Digital transformation - News

Rolls-Royce held a successful F130 engine Critical Design Review (CDR), clearing the way for final development, test, and production efforts to proceed and taking another step towards delivering the upgraded B-52J to the United States Air Force. This milestone is the culmination of over two years of detailed design work and close collaboration between teams at Rolls-Royce, the Air Force and Boeing. The engine testing program is on track to begin altitude testing in February 2025 at the U.S. Air...

Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, part of technology group - Wärtsilä, continues to strengthen its market-pioneering position in small-scale LNG applications with its latest contract. A new 12,500 cbm LNG bunkering vessel is being built at the Nantong CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering shipyard in China, for global energy company - Vitol. It will feature Wärtsilä Cargo Handling and Fuel Gas Supply systems, the order for which was booked by Wärtsilä in Q4,...

NAVTOR Founder and CEO Tor Svanes is somewhat of a legend within e-navigation and maritime technology. With close to six decades of expertise to draw on, and a track record of launching industry-defining innovations, his understanding of past, present, and future developments is second to none. So, what does he think awaits on the horizon as we sail into 2025, and beyond? FuelEU Maritime “FuelEU Maritime is just the start!” Tor Svanes has a knack for getting straight to the p...

In a ceremony in Rauma, Finland, Damen Shipyards Group and Kongsberg Maritime celebrated the delivery of the 1500th Kongsberg azimuth thruster to Damen, in a relationship spanning more than 40 years. This latest delivery continues the supply of azimuth thrusters for Damen’s wide range of tug designs, operating for its customers in ports across the world. Thruster number 1500 is one of a pair that will be installed on a Damen ASD Tug 2813, currently under construction at Damen Song Cam Shi...

A provider of secure maritime data communications software, GTMaritime, has launched a new remote access feature for GTMailPlus, which allows users to access their emails from anywhere, even if their onboard systems are offline. A recent Uptime Institute report revealed that 35% of businesses had experienced outages lasting more than eight hours in the last five years, with 54% reporting their most recent outage cost as over $100,000. GTMailPlus Cloud Access Available as standard to GTMai...

New ideas transform the world. In this context, WEG announces the launch of the W80 AXgen, an axial flux motor that allows Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) partners to innovate and create cutting-edge solutions. The new motor was initially launched in the North American and European markets, with an official launch in Brazil planned for the first half of 2025. Efforts for eco-friendly solutions The W80 AXgen offers flexibility by allowing the combination of multiple motors to scale...

Syroco has developed and sells a software platform based on artificial intelligence, dedicated to weather routing (optimisation of routes by taking into account weather and sea conditions) and optimisation of vessel settings. It reduces the fuel consumption of merchant ships by more than 10% on average and up to 25% in certain situatiC’est ons.  Series A round The ROI for customers is attained in a few months. The impact of the solution is very high in terms of CO2 emissions avoide...

Econowind, a globally renowned innovator in Wind-Assisted Ship Propulsion technologies for the maritime industry, announces the appointment of Chiel de Leeuw as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), effective December 1, 2024. Chiel will play a key role in advancing Econowind's mission to revolutionise maritime sustainability and expand the company’s impact in the global shipping industry.  Chiel de Leeuw Chiel de Leeuw brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record in the marit...

Ocean Network Express (ONE) and Ningbo Zhoushan Port Group (NZPG) held a symposium on December 6th to share best practices and explore innovative approaches to shore power utilisation. The event highlighted ONE’s nearly decade-long experience in utilising Alternative Marine Power (AMP) containers on the U.S. West Coast. ONE’s AMP container Prior to the symposium day, a milestone was achieved on December 4th with the successful trial and commissioning of ONE’s AMP container a...

The WG20 S is the perfect combination of the efficiency of helical gears and the cost-effectiveness of worm drive gearboxes. It is compact and features a modern and functional design, saving space and producing low noise levels. A complete solution that carries WEG’s reliability and quality, already recognised in the WG20 gearmotor line. Available in five sizes and reaching torque from 125 to 1,600 Nm, it has standard dimensions for total interchangeability. In addition, it offers versa...

