Surveillance & Maritime News for April 2024

Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (‘KONGSBERG’) has been awarded a contract from the Norwegian Intelligence Service (NIS) on behalf of the Norwegian government to provide satellite maritime surveillance data to cover Norwegian Areas of Interest. NIS has the overall responsibility for space operations and development in the Norwegian Armed Forces. The data will be utilised by the Norwegian Armed Forces, as well as other Norwegian government institutions involved in maritime security,...

Wärtsilä ANCS, part of technology group - Wärtsilä, introduces NACOS Platinum Solid State X-Band Radar, a new radar system engineered to redefine safety and reliability standards in marine navigation. Designed with the latest solid-state transceiver technology, the system features a compact housing and gearbox, eliminating the need for traditional magnetrons. This design ensures low maintenance and reduced lifecycle costs for vessel operators, without compromising on perform...

Wärtsilä ANCS, part of the technology group - Wärtsilä, launches a new digital platform, NACOS Connect, for commercial use after five years of careful development, rigorous testing, and extensive customer trials. NACOS Connect is a comprehensive solution designed to empower end customers to optimise the functionality and maintainability of their onboard NACOS systems. The platform offers a wide range of features designed to meet the ever-changing needs of the industry. NACO...

There’s a silver shimmer over London International Shipping Week 2025 (LISW25) thanks to a flood of silver sponsors who have come onboard during the first quarter of this year. Adding their support are legal firms Quadrant Chambers and Twenty Essex who have signed up to take an active part in the event, which runs from 15th to 19th September 2025. Digital transformation specialist They are joined by top ten ship management company Columbia Shipmanagement Group and digital transformatio...

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, has received an order from Japan Engine Corporation (J-ENG) for an ammonia fuel supply system (AFSS) and ammonia gas abatement system (AGAS). The AFSS will supply ammonia fuel to ammonia-powered marine engines developed by J-ENG, and the AGAS will safely treat any surplus ammonia. AFSS and AGAS are remotely controlled Newly ordered AFSS and AGAS are remotely controlled automatically by an integrated control...

ClassNK has granted its Innovation Endorsements for Products & Solutions to two elemental technologies of ‘CMP-MAP’, ‘Performance estimation method of ships based on hull roughness and fouling condition’ and ‘Performance and operational analysis solutions’, provided by Chugoku Marine Paints, Ltd. (CMP). ‘Performance estimation method of ships based on hull roughness and fouling condition’ is a technology that estimates the impact of each antif...

Accelleron customers will gain easier access to data-driven performance improvements and cost reductions, due to a new partnership with maritime data platform provider - BEMAC. Under the agreement signed with Accelleron’s Japanese joint venture company - Turbo Systems United, data gathering and transmission for Accelleron’s digital optimisation solutions and data-enabled service agreements will be automated within BEMAC’s MaSSA-One platform. A ship that never stops Accellero...

SAFE Boats International and Hefring Marine have announced a formal partnership between the companies, combining SAFE Boats’ focus on durability, safety and performance with Hefring Marine’s intelligent tools for crew welfare, efficiency and vessel lifecycle management.  With over 1,000 nautical miles of Hefring Marine IMAS (Intelligent Marine Assistance System) data recorded through various trials and demonstrations on the SAFE 35 MMI (Multi-Mission Interceptor), the companies...

In the extension of the delivery of Seaonics' first electric gangway system to Norwind Hurricane 21st of March 2024, Norwind Offshore has placed an order for a stand-alone ECMC 7t-3D crane for the newbuild 952 - Norwind Helm.  The crane is to be installed in connection with the delivery of the newbuild from Vard Brattvaag end of November 2024 and Norwind Helm will be the first CSOV with two 3D cranes installed. Integrated 3D crane This delivery is in addition to the ECMC Gangway with an...

ClassNK has issued a statement of fact (SOF) for the results of the hull performance analysis and operational profile analysis by Chugoku Marine Paints, Ltd. (CMP) based on actual data of a ship in service. Through its hull data analysis service "CMP-MAP", CMP offers hull performance analysis based on the ISO19030, the standard for evaluating fouling and age-related changes, in combination with their own methodology and operational profile analysis. Data processing and calculations This time,...

