The Seafarers International Union (SIU) has released a first-hand account from the crew of the product tanker Stena Immaculate, which was hit by a boxship off the UK last month.

On March 10, the Portuguese-flagged feeder Solong was on a routine coastal voyage off Hull, UK, making 16 knots on a steady southbound course. Without slowing or maneuvering, Solong rammed the port side of the anchored product tanker Stena Immaculate, penetrating two tanks.

Stena Immaculate third mate Jeffrey Griffin told SIU that he was working out on deck at the time of the accident. 

“All I could see was something big and blue heading toward us. I immediately knew, it’s not going to miss us," Griffin said. "I was front and center when it allided between the seven port and six port cargo tanks. There was a great big loud crunching noise. That was followed by a whole lot of fire."

At first, the crew responded with shock and amazement. Those inside the deckhouse and belowdecks felt the vibration and knew something was wrong. 

"It wasn't a huge jolt. I remember looking through the fog and . . . I could faintly see the white outline of the house of the other ship. And then that first fireball happened," recalled OS Benjamin Brown. 

The crew ran out hoses and began to lay down foam to suppress the flames on deck. Two officers remained forward on the bow, and the firefighting efforts were successful enough that they could slip past and get back to the deckhouse. 

After half an hour of battling the fire, the master instructed the crew to abandon ship. "I won't say we were close to putting out the fire, but we were doing well," Griffin said. "I was about to do a muster when we heard the words, forget the muster, abandon ship. 

The crew mustered at the lifeboat, and after the second mate confirmed all were aboard, they gravity-launched into the water and motored off. The bosun noted that there was burning fuel on the water surface during their escape. Despite fumes from the fire and heavy smoke, they were unharmed, and were quickly rescued by nearby good Samaritan vessels.

Griffin said that he was already prepared to ship out again. "I’m a little shaken but I’m ready to go back to work. The fire – it happened. The abandon ship – it happened. We trained for it, we prepared for it, and everybody survived, so we obviously are doing something right," he told SIU. 

Stena Immaculate's cargo will be pumped off for safety, and the ship will be towed to Newcastle for a port of refuge. One crewmember of the boxship Solong is missing and presumed dead; the master of the Solong has been arrested on negligent manslaughter charges, and Stena and operator Crowley have sued the Solong's owner for damages. 

The owner, a subsidiary of Ernst Russ, is setting up a claims fund in the UK as proceedings begin. The firm has brought a limitation of liability case in UK admiralty court, which would limit the total claims amount to the value of the ship and her cargo. 

Norway marked a milestone in its efforts to be a leader in green shipping with the introduction of the first of two vessels that will be powered with bio-methanol. The containerships which are operating in a partnership between North Sea Container Line and MPC Container Ships will expand Norway’s trade with Europe while also lowering emissions.

NCL Vestland is the first of the two vessels and today, April 1, they celebrated the naming and entry into service of the ship, with her sister ship NCL Nordland to follow. The ships were ordered in 2023 under a program in part sponsored by the Norwegian government to advance green shipping. The project received NOK 13.7 million (US$1.3 million) in funding from Enova SF, the state enterprise owned by the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment, and NOK 60 million (US$5.7 million) from the NOx fund (Næringslivets NOx-fond), the Norwegian business sector’s fund to reduce emissions.

The ships were built by China’s Taizhou Sanfu Ship Engineering and are fitted with dual-fuel engines capable of operating on conventional fuel or green methanol. The newbuilds will reduce NCL’s overall CO2 emissions by 50 percent, compared to the existing NCL fleet, when operating on diesel. In 2025, NCL will operate the vessels with a 5 percent blend of bio-methanol and the strategy is to gradually increase the bio-methanol going forward. NCL has signed an agreement with Equinor for the sourcing of the methanol and the vessels will be bunkering in Norway. 

The hull, which is 149 meters (489 feet) in length, along with the propellers, and onboard systems are designed for maximum energy efficiency. The ships are each equipped with a 250 kWh battery pack and the capability to use shore power. Each ship has a capacity of 1,300 TEU. They feature an "Open Top" design which the companies highlight minimizes the need for crew on deck, further enhancing safety. The electric cranes on deck are designed to enhance efficiency when in port, independent of onshore infrastructure providing increased flexibility in the ports they can access.

The plan calls for three older vessels to be replaced by the two new ships, each of which has a 40 percent greater container capacity compared to the ships currently operating the feeder service. As such, NCL reports that the vessels will achieve a 63 percent reduction in energy capacity per TEU per nautical mile. 

The ships are operating under a 15-year chart to NCL and have long-term contracts for transportation from Norway including with Elkem, a provider of silicon-based materials. With stops at key industry hubs in Norway, Elkem says they will enable larger weekly shipments of its silicon products to European customers in sectors such as automotive manufacturing, construction, renewable energy, and the defense industry, and enable growth and jobs along the Norwegian coast.

“These state-of-the-art vessels will play a significant role in transporting Norwegian goods and strategic silicon metals and materials to the continent, cementing Norway’s position as an important and reliable supplier of critical inputs for European industries,” said Morten Viga, CFO of Elkem.

The vessel will operate between Stokmarknes and Rotterdam, Bremerhaven, calling at Salten, Mo i Rana, Orkanger, Averøy, Ålesund, Svelgen, Bergen, Haugesund, and Tananger. It will supply Europe with strategically important minerals, fish food, and other commodities via the ports of Bremerhaven and Rotterdam.

NCL highlights this is the first of three zero-emission capable vessels it will be introducing. In addition to the two methanol-fueled feeders, NCL will operate the world’s first ammonia-powered container vessel in a project with ammonia-producer Yara International and its subsidiary Yara Clean Energy and the support of the Norwegian Government through its Enova investment fund. The ammonia-powered feeder project was announced in 2023 with a target of starting operations in 2026.
 

 

Last week, the U.S. Coast Guard worked with local first responders to medevac a seafarer from the deck of a Chinese freighter on the Hudson, carrying the man to safety. 

At about 1850 hours on March 27, Coast Guard Sector New York received a request for assistance from the freighter Sheng Ping Hai. The vessel had just departed Albany and was downbound on the Hudson, headed for Colombia, and a crewmember had a serious medical problem. The fourth assistant engineer, a 23-year-old man, had suffered spinal injuries and needed an evacuation. 

The Ulster County Sheriff's Office had a response boat in reach of the ship, and it dispatched a team to meet up with the vessel. The U.S. Coast Guard responded as well, dispatching the small cutter USCGC Wire from Saugerties.

The injured man was carefully secured in a Stokes litter, and as the Sheng Ping Hai continued to make way downstream, the police response boat held position alongside. The crew lowered the victim down by rope to the deck of the boat, and the medevac was completed successfully. 

The seafarer was delivered safely to shore at Saugerties and transferred to a local ambulance crew for transport to a nearby hospital. His injuries were determined to be non-life-threatening, according to the sheriff's office. 

The Coast Guard is investigating the circumstances of the engineer's injury. Sheng Ping Hai continued on her commercial voyage, heading southbound down the East Coast and through the Bahamas. 

Sheng Ping Hai is a 56,000 dwt geared bulker built in 2012. She is owned by a Hainan-based company and operated by Cosco, the world's largest shipowner by tonnage. 

