Prime movers News

After a rare dip in long-term contracted ocean freight rates in December and January, container shipping costs are rising once again, with a 3.9% increase in February. The development, revealed in the latest Xeneta Shipping Index (XSI®) Public Indices, means rates have risen across 15 of the last 17 months. They currently stand 87.9% up year on year. Furthermore, ongoing congestion, high demand, and a new level of geopolitical angst are unlikely to reverse that trend any time soon. “I...

The International Labour Organisation (ILO), International Maritime Organization (IMO), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have issued a joint statement asking stakeholders to take action to support the world’s 1.9 million seafarers from being unduly impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions. The statement comes in the wake of the Omicron COVID-19 variant of concern (VOC), which has, once again, c...

In response to President Biden’s planned attack on ocean carriers during Tuesday’s State of the Union Address, the World Shipping Council released the following statement: “It is unfortunate that the President is demonizing ocean carriers, the industry that is the backbone of the U.S. and global economy and that has been working around the clock through the pandemic to move more cargo than at any time in history.” Container shipping industry “Allegations that the...

Maritime UK, the umbrella body for the maritime sector, is launching the first national Pride in Maritime Day. Pride in Maritime Day is an initiative driven by the Pride in Maritime Network, a network established within Maritime UK’s Diversity in Maritime programme. Its remit has been to identify barriers faced by the LGBT+ maritime community, to educate and enable colleagues to empower and support them, and to share good practice policies and toolkits that support the LGBT+ colleagues ac...

Ocean Infinity has contracted VARD for the design and construction of a new series of six multi-purpose offshore vessels, all of which will be operated from shore and will eventually utilise green ammonia as fuel. VARD’s robotic vessels This landmark order of six, 85-metre, optionally crewed robotic vessels will take Ocean Infinity’s remote vessel fleet capacity to 23 vessels, which will be the largest in the world. With Ocean Infinity’s control infrastructure and remote con...

Despite the scheduled unveiling of the winner of the 2022 Next Generation Ship Award being postponed by the Omicron surge, the winner from the four shortlisted candidates revealed last year will be presented with the prize on 4 April this year. Details of the four shortlisted candidates have already been publicly revealed but the other candidates were all worthy competitors and deserving of greater mention. Every one of the entrants was chosen by at least one of the judges in their selections a...

Motor ships of FESCO Transportation Group (“FESCO”, the “Group”) - FESCO Magadan and FESCO Moneron continue their operation within the framework of marine coastal service FESCO Magadan Line connecting Vladivostok and port Vostochny with Magadan. FESCO Magadan loaded with containers and general cargo is currently en route to port Magadan. Estimated date of arrival is February 28. In its turn, FESCO Moneron is moving in the opposite direction, heading from Magadan to port...

Blue Water is pleased to announce the acquisition of Guyana-owned and operated Falcon Logistics Inc. and its proceedings as of February 16, 2022. "The acquisition of Falcon Logistics is a very exciting event in the world of Blue Water. It is yet another substantial commitment in the Caribbean region, and we are pleased to welcome more than 40 new colleagues in Guyana to the Blue Water family," says Thomas Bek, COO, Energy, Port & Projects, Blue Water. Maintaining full compliance In recent...

A Nigerian flagged Motor Vessel, MV VIGEO ADEBOLA which was reported to be distressed midstream Federal Ocean Terminal ONNE due to operational error has been moved to a better location clear away from the FOT Onne Channel. MV Vigeo Adebola had a port list on 10th February, 2022 due to the fact that it received potable freshwater from a barge and it received all in the port freshwater tank. Negative metacentric height The vessel owners were able to correct the list on the 13th February, 2022 b...

Pacific International Lines (PIL) is pleased to announce the launch of two weekly direct services which is an enhancement to its China to East Africa service. This will allow its customers to enjoy stable and faster transit times to East Africa. The enhancement will see the current East Africa Service (EAS), which PIL operates independently, expanding into two service routes - with one serving Mombasa, called EAS, and the other serving Dar es Salaam, to be named as EA3. New EAS and EA3 ser...

