United Kingdom (UK) News

With its many peninsulas and bays, coves, and small headlands, the UK coastline is a complex stretch of land to monitor and patrol. Traditional coastal surveillance methods utilising patrol aircraft and vessels are very expensive and non-persistent. However, big data and machine learning (ML) are providing a solution, lowering the cost of these tasks and transforming the way the coastal maritime activity is monitored, analysed, and responded to by agencies and governments. AI-powered maritime...

Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” LINE) and Inmarsat Maritime, a Viasat company, are pleased to announce that “K” LINE will conduct a trial of Inmarsat Maritime's new bonded network service NexusWave on “K” LINE's fleet. NexusWave seamlessly integrates multiple high-speed networks in real-time to enable high-speed, always-on ship-to-shore communications, thereby enhancing digitalisation of ship operation and environmental response, as well as the welfare of se...

Maritime communications came a long way before they could deliver the first Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS). Still, it is fair to say that their forward march has only accelerated in the two-and-a-half decades since. Today, shipping companies rely on satellite connectivity to protect their vessels and people and enable the digitalisation, decarbonisation, and crew-welfare initiatives on which its successes rely.  Low-Earth orbit (LEO) networks Against this background, t...

INTERCARGO, the International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners, has announced significant changes to its leadership following its Annual General Meeting. The new appointments will take effect from 1 January 2025. In recognition of their distinguished service, Mr. Dimitrios Fafalios has been appointed Honourary Chairman following six years as Chairman. Mr Fafalios, President of Fafalios Shipping S.A., has led INTERCARGO through significant developments in the shipping sector since 2019, havin...

Fincantieri is pleased to announce that it has signed contracts with Viking for the construction of two new cruise ships, based on the successful features of the previous vessels, which Fincantieri has already built for this shipowner in its Italian yards. The units will be delivered in 2030. Fincantieri and Viking have also reached an agreement for four additional ships in option with deliveries scheduled for 2031 and 2032. Latest environmental rules Fincantieri and Viking for...

ship.energy Limited is excited to announce that it is ready for the Marine Energy Transition Forum 2024 (#METF24)! Taking place on 22 October at the iconic Port House in Antwerp, this highly anticipated event will bring together renowned voices from the maritime industry for dynamic and thought-provoking discussions on the future of marine fuels and ship technology.  #METF24 At #METF24, delegates will explore how critical factors, such as vessel type, operating routes, and profiles...

ship.energy is proud to present ARACON 2024, the globally renowned event for the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) bunkering and maritime industries, which will take place on 24-25 October 2024 in the dynamic city of Rotterdam. As the pre-eminent conference in the ARA region, ARACON 2024 will bring together top decision-makers, marine fuel suppliers, shipowners, operators, and key stakeholders to explore the latest developments in bunkering, decarbonisation, and maritime regulations. With a r...

Important decision by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs in Berlin and the Federal Network Agency in Bonn: the Hamburg Hydrogen Industry Network ‘HH-WIN’ will become part of the nationwide, almost 10,000-kilometre-long hydrogen core network. This means that Hamburg's industry will be able to benefit from a standardised hydrogen network fee in the future.For Hamburger Energienetze GmbH, which is implementing HH-WIN in the port area of Hamburg, this step will provide financial...

Wilhelmsen Ships Service and Yinson GreenTech have signed an agreement to build a charging infrastructure for Hydromover, Singapore’s first fully electric cargo vessel, at Wilhelmsen's Pandan Loop facility in Singapore. This project aligns with ongoing efforts by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Singapore Maritime Institute (SMI), aiming to promote the electrification of harbour craft as part of broader industry shifts towards lower-emission solutions. Lower-emi...

MAN Energy Solutions launches ‘AmmoniaMot 2’ research project with industry partners and research institutes. Having designed and tested the first two-stroke ammonia engine, MAN Energy Solutions has now announced launching the ‘AmmoniaMot 2’ research project. Initiated by MAN with partners from industry and research institutes, the project aims to develop a four-stroke, medium-speed, dual-fuel test engine that runs on ammonia. Internal-combustion engines Supported by t...