 

Smart shipowners are getting prepared to pass any extra U.S. fees for Chinese ships onwards to their charterers, insulating the owner from the impact of millions of dollars in extra regulatory cost per port call. Special new charter party clauses will ensure that U.S. exporters and importers - not shipowners - will bear the extra near-term cost, says Genco CEO John Wobensmith. 

Genco is the largest U.S.-headquartered bulker operator, and has a substantial number of Chinese-built vessels in its fleet. As such, it is exposed to the proposed port fees on Chinese tonnage, written by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). If the fee structure is adopted as written, Chinese-built ships - and any global operators who use Chinese-built ships elsewhere - would have to pay millions of dollars for every port call in the United States. Exporters would also be required to ship an increasing percentage of their goods on U.S.-flagged tonnage, and eventually on scarce U.S.-built tonnage, raising costs for export shipments and creating new employment options for U.S. mariners. 

Multiple shipowners have described deep changes to their business if the fees go into effect. U.S.-based ro/ro liner ACL says that it will go out of business in the United States, and multiple ocean carriers have said that they will narrow their port calls down to a few major gateways to minimize fees. Genco's Wobensmith told Bloomberg that he shares USTR's goal of strengthening American shipping, but in the near term, his firm has two options: exit the U.S. market and focus on the rest of the world, which accounts for 90 percent of its business; or pass the extra U.S. costs on to the end user. 

It's already using the latter strategy. To ensure that it does not get caught bearing unexpected new costs, Genco's charter parties now include clauses that require the charterer to pay for any new U.S. port charges, whatever they happen to be. 

In reality, these two strategies (leave or pass on charges) are closely linked. The extra expense of the port fees will make some ag commodities "uncompetive" compared to foreign producers, Wobensmith said, as American farming interests have previously warned. Soy exports "will come almost to a grinding halt," he said. For these cargoes, the extra pass-on charges may end the market, requiring shipowners with Chinese tonnage to leave.

Top image courtesy Bernard Spragg / public domain

[By: Hydrex]

Recently, our diver/technician teams were deployed to ships in Belgium and Spain for stern tube seal replacements. The first operation took place in Algeciras on a 225-meter container ship, while the second was carried out in Antwerp on a 295-meter RoRo vessel.

Both ships were experiencing oil leaks, necessitating an immediate on-site repair. Using one of our flexible mobdocks, we successfully completed the operations underwater, eliminating the need for costly and time-consuming drydocking.

As a result of recent technological advancements made by our R&D department and new lightweight equipment, our teams can now complete stern tube seal repairs even faster.
Hydrex truck and equipment next to container vessel in Algeciras.

Our repair method enables underwater replacement of all types and sizes of shaft seals. If left unchecked, damaged stern tube seals can lead to escalating oil leaks or water ingress. By addressing the issue at an early stage, we help minimize downtime and prevent further complications.

Stern tube seal replacements can present challenges due to the varying configurations of stern tubes and potential issues with worn or grooved liners. However, our experienced teams are well-equipped to handle these complexities efficiently.

Stern tube assembly prior to seal replacement.

Keeping container ship on schedule

Once the operation in Algeciras was approved, our team quickly made all necessary preparations and mobilized lightweight equipment from our fast-response center.

Upon arrival, the diving team established a monitoring station beside the vessel. The process began with a thorough underwater inspection of the stern tube seal assembly, followed by the removal of the rope guard.

Hydrex diver preparing the assembly for installation of the mobdock.

Next, the divers cleaned the assembly and installed the flexible mobdock, creating a dry underwater workspace that replicated drydock conditions.

The split ring was then removed and brought to the surface for cleaning. After cleaning the entire assembly, the divers replaced the seals and bonded them one by one.

The operation concluded successfully with leakage tests, removal of the flexible mobdock, and reinstallation of the rope guard.

One of our diver/technicians working in our flexible mobdock.

Rapid mobilization, quality repairs

Not much later, a team was dispatched to the RoRo vessel’s berthing location near our Antwerp headquarters. Using the same procedure as in Algeciras, the seals were successfully replaced, allowing the vessel to resume operations free of oil leaks.

With Hydrex overseeing the entire process from start to finish, the owner did not have to worry about making any arrangements for the repair.

Divers getting ready for underwater operation in Antwerp.

Working together with the OEM allowed us to supply original spare parts, guaranteeing the highest quality materials for the repair. Additionally, a technician from the seal manufacturer was present to oversee the operation.

All our offices are fully equipped with the latest facilities, lightweight equipment, and specialized tools. This ensured our team had everything necessary to complete the job promptly and effectively.

Diver resurfacing after working inside the mobdock.

Stay afloat, operational, and profitable

We specialize in underwater maintenance and repairs on all components of a ship’s propulsion system and hull. Our operations are class-approved and conducted at lay-by berths or alongside docks without disrupting commercial activities. Every job is executed by skilled diver/technicians using cutting-edge equipment and techniques.

Seal assembly on Roro vessel after the repair.

[By: The Marshall Islands Registry]

The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Registry’s long-term and consistent commitment to high quality shipping continues to be recognized by the international community. At INTERTANKO’s North America panel meeting held in Stamford, Connecticut, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) presented QUALSHIP 21 qualifying jurisdictions for this year. For the 21^st consecutive year the RMI remains a qualifying jurisdiction. The RMI is the only of the world’s three largest registries to achieve QUALSHIP 21 for this year, and the only registry in the world to achieve 21 consecutive years.

“Our focus on compliance goes beyond statistics and requirements,” commented Bill Gallagher, President of International Registries, Inc. and its affiliates (IRI), which provide administrative and technical support to the RMI Registry. “Our collaborative approach with owners and operators of RMI-flagged vessels and global port State control (PSC) authorities supports safe vessel operation for today, while our focus on continual internal improvement aims to ensure consistent and steadfast support for the years ahead.”

To maintain the consistent support that has driven the RMI Registry’s outstanding PSC record IRI continues to invest in resources and tools needed for the future. Resources spread across IRI’s global offices, such as specialized teams in the fields of alternative fuels and decarbonization technologies and experts in safety and security, help owners and operators of RMI-flagged vessels meet the challenges ahead.

“Consistently achieving a strong PSC record is not only a testament to our owners and operators, but also a reflection of the extensive resources the Registry provides including regular, open, and transparent dialogue with PSC authorities and stakeholders worldwide,” said Thomas Bremer, Vice President, Fleet Quality and Compliance. “As the regulatory environment and onboard equipment and technology have changed so has the support from the Registry.”

Streamlining processes and procedures through technology, the RMI Registry continues to evolve to meet the needs of an increasingly digital and technologically advanced maritime industry.

“We have made a significant investment in technology and human resources to enhance collaboration across our departments, teams, and offices,” noted Theo Xenakoudis, Chief Commercial Officer and Managing Director – Piraeus. “Digital tools for scheduling inspections, data analysis of PSC trends, and electronic access to our teams enhance client services. We aim to create a seamless client experience across our 28 worldwide offices that strengthens our ability to share information, identify trends, and address potential areas of concern to build a stronger, high-quality fleet.”

In addition to 21 consecutive years on the USCG’s QUALSHIP 21 roster, the RMI remains whitelisted with the Paris and Tokyo Memorandums of Understanding and has a favorable rating with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. The RMI Registry included 5,773 vessels as of 31 March 2025. As of 11 March 2025, 26.1% of all vessels enrolled in QUALSHIP 21 are RMI-flagged, with 36.7% of vessels enrolled in QUALSHIP 21 achieving E-ZERO status are RMI-flagged vessels.

