Report: Many Bridge Teams Struggle with ECDIS Functions
Two years after launching its ECDIS Training Assessment (ETA) platform, NorthStandard draws on cumulative assessment data in a new report which includes key insights on the way shipping can improve ECDIS proficiency on the bridge.Assessments found two-thirds of bridge teams could not identify electronic navigational chart (ENC) updates, and nearly half did not prioritize correct ENC scale in planning.
MEPC 84 Begins: “There is no reason to repeat what happened last October”
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez opened the 84th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 84), urging Member States to find convergence and make meaningful progress on the IMO Net-Zero Framework to cut global shipping emissions and set an example of effective multilateralism.His opening remarks:"Good morning, distinguished delegates, welcome to the 84th session of the Marine…
ADNOC LNG Tanker Crosses Strait of Hormuz
An LNG tanker managed by UAE's ADNOC has crossed the Strait of Hormuz and appears to be near India, ship-tracking data showed on Monday.If confirmed, this will be the first loaded LNG tanker to cross the strait since the Iran war started on February 28. Adnoc did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.The 136,357-cubic-meter tanker, which is managed by Adnoc Logistics & Services and was last seen in the Gulf on March 30…
Trump Grants 90-day Extension to Jones Act Waiver
President Donald Trump granted a 90-day extension to a shipping waiver that makes it easier to move oil, fuel and fertilizer around the United States, the White House said on Friday, the latest effort to curb rising energy costs linked to the war with Iran.The move reflects a broader push by the White House to dampen politically sensitive fuel price spikes ahead of November’s midterm elections, where affordability is expected to be a defining issue for voters.
US Government Scraps Two Offshore Wind Leases for Fossil Fuel Investment Pledge
President Donald Trump's administration said on Monday that it had reached a deal to end two more U.S. offshore wind leases in exchange for $885 million in pledged investments in domestic fossil fuels.The projects, one in the Atlantic and one in the Pacific, are managed by Ocean Winds, a joint venture between France's ENGIE and Portugal's EDP Renewables.The announcement comes a month after French energy…
Ukraine Threatens Pushback if Israel Allows Grain Vessel to Dock
Israel risks a diplomatic and legal response from Kyiv if it allows a vessel carrying grain from Russian-occupied Ukraine to dock at the port of Haifa, a Ukrainian diplomatic source told Reuters on Monday.Israel's Haaretz newspaper reported earlier that the vessel Panormitis, which it said was carrying grain from occupied Ukrainian territory that Kyiv regards as stolen, was waiting for permission to berth in Haifa."If this ship and its cargo isn't rejected, we reserve the right to deploy a full
Six Iran Oil Tankers Sent Back by US Blockade
Six tankers loaded with Iranian oil have been forced back to Iran by the U.S. blockade in recent days, ship-tracking data shows, underscoring the impact the Iran war is having on traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a major global oil export route.Between 125 and 140 ships usually crossed in and out of the strait daily before the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began on February 28, but only seven have done so in the past day…
World’s First Ammonia Port-to-Ship Bunkering for Commercial Vessels Completed at Ulsan Port
The Ulsan Port Authority (UPA) announced the successful completion of the world’s first ammonia bunkering operation for an ammonia dual-fuel gas carrier at Ulsan Port on April 23, 2026.This milestone builds on Ulsan Port’s earlier achievements, including the world’s first methanol bunkering demonstration (2023–2026) and simultaneous LNG bunkering operations for car carriers. With this latest development…
Regal Renord Corporation Names Aamir Paul as New CEO
Regal Rexnord Corporation announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Aamir Paul to serve as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), commencing no later than July 1, 2026, upon the conclusion of his responsibilities with his current employer, Schneider Electric SE. The Board has also determined that Mr. Paul will serve as a member of the Board of Directors effective upon the commencement of his employment with the Company…
ABS Approves MOL-Led Design for Unmanned Rocket Recovery Vessel
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and its partners have secured approval in principle (AiP) from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for the basic design of an unmanned autonomous rocket recovery vessel.The project is being developed with Innovative Space Carrier and TSUNEISHI SOLUTIONS TOKYOBAY.The approval covers the overall offshore recovery system, including the recovery vessel, a support vessel and…
Akastor’s DDW Offshore Agrees Sale of AHTS Vessel for $23M
