Corporate News

Anemoi Marine Technologies, a globally renowned provider of innovative Rotor Sail technology solutions, has announced the appointment of Tejal Davda as Finance Director. Tejal brings a wealth of experience in maritime finance and leadership, further strengthening Anemoi’s executive team, which is now 33% female. Extensive industry experience Tejal holds a first-class degree in Economics and Business Finance and is a chartered accountant Tejal holds a first-class degree in Economics and...

Orca AI, a pioneer in maritime technology, announced it has closed an investment of $72.5 million in Series B funding. Brighton Park Capital led the round with participation from existing investors Ankona Capital and Hyperlink Ventures.  The investment will enable Orca AI to further its autonomous platform, add new capabilities and enter new categories, including defense and security. Autonomous shipping capabilities The funding will maintain the company’s...

Technology group - Wärtsilä has announced that its breakthrough carbon capture solution (CCS) is now commercially available to the global maritime industry, delivering a step-change in shipping’s decarbonisation journey. According to Wärtsilä’s tests, the new ‘Wärtsilä Carbon capture solution’ is proven to reduce vessel CO2 emissions by up to 70 percent, providing ship owners with an immediate solution to meet increasingly stringent environm...

ABS issued an approval in principle to SBM Offshore for its concept of a near-zero floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit. The NearZero FPSO design incorporates low-carbon technologies that collectively create a 'Near Zero' Scope 3 carbon emissions profile, achieving up to 80 percent reduction in GHG emissions. Low carbon technologies The introduction of the NearZero FPSO is an important step in SBM’s strategic path to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. ABS completed de...

Helm Operations, a global pioneer in maritime operations software, is proud to announce that it has been awarded a major contract by Washington State Ferries (WSF) to replace its legacy crew dispatching system with Helm CONNECT - a modern, web-based solution purpose-built for maritime operations. As the largest ferry system in the United States, Washington State Ferries operates 21 vessels across 10 routes and 20 terminals. Helm CONNECT’s dispatching platform will transform WSF&rsquo...

Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) is pleased to announce that maritime disputes expert - Andrew Rigden Green has joined the firm as a partner in Hong Kong. He was previously at Stephenson Harwood in the same city. Andrew has over 20 years’ disputes experience having begun his career focussing on arbitration and London High Court litigation. In 2012, he relocated to Hong Kong to grow Stephenson Harwood’s maritime disputes practice and establish its international arbitr...

Marine Specialised Technology (MST Group), a globally renowned designer and manufacturer of high-speed and rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) primarily for military, coast guard and law enforcement sectors is expanding to meet record demand after securing a £6 million funding package from NatWest. Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Bromborough, between Ellesmere Port and Birkenhead, the company has grown to become a major employer in the Wirral area, with approximately 135 staff. MST Group&...

Indian Register of Shipping (IRS), a pioneering international ship classification society and member of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), is proud to announce the opening of its new office in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This strategic expansion highlights IRS’s commitment to supporting the Kingdom’s rapidly growing maritime and oil & gas sectors. IRS full suite of services With the placement of the Dammam, IRS will offer its full suite of servi...

ABS awarded approval in principle to Seatrium Marine & Deepwater Technology for its new design of a floating wind semi-submersible (FWSS) floating column foundation for 15MW wind turbines. Seatrium highlights that the design is optimised for efficient fabrication and cost-effectiveness while being capable of handling the harshest environments. The new design concept features pontoons on three sides and a centre column that supports the turbine. ABS completed design reviews based on class an...

Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) is proud to announce that CMA CGM Vitoria, a vessel operated by CMA CGM, one of the world’s pioneering container shipping lines, has been successfully classed with IRS. This milestone marks a significant achievement in IRS’s growing engagement with major global shipping companies and reinforces its standing as a trusted and recognised classification society on the international stage. CMA CGM’s decision to work with IRS reflects the strong tec...

