Northern Lights Expands LCO2 Fleet with Vessel Charter for MISC, K Line
Northern Lights JV has awarded a consortium comprising Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (“K" LINE) and Malaysia's MISC Berhad a time charter contract for a newly built 12,000 cubic meter liquefied CO2 (LCO2) carrier, supporting the expansion of Europe's carbon capture and storage infrastructure.The award follows Northern Lights' January 2026 announcement of four additional CO2 carriers to support planned capacity expansion.
LNG Carrier Loads in UAE as Limited Shipping Activity Returns to Hormuz
Two tankers carrying oil products exited the Strait of Hormuz over the past week, while a liquefied natural gas carrier loaded cargo in the United Arab Emirates, shipping data showed - rare movements as traffic through the chokepoint remains limited.Several tankers have managed to leave the Gulf in the past month, but oil and LNG flows are still severely constrained by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, which began on February 28.
Ichthys LNG Strike Causes Delay to Taiwan-Bound Cargo
Loading of a Taiwan-bound LNG tanker at the Inpex-operated 1605.T Ichthys plant in Australia has been delayed after a limited strike by workers disrupted operations at the terminal, according to the union and shipping data.The delay highlights supply risks from the facility that accounts for about 10% of LNG output in Australia, currently the world's second-largest producer of the super-chilled fuel…
CMA CGM Notre Dame Makes Maiden Call in Singapore
The CMA CGM Group has announced the maiden call of the CMA CGM Notre Dame in Singapore.The new generation LNG-powered vessel is the largest container ship currently operating under the French flag. Following the start of its maiden commercial voyage in Shanghai, China, the vessel is now calling Singapore before continuing its journey to France and Europe in early July.The 24,212-TEU vessel is 400 meters long, 62 meters wide, and 75 meters high.
Fleetzero, Thoma-Sea, and Glosten Collaborate on Long-Duration USVs
Fleetzero, a U.S.-based developer of marine technology, has announced a collaboration with Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors, a leading U.S. shipbuilder, and Glosten, a Seattle-based global naval architecture and marine engineering firm, to accelerate the development and deployment of integrated autonomous vessel solutions for commercial maritime, government, and defense customers.The partnership brings together Fleetzero's Leviathan™ Battery Energy Storage System…
U.S. Navy Selects HII USV to Advance to At-Sea Testing
The U.S. Navy has selected HII’s ROMULUS unmanned surface vessel to advance to the at-sea testing phase of the Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV) program.Andy Green, executive vice president of HII and president of HII’s Mission Technologies division, said: “HII is proud that ROMULUS USV has advanced to the U.S. Navy’s Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel evaluation phase, a milestone that reflects HII’s…
Paris MoU Tackles Fraudulent Certificates
The Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control (Paris MoU) raised concerns about deceptive practices at its 59th Committee meeting in Glasgow, held from May 18 to 22.The Committee noted a continuous rise in the detention rate to 4.18% in 2025 (up from 4.03% in 2024 and 3.81% in 2023), reinforcing the critical role of Port State Control as a vital safety net. This safety net faces additional challenges from deceptive maritime practices…
BHP and GCMD Trial B100 Blend in Existing Supply Chain
BHP and the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) have blended biofuels from two distinct feedstocks—used cooking oil and waste animal fats —and introduced the lower-emissions marine fuel into a BHP-chartered bulk carrier as part of a pilot project.The BHP and GCMD pilot will assess how biofuels from multiple feedstocks can be blended, handled, and introduced under real-world operating conditions using existing used cooking oil bunkering infrastructure.At the same time…
Pirate Attack Foiled Amidst Heightened Security Risks
Palaemon Maritime has released its maritime security report for May 24-31, indicating that the week saw 15 maritime security incidents, with heightened activity in major maritime corridors globally, including: Black Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Finland, Gulf of Guinea, Gulf of Oman, and the Strait of Hormuz.Key developments include:A suspected pirate attack was foiled near the Gulf of Aden, with the…
Lakes U.S. Limestone Trade Down in May
Shipments of limestone from U.S. quarries on the Great Lakes decreased 8.1 percent from May of last year to 2.7 million tons. May’s loadings were also below the month’s 5-year average by 5.4 percent.Year-to-date, the Lakes U.S. limestone trade totals 3.9 million tons, a decrease of 14.9 percent compared to 2025 and 15.7 percent below the 5-year average.
