News

South Korea’s SM Line issued a customer alter on March 5 reporting that one of its vessels has experienced damaged and lost containers in a Pacific storm. The SM Portland (51,314 dwt) has resumed its voyage bound for Vancouver where it will be inspected by Canadian authorities.

Denmark’s Lauritzen Bulkers, one of the oldest operators tracing its roots back 140 years, reports it has acquired Alexander & Blake, a Canadian breakbulk and parcel shipping company. The deal comes as the company looks to rebound from what it called “unpredictable and complex market conditions,” in 2024. 

The UK Government awarded a £55 million ($71 million) grant to Scotland’s Port of Cromarty Firth to drive the next phase of expansion which will be used to support planned float offshore wind farms.

The French shipping group CMA CGM recently took delivery of its first dual-fuel methanol containership. While the group continues significant investments in LNG-fueled newbuilds it also recognized the need for diversified sources during this period of transition in the maritime industry.

The UK’s Royal Navy is reporting it has completed a three-day operation tracking the movements in the English Channel of a Russian warship and a military cargo ship believed to be bringing armaments back from Syria.

Shipbuilding like other major industries continues to explore the use of additive manufacturing technology (commonly known as 3D printing) and how it can aid in construction and repairs. In the latest development, HII is highlighting that its Newport News Shipbuilding yard printed and installed the first-ever manifold using the technology for the soon-to-be-delivered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise.

With the IMO’s next Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) set to take place in April, Australia’s Fortesce’s marine division, Fortescue Zero, brought its dual-fuel ammonia-powered vessel to London for demonstrations.

China continues to grow its influence over South America with China Merchants reporting an agreement to buy Brazil’s only privately operated VLCC terminal. The company reports the deal is part of its continued growth in the Latin America region and further consolidates its position globally.

Finnish authorities confirmed in a statement on Sunday, March 2, that they have released the product tanker Eagle S that it has been detaining since a December 25 incident with damage to undersea transmission cables.

The famed liner ss United States made an earlier than anticipated arrival in Mobile, Alabama after completing the 12-day tow from Philadelphia. The ship was maneuvered to a berth at the Modern American Recycling Services (MARS) facility in Mobile for the next phase of the effort to convert her into the world’s largest manmade artificial reef.

A jury in Piraeus, Greece found the captain and first officer of an interisland ferry guilty in a tragic 2023 case where a late arriving passenger was pushed to his death as a ferry departed port. The court rejected claims of a spontaneous action while prosecutors argued nothing was done to save the victim and the ferry kept sailing.

After the fatal allision between a small vessel and the giant crane ship Saipem 7000 last year, the Netherlands' safety board has called on Rotterdam's pilots and on a prominent ship repair yard to carry out better planning before navigational evolutions in tight harbor basins. 

Authorities in Singapore responded to an “unauthorized boarding” of a chemical tanker in the Singapore Strait friday morning, February 28, and evacuated an injured crewmember. It was the latest in a spike of crimes along the Singapore Strait, but the first this year when a crewmember required medical attention.

Yet another major U.S. offshore wind farm is being delayed with the executives citing the uncertainties created in the market since the election of Donald Trump. Portugal’s EDP Renewables reported as part of its earnings that it will be taking an impairment charge despite the fact its project off Massachusetts is fully permitted and while saying the company still believes in the project.

Two of the UK’s labor unions are striking against tug operator Serco Marine which provides vital services to the Royal Navy at five bases across England and Scotland. The job actions and strikes began earlier this month and now a second union, Unite, reports that its members have also voted to start a series of actions in early March.

Twelve days after the containership MSC Baltic III (33,767 dwt) lost power and was driven ashore in Canada during a winter storm, the Canadian Coast Guard reports the vessel cannot be safely refloated.

Efforts to continue to build out the engine options for shipowners seeking to align with the emerging trends for alternative fuels continued with WinGD highlighting the delivery of the most powerful methanol-fueled engine for ships.

In response to the growing challenges of illicit trade and supply chain security, a new industry alliance is being launched to drive the adoption of cutting-edge smart container technology. Known as the Smart Container Alliance, the group reports its goal is to unite industry leaders in a collective effort to enhance cargo traceability, fortify maritime trade, and support global enforcement agencies in the fight against criminal networks.

In what is being called a milestone for the emergence of alternative fuels for the maritime sector, the first bunkering of certified bio-LNG was completed off Norway. The emergence of the fuel is a critical step toward meeting the requirements of the FuelEU Maritime regulations and demonstrates a pathway for the industry with alternative fuels.

Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration confirmed it has detained a suspicious vessel for further investigation as the country’s telecom provider Chunghwa reported operations of one of its offshore cables had been interrupted.