Dockworkers in 22 countries will strike on Friday, protesting against war and the use of ports for arms exports in action organisers say could disrupt over 40% of Mediterranean cargo and snarl over $2 billion worth of freight.The strike, originally called by dockworkers' unions in Italy, France, Greece, Spain's Basque Country, Turkey and Morocco, is now backed by more than 25 unions in 113 ports.The protest is expected to target major shipping hubs across Europe and beyond, including Hamburg, Valencia, Le Havre, Algeciras, Piraeus and Genoa
Three bodies have been located inside the wreck of Borr Drilling's Prospector 5 jack-up rig, which sank offshore Gabon on October 24, with search and rescue operations continuing for two people still missing.The bodies were discovered during underwater inspections using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), Vice-Admiral Charles Hubert Bekale-Meyong, chief of staff of the Gabonese Navy and commander of the search-and-rescue operation, confirmed in an October 28 statement.The images obtained did not allow the bodies to be identified, while technical teams were preparing operations to recover them.
Gulf oil producers are assembling a fleet of nearly 230 tankers to maintain crude exports through the Strait of Hormuz despite heightened security risks and reluctance among independent shipowners to operate in the region, according to a weekly intelligence report from Windward Maritime dated October 29.The report identifies five maritime developments, including changes to Gulf oil transportation, an oil spill threatening infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates, suspicious movements near subsea communications cables
The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) has launched IMCA 2030, a four-year strategy designed to ensure the association remains relevant, authoritative, and valuable to members as the offshore construction industry navigates a period of significant change.Launched at the IMCA Global Summit in Antwerp, Belgium, the strategy responds to major industry trends including the growth of AI and automation, the energy transition, evolving regulatory requirements, and increasing competition for talent and skills.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called on Wednesday for a global maritime truce after a drone attack sank a Greek container ship off Bulgaria, the latest of a series of strikes on ships in the western Black Sea this month.Speaking at a high-level debate of the Greek presidency of the UN Security Council on maritime security, Mitsotakis said commercial vessels must be able to navigate safely and freely even during times of conflict."Targeted civilian commercial shipping is completely unacceptable.
ABB has received Notice to Proceed from Washington State Ferries (WSF), the largest ferry operator in the United States, to supply and integrate the power and propulsion system for third hybrid-electric newbuild ferry. This expands ABB’s involvement in the program from two vessels to three and is part of WSF’s broader plan for up to 16 new hybrid electric ferries by 2040.As with the first two vessels, ABB will equip Vessel 3 with an integrated hybrid-electric power and propulsion solution centered on Onboard DC Grid and PEMS Power and Energy Management System.
DeepOcean has secured a contract from Tullow Ghana to carry out subsea gas lift riser retermination work at the Jubilee field offshore Ghana, using its recently upgraded Orient Adventurer subsea construction vessel.The project involves a gas lift riser connecting the Kwame Nkrumah floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel to the Jubilee subsea production system, with offshore operations scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026.DeepOcean's scope includes project management, engineering, riser disconnection, deck-side retermination, reconnection and pre-commissioning services.
DNV has issued a Statement of Feasibility for Aker BP and Höegh Evi's concept to transport liquefied carbon dioxide (CO2) by shuttle carriers and inject it directly into subsea wells for permanent storage at the Atlas project offshore Norway.The assessment covers the offshore infrastructure required to transfer CO2 from vessels into the reservoir, with DNV concluding that the main technical challenges and uncertainties identified are manageable at the current stage of development.
Shipbuilder Vard has launched a new energy construction vessel (ECV) being built for Wind Energy Construction, a Norwegian company partly owned by the founders and owners of Norwind Offshore, with delivery scheduled for the second quarter of 2027.The vessel, designated NB985, was successfully launched on October 27 and is under construction at Vard Vung Tau in Vietnam, Vard announced.Based on Vard's VARD 3 11 design, the vessel is intended for offshore wind and subsea operations, including inspection, maintenance and repair of subsea pipelines
We are entering in interesting period in the subsea vessel market, as contract backlog among the EPCs continue to rise to new all-time highs, existing long-term contracts are coming up for renewals, and a wave of newbuilds are closing in on delivery. On the top end, the market dynamics are changing as the Tier 1 EPC landscape is consolidating, while the fleet is expected to see a net growth of more than 20% in the coming two years.The still pending merger between Saipem and Subsea 7 is getting closer, with now only the European Commission’s Phase II review outstanding at the time of writing.
"Geopolitical disruptions continue to cloud the dry bulk market outlook. The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz remains the largest source of uncertainty, while attacks on ships and port infrastructure in the Black Sea have added another layer of risk,” says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analysis Manager at BIMCO.Typically, around 4% of dry bulk demand sails via the Strait of Hormuz. Alternative routes have softened the impact of the disruption but have been unable to replace pre-war volumes.
CMA CGM, Nike and Vietnamese port operator Gemadept have launched a fully electric inland container barge service connecting Ho Chi Minh City with the Gemalink deep-sea terminal at Cai Mep, combining battery propulsion, dedicated charging infrastructure and renewable electricity.The barge will transport Nike cargo between an inland drop-off location in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly part of Binh Duong province, and Gemalink over a 180-km round trip.