Thrusters News

ClassNK has granted its first software security certifications to ship management solution - 'MACK', developed by SVM Solutions and Technologies Pte. Ltd. (Solverminds). ClassNK has summarised its basic approach to ensuring onboard cyber security for ships in the 'ClassNK Cyber Security Approach'. Furthermore, to support the '5. Development of shipboard products with reduced cyber risks' referred to in this approach, ClassNK has issued the 'Guidelines for Software Security'. ClassNK issues the...

Amogy, a provider of mature, scalable, and efficient ammonia-to-power solutions, and Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (MSB), a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, have completed the feasibility study of collaboration concept designs of onboard hydrogen production and utilisation with Amogy's ammonia-cracking technology and Mitsubishi Ammonia Supply and Safety System (MAmmoSS®). Amogy and MSB concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to undertake feasibility studi...

The Panama Canal celebrated the eighth anniversary of its expansion program by announcing an increase to its draft and daily transits, all while continuing to manage the impact of climate variability and the challenge of securing water for the future. Through an Advisory to Shipping, the Panama Canal announced that the maximum authorised draft was raised today from 46 to 47 feet (14.33 metres), and will increase to 48 feet (14.063 metres) on July 11. Additionally, a new booking slot for the Neo...

Brunvoll has signed a contract with Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry Zhoushan for the delivery of comprehensive propulsion and manoeuvring packages for three shuttle tankers for Knutsen NYK Offshore Tankers AS (KNOT). While the exact contract value is undisclosed, Brunvoll can confirm that it is in the range of several hundred million NOK. The contract also includes one optional vessel. Brunvoll’s delivery for the vessel comprises of both the main propulsion and manoeuvring package. The main...

The ABB-powered all-electric tug eWolf has been christened this week at the Port of San Diego, California, marking a new chapter in vessel electrification in the United States. Owned and operated by Crowley, eWolf features an end-to-end electric propulsion system from ABB including a 6.2-megawatt-hour energy storage system (ESS). This allows the vessel to achieve 70 short tons of bollard pull with zero emissions and complete a full day of work on a single charge. Given electricity is cheaper t...

ABS and FibreMax signed a pioneering agreement to collaborate on stiffness-driven mooring tendons for the offshore wind market. The collaboration, which is principally focused on floating offshore wind assets, will see ABS provide qualification of FibreMax’s fibre and small rope testing. ABS will evaluate test methods for accuracy in predicting the parameters needed to perform representative analysis, focusing on stiffness. FibreMax will provide expertise on stiffness, based on its p...

260 registered participants and 115 institutions from 41 different countries. These are the main figures of the IAME 2024 Annual Conference whose inauguration was held at the Port Authority of Valencia this morning.  The Conference was inaugurated by Francesc Sánchez, president of the Valenciaport Foundation; Antonio Torregrosa, director of the Valenciaport Foundation; Rosa María Donat, vice-rector of Innovation and Transfer of the University of València; Enrique Belda...

A delegation of European representatives of the Environment visited this morning the Port of Valencia. Led by Patrick Child, deputy director general of Environment of the European Union (EU), the group of ten officials -from six different EU nationalities-, three representatives of the City of València, and Maider Etxebarria, mayor of Vitoria, have toured the site in order to see the environmental projects that Valenciaport has underway. Along with Child, have visited the Port of Val&e...

HMM, Korea's largest and the world's eighth-largest container carrier, has announced a strategic partnership with CargoX, a pioneering provider of electronic trade document solutions. This collaboration introduces electronic bill of lading (eBL) features on the HMM digital service platform. Through this partnership, HMM customers will benefit from the advanced functionalities of the CargoX Platform, which will be integrated into HMM's digital services. This integration aims to modernise and str...

ORBCOMM announced the latest generation of its reefer container monitoring solution featuring the CT 3600 device, enabling a new era of intelligent reefer management for shipping lines, container leasing companies and more. “Maritime IoT deployments can be a challenging experience for shipping lines. There are complex technology stacks and the sheer device count of mass deployments to worry about, not to mention third-party installation costs,” said Christian Allred, ORBCOMM SV...