US Fires Hellfire Missile at Tanker
The U.S. military fired a Hellfire missile at a tanker heading toward Iran on Tuesday as part of a blockade being imposed by President Donald Trump, who is pressing Tehran to negotiate a peace agreement on his terms.The U.S. military's Central Command posted a video showing the missile strike the tanker and said it targeted the Botswana-flagged M/T Lexie's engine room, disabling it."The ship's crew ignored repeated warnings, failing to comply with directions from U.S.
Firmus, SUBCO to Build Bernacchi-1 Subsea Fiber Option Connection
Firmus and SUBCO announced a landmark agreement to build a new submarine fiber optic cable connecting Tasmania to mainland Australia, significantly expanding the state's digital capacity and supporting the next generation of AI infrastructure. The new cable, to be named Bernacchi-1 in honor of pioneering Tasmanian-raised scientist and Antarctic explorer Louis Bernacchi, will connect Tasmania into SUBCO's SMAP cable system between Sydney and Melbourne.Underwritten by Firmus…
LSI Expands McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System Services with Five Rivers Distribution Acquisition
Logistic Services Inc. (LSI) announced the acquisition of substantially all assets of Five Rivers Distribution, LLC (Five Rivers), strengthening LSI’s inland waterways operations and expanding its presence on the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System.Five Rivers operates two strategically located multimodal terminals at the ports of Van Buren and Fort Smith, Arkansas. The terminals provide barge…
US, NATO Allies Launch Scaled-Back Baltic Sea Drills As Global Conflicts Pull Ships Away
The U.S. and NATO allies will launch scaled-back drills in the Baltic Sea this week, as conflicts in other regions draw ships away, though the exercise will still send a message of unity and strength to Russia, a senior German military official said.The annual exercise, held for more than five decades since 1971, brings together some 20 vessels from 15 nations with around 6,000 personnel - roughly…
Seven US States Sue Fed. Government, TotalEnergies After Cancelling Offshore Wind Lease
Seven U.S. states led by New York sued the Trump administration on Tuesday for cancelling a major offshore wind lease off the coast of New York in exchange for a pledge by its owner to invest instead in fossil fuel projects.The lawsuit in the Washington, D.C., federal court challenges a March 23 decision by the U.S. Department of the Interior to cancel a lease by a subsidiary of France's TotalEnergies…
Port of NEOM Offers Alternative Route for Gulf Importers As Hormuz Remains Volatile
Only a month into the Iran war, Qatar-based distributor Salam Studio & Stores had already gone weeks without its regular Red Bull shipments, prompting it to test a little-used route.The conflict and effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, now in their fourth month, had scattered its products across ports in India and Sri Lanka, while Gulf hubs it typically relies on faced Iranian fire and capacity constraints.Wary of losing market share…
LR, SHI, Capital Clean Energy Carriers Corp to Design Floating Data Center
Lloyd’s Register (LR) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Joint Development Project (JDP) with Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) and Capital Clean Energy Carriers Corp for a floating data center (FDC) design.Presented at Posidonia 2026, the JDP covers a floating data center concept that uses proven shipbuilding methods to create scalable offshore digital infrastructure. By combining marine engineering with advanced data centre technology…
PPG Releases White Paper on Electrostatic Coating Application Benefits for Marine Industry
PPG announced the publication of a white paper, Electrostatic Application of Marine Hull Coatings, detailing how the application technology can help ship owners and operators improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact. Electrostatic application works by negatively charging paint particles at the spray gun nozzle while the substrate is grounded, causing the coating to be attracted to the surface like a magnet.
DNV Launches V2 of Steel Load Planner
Classification society DNV released version 2 of its Steel Load Planner (SLP V2.0) self-service application at the Posidonia trade fair this week. Steel coils are one of the staple minor-bulk cargoes, yet remain among the most demanding to plan, with wide variations in coil size, weight and behavior during stowage. At the same time, tight tonnage supply, a shortage of newbuild slots, and growing regulatory costs for emissions…
NYK Launches 100% Biofuel Trial on Car Carrier
NYK has commenced a one-year long-term trial involving the continuous use of 100% biofuel (“B100”) on an NYK-operated car carrier. The initiative is designed to evaluate the fuel’s effects on the vessel’s equipment and verify operational safety under real-world conditions. Through this effort, NYK seeks to accumulate technical expertise that will support the broader use of high-purity biofuels and…