ClassNK has released ‘Prime Shipmanagement Guidelines’, which aim to achieve sustainable ship management with safety as the highest priority. Given the evolving environment surrounding ship management, including fuel transition, stricter regulations, and crew shortage, ClassNK aims to enable flexible responses to unexpected situations by drawing on lessons learned from successful case studies that had not received much attention before. ClassNK's ‘Prime Shipmanagement Guideli...

Wattlab, the Netherlands-based maritime solar specialist, is proud to introduce its SolarDeck to the seagoing shipping industry. SolarDeck is a modular and scalable system of deck-mounted solar panels that yield significant reductions in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Moreover, based on installation on a seagoing general cargo vessel, SolarDeck combines substantial savings via Fuel EU Maritime and EU ETS regulations and an expected return on investment of 3-5 years. Reduce fuel costs for...

In a significant milestone for the company, Thordon Bearings has seen its RiverTough tailshaft bearing solution surpass 500 installations in the workboat sector. Primarily a retrofit solution but also increasingly specified for newbuilds, RiverTough is designed for coastal and inland waterways, where conditions are typically muddy and abrasive. Thordon shaft sleeves The key has been verified as outlasting rubber bearings by a factor of two or more in the harshest environments The solution, a...

Choosing the right dual-fuel propulsion system for a new vessel requires a balance of regulatory compliance, infrastructure readiness, safety considerations, operational flexibility and long-term economic viability. That’s the message from ABS in its latest publication to support shipowners who are wrestling with propulsion decisions that will impact their future fleets for years to come.  Dual-fuel propulsion options ABS Dual-Fuel Solutions for Newbuild Vessels is a wide report th...

Xeneta has launched an index-linked contract (ILC) simulator to help shippers navigate ocean freight container market volatility and end procurement inefficiency. The new ILC Simulator – now available in the Xeneta platform – allows shippers to compare traditional fixed-rate contracts with index-linked contracts using sample corridor data or their own historical ocean container freight rates. Shippers and logistics services The simulator is an important first step towards index-li...

HydroPenTM, the unique VIKING Life-saving Equipment container firefighting solution, has secured a first major order from an Asian shipowner, in a deal that also demonstrates that the technique is highly adaptable for all sizes of container vessels.  Singapore-based PIL, the largest container carrier in Southeast Asia, is committing its entire container ship fleet of around 100 vessels to carrying HydroPen™ systems. Drill and Douse The TT Club estimates that a container fire occur...

​​​​​​​Container firefighting duties across 85 CMA CGM ships have been assigned to the HydroPen™ system supplied exclusively by VIKING Life-Saving Equipment for this large order for the innovative drilling and spraying solution. This contract demonstrates that, within 18 months of launch, the HydroPen system is becoming the preferred fire-fighting solution for the largest container ships at sea. Revolutionary firefighting The HydroPen is attached to a conventional hose as a combined dri...

Approximately 9 percent of the world’s goods will, at some point in their journey, be transported by sea. That adds up to about 11 billion tons of cargo every year, making the shipping industry a huge exercise in global, distributed logistics. Even with the efficiencies afforded by containerisation, this a task of considerable complexity to ensure that an entire ship’s cargo is ready to be loaded at the allotted time, that the vessel makes its voyage to arrive punctually at the dest...

VIKING is a proven and trusted provider of retrofit solutions for both conventional and free-fall lifeboat installations. The extensive experience allows them to generate engineering solutions that are manufactured and installed within aggressive timescales. Upgrade and retrofit projects Operators can upgrade or replace obsolete equipment (due to age or out-of-date compliance) with minimum working impact and confidence that VIKING will meet project objectives. Installations are completed both...

VIKING uses a test tower facility to perform onshore full-scale testing of free-fall lifeboats, as required by DNVGL-ST-E406. This avoids the complexity and risk of testing from offshore installations. And the approach is recognised by classification societies and national authorities. Onshore testing to offshore activities The onshore tower facility is increasingly engaged by construction yards that wish to receive fully tested equipment that is ready to be installed on the platform or vess...

VIKING Norsafe rescue boats are used every day by thousands of operators in the oil and gas industry as well as the renewable energy sector. The design and construction of these boats showcase all of VIKING Norsafe's ability and experience. Our rescue boats and fast rescue boats provide great maneuverability with low maintenance standby and operation providing the means for effective search and recovery for people at sea. MERLIN-615 R and MAKO-655 MERLIN-615 R and MAKO-655 are available as bo...

