ABS Acquires RMC Global to Strengthen Cybersecurity, Risk Management Capabilities
ABS, through its affiliate ABSG Consulting, announced the acquisition of RMC Global, a specialist in industrial cybersecurity, risk management, and resiliency solutions. The deal merges RMC’s niche expertise with ABS Consulting’s scale, technical depth, and global resources, creating more integrated offerings for clients facing heightened operational risk, cyber threats, and regulatory pressure. Both companies cite a shared culture focused on protecting critical infrastructure as a key factor in the transaction. The acquisition positions ABS Consulting to broaden its industrial cyber portfolio and deepen its market presence.
Rheinmetall Submits Non-Binding Bid for GNYK Shipyard
German defence conglomerate Rheinmetall has lodged a non‑binding offer to acquire the German Naval Yards Kiel (GNYK) shipyard, entering a bidding war with Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems. The bid size was not disclosed, and Rheinmetall said due‑diligence is underway with a...
Iran Reduces Oil Production by 400,000 Bpd, Further Cut Back Expected
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Iran has already cut oil output by about 400,000 barrels per day and may trim it further as domestic storage fills. A naval blockade has sharply reduced Iranian crude exports, leaving tankers stranded and...
VPS: Abrasive Catfines Can Damage Marine Engines
Marine fuels can contain abrasive catalytic fines, or "catfines," originating from refinery catalyst wear. While ISO 8217 permits up to 60 mg/kg of aluminum‑silicate, engine manufacturers set a stricter 15 mg/kg limit, necessitating onboard purification. VPS’s analysis of over 3,000 fuel system checks...
EcoNavis Appoints Neil Logan as Executive Chair
EcoNavis Solutions has promoted long‑time advisor Neil Logan to Executive Chair, moving him from an advisory role that began after the company’s university spin‑out in August 2025 into a full‑time executive position. Logan, who previously held senior roles at Lockheed Martin,...
Zeabuz to Deploy Docking Assist Across Brim Explorer Fleet
Zeabuz has partnered with Brim Explorer to install its ZeaWatch Docking Assist on the MS Bre in the third quarter of 2026, with plans to retrofit the entire Brim Explorer fleet, including vessels on order. The system combines cameras and 4D...
Express Global Expands Asia Presence with New Singapore Office
Express Global announced the launch of a new office in Singapore, positioning the firm within one of the world’s most strategic logistics hubs. The Singapore location will enable the company to serve customers, partners, and stakeholders across Southeast Asia more...
Baleària Dual-Fuel Fast Ferry Newbuild Aces Sea Trials
Baleària’s new 123‑metre dual‑fuel Ro‑Pax fast ferry Mercedes Pinto completed sea trials, hitting a top speed of 38 knots. Built by Astilleros Armon in Gijón and designed by Incat Crowther, the vessel can transport up to 1,200 passengers and 425 vehicles. Powered by...
DNV’s Insight: 38 New Orders for Alternative-Fueled Vessels in April
DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight reported 38 new orders for alternative‑fueled vessels in April 2026, bringing the year‑to‑date total to 83. LNG remained dominant with 20 orders spanning car carriers, container ships, crude tankers and cruise vessels, while LPG/ethane carriers secured...
Kongsberg to Supply Propulsion Systems for US Coast Guard Cutter Fleet
Kongsberg Maritime secured a contract with Austal USA to provide its Promas propulsion system for the next four vessels of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Offshore Patrol Cutter Heritage Class. The delivery includes steering gear, rudders, fin stabilizers and tunnel thrusters,...
DOF to Build Four New Subsea Vessels for Petrobras Work
DOF Group has secured four 12‑year charter and services contracts with Petrobras, valued at nearly $2 billion. The agreements call for the construction of four 98‑metre DP2‑class remotely operated vehicle support vessels at Brazil’s Navship yard, with the first two to...
