce that they have earned ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System certification. DNV, an independent certification, and risk management provider, performed a comprehensive audit of SAFE Boats’ systems and processes at their Bremerton locations to bestow this designation. ISO 9001:2015 is a globally recognised quality management standard developed and maintained by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The certification provides...

Ports of Stockholm is investing in the environment by building onshore power connection facilities for cruise ships at two city centre quays. This environmental initiative will result in significantly lower air pollution emissions in Stockholm and the Baltic Sea. The groundbreaking ceremony to begin building onshore power connections for cruise ships took place during the World Water Week 2022. Building the facilities at Stadsgården quay berths 167 and 160 makes Ports of Stockholm the fir...

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), the innovator in global cruise travel, christened its newest ship Norwegian Prima, on Aug. 27, 2022, which made history as the first major cruise ship christened in Reykjavík, Iceland. The first of six ships in the groundbreaking Prima Class, Norwegian Prima, debuted to more than 2,500 guests who enjoyed an immersive experience in the beautiful Icelandic capital and a christening celebration like no other. Highest staffing levels "With her stunning design a...

The CULINES 190TEU container new building “CUL BANGKOK”, was successfully named and delivered at CSSC Whampoa Wenchong Shipyard Guangzhou South Salon point factory. In the ceremony, CULINES mainly invited representatives from cargo owners, merchants, e-commerce logistics, and shipping agencies to witness. Attendees at the ceremony Ms. Li Bin, CEO of Midea Group international logistics sharing platform, named and cut the ribbon for the new building as the godmother. Mr. Chunsen Z...

The acquisition process has now been finalised and Unifeeder becomes part of the DP World Group. They have the pleasure to announce that the acquisition process, which has been initiated in the summer of 2018 has finally come to a close. Unifeeder Group is now part of the DP World Group, an enabler of global trade and an integral part of the supply chain. Sustainable shareholder value They are excited to become part of a company that shares the Unifeeder’s vision of serving the customer...

The Port of Valencia has consolidated its position as the foremost connected port in the Mediterranean according to the Port liner shipping connectivity index (LSCI) prepared by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and is in 20th position worldwide in the second quarter of the year in terms of connectivity. A position that reinforces Valenciaport as a benchmark for improving the competitiveness and opportunities of Spanish import/export companies. Maritime connectivit...

The ship repair sector of COSCO Heavy Industries has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Newport Shipping. to join Newport Shipping’s global yard network.  The LOI will see five of COSCO Heavy Industries' ship repair yards come onboard as partner shipyards with Newport Shipping. The five yards are CHI Dalian, CHI Nantong, CHI Shanghai, CHI ZhouShan, and CHI Guangdong. Drydocking and retrofit services Lianghui Xia, Managing Director, Oslo, Newport Shipping, explains this recent...

ClassNK has released its Guidelines for Direct Load Analysis and Strength Assessment (Edition 2.0), which clarifies the requirements for more rational structural design reflecting the latest structural strength assessment methods based on R&D outcomes. ClassNK’s Rules and Guidance for the Survey and Construction of Steel Ships and IACS CSR stipulate that hull strength assessment based on finite element analysis should be conducted, and the evaluation applying simplified formulae of th...

In the last 12 months, the Port Authority of Valencia (APV) has managed 3,004 containers with shoes destined for 71 countries around the world. The maritime connectivity of Valenciaport allows the footwear industry a greater participation in international trade. America (USA) is the main importer of Valencian and Spanish shoes. Greater maritime connectivity Every day, four containers leave the Valencian docks for 17 American countries. The United States of America (USA) and Mexico lead the ra...

The latest ocean freight rate data from Xeneta reveals that spot rates are currently USD 3 700 more expensive for shipping 40’ containers from the Far East to the South American East Coast compared to the West Coast corridor. This huge gap – the norm is usually around a USD 55 East Coast premium – has opened up since 1 July. However, shippers looking to take advantage of the disparity should move quickly, Xeneta warns, as it may begin to narrow across August and September. Si...

“It was very clear that young thought providers in the maritime industry have strong visions of what it takes to attract a broad pool of talent. Their message is clear, the maritime industry needs to improve the overall approach to human sustainability, human wellbeing, and work conditions at sea,” says Chair of the selection committee, Christine Loh, Chief Development Strategist, Institute for the Environment, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. The top 30 competit...

In response to significant concerns at the start of the pandemic about the potential impact of COVID-19 on the health of offshore workers, operators in the Southern North Sea (SNS) came together for the first time through the HSE Hub, to collaborate on finding the best solution for protecting their workers. RMI, which specialises in saving lives and protecting the health and wellbeing of workers on remote and diverse sites across the world, partnered with the CHC, to deliver a solution to suit...

While spot rates for ‘dry standard’ FEUs are declining on the world’s key global trading corridors, the rates for equivalent reefers are bucking the trend on the North Europe to Far East route. According to the latest market intelligence from Xeneta, which crowd sources real-time ocean freight rate data from shippers, the average 40’ HC reefer spot rate stood at a mighty US$ 5230 for the trade on 23 August, compared to dry standard FEUs at US$ 980. At this point, two ye...