Navigation, communication and electronics News

The Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (the Hong Kong Convention) is set to enter into force within 24 months, after Bangladesh and Liberia became Contracting States to the Convention. The Hong Kong Convention is aimed at ensuring that ships, when being recycled after reaching the end of their operational lives, do not pose any unnecessary risks to human health, safety and to the environment. Combined merchant shipping The Hong Kong Co...

Under a contract with the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency, the sensor solutions provider HENSOLDT will equip submarines of the Norwegian 'Ula' class with new periscopes and optronic mast systems. The contract value is more than EUR 40 million.  With the upgrade order, HENSOLDT is ensuring an extension of the service life of the boats, which are more than 30 years old.  First-class vision systems "HENSOLDT equipped all Ula-class boats in the late 1980s and early 1990s with optics t...

ClassNK has released 'Guidelines for Direct Load Analysis and Strength Assessment (Edition 3.0)'. Following the revision of IACS Recommendation No. 34, these guidelines specify the requirements for conducting hull strength assessments based on the latest wave data. Strength assessments ClassNK’s Rules and Guidance for the Survey and Construction of Steel Ships and IACS CSR stipulate that hull strength assessments based on finite element analysis should be conducted as part of the classi...

Damen, DNV, and NAPA are taking a major step forward in ship design processes by using the new Open Class 3D Exchange (OCX) standard to streamline classification involvement in the early phase of a project. 3D model exchange and approval With increasing pressure to deliver vessel designs quickly, the early engagement of classification societies can increase designer and owner confidence in the concept design and ensure smooth project execution. Responding to market expectations, Damen Engineer...

Over four decades, the World Maritime University (WMU) in Malmö, Sweden, has developed into a world centre of excellence in postgraduate maritime and ocean education, research, and professional training. The University, established by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), counts more than 5,800 alumni from 170 countries and territories. Many hold senior positions in maritime administrations around the world, testament to the University's mission to build an extensive network of we...

The urgent need to protect the world’s oceans and the habitats within them is, nowadays, well understood. So, too, is the need for a sustainable shipping industry to ensure the essential transportation of goods and commodities across the globe, and of passengers. Hundreds of thousands of seafarers bear witness every day to changes in the marine environment due to human activity – including from shipping. Seafarers’ contribution in marine environment security Seafarers’...

The UK’s future Type 26 frigates are being manufactured by BAE Systems’ site in Govan, Scotland, but also incorporate blocks built from across the country. The Type 26 programme will deliver a total of eight anti-submarine warfare frigates to the Royal Navy, which will replace, in part, the ageing Type 23 fleet. UK’s Type 26 frigates The Type 26 will be comparable in size to the Type 45 air defence destroyers currently in service Expected to displace around 7,000 tonnes at...

Waters around the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland have been classified as experiencing a category 4 (extreme) marine heatwave, as the North Atlantic Ocean continues to see extraordinary warmth. Ocean waters around the UK and Ireland are in the grip of one of the most severe marine heatwaves on Earth at the moment, with meteorologists warning temperatures are up to 4°C above normal for the time of year in some places. North Atlantic Ocean sees record-breaking temperatures Much of the heat...

ABB introduces a new operational planner module for its ABB Ability™ OCTOPUS – Marine Advisory System to help offshore fleet managers plan and optimise the maintenance of offshore wind farm operations. Offshore support vessels typically operate close to their shore base with frequent trips to fixed assets, such as wind turbines at sea, which sets specific requirements for their ability to perform in demanding conditions. Moreover, as the vessels perform time-sensitive and deman...

DNV, the risk management and quality assurance provider, will fully acquire Helsinki-headquartered cybersecurity services firm Nixu following a public tender offer that resulted in DNV taking ownership of more than 93% of Nixu’s shares. DNV will combine its cybersecurity businesses with Nixu following a process to acquire the remaining shares in Nixu and de-list the company from the Nasdaq Helsinki Stock Exchange. The 98-million-euro deal will create one of Europe’s fastest-growing...

