Xeneta Shares Weekly Ocean Container Shipping Market Update
The Xeneta Weekly Ocean Container Shipping Market Update provides data and intelligence including the latest freight rate and capacity movements across global trades with supporting insight from Peter Sand, Xeneta Chief Analyst.Data highlightsMarket average spot rates – 17 September 2026:Far East to US West Coast: USD 7,960 per FEU (40ft container)Far East to US East Coast: USD 11,259 per FEUFar East to North Europe: USD 4…
Jan De Nul Orders Second Subsea Trenching Vessel
Jan De Nul has ordered a second trenching support vessel designed to bury subsea energy cables as it expands its fleet for cable installation and protection.The new vessel will be an exact sister ship to the Isambard K. Brunel, which Jan De Nul ordered in March, and will carry a subsea trencher capable of burying cables as deep as five metres into the seabed.The latest order takes the number of new vessels Jan De Nul has under construction for subsea cable installation and protection to five…
Dong Fang Takes Delivery of Newbuild SOV, Orders Another from Vard
Vard has delivered Dong Fang Offshore's first newbuild, the Orient Inspirer service operation vessel (SOV), two months ahead of schedule, while the company has approved an order for another vessel from the Norwegian shipbuilder valued at up to $86 million.The Orient Inspirer, previously known as newbuild NB 987, was delivered from Vard Vung Tau in Vietnam following a ceremony on September 16 and is…
Jinhui Shipping Orders Two Bulk Carrier Newbuilds
Hong Kong-based Jinhui Shipping and Transportation has ordered two 64,500-dwt bulk carriers from Jiangmen Nanyang Ship Engineering for a combined $71.4 million as part of a fleet renewal and expansion program.Two wholly owned Jinhui subsidiaries signed separate shipbuilding contracts on September 21, each valued at $35.7 million.The first vessel is scheduled for delivery by August 31, 2029, followed by the second by September 30, 2029.
Tanker Hit by Projectile in Strait of Hormuz, UKMTO Reports
A tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an unknown projectile, leaving two crew members with minor injuries, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.Military authorities informed UKMTO on September 21, 2026, that the tanker was conducting an inbound transit when it was hit.The vessel remained under its own power and was continuing to its next port of call, according…
Trafigura Launches Volare Shipping to Run 14-Strong VLCC Fleet
Trafigura has established Volare Shipping as a dedicated oil tanker owner with six Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) operating and eight newbuilds on order, and plans to raise about $500 million before listing the company in Oslo.Volare's eight newbuild VLCCs are scheduled for progressive delivery between 2026 and October 2028, taking its fleet to 14 vessels. Trafigura's global shipping business will…
Tanker Shuttles Keep Hormuz Oil Moving as Costs Soar
A new shuttling system is reshaping the Middle East oil market, as producers seek to keep exports flowing despite the escalating regional conflict. The question now is whether this complex, expensive process is a stopgap measure or the global energy market’s new normal.Several miles off Oman's coast, south of the Strait of Hormuz, rows of tankers lie at anchor. Many sit alongside each other, connected by ropes and hoses as they transfer crude from one vessel to another…
Cadeler, Vattenfall Team Up New Offshore Wind O&M Solutions
Cadeler and Vattenfall have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore new offshore wind maintenance solutions, with a focus on major component exchanges for operating wind farms.The collaboration between Vattenfall Vindkraft and Nexra, Cadeler's dedicated offshore wind operations and maintenance platform, will combine operational expertise, service methods and long-term planning to examine…
Hormuz Ship Traffic Slumps as Middle East Conflict Drags On
A total of 17 commodity vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on the weekend, down from 37 a week earlier, shipping data showed on Monday, as tension in the Gulf persisted with the US and Iran in stalemate.Visible traffic through the strait, the conduit for a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas before the war, has dwindled to a trickle. However, Middle Eastern producers continue to export oil on tankers travelling with their transponders off.Among trackable ships…
October Deliveries of Aramco Crude Halted to Some European Refiners
Oil company Saudi Aramco has told at least two European refining customers they will receive no crude oil next month following an attack on Saudi Arabia's key pipeline to the Red Sea, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.European refiners typically buy Saudi crude under term contracts that guarantee monthly supplies, but Aramco has informed customers that next month's deliveries will not proceed…
Italian Defense Minister Calls for Stronger Naval Protection in the Red Sea
Italy's defence minister on Friday called for a stronger naval presence in the Red Sea to protect merchant shipping amid concerns over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital waterway threatened by the widening Middle East conflict.The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have made rapid advances in recent weeks along the Red Sea coast, further complicating routes in a region that also includes the Strait of Hormuz, where traffic had already dwindled because of the U.S.-Iran war.Italy, part of the European Un
Sanmar Shipyards Delivers Seventh Tug to H. Schramm Towage
Sanmar Shipyards has delivered NICO, a powerful and versatile new tug designed for both harbour ship-handling and towing operations, to German operator H. Schramm Towage.The latest delivery is the seventh SANMAR-built tug to join the H. Schramm Towage fleet, continuing a relationship between the two companies that dates back to 2005.Known as DELICAY XVIII during construction in Türkiye, the tug has been renamed NICO by H.
