A Japanese consortium led by shipping giant NYK Line has developed a new port-based floating data center concept designed to accelerate the commercialization of offshore data centers while addressing growing constraints on land availability, electrical power and construction timelines.The consortium, comprising Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK), NTT FACILITIES, Eurus Energy Holdings and MUFG Bank, envisions floating data centers moored alongside existing port quays, leveraging established shoreside infrastructure and local energy resources.
Bulgaria expects to join a NATO anti-drone initiative by the end of October, Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said on Wednesday, a day after a drone attack sank a cargo vessel off the country's Black Sea coast for the second time in a week.The attacks have highlighted the growing threat that drone warfare linked to the Russia-Ukraine war poses to commercial shipping near NATO's southeastern flank, prompting Bulgaria to push for stronger alliance defences in the Black Sea."Bulgaria will be part of this project as soon as possible.
Spanish humanitarian rescue charity SMH has postponed its next mission in the central Mediterranean until 2027 due to soaring fuel costs, the group said on Wednesday, highlighting the financial pressures facing humanitarian efforts along one of the world's deadliest migration routes.SMH, which operates the Aita Mari, a former fishing vessel converted into a rescue ship in 2017, said on X the doubling of fuel prices had forced it to suspend operations in the central Mediterranean and shift activities to waters around Spain's Valencia coast, and the islands of Mallorca and Menorca.
Russia's largest liquefied natural gas producer Novatek is expanding its fleet serving Arctic projects through the acquisition of at least two Arc4 ice-class LNG carriers, registration and shipping data showed on Wednesday.Acquisition of the vessels is a significant development for Novatek, which is under Western sanctions over Moscow's war in Ukraine. Fleet constraints have hindered the development of its LNG projects, notably Arctic LNG 2.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said two Singapore-registered container vessels were struck by unknown projectiles while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, with one vessel sinking after catching fire and the other sustaining hull damage.The GFS PRIDE was struck on October 13, sustained damage and a fire, and later sank, MPA said.All 21 crew members aboard GFS PRIDE were safely evacuated and no injuries were reported.The GFS GISELLE was struck on October 14, sustained hull damage and reached a safe anchorage under its own propulsion.
A Singapore-flagged container ship has sunk near the Strait of Hormuz after being hit by a projectile, while a dry bulk carrier damaged in an earlier attack is also reported to be sinking, maritime security sources said on Wednesday.Attacks around the waterway have surged over the past 10 days. The Singapore-flagged GFS Pride, a small container vessel with capacity for 2,824 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), sank while sailing through the strait, the sources said."GFS PRIDE sustained damage and a fire on board, and has since sunk. All 21 crew members were safely evacuated.
Houston-based maritime IT network specialist BroCoTec is bringing space age tech expertise to its expanding team with the appointment of NASA engineer Corey Harris. Harris, who has spent several years upgrading networks on board the International Space Station and mission control center, Houston, is transferring his knowledge and expertise of networks and cybersecurity to the maritime industry.Harris is one of several tech talents to recently join Houston-based start-up BroCoTec to deliver specialized IT and cybersecurity infrastructure services.
After investigating reports of restrictive port practices by the Government of Spain, the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has determined that Spain has created unfavorable shipping conditions against U.S.-flagged vessels. As a result, the FMC is proposing remedies to counteract those unfavorable conditions, including charging fees for all Spanish-flagged vessels and restricting the import of certain Spanish goods.The FMC initiated an investigation in December 2024 to determine whether Spain is creating general or special conditions unfavorable to shipping in U.S.
The St. Louis Metro Port system remains the nation’s most efficient inland port system, according to the latest U.S. Army Corps of Engineers data, ranking first in cargo tonnage per river mile and fourth in total tonnage among seven major inland port districts.In 2024, the 70-mile port system handled 24.8 million tons of cargo, averaging 354,286 tons per river mile. That figure was more than double the efficiency of each of the three higher-volume inland port districts.
Voyant has successfully demonstrated its navigation software to the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD), marking an important step in the development of resilient Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) capabilities for autonomous maritime systems operating in contested environments. In a real-life scenario, this capability would enable autonomous systems to continue navigating when satellite navigation has been lost or deliberately denied, supporting mission completion and the safe recovery of valuable assets.
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) recently investigated a marine casualty involving a recreational vessel that was swamped and capsized by the wake of a commercial towing vessel. The investigation found that both the credentialed Master of the towing vessel and the towing vessel’s operating company believed that USCG-inspected vessels were governed solely by federal Inland Navigation Rules, and that these rules automatically preempted state and local navigation safety laws, including those related to no-wake zones.
Fincantieri is accelerating the integration of robotics, artificial intelligence (AI) and automation across its global shipyard network, moving from technology experimentation toward industrial-scale deployment under its BOOST² – The Shipyard of the Future initiative.Launched three years ago, BOOST² has engaged more than 450 employees across 13 Fincantieri shipyards, including facilities in Italy, Romania and the United States. The program aims to improve productivity, workplace safety and manufacturing quality through technologies designed specifically for complex shipbuilding operations.