Marine Link
Thursday, April 2, 2026

Us News

02 Apr 2026

World Fuel, West Coast Clean Fuels Launch US Methanol Bunkering Service

Methanol bunker fuel delivery in South Florida (Credit: World Fuel Services)

World Fuel Services and West Coast Clean Fuels have established a methanol bunkering capability for vessels across U.S. ports, following a pilot fuel delivery in South Florida.The companies said the over-the-water methanol bunkering operation demonstrated a scalable and regulatory-compliant solution that is now ready for wider deployment.The capability includes U.S. Coast Guard-approved procedures, trained personnel and purpose-built equipment, enabling shipowners and operators…

02 Apr 2026

China Inland Waterways Set for Zero-Carbon Push Under New Partnership

(Credit: Wah Kwong NatPower)

Wah Kwong NatPower and Huzhou Wuxing Ruituo Energy have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop zero-carbon inland shipping corridors, focusing on electrification infrastructure across key waterways in China.The partnership will establish a network of electric vessel charging and battery-swapping facilities, integrating energy supply, digital systems and operational services into a unified platform.The initial phase will focus on the Hangzhou–Jiaxing–Huzhou region in Zhejiang province…

02 Apr 2026

Oil Hikes 7% after Trump Says US-Israel will Keep Striking Iran

© Ink & Ideas / Adobe Stock

Oil prices climbed nearly 7% on Thursday after President Donald Trump said the U.S. would continue attacks on Iran, stoking fears of prolonged disruptions to oil supply.Brent crude futures LCOc1were up $7.65, or 7.6%, to $108.81 per barrel at 0902 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 futures were up $7.06, or 7.1%, at $107.18 per barrel.Both benchmarks were heading for the biggest daily gains, in both absolute and percentage terms, in three weeks, though they remained…

02 Apr 2026

Bahrain Push for Hormuz Shipping Resolution Hits Hurdles at UN

© Ingo Menhard / Adobe Stock

Bahrain's effort to secure a U.N. resolution to authorise "all necessary means" to protect commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz ran into new obstacles on Wednesday, underscoring divisions over how to deal with Iran's effective closure of the waterway that has resulted in the worst energy-supply disruption ever.Bahrain, which took over the presidency of the 15-member U.N. Security Council for the month of April, had circulated a fresh version of a draft resolution that dropped a previous explicit reference to binding enforcement…

01 Apr 2026

Vice Adm. Joe Buzzella Assumes Command of USCG Pacific Area and Defense Force West

Source: USCG

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) held a formal assumption of command ceremony for Vice Adm. Joe Buzzella as he assumed the duties and responsibilities of U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area and Defense Force West Commander during an event Thursday, at Coast Guard Island in Alameda.Adm. Kevin Lunday, commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard presided over the ceremony. Senior Coast Guard leadership and distinguished guests joined in recognizing Vice Adm. Buzzella’s commitment to leading the Service.Vice Adm.

01 Apr 2026

C&C Marine & Repair Delivers Double-Hull Tank Barge

Source: C&C Marine & Repair

C&C Marine & Repair has delivered CTOW 330, a new double-hull tank barge designed for bunker service and built to support modern fuel-handling requirements across lakes, bays, and sounds service routes to Colonial Towing.Measuring approximately 297'06" x 54'00" x 16'00", CTOW 330 has a nominal cargo capacity of about 28,000 U.S. barrels and features a flush deck extending the full length and breadth of the vessel. The barge is designed for U.S. Coast Guard authorization for Subchapter “D” cargoes…

01 Apr 2026

Gander Robotics Gains Pre-Seed Funding for Autonomous Search and Rescue Robots

Source: social media

Gander Robotics, a defense and dual-use robotics company developing autonomous rescue systems for maritime operations, has closed a $1.1 million pre-seed funding round.The round was co-led by Impellent Ventures and Underscore VC, marking Gander's official launch.The company traces its origins to MIT Sloan, where Founder Michael Autery's deep domain expertise and 15 years of Naval experience and Co-Founder Lael Ayala's robotics expertise quickly attracted the attention of his investors, advisors, and defense stakeholders.In the U.S.