The classification society DNV and China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), the shipbuilding group, have established a Future Ship Joint Innovation Centre in Shanghai. The Centre will allow both companies to cooperate on the ship and offshore field technical innovation, advance in decarbonisation and digitalisation transformation, and provide technical support and solutions to the maritime industry. Cooperation agreement CSSC’s Vice President Sheng Jigang and DNV Maritime CEO Knut &...

Inmarsat Maritime, a Viasat business, has reached an agreement with long-standing customer Atlantic Offshore to implement Fleet LTE across the Norwegian offshore service provider’s multifunctional fleet. The commitment will ensure vessels maintain continuous access to high-speed, low-latency connectivity in the North Sea during their offshore supply, seismic support and oil recovery duties. As an all-in-one solution, Fleet LTE will allow the vessels to connect to 4G offshore fibre network...

ABS and Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) kicked off a batch of new, funded research projects with the signing of a research agreement at the Zachry Engineering Education Complex on the Texas A&M University campus. Ammonia as fuel, ship electrification, carbon capture, and sequestration, trusted artificial intelligence, and safety of industrial wearable visualisation technologies are just a few of the topics funded by ABS and to be investigated in partnership with TEE...

OceanWise has announced its support for the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) in exploring Anguilla’s marine environment through geospatial data. The OceanWise team proudly undertook an installation recently for the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) in Anguilla, a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. The successful trip formed part of the Marine Environmental Monitoring Systems (MEMS) – A 3-year Framework Agreement that OceanWise have been contracted to complete, which includes...

Cities account for 70 percent of global carbon emissions. Ultimately, the battle against climate change will be won – or lost – in cities. Action is needed urgently to make the changes necessary to enable large-scale decarbonisation. To address this challenge directly, Danfoss is releasing a new whitepaper which sets out a clear, achievable pathway forward to enabling a green transition on a large scale. The paper shows how existing energy efficiency and electrification measures ac...

A.P. Moller – Maersk, the Danish integrated logistics company, has signed a contract with MAN PrimeServ – MAN Energy Solutions’ after-sales division – for the retrofit of the main engines aboard 11 container vessels equipped with MAN B&W 8G95ME-C9.5 prime movers. These will be retrofitted to dual-fuel MAN B&W 8G95ME-LGIM10.5 types capable of operation on fuel-oil/methanol. The first vessel will be retrofitted in mid-2024. PrimeServ will provide a solutions packag...

Maritime UK National Chair, Robin Mortimer, and UK Secretary of State for Transport, Mark Harper MP, opened the inaugural meeting of the Maritime Council. The Department for Transport (DfT) set up the Maritime Council in May 2023 to oversee the delivery of recommendations outlined in the Maritime 2050 strategy, which was launched more than four years ago. The Maritime Council The Maritime Council will bring government departments face-to-face with industry stakeholders The Maritime Council w...

The Port of Rotterdam Authority, Invest International, Gasunie and Hyphen and the Namibian Implementation Authority Office, Namport, and Nampower announced that they have signed a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding). The organisations confirm their intent to work together to develop a cooperation agreement for green hydrogen related infrastructure that will lead to new hydrogen supply chains from Luderiz to Rotterdam and its hinterland. The signing took place during Prime Minister Rutte's visit t...

Green shipping corridors – specific routes between major port hubs where the feasibility of zero-emission shipping is catalysed by a combination of public and private actions – are essential for shipping’s race to zero. The study, ‘Green shipping corridors in and out of Spain: Assessing route-based opportunities’, by the Global Maritime Forum aims to put Spain on the map of green shipping corridors by identifying international routes with high potential and facilit...

The Director General (DG) of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, OFR, has restated the Agency’s commitment to issuing appropriate certification to qualified men of the Nigerian Navy, who undergo requisite trainings at the Nigerian Naval Training Command, NAVTRAC. Dr. Jamoh who stated this when a delegation from NAVTRAC led by the Flag Officer Commanding, Rear Admiral Patrick Nwatu paid a working visit to the Agency, noted the need for collabor...