Kongsberg Maritime will supply an extensive range of equipment for a new fleet of 10 platform supply vessels (PSV) being built by Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding in China for Greek shipowner, Capital Offshore. This significant contract win is valued at approximately 800 million MNOK, and includes all propulsion, automation, and energy systems. Oil and gas operations The 10 contracted vessels mark a major investment by Capital Offshore in the PSV market The 10 contracted vessels mark a major invest...

The decision in Verein KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz and Others v. Switzerland has set a precedent requiring state parties to the European Convention on Human Rights to assess the effectiveness of their legislative regimes to protect individuals who are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. While this is a finding against states, they are likely to seek to comply with their own obligations under international law by introducing new domestic laws and regulations affecting busine...

Kongsberg Discovery demonstrated the ability of advanced hydroacoustics to illuminate the world beneath the waves with a detailed, efficient, and comprehensive inspection of the historic Lower Harbor Ore Dock at Marquette on Lake Superior. Lower Harbor Ore Dock The iconic structure, a pivotal point for the transportation of iron ore from Michigan mines right across the Great Lakes region, dates back to the late 19th century.  Kongsberg Discovery’s 21st-century multibeam sonar and i...

ABS helped bring together industry and government pioneers for a U.S. Maritime Strategy Workshop to help stakeholders align on key policy and commercial priorities. This was the third in a series of workshops organised to inform a U.S. national maritime strategy and was done in collaboration with the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), the Office of Senator Mark Kelly, and the Office of U.S. Representative Michael Waltz. Challenges and recommendations The U.S. maritime industry faces seve...

ClassNK granted its ‘AFVC (Additional Fire-Fighting measures for Vehicle Carrier)’ notations to ‘TEXAS HIGHWAY’, a car carrier operated by "K" LINE  for vessels equipped with additional firefighting measures for transporting electric vehicles (EVs). AFVC notations Shipping companies are implementing various measures to address EV fires, which raise concerns due to difficulties in extinguishing and the risk of re-ignition. To support these efforts, ClassNK has issu...

Sirius Insight (Sirius) announces the launch of a national strategic partnership with the charity - National Coastwatch Institution (NCI), which will help improve the safety of UK coastal waters. This long-term partnership will deliver operational funding and technology upgrades enabling greater coverage and effect.    Maritime situational awareness Sirius Insight is the UK’s specialist in maritime situational awareness, combining Artificial Intelligence and state-of-the-...

Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) advised Navigazione Montanari S.p.A. (Navigazione Montanari) on acquiring the chemical product tanker, Astella, renamed Valderice. WFW also acted for Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A. (Intesa Sanpaolo) as a lender on loan, backed by Italy’s ECA SACE's Garanzia Futuro, granted to Navigazione Montanari to recapitalise the funds used for the purchase partially. Valderice The Valderice, built in South Korea in 2011 at the Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co. Ltd., is currently...

The two men heading Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk into the new Gemini Cooperation joined together on stage at the Xeneta Summit in Amsterdam to reinforce their confidence in the new alliance achieving its ambition of 90% service reliability. The Gemini Cooperation, which comprises the two ocean container shipping giants, will begin operating on 1 February 2025, with a new hub and spoke approach of mainliner and transshipment services designed to increase reliability. 90% service reliability Rolf Hab...

ABS has completed an industry-renowned safety evaluation of ammonia dispersion on board an ammonia-fuelled gas turbine LNG carrier design from Hanwha Ocean. ABS, in collaboration with Hanwha Ocean, conducted computational fluid dynamics simulations that modelled different ammonia release scenarios due to accidental leakages from the engine room, the pipeline and the bunkering stations on deck. The study is one of the most comprehensive in the industry, using multiple ammonia release scenarios....

Procureship, a provider of the world's renowned digital e-procurement platform, has signed a deal with Norwegian shipowner and operator - BW LNG to bring its platform to support the group’s procurement capabilities for its fleet of LNG carriers. The deal will enable BW LNG to leverage Procureship’s e-procurement platform, which extensively utilises automation and Machine Learning, to bolster is purchasing capabilities. This will allow the Norwegian shipowner to optimise procurement...