USACE Introduces System for Assessing Pre-Construction Notifications
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has added a self‑verification module to its Regulatory Request System, allowing users to determine instantly whether a pre‑construction notification is required for activities covered by nationwide permits. The step‑by‑step questionnaire provides immediate correspondence when...
Tidewater Reports Revenue Decline in First Quarter
Tidewater Inc. posted first‑quarter 2026 revenue of $326.2 million, a 2.2 % drop from a year earlier, while net income fell sharply to $6.1 million, or $0.12 per share, versus $42.7 million and $0.83 per share in Q1 2025. CEO Quintin Kneen said the quarter...
California Probes Trump Administration Deal to Cancel Offshore Wind Lease
California Energy Commission opened a probe into a $120 million payout made by the Trump administration to Golden State Wind LLC to cancel an offshore wind lease off the central coast. The investigation seeks to determine whether the payment, part of...
Former MARAD Deputy Administrator Sang Yi Appointed AAPA President, CEO
The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) announced that former MARAD Deputy Administrator Sang Yi will assume the role of President and CEO effective May 4. Yi brings extensive experience from the U.S. Department of Transportation, a 15‑year tenure in the House...
Fratelli Cosulich Launches Newest Methanol Vessel
Fratelli Cosulich’s Marine Energy Unit launched its second methanol‑ready vessel, Lucia Cosulich, on May 2 2026 at Taizhou Maple Leaf Shipyard in China. The ship is the second of a planned four‑vessel series designed for IMO II compliance and built with phenolic epoxy tank...
Fire Breaks Out on HMM Vessel in Strait of Hormuz
A fire and explosion erupted aboard the Panama‑flagged cargo vessel HMM Namu in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday. South Korean officials are investigating whether the incident was an attack, but no injuries were reported among the 24 crew members,...
Guyana President: Energy Supply-Demand Gap Widens Further
Guyana President Irfaan Ali warned that the global energy supply‑demand gap is widening as the Iran‑Israel conflict pushes oil prices above $100 a barrel and disrupts key chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz. The war has strained infrastructure and forced nations...
Norwegian Cruise Slashes Profit Forecast as Fuel Costs Continue to Rise
Norwegian Cruise Line lowered its fiscal 2026 adjusted earnings forecast to $1.45‑$1.79 per share, down from $2.38, as soaring fuel costs and softer demand weigh on profitability. Global oil prices breached $100 a barrel after Middle‑East tensions, pushing the company’s...
IMO Progresses Net Zero Framework
The International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee concluded its 84th session by reaffirming the IMO Net‑Zero Framework and creating an intersessional Working Group to bridge gaps before the next meeting in November. Nearly 100 delegations debated mid‑term measures, while...
Australian Seafarer Welfare Centers Hampered by Chronic Under-Funding
A Human Rights at Sea survey of 14 Australian ports reveals chronic under‑funding of seafarer welfare centers that serve over 500,000 crew members annually. Most centers rely on elderly volunteers and operate limited hours because fundraising consumes up to half...
Chouest Group Acquires Alliance Business From Helix Energy Solutions Group
Chouest Group has completed the purchase of Helix Energy Solutions' Alliance business, folding it into its newly formed Champagne Energy Solutions (CES) unit. The deal broadens CES's offshore decommissioning and plug‑and‑abandonment platform, adding subsea intervention, marine logistics, and infrastructure removal...
Op-Ed: The Jones Act Waiver, A Gift to China and NATO’s Iran Onlookers
The Biden administration extended a Jones Act waiver for 90 days, allowing foreign‑flagged vessels to operate in domestic U.S. trades. MARAD data shows most of the fifteen voyages under the waiver were carried out by European allies and four ships...
TMC Seabed Mining Application Meets US Federal Requirements
The Metals Co (TMC) received confirmation from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that its consolidated deep‑sea‑bed mineral exploration and commercial recovery application complies with the Deep Sea Bed Hard Mineral Resources Act. The agency said the filing meets all...
