Vanuatu News

In a ceremony in Rauma, Finland, Damen Shipyards Group and Kongsberg Maritime celebrated the delivery of the 1500th Kongsberg azimuth thruster to Damen, in a relationship spanning more than 40 years. This latest delivery continues the supply of azimuth thrusters for Damen’s wide range of tug designs, operating for its customers in ports across the world. Thruster number 1500 is one of a pair that will be installed on a Damen ASD Tug 2813, currently under construction at Damen Song Cam Shi...

A provider of secure maritime data communications software, GTMaritime, has launched a new remote access feature for GTMailPlus, which allows users to access their emails from anywhere, even if their onboard systems are offline. A recent Uptime Institute report revealed that 35% of businesses had experienced outages lasting more than eight hours in the last five years, with 54% reporting their most recent outage cost as over $100,000. GTMailPlus Cloud Access Available as standard to GTMai...

Trusted by more than 3,000 ships worldwide, NAPA’s Safety Solution software has promoted ship safety and operational efficiency for 35 years, working closely with customers. NAPA's solutions aim to positively impact the maritime industry by simplifying and streamlining onboard and shoreside operations through digitalisation, reducing errors and workload for seafarers, enhancing safety, and enabling more sustainable decision-making.  Paper-based system challenges “Historicall...

New ideas transform the world. In this context, WEG announces the launch of the W80 AXgen, an axial flux motor that allows Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) partners to innovate and create cutting-edge solutions. The new motor was initially launched in the North American and European markets, with an official launch in Brazil planned for the first half of 2025. Efforts for eco-friendly solutions The W80 AXgen offers flexibility by allowing the combination of multiple motors to scale...

MAN Energy Solutions has announced the successful retrofit of the main engine of the ‘Maersk Halifax’ to a dual-fuel MAN B&W ME-LGIM unit. MAN PrimeServ, MAN Energy Solutions’ after-sales division, carried out the work, the first such project globally involving a VLCV (Very Large Container Vessel). The 15,000 teu vessel entered service in 2017 and was originally powered by an MAN B&W 8G95ME-C9.5 prime mover. The retrofit to an 8G95ME-LGIM Mk10.5 engine enables the Maer...

Syroco has developed and sells a software platform based on artificial intelligence, dedicated to weather routing (optimisation of routes by taking into account weather and sea conditions) and optimisation of vessel settings. It reduces the fuel consumption of merchant ships by more than 10% on average and up to 25% in certain situatiC’est ons.  Series A round The ROI for customers is attained in a few months. The impact of the solution is very high in terms of CO2 emissions avoide...

Econowind, a globally renowned innovator in Wind-Assisted Ship Propulsion technologies for the maritime industry, announces the appointment of Chiel de Leeuw as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), effective December 1, 2024. Chiel will play a key role in advancing Econowind's mission to revolutionise maritime sustainability and expand the company’s impact in the global shipping industry.  Chiel de Leeuw Chiel de Leeuw brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record in the marit...

Ocean Network Express (ONE) and Ningbo Zhoushan Port Group (NZPG) held a symposium on December 6th to share best practices and explore innovative approaches to shore power utilisation. The event highlighted ONE’s nearly decade-long experience in utilising Alternative Marine Power (AMP) containers on the U.S. West Coast. ONE’s AMP container Prior to the symposium day, a milestone was achieved on December 4th with the successful trial and commissioning of ONE’s AMP container a...

The maritime industry is taking important steps to improve cybersecurity, catching up rapidly by introducing other industries' best practices into information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) onboard vessels. Work remains to be done to ensure a cyber-resilient worldwide fleet of maritime operations. The way forward is through collaboration among all major stakeholders. Remote-controlled and autonomous ships In the future, the marine industry will increasingly use remote-control...

  The government minister informed the Cabinet that the decision has been taken to prioritise the modalities of hydrogen and CO2  for the scope of the Delta Rhine Corridor (DRC). The Port of Rotterdam Authority is pleased with the government minister’s decision, given the importance of constructing the pipelines for hydrogen and CO2 as soon as possible. The decision is of great importance for the industry to achieve its goals of becoming sustainable. Investments...

