Christmas Island News

Vale, working in partnership with Oldendorff Carriers, have just commenced their first biofuel voyage on a bulk vessel. The trial is taking place on an Oldendorff vessel performing a laden Vale voyage from Brazil to Asia, carrying a full cargo of iron ore. The Hinrich Oldendorff (209,113 deadweight built 2016) loaded the biofuel in Singapore on October 16th on the ballast voyage to Brazil. The vessel then loaded Vale’s iron ore this Tuesday, November 28th at Guaiba Island Terminal and wil...

The Assembly of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has elected the Members of its Council for the 2024-2025 biennium. The Council is the executive organ of IMO and is responsible, under the Assembly, for supervising the work of the organisation. Between sessions of the Assembly, the Council performs the functions of the Assembly, except that of making recommendations to Governments on maritime safety and pollution prevention. The Assembly of IMO elects Members of its Council The As...

Babcock has teamed up with PGZ-SW shipyard in Gdynia, Poland to launch a new international apprentice exchange programme. Building on Babcock’s Skills Academy, launched earlier in 2023 to provide learning opportunities and equip our workforce to meet the evolving challenges our customers will face in the future, the Polish programme is set to grow international collaboration and shared learning. Platform design provider Babcock will be maximising the existing relationship with PGZ-SW,...

MAN Energy Solutions has released a new paper to coincide with the holding of COP28, the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference at Expo City, Dubai. Entitled ‘Decarbonisation technologies in merchant shipping’, the publication evaluates energy-saving devices for greenhouse-gas compliance and propulsion technologies for abatement potential and cost. Pathway to net-zero shipping Dr. Uwe Lauber, CEO of MAN Energy Solutions said, “For several years now, we have advocat...

Ahlsell Sverige AB has entered into an agreement to acquire all shares in Bilco Bilbatterier AB (Batteribolaget), a specialised distributor of batteries, chargers, power supplies and accessories. The company was founded in 1961 and has ten employees with annual sales of approximately 70 MSEK. Acquisition of Batteribolaget Ahlsell’s product range, market presence and extensive offering are available Batteribolaget offers one of the widest product ranges on the market, which includes i...

IMO and the Republic of Korea have signed a suite of agreements to formally establish and boost the IMO-Republic of Korea Sustainable Maritime Transport Cooperation (SMART-C) Programme. The goal of the KRW 25.5 billion (approx. US$20 million) SMART-C Programme is to promote sustainable maritime transport systems and a sustainable marine environment, by building knowledge and developing technical capacity in developing countries via long-term thematic projects. GHG project agreement This Offic...

Mr. Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco has been confirmed as the next Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The IMO Assembly unanimously approved (30 November) the decision of the Council at its 129th session (C129) to appoint him to the role. Mr. Dominguez Velasco will take up the office of Secretary-General on 1 January 2024 for an initial term of four years, ending on 31 December 2027. He becomes the Organisation's 10th elected Secretary-General. Comprehensive b...

Working together with ABS, McAllister Towing, one of the oldest and largest marine towing and transportation companies in the U.S., has released its inaugural sustainability report, showcasing efforts to reduce its environmental impact and highlight its social and governance performance. ABS specialists worked with McAllister’s team to provide greenhouse gas inventory and sustainability reporting services, calculating the operational carbon intensity and benchmarking the performance of th...

Maritime UK has launched Version 7 of the Industry Code of Practice for Maritime Autonomous Ship Systems. The accelerating pace of change in maritime autonomy has required updated guidance for those owning and operating Maritime Autonomous Ship Systems (MASS). Whilst not a legal text, the Code has been used by manufacturers, service providers, and others as part of their day-to-day work. Many manufacturers have reported clients requiring compliance with the Code as a basis for contractual negot...

The Maritime Technologies Forum (MTF), whose founding members include ABS, DNV, Lloyd’s Register, ClassNK, Japan’s Maritime Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the Norwegian Maritime Authority, and the U.K.’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency, welcomed the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) as an associate member, further strengthening MTF’s collaborative approach to advancing safety and sustainability in the maritime industry. Globa...

