Navigation, communication and electronics News

MetOcean Telematics is pleased to announce it will be exhibiting at the International WorkBoat Show in New Orleans, LA from December 1-3, 2021. The International WorkBoat Show is a trade-only conference and expo for commercial vessel owners, operators, and builders as well as the vendors and suppliers that serve them. International WorkBoat Show MetOcean is looking forward to connecting with partners and attendees in the industry and showcasing the latest MetOcean systems and Iridium products...

Water and a piece of the iceberg from Greenland were part of the exhibition at the UN’s climate summit in Glasgow. But how to move this gigantic iceberg piece over a 2,500 kilometres sea distance? Through network, Blue Water was contacted with an inquiry about this unusual task that need to be solved within a narrow time frame. Shipping the ice Several operators were already contacted but none were willing to undertake the demanding job. It concerned a piece of the iceberg from Narsaq i...

Two globally renowned companies in marine electrification, Volvo Penta and Danfoss’ Editron division, have worked together to power two of the United Kingdom’s first fully integrated hybrid electric crew transfer vessels (CTVs). The two fully integrated hybrid electric crew transfer vessels (CTVs) have been in operation at an offshore wind farm, for a month and are already making a positive environmental impact. Hybrid electric crew transfer vessels A recent announcement from COP2...

Vessul, the most advanced crew travel management tech for marine and energy, has partnered with Blue Marine Foundation (BLUE), a charity dedicated to restoring the ocean to health for everyone, forever. “Vessul’s connection to the ocean and all it provides runs deep, which is why our partnership with BLUE is so incredibly important to us as a company,” said Vessul COO Neil Ruth. Generating revenue “As a corporate partner of BLUE, Vessul is committed to suppor...

Wan Hai Lines Ltd. is pleased to announce its plan to expand its existing service network between China to Southeast Asia, by launching a new weekly service from Central China to Cambodia & Thailand, on 1st December 2020. China to Cambodia/Thailand (CT5) Service The China to Cambodia/Thailand Service, named CT5 will be operated with 3 vessels, with an intake of 1,200 TEU. Wan Hai Lines will deploy 1 vessel, while its partners - Yang Ming Lines and Sealand Maersk Asia will operate the two v...

BAE Systems has announced that it is extending its partnership with Keep Scotland Beautiful to become the primary supporter of the charity’s Upstream Battle® campaign on the River Clyde and its tributaries. The partnership, which has already seen the creation of two new Community Clean Up Hubs in Scotstoun and Govan, will continue to raise awareness of the problem of marine litter from source to sea and inspire action to improve waterways throughout the Clyde Valley. Funding BAE Sys...

The Seafarers' Charity, the largest grant-awarding maritime charity, has unveiled its new website, making it easier to apply for grants and explaining the complete network of support provided. The Seafarers’ Charity works with delivery partners to support seafarers across the world, reflecting the global nature of seafaring. Support and care for seafarers Their diverse work over 2020 has included the COVID-19-focused Seafarers International Relief Fund, as well as their continued...

Global Survival Technology solutions company, Survitec has completed the acquisition of Blue Anchor Fire & Safety Ltd, one of Scotland’s major providers of survival solutions providers to the fisheries, maritime and offshore energy industries. The investment, part of Survitec’s expansion strategy, follows the acquisition in May of Norway’s Hansen Protection, a renowned provider of personal protective equipment. Acquisition of Blue Anchor Fire & Safety Ltd Baba Devani...

An exceptional operation was carried out in the Aabenraa Inlet. In a planned operation, a large semi-submersible freighter slowly submerged to prepare for the float-off of 'Magnor', the world’s biggest backhoe dredger. The purpose-built freighter is constructed for this specific type of assignment and can carry vessels that are unable to manoeuvre under their power.  Float-off operation For performing the float-off operation, the semi-submersible vessel ballasted to submerge its ce...

MetOcean Telematics is pleased to announce we will be exhibiting at Pacific Marine Expo in Seattle, WA, from November 18-20, 2021.  Pacific Marine Expo is the largest commercial marine trade show on the West Coast, serving commercial mariners from Alaska to California.  Pacific Marine Expo 2021 MetOcean Telematics is looking forward to connecting with attendees and showcasing the latest MetOcean systems and Iridium products and technology. Visit the MetOcean Telematics team at booth...