According to a new DNV white paper outlining FuelEU Maritime requirements and compliance strategies for shipowners, compliance with the upcoming regulations will be expensive but applying certain strategies can significantly reduce the cost. FuelEU Maritime regulation Effective from 1 January 2025, the rules mandate stringent greenhouse gas (GHG) emission intensity requirements for ships over 5,000 gross tonnage (GT) transporting cargo or passengers for commercial purposes in the EU/ EEA. GHG...

Propspeed, a globally renowned innovator of underwater foul-release coatings, announced it has appointed Nautilus Yacht Equipment as its single-entry point for all Propspeed existing and future partners in Greece and Cyprus, effective January 1st, 2025. Focusing on yachting and light-commercial customers, Nautilus will act as importer, local warehouse, and a training and service centre for Propspeed in this growing market.  Nautilus's commitment Nautilus has been a trusted Propspeed part...

Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) advised Industrial Bank Financial Leasing Co., Ltd. (“CIBFL”) on a leasing transaction for two liquified natural gas carriers. Upon delivery, the vessels will be bareboat chartered to a disponent-owner and sub-chartered to a Middle East charterer on a long-term basis. Delivery of the vessels Unlike conventional sale and leaseback transactions where the lessors enter into Memorandum of Agreements (“MOAs”) with the lessees...

Saggas and Valenciaport have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate in the identification of innovation and development projects linked to renewable gases and CO2. The agreement was signed by Rosa María Prieto, President of Saggas, and Mar Chao, President of the Port Authority of València (PAV). Through this memorandum, Saggas and the PAV undertake to work together to identify innovation projects to accelerate the development of storage, generation and logistics solut...

NAVTOR believes it has “simplified the complexity” of FuelEU Maritime with a major update to its NavFleet ship operations platform. Released now, NavFleet 2.1 boasts the ability to automate extensive “well-to-wake” calculations, delivering a front-end user experience that is both easy to understand, and rich in regulatory and business insights. The solution, featuring enhanced visual upgrades and fully integrated digital logbooks, provides seamless data validation a...

OceanScore has identified persisting EU ETS pain points for shipping, such as system readiness, data anomalies, transparency and contractual responsibility, after assessing lessons learned from the first year of the regulation, with the clock ticking towards the initial settlement of emissions liabilities in 2025. “Fortunately, the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) is now well understood by most players in the industry after a year of implementation, despite adding yet another layer of...

SAE is pleased to announce that, following the successful deployment of turbine 4, the globally renowned MeyGen tidal stream site now has all four turbines fully operational. This means that the site is now at full power for the first time, delivering 6MW of predictable, renewable power. Since deployment in 2016, the turbines operated by MeyGen have undergone several upgrades and enhancements to increase system efficiency and cost reduction. The site continues to support the innovation and deve...

“Viking Vela”, the first of a new series of cruise ships that Fincantieri is building for the shipowner - Viking, has been delivered at the yard in Ancona. The unit is placed in the small cruise ship segment. She has a gross tonnage of about 54,300 tons, is equipped with 499 cabins and is able to accommodate 998 passengers on board. Navigation and safety regulations Viking Vela is the 13th ship delivered to Viking by the Fincantieri Group, including the two expedition cruise vesse...

Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) advised Bank of Communications Financial Leasing Co., Ltd. (“BOCOM Leasing”) on a leasing transaction for three liquified natural gas carriers. Upon delivery, the vessels will be bareboat chartered to a disponent-owner and sub-chartered to a Middle East charterer on a long-term basis. Korean and Chinese shipyards Unlike conventional sale and leaseback transactions where the lessors enter into Memorandum of Agreements (“MOAs&rd...

The Nordic Roadmap project has unveiled the Fuel Transition Roadmap for Nordic Shipping (‘the Roadmap’), a comprehensive document outlining a decarbonisation strategy for the region. The report urges Nordic ministers to take immediate action to support the industry in achieving its goals by closing the cost gap associated with the fuel transition. Its findings and recommendations were officially presented to Nordic ministers at a High-Level Conference on Green Shipping in the Nordic...

