Security - News

The UK government has confirmed that Australia will equip its Hunter-class frigates with the Thales 2087 sonar system, a move set to contribute around £45 million to the UK economy, according to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Array sonar system The Sonar 2087, manufactured in the United Kingdom by Thales Underwater Systems, is a towed array sonar system that replaces the older Sonar 2031 in the Royal Navy. It equips several Type 23 frigates and is also set to feature on the Roya...

ClassNK has granted its Innovation Endorsement for Products & Solutions to a remote monitoring system for machines, ‘MAREWA-SYSTEM’ developed by KAGOO DOCKYARD Co., Ltd. ClassNK-registered vessels equipped with the product can be given the ‘DSS’ notations (MM, CNS, SM), which indicate ships with advanced digital technology. Deployment of products In order to promote the spread and development of innovative technologies, ClassNK has offered Innovation Endorsement fo...

Kongsberg Digital is proud to announce an important new simulator contract with Noble Corporation, one of the world’s pioneering offshore drilling companies, headquartered in Houston, Texas USA. DP simulators The contract includes the delivery of state-of-the-art navigation, engine, and dynamic positioning (DP) simulators based on Kongsberg Maritime’s market-pioneering K-Pos DP system. The simulators will be tailored and integrated with Kongsberg Maritime’s Riser Monitoring...

Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, part of the technology group Wärtsilä, will supply the cargo handling systems for three new 93,000 m3 capacity Very Large Ammonia Carriers (VLACs).  The ships are being built at the Korean shipyard Hanwha Ocean Co, formerly known as DSME. Two vessels are for a Greek ship owner and one for a Japanese owner. These two orders, both booked by Wärtsilä in Q4 2024, further strengthen Wärtsilä’s position as a market-pioneering...

NorthStandard and NIORD have announced a new strategic partnership to build their offshore renewable energy underwriting business.    Under an agreement that comes into effect on 1 January 2025, global marine insurer NorthStandard will provide US$30M in additional capacity to insure fixed and floating wind farms as well as renewable devices. Risk management partnership The facility is part of a risk management partnership between renewables-focused NIORD and NorthStandard that...

Pioneering marine and protective coatings brand International®, part of AkzoNobel, celebrated its 35th year anniversary in China during an event in Shanghai in October 2024. First registered and founded in 1989 in partnership with Shanghai Huayi Fine Chemicals and China State Shipbuilding Equipment & Materials Corporation Ltd, International Paint of Shanghai Co., Ltd. has since established three production facilities in China, 17 distribution centres, and employs over 100 technical serv...

U-Boat Worx is proud to be part of the ground-breaking HEXA, a 50-metre support vessel conversion that redefines the superyacht support experience. Born from hand-drawn sketches as a floating helipad, HEXA has transformed into a striking concept that seamlessly blends robust utility with high-end sophistication, setting a new benchmark for support vessels. With its distinctive hexagonal theme, extended entertainment decks, swim platform, and bold graphics, HEXA combines form and function in a w...

Iridium Communications Inc., a provider of global voice and data satellite communications launched the Iridium Certus™9704, its newest  IoT module, and Iridium Certus 9704 Development Kit. This transformational new module, featuring Iridium Messaging Transport® (IMT®) technology, is the smallest and most powerful created by Iridium, ideal for supporting satellite IoT applications that require real-time data analysis, analytics, and automated decision-making. Iridium Certus...

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,...

Hefring Marine, a pioneer in intelligent marine technology, has been awarded a grant by the Icelandic Transport Authority (Samgöngustofa) to further critical research on injuries experienced by mariners aboard vessels. This prestigious grant underscores Hefring Marine's commitment to enhancing safety standards within the maritime industry. Building on extensive research conducted in 2023 with support from the Icelandic Student Innovation Fund, backed by Rannís (The Icelandic Centre...

Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) has advised Genesis Energias, S.A (“Genesis”) on the chartering of the ‘BILBAO KNUTSEN’, which shall be used as an LNG floating storage unit (“FSU”) for the loading, storage and discharging of LNG, as part of an LNG-to-power project in Honduras. The ‘BILBAO KNUTSEN’ is an LNG carrier built in 2004 and owned by Norway’s Knutsen Group. The vessel is to be converted into an FSU for the project by...

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...

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...

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 EU’s Emission Trading System, EU ETS, is a policy instrument for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The system is based on the fact that companies that emit greenhouse gases must hold emission rights to cover their emissions. Emission rights are a limited resource that is sold on a market. Companies covered by the EU ETS must report their emissions to the authorities. Emission rights are an important part of the EU’s climate policy and the system has contributed to reducing gree...

Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) advised Globus Maritime Limited on their US$ 28 million sale and leaseback of newbuild bulk carrier m.v GLBS MIGHT with a Japanese leasing house. This is Globus' first sale and leaseback transaction, with the US$ 28 million being made available under a ten-year capital sale & leaseback arrangement. Athens-based Globus is an integrated dry bulk shipping company that provides marine transportation services worldwide with a current fleet of eight dry bulk ves...

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...

The port of Rotterdam faces major challenges and opportunities arising from the expected growth in container volume to and from the port. One of those is efficiently handling road transport. The most important stakeholders have signed a declaration of intent to join forces in the ‘sector-wide negotiations for container transport by road’. Within the sector-wide negotiations, the challenges are being tackled to improve traffic flow, safety and sustainability of road transport to stre...

WEG has achieved, for the second consecutive year, the Gold seal in the EcoVadis assessment. This year’s performance was even better, placing the company among the 2% best enterprises evaluated globally. This rating highlights WEG's dedication to sustainability, showcasing its performance in environmental care, ethics, human rights, and responsible supply chain management. With a focus on innovative solutions, WEG reaffirms its commitment to contributing to a more efficient and responsibl...

New Corsican 130 MW power plant to feature 8 × MAN 18V51/60 engines optimised to run on 100% liquid biomass fuel of plant origin. A consortium comprising MAN Energy Solutions and EPC (Engineering Procurement and Construction) specialist, Bonatti, has signed a contract with EDF PEI – a 100% subsidiary of EDF (Électricité de France SA) that builds and operates power-generation facilities in the French overseas departments and regions, and Corsica. The contract covers the...

Babcock has officially launched a new International Engineering and Technology Hub in Melbourne, Australia as part of their increased research and development efforts across global defence markets. The $3.5 million state-of-the-art Abbotsford facility will serve as a collaborative environment for engineers and technologists working in areas such as systems engineering, secure communications, autonomy, artificial intelligence and digitally-enabled asset management. It includes provision for sp...

A £150m upgrade to an Ayrshire marine yard has been given a boost as it is awarded planning permission, paving the way for increased offshore wind power off the UK’s west coast. Peel Ports Clydeport has secured permission for the complete redevelopment of the Hunterston marine yard as it prepares the site for major renewables infrastructure. Upgrades to the marine yard The overall redevelopment of Hunterston is expected to attract £3.5bn in inward investment and create over...

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...

Kongsberg Maritime has signed a contract with Hindustan Shipbuilding Limited to supply its electric replenishment-at-sea equipment for its Fleet Support Ships programme. The Indian Navy's Fleet Support Ships (FSS) are a new class of five large replenishment vessels designed to enhance the operational capabilities of the Indian Navy. Crucial for naval vessels Kongsberg Maritime’s RAS technology enhances naval logistics by offering faster, safer operations Kongsberg Maritime’s...

“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...

HullWiper’s sustainable hull cleaning solution is coming to Singapore. The company has signed a lease agreement with Unidive Subsea to bring its eco-friendly Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) hull cleaning technology to PSA terminals, Seatrium Yards and Singapore’s inner anchorages. Plans are also in place to expand services to FPSOs, FSOs and semi-submersibles under contracts with regional oil and gas companies. Net-zero emissions by 2050 HullWiper’s sustainable hull cleaning...