Ocean carriers remain in pole position in negotiations for long-term freight contracts, with high demand, port congestion, and supply chain disruption driving further rate increases. The rise in freight rates  According to the Xeneta Shipping Index (XSI®) Public Indices, long-term rates recorded their tenth consecutive month-on-month rise in October, climbing by 2.2%. The indices stand at a colossal 93.1% up year-on-year, with little hope of relief on the horizon for embattled shipper...

The Seafarers’ Charity - a provider of grants and support to the maritime community - has received funding for a pilot project to develop safety management onboard fishing vessels to the standard of the Fishing Safety Management Code. The new service is called Fishing First Safety Management by SafetyFolder and aims to improve safety in the UK fishing fleet and, at the same time, increase supply chain transparency. Auditable safety standard The Seafarers’ Charity’s Chief Exe...

Swedish freight technology company Einride and GE Appliances, a Haier company announced a partnership for the implementation of electric and autonomous transport at scale. It will be the first time in history an autonomous and electric truck is live and operating on U.S. soil. The partnership will represent Einride’s first installation with its renowned Pods in the U.S., which will operate on GE Appliances’ 750-acre Appliance Park campus in Louisville, Kentucky. The new fleet s...

DC Global Freight Management has chartered vessels directly from China to the UK, while the majority of shipping service operators will stop at several ports along the route to load and unload cargo. Many also stop in Rotterdam and Antwerp on the way and move containers to the UK with smaller vessels. Direct Freight Shipping Service There have been global issues around ports being overly congested due to the pandemic, a national shortage of lorry drivers, soaring consumer appetite for good...

The Mohamed Bin Zayed International Robotics Challenge (MBZIRC) will be held in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, in June 2023, where tech innovators will participate to seek marine safety and security solutions to take home more than US$3 million in prize money. Organised by ASPIRE, the dedicated technology program management pillar of the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), the overarching advanced technology research body in Abu Dhabi, UAE, the MBZI...

SAFE Boats International has been awarded an $89,717,984 firm-fixed-price modification to a previously awarded contract for design, construction, outfitting, reactivation, and training for six Mk VI Patrol Boats with an option for two additional vessels. Increased workforce This contract will provide Mk VI Patrol Boats to Ukraine via a US State Department-approved agreement utilising Building Partner Capacity (BPC) and Foreign Military Financing (FMF) funds. Work will be performed in Washin...

Inmarsat, the globally renowned company in mobile satellite communications, has confirmed that its strategic partner, BSNL has received the necessary licences to deliver Inmarsat’s widely popular Global Xpress (GX) mobile broadband services in India. IFMC licence Under BSNL’s Inflight and Maritime Connectivity (IFMC) licence from the Department of Telecommunications, GX will be available to Indian customers across government, aviation and maritime. The announcement means t...

As part of the UK’s upcoming Carrier Strike Group tour, Rolls-Royce is all set to showcase to Indian Navy customers its capabilities to design, build and deliver customised power and propulsion solutions for India’s naval modernisation requirements. The company also expressed its keenness to explore opportunities for partnering the Navy with end-to-end solutions for the electrification of India’s future warships. Developing electric warships Speaking about the upcoming t...

The OceanGate Expeditions 2021 Titanic Survey Expedition was connected by Inmarsat’s critical satellite communications. Inmarsat, the global front-runner in mobile satellite communications, kept the OceanGate Expeditions crew connected with team members and support services during the six-week expedition to document the important maritime heritage site located over 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland in the North Atlantic Ocean. Satisfactory customer service “The OceanGate Exp...

Neste and Hesburger, a Finnish restaurant chain, will engage in significant circular economy collaboration. Used cooking oil from more than 300 Hesburger restaurants in Finland and in the Baltics will be recycled to produce renewable diesel. As a result of the collaboration, Hesburger will begin using Neste MY Renewable Diesel™ in the majority of its transport vehicles in Finland, reducing the greenhouse gas emissions in these transports by up to 90% compared to fossil diesel use. Produc...

