Author Archive: Jim Kendrick

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Singapore commits $100 million to maritime research push

Singapore commits $100 million to maritime research push

April 23, 2026 |

In Singapore, Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority and Maritime Institute launched a new technology roadmap during this year’s Singapore Maritime Week, April 20-24. The roadmap commits more than $100 million to research and development over the next five years across four priority areas: autonomous port operations, alternative energy delivery, smart ships and integrated port services. […]

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Vietnam refinery blends tire and plastic oils into marine fuel

Vietnam refinery blends tire and plastic oils into marine fuel

April 23, 2026 |

In Vietnam, Vietnam Plus reports that state-owned refiner Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical JSC has begun producing marine fuel at its Dung Quat Refinery by blending in pyrolysis oil derived from waste tires and plastics, with its first trial batch delivered in January to a vessel operated by the Petrovietnam Transportation Corporation. The refinery now […]

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Japan backs African jatropha biofuel supply chain with $47 million

Japan backs African jatropha biofuel supply chain with $47 million

April 23, 2026 |

In Japan, Nippon Biofuel has been selected for demonstration project worth approximately $47 million, to build a marine biofuel supply chain stretching from Mozambique and Ghana to Singapore and Japan, with a target of producing 400,000 tons of jatropha-based fuel annually by 2032. Jatropha is a hardy shrub whose seeds yield oil that can be […]

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Rio Tinto locks in methanol shipping deal with NS United Kaiun Kaisha

Rio Tinto locks in methanol shipping deal with NS United Kaiun Kaisha

April 23, 2026 |

In Japan, Australian mining giant Rio Tinto and Japanese shipping company NS United Kaiun Kaisha signed a contract for two methanol dual-fuel bulk carriers delivering from 2028, a move that gives Rio Tinto the flexibility to switch from conventional fuel to methanol as supply chains for the cleaner fuel develop. The ships, each capable of […]

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Hanwha joins push to put hydrogen fuel cells on ships

Hanwha joins push to put hydrogen fuel cells on ships

April 23, 2026 |

In South Korea, Busan Ilbo reports that defense and shipbuilding giant Hanwha signed an agreement on April 17 in Busan with four partners including the Korea Marine Equipment Research Institute to develop and test hydrogen fuel cell propulsion for ships, a technology the industry sees as critical to meeting tightening International Maritime Organization emissions rules. […]

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World’s largest dual-fuel methanol container ship moves to fitting dock

World’s largest dual-fuel methanol container ship moves to fitting dock

April 23, 2026 |

In China, the world’s largest methanol dual-fuel container ship berthed at a finishing dock in Nantong on April 21 under maritime authority escort, as the 399-meter vessel capable of carrying 24,168 twenty-foot equivalent units neared the end of its outfitting phase ahead of sea trials planned for June. The ship, designated Nantong Kawasaki 456, was […]

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EU shipping emissions fell 3% in 2025 as carbon trading system hits 20-year milestone

EU shipping emissions fell 3% in 2025 as carbon trading system hits 20-year milestone

April 15, 2026 |

In Europe, the European Commission has published verified EU Emissions Trading System data for 2025, showing maritime emissions dropped roughly 3% year-on-year, continuing a broader sectoral decline as shipping falls under tighter carbon compliance pressure. The figures arrive as the ETS marks two decades of operation, having halved total covered emissions since its 2005 launch […]

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Ningbo logs East China’s first cross-regional biofuel bunkering

Ningbo logs East China’s first cross-regional biofuel bunkering

April 15, 2026 |

In China, Ningbo Zhoushan Port has completed the first cross-regional blended biofuel bunkering operation in East China, delivering 2,600 tons of B24 biofuel to the COSCO Spain at Meishan Port. The B24 blend combines 24% biodiesel with 76% high-sulfur fuel oil, requires no engine modifications, and is compatible with scrubber-equipped vessels. It delivers roughly 20% […]

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Hong Kong shipper strikes green methanol supply deal with Shanghai producer

Hong Kong shipper strikes green methanol supply deal with Shanghai producer

April 15, 2026 |

In Hong Kong, Venture Energy, a subsidiary of shipowner Wah Kwong Maritime Transport, has signed a green methanol procurement agreement with Shanghai Shenji Energy, with first delivery scheduled for the first half of 2026. The methanol, produced from municipal waste, crop straw, and livestock manure, carries ISCC EU certification and meets the EU’s Renewable Energy […]

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Lloyd’s Register makes case for LNG as cruise industry’s transition fuel

Lloyd’s Register makes case for LNG as cruise industry’s transition fuel

April 15, 2026 |

In the United Kingdom, Lloyd’s Register has published a report positioning LNG as the most mature and immediately deployable alternative fuel for the cruise sector, with 30 LNG-capable cruise ships already in service and 29 more on order among vessels over 20,000 gross tons. The report identifies methane slip as LNG’s most pressing liability. Unburned […]

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