Digital transformation - News

Ocean Infinity, a world renowned company in robotic and uncrewed vessel technology, has announced its attendance and key speaker slot at the Oceanology International 2024 event, which is taking place at London’s ExCel, from 12 - 14 March, 2024. The biennial event brings together key players in the ocean technology industry, providing a platform for businesses, academics, and government representatives to connect, share insights, and explore the latest innovations shaping the future of the...

Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, part of the technology group - Wärtsilä, introduces a ground-breaking Ammonia Fuel Supply System (AFSS) for ships able to operate with ammonia fuel. The system is available for both liquid and gaseous fuel. Wärtsilä AFSS The Wärtsilä AFSS is an innovative and reliable system that enables the use of ammonia as a marine fuel. In line with shipping’s transition to decarbonised fuels, ammonia is widely seen as one of the most pr...

At a time when rapid advancements in maritime connectivity and shipboard technology are leaving vessel networks increasingly vulnerable to attack, the International Association of Classification Societies’ (IACS) unified requirements (URs) E26 and E27 aim to minimise the frequency and impact of cyber incidents at sea.  Revised E26 and E27 Initially adopted in April 2022, the URs were withdrawn ahead of their planned implementation on 1 January 2024. However, revised versions of E26...

Founded in 1977 as the Earthforce Environmental Society to tackle elephant poaching in Africa, Sea Shepherd moved into marine conservation with the acquisition of its first ship in 1978. Since then, the international non-profit organisation has engaged in a variety of activities focused on protecting ocean wildlife and ending the exploitation and destruction of marine ecosystems. Mobile satellite connectivity Crucial to Sea Shepherd’s mission is reliable, high-speed mobile satellite con...

Integrated planning for handling inland container shipping in the port of Rotterdam has now been used for over a year. Nextlogic continuously optimises the planning together with the participants. This ensures greater peace of mind, higher handling reliability and shorter port waiting times. Shorter port waiting times Terminals can make better use of their quays and cranes through Nextlogic. Barge operators spend less time on their planning and participating vessels spend as much as 20% less...

Poole Harbour Commissioners has been successful in its application to the Local Industrial Decarbonisation Plans Funding Competition, run by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, in collaboration with Innovate UK – UK Research and Innovation. The Local Industrial Decarbonisation Plans (LIDP) competition is providing up to £6 million in grant funding to support dispersed industrial manufacturers not located in the UK’s existing industrial clusters to decarbonise and...

The European Parliament’s Internal Market Committee (IMCO) adopted its report on the reform of the Union Customs Code (UCC). This core economic legislation determines the efficiency, resilience and competitiveness of the EU’s external border for trade. More than ever getting that right is vital for the EU’s businesses and citizens. Ninety percent of the EU’s external trade relies on shipping, making it vital that the UCC is well adapted to this strategic sector. UCC nee...

Prysmian, the pioneer in the energy transition and digital transformation, launches, in collaboration with Interbrand—a pioneering brand consultancy for nearly 50 years—the group's new brand: a crucial asset that aims to support and amplify Prysmian’s new business strategy. This is a true brand evolution that shapes the Company's direction towards a new era, as part of the strategy “Connect, to Lead,” presented on 5 October 2023 during the Capital Markets Day held...

Danfoss’ new Universal Quick Disconnect (UQD) couplings provide superior performance and reliability for liquid cooling, ensuring peak performance for critical applications. Engineered for the precision cooling requirements of modern data centres, the couplings drive a strong return on investment through robust design, long service life and lower maintenance. Ideal for liquid cooling applications that use smaller hose lines, Danfoss UQD couplings are available in four sizes, as well as va...

ABB has been selected by the Astilleros y Servicios Navales S.A. (ASENAV) shipyard based in Chile to provide a power and propulsion system for Antarctica21’s newbuild boutique expedition ship Magellan Discoverer. Due for delivery in 2026, the vessel is the first hybrid-electric polar cruise ship featuring Azipod® propulsion to be built in the Americas. Accommodating up to 96 passengers and 67 crew members, the vessel will be operating in the Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia an...