 

Compliance is a top priority for shipowners, and that includes the handling of effluent and emissions.

Merchant ships have at least five major waste streams – exhaust, bilge water, solid waste, ballast water and sewage – each with stringent limits. Of these, ballast water requires treatment for almost every deepsea shipping application, and treatment failures mean costly delays in cargo operations.

Day-in, day-out reliability requires a working ballast water treatment system (BWTS) and long-term support from the OEM. For a busy merchant ship, that service relationship may make the difference between on-hire and off-hire.

LONG-TERM SUPPORT

Alfa Laval, the market leader in ballast water management, was among the first companies to begin developing a system for BWM Convention compliance. When the convention finally entered into force in 2017, it installed thousands of systems for shipping companies around the world.

Now that the big surge of retrofits is over, it's extended its lead as many other suppliers have pulled back or disappeared altogether. This long-expected market consolidation is making it harder for many owners to keep legacy systems in proper operation: Parts and knowledgeable service techs are tough to find at some of the OEMs that have disinvested from the sector.

At the same time as support is declining, port state-control inspectors are stepping up scrutiny of BWTS compliance. This is a challenging combination of trends as an unfixable BWTS is a costly liability if it halts a vessel's cargo operations.

Given the difficulty of maintaining unsupported equipment, some owners are deciding to replace their BWTS outright. Many are turning to Alfa Laval. The company has already replaced more than 250 systems from 30 different manufacturers with its PureBallast 3 system and expects that more owners will be coming.

"We see an increasing number of them making the tough decision to replace the system on board with a more reliable one," a company spokesperson said.

A big part of the reason, according to Alfa Laval, is stability and support. The company is the biggest BWTS supplier and one of the largest marine systems OEMs with service locations around the world and an ongoing compliance service package for peace of mind. "We believe it's key to have a close relationship with the BWMS supplier and go the recommended preventive maintenance way rather than the troubleshooting way, which has proven to be a lot more costly," the spokesperson said.

Alfa Laval continues to invest in R&D for ballast water treatment and has distilled customer feedback into a newly-revised model of its BWTS released in 2024. The system has proven itself effective in all water conditions, Alfa Laval says, even in challenging turbidity. It's also energy-efficient compared to other UV systems – a key factor for merchant ships as ballasting and deballasting occur during periods of peak power demand.

BALLAST WATER BACKUP

What happens if your ballast water treatment system does break down during in-port cargo operations? Do you have to stop loading in order to wait for spare parts and repairs?

Missouri-based SciencoFast has a solution that makes it easy for ships to carry on with their work even if the onboard BWTS can't keep up. This could save thousands of dollars a day in downtime costs for a busy merchant vessel.

SciencoFast has recently come up with a containerized version of its InTank ballast water treatment system, which chlorinates and treats water inside the ship's tanks. The original InTank is permanently mounted and treats ballast while under way, without any filtration. The containerized version keeps the same basic concept but is designed for temporary use while in port. Installation is as simple as hoisting the container on deck and running a circulation line into each tank, says Rudy Mes, SciencoFast's Senior Vice President of Operations.

The best news is that the containerized system is automated and self-monitoring. It takes care of everything – dosing, measuring and neutralization. After enough time has passed for treatment and discharge, it produces a certificate of technical compliance that the crew can show to the authorities to demonstrate proper operation. None of these steps requires any specialized knowledge or additional effort on the part of the crew.

"It shows which tanks are treated, what level of the chemical was injected, how long that was in that tank, when it was neutralized, and what the remaining total residual oxidant (TRO) was after neutralizing," says Mes. "So that's basically a guarantee for the vessel owner that the system has worked and that the water is fully treated and safe to pump overboard."

The system is designed to be light, compact and usable anywhere, on any vessel up to 50,000 dwt (or larger, with multiple units). The treatment chemical is simply industrial bleach, a standard product available in any port. And its electrical load is exceptionally low, saving power during port calls when the vessel's generators are working hardest.

SciencoFast's ultimate hope is to mount the containerized treatment system on a tank barge and provide ballast water treatment as a service. The barge would pull alongside the ship; the ship would deballast into the barge's tanks, and the barge-mounted treatment system would sanitize the water. There would be no waiting at all. The ship would deballast into the barge at full speed, and the water would be treated later. For minimal fuel consumption and emissions, the treatment could even be done when the barge gets back to the pier and plugs into shore power.

French water system manufacturer BIO-UV has been making UV treatment systems for water disinfection for 25 years.

It started with shoreside treatment applications, then branched out into solutions for BWM Convention compliance, adapting proven technology to a marine operating environment. It's well known in the yacht, workboat and specialty-vessel markets for its compact UV-based treatment units (including the smallest BWTS commercially available).

BIO-UV is quite active in the American workboat and naval markets. Last year it delivered six of its BWTS units to a leading American offshore vessel company, and it has a new system for the U.S. Navy in the operational test phase.

Combining its experience in ballast water treatment and shoreside water systems, BIO-UV recently branched out with a purpose-built pool and spa water disinfecting system for cruise ships. For BIO-UV, it's also a return to familiar ground: The company's very first product was a UV disinfection system for swimming pools, and its systems equip more than 6,000 public pools around the world.

Based on the same technology as BIO-UV's BWTS, the new device uses UV to kill at least 99.99 percent of all microorganisms in the water from a cruise ship's pools, hot tubs and spas, a rate far higher than chlorination can achieve. It's certified to treat cryptosporidium, a microscopic parasite that can cause outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on cruise ships.

With a UV system installed, the cruise ship's recreational water supplies can run with 75 percent less chlorine, reducing the unwanted byproducts of chlorination. When chlorine reacts with biological matter in the water, it forms chloroform and chloramines, common and irritating pool water contaminants that are known to have human health effects.

By maintaining high levels of disinfection while reducing the byproducts of treatment, the cruise operator can offer passengers a better experience, the company says.

PRACTICAL EXPERTISE

Fort Lauderdale-based Headhunter is a well-known name in marine sanitation with deep roots in the demanding luxury yacht segment. Its team builds and installs complete black- and graywater systems for vessels of all kinds for capacities up to 50,000 gallons per day.

Some of its biggest contracts are for the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command, which uses Headhunter's TidalWave HMX system aboard the Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) catamaran and the follow-on hospital ship version, the Expeditionary Medical Ship (EMS).

A big driver of Headhunter's success is the quality of its aftersales service, which is key for military customers. "We've received a lot of positive feedback from MSC regarding our technical support," says Headhunter President Mark Mellinger, "which takes place around the world. The Philippines is a popular destination, and we've provided service in Croatia, Singapore, Bahrain, Italy, France and the U.S. West Coast. We've never missed a service call for them."

Headhunter's expertise is so well known that Mellinger was selected to advise the U.S. delegation to the IMO. "I was invited to join a subcommittee called PPR – Pollution Prevention and Response – and we've worked on rewriting the annex on sewage (MARPOL Annex IV)," he says. "It's a privilege to be invited, and I'm the only U.S. manufacturer in our group."

His input has had a meaningful effect on the details of the regulation. Mellinger gave the subcommittee practical guidance on the order of operations for blackwater treatment, helping write rules that better fit the real-world design of sewage systems for use in international waters.

