Bulker Newbuilding Contracting Drops to Five-Year Low
Between January and November 2025, the capacity of bulker newbuilding contracting has fallen 54% y/y to 25m DWT, reaching its lowest level since 2020. Consequently, the dry bulk orderbook is now 4% smaller than a year ago, accounting for 11% of the dry bulk fleet.“Contracting has likely eased due to a cloudy market outlook,” says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analysis Manager at BIMCO.The number of ships contracted has seen an even steeper decline, down 61% y/y so far in 2025.
EMEC Completes Tidal, Hydrogen and Battery Demonstration
A world-first demonstration combining tidal power, battery storage, and hydrogen production has been completed at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney, Scotland.The demonstration successfully integrated three technologies – Orbital Marine Power’s O2 tidal turbine, vanadium flow batteries supplied by Invinity Energy Systems, and an ITM Power 670 kW electrolyser, at EMEC’s onshore site on the island of Eday.Multiple energy flow scenarios were trialed.
Corvus Energy Launches New Marine LFP Battery
Corvus Energy has launched Blue Whale NxtGen, the latest addition to its NxtGen family of batteries designed for vessel applications where high energy content and density are critical. The BW NxtGen ESS will have a 1C charge / discharge rate which makes the product suitable for both energy and more power demanding operational modes."Blue Whale NxtGen is more than a new product launch — it represents a strategic step forward for Corvus Energy and the maritime industry.
China Massing Military Ships in East Asia
China is deploying a large number of naval and coast guard vessels across East Asian waters, at one point more than 100, in the largest maritime show of force to date, according to four sources and intelligence reports reviewed by Reuters.China is in the middle of what is traditionally a busy season for military exercises, though the People's Liberation Army has not made any announcements of large-scale officially named drills.Still…
Return to Suez will be Gradual, Hapag-Lloyd CEO Says
There is no specific timeline for when the shipping industry will resume sailing through the Suez Canal, but any return would be gradual, the chief executive of Hapag-Lloyd, the world's fifth-largest container company, said on Thursday.Shipping companies have been sailing costly routes around Africa since November 2023 to avoid attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea by Yemen's Houthi militants…
War Insurance Costs Spike as Black Sea Threats Grow
War insurance costs for ships sailing to the Black Sea have spiked again, with insurers reviewing policies daily as the conflict in Ukraine spills into sea lanes, five shipping and insurance sources said on Thursday.The Black Sea is crucial for the shipment of grain, oil and oil products. Its waters are shared by Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania and Turkey, as well as Russia and Ukraine.Turkey's Foreign…
Oil Firms in Norway to Drill 18% Less Exploration Wells by 2026, Survey Finds
A survey on Thursday showed that oil firms in Norway are planning to drill 18% less exploration wells next, as they focus on existing fields. This could undermine the government's aim of maintaining production from Europe's biggest petroleum producer.Offshore Norway's survey of its members shows that drilling and investment will decline next year.The survey revealed that oil companies on the Norwegian continental Shelf…
Cadeler’s WTIV Newbuild En Route to Europe for Maiden Offshore Wind Job
Hanwha Ocean has delivered the Wind Mover wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) to offshore wind contractor Cadeler, completing the second vessel in the company’s M-class series about one month ahead of schedule.The vessel was formally signed over on November 28 and sailed away on December 2, following a naming ceremony at Hanwha Ocean’s shipyard in Korea.Wind Mover is the second of two WTIVs ordered by Cadeler in 2021, with the first vessel, Wind Maker, delivered in January 2025.
DNV Approves CMES-Tech’s Tilting Rotorsail Design
DNV has granted a Type Approval Design Certificate (TADC) to CSSC Shanghai Marine Energy Saving Technology (CMES-Tech) for its new 35-meter tilting type wind assisted rotor system.This is the first domestically developed rotor sail system in China to achieve this recognition under DNV’s WAPS rules (ST-0511). With this certification, the system is confirmed ready for installation on DNV classed commercial…
GTT Gets HD KSOE’s Tank Design Task for Two New LNG Carriers
GTT announces that it has received, in the fourth quarter of 2025, an order from HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) for the tank design of two new liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers.The LNG carriers will be built by the shipyard Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries (HSHI), on behalf of the ship-owner BW LNG.The vessels’ cryogenic tanks will be fitted with the Mark III Flex membrane containment system…
Fincantieri, ASRY Agree to Explore Gulf Shipbuilding Projects
Italy’s Fincantieri and Bahrain’s Arab Shipbuilding & Repair Yard (ASRY) signed an industrial cooperation agreement to explore joint opportunities in naval and offshore vessel construction and maintenance.Under the agreement, the two companies will assess cooperation on designing and building surface military vessels up to 80 meters for the Bahrain Navy and Coast Guard, and offshore vessels of similar size.
