The 110th session of the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 110) was held from June 18 to 27, with significant progress on a new non-mandatory code of safety for autonomous ships (MASS Code).The code addresses the emerging need for a regulatory framework to ensure the safe, secure and environmentally sound operation of autonomous and remote-controlled key functions.
The keel laying of the new research vessel, Thuwal II, for the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) at the Freire Shipyard marks the beginning of a new chapter in marine research in Saudi Arabia, driving innovation in this crucial field for the country. The contract for the newbuild was announced in August 2024.
James Fisher and Sons has ordered four new LNG dual-fuel tankers from China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Yangzhou) Dingheng as part of its ‘fleet of the future’ business strategy.The new tankers, which will carry oil products and IMO Class II chemicals, will have LNG dual-fuel propulsion capability
Abu Dhabi's Al Seer Marine, a subsidiary of International Holding Company (IHC), has taken delivery of two new Medium Range (MR) tankers, M.T. Saiph and her sister ship from K Shipbuilding Korea.Each vessel is equipped with an Exhaust Gas Cleaning System (EGCS) and engineered to accommodate alternative fuels such as Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), ammonia, and methanol.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has announced its approval of the Construction and Operations Plan for the Maryland Offshore Wind project.This is the final approval needed for the project from BOEM following the Department of the Interior’s September 2024 Record of Decision.
Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA) officially took custody of its new training ship Patriot State during a handover ceremony on October 11.The vessel is the second of five being built by Philly Shipyard under the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) program, designed to provide a purpose-built
A strike by dockworkers on the U.S. East Coast and Gulf Coast that disrupted much of the nation's ocean shipping this week ended on Thursday, but a key issue driving labor unrest across the continent - the growing use of automation - was unresolved.Companies view automation as a path to better profit while unions see it as a job-killer.
President Joe Biden’s administration heaped pressure on U.S. port employers to raise their offer to secure a labor deal with dockworkers on strike for a second day on Wednesday, choking half the country’s ocean shipping.The strike by the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) union has blocked goods from food to automobile shipments across dozens of ports from Maine to Texas
Havfram, a provider of transport and installation services for the offshore wind industry, has been awarded a contract by Vattenfall and BASF for their Nordlicht offshore wind farm cluster.The Nordlicht wind farm zone, located 85 kilometers north of the island of Borkum in the German North Sea, consists of two separate sites: Nordlicht I, with an expected capacity of 980 MW, and Nordlicht II
Energy facilities along the U.S. Gulf Coast have begun scaling back operations and evacuating some production sites as Tropical Storm Francine swept through the energy-rich region, and was poised to strengthen into a hurricane later Tuesday.Francine was advancing toward the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, set to become the fourth hurricane of the Atlantic season, which concludes on November 30.
A Singapore-registered containership allided with an iconic training tall ship at berth in Australia's Port of Fremantle on Friday, causing damage to both vessels.The 332-meter box ship Maersk Shekou was proceeding into the harbor under pilotage, assisted by four tugs when it struck the STS Leeuwin II, which was at berth.
The largest ports in Texas closed operations and vessel traffic on Sunday as Hurricane Beryl intensified as it approached the Texas coast near Houston.Beryl, which left a trail of destruction this week in the Caribbean, killing at least 11 people, was now a category 1 hurricane and may strengthen into a category 2 by landfall on Monday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.