01 Apr 2026

US Gulf Coast Tanker Availability Drops as Asia, Europe Seek to Replace Middle East Supply

© Adobe Stock/moofushi

Oil tanker availability along the U.S. Gulf Coast has dropped sharply in recent weeks, as Asian and European refiners cut off from Middle Eastern supply have been snapping up vessels to import oil and fuel from the United States, shipping analysts and traders said.The Iran war has stalled tanker movements through the Strait of Hormuz, curbing the flow of Middle Eastern oil to Asia and Europe, and prompting refiners there to buy replacement barrels from the United States, Brazil and West Africa.Wider discounts on U.S.

01 Apr 2026

Conrad Industries Shares 2025 Results, Backlog

© Conrad Industries

Conrad Industries, Inc. announced its 2025 results and backlog.For the quarter ended December 31, 2025, Conrad had net income of $4.7 million and earnings per diluted share of $0.94 compared to net loss of $14,000 and earnings per diluted share of $0.00 during the fourth quarter of 2024. The Company reported net income of $19.9 million and income per diluted share of $3.96 for the twelve months ending December 31, 2025 compared to net income of $11.2 million and income per diluted share of $2.24 for the twelve months ending December 31, 2024.

01 Apr 2026

Insights: As Ships Get Bigger, Pilots Keep Maritime Commerce Flowing

Images courtesy Houston Pilots

Over 95% of large ocean-going vessels moving in U.S. waterways are under the direction and control of a pilot that is a member of the American Pilots’ Association  (APA). The enormous increase in vessel sizes – as much as five times bigger than just twenty years ago – without corresponding expansions of waterways has made the already difficult work of these pilots even more challenging.APA-member pilots are generally the only U.S. citizen aboard foreign ships moving in the fragile bays, ports, rivers, and lakes that are the lifeline of this country.

01 Apr 2026

Iran War Reshapes Global LNG Trade

Copyright JEGAS RA/AdobeStock

The U.S. and Israeli war against Iran has changed the global market for liquefied natural gas (LNG), providing a boost to producers outside the Middle East that will likely last long after the current conflict ends.One of the major beneficiaries is Australia, which last year slipped to the third-largest exporter of the super-chilled fuel behind the United States and Qatar.But the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has shut off Qatar's LNG exports, meaning that it will likely lose second place back to Australia this year…

31 Mar 2026

How Many Ships have been Attacked in the Gulf Since Start of Iran War?

Source: social media

The Iran war has threatened Gulf ports and disrupted global trade through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes.Iran's Revolutionary Guards have warned that ships passing through the narrow Strait will be targeted, after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on the country on February 28.Below is a list of reported attacks:MARCH 1A crew member was killed on board Marshall Islands-flagged crude tanker MKD VYOM after it was hit by a projectile as the vessel sailed off the Omani coast…

01 Apr 2026

Maritime Strategies International Appoints North America Director

John Moulopoulos courtesy of MSI

Maritime Strategies International (MSI) has appointed John Moulopoulos as Director, North America, with responsibility for business development in the Americas.He joins MSI from Marsoft and in addition to working with North American shipowners and maritime investors he will draw on his heritage and network to support MSI customers in Greece. He will leverage his previous experience in data delivery to bring additional capacity and insight to MSI’s HORIZON and SEASCAPE platforms.Moulopoulos…

31 Mar 2026

Sarens Helps Atlantic Canada Bulk Terminal Undergo Adaptation as Hub for Offshore Wind

© Sarens

Located in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada, the Atlantic Canada Bulk Terminal (ACBT) has undergone a transformation to adapt its facilities to the evolving needs of the offshore wind industry. This evolution is vital for future Canadian Offshore Wind developments, such as Nova Scotia Wind West. Consequently, the terminal has shifted from a facility dedicated exclusively to the steel industry and material storage to become one of the most important strategic hubs in the North Atlantic.Sarens…

31 Mar 2026

U.S. Court Upholds FMC Rule on Carrier Refusals to Deal

© FMC

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has upheld a Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) rule defining when ocean carriers unlawfully refuse to negotiate or provide vessel space, rejecting a challenge from the World Shipping Council (WSC).The case stems from the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA), which directed the FMC to clarify what constitutes an “unreasonable refusal to deal or negotiate” under the Shipping Act. The rule was introduced in 2024 amid widespread complaints from U.S.

