Surveillance & Maritime News for February 2024

ABS sets its sights on the vessels that will support the next step in the path of decarbonisation with its latest publication: Requirements for Liquefied Carbon Dioxide Carriers. This is the first publication available in the maritime industry dedicated to the design, construction, and classification of LCO2 carriers where liquefied CO2 is carried as cargo. Part of a decarbonisation strategy As more industries adopt carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) technologies a...

The global shipping regulator, the UN International Maritime Organisation, has set a target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 for the industry, and now needs to develop climate regulations by 2025 that make it possible to reach that target. A core challenge is how to craft a global greenhouse gas pricing regulation that can bridge the price gap between the cleanest fuels and fossil fuels, driving investments in green fuels, without imposing an outsized cost on the global economy. As member...

The Maritime Academy of Toledo has extended their support contract with VSTEP for another 2 years. The customer’s steadfast dedication to VSTEP’s solutions underscores their trust in VSTEP’s ability to continue delivering exceptional service and aid the Academy in reaching their objectives. At VSTEP, they consider it a privilege to maintain a long-standing partnership with the Maritime Academy of Toledo. Having first purchased their NAUTIS simulator in 2012, they have remained...

Tokyo - ClassNK has released 'Environmental Guidelines (Edition 4.1).' The guidelines newly specify the class notations related to green steel products and microplastics collecting systems. In response to environmental challenges such as climate change and marine pollution, the introduction of various environmental technologies to ships, beyond compliance with regulations, is promoted. For evaluating these efforts, ClassNK has issued its ‘Environmental Guidelines’ which set out crit...

Furuno Electric Co., Ltd. will be exhibiting at the Miami International Boat Show, an annual boat show held in the city of Miami, Florida. The show is the world's largest boat and yacht show, featuring the latest boating products and showcasing over 1,000 boats on display. Furuno will be unveiling its new generation of NavNet MFDs, the TZtouchXL Series, which uses industry-first features for breathtaking performance. Unveiling the NavNet TZtouchXL Series Furuno has historically set the b...

Jumbo Offshore has recently been awarded a contract by Yunnneg Wind Power Co., Ltd. (YWPC) for the removal of monopiles at the Yunlin Offshore Wind Farm. The contract award represents an expansion of the company’s existing scope, which has involved transport and installation of the project’s transition pieces. Under the amendment, some monopiles, which were installed during an earlier project phase, are to be removed approximately 3 m below the mean seabed level. To undertake this...

ABS has inaugurated the ABS Global LNG Academy, a cutting-edge training centre dedicated to using the latest techniques to educate mariners in modern LNG vessel operations. Located in Doha and supported by QatarEnergy, the Academy is a coordinated effort with industry partners, who are working together to make the ABS LNG Academy the global epicentre for LNG-related training and development. Establishing the training centre is also a key part of ABS’ support of Qatar’s National Vis...

The latest addition to Amer Shipping's fleet in Raamsdonksveer is the dry-cargo vessel 'Adriana Maria', a multi-purpose ship, even at low water levels. This is thanks to the innovative 'CDS 110' hull design by Concordia Damen and based on the Parsifal tankers previously developed by the yard. The 110-metre vessel can also carry 200 tonnes more cargo compared to similar vessels.  'CDS 110' hull design During the official sea trial on 8 February, the high expectations were met: the hull de...

ABB has secured an order with Norwegian shipyard Ulstein Verft to supply an advanced power and propulsion system for a forthcoming cable-laying vessel (CLV) of Nexans, a global player in energy transition headquartered in Paris, France. On delivery in 2026, the vessel will join Nexans Skagerrak and sister ship Nexans Aurora–also equipped with ABB technology–as the third and most advanced CLV in the Nexans fleet. Onboard energy storage system An integrated system comprising main po...

Tokyo / Vancouver Island ClassNK and Lovoy have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to cooperate with development and implementation of more user-friendly Safety Management Systems (SMS). Lovoy has highlighted that many SMSs have grown so complex that they lose sight of the end user – the seafarer. If procedures are user-friendly, people will use them more with reduced risk of mistakes. The industry faces many new requirements making user-friendly SMS design even more critical. Int...