ABS is working with Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO), a globally renowned offshore support vessel (OSV) operator with nearly 300 vessels, on its decarbonisation journey with greenhouse gas inventory and sustainability reporting services. ABS specialists have been working with the ECO team since 2022 providing a gap analysis for the ECO Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) report using the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Framework. This led to a full sustainability reporting project i...

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the European Commission (EC) have announced a second phase of the Global Maritime Technology Cooperation Centres Network (GMN) project, to upscale the work of the five regional centres, with a particular emphasis on pilot demonstrations aimed at achieving quantifiable reductions in GHG emissions. IMO Secretary-General - Kitack Lim and representatives of the European Commission (EC) formalized the agreement at IMO Headquarters (on 29 November), d...

The first three (3) ships in the series of eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts under construction in Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) for Indian Navy were launched at CSL’s Kochi Yard. After the ceremonial pooja, the first vessel was launched by Smt Anjali Bahl - the second vessel was launched by Smt Kangana Berry, and the third vessel by Smt Zarine Lord Singh. Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts The launching of the three (3) vessels was carried out in the presence o...

NorthStandard’s Strike & Delay class has introduced Weather Cover into its suite of risks, providing shipowners and charterers with the first-ever marine insurance protection to mitigate the threat posed to ships solely by adverse weather conditions. The global marine insurer has responded to market needs with a groundbreaking marine insurance product that offers up to eight days of cover against the risks of a ship being delayed in or outside a port due to bad weather, as part of its...

ClassNK has released "Guidelines for Cyber Resilience of on-board systems and equipment". The guidelines expound new IACS Unified Requirements (UR). For supporting the consideration of measures to ensure the cybersecurity of ships. Cyber resilience IACS has established UR E26 for ships and UR E27 for onboard systems and equipment as minimum requirements for cyber resilience, which is the capability to reduce the occurrence and mitigate the effects of cyber incidents due to cyber-attacks. The...

Technology group Wärtsilä will supply the Cargo Handling Systems (CHS) for four new medium gas carrier vessels, expected to primarily carry ammonia. The 45,000 m3 capacity ships are under construction at the Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD) yard in Korea for UK and Singapore-based Purus. The order was placed by HMD and booked by Wärtsilä in Q4 2023. HMD is a key customer of Wärtsilä in the region’s medium gas carrier market, and the two companies have co...

ClassNK has released "Guidelines for cyber resilience of on-board systems and equipment". The guidelines expound new IACS Unified Requirements (UR). For supporting the consideration of measures to ensure the cybersecurity of ships. IACS has established UR E26 for ships and UR E27 for on-board systems and equipment as minimum requirements for cyber resilience, which is the capability to reduce the occurrence and mitigate the effects of cyber incidents due to cyber-attacks. The URs will be applie...

Cleantech start-up, CAPHENIA, has commissioned MAN Energy Solutions to build a Plasma Boudouard Reactor (PBR). This will form the core of CAPHENIA's first production plant, ‘GERMANY I’, located at Industriepark Höchst in Frankfurt am Main, Germany where the company will produce its first renewable fuels in 2024. Renewable fuel production The CAPHENIA technology utilises biomethane, CO2, water, and sustainably-generated electricity to produce synthesis gas as a feedst...

The Port of València is already the first port in the world to use a ReachStacker or stacker capable of moving containers of more than 30 tonnes using hydrogen as the only fuel.  The European H2PORTS project, led by the Fundación Valenciaport, has organised this morning a public demonstration of the three pilots developed within the framework of this project, the ReachStacker (container stacker) and the 4×4 tractor unit propelled by hydrogen and the mobile supply statio...

Berg Propulsion has been selected to provide state-of-the-art control and propulsion technology for what will be one of the largest hybrid tugs ever delivered, after owner - Buksér og Berging AS (BuBe) agreed specifications with Türkiye’s Uzmar Shipyard for its latest newbuild. The project will showcase Berg’s roles as an integrator of electric propulsion technology and a supplier of high performance propulsion equipment. Berg offers full electrical power and control pa...

