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.
The maritime industry has worked with a single fuel source for over a century and with the rush to meet emission standards in both domestic and foreign markets, adapting to the current list of alternative fuels is going to present significant problems. Each market has its issues whether bluewater, brownwater, coastal, foreign or domestic.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recommended that 30 owners of 68 bridges across 19 states conduct a vulnerability assessment to determine the risk of bridge collapse from a vessel collision.The recommendation comes as part of the ongoing investigation into the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
On February 21, 2025, the Office of the US Trade Representative (UST) released a notice of a proposal to impose wide-ranging fees on shipping companies and vessels with a Chinese nexus. The USTR has yet to release regulatory or administrative language that implements the proposals, and there is no guarantee this will actually happen.
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.
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
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.
Shipowners in all sectors face the same decision: build new or refurbish older tonnage. In the booming cruise sector the decision is more pressing, particularly as new construction ships can take two to three years to build, perhaps longer today with global shipyard orderbooks packed full.
Danish shipping group Maersk has agreed to join a study by maritime services firm Lloyd's Register (LR) and UK-based Core Power, that will assess the potential for nuclear-powered container shipping in Europe, LR said on Thursday.The maritime industry has been exploring whether nuclear fuel can be used to power commercial ships as technological advancements have opened up such options
Yemen's Houthis are sending drone boats packed with explosives into the Red Sea as they intensify their attacks on merchant ships that have little defense against the "sophisticated shift" in tactic, maritime security sources say.Iran-aligned Houthi militants first launched aerial drone and missile strikes on the trade route in November in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
Trader Gunvor and French major TotalEnergies have stored North Sea crude in at least four tankers in the past month as on-water stockpiling of the grades hits a 2-1/2 year high, a fresh sign of weak appetite for oil from refiners.At least 2.6 million barrels of North Sea crude grades Forties and Gullfaks have been put in floating storage in Europe, the highest volume since January 2022