Trade moving through the Port of Long Beach rose in January as retailers stocked up ahead of the Lunar New Year when East Asian factories typically close for up to two weeks.Dockworkers and terminal operators moved 674,015 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in January 2024, up 17.5% from January 2023. Imports increased 23.5% to 325,339 TEUs and exports were down 18.1% to 86,525 TEUs. Empty containers moved through the Port increased 28% to 262,151 TEUs. Additional warehouse stocking “Re...

Regional cluster organisation, Mersey Maritime, are delighted to announce the appointment of Phil Waterhouse as their new Chairman. The Group Corporate Affairs Director for APCL, and former Royal Navy Regional Commander for Northern England, has stepped up from Board Member to Chairman following the departure of former Chair, John Hulmes. Service and logistics expertise With an illustrious career background, Phil brings unparalleled experience and leadership to the helm With an illustrious...

The purchase of the Irish Navy’s biggest ship in its history, which will respond to humanitarian crisis, is set to move a step forward as information documents are to be issued across an EU platform. The project has been in planning in the Department of Defence for many years, but stepped up a gear with the recent Commission on the Defence Forces. Sources have said the ship is anticipated to have a helicopter landing area on board, as well as other possible facilities, such as a roll-on-r...

International Marine Contractors, Leask Marine Ltd have taken ownership of their latest new vessel, MV ‘C-HORIZON’, a Neptune Marine built DP 1 EuroCarrier 2611. The vessel is 26 m long, 11 m wide and is a Tier III compliant vessel specifically designed for a diverse range of roles supporting the offshore marine renewable sector. Leask Marine acquires DP 1 EuroCarrier 2611 vessel Douglas Leask, Managing Director of Leask Marine Ltd said “We are particularly pleased to have p...

In a joint effort between the United Kingdom and the United States, the UK Ministry of Defence’s Salvage and Marine Operations, or SALMO, the unit successfully conducted a survey of the historic World War One wreck of USS Jacob Jones (DD-61). The operation carried out at the behest of Naval History and Heritage Command, or NHHC, and with pivotal support from the U.S. Embassy in London, led to the recovery of a key artefact—the ship's bell. USS Jacob Jones, sunk by German submarine&n...

Todd Weatherby (58) has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Siemens Advanta, leading the professional services and consultancy business as of March 1, 2024. Todd has held leadership roles in product management, business development and sales with several technology companies including Oracle, Microsoft and Amazon. He launched Amazon Web Services ProServe and led its impressive growth for a decade from 2012. Deep expertise in the professional services space Cedrik Neike, CEO Si...

Gibdock, a pioneering ship repair yard, is proud to announce the appointment of Mr. John Barnard to its team. With over 15 years of experience in the ship repair and ship building industries, John's wealth of knowledge and leadership will play a pivotal role in advancing Gibdock's capabilities. A graduate from the University of Southampton with a Masters degree in Ship Science in 2008, John began his career as a Naval Architect at Cammell Laird in the UK. His journey in the maritime sector has...

Tokyo-based classification society, ClassNK has introduced e-learning courses offered through its training and education service, ‘ClassNK Academy’. The courses are designed to impart foundational and technical knowledge essential for professionals and stakeholders in the shipping and shipbuilding industries. The initiative begins with four key courses. The introductory course delivers a broad overview of the shipping and shipbuilding sectors, suitable for newcomers to the industry....

DNV, the global assurance and risk management provider, has created one of Europe’s fastest-growing cyber security services businesses by merging DNV’s existing cyber security business with two recently acquired companies–Nixu and Applied Risk. The merger brings together more than 500 cyber security experts to safeguard demanding IT and industrial control system environments across multiple industries. It follows DNV’s acquisition of Amsterdam-based industrial cyber secu...

The organising committee of the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX 2024) announced the signing of a sponsorship agreement with the Qatar Media Corporation, designating them as the 'National Media Sponsor’ for the eighth edition of the event, taking place from March 4 to 6, 2024, at the Qatar National Convention Centre. DIMDEX is held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar, and is proudly hosted and organ...