Manta Marine Technologies (formerly known as Yara Marine Technologies, YMT) has successfully completed the installation and commissioning of onboard shore power systems for three Finnlines vessels: the Finnlady, the Finnmaid and the Finnstar.  These projects cement Manta Marine Technologies’ reputation as a provider of turnkey shore power solutions, which are likely to see higher take-up by the maritime sector as it transitions to a low and zero-carbon future. Finnlines RoPax vessel...

DNV has presented HD Hyundai with a general approval for ship application (GASA) for a new high-strength composite hybrid support system for independent tanks on liquefied gas carriers.  In a world-first, HD Hyundai’s concept is fabricated with a fusion of carbon fibre-reinforced plastics (CFRP) with a tensile strength ten times greater than steel, significantly enhancing structural stability. Existing support structure The new system offers robust structural supports, enabling ind...

X-Press Feeders, the world’s largest independent common carrier, has signed of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with six European ports: Port of Antwerp Bruges (Belgium), Port of Tallinn (Estonia), Port of Helsinki (Finland), Port of HaminaKotka (Finland), Freeport of Riga (Latvia) and Klaipeda Port (Lithuania). This landmark agreement signifies a joint commitment to accelerate the establishment of green shipping corridors and the broader decarbonisation of the marine sector in Scandin...

ClassNK has signed a joint R&D agreement with Nihon Shipyard Co., Ltd. (NSY) and IMC Co., Ltd. (IMC) to ensure the safety and performance evaluation of anti-roll tanks (ART) installed on large container ships. An anti-roll tank is a device designed to suppress the ship's roll by moving liquid, such as water, within the tank. Consideration for ART installation on large container ships is advancing due to the expectation of improving container loading efficiency by reducing roll motion and pr...

WEG is supplying five 1000kVA, 15kV dry-type transformers to Eskimó Ice Cream industry, a prominent company in the ice cream and popsicle segment in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. The transformers will be used in the substation and are essential to support the increased production capacity, playing a significant role in the customer's electrical infrastructure. Dry-type transformers Dry-type transformers are equipment that use ambient air as a cooling medium Dry-type transformer...

The Maritime Technologies Forum (MTF) has released guidelines highlighting recommendations for developing and implementing the Safety Management System (SMS) under the International Safety Management (ISM) Code, addressing specifically, potentially more hazardous alternative fuels used on board ships. This report follows last year’s publication, ‘Operational Management to Accelerate Maritime Decarbonisation’, which identified critical gaps in implementing three current regula...

Easy to use and powered by artificial intelligence, Crewlinker’s web application makes it easy for crewing agencies, shipping companies and other employers in the maritime industry to find people in seconds, and with all the necessary competences. Seafarers can easily enter all their certificates and working experience to automatically create an in-depth resumé that helps them find jobs that fit their experience. Deckhands, engineers, navigators, technicians and officers in the mar...

ClassNK has extended its services to support concrete actions by customers towards a smooth transition to shipping zero-emission. With the revision of IMO's GHG emissions reduction targets and the introduction of the EU climate policy package for the shipping sector, regulations towards zero-emission are becoming increasingly stringent. However, the infrastructure for supplying zero-emission fuels is still under development. Shipping industry players need to select and utilise the appropriate...

Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, part of the technology group - Wärtsilä, will supply the Cargo Handling Systems for additional two new very large LPG carrier vessels to be built at the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co Ltd. in South Korea. The ships have been contracted by Norwegian ship owner Solvang.  The order follows a similar one placed in 2023 for five vessels being built in the same yard for the same owner. This latest contract was booked by Wärtsilä in Q1, 2024....

Congratulations to Wallaby Boats and Hitzler Werft, from the team at Nauti-Craft on the launching of the world's first Suspension Equipped Crew Transfer Vessel (SECTV). The Wallaby-18, designed in Germany, is the first vessel intended for commercial operation with a suspension system developed by Australia’s Nauti-Craft. Independent suspension technology The independent suspension technology has been designed to enable the two hulls to balance and compensate for wave forces independentl...