31 Mar 2026

Prysmian Shares North American Leadership Transitions


 

Matt Bedell, SVP of Power Distribution. © Prysmian

Prysmian, a leader in energy and data wire and cabling solutions, recently announced changes to its leadership structure in North America to further strengthen the company’s market position in the region. 2025 marked the best year yet for Prysmian, with global revenues reaching USD$23.08 billion (€20 billion). North America’s net profit exceeded $9 billion, accounting for 40% of the company’s total sales. Over the past two years, Prysmian’s North American footprint has grown through the acquisitions of Encore Wire and Channell…

31 Mar 2026

Russian Oil Tanker Arrives in Cuba's Matanzas Port

Raul Navarro González/Wirestock © Adobe Stock/Creators

A Russia-flagged tanker carrying some 700,000 barrels of crude arrived in Cuba's Matanzas Bay at daybreak on Tuesday, according to a Reuters witness and shipping data, marking the first significant oil delivery since the Trump administration cut off the island's fuel supply.The Anatoly Kolodkin vessel, under U.S. sanctions, entered Cuban territorial waters late on Sunday not far from the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay. The U.S. said it was allowing the tanker to deliver fuel…

31 Mar 2026

China, Pakistan Call for Gulf Ceasefire, Restoration of Normal Strait of Hormuz Navigation

© Adobe Stock/Anamarija

China and Pakistan on Tuesday called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gulf and the wider Middle East, urging the swift launch of peace talks and the restoration of normal navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, as their foreign ministers met in Beijing.Both countries have called for talks to end the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, now in the fifth week. Pakistan has previously said it is ready to facilitate peace talks between Washington and Tehran.Pakistan, which shares a more than 900‑km border with Iran, has emerged as a key mediator, building on its courtship of U.S.

31 Mar 2026

Delaware River and Bay Authority Looks to Electric in Cape May-Lewes Ferry Modernization

© ABB

One of North America’s busiest ferry routes is joining the growing trend for U.S.-based operators to make the efficiencies of electrification central when they modernize their fleets, after an integrated hybrid-electric propulsion system from ABB was selected for the new ship ordered by Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA).Shipbuilder Senesco Marine contracted ABB to deliver full propulsion and automation systems for the 75-car passenger and vehicle ferry, which will replace the 45-year-old Cape Henlopen in connecting Lewes, Delaware and Cape May, New Jersey.

31 Mar 2026

Drone Strike on Kuwaiti Oil Tanker off Dubai Signals Further Escalation in Gulf

© Nightman1965 / Adobe Stock

Tehran attacked and set ablaze a fully loaded crude oil tanker off Dubai on Tuesday, despite a threat by President Donald Trump that the U.S. will obliterate Iran's energy plants if it does not agree to a peace deal and open the Strait of Hormuz.Authorities in Dubai said the fire on the Kuwait-flagged Al-Salmi had been brought under control following a drone attack, with no oil leak and no injuries to the crew. Kuwait Petroleum Corp, the ship's owner, said the vessel's hull was damaged.The attack was the latest on merchant vessels in the strait…

31 Mar 2026

Saronic Closes $1.75B Series D Funding

Image courtesy Saronic

Saronic Technologies today announced it has closed $1.75 billion in Series D funding to advance its mission of delivering autonomous platforms at scale across defense and commercial sectors. The round was led by Kleiner Perkins and values the company at $9.25 billion.Saronic welcomes Advent International, Bessemer Venture Partners, DFJ Growth, BAM Elevate, and other new partners and recognizes the continued commitment of its existing investors, including 8VC, Caffeinated Capital…

31 Mar 2026

Golden Pass LNG Reaches First Production Milestone in US

Golden Pass LNG (Credit: QatarEnergy)

Golden Pass LNG, a joint venture between QatarEnergy and ExxonMobil, has produced its first liquefied natural gas from the initial train of its export facility in Texas, marking a step toward full operations.The project, located in Sabine Pass, has a total capacity of 18 million tonnes per annum across three liquefaction trains. The start of production is expected to pave the way for the first LNG cargo, with exports targeted to begin in the second quarter of 2026.“First LNG is of a particular importance for one of the largest single investment decisions in U.S. LNG history.

31 Mar 2026

UK's Wind Output Surge Softens Blow from Global Energy Disruption

© bphoto / Adobe Stock

Record output from wind farms has helped boost total clean power supplies in the United Kingdom to new highs so far in 2026, and allowed power firms to pare use of fossil fuels to multi-year lows.The growth in wind output has helped shield the UK power system from the worst effects of the U.S.