Firms developing three Fleet Solid Support ships for Royal Fleet Auxiliary have been urged to say how many British jobs will be created – and how much work carried out in the UK The Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions has demanded to see plans outlining how UK workers and firms will benefit from the deal. The CSEU’s maritime chairman Matthew Roberts, a GMB union national officer, has written to Harland & Wolff, ship designers BMT and Madrid-based Navantia, S.A.,...

Plans to build a world class maritime centre of excellence, focused on innovation, engineering, R&D, entrepreneurship, and training at the heart of Peel L&P’s Wirral Waters, have been put on hold as Wirral Council says no viable plans to fund it have been brought forward. A report has asked Councillors at a Policy and Resources committee meeting on January 17 to remove the project from its regeneration programme ‘until such time as a viable scheme is brought forward for cons...

Seabound, the UK-based pioneer in carbon capture solutions for the shipping industry, has successfully tested its novel carbon capture technology on a commercial container ship. This development is a much-needed step in accelerating the decarbonisation of the shipping industry. This sector currently contributes to ~3% of global emissions and is considered one of the hardest to abate.  Calcium looping The successful pilot marks a turning point in Seabound's mission to tackle the climate c...

Marine technology and data specialist - Ocean Infinity has been awarded the Offshore Renewables Award announced at Riviera Maritime’s Annual Offshore Support Journal (OSJ) Awards.  OSJ’s prestigious Offshore Renewables Award honours a company, project or product that has made a significant contribution to the development of the offshore renewables market. Reduction of emissions Ocean Infinity's Commercial Director, Maxime Even, was delighted with the recognition that this awa...

Canadian maritime operations platform provider, Helm Operations, has secured ISO 27001 certification and SOC 2 compliance, underscoring its dedication to maintaining the highest standards of data security, privacy, and operational excellence. The announcement comes as data security continues to grow as a critical focus of the maritime industry. ISO 27001:2022 ISO 27001:2022 is an internationally recognised standard for Information Security Management Systems (ISMS), developed to help organisa...

Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, part of the technology group Wärtsilä, will deliver the fuel supply system for two new gas carriers that will operate with ammonia fuel. First-ever oceangoing vessels The ships are being built at the Hyundai Mipo Dockyards (HMD) in Korea for ship owner - EXMAR LPG, a joint venture between Exmar, a multi-disciplinary maritime and offshore solutions provider, and Seapeak, one of the largest independent owner-operators of liquefied natural gas vessels.&...

Brunvoll will now supply propulsion and manoeuvring packages for a total of four CSOVs for Windward and Vard. The initial order placed back in November was for two Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (CSOVs). Windward and VARD have now declared the addition of two optional vessels to their order. “In November I welcomed Windward as a new customer, and we are excited that they now have declared both options. Large series like these are important for our fully integrated value chain in...

Spire Global., Inc., a global provider of space-based data, analytics and space services and Signal Ocean, a pioneer in shipping technology, have agreed to partner to drive digitisation of the maritime economy. Under this agreement, Spire and Signal Ocean will partner to leverage their respective strengths. Spire will contribute its unique, proprietary datasets, relevant for precise monitoring of the maritime domain.  New innovative solutions Signal Ocean will bring its best-in-class e...

Construction has begun on a new Applied Shipbuilding Academy at BAE Systems’ Scotstoun shipyard on the banks of the River Clyde in Glasgow. The Academy will comprise of a Modern Trade Hall and a Flexible Learning Hub. The Academy will support the development of the entire workforce, from apprentices to senior leaders, and forms part of the Company’s ongoing commitment to develop future talent. New Applied Shipbuilding Academy in Glasgow A historic industrial building will be retro...

London International Shipping Week has set sail towards its 2025 event with a number of high-profile sponsors declaring their support. Gibraltar Maritime Services will sponsor the rooftop reception following the LISW25 Headline Conference at the London headquarters of the International Maritime Organisation. On Wednesday, Sept 17th, 2025. This popular event enables delegates to network on the IMO’s beautiful roof terrace while enjoying breathtaking views over London and the River Thames....