Mellinger has also encouraged the subcommittee to base its requirements on how many people are going to be aboard a vessel, not just on vessel size. Current regulations determine the required size of the treatment system by gross tonnage, which does not have a direct relationship with the crew and passenger count.

"People are what makes sewage," he says. "You could have a 400-gross-ton ship – the size where the rules take effect – but it might only have two or three people, especially now with more autonomy on board. If the new rules allow it, you could shrink the sewage system down to a size that's actually appropriate to the smaller crew. That would reduce displacement and power consumption, creating savings on fuel and emissions."

Three years after the bankruptcy of Genting Hong Kong which resulted in the collapse of both Star Cruises and Dream Cruises the corporation has relaunched the brands. Earlier this year they announced plans to rebrand away from Resorts World Cruises back to the traditional brand names as part of the future growth strategy for the company.

Star Cruises was launched 30 years ago and became known as one of the pioneers of modern cruising in Asia. The brand went on to build cruise ships at Meyer Werft in Germany and in 2000 acquired the faltering Norwegian Cruise Line which had been one of the pioneers in North America. After rehabilitating Norwegian including the introduction of “freestyle cruising” (cruising without schedules or assigned dining arrangements) the company also launched Dream Cruises in Asia as a premium brand.

The 2022 bankruptcy of the German shipyard owned by the company, MV Werften, caused the collapse of the parent company and its cruise lines. The ships were sold but Genting was able to reestablish the business as Resorts World Cruises with two of its former ships. Last year, the company acquired the 77,400 gross tons built in 1997 by Fincantieri and operates as P&O Cruises Australia’s Pacific Explorer.

Renamed Star Voyager and having completed a $50 million refit, the cruise ship returned to service on March 26 in Singapore and March 29 in Indonesia. The ship will be sailing a circuit between Singapore, Jakarta, Melaka, and Ho Chi Minh City officially relaunching the brand as StarCruises. She is joined by the rechristened Star Navigator (77,300 gross tons), introduced in 1999 as SuperStar Virgo. She resumed sailing in 2023 as Resorts World One and operates seasonally from Singapore and Taiwan.

“We are thrilled and honored to return to our roots with the launch of the revitalized StarCruises and Dream Cruises brands, offering an enhanced cruising experience," said Michael Goh, President of StarCruises and Dream Cruises. “To celebrate this milestone, we are also excited to introduce the Star Voyager, as she embarks on her maiden voyage from Singapore, exploring the wonders of Southeast Asia.”

StarCruises will be positioned as an affordable cruise brand with the two ships. The group says its focus will be on ships with accommodations for approximately 2,000 passengers.

Dream Cruises was also restarted as the premium brand within the group. It will continue to operate the Genting Dream (150,600 gross tons). The ship was built for the company by Meyer Werft and entered service in 2016. It sails year-round from Singapore.
 

[By: ITF Seafarers’ Trust]

A new report from the ITF Seafarers’ Trust (ITFST) and the World Maritime University (WMU) highlights the continuing absence of shore leave for the world’s seafarers. Analysing the data from 5879 seafarers who responded to the ITFST’s Shore Leave Survey, WMU researchers concluded that more than a quarter of seafarers did not get any shore leave at all, and a third only got ashore once or twice during their entire contract, based on an average of 6.6 months onboard.

The ITF Seafarers’ Trust opened the Shore Leave Survey in mid-2024 to test the concern that shore leave seemed to be progressively harder to access. Working with the team at the WMU to analyse the data, the resulting report seeks to give a true picture of the current levels of shore leave available to seafarers, how often it happened, how long it lasted, and to look at possible barriers.

The report paints a sorry picture of access to shore leave and shore-based services. Officers were least likely to get shore leave, and seafarers on offshore vessels and tankers were the least likely to get ashore. Across all respondents, even when seafarers did get shore leave, 47% were able to spend less than 3 hours ashore and overall, 93.5% spent less than 6 hours ashore.

The report also includes feedback from seafarers themselves, showing a strong depth of feeling evident from their responses to the open questions.

A Turkish deck officer, after 4.5 months on board a tanker, reported “As a deck officer, most of the time, our shore leave is based on our port watch schedule and chief officers’ approach to officers; while having 6 on 6 off watch it is almost impossible to go out without making another officer take your watch for a couple of hours, and after you are back in port you have to take night watch which makes it hard to stand. […].”

The data shows that the barriers to shore leave are multiple and systemic: minimal crewing and high workloads, increasing inspections, port security and operational efficiencies leading to lack of time in port, lack of shore-based facilities and costs of transport. All these and multiple other issues result in a situation where the current system means that for seafarers to recuperate with shore leave is an unattainable dream in many ports.

An Indian deck officer, after 6 months on board stated: “I have been working in the shipping industry since 2006. I have noticed that all the ports have slowly found ways to deny shore leave to the ship’s crew. If they can’t tell NO! straightaway, then they will impose heavy charges so that everyone automatically refuses to go ashore. Plus, the workload and the commercial pressure on senior officers are so much that they find it difficult to go ashore. Generally, oil/chemical refineries where our tankers go for loading or discharging are far away from the cities. There is nothing close by where we can go and relax a bit, have some nice food or go shopping. There are ports which force us to use boats for shore leave, and those boats are very expensive and unaffordable! After a long sailing, we feel exhausted, and it’s our right, I think, to get a shore leave.”

Katie Higginbottom, Head of ITF Seafarers’ Trust said ‘This survey confirms our fears. Seafarers are not getting shore leave because it hasn’t been prioritised as essential for crew wellbeing and the safety of the vessel. This is about setting the scene, and it is stark. We hope that the findings will promote discussion and acknowledgement that seafarers deserve a break from the vessel. Action must be taken to preserve the possibility of shore leave.’

The report is clear that the problem is systemic and multifaceted. All stakeholders, from flag States to port States, agents to shipping companies and seafarers themselves, need to collaborate to ensure that this vital component of life at sea is maintained and expanded. All parties need to recognise that, unchecked, the current regime risks the extinction of shore leave as a viable concept reinforcing the strains on an already pressurised workforce.

[By: CMA Shipping]

A gathering of senior personalities from key industry players including V.Group, d’Amico, OL Shipping Group, Ardmore Shipping, International Seaways Inc, and AET Tankers have set the scene for three days of industry discussion at the 40th edition of CMA Shipping, which got underway today at the Hilton Stamford Hotel & Executive Meeting Centre in Connecticut, USA.

The Seatrade Maritime Club Round Table precedes all global Seatrade Maritime events and allows stakeholders to debate topical discussion points in a closed-door environment before joining wider conversations in the main event conference agendas. This Round Table marks the third time it has been held at CMA Shipping. According to John Lindquist, CMA President and Director of Marine Development, Stabilis Solutions, who welcomed the prestigious attendees: “The Seatrade Maritime Club is a special gathering, offering a closed door setting with intelligent discussions about the most important topics of our industry today.  All over the world, this forum has addressed pressing challenges by creating an open dialogue amongst
c-suite executives and leaders.”

Leading a discussion on ‘Geopolitics and the Future of Global Trade’, Chris Aversano, Partnership Lead, Maritime Operations, Wood Mackenzie and Seatrade Maritime Club Ambassador, said: “In an era of rapid geopolitical shifts, leaders across all sectors must be prepared not for hypothetical disruptions but for the inevitability of change at a pace that few have seen. This panel explored the evolving landscape of global trade, including shifting trade lanes, the formation of strategic alliances between nations and regions that are not only new but fly in the face of recent history, and the impact of tariffs on commerce.” 

