Bhutan News

The maritime industry continues to be shaped by extensive uncertainty, influenced by a changing regulatory framework and evolving boundary conditions of safety, fuel availability and scalability and ship-to-port infrastructure. That was the message for members at the annual ABS Advisory Council Meeting on November 14, which included presentations from the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and the Administrator of the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD). Range of emerging technolo...

Investing in a sustainable value chain is a key opportunity for energy companies transitioning to a lower-carbon system. Additive manufacturing, a forefront in sustainable manufacturing, addresses challenges posed by traditional methods. Reports reveal inconsistencies in sustainability reporting among energy and oil and gas companies, compounded by a lack of supply chain indicators in reporting guidelines, hindering objective assessments. Sustainability of AM parts In phase 3, the aim has bee...

Brunvoll has received an order for the delivery of propulsion and manoeuvring packages for Windward's new Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (CSOVs). The order is for two vessels, with two additional vessels as an option.  Azimuth thrusters feature Windward’s new vessels will have two propulsion azimuth thrusters in the aft, and two retractable azimuth thrusters, and a tunnel thruster in the bow. All azimuth thrusters feature the latest and greatest improvements to meet the in...

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, is supplying comprehensive packages of RoRo equipment for another two PCTC vessels to be built by Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co. Ltd in South Korea. The significant repeat order was booked into Cargotec’s 2023 fourth-quarter orders received. The vessels are scheduled to be delivered to the owner during the first half of 2027. Design, supply, and installation MacGregor’s scope of supply encompasses design, supply, and installation support of a complete h...

In April 2024, the first inland vessel running completely on ZES technology is set to sail with zero emissions between Den Bosch, the Maasvlakte, and Moerdijk (The Netherlands). For electric sailing with standard 20-foot modular energy containers (ZESpacks), a fixed battery package will be installed. The vessel, the Den Bosch Max Groen, is 90 metres long and was prepared for electric sailing during construction. Initiators Inland Terminals Group (ITG), Nedcargo, and Zero Emission Services (ZES)...

Hydrogen from renewable sources is set to play a major role for industry by replacing fossil-based energy and feedstocks. The hydrogen ecosystem that is currently under development was showcased during King Willem-Alexander's visit to duisport, Germany’s largest inland port on November 14th. There also was a demonstration of how the transportation of low-emission hydrogen is already possible. Collaboration with partners throughout the chain is crucial to enable industry’s transition...

Unifeeder is enhancing the services connecting Copenhagen with three German hub ports by scheduling an additional weekly container ship call to Copenhagen Malmö Port’s (CMP) terminals in Copenhagen, Denmark. Starting from November 16th, CMP’s container terminal in Copenhagen is served with one additional container ship call every week. This additional service means that we are connecting Copenhagen with the three major German hub ports: Hamburg twice a week - Bremerhaven and Wi...

Technology group Wärtsilä has introduced the marine sector’s first commercially available four-stroke engine-based solution for ammonia fuel. The new solution enables a significant advance in sustainable shipping operations–during a time in which ship owners are seeking viable options among green fuels. The ammonia solution is now commercially available as part of the Wärtsilä 25 engine platform, which was launched in September 2022. New ammonia solution Viridi...

A UK-first Green Automotive Manufacturing Hub, which will significantly reduce supply chain emissions in the North-West, has been launched in Merseyside by Peel Ports and Suardiaz. The £10 million facility, which is the first of its kind in the UK was officially opened in a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday (14 November) as it welcomed a Suardiaz vessel from Vigo Port in Spain, to which it will service a twice-weekly shipping route. Sustainable vehicle manufacturing Located on a 9.5-acr...

Intertek, a pioneer Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide, has successfully completed the management of two years of marine megafauna and bird surveys on behalf of Saoirse Wave Energy Ltd, a joint venture between Simply Blue Group and ESB for their Saoirse Wave Energy Converter (WEC) Project on the West Coast of Ireland. Subcontracted by Intertek, HiDef Surveying Ltd (HiDef) conducted aerial site surveys and terrestrial landfall surveys to quantify the bird, marine mammal, an...