MAN CEON, the digital platform of MAN Energy Solutions, received the ABS Cyber Security Product Design Assessment (PDA) certificate. MAN CEON connects machinery to Amazon Web Services (AWS), the Amazon-based cloud storage platform. The data transmitted is used to provide up-to-date information including the efficiency of components and systems, availability of those systems and real-time monitoring from shore. ABS CyberSafety® Program The PDA is part of the ABS CyberSafety® Program th...

VIKING Life-Saving Equipment, a global pioneer in maritime safety solutions, has secured a new order for 11 ambulance boats from the Hellenic Coastguard, expanding the coverage provided by VIKING Norsafe vessels to support emergency services for Greek island communities. The new VIKING Munin-S1200 ambulance boats will be used to support emergency services and auxiliary healthcare in remote areas, including the islands of Thassos, Psara, Agios Efstratios, Fournoi, Kea, Lipsi, Kasos, North Evia,...

Watson Farley & Williams advised long-standing client TUI Cruises GmbH on the delivery of Mein Schiff 7, its seventh ship in the Mein Schiff series built at Meyer Turku’s shipyard in Finland.  At ca. 112,000 GT, the 315 metres long, MEIN SCHIFF 7 is a showcase for modern, sustainable shipping. It has been fitted with cutting-edge technology to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions and is also equipped with methanol capability and a shore power connection. Representation of TUI Cruises...

Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright has advised the lenders, led by Citi, on the financing and subsequent delivery of Royal Caribbean’s latest flagship vessel, “Utopia of the Seas”. The Norton Rose Fulbright team advised on all aspects of the transaction, including the original financing arrangements and, most recently, the delivery of the vessel. The vessel is the latest Royal Caribbean vessel financed under a French ECA-supported receivable purchase financing and post-deli...

North, a pioneering provider of smart integrated solutions, has been awarded contracts to the value of £1 million by the Port of Aberdeen to improve the safety, connectivity and sustainability of Scotland’s largest berthing port. The contract includes the upgrade and expansion of the port’s CCTV and security systems and the deployment of private 5G, public Wi-Fi and IoT networks to support a range of solutions to improve operations and customer experience. Marine infrastructu...

The shipping community is appalled and deeply saddened with the tragic news that, yet another seafarer seems certain to have been killed in a drone boat strike on Wednesday 12 June while on board the MV Tutor in the Red Sea. They utterly condemn these assaults which directly contravene the fundamental principle of freedom of navigation. Thoughts and condolences go to the family and loved ones of the seafarer who tragically lost their life. It is deplorable that innocent seafarer...

Oceania Cruises, the world's pioneering culinary- and destination-focused cruise line, has revealed the next chapter in its culinary story as it highlights new Relaxed Yet Refined dining venues aboard its eight small, luxurious ships. New sushi and Indian cuisine offerings at Terrace Café and a revamped poolside lunch menu at Waves Grill are in the spotlight as the line redefines The Finest Cuisine at Sea. Winning specialty restaurants Frank A. Del Rio, President of Oceania Cruises, co...

As part of a CEF Study project co-funded by the European Union, Port of Rotterdam, in collaboration with the municipality of Rotterdam and various partners in the port of Rotterdam, is conducting four feasibility studies for shore power. This takes place at four large terminals in the port of Rotterdam; the ECT (Amazonehaven), APMT2 (Amaliahaven), VOPAK (Vlaardingen) and the Cruise terminal (Wilhelminakade). The studies consist of different parts; detailed technical studies, environmental and s...

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have emerged as significant priorities within the maritime industry's pursuit of sustainability. However, the industry's genuine commitment to embracing diversity, particularly concerning sexuality and gender, remains a topic of exploration. LGBTQ+: Beyond acronyms The LGBTQ+ community, comprising lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer individuals and many other inclusive identities, has long fought for societal acceptance. Historical taboos, social s...

Technology group - Wärtsilä announced it will supply its EnergoFlow and EnergoProFin propulsion solutions to four medium-range ('MR') tankers in the International Seaways fleet.  The devices will be used to upgrade the ships’ existing Wärtsilä controllable pitch propeller system resulting in an estimated five percent (5%) in fuel savings. These will be the first Ice Class 1A FS vessels to be fitted with the EnergoFlow solution. The order was booked by Wärtsil...