Aesen Debuts Next-Gen Hybrid Crew Boat
Aesen introduced the Aesen 116H, a next-generation hybrid crew boat developed to support the evolving operational requirements of offshore personnel transportation and infield logistics operations. This vessel combines hybrid propulsion technology, intelligent energy management and enhanced operational resilience to support safer, more efficient and lower-emission offshore operations.By integrating hybrid propulsion and energy storage systems…
Green Yard Unveils 100-m Polar Expedition Yacht
Norway’s Green Yard has unveiled the KLEVEN KY100, a 100-meter Polar Class expedition yacht that marks the shipbuilder’s move into developing and owning its own yacht designs.Developed by Green Yard Kleven in cooperation with Opalinski Design House and HAV Design, KY100 combines the yard’s offshore and polar vessel experience with contemporary superyacht design. The PC5 vessel is designed for worldwide operations…
Exmar FLNG Conversion Concept Gets Bureau Veritas Approval
Exmar has received Approval in Principle (AiP) from Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore for a concept to convert an existing membrane-type LNG carrier into a floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) unit for offshore gas developments.The FLNG concept would use a membrane-type LNG carrier with an effective LNG storage capacity of about 170,000 cubic meters and a design life of 25 years.Designed for operation in mild environments…
ATE Energy OCEANUS 1 Cable Laying Vessel Enters Service
ATE Energy International Co., Ltd. and Synergy Marine Group announced the arrival in Taiwan of OCEANUS 1, a new cable laying vessel for subsea infrastructure and offshore energy projects in the Taiwan Strait and the wider region.Built by Pacific Shipbuilding Joint Stock Company in Vietnam, OCEANUS 1 arrived in Kaohsiung on September 16 following her handover at the shipyard. The vessel adds to Taiwan’s…
ABS AIP for Multi-Purpose Fuel Tank and FGSS Design
ABS has awarded Hanwha Ocean approval in principle (AIP) for a multi-purpose fuel tank and fuel gas supply system that enables an LNG carrier to transition from LNG to ammonia fuel without replacing the fuel tank or fuel supply system.The approval covers the fuel tank and integrated fuel gas supply system for an electrically propelled LNG carrier powered by a gas turbine. The system is designed to supply either LNG or ammonia to the gas turbine, enabling transition from LNG to ammonia.
World First: Ship-to-Ship Ammonia Bunkering
NYK Line, with Japan Marine United Corporation, Nihon Shipyard Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc., and Kokuka Sangyo Co., Ltd., completed the world’s first ship-to-ship (STS) ammonia bunkering operation to an ammonia-fueled vessel on September 17. At a quay within Japan Marine United Corporation’s Ariake Shipyard, ammonia fuel was transferred from the ammonia carrier Shoei Maru via the…
Yangzijiang Maritime Orders 24 New Ships from Chinese Shipyards
Yangzijiang Maritime Development has ordered 24 vessels from various Chinese shipyards for delivery between 2028 and 2030, expanding its newbuild portfolio across bulk carriers, chemical and product tankers and large oil tankers.The new orders comprise six 64,500-dwt bulk carriers, six 49,800-dwt product oil and chemical tankers, four 28,000-dwt stainless steel chemical tankers, four 29,000-dwt stainless steel chemical tankers and four 319…
U.S. Bound Tankers Hacked, says USCG
US Coast Guard and FBI personnel boarded two commercial vessels bound for the United States in the Gulf of Mexico last month after indications that hackers had broken into their computer networks.The unusual operation, carried out on August 21 and August 24 aboard two foreign-flagged ships, comes as US authorities grapple with a series of cyber incidents that media reports have linked to Iran since…