Ahlsell Danmark ApS has entered into an agreement to acquire all shares in Bacher Work Wear A/S, one of Denmark’s largest independent suppliers of workwear, profile clothing and uniforms. The company was founded in 1897 and has customers in all industries, in the public as well as the private sectors. The company has 75 employees and the turnover in 2022 amounted to approximately DKK 175 million. The head office is located in Copenhagen, while the central warehouse with administration, lo...

Technology group Wärtsilä has signed a strategic partnership agreement to provide its Fleet Electrification and Systems Integrator Services for a project to build the first zero-emission high speed ferries in the USA. The fully electric vessels will be built for San Francisco’s Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA), the operator of the San Francisco Bay Ferry system. The project, and several others Wärtsilä will work on under this partnership, are a part of t...

Andrew Mueller has joined Crowley as vice president of government relations where he will be pioneering the company’s activities at the federal level with members of Congress and the Administration. His leadership will strengthen the company’s advocacy for laws, policies, and regulations that support the comprehensive array of Crowley’s business strategy and growth. Mueller's experience Mueller joins Crowley with more than 20 years of in-depth experience in federal a...

Babcock has been awarded two further contracts for work on the UK’s new Dreadnought Class submarine worth a combined £120 million. This includes a 4.5-year £66 million contract with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to provide input into the development of the support solution for the UK’s new Dreadnought Class submarines.  Knowledge and insights The new Class of submarine will replace the Vanguard Class in the early 2030s to maintain the Continuous At Sea Deterrent...

MAN Energy Solutions has announced that a dual-fuel version of its MAN 175D high-speed engine, capable of operating on methanol, will be available by the end of 2026. The new variant, designated MAN 175DF-M will be available both as newbuild and retrofit variants. MAN Energy Solutions states that the 175DF-M will be optimised for diesel-mechanical and diesel-electric propulsion to achieve the largest methanol share and best efficiency for various applications and load profiles. MAN 175D engine...

As the world moves to a more sustainable future, the need for lower carbon alternative fuels is required to lower GHG emissions. The offshore wind sector is looking to improve their green footprint by supplying vessels that are powered by greener fuel sources such as, batteries, ammonia, methanol and hydrogen. One such revolutionary project dubbed Project Verdant, supported by the UK’s national innovation agency, Innovate UK and led by Orkney-based Green Marine, is aiming to retrofit a CT...

STC South Africa (STC Group), in collaboration with VSTEP, is launching a maritime simulation training centre in Cape Town, South Africa, in the first quarter of 2024. VSTEP takes great pride in providing STC South Africa with their state-of-the-art simulator, NAUTIS, to assist in provision of cost-effective training solutions across the African continent. Background Story STC SA is proud to partner up with VSTEP to enable learning by simulation on a larger scale in South Africa STC SA is pr...

Almost a thousand children from the Port of València have started their classes with the help of Aportem- Puerto Solidario València. As every year, these last few months have been particularly intense for the association. The campaign for the start of the school year for the children of the Maritime District has meant a total mobilisation of human and economic resources within this association for the promotion of Social Responsibility. Difficulty accessing clothing The campaig...

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group company based in Yokohama, Japan, has held a christening and handover ceremony for a demonstration test ship to transport liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO2). The ship will be used for the ‘CCUS R&D and Demonstration Related Project / Large-scale CCUS Demonstration in Tomakomai / Demonstration Project on CO2 Transportation’ (the demonstration projects) being conducted by Japan’s New Energy and Industr...

ABB has secured an order with Spanish state-owned shipbuilding company Navantia to supply the Spanish Navy’s forthcoming submarine rescue vessel, Poseidon, with high-performance, DC-based power and distribution. Following the delivery scheduled for 2026, the vessel will be the first of its kind equipped with this system. The ship will be responsible for executing and supporting submarine missions, including diving operations, intervention and rescue in accidents and shipwrecks and underw...