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NSSLGlobal, the independent satcom and IT solutions provider, has won a 36-month contract to support Dutch-owned, worldwide shipping expert Vertom Bereederungs as it strives to meet the need for ever higher data demands brought on by the maritime industry’s ongoing digitalisation alongside the need for crew retention. The agreement sees NSSLGlobal provide its renowned VSAT IP@SEA service to 28 Vertom ships including 13 new diesel-electric propelled vessels, as well as providing Vertom wit...

Maritime technology company Yara Marine Technologies, Artificial Intelligence (AI) application developers Molflow, and the Chalmers University of Technology and social science specialists from Halmstad University and Gothenburg University have collaborated for over 3 years to develop and trial an AI-based semi-autonomous voyage planning system. Initiated in August 2020, the Via Kaizen project explores how AI and machine learning can enable more energy-efficient voyage planning for ship operator...

Babcock has successfully completed maintenance works for the Royal Research Ship (RRS) Sir David Attenborough at their Rosyth facilities. They welcomed the RRS Sir David Attenborough (SDA) to Rosyth in early June with works to the ship including upgrades to the vessel’s gas detection system, helideck netting, draft sensor vent pipework as well as assistance with planned maintenance, defect rectification and general logistics support. Maintenance works on RRS Sir David Attenborough The m...

Joan Calabuig, president of the Port Authority of Valencia has inaugurated the conference ‘Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energies in the Port Industry’. The event, organised by the German Chamber of Commerce for Spain in collaboration with the València Port Authority (PAV), aims to explain to German companies and institutions the different initiatives implemented within the framework of the Valenciaport Decarbonisation Plan to make the Valencian docks 100% green. Address...

The signatories of the joint statement – Aspen Shipping Decarbonization Initiative, DHL Global Forwarding, Hapag Lloyd, Kuehne + Nagel, NORDEN, Oldendorff Carriers, ONE, Torvald Klaveness, and Yara Clean Ammonia represent key parts of the value chain for decarbonised shipping. The companies belong to the Getting to Zero coalition, which has been exploring book and claim chain of custody approaches as part of its mission to fully decarbonise the shipping indus...

DNV is the first class society to introduce new class rules for electrical shore connections specifically tailored for tankers, contributing to setting sector norms. The need for new rules on shore power for tankers emerged following amendments to the California Air Resources Board's (CARB) Ocean-Going Vessels At-Berth Regulation, requiring tankers to have emission control strategies in place at specific ports from January 2025. As a response to these regulatory changes, DNV, on behalf of the W...

Savvy shipowners are treating their vessels like super athletes-making marginal gains that increase commercial performance to the tune of £38 million over a five-year docking cycle. The shipping industry has seen huge technological changes in the past 10 years to help cut costs, including shark-skin coatings, air lubrication and self-cleaning vessels. But now shipowners, like Olympic athletes, are fine-tuning in a bid to shave off 0.25 percent to help improve performance, say industry exp...

AkzoNobel is supporting the marine industry to mitigate emissions and help shipowners navigate upcoming additional costs, or risk facing an additional six-figure levy annually once new EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) legislation comes into force from 2024. The EU ETS carbon levy will affect all CO2 emissions on shipping journeys to and from an EU port, including when the vessel is docked. Emissions on voyages in and out of the EU will be ‘taxed’ at 50% unless the journey is less t...

ClassNK has released amendments to its Rules and Guidance for the Survey and Construction of Steel Ships dated 30 June 2023. ClassNK is constantly revising its Rules and Guidance to reflect the latest results from relevant research and development projects, feedback from damage investigations, requests from industry as well as changes made to relevant international conventions, IACS unified requirements (UR), etc. Amendments More specifically, some of the amendments made this time are as...

Crowley has acquired Tamarind Consolidated, a logistics services company serving the U.S. to the British Virgin Islands in a merger enhancing end-to-end supply chain capabilities for the Caribbean region. The acquisition will transition Tamarind’s operations and services, including warehousing and non-vessel operating common carrier (NVOCC) services, to Crowley. Crowley acquires Tamarind Consolidated The expansion complements U.S.-based Crowley’s existing maritime and logistics so...

