In Australia on April 14, Lloyd’s Register, Queensland-based Seatransport, and Houston’s Deployable Energy announced a collaboration to develop nuclear-powered 73-meter emergency response vessels using two to five 1MWe micro modular reactors, enabling 8–10 years of operation without refueling and the ability to supply grid power when docked. The vessels, designed for disaster relief and strategic […]
In the UK, the International Maritime Organization approved draft global regulations at MEPC 83 that will require ocean-going ships over 5,000 gross tons—responsible for 85% of shipping’s CO₂—to meet a new fuel standard and pay emissions pricing, with formal adoption slated for October 2025 and enforcement beginning in 2027. The framework, to be inserted as […]
In the UK, gCaptain reports on April 8 the United States withdrew from international shipping decarbonization talks at the International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee, rejecting emissions pricing measures and warning of possible reciprocal actions, citing cost and national interest concerns; no financial estimate was disclosed. “The U.S. will not be engaging in negotiations […]
In Japan, Tsuneishi Shipbuilding announced they have received Approval in Principle from ClassNK for a methanol dual-fuel retrofit design for KAMSARMAX-class bulk carriers, a project developed in collaboration with the Maersk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping to convert existing heavy oil vessels for lower emissions at an undisclosed cost. The design relocates new […]
In Sweden, Northern Offshore Services announced the delivery of the world’s first crew transfer vessel powered solely by biomethanol, the M/V Transporter, a 25-meter high-speed catamaran built to serve offshore wind operations and developed in collaboration with Vestas to reduce emissions from marine service transport. Originally an A-Class vessel converted to T-Class, Transporter seats 24 […]
In Italy, Fincantieri and Viking confirmed that two hydrogen-powered cruise ships—the Viking Libra, scheduled for delivery in late 2026, and the Viking Astrea, set for 2027—are under construction at Fincantieri’s Ancona shipyard, and announced a new agreement to build two additional ships for 2031, with options for two more. The Viking Libra will be the […]
In Japan, JERA, alongside CF Industries and Mitsui & Co., announced a final investment decision for the Blue Point project in Ascension Parish, Louisiana—a low-carbon ammonia facility with a planned capacity of 1.4 million tons per year and a total project cost of approximately $4 billion. The facility will produce ammonia from natural gas while […]
In the UK on April 7 in London, the International Maritime Organization convened over 1,200 delegates at the 83rd session of its Marine Environment Protection Committee to finalize binding regulations aimed at achieving net-zero emissions from global shipping by 2050, including a proposed fuel-intensity cap, emissions pricing, and an IMO Net-Zero Fund. These measures, if […]
In China, starting April 1, 2024, and running through March 31, 2028, the Shandong Provincial Development and Reform Commission is waiving lock passage fees for new energy vessels transiting the Shandong section of the Beijing–Hangzhou Grand Canal, including its tributary channels. The policy aims to support the province’s push toward green, low-carbon, and high-quality development. […]
In Korea, the Hydrogen Ship Technology Center at Pusan National University and the American Bureau of Shipping signed a memorandum of understanding for international joint research and development in liquid hydrogen carrier vessels and cryogenic engineering. Under the agreement, the two institutions will cooperate in areas including technology exchange on liquid hydrogen carriers, joint international […]