Part two, titled, ‘The role of AI in Transforming Shipping’ was moderated by Captain Alexandra Hagerty, Founder, Captains Without Borders; Founder, Hagerty Maritime Consulting and Seatrade Maritime Club Ambassador and the discussion explored the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence in shipping.

As the third topic of the Round Table, ‘Seafarers Role in Decarbonization’ was under the spotlight.

Moderated by Darren Shelton, Director, Moran Shipping and Seatrade Maritime Club Ambassador, said: “Seafarers are at the frontline of maritime decarbonization, yet training, safety protocols, and career development are not evolving fast enough to support them in this transition. As alternative fuels, digital oversight, and emissions regulations reshape operations, we must strike a balance between technological progress and the expertise, autonomy, and well-being of our crews. Today we addressed the key question of ‘how do we invest in the future of shipping in a way that advances both sustainability and seafarer readiness—ensuring that decarbonization is not just a corporate initiative, but a workforce-driven success?’.

As always, the Round Table meeting is not held in front of an audience and Chatham Rules apply.  Learnings from the session are written up and presented back to attendees to ensure that the conversations are fully captured and actions taken.

The Round Table is the latest in a series which has seen gatherings take place in Qatar; Saudi Arabia; Dubai; the Philippines and London. At CMA Shipping it precedes both the main conference, which will tackle current industry issues, while a brand new, free-to-attend conference stream will place a focus on technical innovation across AI, decarbonisation, and cyber security in the shipping industry.

The introduction of this new conference stream, which will take place on the Expo Stage and run alongside the usual conference programme, will ensure more professionals have access to essential insight and expertise that can inform future strategies and protect operations amidst emerging challenges and threats to safety and risk mitigation.

Access to the Expo Stage is included in all registration types for CMA Shipping 2025, which will take place April 1-3, 2025. 

CMA Shipping has been connecting maritime professionals in North America since 1985 and has earned an enviable reputation for serving content that connects attendees with the most important industry issues and trends. To find out more about CMA Shipping, which is bought to the industry by Connecticut Maritime Association and organised by Seatrade Maritime - Informa Markets, visit the CMA Shipping website.

 

In November 2022, several scientists in scuba gear dove over the side of a 440-foot research ship, which had been sent to the Saya de Mahla Bank, a vast seagrass meadow in the Indian Ocean between Mauritius and Seychelles, more than 200 miles from land. Their goal that day was to film sharks. When they were not diving, the scientists submerged a remote-controlled submarine to search the sea column. Ranked as one of the largest and most advanced research vessels in the world, the ship had been sent to this remote stretch by the environmental non-profit, Monaco Explorations, to document a seafloor famously lush in seagrass, corals, turtles, dugongs, rays, and other species.

During the three weeks that the research team combed the waters of the Saya de Mahla Bank, they spotted not a single shark.

The likely culprit, according to the scientists, was a fleet of more than 200 fishing ships that has, in recent years, targeted these remote waters, mostly from Taiwan, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Many of these ships fish for tuna species such as albacore, yellowfin, skipjack, and bigeye, but they are also catching sharks in huge numbers.

Sharks play a critical role in the ecosystem as guardians of the seagrass, hunting populations of turtles and other animals that would mow down all the seagrass if left unchecked. Catching sharks is not easy, nor is it usually inadvertent. In tuna longlining, the ship uses a line made of thick microfilament, with baited hooks attached at intervals. Many tuna longliners directly target sharks by using special steel leads designed not to break when the sharks, bigger and stronger than the tuna, try to yank themselves free.

To avoid wasting space in the ship hold, deckhands usually throw the rest of the shark back into the water after they cut off the fins, which can sell for a hundred times the cost of the rest of the meat. It’s a wasteful process and a slow death, as the sharks, still alive but unable to swim, sink to the seafloor. To offset poverty wages, ship captains typically allow their crew to supplement their income by keeping the fins to sell at port, off books.

In 2015, more than 50 Thai fishing vessels, primarily bottom trawlers, descended on the Saya de Malha Bank to drag their nets over the ocean floor and scoop up brushtooth lizardfish and round scad, much of which was transported back to shore to be ground into fishmeal. At least 30 of these vessels arrived in the Bank after fleeing crackdowns on fishing violations in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. The Thai fleet routinely targeted sharks in the Saya de Malha Bank, according to an investigation conducted by Greenpeace.

Two survivors of trafficking who worked in the Saya de Malha Bank on two of the vessels—the Kor Navamongkolchai 1 and Kor Navamongkolchai 8—told Greenpeace that up to 50 percent of their catch had been sharks. In 2016, a Thai government report found that 24 vessels returning from Saya de Malha Bank had committed fishing violations, mostly from a lack of valid fishing gear licenses. “The impact of the trawl fishery on seabed ecosystems is likely to have been catastrophic,” reported a 2022 study by the environmental non-profit Monaco Explorations. Since then, the Thai presence in the Saya de Malha Bank has diminished, and in 2024 only two Thai vessels targeted the area.

The Sri Lankans and Taiwanese, however, have continued to fish the Bank intensely. Of the more than 100 Sri Lankan vessels that have fished in the Saya de Malha since January 2022, when the country’s fleet first began broadcasting vessel locations publicly, about half—or roughly 44—used gillnets, according to vessel data from the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission. These gillnetters operate across the Indian Ocean, and a number of the vessels were observed at the Bank by the 2022 Monaco Explorations expedition. Sharks are especially vulnerable to gillnets, which account for 64 percent of shark catches recorded by the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission.

On August 17, 2024, a video was posted to YouTube showing dozens of shark and ray carcasses recently unloaded from vessels in the Sri Lankan port of Beruwala. In the video, a man butchers one shark with a machete, dark blood pooling on the concrete of the harbor as he hacks at the body, removing its fins and hauling entrails from the carcass. Several videos showing similar scenes—hundreds of dead sharks, some without fins, being unloaded from fishing vessels and lined up on Sri Lankan harbors for sale to local exporters—have been uploaded to YouTube over the past two years.

The videos offer a window on the booming trade that has decimated local shark populations. About two-thirds of Sri Lanka’s domestic shark and ray species are listed as threatened by extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. That threat has now moved further afield, to the high seas far from Sri Lankan shores, including to the Saya de Malha, putting yet more pressure on an ecosystem UNESCO has described as “globally unique,” an underwater jewel that, should it disappear, could never be replaced.

Historically, Sri Lankan vessels have targeted sharks in domestic waters. Between 2014 and 2016, for example, 84 percent of reported shark catches came from domestic vessels, according to research into the Sri Lankan shark and ray trade published in 2021. But as domestic populations declined, vessels, among them the fleet of gillnetters, moved to the high seas, leading to a new boom in the fin trade. Sri Lanka’s annual exports of fins quadrupled in the last decade, according to UN Comtrade data, with 110 tons exported in 2023, primarily to Hong Kong, compared to just 28 tons in 2013.