Imabari Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) have agreed to perform engineering of conventional vessels other than LNG (liquefied natural gas) carriers on consignment from Nihon Shipyard Co., Ltd. at MI LNG Company, Ltd. (MI LNG), their jointly operated LNG carrier engineering firm, augmenting MI LNG’s earlier business relating to LNG carriers. The new business arrangement will get underway starting in July. The agreed engineering business is to include funct...

ClassNK has issued an Approval in Principle (AiP) for an ammonia and liquefied CO2 (LCO2) carrier which has been jointly developed by Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line). Ammonia is projected to be widely used as a source of clean energy for decarbonisation since it does not emit CO2 when combusted, and is expected to be increasingly transported by sea. On the other hand, efforts toward carbon dioxide capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS), a pro...

The beleaguered carrier industry took another major hit in June, with the latest data from Xeneta’s Shipping Index (XSI®) showing a decline of 9.4% in global long-term shipping rates. Following on the heels of a 27.5% collapse in May, and a 10.3% fall in April, contracted rates have now shed 47.2% of their value in the last three months alone, and 51.7% over the course of 2023. Xeneta’s real-time data, crowd-sourced from pioneering global shippers, shows falls in the prices of...

ClassNK has received approval from the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) to accept HermAce developed by FURUNO ELECTRIC CO., LTD (FURUNO) as an alternative for the onboard Annual Performance Test (APT) of the Voyage Data Recorder (VDR). It is now possible to conduct VDR APT remotely for Panamanian-flagged vessels registered with ClassNK.  Checking remote diagnosis SOLAS requires a VDR to have an APT with a qualified engineer visiting the vessel annually to check the operation and record vo...

Åkerblå Group provides clients with knowledge-based advice and verification through interdisciplinary expertise in fish health, biodiversity and technical services, to use for sustainable practices and operations in the ocean. The Group has offices and laboratories in Norway, UK, Iceland and Lithuania. Author's quote “This deal is a major vote of confidence by DNV in the future of aquaculture, and specifically in knowledge-driven solutions that balance ocean wealth with ocean...

Babcock International Group (Babcock) is delighted to have launched their new Shadow Executive Committee (Shadow ExCo), bringing together a group of non-executive employees from across the business to work together on key strategic initiatives, alongside their Executive Committee (ExCo). Not only will their Shadow ExCo bring more diverse and new ways of thinking to their ExCo, it will also enable them to elevate talent and empower their employees to spark change from the top. Shadow Executive...

Major international ship owners and charterers will play a significant role in the Headline Conference at this year’s London International Shipping Week 2023 (LISW23), which takes place at the Thames-side headquarters of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), in London, United Kingdom (UK), on Wednesday, September 13, 2023. Environmental matters will be central to discussions, particularly following next week’s pivotal IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee meeting (MEP...

RGB Spectrum’s video wall processor drives the Terminal Pacífico Sur Valparaíso massive video wall for 24/7 monitoring of operations. RGB Spectrum, an industry pioneer in mission-critical video for real-time decision support, announced that its video wall processor has been installed for the command and control centre at the Port of Valparaiso, Chile’s second busiest port. Technical AV services of Convergint An upsurge in cruise and freight activity made it imperative that the...

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has received a large order for a comprehensive package of access equipment for a cruise vessel, which will be built at Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in France. The order was booked into Cargotec’s 2023 second-quarter orders received. The vessel is scheduled to be delivered to the shipowner during the fourth quarter of 2025. Access solutions  MacGregor’s scope of supply encompasses the design, hardware, and commissioning of lifting and o...

Babcock announced that Andrew Cridland has been appointed as Babcock Australasia Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective 1 July, 2023. He succeeds David Ruff who is retiring at the end of July with the Group. Mr. Cridland is currently Babcock Australasia’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and enters the top job in the region, following an extensive internal and external recruitment process. Having joined Babcock in 2015, his career spans more than 20 years in Australia and the United Kingdo...

