South Africa News

The design of a pioneering, fully autonomous ship framework has received approval in principle (AIP) from ABS. The fully autonomous ship framework named APExS-auto (Action Planning and Execution System for full autonomous) was developed by Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK), Monohakobi Technology Institute (MTI) and Japan Marine Science Inc. (JMS) as part of the fully autonomous ship programme MEGURI 2040. APExS-auto framework ABS worked with MTI and JMS to review the APExS-auto framework by...

RMI, a solutions partner that supports operations in complex environments worldwide, has reinforced its position as a pioneer in medical provision for offshore wind following the launch of a new assessment centre to support workers on the first major U.S. offshore wind farm project – Vineyard Wind. The company, which specialises in protecting the health and well-being of workers on remote and diverse sites, has been operating out of a temporary assessment centre in New Bedford, Massachuse...

Representatives from across the UK’s maritime sector and shipbuilding industry have made recommendations to the government after assessing progress on a key strategy launched last year. The National Shipbuilding Strategy Refresh, launched in March 2022, set out the UK Government’s vision for a productive, competitive and innovative shipbuilding sector. It set out a 30-year shipbuilding pipeline for cross-government orders, pledged to support green shipbuilding technologies and build...

Babcock is delighted to have successfully achieved certification to The Carbon Trust Route to Net Zero Standard – Taking Action tier. The verification and certification process involved a quantitative assessment of carbon emissions, as well as a qualitative assessment of governance, carbon measurements, implementation, and stakeholder engagement. Babcock attains The Carbon Trust certification Babcock have committed to delivering Net Zero across their own operations (Scope 1 and 2) by 20...

Shipping and logistics challenges are the biggest hurdles facing e-commerce companies launching into new markets. Vendors can overcome these obstacles by forming the right connections with carrier companies, according to nShift, a provider of delivery management software. International expansion International expansion represents a major growth opportunity for online retailers and webshops as demand for e-commerce soars around the world. In Southeast Asia, for example, the e-commerce market i...

e5 Lab Inc. (President: Michihiko Nakano), Marindows Inc. (President: Yasumasa Suetsugu), e-Mobility Power Inc. (President: Naoko Yotsuyanagi), CHAdeMO Association (President: Takafumi Anegawa), The Japan Ship Technology Research Association (Chairman: Seiichi Tanaka), Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (President: Toru Kitamura), and Development Bank of Japan Inc. (President: Seiji Jige) have established the "Promotion Council for Zero Emission Chargers for Ships (provisional name)" (hereaf...

Shipowners face an ultimatum in 2023, upgrade their Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) technology to comply with new laws or scrap their vessels. CII data from 2022 must have been calculated and reported to the Data Collection System (DCS) verifier and sent by March 21, 2024, and 30% of ships simply don’t have the technology onboard to do it.  New carbon targets The move comes as the International Marine Organization (IMO) in July announced new carbon targets, which include a 20% red...

ESVAGT and HAV Design have selected Brunvoll as the supplier of a propulsion and manoeuvring system for another Service Operations Vessel (SOV). The delivery will be a repeat of the contracted vessel from 2022, known as 'The world's first green fuel SOV'.  Both vessels are built by Cemre Shipyard and will enter into a 10-year charter for Ørsted at their U.K East Coast Hub. Propulsion and manoeuvring system The delivery from Brunvoll consists of a complete propulsion and manoeuvrin...

Babcock’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Cavendish Nuclear, and Joint Venture partners - Amentum and Fluor, have been awarded the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant Decontamination and Decommissioning Contract in Piketon, Ohio, USA. In addition to demolishing and disposing of gaseous diffusion plant facilities, the team will deploy mature, proven technologies to address water treatment and soil remediation. The contract was awarded to Southern Ohio Cleanup Company, a Limited Liability Company (...

The first LNG carrier in a series currently under construction by Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) in Korea has completed gas trials. Originally ordered in Quarter 2 (Q2) 2021 and scheduled for delivery in July 2023, the ship is powered by MAN B&W ME-GA dual-fuel engines capable of running on fuel oil and LNG, and comes with Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) for emission reduction. ‘ME-GA opti’ – new control feature MAN Energy Solutions has always played a leading role in de...