In a major push toward decarbonising maritime logistics, President Jae-young Byeon of the Ulsan Port Authority (UPA) and Chief Executive Sun-bae Hong of the Korea Maritime Cooperation Centre (KMC) jointly announced the successful conclusion of the “2nd Forum on the Commercialisation of Biofuels for Maritime Vessels,” held on 23 April at the Caradium Hall of the PJ Hotel in Seoul. The forum, hosted by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and co-organised by UPA and KMC, drew around 3...

Marinetrans, a global pioneer in logistics solutions for the maritime and offshore industries, has been awarded the project logistics contract for two Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) vessel construction projects. The contracts, spanning from 2025 to 2027, have been awarded by  Black & Veatch, a Kansas (USA)-based renowned engineering and construction company specialising in energy infrastructure.  Under the agreement, Marinetrans will provide comprehensive project logistics servi...

Motion control technology giant Nabtesco Corporation has achieved a breakthrough success in marine fuel efficiency optimisation following the deployment of its new Telegraph Agent™ automatic speed control system on the car carrier Malaysia Grace, owned by Eastern Car Liner Co Ltd (ECL). The system was combined with group company DeepSea Technologies' AI-driven optimisation tool Cassandra, delivering a 3.4% reduction in fuel consumption by automatically controlling vessel sp...

Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, part of technology group - Wärtsilä, and Höegh Evi, a pioneer in marine energy infrastructure, have successfully completed development of the world’s first floating ammonia-to-hydrogen cracker. This breakthrough technology enables floating import terminals to produce hydrogen at industrial-scale volumes from transported ammonia, marking a major step in the energy transition. The project was announced in April 2023 and is part of Norway&rsqu...

ABS presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. James S. C. Chao, Founder and Chairman of the Foremost Group. The first ABS award of its kind, the honour was presented by ABS Chairman and CEO - Christopher J. Wiernicki at the 163rd ABS Annual Members Meeting recognising Dr. Chao’s contributions to shipping and his legacy of honour, integrity and dedication to the maritime industry. Legacy of achievement Dr. Chao, who founded Foremost Group with Ruth Mulan Chu Chao in 1964, accepted hi...

Inmarsat Maritime, a Viasat company, has signed an agreement with Sallaum Lines, a pioneering Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) cargo shipping company, to upgrade to Inmarsat Maritime’s NexusWave fully managed bonded connectivity service, making it an early adopter in region. As Sallaum Lines expands its global presence, NexusWave will provide secure, ultra-fast connectivity with unlimited data, complemented by Inmarsat’s Care Premium programme for 24/7 support and maintenance. IoT sensors a...

On April 17, 2025, the Office of the US Trade Representative (“USTR”) published a notice of action (the “USTR Notice”) implementing its port fee proposal, first announced on February 21, 2025. The rules differ substantially from the February proposal. The calculation of the fees has changed to a net tonnage-based fee (or for certain vessels, based on containers discharged or Car Equivalent Units). LNG transportation and vehicle carriers Specialised rules apply to LNG t...

Alfa Laval, a pioneer in heat transfer & centrifugal separation, is pleased to announce the appointment of ESI Process (UK) Ltd as its new distribution partner for the industrial sector and process industries within the United Kingdom, explicitly for Alfa Laval’s Energy Division. Effective immediately, ESI Process (UK) Ltd will be responsible for the distribution of Alfa Laval's extensive range of products and solutions, including Gasketed, Spiral & Compabloc heat exchangers. This...

The 163rd ABS Annual Members Meeting highlighted that ABS has never been stronger, with substantial growth and industry-pioneering safety performance reported. ABS continued to perform strongly in 2024, with the fleet growing to 300 million gross tons. The company also maintained the number one position among class organisations in global new order share with 22 percent. Across the industry, ABS held pioneering positions with both shipbuilders and shipowners. Digital and sustainability service...