Indian Register of Shipping (IRS), a globally recognised classification society, is proud to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with SeaTech Solutions International (S) Pte Ltd, a Singapore-based maritime engineering and design firm. This MOU highlights a broader international collaboration aimed at advancing sustainable maritime solutions, including the Greentech design and classification of next-generation green tugs and harbour crafts for global operations. Latest e...

Oceania Cruises®, the culinary- and destination-focused cruise line, has revealed its 2026 Collection of Voyages featuring an extraordinary breadth of sailings across Alaska, the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, and beyond. The 2026 Collection of Voyages features more than 100 enticing itineraries, plus 35 Grand Voyages, offering the most enjoyable means of extended exploration by sea aboard six of the line's ultra-premium, small ships. Onboard culinary team The thoughtfully planned voyage...

ABS has secured a contract to provide and test a digital twin solution for real-time condition monitoring for a Petrobras floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit. The ABS solution will provide a digital twin of the asset, and as part of the project, ABS has selected Akselos S.A. to deploy the Akselos Structural Performance Management software that will be evaluated over the course of a year by monitoring one of the four FPSO units in the Cessão Onerosa oil field. Life ex...

Industry pioneers at the Xeneta Summit 2024, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, have been told ocean container shipping must harness the power of machine learning to protect supply chains in an increasingly complex and volatile market. In a keynote speech to announce Xeneta’s new in-platform Ocean Market Rate Outlook, Chief Product Officer - Fabio Brocca explained how machine learning will transform the way freight is bought and sold by predicting market movements on the world’s major c...

ClassNK has granted its Innovation Endorsement for Products & Solutions to Ship Energy Efficiency Monitoring System (SEEMS) developed by the Samundra Institute of Maritime Studies. In order to promote the spread and development of innovative technologies, ClassNK has offered Innovation Endorsement for Products & Solutions. Deployment of products ClassNK supports the deployment of products and services through third-party certification for equipment and software technology with innovat...

ClassNK has granted the class notation ‘a-EA (GRS)’ to ‘BRIGHT QUEEN’, the bulk carrier operated by NYK Bulk & Projects Carriers Ltd., certifying the use of green steel. This is the world’s first case of a notation being affixed for using green steel in a vessel. There’s a growing focus on using green steel, which reduces GHG emissions in the manufacturing process, in ships as part of efforts to cut GHG emissions across the entire supply chain. To support...

Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, part of technology group Wärtsilä, has been contracted to supply the cargo handling and fuel gas supply systems for six newbuild medium-sized gas carrier (MGC) vessels, which again strengthens the company's market-pioneering position in this sector. The new vessels are built at the Jiangsu Yangzi-Mitsui (YAMIC) Shipbuilding yard in China for a Japanese shipowner. The order was booked by Wärtsilä in Q3 2024. Wärtsil&...

In partnership, Power2X and Advario are developing a world-scale production and storage hub for sustainable aviation fuel (e-SAF) and synthetic, ultra-low carbon fuels in the port of Rotterdam. The Power2X production facility will have the capacity to produce over 250,000 tonnes/year of e-SAF, a non-fossil, synthetic fuel made from green hydrogen. It will be the largest e-SAF facility announced to-date, making sufficient ultra-low carbon fuel to fully power approximately 7,000 flights between A...

Iridium Communications Inc. a provider of global voice and data satellite communications, announces the Space Development Agency (SDA) has awarded the General Dynamics Mission Systems (GDMS) and Iridium team a $491.6 million contract modification in support of its Ground Management and Integration (GMI) program for the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA). Of this amount, Iridium's share has a value of $239 million over five years. This award follows an initial Operations and Inte...

Swiss marine power company - WinGD has introduced an option for its X-DF-A ammonia-fuelled engines to be delivered capable of running on liquified petroleum gas (LPG). The ‘pre-fit’ solution will be of particular interest to vessels under construction for the anticipated global trade in ammonia, which will also be capable of transporting LPG. LPG’s primary component The engine, designed and optimised for ammonia fuel, will offer reliable and efficient running on LPG Named X...