ABB and Ballard are progressing with their partnership to decarbonise marine transport and have received an AiP from DNV for their high-power fuel cell concept, the development of which was launched in 2018. An AiP is a major milestone in developing new technology as an independent assessment of the concept, confirming that the design is feasible and no significant obstacles exist to prevent the concept from being realised. With the AiP in place, the jointly developed solution can be completed...

Dubai International Boat Show is the premier and most established boat show in the UAE, GCC, and Middle East. Whether the users wants to buy a boat, discover luxury yachts and superyachts, explore the latest diving and aquatic innovations, it’s the definitive event for luxury and lifestyle. QS Seamaster and Waveless are the two brands, among those distributed by SAIM, which will be exhibited at the Dubai Boat Show 2022. Digital connection systems QS Seamaster bow and stern thrusters rep...

Swiss-based marine engine technology developer, WinGD - Winterthur Gas & Diesel Ltd has expanded its global training network, through a partnership with DCS POWER PTE LTD in Singapore, to deliver state-of-the-art training for optimising engine performance and preparing crews for the fuels of the future. The new training partnership, which was commemorated on the 22nd of February, will combine the skills and expertise of WinGD with those of machinery specialist DCS, further enhancing the glo...

On February 20th, 2022, Fifteen 40HQ containers of cargoes, which were mainly chemical raw materials, traveling by rail from Zhuzhou, Hunan were loaded onto the CULINES vessel - AS FLORA at Mawan Container Terminal (MCT) in the west area of Port of Shekou for their destination Port of Cat Lai in Ho Chi Minh. This maiden voyage shipping export cargoes with railway containers marked the new development of CULINES one-stop rail-sea intermodal transport. Combined transport solution CULINES rail-s...

For years, Blue Water has been active within Oil & Energy and Renewables projects in the southern hemisphere. Due to the growing demands for transport and logistics services to projects of the Oil & Gas, Wind, Renewables, Infrastructure, Mining and Hydrogen industries in Australia, Blue Water has expanded its presence by establishing offices in Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth in 2021. The company established its first Australian office in Sydney in 2012. Transport and logistics solution...

Right at the start of the year, MSC successfully orchestrated a number of complex shipping and inland moves to help healthcare organisations in the US receive critically needed medical equipment in record times from Japan. This shipment — containing more than 14 million blood collection devices travelling between two continents and across three countries — had to be safely delivered in record times because the devices are considered critical to healthcare in the US. Nearly all peopl...

As the countdown begins for the seventh edition of the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX), the Organising Committee provided an update on the preparations and an overview of the event, at a diplomat briefing session, at Sharq Village and Spa, on February 21, 2022. One of the most awaited events on the international maritime defence and security calendar, DIMDEX 2022 is shaping up to be the biggest and most diverse edition ever, with more than 200 companies fr...

St. Petersburg, fully operational as of this week, the new AE66 service links Korea, Japan, and China to the Kaliningrad Region in Russia, the Baltic countries, and Poland through Trans-Siberian. The new Sea-Rail-Sea service runs west-bound fortnightly departing from the seaport of Vostochniy in Russia Far East (at the Pacific to Kaliningrad on the Baltic sea, with robust outlooks for further expansion. Current logistics woes Transit times of the new regular service are significantly reduced...

ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. announces that following its previous update on the extension of its operational cooperation agreement with the 2M partners, the parties have formally finalised the related documents in connection with their continued collaboration. The agreement is subject to regulatory approval. As previously communicated, effective April 2, 2022, ZIM and the 2M alliance partners will operate their joint services on the Asia – US East Coast (USEC) and Asia – U...

Following the bidding process, CMA Terminals, a fully-owned subsidiary of the CMA CGM Group, a provider of shipping and logistics, has been chosen to manage, operate and maintain the Port of Beirut’s container terminal for a 10-year period starting in March 2022. The CMA CGM Group, which already has a strong presence in Lebanon, currently accounts for almost 55% of the container terminal’s volumes, since it has maintained its nine weekly calls and transshipment operations there. Co...

Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation (Yang Ming) has announced a new direct service connecting China and Australia. The CHINA-AUSTRALIA-2 SERVICE (Loop Code: CA2) will set sail on 10 March 2022 (ETA Qingdao). Deploying a fleet of six 3,500-3,900 TEU vessels, this new service is a joint operation with T. S. Lines Ltd., Pacific International Lines (Pte) Ltd., and Sea Lead Shipping. The rotation of CA2 is Qingdao – Shanghai – Nansha – Shekou – Sydney – Melbourne...

Pacific International Lines (PIL) is pleased to introduce a new weekly express service connecting China and Australia. The new service, known as Sino Australia Express (SAE), will commence on 10 March 2022 from Qingdao. SAE aims to augment PIL’s existing services connecting China with Australia and is served by a consortium of six vessels with an average capacity of 3900 TEUs, jointly deployed by PIL, T.S. Lines, Yang Ming and Sea Lead Shipping. Meeting the demands of customers Mr. To...

Wrist, the world’s largest supplier of provisions, stores and spare parts logistics to ships and offshore locations, acquires Centralam Panama, a recognised ship chandler based at the Pacific side of the Panama Canal. With the acquisition, Wrist is expanding its global reach and securing a foothold at one of the world’s most important maritime crossroads while at the same time enhancing Centralam Panama’s market position. In acquiring Centralam Panama, Wrist is expanding its...

The Confidential Human Incident Reporting Programme (CHIRP Maritime) has provided an independent and confidential safety reporting system for incidents, accidents, and near misses at sea to seafarers worldwide since 2013. Raising awareness, improving safety Reports are received directly from seafarers and analysis is published on CHIRP's website and in its Maritime FEEDBACK paper publication in the languages most spoken by seafarers (English, Chinese, Filipino, Indonesian, and sever...

Globally renowned and Tokyo-leading Classification Society, ClassNK will calculate the CO2 emissions from the ships to be financed under the Sustainability-Linked Loan, provided by ORIX Corporation (ORIX). The ship finance agreement signed between ORIX and a ship owner in Hong Kong is the sustainability-linked loan. ClassNK – ORIX Finance Deal ClassNK will calculate the CO2 emissions of the vessels, to ensure objectivity and fairness of the loan framework A standard value is set for th...

Rolls-Royce is delivering its new generation mtu Series 2000 engines which comply with the strict emissions regulations IMO III and EPA Tier 3 Recreational for the first time for a yacht to be built in the US. Rolls-Royce will provide two 16V 2000 M97L engines with integrated SCR system and a power output of 1939 KW (2600 bhp) each. The engines will be installed in a Westport 125 yacht. Rolls-Royce is also delivering its automation solution mtu NautIQ Blue Vision NG for monitoring and contr...

  MAN Energy Solutions has signed a cooperation agreement with Hyundai Global Services (HGS) – after-sales division of shipbuilder and engine maker, Hyundai Heavy Industries Co.- Ltd. (HHI) – to deliver its Overridable Power Limitation (OPL) solution to MAN B&W-branded low-speed engines manufactured by HHI’s Engine & Machinery Division, HHI-EMD. Effective immediately, the agreement is set to run for an initial period of two years.  Jens Seeberg, Senior M...

ABB announces that its Turbocharging division (PA), a pioneer in heavy-duty turbocharging for diesel and gas engines, has unveiled its new brand name ‘Accelleron’, a compound word of: Access – Accelerate – Excel – on and on, with a bold new colour of bright purple representing a powerful, inspirational, and noble brand. The new brand is centred around the company's purpose: ‘Together we inspire, innovate & exceed expectations’ – setting indust...

MPC Container Ships ASA and Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping have signed a project support agreement, which makes MPC Container Ships ASA an official supporter to the centre. Market analysis capabilities MPC Container Ships ASA will contribute to the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping’s work with market analysis capabilities, building industry insight and strategic industry and policy recommendations, which are focused o...

Babcock International Group PLC (“Babcock” or “the Group”) announced that it has entered into a Sales and Purchase Agreement to acquire the remaining 50% interest in its Australian Naval Ship Management (NSM) joint venture from its long-term joint venture partner in Australia, for a consideration of AUD60 million (approximately £32 million). The acquisition is subject to customary approvals. The NSM joint venture was established in 2012 to maintain the Royal Aust...