Kelly, Garamendi Press SHIPS Act in Fox News Op-Ed
Senators Mark Kelly and John Garamendi, joined by Republicans Todd Young and Trent Kelly, have introduced the SHIPS for America Act to revitalize U.S. shipbuilding. The proposal comes as President Trump unveiled a Maritime Action Plan that aligns with the...
Vessel Sector Deep Dive: WTIVs
Intelatus Global Partners’ new analysis shows the offshore wind turbine and foundation installation market grappling with shifting demand as Europe, the EAPAC region and emerging markets push capacity growth while political and economic headwinds tighten vessel utilization. By 2035 global...
Ocean Minerals Are Becoming a Real US Opportunity
Congressional hearings this spring elevated deep‑sea mining from theory to priority, highlighting offshore minerals as essential for U.S. national security and advanced manufacturing. The Trump‑era Project Vault earmarks $10 billion to create a demand‑driven strategic reserve covering all 60 critical minerals....
Port Snared in US-China Dispute, Says Panama President
Panama President Jose Raul Mulino said the country maintains a positive relationship with China even as it faces a dispute over port concessions formerly held by Hong Kong‑based CK Hutchison. A Panama Supreme Court ruling—widely viewed as influenced by U.S. pressure—revoked...
Pakistan Navy to Add Advanced Chinese Submarines
Pakistan’s navy will acquire a fleet of advanced Chinese‑built Hangor‑class submarines, with eight vessels in total – four constructed in China and four assembled in Karachi under a technology‑transfer scheme. The first submarine was commissioned in Sanya, China, in a...
Engine Scavenge Air Boosts Hull Lubrication Fuel Savings
Everllence is set to launch its Engine Supported Air Lubrication (ESAL) system, which taps pressurized scavenge air directly from a ship’s main engine instead of using electrically driven compressors. By integrating the air supply into the engine architecture, ESAL eliminates...
EU Matches Hydrogen Offtakers to Potential Projects
The European Commission closed the first round of its Hydrogen Mechanism, a platform that matches hydrogen project developers with potential offtakers across the EU. Participants listed 265 supply opportunities covering renewable and low‑carbon hydrogen and derivatives, and 45 offtake projects...
U.S. Coast Guard Suspends Search for Saipan Crew
The U.S. Coast Guard halted its search for the missing crew of the cargo vessel Mariana on Tuesday night after more than 100 hours of effort. The vessel suffered a disabled engine about 140 miles northwest of Saipan on April...
TotalEnergies Pauses Middle East Production Until Hormuz Transit Stabilizes
TotalEnergies said it will keep its Middle East upstream operations on hold until tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz stabilises, a delay that could last two to three months. About 15% of the French oil major’s production is offline...
Ukraine Strikes Russian Oil Pumping Station
Ukraine says drones struck a Transneft oil‑pumping station near Perm, roughly 1,500 km inside Russia, marking a new stage in its long‑range strike campaign. President Zelenskiy pledged to keep extending the reach of Ukrainian weapons. The attack follows a series of...
Shipping Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz Remains at a Trickle
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell to roughly six vessels in the past 24 hours, a stark contrast to the pre‑conflict average of 125‑140 daily passages. The limited transits, primarily dry‑bulk carriers and the sanctioned chemical tanker Vast Plus,...
Dassai Moon Project: Sake Space Shot a Success
Dassai and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries successfully completed the first mission of the Dassai Moon Project, demonstrating that sake can be fermented under lunar‑gravity conditions aboard the ISS. The experiment, conducted in JAXA’s Kibo module, produced a mash with 12% alcohol that...
Wittlin Named CEO of GLO Marine
GLO Marine announced Thomas Wittlin as its new chief executive officer, effective Q2 2026, marking a shift from a retrofit‑focused contractor to a production‑enabled marine engineering firm. Wittlin brings over 25 years of shipyard operations, sales, and global maritime development experience,...
