News

With container shipping moving into its traditional peak season, U.S. retailers are expected to further accelerate shipping ahead of a potential longshore strike that is looking increasingly likely for October 1. The forecast is for strong increases in volume this month coming as many U.S. ports are already running at record levels.

An investigation has been launched in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa after authorities received a report of an “oily substance” spill. The South Africa Incident Management Organization is leading the investigation in the Algoa Bay area near Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), a popular sheltered anchorage for vessels making the transit around the Cape or inbound to South Africa.

HMM provided an update on its strategy detailing an aggressive expansion plan that would double its containership fleet while dramatically growing and diversifying its operations in bulk cargoes.

Dalian Shipbuilding, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, reported the successful sea trial for the first commercial CO2 transport vessel. Known as Northern Pioneer, the 8,000 dwt vessel will be operated by Japan’s “K Line” (Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha) for Norway’s Northern Lights project. 

Two historic ferries had been slated to quietly slip away to their final fate except the deal went horribly wrong causing an embarrassment for Washington State Ferries. The decommissioned vessels are back at their dock, four seafarers scheduled to tow the vessels away are being deported, and everyone came in for bad publicity.

There was an explosion and subsequent fire at one of Bangladesh’s green certified shipyards on Saturday morning, September 7, as workers were cutting into a tanker being dismantled at the yard. It is one of the most serious recent accidents in the industry and caused renewed concerns about the shipbreaking industry.

Norwegian offshore support company Østensjø has ordered a new concept offshore support vessel to be built in Spain at the Astilleros Gondan shipyard. Called an Ocean Energy Support Vessel (OESV).    

The Chinese shipbuilding industry is continuing to build its leadership based on new orders. August’s data released by Clarkson Research shows that South Korea continues to slip in the portion of new orders booked ceding the orders nearly entirely to China last month.

The now infamous containership ship Dali is preparing to depart the United States nearly six months after her allision that knocked down Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key bridge. Before the vessel departs, the U.S. Department of Justice informed the courts that it will “perform inspections and testing” on the Dali while other legal wrangling also continues.

The key pieces for the German government to bail out the financially troubled cruise ship builder Meyer Werft are coming together ahead of the September 15 deadline. The state government for Lower Saxony approved the deal while German Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared it is no longer “a matter of if” that the bailout will proceed.

Supply chain problems have repeatedly been cited by wind farm developers as one of the problems they face and now another one of the first projects planned for New Jersey is asking for a pause in its planning process citing a lack of a manufacturer for its turbines and blades.

Germany’s Waterways and Shipping Authority (WSV) reports the salvage of the Verity, a North Sea cargo ship, was completed overnight nearly a year after the vessel was lost in a collision. The wreck was raised from a depth of approximately 130 feet both to clear an important seaway and to assist in the ongoing investigation.

A newly launched service using a self-propelled barge that was promoted as a game changer in New Zealand’s coastal shipping ran into problems just weeks after it launched. The Manahau, a 321-foot (98-meter) barge with a crew of 11 ran aground on the northwest shore of New Zealand’s South Island during a storm around midnight on September 1.

Several vessels have come under attack from the Houthis after the militant group denied last week a statement from Iran that there would be a pause to salvage the burning Greek tanker Sounion. The Houthis have vowed not to interrupt the salvage effort, but said they would continue targeting other ships.

The combination of advances in engine management technology, in the design of heat exchange technology and the chemistry of high-temperature ceramic materials and compounds provide the basis of enhancing the efficiency and market competitiveness of open-cycle and closed-cycle gas turbine engines, including in ship propulsion.

Onboard carbon capture recently passed a key milestone with the issuance of the first class notation coming from Lloyd’s Register for the technology that could play a key role in the future of shipping, especially for in-service vessels.

The newly-named Alette Maersk is Maersk's fourth 16,000 TEU dual-fuel methanol container ship, and was delivered in South Korea earlier this year. She arrived to offload cargo at the Port of LA on August 26, then transferred to a pier in the San Pedro Outer Harbor for the naming ceremony Tuesday.

In the ever-evolving maritime industry, where efficiency and performance are paramount, Wärtsilä Shaft Line Solutions has once again set the standard for innovation. The introduction of The Next Level Shaft Line Solutions, a comprehensive package that brings together cutting-edge technologies, marks a significant leap forward for ship operators worldwide.

The appetite for new containerships remains high reports BIMCO in its latest market analysis. The trade group highlights that orders after a slight pause in late 2023 are once again roaring in with the volume at its third-highest level since 2008.

The Port of Portland, Oregon’s only ocean-going seaport, submitted its revised comprehensive business plan to Governor Tina Kotek as part of the state’s promise to lead a rescue of the financially troubled container terminal operations.