News

Following on from the news from the Gulf that Oman’s Asyad Shipping is expanding its fleet by acquiring a further 30 ships, QatarEnergy is now seeing the first deliveries of what will be a fleet of 128 new vessels by 2030.

A sister ship to the infamous containership Dali that destroyed Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge is also recovering from mechanical troubles. The vessel operating under charter as the Maersk Saltoro is reported to be back underway after drifting for 23 days in the Pacific after a main engine failure.

The war of words between the United States, the government of Panama, and the Panama Canal Authority continues with officials in Panama saying they were “surprised” by the U.S. posting on X claiming “U.S. government vessels can now transit the Panama Canal without charge fees.”

The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission reported tonight, February 6, that the new alliance between HMM, Ocean Network Express (ONE), and Yang Ming to share vessels and routes will take effect on Sunday, February 9.

German prosecutors are continuing to investigate the accident in December that paralyzed river traffic on the Moselle and trapped numerous inland cargo ships in France and Luxembourg. They believe the cargo ship that destroyed the critical lock was sailing on autopilot and failed to break before hitting the gates.

The Danish Maritime Authority announced that it will begin taking steps to strengthen the supervision and monitoring of tankers anchoring in its waterways. It is part of an effort that they said will ensure compliance with the rules for safety at sea, environmental protection, and protection of seafarers.

The first demonstration of the new Trump administration’s efforts to derail the offshore wind energy sector emerged as the Department of Interior began reversing steps taken in the last days of the Biden administration.

Despite U.S. intelligence leaks that suggest that recent cable-cutting incidents in the Baltic may be accidental, Finland's foreign minister says that it is "extremely unlikely" that four cable-damage incidents could happen in one region in a year without some amount of intent. 

The Suez Canal Authority is increasing its efforts to rebuild traffic through the canal highlighting the return to stability in the region. Yesterday, February 3, a tanker targeted by the Houthis eight months ago made its first transit reports the authority as part of its marketing campaign.

The Italian Navy is highlighting one of its regular training exercises working with the merchant fleet. It is part of a long-term project also involving the trade association Assarmatori designed to build cooperation and familiarize the navy personnel and merchant sailors in the routine for vessel inspections.

Two and a half years after the accident which caused the loss of the bulker OS 35, Gibraltar’s maritime authority issued its report finding poor planning and that the captain misjudged the maneuver resulting in the casualty.

Kindly note the Alang Vessels/Beaching Position for the period from 01/04/2024 to 01/01/2025 as detailed below, MONTHLY LIST OF THE VESSELS BEACHED AT THE INDIAN DEMOLITION YARDS; APRIL 2024 - JANUARY 2025

The Asyad Group, Oman’s state-owned integrated logistics group, is planning to acquire an additional 33 vessels to add to the mixed fleet operated by its subsidiary Asyad Shipping.

India has firmed up its ambition to become a global maritime powerhouse, with the government allocating around $6 billion to the shipping sector in the 2025-26 fiscal year. On Saturday, India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented to Parliament budget documents, revealing billions of dollars the government intends to spend in upgrading the country’s maritime infrastructure.

Eurobulk, a Greek shipping company, has become the latest to plead guilty in the continuing U.S. enforcement efforts to prevent pollution from ships. The company pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Texas on Wednesday, January 29, and was ordered to pay a total of $1.5 million and serve a four-year probation.

Navantia UK announced plans to invest in Harland & Wolff’s facilities to strengthen Britain’s defense, maritime, and clean energy industrial capabilities after the Spanish parent company completed the acquisition of the four UK shipyards including the historic Belfast, Northern Ireland facility.

On Wednesday night, a commuter jet and an Army helicopter collided and fell into the Potomac River, killing 67 people. Search and recovery operations are under way to recover the deceased, with assistance from U.S. Coast Guard boat detachment and the Army Corps of Engineers.

The head of Bulgarian shipping company Navibulgar maintains that the bulker Vezhen accidentally "leaked" anchor chain out past the chain stopper in rough weather, and that any damage that the vessel may have inflicted to a subsea cable between Gotland and Latvia was not an act of sabotage.

The accumulation of Russian cargo at the base in December; the sealift ships' long and expensive ballast voyage to Syria; the ships' appearance alongside the military pier; and the simultaneous disappearance of the vessels and the cargo all appear to confirm an evacuation of military equipment.

The project to deploy the first wind-powered Ro-Ro as part of an innovative program for sustainable shipping moved a step closer to reality. Turkish shipbuilder RMK Marine reported today, January 29, that the hull of the Neoliner Origin has been floated for the first time.