Watson Farley & Williams advised Crédit Mutuel Impact and Atlante Gestion on their equity investment in SO TOWT to finance the construction of six new sailing cargo ships for TOWT TransOceanic Wind Transport (“TOWT”), the pioneering French low-carbon shipping company. The six new vessels are being built in Brittany’s Piriou shipyards for delivery in 2027. Once operational they will join the first two vessels of TOWT’s fleet, which are expected to enter commerc...

Rolls-Royce’s Power Systems division is expanding its mtu engine programme for military land vehicles to include a hybrid powerpack for special tactical requirements and a 10-cylinder, over 1.100 kW power output, version of the mtu Series 199 which has been extremely successful with NATO forces. Both concepts will celebrate their premiere at the Eurosatory defence trade fair, which takes place in Paris from 17 to 21 June. Rolls-Royce's strategic initiatives Dr Jörg Stratmann, CEO o...

STAR Capital, a pioneering European investment fund manager, is pleased to announce that the STAR IV Fund has signed an agreement to acquire V.Group, a global provider of mission-critical services to the maritime industry.  STAR will lead a consortium of investors including Ackermans & van Haaren and others to partner with V.Group’s management team. The transaction is subject to regulatory consents and is expected to complete in early autumn 2024. Financial terms have not been di...

Ocean Harvesting is currently developing generation 6 of its wave energy converter InfinityWEC in close collaboration with ball screw manufacturer NSK. A ball screw is a very good actuator providing a high ratio between linear motion and rotation to the generator, high efficiency, low weight and long life. However, ball screws are sensitive to the side forces and bending moments in the PTO caused by the surge motion of the buoy and high speeds that may occur in large waves. This challenge in th...

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has received a large order for its 50-tonne active heave compensated (AHC) crane to be installed on board MMA Valour, a versatile and flexible multi-purpose platform supply vessel. The vessel has a proven track record in servicing a broad range of offshore work scopes across the energy and offshore wind sectors. The contract has been booked into Cargotec’s second-quarter 2024 order intake, with crane supply scheduled for the third quarter of 2025. Successful d...

Global demand in subsea markets for oil and gas continues to help drive growth at manufacturing, assembly and testing specialist Express Engineering, which is investing in capital equipment and its workforce. The international business, based in Gateshead in the North of England, has been enjoying buoyant growth during the last 12-18 months – growing its workforce while building a record pipeline of new work. With buoyant oil and gas prices and optimistic five-year forecasts from ene...

ABS has published a new notation that enables containership operators to load an additional tier of containers on deck with reduced risk of loss due to parametric rolling. CLP-V(PARR) combines the ABS Computer Lashing Program notation with mandatory Parametric Roll guidance to allow operators to optimise stowage and lashing of containers without loss of safety margin. Flexible loading configurations “Optimising container loading is key to efficient vessel operations but also has a found...

Future newbuild ships of all types should be built without a sterntube and with a seawater-lubricated propeller shaft bearing arrangement, according to Blue Ocean Alliance’s Chris Leontopoulos. Speaking at a recent maritime industry forum in Hamburg, Mr. Leontopoulos said the sterntubeless ship design – jointly developed by Blue Ocean Alliance members ABS, Thordon Bearings, Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute (SDARI), Wärtsilä, and the National Technical...

Crew proficiency in safe boat handling is vital for effective response with mission-critical naval operations - and US Navy personnel have been put through their paces to get up to speed with advanced davits being supplied by Vestdavit Inc. for a series of newly built expeditionary sea base (ESB) ships. Crew and davit operators serving on the newly commissioned USS John L. Canley (ESB-6) recently participated in operational training conducted by Vestdavit at a naval base in San Diego, Californi...

Mr. Arno Nommensen has been appointed as the new Managing Director as of June 11. With over 24 years of experience, Arno is a highly motivated and focused sales and business development expert in the maritime industry. “After more than two decades of cooperation with Alphatron Marine from my previous position as a supplier, I feel very much honoured and proud to step into my new role as Managing Director of Alphatron Marine Germany. Together with the entire team, we will further build t...