Italy Backs Aircraft Carrier Donation to Indonesia
Italy’s parliament approved a plan to donate the ageing aircraft carrier *Garibaldi*—a 1985‑built vessel valued at roughly $63 million—to Indonesia. The transfer avoids an estimated $22 million dismantling bill and saves about $5.9 million in annual maintenance costs. Indonesia views the carrier as...
Russian Superyacht Crosses Strait of Hormuz
Russian billionaire Alexey Mordashov’s $500 million superyacht Nord successfully transited the blockaded Strait of Hormuz on Saturday after maintenance in Dubai. The vessel sailed under the Russian flag on an approved route and faced no objections from either Iranian or U.S....
Vessev Launches Hydrofoiling Network for Urban Transit
Vessev announced the launch of a hydrofoiling water‑transit network on Hobart’s Derwent River, marking the first step toward a zero‑emissions urban mobility layer. The pilot will start with the 29‑foot VS‑9 electric vessel, capable of carrying ten passengers at 25...
Meyer Turku to Build New Headquarters, Launching Multi-Year Investment Program
Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku announced a $46.8 million headquarters project adjacent to its shipyard in the Blue Industry Park. The development will comprise two office towers totaling about 12,000 sq m, with construction slated for summer 2026 and completion in early 2028. The...
LNG Tanker Orders Pick Up Despite Shipping Uncertainty
Global LNG carrier orders are rebounding, with 35 new builds contracted in Q1 2024, surpassing the 37 ordered in all of 2025. Shipyards in South Korea and China are seeing heightened demand despite a looming supply glut and rising construction...
Singapore MPA Renews Partnership with Shanghai Maritime University
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and Shanghai Maritime University (SMU) have renewed their collaboration by signing a new Memorandum of Understanding. The partnership, first launched in 2020, supports student exchanges, professional development and high‑level seminars across the...
Green Shipping Service Launched in Singapore
Pacific International Lines (PIL) and PSA International have introduced Singapore’s first joint land‑sea green value‑added service, backed by DNV. The offering lets shippers capture verifiable emissions cuts by allocating carbon reductions from lower‑carbon fuels across shipping, port and logistics modes....
IMO: No Safe Passage Through Strait of Hormuz
IMO Secretary‑General Arsenio Domínguez urged all member states to help free roughly 20,000 seafarers trapped on about 1,600 vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The organization has verified 29 attacks in the Gulf, killing at least ten crew members and...
Saronic to Collaborate with Korea on ASVs
Saronic Technologies has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Taiwan’s National Chung‑Shan Institute of Science and Technology to develop AI‑enabled maritime capabilities, including autonomous surface vessels (ASVs). The partnership will focus on AI‑driven command‑and‑control software, systems integration, and the use...
EU Continues to Push for Shipping Carbon Levy
European Union countries have reaffirmed their commitment to a global carbon price for shipping at the upcoming International Maritime Organization meeting, vowing to oppose any attempt to drop the measure. The United States, which previously threatened sanctions against pro‑levy delegates,...
Njord Survey Inks Equinor Pipeline Inspection Deal in Europe
Njord Survey has signed a three‑year framework agreement with Equinor to provide pipeline inspection and integrity services across European waters, with an optional one‑year extension. The deal covers geophysical surveys and offshore operations, emphasizing high‑resolution data collection and carbon‑neutral vessel...
ABS, PIL to Collaborate on Emissions Verification for Marine Fuels
The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and Pacific International Lines (PIL) have signed a memorandum of understanding to provide third‑party verification of emissions from alternative marine fuels. ABS will audit PIL’s fuel consumption, transport activity and emissions data, enabling the...
ABS Signs Pact with Fleet Robotics on Maritime Robotics
The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and Fleet Robotics have signed a memorandum of understanding at Singapore Maritime Week to develop autonomous robotic systems for hull cleaning and inspection. The partnership will assess robot suitability, validate sensor data and imagery,...