Hong Kong News

In alignment with Saudi Arabia’s vision to emerge as a global logistics powerhouse, the 2nd International Port & Marine Development Conference (IPMDC 2025) is set to take place from 13–14 May 2025 at the prestigious Hilton Jeddah. Organised by Creative Connect in association with Great Minds Event Management, this landmark conference gathers industry authorities and global experts to explore the evolving dynamics of port infrastructure, marine development, and the region’...

On 22 May 2025, maritime industry professionals from around the globe will come together at the prestigious De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms, Covent Garden, for the Royal Institution of Naval Architects’ (RINA) flagship Annual Dinner. This highly anticipated event offers an evening of celebration, reflection, and strategic dialogue for naval architects, marine engineers, and maritime innovators. New partnerships and relationships The dinner provides exceptional networking options with seni...

The prospect of a large-scale return of container ships to the Red Sea following the announcement of a ceasefire between the US and Houthi militia in Yemen would flood the market with shipping capacity and cause a global collapse in freight rates – but the situation remains far from certain. Data released by Xeneta – the ocean and air freight intelligence platform – shows global TEU-mile demand would decrease 6% if container ships begin sailing through the Red Sea and Suez Can...

In an industry first, ABS has published guidance to enable internal examination of tanks beyond the typical five-year requirements to once every 10 years, with options to have additional expanded survey intervals. The new guidance has the potential to maximise operational uptime for site-dependent assets such as floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs), floating production and storage and offloading vessels (FPSOs), floating storage and offloading vessels (FSOs) and floating offshore l...

ABS and HD Hyundai Mipo (HMD) have signed a joint development project (JDP) for digital manufacturing-based automation equipment for shipyards. The JDP establishes a collaborative framework focused on leveraging smart technology within HD Hyundai Mipo’s shipyard operations that include artificial intelligence, communication technologies, automation and robotics. ABS will utilise its Guide for Smart Technologies for Shipyards to help HMD identify opportunities for process improvement, foc...

Anemoi Marine Technologies, a globally renowned provider of innovative Rotor Sail technology solutions, has announced the appointment of Tejal Davda as Finance Director. Tejal brings a wealth of experience in maritime finance and leadership, further strengthening Anemoi’s executive team, which is now 33% female. Extensive industry experience Tejal holds a first-class degree in Economics and Business Finance and is a chartered accountant Tejal holds a first-class degree in Economics and...

Orca AI, a pioneer in maritime technology, announced it has closed an investment of $72.5 million in Series B funding. Brighton Park Capital led the round with participation from existing investors Ankona Capital and Hyperlink Ventures.  The investment will enable Orca AI to further its autonomous platform, add new capabilities and enter new categories, including defense and security. Autonomous shipping capabilities The funding will maintain the company’s...

Technology group - Wärtsilä has announced that its breakthrough carbon capture solution (CCS) is now commercially available to the global maritime industry, delivering a step-change in shipping’s decarbonisation journey. According to Wärtsilä’s tests, the new ‘Wärtsilä Carbon capture solution’ is proven to reduce vessel CO2 emissions by up to 70 percent, providing ship owners with an immediate solution to meet increasingly stringent environm...

ABS issued an approval in principle to SBM Offshore for its concept of a near-zero floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit. The NearZero FPSO design incorporates low-carbon technologies that collectively create a 'Near Zero' Scope 3 carbon emissions profile, achieving up to 80 percent reduction in GHG emissions. Low carbon technologies The introduction of the NearZero FPSO is an important step in SBM’s strategic path to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. ABS completed de...

Helm Operations, a global pioneer in maritime operations software, is proud to announce that it has been awarded a major contract by Washington State Ferries (WSF) to replace its legacy crew dispatching system with Helm CONNECT - a modern, web-based solution purpose-built for maritime operations. As the largest ferry system in the United States, Washington State Ferries operates 21 vessels across 10 routes and 20 terminals. Helm CONNECT’s dispatching platform will transform WSF&rsquo...

Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) is pleased to announce that maritime disputes expert - Andrew Rigden Green has joined the firm as a partner in Hong Kong. He was previously at Stephenson Harwood in the same city. Andrew has over 20 years’ disputes experience having begun his career focussing on arbitration and London High Court litigation. In 2012, he relocated to Hong Kong to grow Stephenson Harwood’s maritime disputes practice and establish its international arbitr...

Marine Specialised Technology (MST Group), a globally renowned designer and manufacturer of high-speed and rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) primarily for military, coast guard and law enforcement sectors is expanding to meet record demand after securing a £6 million funding package from NatWest. Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Bromborough, between Ellesmere Port and Birkenhead, the company has grown to become a major employer in the Wirral area, with approximately 135 staff. MST Group&...

Indian Register of Shipping (IRS), a pioneering international ship classification society and member of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), is proud to announce the opening of its new office in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This strategic expansion highlights IRS’s commitment to supporting the Kingdom’s rapidly growing maritime and oil & gas sectors. IRS full suite of services With the placement of the Dammam, IRS will offer its full suite of servi...

ABS awarded approval in principle to Seatrium Marine & Deepwater Technology for its new design of a floating wind semi-submersible (FWSS) floating column foundation for 15MW wind turbines. Seatrium highlights that the design is optimised for efficient fabrication and cost-effectiveness while being capable of handling the harshest environments. The new design concept features pontoons on three sides and a centre column that supports the turbine. ABS completed design reviews based on class an...

Event location Webinar (9 CET and 16 CET) Event date 20 May 2025 Join them for the GravityVibe Webinar on 20 May. Discover how MacGregor’s GravityVibe self-unloading system is setting a new standard in bulk cargo handling.  On 20 May, they will host two webinar sessions to suit different time zones: Session 1: 09:00 CEST | 15:00 SGT/CST Session 2: 10:00 EDT | 16:00 CEST | 22:00 SGT/CST Key benefits of GravityVibe In this upcoming webinar, MacGregor’s experts w...

Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) is proud to announce that CMA CGM Vitoria, a vessel operated by CMA CGM, one of the world’s pioneering container shipping lines, has been successfully classed with IRS. This milestone marks a significant achievement in IRS’s growing engagement with major global shipping companies and reinforces its standing as a trusted and recognised classification society on the international stage. CMA CGM’s decision to work with IRS reflects the strong tec...

Achieving optimal return on investment (ROI) for a maritime company involves a strategic combination of operational efficiency, revenue enhancement, cost control, careful financial management, attention to sustainability and regulatory compliance, and other factors. Given all the variables in play, profitability can be elusive, but our Expert Panel Roundtable has some ideas. We asked: How can maritime companies maximise return on investment (ROI)?

Traditionally, bulk cargo unloading has faced challenges around operational efficiency, safety risks, environmental impacts, and high operational costs. Rough discharges, equipment wear, vibration damage, and limited weather operating windows have all constrained vessel utilisation and performance. Moreover, older unloading systems are energy-intensive and labour-dependent, increasing both costs and environmental footprint. Cargo unloading systems Many bulk cargo unloading systems depend on...

Gastech 2025, the world’s largest conference and exhibition for natural gas, LNG, hydrogen, climate technologies, and AI-powered solutions, will take place in Milan from 9th to 12th September. As the industry navigates an evolving geopolitical and economic landscape, this agenda-setting event will gather and empower over 50,000 energy pioneers - including C-suite executives, policymakers, pioneering innovators, and strategic investors - to build powerful alliances and accelerate a resilie...

ClassNK has released ‘Prime Shipmanagement Guidelines’, which aim to achieve sustainable ship management with safety as the highest priority. Given the evolving environment surrounding ship management, including fuel transition, stricter regulations, and crew shortage, ClassNK aims to enable flexible responses to unexpected situations by drawing on lessons learned from successful case studies that had not received much attention before. ClassNK's ‘Prime Shipmanagement Guideli...