Aerospace industry has many challenges ahead: cost pressure, changing market conditions, and society’s demand for sustainable mobility. Automation and digitalisation are helping airplane manufacturers to take up these challenges and reach climate targets like ‘Fly Net Zero’. Therefore, Siemens offers a wide range of solutions for aviation along the entire value chain – from the concept and design until an aircraft is ready for take-off and through end of service. Siemen...

Iridium Communications Inc. announces the results of an Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS) flight trial highlighting Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) capabilities in the National Airspace System (NAS), with a published a whitepaper titled ‘Monitored BVLOS: A New Model for UAS Integration in the National Airspace System.’ The whitepaper highlights and solves for challenges faced in enabling a safe, scalable, and efficient adoption of UAS in the NAS, including how to maintain safe sep...

Siemens Digital Industries Software announces Maeve Aerospace B.V. has adopted the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio of industry software and services to aid in the development of Maeve 01 – its next-generation, zero-emissions all-electric passenger aircraft. Unveiled at the Paris Air Show, Maeve 01 enables 44+ passengers to travel in a range of 250nmi with zero emissions. Maeve’s mission is to transform regional air mobility, guided by a commitment to mitigate environmental impact. With...

The All Aboard Alliance releases its first-ever annual report detailing the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of 27 member companies within the maritime industry. The Insights report, based on a binding commitment to submit annual self-assessments, found that while many companies are still starting on their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) journeys, there are encouraging signs that the member companies are working to address some of the well-known problems in this area, s...

Ports of Stockholm is building six new rooftop solar cell systems that will increase the company's own solar electricity production by 55 percent. This is fully aligned with the company’s and the City of Stockholm’s goals and strategies. Ports of Stockholm has taken an investment decision in June to increase the company's own production of solar electricity. This decision means expanding the number of solar cell system installations to increase internal solar electricity produc...

Furuno, a provider of the most accurate timing devices, is pleased to announce that the multi-GNSS receiver chip, eRideOPUS 9 (Model: ePV9000B), has been awarded the Technology Innovation Award of the Year 2022 by Alps Alpine. This award is given annually to a company that has made significant contributions to the technological advancement of Alps Alpine. The ePV9000B is highly rated by the business prospects with sub-meter level accuracy, as well as the contributions to the development of busi...

Following the completion of the investment screening process, Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) and COSCO Shipping Ports Limited (CSPL) have signed the agreement for CSPL’s minority shareholding in Container Terminal Tollerort (CTT). This agreement provides CSPL with an interest of 24.99% in HHLA’s Container Terminal Tollerort in Hamburg. CTT will now be developed into a preferred handling location for HHLA’s long-term customer COSCO, where freight flows between Asia an...

In October 2022, to save costs and enhance training opportunities for tug operators, Boluda Mexico began collaborating with VSTEP to revitalise the NAUTIS 360-degree tug simulator. The simulator had remained unused for two years until Boluda Mexico recognised the value of reviving the simulator. Reviving NAUTIS: A cost-efficient choice for Boluda Mexico  Despite the NAUTIS simulator’s two-year period of inactivity, the VSTEP team of professionals successfully revitalised an...

Global law firm - Norton Rose Fulbright has advised a committee of secured creditors on the first-of-its-kind restructuring of international shipping company - Vroon, which was completed on 12 June 2023. Parallel restructuring  This was the first restructuring to be carried out using a parallel English scheme of arrangement and the Dutch WHOA plan. This restructuring involved certain lenders receiving participations in a new syndicated secured facility, while other lenders had their faci...

WE Tech Solutions, a renowned provider of energy efficiency solutions for the global shipping industry, has announced a new partnership with Marine 2-Stroke Consultant and Service GmbH (MTCS), who will represent WE Tech Solutions in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. This strategic agreement is aimed at expanding WE Tech Solutions’ market reach in the region and accelerating the advancement of environmental sustainability in the shipping industry. WE Tech Solutions and MTCS partnersh...