SunStone Expedition Cruise Vessel Delivered to Aurora
SunStone Maritime Group A/S, touted as the world’s largest tonnage provider to the expedition cruise industry, announced the delivery of the seventh and final vessel in this first series of newbuilds, the Douglas Mawson. The delivery took place at China Merchants Heavy Industry in Haimen, China, on September 9, 2025.Named after Sir Douglas Mawson, the Australian geologist and Antarctic explorer whose work was central to the study of the polar regions…
BW Epic Kosan Opts for bound4blue’s Wind-Assisted Propulsion System
Singapore-based BW Epic Kosan (BWEK), a provider of LPG, petrochemicals and specialty gas transportation, has signed an agreement with bound4blue for the installation of a 24-meter tall eSAIL suction sail on the 2007-buit Helena Kosan vessel.The autonomous wind propulsion system, to be installed in 2026, will allow BWEK to save fuel, cut emissions, reduce costs and simplify regulatory compliance, as…
World Shipping Council Concerned About Dangerous Goods Handling
The World Shipping Council (WSC) released a new report summarising deficiencies found in government cargo inspection programs, reviving a data series that the IMO discontinued last year.The 2024 report shows that 11.39% of inspected cargo shipments were found to have deficiencies, up slightly from the IMO’s final 2023 figure of 11%. These include mis-declared and undeclared dangerous goods, incorrect documentation…
NGOs Again Urge EU to Stop Unweaned Calf Transport by Sea
A joint letter has been sent to EU Animal Welfare Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi urging the Commission to halt the transport of unweaned calves from Ireland to France by roro ferry.It follows a similar letter sent in February.In 2022 the European Commission conducted an audit into the export of unweaned calves from Ireland to France and concluded that these journeys breach Regulation EC1/2005 on the protection of animals during long distance transport…
Hegseth Visits Puerto Rico as Tensions with Venezuela Soar
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and the top U.S. general Dan Caine made a surprise visit to Puerto Rico on Monday, the first trip there by senior Pentagon officials since the start of a military buildup in the Caribbean that has escalated tensions with Venezuela.Hegseth and Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were seen being received by Puerto Rico's governor, Jenniffer Gonzalez, in photographs she posted to social media site X.U.S.
Italy, US to Boost LNG Ties, Infrastructure
Italy and the United States on Monday vowed to deepen energy ties including through increased exports to Italy of liquefied natural gas (LNG), as Europe continues to seek alternatives to Russian energy supplies following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.Italian Energy Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin and U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, after talks in Rome, pledged to foster a "steady and secure" flow of American LNG to Europe…
Apex Industries Partners with MARL International to Light New Royal Canadian Navy Destroyers
MARL International, part of Glamox, a global leader in lighting, announced today that it is partnering with Canadian firm Apex Industries, which will manufacture its marine lighting systems under license in Canada for three destroyers for the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). Apex Industries was awarded the lighting systems contract by Irving Shipbuilding, which will build the vessels at its shipyard in Halifax, Nova Scotia, while Lockheed Martin Canada will provide the defense equipment.
Israel-Bound Weapons Ships and Planes Banned in Spanish Ports, Airspace
Spain on Monday banned ships and aircraft carrying weapons to Israel from calling at Spanish ports or entering its airspace due to Israel's military offensive in Gaza, measures the Israeli foreign minister denounced as antisemitic.Spain, which recognised a Palestinian state in May 2024 and has been a vocal critic of Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip, responded to Gideon Saar's comments by summoning…
Meyer Turku Shipyard Lays Keel of Fourth Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship
On Monday, September 8, 2025, Meyer Turku Shipyard celebrated the keel laying of the fourth cruise ship in the Icon Class. The ship, built for Royal Caribbean and known by its working name Icon 4, has thus progressed to the hull assembly phase. The traditional ceremony held at the bottom of the building dock included a symbolic ceremony in which representatives of the customer, the classification society…
Marco Polo Picks Salt Ship Design for Next-Gen Offshore Energy CSOV
Singapore-based marine logistics firm Marco Polo has hired Norwegian ship designer Salt Ship Design to design the CSOV Plus, the next-generation commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV) for oil and gas and offshore wind sectors.The contract was signed between Marco Polo’s Taiwan-based subsidiary PKR Offshore, Salt Ship Design and Marco Polo Shipyard.Marco Polo Marine’s new CSOV Plus marks a significant…