ABS has introduced new Rules for Building and Classing Offshore Units (Offshore Rules) that bring multiple rule sets into a single, unified document with risk-based approaches for verifying new technologies along with easier navigation to support clients. The forward-looking initiative is part of a multi-year collaboration with industry, shipyards, owners, equipment manufacturers, designers and regulators to support the fast-moving technology advancements and innovations driven by digitali...

Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) and Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) have entered into an umbrella agreement aimed at developing indigenous technologies and enhancing the capabilities of both organisations. As part of this initiative, IRS and CSL have signed a separate cooperation agreement for the development and certification of an autonomous vessel named ‘SWAYAT,’ which is being constructed at CSL as a fully indigenous pilot project. IRS Guidelines on Cyber Safety Key technology par...

Anthony Veder, a gas shipping company, has strengthened its partnership with NAPA, a global provider of maritime software and data services, to expand the use of electronic logbook solutions and ease regulatory reporting.   The joint project between the two companies introduces the functionality of voyage reporting, helping Anthony Veder streamline onboard data collection and fulfill increasingly complex environmental regulatory requirements. Thus, the project contributes to...

On November 25, BIMCO released its much-anticipated clause for Time Charter (T/C) Parties under the FuelEU Maritime Regulation, marking a critical step toward industry alignment with decarbonisation goals. As they review the clause and engage in discussions with their customers, it’s clear there are still some gaps to be filled, before they reach total cohesion.  Clauses for FuelEU Maritime With its additional layers of complexity, drafting clauses for FuelEU Maritime presents an e...

SIMEST, CDP Group's company for the internationalisation of companies, and Fincantieri, a world pioneer in high-complexity shipbuilding signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at promoting new investments, and greater competitiveness, including internationally, and market growth for companies in the shipbuilding supply chain. The agreement was signed by Pierroberto Folgiero, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of Fincantieri, and Regina Corradini D’Arienzo, Chief Executive Offi...

Ocean Network Express (“ONE”) is pleased to announce the completion of its acquisition of a minority stake in New Priok Container Terminal One (“NPCT1”) in Jakarta, Indonesia. NPCT1 is an important terminal serving mature gateway markets in Southeast Asia. Built in 2016, it has an annual capacity of 1.5 million TEU and can accommodate advanced mega containerships with its deep drafts and modern equipment. ONE’s continued commitment Jakarta is ONE’s thi...

Complex shipbuilding projects demand efficient system integration and commissioning from suppliers to meet tight construction schedules. Vard Electro has demonstrated its proven competence in this area with a debut delivery for the Ulstein Verft shipyard of integrated SeaQ Communication solutions for two advanced newbuild CSOVs now delivered by the Norwegian yard for Olympic. Diverse SeaQ systems “The ability to see the bigger picture of such a system delivery is essential to overcome p...

Global marine energy supplier, Peninsula, has announced the expansion of its physical supply network into the Houston market and surrounding areas. Peninsula’s re-entry will be led by Houston-based Mike Parrent who joins Peninsula as Physical Desk Manager, and Elisha Frank as Operations Executive.  Peninsula’s hybrid business model Both Mike and Elisha bring deep experience and are well-known to global customers for their knowledge and service delivery. Full operations will c...

PPG has announced its 50th order for the electrostatic application of marine fouling control coatings. The project will be carried out on the VLCC SIDR, a 336-metre oil tanker operated by Bahri Ship Management at the Asyad Drydock Company shipyard in Oman, using PPG NEXEON™ 810 antifouling coating on the hull.  Electrostatic coating applications Leveraging decades of experience in the aerospace and automotive industries, PPG introduced electrostatic coating applications to the ship...

ClassNK has granted its Innovation Endorsement for Products & Solutions to the ROV training simulator ‘FF Virtual’ developed by FINDi Co., Ltd. In order to promote the spread and development of innovative technologies, ClassNK has offered Innovation Endorsement for Products & Solutions. ClassNK supports the deployment of products and services through third-party certification for equipment and software technology with innovative functions. The detailed information is availab...