A.P. Moller - Maersk has announced the signing of a global end-to-end logistics agreement with Danish Crown from 2021. The three-year end-to-end agreement covers all Danish Crown’s business units, delivering solutions on ocean services, inland logistics and cold chain logistics.   Access to the digital supply chain platform, Tradelens, which is underpinned by blockchain technology, is also a core part of the agreement between A.P. Moller - Maersk and Danish Crown. A.P. Moller - M...

Inmarsat, the pioneer in global, mobile satellite communications, announces that Ben Palmer OBE will be joining the company as President of its Maritime Business Unit on 8 November 2021. Most recently head of Northrop Grumman’s Mission Systems division across Europe, Ben brings 25 years’ experience of driving transformational change in technology-heavy industries, including maritime, with a strong customer-centric focus and a track record of delivering results. Maritime sat...

Maersk Growth, the corporate venture arm of A.P. Moller - Maersk, invests in Vertoro – a Dutch start-up focused on developing liquid lignin technology which can be used as a marine fuel.   Maersk’s investment will be used to further develop and commercialise Vertoro’s patented liquid lignin technology, and it will enable Vertoro to build a demo plant, which will become operational in 2022. The output of this plant will be used to develop marine fuels in partnership wit...

Neste recently conducted a life cycle assessment (LCA) study on the environmental impacts of the usage of its 100% renewable feedstock, Neste RE™.  It shows a greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction of more than 85% over the life cycle when Neste RE was used to replace conventional fossil feedstock in the chemical and polymers industry. The study thereby confirms the results from earlier studies on Neste’s feedstock for the polymers industry. LCA Study follows a 'cradle-to-gat...

Currently, women represent only two per cent of the maritime industry, while only eight percent of employees in engineering are women. This is in stark contrast to the UK workforce as a whole, of which women make up 47%. For many women, entering a sector that’s perceived as a ‘boy’s club’ isn’t always appealing. If a sector looks unwelcoming to women from the outside, it’s unlikely to attract female employees in any role. But this means these workers are pote...

Inmarsat, the pioneer in global, mobile satellite communications, publishes a new report pinpointing the impact of COVID-19 in accelerating global shipping’s digital journey. Written by maritime innovation consultancy Thetius and sponsored by the Inmarsat Research Programme, ‘A Changed World: The state of digital transformation in a post-COVID-19 maritime industry’ captures a sector fast-tracking IoT-based solutions from November 2019. It characterises COVID-19 as a 'univers...

The firm’s X30 prototype is now fully assembled in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, ready for installation. Fitted with a specially adapted V29 Vestas turbine, the unique ‘downwind’ system is able to ‘weathervane’ and orientate passively with the wind to maximise energy yields. The novel tripod-like platform also features greater structural efficiency, with a lighter and more scalable design, while minimising environmental impact on the ocean. Demonstrating downwind desi...

Danfoss Editron, part of Danfoss, has been chosen by Damen Shipyards to provide the electric drivetrain system, powering the shipyard’s newest Fast Crew Supply (FCS) vessel. Known as the FCS 7011, the vessel will represent a leap forward, in terms of speed, comfort and efficiency of FCS vessels. The FCS 7011 vessel, which recently completed sea trials in Turkey, will be used by the offshore energy market, for the high-speed transit of personnel and light cargo, to and from offshore locati...

To companies like Fibertex, a reliable and multimodal transport setup, timing and precision are essential. That is why it was with humbleness Blue Water in the spring of 2021 entered into an agreement with the company to take over more of their global transport. The new cooperation involved Fibertex assigning the majority of their road traffic to Blue Water along with their oversea freight, and consequently also the responsibility for the company’s biggest and most critical markets. Prec...

MAN Energy Solutions has signed a cooperation agreement with DP World (Drydocks World), the globally renowned provider of smart logistics solutions. Effective immediately, the agreement targets common progress in the field of decarbonisation and is scheduled to run for five years, with an option to extend thereafter.   Wayne Jones OBE – Chief Sales Officer, and Gaby Hanna – Senior Vice President and Head of Region – Middle East & Africa, acted as signatories for MAN...