Developer of maritime battery systems EST-Floattech receives an investment of 4 million euros from the Energy Transition Fund Rotterdam and existing shareholders Rotterdam Port Fund, PDENH, Ponooc, and Yard Energy. This was announced by Chantal Zeegers, the Alderman for Climate, Building, and Housing in Rotterdam. The ‘Energietransitiefonds Rotterdam’ is the investment fund of the municipality of Rotterdam.  Lithium-ion battery systems EST-Floattech develops and produces...

Tasmania is poised to chart a new course in maritime innovation with the arrival of Ocean Infinity, a global pioneer in marine robotics. Thanks to support from the Government of Tasmania, the Australian island state is on the brink of entering a new era in safer, more environmentally sustainable marine operations.   Ocean Infinity, renowned for its groundbreaking ocean exploration and marine robotics solutions, is set to transform maritime operations across sectors including governmen...

Chemship commissioned its first ship with wind-assisted ship propulsion. This makes the MT Chemical Challenger the first chemical tanker in the world to be equipped with sustainable wind technology. The ship will serve on shipping company Chemship’s Trans-Atlantic route between the East Coast of the United States and the Mediterranean. This week four 16-metre-high aluminium wind sails were installed on board the 134-metre-long vessel. The VentoFoils from Econowind create a direct wind sur...

Team Electric Group has earmarked Romania as a focal point for collaboration with domestic and regional shipyards, and as a new source of highly skilled electrical specialists to serve its continuing global expansion. The European turnkey engineering group recently formalised the basis for its activities in Romania by establishing Team Electric (Romania), with head offices in Galati. The new company brings together some well-known marine engineering professionals based in Romania, headed by Man...

METIS Cyberspace Technology is expanding its portfolio of Data Acquisition, Real-Time Performance Monitoring, and Intelligent Analytics solutions to include the needs of Service Operation Vessels (SOV). The move follows a collaborative project covering fleet performance optimisation with an offshore service provider for wind/oil & gas industries, ESVAGT. Service Operation Vessels (SOV) The SOV fulfills multiple roles - as a transport ship, accommodation vessel, warehouse, and workshop - p...

The organising committee of the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX 2024) has announced Fincantieri as the ‘Diamond Sponsor’ for its eighth edition, taking place from 4 to 6 March 2024 at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC). Under the patronage of HH Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar, DIMDEX 2024 is proudly hosted and organised by the Qatar Armed Forces and will be held in 2024 under the theme “Igniting t...

The Port of Rotterdam Authority will continue using clean fuel and energy for its vessels and emergency power facilities, such as radar stations. To this end, CEO and ad interim COO Boudewijn Siemons signed a new agreement with VARO Energy Group. In the Port Authority’s tender process for the cleanest usable energy carrier, VARO’s products came out best. Since 2018, the port of Rotterdam has been using VARO’s HVO100 (100% Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) for its fleet. This biofuel...

Total decarbonisation is the essential goal for Valenciaport. This was the main message conveyed by representatives of the Port Authority of Valencia (PAV) to the professionals present at the eMobility World Congress, the international mobility fair hosted by Feria Valencia from 13 to 15 February. In their speeches, Raúl Cascajo, head of Environmental Policies of the PAV, and Juan Manuel Díez Orejas, head of Innovation of the PAV, described the infrastructures and projects underwa...

Light Structures’ SENSFIB Hull Stress Monitoring System received the ABS SMART(SHM) Tier 3 Product Design Assessment (PDA) certificate. The SENSFIB Tier 3 Smart Structural Health Monitoring system employs an industry-pioneering, fibre optic, sensor-based approach for structural health assessment and prediction, calibrated and verified using high-fidelity data for improved accuracy and reliability. SENSFIB system Vessels fitted with the SENSFIB system will be eligible to receive the ABS...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...