Akastor’s subsidiary DDW Offshore has entered into a binding agreement to sell Skandi Emerald anchor handling tug supply (AHTS) vessel for $23 million.The AHTS, built in 2011, is designed for operations across a range of water depths and environmental conditions.Completion of the transaction is subject to customary conditions and is expected in the second quarter of 2026.Following the sale, DDW Offshore’s…
Seatrium Wraps Up Tugboat Fleet Divestment
Seatrium has completed the divestment of its fleet of 17 tugboats in Singapore, following an earlier announcement in February.The company said the transaction was completed on April 24, 2026.The divestment, along with other non-core asset sales, is expected to deliver more than $39.1 million (S$50 million) in annualized cost savings.The tugboats were sold in January 2026 for $81.5 million (S$104 million) through Seatrium Marine Services to KST Maritime and its affiliate Maju Maritime…
Shearwater to Sell SW Baret for Conversion to Source Vessel
Shearwater Geoservices has agreed to sell the vessel SW Baret to an undisclosed buyer for conversion into a dedicated source vessel.The agreed sales price exceeds the vessel’s carrying book value and is expected to result in a gain in Shearwater’s accounts, as well as a positive impact on liquidity, the company said.Completion of the transaction is expected late in the second quarter of 2026.The vessel…
Suspected Pirates Take Control of Ship Off Somalia
Suspected pirates have boarded a St. Kitts and Nevis-flagged general cargo vessel off Somalia's waters and were sailing it towards the Somali coastline, British maritime security groups Vanguard and Ambrey said.Somali pirates caused havoc in the waters off the Horn of Africa nation's long coastline between 2008 and 2018. After a lull, pirate activity started to pick up again in late 2023.Vanguard said in a note late on Sunday it was aware of reports that armed pirates had hijacked the vessel…
Hanwha Ocean Flags Rising Uncertainty Over Ship Demand
South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean said in its first-quarter earnings presentation on Monday that uncertainty is rising over demand for commercial vessels due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.The market for very large crude carriers (VLCCs) has been hit hard by the Iran war, the company said, as shipping rates have soared with some crude carriers stuck in the Strait of Hormuz.The demand for container vessels is forecast to decline as worries mount over inflation and the slow growth
LNG Tanker Orders Pick Up Despite Shipping Uncertainty
Global orders to build liquefied natural gas carriers (LNGC) are set to rebound this year after a 2025 slump as growing LNG output and vessel fuel efficiency drive demand, industry executives and analysts say.The rise in orders is offsetting concerns that supply disruptions from the U.S.-Iran war may reduce near-term shipping demand and pressure freight rates.Since late last year, shipbuilders in South Korea and China have received more orders…
Singapore MPA Renews Partnership with Shanghai Maritime University
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and Shanghai Maritime University (SMU) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen cooperation in maritime talent development and knowledge exchange.Started in 2020, this partnership supports exchanges of students and maritime professionals and facilitates participation in high-level seminars and knowledge sharing platforms.Since 2023…
Green Shipping Service Launched in Singapore
Pacific International Lines (PIL) and PSA International (PSA), supported by DNV, have launched Singapore’s first joint land-sea green value-added service for cargo transhipped through the Port of Singapore.The new service enables participating shippers and cargo owners to achieve verifiable emissions reductions through the allocation of carbon reductions generated from the use of lower-carbon fuels across multiple modes of transportation within the logistics, shipping and port operations.
IMO: No Safe Passage Through Strait of Hormuz
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez has called on all member states to support efforts to address the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, where around 20,000 seafarers remain trapped and unable to leave.In an informal briefing to member states and industry representatives, Dominguez confirmed that several vessels had been seized and detained in the region over the past few days. He urged maximum caution…
Saronic to Collaborate with Taiwan on ASVs
Saronic Technologies has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Taiwan’s National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) to explore collaboration on advancing AI-enabled maritime capabilities, including autonomous surface vessels (ASVs), to help address evolving security challenges in the maritime domain.NCSIST serves as Taiwan’s leading defense research and development institution and plays a central role in strengthening Taiwan’s defense industrial base.
