Christmas Island News

A universal, global carbon tax on shipping is coming, as alternative blue fuels made with carbon capture emerge as a critical step in the energy transition at sea. That was the message from Christopher J. Wiernicki, ABS Chairman and CEO, during an appearance at the CERAWeek energy conference. Intermediate economy “We need to recognise that there is an intermediate step in the energy transition,” he said. “Last year the conversations were focused on going from oil to...

Accelleron’s Japanese joint venture company Turbo Systems United has signed a memorandum of understanding with marine systems provider Furuno Electric Co to cooperate in digital activities. The agreement, the first of its kind for the Accelleron group in Japan, will dramatically improve access to optimisation solutions and digitally enabled services in one of the world’s most important shipbuilding markets. Furuno has a pioneering position in the supply of marine radar systems, with...

​IMO has agreed on an illustration of a possible draft outline of an “IMO net-zero framework” for cutting greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from international shipping. This marks a step forward in the legal process towards adopting global regulations, referred to as “mid-term GHG reduction measures”, that will help achieve the targets contained in the 2023 IMO Strategy on the Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships.  IMO net-zero framework After the eighty-first ses...

The 18th Asia Pacific Maritime (APM), held from 13 to 15 March 2024, welcomed an unprecedented number of 15,717 attendees in Singapore. This figure surpassed attendance records of previous editions, signifying a positive revitalisation of Asia Pacific's maritime sector and solidifying Singapore's position as a pioneering maritime hub. Held at the Marina Bay Sands, the event showcased an extensive range of 710 exhibitors and featured 150 industry speakers worldwide. This year's theme, 'Future of...

Samskip launches shortsea container service connecting Santander, Tilbury and Rotterdam, delivering the service reliability, security and sustainability advantages of intermodal transport to customers throughout Spain, supported by dedicated local customer support. The new service launches from Rotterdam on Tuesday, April 2nd, offering customers a weekly Spain-Tilbury-Rotterdam shortsea option that remains highly cost-competitive against road-ferry alternatives while providing greater reliabil...

Ulsan Port, a key maritime hub for Asia, has reaffirmed its pledge to environmentally friendly shipping practices by becoming a member of DNV Korea’s Decarbonisation Network. The Network unites technical executives and managers from various stakeholders in Korea's maritime industry. It consists of two groups: one comprises of major Korean yards (in total nine) while the other encompasses a diverse range of participants, including ship owners, managers, charterers, banks and research insti...

Offshore Frontier Solutions Pte. Ltd., a MODEC Group company, has commissioned MAN Energy Solutions with the delivery of eleven RB-type compressor trains. The order’s substantial value marks it as the largest single order ever received at MAN Energy Solutions Switzerland.  The compressor trains will be installed on an FPSO vessel for the Raia project, in the Campos Basin, approximately 200 kilometres off the coast of Rio de Janeiro. Equinor, in partnership with Repsol Sinopec Brasil...

ClassNK has granted its ‘SCCS-Full’ class notation to ‘EVER TOP’, a Neopanamax container vessel owned by EVERGREEN. The notation signifies that the vessel is now equipped with an onboard CO2 capture and storage (CCS) systems, marking it as the world's first Neopanamax container vessel to be retrofitted with such systems. The CCS systems, designed and developed by Shanghai Marine Diesel Engine Research Institute, were installed at Huarun Dadong Dockyard Co., Ltd. (HRDD)....

MAN Energy Solutions has announced that its MAN 51/60DF engine has passed the milestone of 10 million operational hours. The company states that, since its market entry, the dual-fuel engine has proved extremely popular with 310 engines currently in service, an increase of almost 100 units since 2022. 51/60DF engine The 51/60DF engine, which can run on a wide variety of fuels including natural gas, biogas, bio-fuel, synthetic fuels, distillates, and heavy fuel oil, has been in MAN Energy...

Manta Marine Technologies (MMT) has secured its fourth hundredth vessel contract for its industry-pioneering automated propulsion optimisation technology system, FuelOpt™. The latest contract is subscription-based and was signed in February 2024 between MMT and J.J. Ugland for an installation onboard their 60,000 DWT bulk carrier, the M.V. Jorita. Richard Engelhart Bjercke, Chief Commercial Officer at Manta Marine Technologies, said “We are very proud to have signed our 400th FuelOp...

