Regulations - News

5G connectivity, speed, efficiency, optimization, and real-time coordination are the keys to the success of the IMAGINE-B5G project. IMAGINE-B5G project This initiative – which is part of the innovation strategy of the Port Authority of València (PAV) – has been developed by Telefónica, the company XRF, ETRAIR and coordinated by the PAV, the Valenciaport Foundation and the iTeam Institute of the Polytechnic University of València. The project aims to develop...

AF Theriault & Son Ltd., one of Canada’s largest privately-owned commercial shipyards, announced an exclusive partnership with New Zealand’s pioneering electric ferry design and technology company, EV Maritime. This partnership has been formed in relation to Halifax Regional Municipality’s (HRM) upcoming procurement of electric ferries serving the community of Bedford, Nova Scotia. Expected to be completed in the 2027-2028 fiscal year, the entire project is estimated at CA...

X-Press Feeders, the world’s largest independent common carrier, has started Europe’s first scheduled feeder network in which the vessels are powered by green methanol, a sustainable marine fuel that reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 65%.  The industry milestone coincided with today’s naming and christening ceremony in Rotterdam of X-Press Feeders’ first dual-fuel methanol-powered vessel. Emissions trading scheme The newly christened vessel, named Eco-Ma...

IRCLASS Academy, the training arm of the Indian Register of Shipping, has successfully concluded the first-ever Port Facility Security Internal Auditor training program at the Rashtriya Raksha University, School of Integrated Coastal and Maritime Security Studies in Ahmedabad. This program also included comprehensive training for Port Facility Security Officers. The inaugural ceremony was graced by Dr. Prabhakaran Paleri, Emeritus Resource Faculty and Former Director General of the Indian Coast...

Technology group Wärtsilä has supplied its new dual-fuel engine simulator technology for Wavelink Maritime Institute (WMI), the maritime training arm of the Singapore Maritime Officer’s Union (SMOU). The navigational and technological simulators are a central feature of the simulation suite at WMI, which was recently inaugurated by H.E. Ms. Grace FU Hai Yien, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations of the Republic of Si...

Classification Society DNV has published updates to its rules for the classification of ships and offshore structures. In addition to rules supporting the development and deployment of decarbonization technologies, the new in-operation class notations seek to bring clarity to the responsibilities of class customers for notations that have a mix of design and operational requirements. Challenges and opportunities “One of the most striking aspects of the maritime industry today, is the hu...

Swiss marine power company WinGD has completed type approval and factory acceptance testing for its X52‑S2.0 engine, bringing a new option to shipowners in need of compact, medium-bore two-stroke engines. The tests at Yuchai Marine Power Co (YCMP) confirmed the engine’s performance and compliance, while the prototype project validated its ease of assembly and maintenance. X‑S series The X‑S series succeeds the well-established RT‑flex50 and RT‑flex58 engines and is available in 52cm and...

The Valencia Containerised Freight Index (VCFI) for the month of June decreases slightly in a scenario in which the activity of the maritime sector is marked by the geopolitical situation, but in which an improvement in the world economy is observed.  Thus, in the sixth month of the year, this price index, which is based on export prices recorded by the Port of València in 13 geographical areas around the world, stood at 1,585.67 points, representing a monthly decrease of -1.30% and...

Columbia Group (Columbia Ship Management) and Crowley have signed a strategic cooperation agreement that broadens both companies’ ship management solutions for customers, leveraging their extensive, industry-renowned expertise across the maritime, logistics and energy sectors. Under the alliance, customers will be able to capitalise on the capabilities of both organisations for more efficient and greater scale of international management services. Columbia and Crowley form strategic alli...

PD Ports has made its largest-ever donation through its employee charity and community fund, in support of a member of the team and his family who use the services of Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice. The grant of £7,500 for the purchase of a specialist bed was made following a request by Mike Lee, a business development analyst, who made an application to PD Ports’ Find It Fund It initiative after seeing the impact of the work done by Zoe’s Place as they support his daughter,...

Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) and the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at advancing maritime safety through the development of a ship trajectory prediction tool. The trajectory prediction of disabled ships is a critical aspect of maritime safety, facilitating early warnings and rescue operation planning. Understanding and predicting the movement of disabled ships and floating objects drifting in the open sea, under the...

Say goodbye to scribbled handwriting, disjointed data sources and a huge administrative burden, and hello to simple mobile solutions. NAVTOR continues its drive to “make life easy” for vessel crews, management teams and shipowners with the next generation of digital logbooks. Amitabh Sankranti, Shipping Analytics Director at NAVTOR, explains.  Logbooks. One word with a million associations; and most of them far from positive. Essential tools for compliance, treasure troves...

In a few weeks from now, Fender Innovations will be travelling Eastwards again to participate in SMM Hamburg 2024. Taking place from September 3 to 6, 2024, the port city of Hamburg will be hosting this amazing international exhibition for maritime innovation again and they’re looking forward to meet everyone there! Fender Innovations at SMM Hamburg 2024 Visitors can find the Fender Innovations Group in Hall B7, at Stand 718 for a personal update about the company’s latest develop...

Spire Global, Inc. (‘Spire’ or ‘the Company’), a global provider of space-based data, analytics and space services, was awarded a CA $1.41 million contract by the Government of Canada (GoC) for the provision of global automatic identification system (AIS) ship tracking data. The one-year contract includes options for two additional years, extending the total potential contract value to nearly CA $4.23 million. Spire Global secures contract for ship tracking data &ldquo...

A collaboration between ABB and Arkitech has brought significant efficiency gains for the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system on board MSC Magnifica. Using artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyse data from over 1,500 sensors on the MSC Cruises ship, this technology enables up to 12 percent increase in chiller efficiency to achieve monthly energy savings of 100 MW by the 15-year-old ship, while maintaining optimal air-handling unit performance. Energy effici...

The company has started producing medium voltage (MV) soft starters at one of its facilities in South Africa, reducing delivery times for customers and boosting local manufacturing. The SSW7000 soft starters are produced at WEG's manufacturing unit in South Africa, with high-efficiency standards. The SSW7000 line is well recognised in the market and widely used in pump and fan applications in the mining segment. WEG's soft starters With the growing demand for WEG's medium voltage soft start...

Sir Keir Starmer has been appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom after the Labour Party secured a majority in the House of Commons in yesterday’s general election. Maritime UK’s Chief Executive, Chris Shirling-Rooke has shared his congratulations and also urged the newly appointed Prime Minister to prioritise the interests and economic prosperity of coastal communities in the Government's upcoming plans and agenda. In the Maritime Manifesto 2024, Maritime UK outlined its a...

IMO’s Technical Cooperation Committee has made headway towards finalising a streamlined, comprehensive strategy for the organisation’s technical support for Member States. Meeting in London from 24 to 28 June, the Committee finalised a revised draft of the IMO Capacity-Development Strategy, aimed at enhancing the maritime capabilities of IMO's Member States, particularly Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States.  Revised draft strategy Addressing the Mem...

The CO2 Efficient Transport via Ocean (CETO) joint industry project (JiP) concluded recently with the release of a report setting out the findings of the Technology Qualification performed in the study. The project partners, which included Equinor, Gassco, Shell, TotalEnergies, and DNV, have found that there are no technological showstoppers to a low-pressure CO2 ship transport chain. CETO was funded by the project partners and Gassonova through the CLIMIT-Demo programme. Carbon Capture and St...

Pacific International Lines (PIL) is pleased to announce that they have launched the China Calcutta Service (CCS), the first in the market to link South China to Calcutta directly. The weekly service started on July 2, 2024, from Xiamen. PIL’s continued commitment Mr. Surendran Mathilagath, General Manager of Intra-Asia Services at PIL, said, "PIL is pleased to be a pioneer in offering a direct China to Calcutta service, supporting the high growth and trade in these two economies. Th...

Strategic Marine announced that Louis Dreyfus Armateurs has placed an order for an additional pair of newly built 27M Crew Transfer Vessels (CTVs), expanding its fleet from five to seven high-specification vessels. These additional new units, sister ships to Acti’Vent and Esti’Vent, will be constructed by Singapore-based Strategic Marine, reinforcing the strong partnership between the two companies. Technological advancements The new 27M Crew Transfer Vessels, inspired by the accl...