Technological innovation driven by a skilled workforce that is ‘fit for the future’ is critical to the future growth of the UK’s £116 billion maritime sector. That was the overall message delivered by speakers at the fifth annual Mersey Maritime Exchange conference in Liverpool, United Kingdom. Organised by Mersey Maritime, the event brought together industry and Government leaders in the industry. Mersey Maritime Exchange 2023 The Exchange used the Government’s...

Both the UK military and the £116bn maritime industry face the same tough challenges when it comes to recruiting the right people with the right skills for the next few decades. That was the clear message that came from the afternoon session of the fifth Maritime Exchange conference held in Liverpool. Organised by Mersey Maritime, the event brought together UK maritime leaders at the Tung Auditorium at the University of Liverpool. Decarbonisation and digitisation Two-panel sessions in t...

Titan, a family of bicoastal leaders in ship repair, ship modernisation, marine, and complex fabrication services inclusive of Vigor, MHI Holdings, and Continental Maritime of San Diego (CSMD), announced Frank Collins will join the company as Senior Vice President, Government, and Public Affairs. New appointments  Collins will replace long-time Vigor Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, Jill Mackie, who has announced her retirement effective the end of June. Additionally, Benton...

Under a contract with the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency, the sensor solutions provider HENSOLDT will equip submarines of the Norwegian 'Ula' class with new periscopes and optronic mast systems. The contract value is more than EUR 40 million.  With the upgrade order, HENSOLDT is ensuring an extension of the service life of the boats, which are more than 30 years old.  First-class vision systems "HENSOLDT equipped all Ula-class boats in the late 1980s and early 1990s with optics t...

ClassNK has released 'Guidelines for Direct Load Analysis and Strength Assessment (Edition 3.0)'. Following the revision of IACS Recommendation No. 34, these guidelines specify the requirements for conducting hull strength assessments based on the latest wave data. Strength assessments ClassNK’s Rules and Guidance for the Survey and Construction of Steel Ships and IACS CSR stipulate that hull strength assessments based on finite element analysis should be conducted as part of the classi...

Damen, DNV, and NAPA are taking a major step forward in ship design processes by using the new Open Class 3D Exchange (OCX) standard to streamline classification involvement in the early phase of a project. 3D model exchange and approval With increasing pressure to deliver vessel designs quickly, the early engagement of classification societies can increase designer and owner confidence in the concept design and ensure smooth project execution. Responding to market expectations, Damen Engineer...

The urgent need to protect the world’s oceans and the habitats within them is, nowadays, well understood. So, too, is the need for a sustainable shipping industry to ensure the essential transportation of goods and commodities across the globe, and of passengers. Hundreds of thousands of seafarers bear witness every day to changes in the marine environment due to human activity – including from shipping. Seafarers’ contribution in marine environment security Seafarers’...

The UK’s future Type 26 frigates are being manufactured by BAE Systems’ site in Govan, Scotland, but also incorporate blocks built from across the country. The Type 26 programme will deliver a total of eight anti-submarine warfare frigates to the Royal Navy, which will replace, in part, the ageing Type 23 fleet. UK’s Type 26 frigates The Type 26 will be comparable in size to the Type 45 air defence destroyers currently in service Expected to displace around 7,000 tonnes at...

Waters around the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland have been classified as experiencing a category 4 (extreme) marine heatwave, as the North Atlantic Ocean continues to see extraordinary warmth. Ocean waters around the UK and Ireland are in the grip of one of the most severe marine heatwaves on Earth at the moment, with meteorologists warning temperatures are up to 4°C above normal for the time of year in some places. North Atlantic Ocean sees record-breaking temperatures Much of the heat...

ABB introduces a new operational planner module for its ABB Ability™ OCTOPUS – Marine Advisory System to help offshore fleet managers plan and optimise the maintenance of offshore wind farm operations. Offshore support vessels typically operate close to their shore base with frequent trips to fixed assets, such as wind turbines at sea, which sets specific requirements for their ability to perform in demanding conditions. Moreover, as the vessels perform time-sensitive and deman...