Boskalis put into service a large-scale shore-based power facility at its Waalhaven location in Rotterdam, Netherlands. This service centre is equipped with berths where Boskalis handles the mobilisation and demobilisation of vessels for a variety of its own projects. Going forward, moored vessels will cease to use diesel-powered generators and transition to green shore-based power. Additionally, Boskalis will utilise Rotterdam Shore Power’s shore-based power installation to power a range...

Trade in Africa has become a popular talking point; with infrastructural, innovation, and technical challenges dogging the process, impacting economic growth, thwarting intra-country business, and slowing the development of regional economic corridors. It has become clear that a sustainable trade environment is needed to boost trade, which is currently low in comparison to international trade. African Continental Free Trade Area The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) came into force...

ABS has been honoured with an award from the Coast Guard Foundation at the annual Texas Salutes the Coast Guard event, recognising ABS’ legacy of support and commitment to the service. Low-carbon shipping Accepting the award on behalf of all ABS employees, Christopher J. Wiernicki, ABS Chairman and CEO said: “ABS and the U.S. Coast Guard have a unique, special and significant relationship forged by a common focus on safety, security, protecting the environment and service." &ldquo...

Karstensens Skibsværft and Klondyke Fishing Company have chosen a broad equipment range from Brunvoll for the new fishing vessel “Chris Andra”. This is yet another contract between Brunvoll and Karstensen Skibsværft in the fishing vessel range, and delivery of the complete vessel will happen in 2026. The delivery to Karstensens Skibsværft includes several advanced Brunvoll products: the Integrated Costa Propulsion with controllable pitch propeller and gear, tunnel...

As the curtains fall on Europort 2023, memories linger of an event that saw stakeholders from across the maritime world connect on the key themes of energy transition and digitalisation, as well as the human capital and finance needed to support them. Europort 2023 Europort has drawn to a close after four busy days of conferences, networking, and awards ceremonies that also saw a series of new and innovative products introduced to the maritime and offshore markets. In 2023, 24,470 visitors an...

Babcock International Group (Babcock), the international defence company, has signed a four-year £750 million contract with the UK Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA), to deliver the infrastructure required to support and sustain the UK’s submarines for decades to come. As part of the major infrastructure programme underway at the Devonport site, Babcock will deliver substantial upgrades to existing infrastructure that will support the future capability...

On 3 November 2023, Managing Director of PIL China - Klaus Ku has retired from his role after serving Pacific International Lines (PIL) for close to 30 years. Succeeding him as Managing Director is Anderson Luo, who has joined PIL China on 8 October 2023. Lars Kastrup, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), PIL, said, “On behalf of all at PIL, I would like to express our deepest gratitude to Klaus for his long and loyal service in leading PIL China to what it is today. His deep knowledge of C...

Babcock has announced a new charity partnership to assist serving soldiers, veterans and their families. We’re pleased to be joining forces with the Army Benevolent Fund (ABF), the British Army’s national charity, to support a number of its key events. Supplying mobility equipment The partnership will play a significant role in supporting ABF to continue in its mission to provide lifetime support to individuals in need through a variety of initiatives including, supplying mobility...

Wärtsilä ANCS, part of technology group - Wärtsilä, has delivered to Seaspan, a marine transportation and shipbuilding company, cutting-edge autonomous SmartDock capabilities to the seas. This delivery marks a significant step towards autonomous docking and undocking operations, making maritime activities safer and more efficient. The SmartDock system developed by Wärtsilä ANCS enables Seaspan to perform autonomous docking manoeuvres even in challenging conditions,...

The seven industry bodies dedicated to container safety, collaborating as the Cargo Integrity Group, highlight an independent study carried out by researchers at Italian University Politecnico di Torino into shipper and forwarder application of the CTU Code. The 2023 survey yielded encouraging signs of adoption and highlighted several convincing arguments – including financial benefits for its use. Several convincing arguments The survey highlights multiple benefits to CTU Code users...