Two New LNG Carriers Delivered to QatarEnergy
On December 3, a joint venture company comprising NYK, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, MISC, and China LNG Shipping (Holdings) Limited held a naming ceremony for two new 174,000cbm LNG carriers for QatarEnergy.The ceremony was held at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea. One vessel was named “Sharq” after an area east of Doha, Qatar’s capital, while the other was dubbed “Shra’ouh” after a Qatari island.The…
Great Lakes Iron Ore Trade Down in November
Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes decreased 19.1 percent from 2024 to 3.4 million tons in November. Shipments were below the month’s 5-year average by 20.3 percent.Year-to-date, the iron ore trade stands at 39.2 million tons, a decrease of 13.2 percent compared to the same point in 2024.Through November, iron ore loadings are 8.1 percent below their 5-year average.Since 1880, Lake Carriers’ has represented the U.S.-flag Great Lakes fleet…
KVH Introduces CommBox Edge Core Router
KVH has unveiled the latest addition to the CommBox Edge Communications Gateway family, the CommBox Edge Core.With an extensive feature suite, high-performance network management, and versatile onboard networking, CommBox Edge Core creates an onboard network designed to meet the networking needs of leisure and small to mid-sized commercial vessels, as well as shore-based networks.“We are seeing a growing demand for more data and multiple networks on board yachts…
Saronic Expands its Louisiana Shipyard
Saronic has announced a $300 million investment to expand its Franklin, Louisiana shipyard.Supported by close partnerships with Louisiana Economic Development, St. Mary Parish, and other state and local officials, Saronic is expanding its facility to meet surging demand for its autonomous ships.As part of the shipyard expansion, Saronic will construct three new slips, expand its warehouse, and develop a dedicated production line for large-vessel assembly — namely Marauder…
Kongsberg Maritime Marks 50 Years of Dynamic Positioning
Kongsberg Maritime is marking 50 years since the introduction of its first dynamic positioning (DP) system, a Norwegian innovation that transformed offshore operations and set new standards for safety and efficiency at sea.The story began in the mid-1970s, when offshore operations in the North Sea faced harsh conditions and dangerous anchoring practices. A breakthrough came in 1977 with the successful…
ClassNK Issues AiP for Spray Form Insulation for Tanks
ClassNK has issued an Approval in Principle (AiP) for Spray form insulation system of IMO Type B tank for LNG and ammonia fuel developed by Nihon Shipyard and Hankuk Carbon.The certification demonstrates its feasibility from regulatory and safety perspectives.Traditionally, IMO Type C tanks have been the mainstream choice for LNG-fueled ships due to their advantages in productivity and cost. Meanwhile…
Australia Intercepts Cocaine Hidden in Reefer
Almost A$9 million ($6 million) worth of cocaine hidden inside a refrigerated shipping container (reefer) has been seized after Australian authorities intercepted the cargo on its arrival into Port Botany in New South Wales.Australian Border Force officers identified the consignment and conducted an x-ray examination which identified anomalies in the rear of the container.Further examination located 22 individually wrapped plastic blocks, with an estimated total weight of 27kg.
VPS Updates Digital Decarbonization Platform
Marine decarbonization testing and advisory services company VPS has launched the latest update of its digital data-driven decarbonization platform, Maress 2.0.Maress monitors main engine and emissions equipment performance for offshore vessels. With powerful new analytics, high-resolution vessel insights and an intelligent data validation engine, Maress 2.0 helps its users sail smarter, improve their…
Liebherr to Supply STS Cranes to Port Tampa Bay
Liebherr Container Cranes has signed a contract to deliver two ship-to-shore (STS) cranes to Port Tampa Bay, marking Liebherr’s first STS installation on Florida’s Gulf Coast.The cranes will play a central role in the port’s Vision 2030 expansion and will deliver significant gains in berth productivity, vessel turnaround efficiency, and long-term operational reliability.The new cranes, manufactured at Liebherr’s facility in Killarney…
