Fleetwork: Posidonia 2026 Signals Turning Point for Al, Cloud Adoption in Shipping
Artificial intelligence and cloud-native technologies have moved from innovation projects to operational priorities for shipping companies, according to Fleetwork, following its participation in Posidonia 2026.The Greek maritime technology company, developer of the first fully cloud-based maritime ERP platform built in Greece, reported strong interest from shipowners and operators seeking to modernize fleet management…
SAAM Towage to Build Four Tugboats
SAAM Towage signed a contract with the Belov shipyard for the construction of four new tugboats. This project is part of the company's strategy for the ongoing updating of its fleet and reinforces its growth in that market, where it operates in 19 ports with more than 65 ships.The new vessels will be azimuth tugs with a bollard pull of 70 metric tons. They are equipped with a FiFi 1 fire suppression system and were designed by Robert Allan, an international naval architecture firm.
Panama Reinstated on Paris MoU White List
Panama has been reinstated on the White List of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (Paris MoU), according to the organization's recently published Annual Report. The Panama Maritime Authority (PMA) welcomed the announcement, noting that the White List is widely regarded as one of the foremost international benchmarks for measuring the performance and quality of maritime administrations.Inclusion on the Paris MoU White List signifies that a country's flag…
Alternative-Fuel Vessel Orders Slow Down in First Half of 2026, DNV Finds
Orders for alternative-fueled vessels totaled 137 in the first half of 2026, down from 155 in the same period a year earlier, according to figures from DNV's Alternative Fuels Insight (AFI) platform.DNV’s AFI has recorded 15 new orders for alternative-fueled vessels in June 2026.This consisted of 10 orders for LNG-fueled vessels, nine of which were car carriers and one a CO2 carrier. The remaining five orders were for LPG/ethane carriers.Two LNG-bunker vessels were also ordered in June…
ADNOC’s XRG Expands Stake in Rio Grande LNG Project in Texas
ADNOC’s XRG has completed the acquisition of an additional equity interest in Trains 4 and 5 of the Rio Grande LNG project in Texas, increasing its participation across all five trains currently under construction at the liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility.The transaction increases XRG's overall participation in the NextDecade-operated project through the acquisition of an additional 7.6% equity interest in Trains 4 and 5 from an acquisition vehicle of Global Infrastructure Partners…
Boskalis, Van Oord to Expand Swedish Port with $570M Dredging Job
Boskalis and Van Oord have been awarded a dredging contract worth approximately $570 million (€500 million) for the expansion of the Port of Luleå in Sweden.The contract was awarded by the Swedish Maritime Administration and the Port of Luleå and will be executed by a joint venture between the two companies, with the contract value split equally.Under the contract, the joint venture will deepen the…
Kongsberg Secures Critical Infrastructure Protection Deal
Kongsberg has signed a contract with an unnamed international customer to deliver technologies for the protection of critical infrastructure.The project will focus primarily on underwater surveillance and protection, according to Kongsberg, which did not disclose the value of the contract.Critical infrastructure includes oil and gas installations, telecommunication cables, energy grids, ports and transportation…
Sydney Expands Ferry Fleet with Two Newbuilds
Sydney has completed the rollout of its new Parramatta River Class ferry fleet, with the delivery of the final two vessels enabling the addition of 136 weekly services on the city's Parramatta River route.The final vessels, Norman Selfe and Jack Mundey, were designed by Incat Crowther and built by Richardson Devine Marine in Tasmania for Transport for New South Wales. The seven-vessel fleet carries…
China Demand Buoys Coal Shipments 14%
“In June 2026, global coal shipments jumped 14% y/y, driven by a 41% y/y increase in coal shipments to China, as the country looked to offset weaker domestic supply and to meet higher demand from electricity generation. Since the start of the year, global coal shipments have risen 3% y/y, a reversal of last year’s trend, when they fell 4% y/y,” says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analysis Manager at BIMCO.So far this year, coal shipments to China have fallen 3% y/y, only accelerating from May 2026.