Brunvoll, a global provider of propulsion and manoeuvring systems, has been selected to deliver a range of equipment for a new compact service vessel designed by Marin Design AS for Moen Marin for the aquaculture industry, including main propulsion, tunnel thrusters, and Brunvoll’s BruCon control system. The vessel is designed for high bollard pull, and the additional power will make the vessel more attractive in a demanding sector. New single-hull multi-purpose vessel The new compact s...

A new study by cross-border shopping platform UBuy Switzerland reveals the states where is most costly to ship to are Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. The study compared shipping costs from everywhere in the world to all European countries and then calculated the average to discover which countries are most expensive to ship to. Average shipping costs Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia share the top spot with an average of €143.74. As the three countries are neighbours in the Caucasus reg...

An innovative programme from Seatrium to promote the energy transition and develop next-generation skills in Singapore has selected Christopher J. Wiernicki, ABS Chairman and CEO, to be its first Visiting Professor. Seatrium Professorships at the National University of Singapore College of Design and Engineering (NUS CDE) seek to attract top talents from the energy transition and sustainability sectors to Singapore to promote knowledge transfer and support the development of innovative technolo...

MAHI has become the latest company to join One Sea, bringing further expertise to the growing association whose mission is to advance understanding of maritime autonomous surface ships. In what is proving to be a period of significant growth for One Sea, MAHI is the fifth new member in the past 12 months alone. MAHI also becomes One Sea’s first member from Belgium, adding to a list that now includes representation from eight countries across three continents. MAHI and MAHI Sense MAHI is...

A seamless application of shipping’s first antifouling coating to successfully integrate highly durable graphene provides further evidence that Gibdock’s remains ahead of the curve as a ship repair and conversion yard geared up for a sustainable maritime future. The Gibraltar yard recently hosted the Vulica Shipping Company-owned bulk carrier - Donald M James for a 30-day project, which brought a first opportunity to work with a new type of coating from GIT Coatings (Graphite Innova...

Three senior appointments by Campbell Johnston Clark (CJC) have reinforced the international maritime law firm’s strategy to grow both its litigation and transactional activities. All three individuals joined CJC’s London office from another maritime law firm. Highly experienced dispute resolution specialist Chris Kidd has joined CJC as Director, at the Partner level, with immediate effect. In two further appointments, Stuart Plotnek has joined CJC’s transactional team as Mana...

A multidisciplinary panel of maritime-industry representatives discussed the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence in shipping during the thought-provoking Opening Summit of Europort 2023. Exploring artificial intelligence in the maritime industry, the Opening Summit of Europort 2023 set the scene for a four-day event expected to welcome upwards of 25,000 visitors and more than 1,000 exhibitors from over 70 countries. Opening Summit’s panel discussion Proceedings began...

Wallenius Wilhelmsen, the global RoRo shipping and vehicle logistics company, has ordered 4 × MAN B&W 7S60ME-C10.5-LGIM (-Liquid Gas Injection Methanol) dual-fuel engines capable of running on green methanol in connection with the construction of 4 × PCTCs (Pure Car/Truck carriers). The 9,300 CEU (Car Equivalent Unit) vessels will be built in China at the Jinling Shipyard (Jiangsu) and are scheduled for delivery from mid-2026 on; the order contains options for a further eight s...

DNV, the independent energy expert and assurance provider, has successfully concluded Phase 1 of its joint industry project (JIP) aimed at establishing offshore substation standards for the growing floating wind sector. The collaborative industry effort has brought together 38 participating companies (including transmission operators, developers, component suppliers, Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation contractors, and yards) to tackle the distinctive challenges associated w...

Technology group - Wärtsilä will supply the Cargo Handling Systems for five new very large LPG carrier vessels to be built at the Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) yard in South Korea. The order with Wärtsilä was booked in Q3, 2023. The ships have been contracted by Norwegian ship owner - Solvang, in a joint venture with Gunvor Group Ltd, in Geneva. The VLGCs are of Panamax size and form the next generation of eco-vessels. Partnership with HHI and Solvang The Wärtsil&aum...