Tokyo – based classification society, ClassNK has issued a type approval certificate for the lithium-ion storage battery system - ‘ORCA Energy’, developed by Corvus Energy. Recently, the utilisation of lithium-ion storage batteries as ship’s main sources of electrical power has been increasing in response to the growing momentum toward decarbonisation. Based on its ‘Guidelines for Large-Capacity Storage Batteries’ issued in 2013 and industry feedback, ClassNK...

A new agreement has been signed to secure the future of Liverpool City Council in a major deal announced on Wednesday 3rd April between Global Ports Holding Plc (GPH) and Peel Ports Group. The agreement will see the world’s largest independent cruise port operator operate services at Liverpool Cruise Terminal for a period of 50 years. Crucially, it will see GPH invest some £25 million in upgrading the terminal’s infrastructure, improving its operational capability and helping...

ABS has awarded ECOLOG, a mid-stream Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Sequestration (CCUS) service provider, with an industry-first ISM Document of Compliance for the operation of liquified CO2 carriers on behalf of the Bermuda flag administration. ABS audited ECOLOG to verify compliance with the International Safety Management Code. ECOLOG plans to build and own CO2 terminals and a carrier fleet to service the emerging CCUS sector, connecting hard-to-abate emitters with cost-competitive se...

ClassNK has carried out a regular reshuffle of its full-time executives, underlining its commitment to charting the maritime industry’s shift through a period of significant transformation. President & CEO - Hiroaki Sakashita and Senior Executive Vice President (SEVP) - Junichiro Iida continue in their current roles, while Executive Vice President (EVP) - Hayato Suga is promoted to SEVP. Additionally, Dr. Toshiro Arima, Masaki Matsunaga, and Dr. Yoshiya Yamaguchi have been appointed a...

ABS has joined the BlueBARGE Project, a programme funded by the Horizon Europe programme and involving 14 partners from 10 European countries to develop a comprehensive solution for offshore electrical power bunkering. ABS is heading the 36-month, €11 million project and will support the consortium in safety, classification, and regulatory compliance. Cold ironing The BlueBARGE model will look at an offshore supply of electrical power to anchored vessels To limit local pollution and gre...

ClassNK has granted its Innovation Endorsement for Products & Solutions to a “Wall Climbing Robot” by Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd., Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd., and MOL Ship Management Co., Ltd. Wall Climbing Robot “Wall Climbing Robot” can move to high places that were previously difficult to access by humans or robots, and can take photographs and inspections of the relevant parts. Moreover, it is capable of measuring the thickness of steel plates by remote o...

Two maritime charities have responded to the cost of living crisis with new resources to support UK seafarers. The Seafarers’ Charity in partnership with the Merchant Navy Welfare Board (MNWB) launched the Safety Net for all UK merchant seafarers at the MNWB Annual Conference in Southampton on 12 May 2022. The new Safety Net website is full of free money management tools and resources specifically to help UK merchant seafarers to manage their money during the current cost of living crisis...

Harland & Wolff is a multisite fabrication company, operating in the maritime and offshore industry through five markets: commercial, cruise and ferry, defence, energy and renewables. Its Belfast yard is one of Europe’s largest heavy engineering facilities, with deep water access, two of Europe’s largest drydocks, ample quayside and vast fabrication halls. As a result of the acquisition of Harland & Wolff (Appledore) in August 2020, the company has been able to capitali...

The National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO) announces the appointment of a new Risk, Safety and Training Lead. The post is partially supported by a three-year grant from The Seafarers’ Charity. The new appointment of Charles Blyth, who has until recently served as a Marine Surveyor with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) aims to assist Federation members maintain the highest safety standards. Chairman of the NFFO’s Risk Safety and Training Committee,...

An energy crisis unlike anything seen in decades is squeezing more out of those who have the least. As the months roll by, the price of turning on lights, cooking food and heating homes, has jumped dramatically. This is a worry many people, but for those who are struggling already it’s a nightmare scenario. Many seafarers put their lives on hold when they leave their families to go off to work. But their worries follow them. While they struggle through harsh living and working conditions,...