ABS Backs bound4blue Methodology for Wind Propulsion Compliance
Classification society ABS has reviewed bound4blue's methodology for calculating Pwind values used to quantify the contribution of the company's eSAIL suction sails toward compliance with maritime emissions regulations.The review covered the company's methodology for producing aerodynamic force matrices used in Pwind calculations for the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI), the Energy Efficiency…
MODEC Advances Construction of Brazil-Bound Gato do Mato FPSO
MODEC has completed the forward hull section of floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel Gato do Mato, marking a key construction milestone for the Brazil-bound offshore production unit.The forward hull section, built at Sumitomo Heavy Industries Marine & Engineering's Yokosuka shipyard in Japan, has departed for China, where it will be integrated with the aft hull section before the…
DEME Expands Fleet with Next-Gen Hopper Dredger Order
Belgian marine contractor DEME has ordered a next-generation trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) as part of a fleet expansion aimed at improving efficiency in dredging, land reclamation and offshore seabed preparation.The new vessel will have a hopper capacity of 22,000 cubic meters and is designed to reduce greenhouse gas intensity and lower dredging costs compared with existing vessels in the same segment…
Oil Hits Four-Month Low After US-Iran Doha Talks
Oil prices fell for a third consecutive day on Thursday as concerns over supply disruptions eased after Qatar said Iran and the U.S. had made progress in talks over the Strait of Hormuz.Brent futures LCOc1 were 66 cents or 0.92% lower at $70.91 a barrel at 0758 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 fell 59 cents or 0.86% to $67.99 a barrel, their lowest level since February 27.The talks made "positive progress" on matters related to the memorandum that halted the war in June…
Castor Maritime Buys Second Kamsarmax Bulker, Takes Delivery of Two Vessels
Castor Maritime has acquired a 2024-built Kamsarmax bulk carrier for $41.9 million and completed the delivery of a second vessel, expanding its fleet to 11 ships.The company said it acquired the M/V Magic Saturn from an unaffiliated third party through a wholly owned subsidiary and took delivery of the vessel on June 29.On June 29, Castor also took delivery of the M/V Magic Jupiter, a 2023-built modern eco Kamsarmax bulk carrier…
A.P. Moller Holding to Acquire Ocean Yield from KKR
A.P. Moller Holding has agreed to acquire 100% of Oslo-based ship leasing company Ocean Yield from funds managed by investment firm KKR, expanding its maritime portfolio.Ocean Yield has interests in more than 70 vessels across several shipping segments, including gas carriers, LNG carriers, container ships, crude, product and chemical tankers, and dry bulk carriers.Under KKR's ownership since 2021…
German Prosecutors Charge Ukrainian in Nord Stream Blasts Case
German federal prosecutors said on Thursday that a Ukrainian national tied to the Nord Stream pipeline blasts has been charged with being an accomplice to a war crime, disruption of public services, causing an explosion and destroying structures.Serhii K, as the suspect is known under German privacy rules, is suspected of acting on behalf of Ukrainian government entities, along with other military personnel…
Congressional Leaders Urge Trump Administration to End Jones Act Waiver
Congressman James Comer (R-Ky.), Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.), and Republican lawmakers today urged the Trump Administration to allow the current Jones Act waiver to expire as scheduled, and to take additional policy steps to safeguard American shipbuilding and the long-term competitiveness of the U.S. maritime industry. “We appreciate your longstanding support and attention to the challenges facing our domestic shipping industry.
Byrnes take the Helm at Blue Sky Maritime Coalition
Blue Sky Maritime Coalition (Blue Sky) appointed Rich Byrnes as its new President and Chief Executive Officer as of July 1, 2026.“Rich is a dynamic leader with a…
Coast Guard Issues Notice on Unmanned Vessels
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) identified multiple unmanned maritime system (UMS) operations occurring within and near major West Coast port approaches without prior coordination with cognizant Captains of the Port (COTP). The lack of advance notification reduces maritime domain awareness and limits the USCG’s ability to effectively assess operational risk, support safe vessel movement, and protect the Marine Transportation System (MTS).UMS…
LCA says Key Commodity Trade Up 4.5%
U.S. shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes increased 4.5 percent from June 2025 to 3 million tons. This June’s U.S. loadings were also above the month’s 5-year average by 6.9 percent.Year-to-date, the Lakes U.S. limestone trade stands at nearly 7 million tons, a decrease of 7.5 percent compared to last year and 7.2 percent below the month’s 5-year average.U.S. ports: Calcite, MI; Cedarville, MI; Drummond Island, MI; Marblehead, OH; Port Inland, MI; and Presque Isle, MI.