In 2024, tracking data also shows that over 40 of the Sri Lankan vessels did not publicly broadcast their location while in the Bank. This practice is a persistent barrier to ocean conservation, because it masks the true scale of the fleet or hides when these ships plan to engage in illegal behavior. However, these “dark vessels” can be tracked by monitoring the signals from their fishing buoys. Sri Lankan vessels can have up to a dozen fishing buoys, each with its own unique identification signal, Sri Lankan fishing records indicate.

At least one of these “hidden” vessels that fished in the Saya de Malha between March and June 2024, the IMUL-A-0064 KMN, was detained in August 2024 by Sri Lankan authorities with over half a ton of oceanic white-tip shark carcasses aboard, all with their fins removed. Catching oceanic white-tip sharks is prohibited under Sri Lankan law, as is the removal of shark fins at sea. This was not an isolated incident: Sri Lankan authorities have seized illegally harvested shark fins on at least 25 separate occasions since January 2021, according to press releases from the Sri Lankan Coast Guard.

Though Taiwanese law does not allow vessels to engage in shark finning, the practice still takes place. In a sample of 62 Taiwanese vessels fishing on the high seas between 2018 and 2020, half engaged in shark finning, according to the Environmental Justice Foundation, which interviewed former crew on the ships. At least one of the Taiwanese vessels that fishes in the Saya de Malha, the Ho Hsin Hsing No. 601, was penalized in May 2023 for having dried shark fins in its vessel hold. The vessel operator was fined the equivalent of $123,000 and had their fishing license suspended for a month. The ship had last fished in the Saya de Malha between September and October 2022.

But why should anyone care about the disappearance of sharks in the Saya de Malha Bank? Ernest Hemingway once described going bankrupt as something that happens gradually... and then suddenly. The extinction of species is like bankruptcy, and when it finally occurs, there’s no going back. If we keep draining the Bank of one of its most precious resources, a “sudden” reckoning may be soon.

Ian Urbina is the director of The Outlaw Ocean Project, a non-profit journalism organization based in Washington D.C. that produces investigative stories about human rights, environment and labor concerns on the two thirds of the planet covered by water. 

Reporting and writing was contributed additionally by Outlaw Ocean Project staff, including Maya Martin, Joe Galvin, Susan Ryan, and Austin Brush.

 

Japan’s NYK Group highlights that it has become one of the largest operators of LPG carriers as part of its growth strategy. The company last year agreed to take over the shipping business from ENEOS and reports it completed the acquisition on schedule, today April 1, for an estimated cost of just over $500 million.

It was a two-stage transaction that first saw ENEOS, a Japanese petroleum company, transfer its LPG carriers, chemical and product tankers, and cargo ships into a newly formed subsidiary ENEOS Ocean. That represented the bulk of its shipping operations but excluded the company’s 12 crude oil tankers which it retains. In the second stage of the transaction, NYK acquired 80 percent ownership of ENEOS Ocean which was rebranded today as NYK Energy Ocean (NEO). ENEOS retains 20 percent ownership.

When the agreement was announced in July 2024, ENEOS cited the “increasing burden of investment driven by the rising cost of vessels, complicated by global environmental regulations.” It highlighted the focus on reducing CO2 emissions as well as the need for a digital transformation to improve both safety and operational efficiency.

“We are convinced that conducting business under a new owner better equipped to devise a growth strategy in the global shipping sector will be optimal,” ENEOS said explaining the reasoning for the sale. NYK has cited its pursuit of growth including a strategy focusing on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance). In its energy transportation business, NYK Group reports it will be strengthening its LNG/LPG carrier business as a growth business and is aiming to fulfill its responsibility for stable energy transportation as an infrastructure company.

NEO now operates 47 vessels, including 18 LPG carriers, 18 chemical and product tankers, and 11 cargo ships, all taken over from ENEOS Ocean. Together with the 16 LPG carriers currently operated by NYK, the NYK Group has become one of the world's largest operators of LPG carriers.

The NYK Group is also expanding its operations in LNG carriers. It is part of the expansion with QatarEnergy with a contract for five 174,000 cbm LNG carriers building at China’s Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding with deliveries starting in 2025. The company also struck a new deal with JERA and in December 2024 took delivery on a new LNG carrier it is operating for a subsidiary of Kyushu Electric Power Co.

In its last annual report (March 2024), NYK reported it was operating nearly 200 vessels owned or chartered in its energy group. Over half its fleet of 824 vessels operates in dry bulk.
 

 

The offshore wind energy industry in the United States continues to face challenges with four project developers each filing in the past few days to pause their state-level regulatory reviews. The developers are reported to be citing “uncertainties” in the U.S. market or seeking to create protections based on potential future actions by the Trump administration.

Donald Trump placed the industry under review after returning to the White House. He has repeatedly spoken against the industry citing assertions that it was not economically viable. He ordered the Department of the Interior to review the process and ordered a halt to future permitting during the review. This came after the Biden administration completed the review of several projects late in 2024 and early 2025.

Massachusetts officials confirmed that negotiations with both Avangrid’s New England Wind 1 and SouthCoast Wind which is being developed by a partnership between EDP Renewables and ENGIE had not yet completed their power purchase agreements. The deadline was March 31, but for the third time they have failed to complete the deals, twice since Trump returned to the presidency. The companies have set a new deadline of June 30 with a target for late August to present the deals to Massachusetts.

Both projects are working to set new agreements after the developers in 2023 canceled prior purchase agreements due to changing costs. The joint venture OceanWinds paid a fine of $60 million while Avangrid paid $42 million to terminate the power purchase agreements. 

Media reports indicate the companies are seeking to build protections into the new agreements against potential changes in policy from the Trump administration. The media is writing that state officials have said Trump’s opposition is “making it difficult” to complete the power purchase agreements. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management approved the construction plan for New England 1 in July 2024 and SouthCoast in January 2025. Massachusetts reselected both projects in September 2024 for power agreements.

Additional uncertainty came as the town of Nantucket filed an appeal against BOEM’s approval for SouthCoast. They filed a suit in U.S. District Court claiming that the review did not consider the full impact and how the project would hurt the town’s tourism industry. Additionally, a local activist group is challenging the Environmental Protection Agency calling for a reassessment of permits for New England Wind 1 as well as other projects.

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities last week also withdrew consideration for Attentive Wind’s project planned for 42 miles off the central New Jersey coast. The Press of Atlantic City newspaper is reporting the development. The indication is that developer Attentive Wind is seeking a one-year extension for a $37.3 million payment as part of the state approval process. 

Maine’s Public Utilities Commission last week also reported that it was suspending negotiations with Mitsubishi which is working on the Pine Tree Offshore Wind project. It is part of a research project to develop a floating offshore wind array for the Gulf of Maine. The commission wrote in its order that Mitsubishi requested the pause citing “recent shifts in the energy landscape that have in particular caused uncertainty in the offshore wind industry.”

Anxiety over the status of the U.S. industry was further increased when in March a court permitted the EPA to withdraw a permit for the Atlantic Shores project in New Jersey.  The permit related to the installation of the offshore wind farm and the move reversed actions by the Biden administration to clear the project for construction.

Several other U.S. projects that were already underway are continuing despite the uncertainties created by the Trump administration. 
 

 

On Tuesday, China's navy carried out a massive drill in the Western Pacific as a "stern warning" to the independent government of Taiwan. 