ClassNK Okays Ammonia-Fueled Gas Carrier from Kawasaki and Mitsui
ClassNK has issued an approval in principle (AiP) for an ammonia-fueled LPG/NH3 carrier, applied for jointly by Kawasaki Heavy Industries and MITSUI E&S.The certification demonstrates its feasibility from regulatory and safety perspectives.Ammonia, which does not emit CO2 during combustion, is expected to see wider use as a zero-carbon fuel for ships. At present, various studies and development efforts are underway to bring ammonia fuelled ships into practical use.In 2021…
Bernhard Schulte Takes Delivery of Second Ulstein-Built CSOV
Germany-based Bernhard Schulte Offshore (BSO) has taken delivery of its newest Commissioning Service Operation Vessel (CSOV), built by Ulstein Verft in Norway.The vessel, named Windea Clausius, was officially christened on September 4, and will serve the global offshore energy industry.Windea Clausius features two sterns and azimuth propellers at both fore and aft to ensure optimal performance in Dynamic Positioning (DP) operations…
Giant Jack-Up Vessel Newbuild Starts Decom Work for Perenco in North Sea
Petrodec’s newly constructed heavy lift jack-up vessel, named Obana, has started decommissioning work in the Southern North Sea for Perenco.Obana is working on the decommissioning of the Galahad platform, after which it will move to the Amethyst field for the removal of the C1D, A2D and B1D jackets, expected to be completed and offloaded in the Netherlands later in 2025.Obana is the world’s largest self-elevating, heavy lift jack-up vessel of its type.
Lloyd’s Register Clears MOL’s Design for Wind Challenger-Equipped LNG Carriers
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has secured approval in principle (AiP) from a Lloyd's Register (LR) for two new different designs of a membrane-type LNG carrier equipped with four units of Wind Challenger, a hard sail wind assisted propulsion system.The AiP covers a new vessel design, for a 174,000 m3 LNG carrier, jointly developed by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI).Each…
Orsted Gets Go-Ahead for $9.4B Emergency Rights Issue
Offshore wind developer Orsted won shareholder approval on Friday for a $9.4 billion emergency rights issue to help fund U.S. projects thrown into uncertainty by President Donald Trump's opposition to the renewable energy source.The stakes are high for the Danish state-controlled firm, which was once celebrated as a trailblazer in offshore wind but is now struggling to stave off a potentially crippling credit rating downgrade.Orsted…
Globalisation Slowdown Heralds "Brave New World" Warns IUMI President
Geopolitical conflicts and shifting trade patterns are redefining risks and opportunities for the marine insurance sector.Opening this year’s International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) conference in Singapore, IUMI President Frédéric Denèfle warned that marine insurers are facing significant change as the world approaches the end of an era of seamless globalisation.Denèfle reflected on the deepening…
Kongsberg Maritime to Supply Equipment for India’s First Fully Electric Tug
Kongsberg Maritime has signed a contract to deliver a fully integrated equipment package for India’s first electric tug, marking a major step in the country’s Green Tug Transition Programme (GTTP).Awarded by Mandovi Drydocks in partnership with Ripley Group, the contract includes Kongsberg Maritime’s permanent magnet (PM) driven azimuth thrusters, advanced electrical systems including energy storage (ESS)…
Ship Recyclers "Treading Water"
The Indian sub-continent ship recycling markets continues its southward trajectory with every passing week as the final quarter of the year gradually approaches, reports cash buyer GMS.“Ongoing currency woes (especially those recently spiraling out of control in India), tariff shocks across the sub-continent, faltering steel dynamics, suffocated offerings on the back of a now sagging demand have come…
Maritime Companies Progress DEI Despite Political Headwinds
A new report from the All Aboard Alliance found that its 26 members have remained firm in their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) despite political pushback against such initiatives from some factions.The All Aboard Alliance Insights 2025 uses a maturity analysis framework to indicate how member companies are performing against the Alliance’s five guiding principles: accountability…
Kongsberg Maritime Develops Simplified Mooring System
Kongsberg Maritime has developed a simplified mooring system for offshore floating structures. Building on its patent-pending integrated tensioning and remote pull-in technologies, the company is now focused on reducing cost, complexity, and environmental impact across the mooring system lifecycle.The latest developments center on minimizing mooring components and enabling future layouts that avoid active tensioning equipment in permanent systems.