Babcock has entered into a strategic agreement with HII to collaborate on naval and civil nuclear decommissioning and construction opportunities in the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States of America (USA). Both companies will apply their complementary capabilities to existing nuclear decommissioning contracts for US ships and UK submarines, to share best practices and provide the opportunity to upskill and enhance both organisations’ capability for the benefit of the US and UK progr...

Energy market analytics company - Aurora says that Britain is not on track to meet the UK government’s renewables targets without innovation. Aurora’s report echoes recent analysis from the Climate Change Committee, whose Chair - Lord Deben said that ‘the government is failing in much of its implementation’ of its targets. The Public Accounts Committee also recently said it is ‘sceptical’ over whether expansion plans for nuclear, solar and wind is credible....

The UK government announced a series of steps for the coming years to expand its Emission Trading Scheme, including for the first time bringing domestic shipping into the program. Experts highlight that it is another example of individual countries taking steps to reduce emissions in the lack of international agreements for industries, such as shipping that reach beyond domestic borders. The announcement that shipping will be required to participate in the program starting in 2026 comes as the...

The 175 member states of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) have unanimously agreed on an ambition to reach net-zero GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions from international shipping close to 2050. The previous strategy aimed for a 50% reduction in emissions by 2050. However, the new one is far more ambitious. The IMO is now targeting at least a 20% reduction by 2030 and 70% by 2040, compared to 2008 emission levels. The new strategy also includes striving for even higher reductions than th...

MAN Energy Solutions has announced the successful first running of a test engine on ammonia at its Research Centre Copenhagen (RCC). The company reports that the successful combustion was performed on a MAN B&W two-stroke 4T50ME-X type and produced positive results with particularly promising data regarding pilot-oil amount and combustion stability. First ammonia engine test completed Gunnar Stiesch, the Chief Technical Officer, MAN Energy Solutions, said: “This marks a major milest...

The maritime sector has just become one step closer to clean, emission-free shipping, thanks to collaboration between FincoEnergies and the Port of Amsterdam, which has resulted in a permit for FincoEnergies to supply bio-methanol to maritime consumers within the Amsterdam port area. FincoEnergies is the first operational supplier of this specific product in The Netherlands. Thanks to a fully sustainable production process (well-to-wheel), a certified CO2 reduction of no less than 92.4% can be...

An existing close partner of Mersey Maritime, Nautilus International represents 20,000 maritime professionals in its capacity as a global trade union. They include ship masters, officers, cadets, ship pilots, harbourmasters, seafarers of all kinds, and shore-based workers. Employment opportunities As one of the industry cluster organisations in the maritime sector, recognised both nationally and internationally, Mersey Maritime represents hundreds of businesses of all sizes across 30-plus s...

OceanWise announced the company has moved its team and operations into a new larger office located in Alton, Hampshire, United Kingdom (UK).  Due to the company’s recent rapid expansion and their growing team, they have moved their main office from the Butts Road area of Alton over to Delta Park. OceanWise moves to new larger office in Alton The new larger office, which is still in Alton, Hampshire, has better access, a much larger workshop area and larger office space.  The...

In efforts to support Germany’s energy transition agenda, P&O Maritime Logistics will use its Multi Carrying Vessels (MCVs) to transport modular units for offshore wind power stations, which will be used to build the new Wind Farm in North Sea, Germany. Expected to commence power production in 2025, the 900-megawatt wind farm will be a key contributor to achieving Germany’s energy transition goals of fulfilling 80% of its electricity needs from renewable sources by 2030. Multi...

Global satellite communications provider, Satcom Global is delighted to share that renowned international subsea and offshore services company, Mermaid Maritime, has installed AuraNow VSAT on board an accommodation vessel to enable flexible bandwidth for business efficiency and crew communications. AuraNow VSAT The innovative maritime satellite communications solution, AuraNow VSAT, enables unlimited bandwidth changes, with no hidden fees or penalties, making it the ideal solution for offshore...