The hybrid police boat WS1 ‘Bürgermeister Brauer’ was officially welcomed in the Port of Hamburg. After a construction period of almost two years at the Estonian shipyard Baltic Workboats AS, the boat was transferred by sea to Germany and will start its service with the Hamburg water police next year. In the presence of the Senator for Economics and Labour, Dr Melanie Leonhard, the 29.4-metre-long police boat with environmentally friendly plug-in hybrid drive docked at the &Uum...

Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) advised Globus Maritime Limited on their US$ 28 million sale and leaseback of newbuild bulk carrier m.v GLBS MIGHT with a Japanese leasing house. This is Globus' first sale and leaseback transaction, with the US$ 28 million being made available under a ten-year capital sale & leaseback arrangement. Athens-based Globus is an integrated dry bulk shipping company that provides marine transportation services worldwide with a current fleet of eight dry bulk ves...

The WG20 S is the perfect combination of the efficiency of helical gears and the cost-effectiveness of worm drive gearboxes. It is compact and features a modern and functional design, saving space and producing low noise levels. A complete solution that carries WEG’s reliability and quality, already recognised in the WG20 gearmotor line. Available in five sizes and reaching torque from 125 to 1,600 Nm, it has standard dimensions for total interchangeability. In addition, it offers versa...

  Port of Tyne has recently elevated their real-time weather displays by implementing the new Port-Log Forecast Extension. Forecasting Extension “Implementing the Forecasting Extension to our Port-Log online platform has been transformative for our operations. It provides us with precise and reliable weather forecasts and tidal predictions on a single screen," said Dillon Brown, Port of Tyne. "This has helped streamline the process for our operators, giving them access to all th...

Teknotherm to deliver the HVAC system to the new Ocean Energy Support Vessel (OESV) to Gondan Shipbuilders. For this new state-of-the-art vessel for Østensjø Rederi, Teknotherm Marine will deliver the most advanced HVAC system they have ever delivered. Cabin Management System In addition to a full Thermal Energy Management system (TEMS), including heat pump function and absorption chiller, Teknotherm will also deliver a full Cabin Management System. The Cabin Management System...

According to a new DNV white paper outlining FuelEU Maritime requirements and compliance strategies for shipowners, compliance with the upcoming regulations will be expensive but applying certain strategies can significantly reduce the cost. FuelEU Maritime regulation Effective from 1 January 2025, the rules mandate stringent greenhouse gas (GHG) emission intensity requirements for ships over 5,000 gross tonnage (GT) transporting cargo or passengers for commercial purposes in the EU/ EEA. GHG...

Propspeed, a globally renowned innovator of underwater foul-release coatings, announced it has appointed Nautilus Yacht Equipment as its single-entry point for all Propspeed existing and future partners in Greece and Cyprus, effective January 1st, 2025. Focusing on yachting and light-commercial customers, Nautilus will act as importer, local warehouse, and a training and service centre for Propspeed in this growing market.  Nautilus's commitment Nautilus has been a trusted Propspeed part...

Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) advised Industrial Bank Financial Leasing Co., Ltd. (“CIBFL”) on a leasing transaction for two liquified natural gas carriers. Upon delivery, the vessels will be bareboat chartered to a disponent-owner and sub-chartered to a Middle East charterer on a long-term basis. Delivery of the vessels Unlike conventional sale and leaseback transactions where the lessors enter into Memorandum of Agreements (“MOAs”) with the lessees...

Saggas and Valenciaport have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate in the identification of innovation and development projects linked to renewable gases and CO2. The agreement was signed by Rosa María Prieto, President of Saggas, and Mar Chao, President of the Port Authority of València (PAV). Through this memorandum, Saggas and the PAV undertake to work together to identify innovation projects to accelerate the development of storage, generation and logistics solut...

The port of Rotterdam faces major challenges and opportunities arising from the expected growth in container volume to and from the port. One of those is efficiently handling road transport. The most important stakeholders have signed a declaration of intent to join forces in the ‘sector-wide negotiations for container transport by road’. Within the sector-wide negotiations, the challenges are being tackled to improve traffic flow, safety and sustainability of road transport to stre...

