With USD$9.87 million (8.85 million euros) in funding from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE), Fraunhofer IFAM is establishing a new research infrastructure for wind energy. The FOKUS-Wind project will create Germany's first end-to-end testing and validation chain for autonomous systems in offshore wind farms across the institute's sites in Bremen, Cuxhaven, and Heligoland. The infrastructure will enable companies and research organizations to develop, test, and qualify drones, robotic systems, and sensors under realistic operating conditions.
Fincantieri and ITS Academy Udine have officially launched the new “Mechatronics & Robotics – Smart Ship” program in Monfalcone, a technical training initiative jointly developed to train highly qualified professionals who will contribute to the technological evolution of shipyards and to the integration of new technologies into production processes and onboard vessels.The launch ceremony was held at Fincantieri’s new training center and was attended by Paola Perabò, President of ITS Academy Udine; Alessio Belli, Fincantieri’s Head of Group Organization Development
Boluda Shipping and Samskip have signed an agreement under which Boluda Shipping will acquire Samskip. The acquisition will pave the way for Europe’s most comprehensive short-sea shipping network, connecting Northern Europe with the Iberian Peninsula, the Canary Islands and West Africa.Boluda brings maritime heritage, a strong position in towage, an established container shipping business and expertise in port logistics, while Samskip contributes its established position in Northern Europe, its multimodal expertise, its customer relationships and its knowledge of the markets it serves.
Europe's benchmark natural gas contract briefly touched €100 per megawatt hour (MWh) on Wednesday as disruptions to Middle East shipping of liquefied natural gas keep supply tight ahead of winter and consumers and industry feel the pinch from high energy prices.Prices have been rising to 2022 highs as the conflict in the Middle East has escalated, and are now trading at around triple pre-Iran war levels.The US-led war on Iran has raised costs for oil, transport fuels, gas, electricity and food.
Global commodity prices are set to surge 23% in 2026, the World Bank said on Wednesday, citing rising energy prices and disruptions to cargo shipping during the Middle East war, grain shipment problems in the Black Sea and high demand for safe-haven assets such as gold.Oil, natural gas, food and metals prices all rose sharply this year as global shocks mounted, the World Bank said in its latest Commodity Markets Outlook. It said the situation could worsen if the conflict in the Middle East ratcheted up and damage to Russian oil infrastructure continued.
Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler on Wednesday warned Russia and Ukraine against further attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea, saying Ankara reserved the right to take legal action against the strikes, in Turkey's most direct intervention to date.NATO member Turkey, which has maintained good ties with both Moscow and Kyiv since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, has repeatedly called on both sides to halt attacks in the Black Sea that have also struck Turkish-flagged and Turkish-owned commercial vessels.
Sea drones struck a container ship off Bulgaria's Black Sea coast on Wednesday, the ship's owner and the government said, the latest in a string of attacks that have raised concerns about the growing scope of Russia's war in Ukraine.It was not clear who carried out the attack on the Greek ship that was sailing under the Liberian flag in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), or what the vessel's 421 containers were carrying."A container ship was hit...
Russian authorities have issued permits for vessels carrying grain for export to leave the Sea of Azov for the first time since July 10, when they closed maritime traffic in the area due to Ukrainian drone attacks, seven industry sources told Reuters.The sources said permits to pass through the Kerch Strait, which links the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea, would be issued for a period through November 15. Two of the sources said the vessels would be accompanied through the Black Sea by a Russian naval convoy.
GE Vernova Inc. announced that it will acquire Trench Group, a provider of high-voltage grid equipment, from investment firm Triton Partners. The deal will create scale across GE Vernova’s Electrification product lines, expanding its capabilities to better serve customers with integrated solutions that meet demand for grid modernization, energy security, and electrification technologies. By vertically integrating an existing supplier with a complementary product portfolio, the acquisition will directly enhance GE Vernova’s two largest Electrification businesses
The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) congratulates the 35 award recipients of the Maritime Administration's (MARAD) Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) grants from the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) application cycle.This year, the mainstay port industry grant program, administered by MARAD under the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), will invest $498 million to upgrade America’s ports in 19 states.
Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor has been awarded $11.2 million through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD) Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) to modernize its cargo handling, including the specialized equipment needed to support future international container service. The grant is part of a $498 million investment to modernize 35 port projects across 19 states and strengthen America’s supply chains.
The Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard Company (ASRY) held an official ceremony to mark the successful completion, construction and delivery of two self-propelled bunker vessels to Bapco Refining, a subsidiary of Bapco Energies. The ceremony was attended by officials from the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications, alongside senior executives and representatives from both companies and other relevant stakeholders.The ceremony witnessed the signing of the Protocol of Delivery by Sayed Mahmood Al Matooq, EVP Technical Services and Engineering at Bapco Refining, and Dr.