A multi-faceted, comprehensive conference programme addressing the industry’s most pressing issues will once again captivate SMM visitors this year. The pioneering international maritime trade fair will put decarbonisation, digitalisation, recruiting as well as maritime security and defence at the top of its agenda. For the first time, the conferences will take place on the four Transition Stages, freely accessible to all visitors: Green Stage, Open Stage, Cruise & Ferry Stage and Dig...

The business of Mont-Tech Ltd. (Mont-Tech), a Czech engineering company offering customised engineering solutions for assembly automation, has become part of Atlas Copco Group. The company is headquartered in Brno, Czech Republic and has 27 employees. During 2023 Mont-Techs revenues amounted to 3.5 MEUR (40 MSEK). Mont-Tech business "With this acquisition, we will further strengthen our competence and know-how of assembly automation and better serve our customers in this area an...

Technology group Wärtsilä has signed a six-year Lifecycle Agreement with Malaysia-based Nautica Ship Management. The agreement covers two vessels, the MTT Saisunee & MTT Senari, and is designed to ensure that the ships’ exhaust gas treatment systems operate at maximum efficiency. The vessels are feeder container vessels and are fitted with Wärtsilä hybrid scrubber systems. The order was booked by Wärtsilä in Q2 2024. Sustainable operations "It...

ClassNK has released its annual report on Port State Control. The report is prepared to enhance awareness of the present state of PSC and improve future onboard maintenance and inspections as well as Safety Management Systems. Statistics and data analysis The report includes statistics and data analysis on ships detained by PSC, as well as typical defective photos. In 2023, 419 PSC detentions were reported for 398 ships classed by ClassNK. ‘Fire safety deficiencies’ such as &lsquo...

Wärtsilä Gas Solutions (WGS), part of the technology group Wärtsilä, will deliver the fuel supply and cargo handling systems for two new gas carriers that will operate with ammonia fuel. The ships are being built at the Hyundai Mipo Dockyards (HMD) in Korea for ship owner EXMAR LPG, a joint venture between EXMAR, a multi-disciplinary maritime and offshore solutions provider, and Seapeak, one of the largest independent owner-operators of liquefied natural gas vessel...

ClassNK has issued an Approval in Principle (AiP) for a design concept of the hydrogen-fueled engine compatible 5,000KL oil tanker with an electric propulsion system developed by UYENO TRANSTECH LTD., YANMAR POWER TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. This is the world’s first AiP certification for the design of an oil tanker using liquefied hydrogen as a fuel. The ship was designed as part of the ‘Development of Large-scale Hydrogen-fueled Domestic Tanker and...

Oceania Cruises, the pioneer culinary- and destination-focused cruise line, has marked an important milestone in the construction of its new 1,200-guest ship, Allura, at the Fincantieri shipyard in Sestri Ponente, Italy, bordering the famed seaport of Genoa. A landmark moment as the ship moves towards completion, the vessel was floated from the dry-dock and moved to the fitting-out berth to begin outfitting the luxurious, designer-inspired interiors. The ship was blessed by the shipyard's chapl...

Daphne Technology’s innovative SlipPure™ system has been awarded Approval in Principle (AiP) from Lloyd's Register (“LR”) for its Plasma-Catalytic technology, with LR witnessed results confirming its performance. This recognition marks a significant milestone in the fight against methane slips in the maritime and land-based oil and gas industries. The advanced SlipPure™ system, which previously received AiP for its plasma-only configuration, now runs its full Plasm...

Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) advised Hamburg Commercial Bank AG (“HCOB”) on its acquisition of NIBC Bank N.V.’s (“NIBC”) entire shipping portfolio comprising €992m of performing shipping loans. NIBC’s shipping experts will join HCOB to form its first representative office in the Netherlands. The portfolio was acquired through a multi-stage competitive bidding process and is the first major acquisition of its kind for HCOB. Banking pr...