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group company based in Yokohama, has received orders from Imabari Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. for 12 units of its Fuel Gas Supply System (FGSS), a liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel gas supply system for high-pressure dual-fuel marine engines. The equipment for 9 LNG-fuelled car carriers and 3 LNG-fuelled bulk carriers to be built by Imabari Shipbuilding Group will be continuously delivered from spring 2024. Fuel Gas Supply System...

Crowley has appointed Eric Cunningham to be the Vice President of Shared Services, where he will focus on growing the company’s business relationships and capabilities for customers across the U.S., Central America and strategic markets. “We are excited to welcome Eric as he joins our leadership team to help strengthen the services that Crowley brings to our valued customers, improve process efficiencies and propel the growth and success of our people,” said Dan Warner, Crowle...

When a 9,280hp workboat returned to service following extensive repairs at the James Marine Paducah River Service yard in Kentucky, U.S.A., it marked the first application of Thordon’s new seal-embedded bearing to an articulating rudder. Articulating rudders Articulating rudders are unlike conventional rudders and can be more costly to repair, when things go wrong. They are more susceptible to wear and tear, due to the higher operating pressures and abrasives, and as a result, require a...

In 2013, PD Ports introduced Safety Champions across their sites with the aim of maintaining an excellent health and safety culture, and to keep their working environments as safe as possible at all times. This initiative involves teams from across the business working together to keep their respective areas safe, as well as sharing ideas and possibilities for improvement. For them, involving their employees in health and safety is of the upmost importance, and it’s an integral part of co...

In the presence of H.E. Bruno Jean-Richard Itoua, the Minister of Hydrocarbons for the Republic of Congo, Wison (Wison Marine & Offshore) and Eni held the ‘Marine XIl Offshore FLNG Project Topsides’ ceremony at the Zhoushan yard in China, on July 3, 2023. This ceremony marks the start of the topsides fabrication, a major milestone in the construction of the Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG). ‘Marine XIl Offshore FLNG Project Topsides’ ceremony More than 200 peo...

International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopts revised strategy to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping. Member States of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), meeting at the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 80), have adopted the 2023 IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships, with enhanced targets to tackle harmful emissions. Revised IMO GHG Strategy The revised IMO GHG Strategy includes an enhanced common ambition to reach net...

Bernhard Schulte Offshore returns to Ulstein Verft for the design and construction of two Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (CSOVs) of the ULSTEIN SX222 design. The contract includes options for four additional vessels.  The vessels, which utilise the TWIN X-STERN design, feature two sterns and main propellers located at both fore and aft, making them an ideal choice for dynamic positioning (DP) operations. Regardless of whether the vessels are facing towards or away from the we...

MPC Container Ships ASA (‘MPCC’ or the ‘Company’) is pleased to announce the sale of two joint venture-owned vessels, Cimbria and Cardonia, for a total price of USD 42.5 million. The vessels, with a capacity of 2,800 TEU, were built in 2002 and 2003, respectively. Both vessels are currently on time-charter contracts, expiring at the earliest in July 2025 (Cardonia) and in October 2025 (Cimbria). MPC Container Ships sells its two JV-owned vessels This sale represents th...

MAN Energy Solutions has signed a Conversion Commitment Agreement with Seaspan Corporation (Seaspan), a globally renowned company in containership ownership and management, in collaboration with Hapag-Lloyd, one of the major global liner shipping companies. Under the terms of the Agreement, MAN PrimeServ, MAN Energy Solutions’ after-sales division, will deliver 15 engine retrofit solutions for conversion of vessels powered by individual MAN B&W S90-type fuel-oil-powered engines from t...

ERMA FIRST, a pioneer sustainable maritime solutions provider, has launched a new energy saving device (ESD) that promises reduced fuel consumption and emissions in line with CII and EEXI requirements. With ship owners seeking practical and cost-effective tools to facilitate compliance with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Carbon Intensity Index (CII) and Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI), a new solution from ERMA FIRST promises to boost CII and EEXI performance...