RightShip, a major global environmental, social, and governance (ESG) focused digital maritime platform, has launched its Zero Harm Innovation Partners Program. The program is aimed at supporting the development and adoption of technologies dedicated to achieving a zero-harm maritime industry, by enabling enhanced collaboration and connection between ship-owners and managers, and innovative technology providers. Zero Harm Innovation Partners Program This program invites technology providers a...

Ocean Harvesting Technologies AB has since 2017 been developing the wave energy converter - InfinityWEC. During 2023 and early 2024, the focus has been on the ball screw actuation system in the power take-off and refining simulation models for generation 6 of the technology.  Full-scale system design of InfinityWEC will continue in 2024, planned to be followed by a 1:3 scale sea trial project in 2025-2026. Ocean waves are a vast resource of renewable energy and wave power can produce elec...

The World Hydrogen Forum is a global expo and conference scheduled to take place from 21-22 May at Dhahran Expo, Dammam, KSA. It is dedicated to the advancements in the hydrogen economy for shaping the future of global energy transition. Taking place in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the World Hydrogen Show aims to accentuate the commercialisation of clean hydrogen across the globe and provide an unparalleled platform for key stakeholders to connect with the entire value chain and engage in high-...

ABB has won the contract to provide a complete shore connection installation for the DEME Base in Vlissingen, the Netherlands. Shore connection enables Shore connection enables the diverse fleet of dredgers, offshore construction, and support vessels to avoid carbon emissions by shutting off their engines and drawing on shore power while at berth. Headquartered in Belgium, DEME is a pioneering contractor in the fields of offshore energy, environmental remediation, dredging, and marine infrast...

Team Rubicon is announcing an additional investment by Chevron towards the proposed TRades Academy to train skilled tradespeople. The $100,000 grant by Chevron’s Gulf of Mexico Business Unit is expected to fuel the growth of the TRades Academy being developed by Team Rubicon to fill the gap of skilled trades professionals in times of crisis. “We are grateful for the support of Chevron and this investment into our new TRades Academy,” said Art delaCruz, CEO of Team Rubicon, add...

With the successful delivery of the M.T. Joymoni to Mongla Port Authority, Bangladesh, Cheoy Lee Shipyards Ltd. has reached a significant milestone. This latest tug is the 50th RAmparts 3200-CL to be completed, and it represents more than a decade of evolution and refinement in tug design.    There are vessels operating for clients such as Svitzer, Boluda, SAAM, PSA, KOTUG, and Ocean Sparkle/Adani. The RAmparts 3200-CL is operating in regions all over the world, including Asia-Pacifi...

Offshore wind farms are a major component of the future of clean energy, and the share of electricity generated by offshore wind turbines will increase as the global community works to minimise carbon emissions to achieve net zero by 2050. Current expectations for the vast expansion of energy production from offshore wind farms may lead to environmental impacts and ecological risks to marine ecosystems. Maritime consequences The increase in offshore wind farms will also have broad conse...

Accelleron has been chosen to supply turbochargers for Japanese engine builder - Makita’s first small-bore two-stroke marine engine featuring exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). The step follows a successful matching test in which Accelleron’s A255-L turbocharger demonstrated high efficiency, supporting both low NOx emissions and overall fuel consumption on the Makita-built MAN B&W 6G45ME-C9.7-EGRBP engine. Tier III NOx emissions The Makita engine, 6G45ME-C9.7-EGRBP, will be the...

Samskip is pleased to announce the successful launch of their newest dedicated shortsea service between Rotterdam, Oslofjord and the UK. This announcement comes after the successful departures of the first three vessels from Samskip’s Matrans Terminal, Rotterdam, en route to Norway, with all operations proceeding flawlessly. They attribute the seamless service thus far to the teamwork from all their partners and the continuous support from their esteemed customer base. New service includ...

Autonomous vessel experts and artificial intelligence (AI) pioneers behind the first full-size unmanned research vessel to conduct scientific experiments while autonomously navigating across the Atlantic Ocean have announced their plans to launch the world’s first fully autonomous uncrewed surface vessel (USV) fleet for long-term lease or charter. The owners behind the company, Zero USV, a collaboration between the founders of Marine AI and MSubs, aim to have the first vessels fully teste...