Wattlab, the Netherlands-based maritime solar specialist, is proud to introduce its SolarDeck to the seagoing shipping industry. SolarDeck is a modular and scalable system of deck-mounted solar panels that yield significant reductions in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Moreover, based on installation on a seagoing general cargo vessel, SolarDeck combines substantial savings via Fuel EU Maritime and EU ETS regulations and an expected return on investment of 3-5 years. Reduce fuel costs for...

Technology group - Wärtsilä has introduced its NextDF technology for a third engine, the Wärtsilä 46TS-DF dual-fuel engine. While operating on liquefied natural gas (LNG), the Wärtsilä 46TS-DF engine with NextDF feature reduces methane emissions to less than 1.4 percent of fuel use across all load points, achieving as low as 1.1 percent in a wide load range. This is nearly three times lower than the default methane slip factor of 3.1 percent, specified in the FuelE...

In a significant milestone for the company, Thordon Bearings has seen its RiverTough tailshaft bearing solution surpass 500 installations in the workboat sector. Primarily a retrofit solution but also increasingly specified for newbuilds, RiverTough is designed for coastal and inland waterways, where conditions are typically muddy and abrasive. Thordon shaft sleeves The key has been verified as outlasting rubber bearings by a factor of two or more in the harshest environments The solution, a...

Choosing the right dual-fuel propulsion system for a new vessel requires a balance of regulatory compliance, infrastructure readiness, safety considerations, operational flexibility and long-term economic viability. That’s the message from ABS in its latest publication to support shipowners who are wrestling with propulsion decisions that will impact their future fleets for years to come.  Dual-fuel propulsion options ABS Dual-Fuel Solutions for Newbuild Vessels is a wide report th...

Xeneta has launched an index-linked contract (ILC) simulator to help shippers navigate ocean freight container market volatility and end procurement inefficiency. The new ILC Simulator – now available in the Xeneta platform – allows shippers to compare traditional fixed-rate contracts with index-linked contracts using sample corridor data or their own historical ocean container freight rates. Shippers and logistics services The simulator is an important first step towards index-li...

HydroPenTM, the unique VIKING Life-saving Equipment container firefighting solution, has secured a first major order from an Asian shipowner, in a deal that also demonstrates that the technique is highly adaptable for all sizes of container vessels.  Singapore-based PIL, the largest container carrier in Southeast Asia, is committing its entire container ship fleet of around 100 vessels to carrying HydroPen™ systems. Drill and Douse The TT Club estimates that a container fire occur...

​​​​​​​Container firefighting duties across 85 CMA CGM ships have been assigned to the HydroPen™ system supplied exclusively by VIKING Life-Saving Equipment for this large order for the innovative drilling and spraying solution. This contract demonstrates that, within 18 months of launch, the HydroPen system is becoming the preferred fire-fighting solution for the largest container ships at sea. Revolutionary firefighting The HydroPen is attached to a conventional hose as a combined dri...

Approximately 9 percent of the world’s goods will, at some point in their journey, be transported by sea. That adds up to about 11 billion tons of cargo every year, making the shipping industry a huge exercise in global, distributed logistics. Even with the efficiencies afforded by containerisation, this a task of considerable complexity to ensure that an entire ship’s cargo is ready to be loaded at the allotted time, that the vessel makes its voyage to arrive punctually at the dest...

VIKING is a proven and trusted provider of retrofit solutions for both conventional and free-fall lifeboat installations. The extensive experience allows them to generate engineering solutions that are manufactured and installed within aggressive timescales. Upgrade and retrofit projects Operators can upgrade or replace obsolete equipment (due to age or out-of-date compliance) with minimum working impact and confidence that VIKING will meet project objectives. Installations are completed both...

VIKING uses a test tower facility to perform onshore full-scale testing of free-fall lifeboats, as required by DNVGL-ST-E406. This avoids the complexity and risk of testing from offshore installations. And the approach is recognised by classification societies and national authorities. Onshore testing to offshore activities The onshore tower facility is increasingly engaged by construction yards that wish to receive fully tested equipment that is ready to be installed on the platform or vess...