It was the latest in a series of muscular exercises that many analysts view as a rehearsal for a naval blockade or invasion. The People's Liberation Army used similar language, describing the drill as a preparatory exercise for "seizing comprehensive control, striking maritime and land targets and imposing blockade controls." An estimated 20 Chinese warships and 70 military aircraft joined the exercise. 

The carrier Shandong and her escorts joined the operation in a major show of force. According to the Japan Self Defense Force, the task force was spotted east of Taiwan, positioned to interdict vessels arriving from the Pacific and the Philippine Sea. 

Political science professor Ja Ian Ching of the National University of Singapore told Bloomberg that the political objective of China's drills is to "weaken confidence in U.S. deterrence" and display how far the Chinese military can go in operating near Taiwan. 

"The Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affairs that brook no external interference," asserted Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun in a press conference Tuesday. "The DPP authorities are hellbent on seeking 'Taiwan independence,' and attempt to solicit external support for that agenda . . . The historical trend that China will and must achieve reunification is unstoppable."

 

Researchers from the University of Manchester have discovered astonishing quantities of microplastics in the organs of loggerhead sea turtles, particularly in the reproductive organs of males. It is the first study of its kind, and if representative of the condition of the population at large, the results suggest serious potential effects on reproduction and vitality for the iconic species. 

The team obtained the remains of ten loggerheads that were caught up as bycatch in fishing nets in the Mediterranean. Musculature and vital organs in both male and female examples contained high levels of microplastics, including the liver, kidney and heart. 98.8 percent of all tested samples contained foreign particles, and 70 percent contained microplastics. 

The ultra-tiny particles measured about 15 microns, and researchers were surprised to find so many of these solid contaminants migrating from the turtles' gut into all kinds of soft tissue.  The majority of particles came from the kinds of plastic used to make synthetic clothing and packaging, notably plastic bags, which the turtles often mistake for jellyfish and consume by accident. Plastics can stay in a turtle's gut from 40-120 days, depending on the turtle's activity level and whether there are blockages caused by the plastic. The turtles may also have picked up microplastics by rooting in contaminated bottom sediment, inhaling sea air containing plastic fibers, or consuming prey that already contained contaminants. 

Reproductive organs contained an average of 15 particles per gram, ranging as high as 25. Heart tissue contained up to seven particles per gram.  

"Exposure to MPs in reproductive organs can cause reproductive toxicity, and be vectors for contaminants and additives that can disrupt the endocrine system (EDCs), such as bisphenol A and PCBs and phthalates," the researchers noted. "Microplastics accumulation can lead to a suite of sublethal physiological impacts that are likely to be far less conspicuous, and harder to detect at both the individual and population level."

ReCAAP, the regional monitoring operation for Asia, issued a new alert to ships in the area of the Singapore and Malacca Strait warning of the continuing surge in sea robbery incidents and while cautioning of the possibility of further incidents. They received reports of six incidents between March 28 and 30 prompting the continued caution based on the increase in activity so far in 2025.

As with the incidents earlier this year, the perpetrators seem more brazen in their efforts but during the last incidents there was no direct interaction and none of the crewmembers were attacked. Other incidents in 2025 have included crewmembers being assaulted and tied up, but as with the prior incidents in several of the cases in the past few days, the boarders appeared to be armed.

Three vessels were boarded in a period of one and a half hours on March 30, between 0125 and 0255 all in the Phillip Channel in the eastbound lane in the Singapore Strait. This area has seen a concentration of piracy activity in 2025.

Among the ships boarded was the containership Kota Halus (18,872 dwt with a capacity of 1,080 TEU) which is operating for Pacific International Line (PIL). Three perpetrators were seen aboard the vessel, but they jumped overboard into a small boat when discovered. A search showed that they had entered an air conditioning room and a portable welding machine was missing. 

In the other two incidents on March 30, bulkers were boarded, Junior (92,995 dwt) and Andreas Petrakis (76,000 dwt), in each case by a single perpetrator. In both cases, the person fled when discovered and the ships reported nothing was stolen.

Four perpetrators were sighted aboard the Wan Hai 327 (37,160 dwt) containership on March 29. They were moving between a small boat and the stern of the ship but also fled. Nothing was stolen. About an hour earlier that same day, five perpetrators were seen aboard a VLCC tanker, Agneta Pallas III (319,000 dwt). They also fled without taking anything from the ship.

The containership Selatan Damai (8,150 dwt with a capacity of 28 TEU) was boarded on March 28. The vessel, which also operates for PIL, reported four individuals were sighted going to the engine room. They escaped from the ship but the crew said that some engine spares were stolen.

 

 

ReCAAP emphasizes that there have now been 35 incidents reported in 2025 in the area around the Straits of Malacca and Singapore versus just 11 in 2024. A total of 18 incidents were in March, while 12 took place in February. 

Ships are being told to intensify vigilance and maintain a sharp lookout while transiting the area. ReCAAP has also repeated its urging for the littoral states to increase patrols and surveillance in their waters. 
 

 

The Ningbo Maritime Safety Administration confirmed that one seafarer died and three others were injured last weekend when a domestic container ship and a domestic dry bulk carrier collided. The collision happened overnight in the early morning hours of March 29 in a busy area near the Ningbo port complex.

The report indicates that the collision took place between a brand new containership, Ningyuan Beilun (15,000 dwt) which had been delivered at the end of February to Ningbo Ocean Shipping. The vessel is part of the domestic feeder carrier’s expansion efforts. The open-hatch containership was departing Ningbo carrying 934 TEU.

It collided with the dry bulk carrier Jianghai Zhida 66 (14,000 dwt). The vessel entered service in May 2023. It is unclear if it was loaded when the collision occurred. It had a crew of 13 aboard.

The bulker immediately began taking on water and according to the reports sank in just five minutes. The Safety Administration reports the rescue operation lasted four hours to locate the crewmembers from the water. Nine were recovered uninjured and three were taken to a hospital. One person was deceased when they recovered the body.

Damage to the containership is reported to be minor. The vessel is being held in the Zhoushan Anchorage pending the investigation.

Ningbo Ocean had just celebrated the entry of the new vessel into service highlighting with its delivery its fleet reached a new level. The company said its total capacity now exceeds 50,000 TEU. It is one of eight ships in this class, each with a length of 136 meters (446 feet). The company said they have a higher transportation efficiency, larger loading capacity, and provide better energy-savings. The company is now operating a total of over 100 ships owned or chartered and serving 40 routes.

The Australian government confirmed it is tracking the movements of a Chinese research vessel that many believe is also a spy ship as it sails along the Southern Coast. While the vessel has done nothing considered improper, it is drawing wide attention in the Australian media which prompted Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to tell reporters, “I would prefer that it wasn’t there.”

The Tan Suo Yi Hao departed Wellington, New Zealand on March 23 and its AIS signal shows it is bound for Sanya, China where it is due on April 30. However, instead of taking a northern course, the vessel transited the Tasman Sea, between New Zealand and Australia, crossed the Bass Strait, and is now traveling along the southern coast of Australia.  It has not requested a port stop in Australia.

The media was quick to highlight that it is the same route that Chinese warships took last month after conducting live-fire exercises that also raised concern in Australia. Concerns over the vessel’s purpose were further increased when China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun largely declined to respond to a question when asked during his regular briefing for the media.

“I would like to emphasize that China has always carried out normal maritime activities in relevant waters in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. I hope the Australian side will view it correctly and not be suspicious or make unwarranted speculations,” said Guo. He directed the question to the relevant authorities.

