Global News
U.S. Sanctions Third Master Mariner for Shipping Iranian Oil
The U.S. government has sanctioned a third master mariner in connection with tankers linked to Yemen's Houthi rebel movement, which has repeatedly attacked shipping in the Red Sea since last fall, injuring and killing multiple seafarers. The decision to blacklist...
Australia Declares Fourth Offshore Wind Zone as It Pushes Renewable Energy
The Australian government continues to push forward with its efforts to jumpstart the offshore wind energy sector. They declared the fourth wind zone after a review process and this comes as the government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese launched an aggressive...
Great Lakes Bulker Takes On Water After Hitting Underwater Object
Another of the historic bulkers operating the Great Lakes declared an emergency today after striking something underwater while underway on Lake Superior, near Grand Portage, Minnesota. The U.S. Coast Guard reports the vessel which is 72 years old was able to...
Calls for Oversight as More Ships Fail Inspections as Fire Risks Increase
The dangers of fire at sea persist and are growing as new cargoes including lithium-ion batteries, and alternative fuels, begin to become more prevalent. Survival Technology provider Survitec is highlighting the results of a new analysis that shows an “alarming...
Asian Ports Top World Bank Rankings While Many Large Ports Rank Lower
The World Bank is out with its latest port ranking and predictably ports in Southeast Asia continue to dominate the top of the ranks, but some of the world’s largest container ports, and most in the U.S., ranked far lower. The Container Port Performance Index they say...
Cleanup Underway After Oil Spill Impacts Antwerp’s Container Terminal
Port officials in Antwerp are saying that they expect it will take several days to fully complete a remediation effort after an oil spill that is encompassing the port’s Deurganck Dock, container operations, and Kieldrecht lock. About 20 ships, both inland and...
UK is On Track to Miss its 2030 Offshore Wind Targets by 18 Years
The UK is second in the world after China in terms of offshore wind capacity, but a new report estimates that it could miss its 2030 offshore wind targets by as much as 18 years. The report - written by the London-based research firm Institute for Public Policy...
Egypt Builds its First Ship Recycling Facility at Port of Damietta
Egypt is on course to establish the country’s first ship recycling facility. The Ministry of Transport’s Holding Co. for Maritime and Land Transport(HCMLT), this week signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with El Wehda Industrial Company for development of a...
Grimaldi Launches Second Study for Automated Berthing Using Satellites
Italy’s Grimaldi Group working with the European Space Agency (ESA) is proceeding to the second phase of a program designed to develop and validate an assisted guidance system using satellite technology for docking maneuvers of large car carrier vessels. According to...
Vietnam and Cambodia Clash Over New Mekong Canal
In August 2023, Cambodia sent an official notice to the Mekong River Commission flagging the construction of a new major canal project on the Mekong River. The Mekong, long a source of regional bounty, has become a modern point of contention for the countries along...
NGO Sues Norway over Seabed Mining Approval
Environmental campaign group WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) is moving to sue Norway for its controversial decision to open up vast parts of its continental shelf to deep seabed mining. According to WWF-Norway, the legal action is the last resort in an attempt to...
Shipping Industry May Create the Very First Global Carbon
In August 2023, Cambodia sent an official notice to the Mekong River Commission flagging the construction of a new major canal project on the Mekong River. The Mekong, long a source of regional bounty, has become a modern point of contention for the countries along...
Op-Ed: Mariner Shortage Could Put the Jones Act at Risk
Let’s take a little look at the American maritime industry today as it stands. In fact, why not have a look around at your own personal “work world.” In very simple terms, do you have enough trained employees to handle the work load you already have? And we are...
Climate Change May Be Fueling a Resurgence of Piracy Across Africa
In the churning waters off Nigeria, armed pirates in small skiffs speed towards a cargo ship. They clamber aboard, seizing control of the vessel and its valuable cargo. This isn’t a scene from a swashbuckling film; it’s a stark reality for seafarers in many parts of...
Software Issue Causes South Carolina to Close Charleston and Inland Ports
An unspecified “software issue” was being blamed for the unusual move of suspending all cargo operations at the Port of Charleston as well as South Carolina inland ports on Monday, May 20. The South Carolina State Ports Authority said that it is working with an...
Belgium Bans Exports of “Dirty Fuels” to West Africa
The Port of Antwerp will no longer be used by oil companies and traders to export so-called dirty fuels to West Africa. The Belgium government banned the export of toxic motor fuels that are highly harmful to public health and the environment. Belgium’s Minister of...
Three Crews from the UK’s RNLI Coordinate to Save Historic Sailing Vessel
The UK’s volunteer Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is being commended for its operation earlier in the week to assist a historic sailing vessel that was taking on water and requested urgent assistance. It became a 10-hour operation involving three of the...