WEG has achieved, for the second consecutive year, the Gold seal in the EcoVadis assessment. This year’s performance was even better, placing the company among the 2% best enterprises evaluated globally. This rating highlights WEG's dedication to sustainability, showcasing its performance in environmental care, ethics, human rights, and responsible supply chain management. With a focus on innovative solutions, WEG reaffirms its commitment to contributing to a more efficient and responsibl...

New Corsican 130 MW power plant to feature 8 × MAN 18V51/60 engines optimised to run on 100% liquid biomass fuel of plant origin. A consortium comprising MAN Energy Solutions and EPC (Engineering Procurement and Construction) specialist, Bonatti, has signed a contract with EDF PEI – a 100% subsidiary of EDF (Électricité de France SA) that builds and operates power-generation facilities in the French overseas departments and regions, and Corsica. The contract covers the...

Babcock has officially launched a new International Engineering and Technology Hub in Melbourne, Australia as part of their increased research and development efforts across global defence markets. The $3.5 million state-of-the-art Abbotsford facility will serve as a collaborative environment for engineers and technologists working in areas such as systems engineering, secure communications, autonomy, artificial intelligence and digitally-enabled asset management. It includes provision for sp...

Lloyd’s List Intelligence (LLI), a global provider of maritime data, insights, and analytics, and Siglar Carbon, a pioneer in maritime emissions performance analytics, announced a strategic partnership to drive greater awareness of vessel emissions performance across the maritime industry aligned to EU ETS and Fuel EU market frameworks. This collaboration will combine LLI’s deep understanding of the maritime market and its comprehensive Risk & Compliance, Insurance and Legal sol...

A £150m upgrade to an Ayrshire marine yard has been given a boost as it is awarded planning permission, paving the way for increased offshore wind power off the UK’s west coast. Peel Ports Clydeport has secured permission for the complete redevelopment of the Hunterston marine yard as it prepares the site for major renewables infrastructure. Upgrades to the marine yard The overall redevelopment of Hunterston is expected to attract £3.5bn in inward investment and create over...

NAVTOR believes it has “simplified the complexity” of FuelEU Maritime with a major update to its NavFleet ship operations platform. Released now, NavFleet 2.1 boasts the ability to automate extensive “well-to-wake” calculations, delivering a front-end user experience that is both easy to understand, and rich in regulatory and business insights. The solution, featuring enhanced visual upgrades and fully integrated digital logbooks, provides seamless data validation a...

OceanScore has identified persisting EU ETS pain points for shipping, such as system readiness, data anomalies, transparency and contractual responsibility, after assessing lessons learned from the first year of the regulation, with the clock ticking towards the initial settlement of emissions liabilities in 2025. “Fortunately, the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) is now well understood by most players in the industry after a year of implementation, despite adding yet another layer of...

Wärtsilä Water & Waste has strengthened its strategic partnership with Fornovo Gas SpA, becoming Fornovo’s authorised Service Partner for the United Kingdom and Ireland. This enhanced collaboration empowers Wärtsilä to provide comprehensive support services, including genuine spare parts supply, commissioning, and specialised maintenance for Fornovo Gas compressors throughout the region. Encompasses compressor systems As the UK and Ireland service partner for For...

SAE is pleased to announce that, following the successful deployment of turbine 4, the globally renowned MeyGen tidal stream site now has all four turbines fully operational. This means that the site is now at full power for the first time, delivering 6MW of predictable, renewable power. Since deployment in 2016, the turbines operated by MeyGen have undergone several upgrades and enhancements to increase system efficiency and cost reduction. The site continues to support the innovation and deve...

Swiss marine power company WinGD has won an order for 16 X-DF dual-fuel engines after a late-stage switch by a major ship owner. The company was influenced by WinGD’s extensive track record for reliable operations, continuous improvements to the market-pioneering X-DF concept and successful operational experience since the first series of X-DF2.0 engines were delivered earlier this year.  New building planning phase The order was received relatively late in the new building plannin...