The vessel operates as one of three ships for China’s Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering (IDSSE) within the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It was built in 1984 as an offshore supply vessel and converted between 2014 to 2016 to its role as a research ship. China reports the vessel, which is 5,000 gross tons, has 11 research labs and supports two submersibles, one capable of nearly 15,000 feet (4,500 meters) and the other going to 32,800 feet (10,000 meters). 

In 2016, it carried out China's first 10,000-meter and deepest exploration along the Mariana Trench. It again set a depth record on the Mariana Trench in 2020 of 10,900 meters.

Albanese told reporters that they were aware of the vessel’s presence. He said he was confident in the Australian Defense Force which was tracking the ship’s movements. The media reports note the presence of undersea cables in the area where the vessel is sailing as well as other critical infrastructure in the region.

“It’s been in New Zealand on a joint research operation and this isn’t the first time that a similar vessel has been around the Australian coast. It occurred in 2020, just to give one example. Australia, as you would expect, is monitoring this,” Albanese said in response to reporter’s questions on Monday.
 

[By: Crowley]

Crowley, the longest-serving U.S. logistics provider in Puerto Rico, is enhancing the resiliency of its Isla Grande logistics terminal in San Juan with the installation of a microgrid fueled by liquefied natural gas (LNG). 

The innovative energy system will provide a reliable power supply tailored to support the terminal’s daily operations, such as powering its terminal equipment, refrigerated containers, and administrative and maintenance facilities. The microgrid will produce power that is more reliable, less expensive and cleaner than power generally delivered from the public grid, while sustaining Crowley’s ongoing contribution to the continuity of Puerto Rico’s supply chain. 

“This LNG-fueled microgrid is a transformative investment that ensures our logistics terminal in San Juan can maintain seamless operations regardless of external conditions,” said Matt Jackson, vice president of advanced energy at Crowley. “It exemplifies our focus on delivering innovative energy solutions that enhance reliability and operational resilience for our customers and the communities we serve.”

 

 

 

 

 

Scheduled for completion in early 2026, the microgrid project advances Crowley’s long-term power reliability at its San Juan terminal while showcasing how its new microgrid service offering provides industrial or commercial operators with a highly resilient energy solution that delivers cost savings and a reduced carbon footprint.

Plans for the microgrid follow as Crowley commenced operation of American Energy, the first U.S.-flagged carrier to deliver LNG sourced from the U.S. mainland to the island. The company also delivers more than 94 million gallons of LNG annually through its LNG Truck Loading Facility in Peñuelas. It follows more than $550 million in investments Crowley has made to advance trade in the commonwealth through LNG-fueled containerships and related port infrastructure for its shipping and logistics services at its Isla Grande Terminal in San Juan. 

[By: ClassNK]

The University of Osaka (President: Atsushi Kumanogoh), in collaboration with Imabari Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (President: Yukito Higaki, 'Imabari Shipbuilding'), Japan Marine United Corporation (President: Takashi Hirose, 'JMU'), Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (President & CEO: Hayato Suga, 'ClassNK'), and MTI Co., Ltd. (President: Hideki Suzuki, 'MTI') will establish the Open Collaboration Laboratory for Enabling Advanced Marine Systems (OCEANS) at the Techno Alliance Building within the Graduate School of Engineering at The University of Osaka in April 2025. In addition, Nihon Shipyard Co., Ltd. (President: Kiyoshi Higaki, hereinafter referred to as 'NSY'), a sales and design company owned by Imabari Shipbuilding and Japan Marine United Corporation (JMU), will also cooperate with this program. NSY will actively participate in the design and engineering research activities led by OCEANS.

This initiative aims to promote the global competitiveness of Japan’s maritime industry. Your attention to the OCEANS initiative is greatly appreciated.

 

Background and Objectives of Collaboration
In an era of unprecedented change, driven by rising geopolitical risks, growing awareness of economic security, climate change, the rapid development of technologies such as AI and their social impact, and the aging population in developed countries, the Japanese maritime industry is being called upon to make revolutionary transformation. A major revolution in design and manufacturing processes is needed to quickly supply high-performance next-generation ships that embody innovative functions, excellent environmental performance and safety features, to customers.

This collaboration, established under the 'Industry on Campus' program promoted by The University of Osaka, integrates diverse engineering fields such as ship hydro and structural dynamics, propulsion, electrical systems, and control systems. Leveraging advanced systems engineering and cutting-edge AI technologies, this initiative also serves as a hub for education and training of the next generation of talent.

For Japan, which is surrounded by sea, the maritime industry, that supplies and operates ships for marine transportation is fundamental for social and economic stability and people’s living. Japan’s shipbuilding industry is highly regarded worldwide for its design and construction technologies. The shipping industry has one of the world’s largest fleets and excellent safe and efficient transportation technologies. The classification society develops classification rules and conducts certification services for safe and efficient marine transportation, and the number of ships certified by it is one of the highest in the world.

The Graduate School of Engineering at The University of Osaka, particularly its Department of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, has achieved global recognition for its research on ships and marine structures. The department has contributed significantly to international maritime safety standards and criteria, collaborating with leading companies and fostering interdisciplinary, advanced research.

International shipping has set a goal to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by around 2050, with Japan’s maritime industry expected to play a crucial role in achieving this target. In addition to the essential transition to alternative fuels for GHG reduction, advancements in ship automation technologies are anticipated to progress further. This will undoubtedly lead to increased complexity in the processes of design, construction, certification, and operation. To address these challenges, innovative systems engineering leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as AI will be indispensable for the future of the maritime industry. This research laboratory will undertake these studies, contributing to the enhancement of the global competitiveness of Japan’s maritime industry.

This collaborative research program leverages the strengths of Japan's world-renowned maritime industry cluster, including shipbuilding, shipping, and ship classification. By deepening industry-academia collaboration, it aims to enhance international competitiveness, advance world-class research, and foster talent development. The ultimate goal is to establish itself as a leading research and educational hub that drives the global maritime industry forward.

Overview of the Laboratory
Name: Open Collaboration Laboratory for Enabling Advanced Marine Systems (OCEANS)
Duration: April 1, 2025 – March 31, 2030 (5 years)
Location: Techno Alliance Building A 804-806, The University of Osaka

Faculty and Research Team (As of April 1, 2025)

• Full-Time Faculty: Specially Appointed Assoc. Prof. Yasuo Ichinose, Specially Appointed Asst. Prof. Kouki Wakita
• Part-Time Faculty: Prof. Atsuo Maki, Prof. Kazuhiro Iijima, Prof. Munehiko Minoura, Prof. Naoki Osawa, Assoc. Prof. Akira Tatsumi, Assoc. Prof. Masahiro Sakai, Asst. Prof. Takayuki Takeuchi
• Visiting Faculty: Visiting Prof. (currently being selected), Visiting Assoc. Prof. (currently being selected)
• Researchers from participating companies: Approximately 10 researchers

Research Focus Areas

1. Basic research on innovative systems engineering and design automation
   1. Resilience of supply chain for stable marine transportation
   2. Application of AI in ship basic design, function design and certification
   3. Production design and digital shipyards
   4. Digital twin technologies in ship operation and maintenance
   5. Individual studies on design, construction, operation, and certification, including both open and closed research projects
   6. Education and training for the next generation of maritime industry experts