ILWU Canada Delays Strike Notice for DP World’s Vancouver Terminals
Canadian officials are again preparing for a potential strike that would impact DP World Canada’s West Coast operation, including the second-largest Vancouver container terminal, while holding out hope for a new round of federal mediation. Yesterday, May 15, the...
IMO Urges More Efforts as World Marks Women in Maritime Day
Organizations around the globe marked the annual Women in Maritime Day, on May 18, highlighting the advancements women are making in the field while calling for continued actions for training and to support equality. The International Maritime Organization marked the...
Three Missing After Turkish-Owned Cargo Ship Sinks Off Romania
Romanian authorities have a search and rescue mission underway on Saturday, May 18, after a small, Turkish-owned general cargo ship sunk off the northern coast near the border with Ukraine. Three crewmembers, Syrian nationals, are reported missing while eight were...
Oregon’s Port of Portland Gets State Funds to Maintain Container Ops
The Port of Portland, Oregon’s only ocean-going seaport, announced it will reverse course and not suspend container operations. The move came after the state’s governor, Tina Kotek, released a letter on Thursday reporting she would provide stop-gap funding and would...
Refloating of Dali to Begin Sunday for Monday Removal to Baltimore Berth
The Unified Command overseeing the recovery operation in Baltimore reports that the removal operation for the Dali is scheduled to begin on Sunday, May 19 with the vessel expected to begin the journey from the wreck site to the berth early on Monday, May 20....
Explosive charges set to bring down Key Bridge section
Small explosive chargers are being set for the controlled demolition of the piece of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge which lays across container ship Dali. The Key Bridge Response Unified Command said precision cuts to the bridge section and small charges was the...
Future proofing shipping against the next crisis
Turbulence across global supply chains is nothing new. But escalating geopolitical conflict and unpredictable weather events are raising the risks for ships, crew and cargo, demanding new levels of awareness and speed of response from both Masters and shipping owners...
Red Sea rerouting causing Asian port congestion
Fluctuating services configurations has seen congestion building at some ports as a combination of unexpected events and higher volumes increases pressure on infrastructure and the inland operations whose ability to cope with changeable volumes is causing backlogs and...
Port of Salalah offers overland route to avoid Southern Red Sea
ort of Salalah in Oman has launched a multi-modal service connecting to the Saudi Port of Jeddah as an alternative to rerouting via the Cape of Good Hope. From the Port of Salalah, an in transit overland route by truck connects to Jeddah located in the safer...
DP World makes first foray into landlocked Laos
Savan Logistics operates Savannakhet dry port part of the Savannakhet Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Laos, the first SEZ in the country. The 140,456 sq metre dry port includes 23,000 sq metres of warehousing with 11,000 sq metres of bonded space. Related: DP...
Salvors Remove Sections of Bridge from Dali Preparing for Bigger Lifts
In its latest update, the Unified Command highlights that the salvors are preparing for the removal of the piece of the bridge lying on top of the Dali as the recovery efforts proceed in Baltimore. Pictures released by the various teams on site show the...
Baltimore Welcomes its First Container Ship Since Bridge CollapseSteamer that “Went Missing” 115 Years Ago is Located in Lake SuperiorBaltimore Welcomes its First Container Ship Since Bridge Collapse
The mystery of a wooden steamship that went missing 115 years ago on Lake Superior with 14 sailors onboard has finally been solved. After painstaking research, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) confirmed they had located the final resting place of...
Belgium and Namibia to Develop Africa’s First Hydrogen Ship, Infrastructure
Partners from Belgium and the African nation of Namibia mapped out a plan to develop the continent’s hydrogen infrastructure for the production and export of the energy source as well as launching Africa’s first hydrogen-fueled vessel. It is part of an ambitious plan...
Houthis Escalate Threats Against Shipping Launching “Fourth Stage”
The leader of the Houthi movement called for a further escalation of the attacks on shipping citing the potential attack on the city of Rafah and as Western pressure grows on Hamas to accept the terms of a proposed ceasefire. The statements came during their weekly...
Cape of Good Hope Diversions Threaten CII Grades – and Show Value of Data
The shipping industry has been enveloped by a sustained period of intense geopolitical volatility. Previous challenges - like the emergence of the Russian ‘dark fleet’ and the reduction in traffic through the Panama Canal - have now been superseded by the mass...
Baltimore Welcomes its First Container Ship Since Bridge Collapse
On Saturday, the Port of Baltimore received its first container ship since the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge one month ago. The arrival is an important milestone for Baltimore businesses and longshoremen, who have been heavily impacted by the closure...
Ammonia as an alternative fuel gathers pace, safety concerns remain
One the most noticeable changes attending Singapore Maritime Week from 12 months earlier was how much further ammonia has moved up the agenda as a zero-carbon fuel for the future. Marcus Hand | Apr 23, 2024 There was far more discussion about ammonia as a...
