France maritime industry review

Golden Arrow Marine has been appointed as an official Channel Partner for Alfa Laval, marking a significant step in both companies’ commitment to delivering high-quality, sustainable marine solutions across the UK and Ireland. The partnership was officially launched at Seawork 2025 on 10 June, where Golden Arrow Marine exhibited on stand Q21 as part of its 90th anniversary celebrations. The collaboration brings together Alfa Laval’s global expertise in heat transfer, separation...

The recent collision between the tankers Front Eagle and the Adalynn in the Strait of Hormuz is more than a tragic incident – it’s a stark warning to the maritime industry. Both vessels were operating in an area reportedly impacted by intense satellite jamming and AIS spoofing in the days leading up to the crash. The Adalynn is allegedly part of the so-called 'dark fleet' — a loosely connected group of tankers that operate without AIS transponders, often to obscure their movem...

Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) is delighted to announce that London Corporate Partner Damian Adams has been appointed as a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (“MBE”) in HM The King’s Birthday 2025 Honours List. This prestigious recognition is in honour of his significant contributions to the British Chamber of Commerce in Singapore. Damian has dedicated over 20 years to the British Chamber of Commerce in Singapore, serving as a Boar...

“Every owner’s playbook needs to keep a line of sight on three things – regulation, technology readiness timelines and boundary conditions – and must include the elements needed for a short-, mid- and long game such as energy retrofits, electrification and nuclear.” That was the message from Christopher J. Wiernicki, ABS Chairman and CEO, to Greece’s foremost shipowners, ship managers, and charterers at the ABS Hellenic National Committee Meeting. New e...

Strategic Marine is proud to announce the successful delivery of TMS Tah Muang, the latest 42-metre Generation 4 Fast Crew Boat (FCB) to join the growing fleet of Truth Maritime Services (TMS), a subsidiary of the Prima Marine Group. This marks the fourth high-performance vessel delivered by Strategic Marine to TMS since 2024, following the earlier handovers of TMS Ranod, TMS Raman, and most recently, TMS Chana. Purpose-built to meet the operational needs of offshore energy clients in Southeas...

Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) takes pride in the delivery of ‘INS Arnala’, the first in a series of eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts (ASW SWCs), to the Indian Navy. The vessel was delivered by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd, marking a significant milestone in India's journey towards self-reliance in defence production. Naval underwater operations The primary role of the warship is to undertake naval aquatic roles, covering underwater survei...

The Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX) has announced a partnership agreement with the Joaan Bin Jassim Academy for Defence Studies to jointly host the Middle East Naval Commanders Conference (MENC). The MENC is a key feature of the ninth edition of DIMDEX which will take place from 19 to 22 January 2026 at the Qatar National Convention Centre. DIMDEX 2026 is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar,...

The London P&I Club has announced its financial results for 2024/25, reporting an operating surplus of US$21.3m, while also strengthening its free reserves to US$171.2m. Gross earned premium income increased 12% to reach US$159.8m. The Club’s combined ratio for the period was 101.7%, which contributed to an improved three-year weighted average combined ratio of 103.9%. Meanwhile, the investment return on assets under management and cash was 6.3%, contributing US$24.7m to the operating...

KR (Korean Register) has officially launched a joint working group to establish international standards for the safe discharge of toxic ammonia effluent generated from ammonia-fueled ships. The initiative brings together Korean major shipbuilders—HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI), HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE), HD Hyundai Samho, Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI), and Hanwha Ocean—as well as the Korea Testing & Research Institute (KTR), a national ce...

Ballast Water Management Systems (BWMS) prevent the spread of invasive aquatic species, which pose significant ecological, economic, and health threats. The systems treat and purify a ship's ballast water before it is discharged into a new environment. Regulations dictate how ballast water is managed and discharged. The IMO Ballast Water Management Convention was adopted in 2004 and ratified on 8 September 2017. In addition, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has also regulated discharges in the USA t...

Given the diverse stakeholders in the maritime industry, it is understandable that collaboration is a challenge. However, the interconnected ecosystem of maritime makes collaboration essential. From ship owners and operators to port authorities, from shippers to shipbuilders, from classification societies to marine service providers and others, there are vast opportunities to work together and cooperate. To gain insight, we asked our Expert Panel Roundtable: How can the maritime industry increas...

FuelEU Maritime came into effect on Jan. 1, 2025. It is part of the European Union’s Fit for 55 package and applies to commercial vessels of 5000GT (gross tonnage) and over used for the transport of cargo or passengers and calling at EU ports. Vessels are required to achieve a greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity of energy below a particular level. That level reduces over time and by 2050 the reduction target is 80% compared to 2020 reference levels. GHG intensity of energy obligations &ldqu...

Achieving optimal return on investment (ROI) for a maritime company involves a strategic combination of operational efficiency, revenue enhancement, cost control, careful financial management, attention to sustainability and regulatory compliance, and other factors. Given all the variables in play, profitability can be elusive, but our Expert Panel Roundtable has some ideas. We asked: How can maritime companies maximise return on investment (ROI)?

Traditionally, bulk cargo unloading has faced challenges around operational efficiency, safety risks, environmental impacts, and high operational costs. Rough discharges, equipment wear, vibration damage, and limited weather operating windows have all constrained vessel utilisation and performance. Moreover, older unloading systems are energy-intensive and labour-dependent, increasing both costs and environmental footprint. Cargo unloading systems Many bulk cargo unloading systems depend on...

When the Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention came into force in 2004, it was in response to a crisis we couldn’t afford to ignore—one where invasive aquatic species, carried silently in ships’ ballast tanks, were devastating marine ecosystems. Now, two decades later, compliance with this environmental safeguard is no longer optional—and yet, as recent industry findings reveal, record-keeping failures account for 58% of compliance issues. That’s not a technol...