Technology group - Wärtsilä has signed a five-year Lifecycle Agreement with Korea Maritime Transport Co (KMTC). The agreement covers two post-Panamax container vessels, each powered by Wärtsilä 12RT-flex96C-B two-stroke main engines, and became effective from January 2024. This agreement follows a similar five-year agreement signed a year earlier to cover four KMTC Panamax container vessels operating with Wärtsilä 7RT-flex96C-B main engines. The technical support p...

MAN CEON, MAN Energy Solutions’ digital platform, has successfully received Cyber Security Product Design Assessment (PDA) certification from the classification society, the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). The certification process involves rigorous assessments to ensure that digital solutions comply with the comprehensive ABS cyber-security guidelines, designed to protect vessels and offshore platforms from cyber threats. Cyber security Gregory Puckett – Chief Digital Offi...

IMO Secretary-General Mr. Arsenio Dominguez and the Minister for Public Works, Meteorological Services and Transport of the Republic of Fiji, Honourable Ro Filipe Tuisawau, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the IMO Headquarters in London on 18 March, confirming the arrangement.  Supporting maritime needs The Regional Presence Office will support the maritime needs and priorities of countries in the Pacific Islands region, aligning IMO actions with national and regional devel...

Peel Ports Group, the UK’s second-largest port operator, has announced E.ON as one of its net-zero partners, helping to meet its goal of net-zero emissions by 2040. Roof-mounted solar energy system As the first of several projects, plans have been announced to install the UK’s largest roof-mounted solar energy system at the Port of Liverpool, alongside a future project to repower the existing wind turbines on the banks of the River Mersey with fewer, larger turbines. This is...

Brunvoll has once again been chosen as the supplier of the propulsion and manoeuvring system for one of ESVAGT’s new service operation vessels (SOV). This will be the fourth ESVAGT vessel currently undergoing construction. The vessel is designed by HAV Design and will be built at Cemre Shipyard. “Brunvoll has once again been chosen as the propulsion system supplier for ESVAGT’s newest SOV-order. Quality, efficiency, and service, in addition to timely delivery and cooperation,...

DNV has established a Tanker and Bulker Expert Team based in Shanghai, China. With strong global demand and fleet renewal planned, DNV is well prepared to support customers in these key segments. For tankers, strong demand in oil and oil products and changes in trading patterns have led to a growing demand for tankers. While in the bulker segment, fleet renewal, modernisation, and a focus on decarbonisation and cybersecurity are driving investment in new vessels. Full range of maritime discipl...

ClassNK has granted its “ELW” (Excellent Living and Working Environment) notation to “ELETTRA”, a bulk carrier owned by Fuyo Kaiun Co., Ltd. The vessel becomes the first in the ClassNK registry to have the “ELW”. As part of its “Innovation Endorsement” service for innovative technologies and initiatives, ClassNK has established requirements to indicate on a class certificate that a ship is equipped with measures and facilities that contribute...

ABB and crane builder Kuenz, headquartered in Austria, have secured the largest single order of Automatic Stacking Cranes (ASC) ever made by a European terminal, as part of the groundbreaking ‘phase 2’ expansion of APM Terminals Maasvlakte II (APMT MVII) facility in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The companies will deliver 62 ASC and one Intermodal Yard Crane equipped with the latest electrical and automation technology enabling the terminal to double container capacity at APMT MVII....

OceanWise will be supplying and installing a marine environmental monitoring solution in Langstone Harbour, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Hampshire. This important installation will provide the harbour with tide and weather equipment and a cloud-based data platform to support ongoing harbour operations and environmental monitoring. Langstone Harbour Langstone Harbour is located on Hampshire’s Southern coast nestled between Portsmouth and Chichester and managed under La...

MAN Energy Solutions has announced the production of a massive Cluster 5 Double Layer SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) catalytic converter for customer, MITSUI E&S Co., Ltd.. The cluster comes ammonia-ready and is the largest such unit that the company has ever built. Such systems are typically used aboard cruise ships and cargo ships to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 90%. Cluster 5 Double Layer Dr. Daniel Struckmeier, Head of Sales & Licence Turbochargers & Exhaust Gas...