Mixed signals on container freight rates as Red Sea alarm subsides
reight rate indices are sending mixed messages but most of the latest indicators show a steady decline in rates as lines and shippers negotiate annual contracts on the transpacific. Nick Savvides | Apr 24, 2024 Linerlytica, however, reported this week that “the stage...
Asia’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm Commissioned by Ørsted in Taiwan
Ørsted along with officials of the government of Taiwan gathered today to celebrate the commission of the first sections of the Greater Changhau offshore wind farms. In addition to being the largest of its kind in Asia, the wind farm doubled Taiwan’s offshore wind...
Nigeria’s Calabar Port Hasn’t Received a Large Container Ship in 25 Years
With Nigeria considered Africa’s largest economy, it goes without saying that its maritime sector has to play a substantial role in facilitating the country’s trade. Unfortunately, Nigeria’s maritime sector - especially the public-owned port system - continues to reel...
Shipping Trade Groups Call on UN to Protect Seafarers
Sixteen commercial maritime industry associations joined together in a letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres calling for action while saying the current situation where merchant ships and their crews are being targeted is “intolerable”...
New York Ends Third Wind Round Without Awards Due to Material Modifications
In the latest setback to U.S. plans to accelerate renewable energy development, New York State regulators today reported they closed the third round of offshore wind solicitation with no final awards. Last fall, New York’s Governor Kathy Hochul had hailed the round as...
Danish Ferry Forced to Maneuver to Avoid Russian Warship
Danish media is widely reporting an incident this morning that involved a high-speed passenger ferry that was forced to maneuver when a Russian warship failed to yield or acknowledge the ferry which was underway at full speed. Shipping operator Molslinjen is...
Japan Plans Next Generation Containership for Zero Emissions and Efficiency
A Japanese consortium made up of coastal shipping company Imoto Lines and marine software company Marindows is launching a government-backed effort to develop a next-generation containership. Plans call not only for the vessel to address decarbonization with the...
Is China Ready to Put Solar Panels Out at Sea?
China is increasingly seeking to put solar panels on the seas off its coastline, with some state-run companies experimenting as far offshore as 30 kilometers. A global leader in renewable energy, China has already been looking to the ocean to meet its future power via...
Vessel Condition, Human Error Blamed for Loss of Thai Navy Frigate
The Royal Thai Navy has completed its investigation into the sinking of the frigate Sukhothai in 2022, blaming a combination of bad weather, vessel condition and human error for the casualty. On the night of December 18, 2022, the 36-year-old frigate Sukhothai...
Cruise ships sailing into the port of Seattle for the 2024 season will plug in to shore power at the Bell Street Pier Cruise Terminal at Pier 66.
After a $44 million investment in shore power infrastructure and equipment, all three cruise berths at Pier 66 are now electric. In effect, this advances plans by the facility to become the greenest port in North America with the 2024 Cruise Season seeing more vessels...
DP World Sets Up Latin America’s First E-Truck Charging Station
DP World’s terminal at the Port of Callao, Peru has begun using the first electric charging station for trucks in Latin America. The new infrastructure is part of the port operator’s decarbonization plans at Callao, with an aim of reducing over 2000 tons of carbon...
Repurposing Harmful Fisheries Subsidies Could Reduce Poverty
Each year, governments around the world give billions of dollars to their fishing sectors. These public funds – around $35.4 billion annually, according to 2018 estimates – pay for everything from building ports to research and development. Some subsidies...
East Coast’s Biggest Crane Barge Hoists Giant Piece of Baltimore Bridge
For the first time, contractors for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have brought in the East Coast's biggest crane barge to remove a section of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The large section of the main span was located in the federal navigation channel, and...
Red Sea crisis has negative impact on gas ship CII ratings
The firm’s statistics recorded 64 LNG carriers navigating through the Gulf of Aden and Suez Canal during January and February 2023. In the same period this year, the number had fallen to just seven. In the reverse direction, 59 vessels took the Suez/Gulf of...
X-Press Feeders signs green shipping corridor MoU with major European ports
Belgium’s Port of Antwerp Bruges, Estonia’s Port of Tallinn, Finland’s Ports of Helsinki and HaminaKotka, Latvia’s Freeport of Riga and Lithaunia’s Klaipeda Port all signed the agreement with the carrier. Collaboration under the agreement begins with the establishment...
End-April target to reopen Port of Baltimore to smaller container ships
The Port of Baltimore could re-open to container ships of up 4,500 teu by end April as work continues to clear the wreckage of the Key Bridge after it was struck by the vessel Dali. Barry Parker | Apr 08, 2024 The US Army Corp of Engineers (USACE), the agency...