Over the past five or so years, it has become increasingly obvious that the seaborne carriage of electric vehicles (EVs) using lithium-ion batteries can pose a serious risk in the event of an accident. The main hazard is related to the risk of thermal runaway, which can cause fires or explosions if the Li-ion battery […]
For the 10th instalment of its Annual International Student Design Competition for a Safe, Affordable Ferry, spanning 2022-2023, the Worldwide Ferry Safety Association (WFSA) shook things up by introducing a new stipulation for the participating teams. Although previous years’ contests had called for ferry designs to meet specific operational demands, the panel of judges had […]
There’s been a recent upsurge in the production of boats dedicated to removing floating debris and trash from coastal and inshore waters – a task that cleans up the immediate environment and, crucially, prevents the outflow of this waste into the sea, where effective removal becomes far more difficult. The new Grasshop catamaran concept, developed […]
Long-term ocean freight rates fall again, with almost 50% drop in key pricing benchmark across last three months The beleaguered carrier industry took another major hit in June, with the latest data from Xeneta’s Shipping Index (XSI) showing a decline of 9.4% in global long-term shipping rates. Following on the heels of a 27.5% collapse […]
By Tom Barlow-Brown After heated talks delegates at the the International Maritime Organization (IMO) have finally agreed new goals aimed at tackling GHG emissions in shipping. The new policy was agreed by delegates of the organisations member states, and observer groups, at IMO’s headquarters in London last week on Friday, following two weeks of […]
Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and energy company Chevron Singapore have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a strategic alliance aimed at reducing the carbon intensity of marine fuels, as well as other decarbonisation technologies in shipping. The partnership will see joint studies carried out on next-generation fuels in various regions around the world […]
A new non-flammable battery type, based on vanadium redox technology, will soon have a chance to demonstrate its benefits in a maritime setting Class society ABS has issued New Technology Qualification (NTQ) status to a non-flammable marine battery technology developed by Gennal Engineering of Singapore. The battery system, called Blue G, is reportedly based on […]
On paper, Li-CO2 batteries could boast far superior energy density to today’s state-of-the-art battery types – but this nascent technology requires further analysis and development, writes May Chan Lithium-CO2 (Li-CO2) batteries are a relatively new type of battery that uses CO2 as the cathode and lithium as the anode to generate electrical energy. Compared to […]
Archipelago Yachts and Chartwell Marine’s catamaran concept makes a convincing case for an environmentally sound yet long-range leisure vessel, writes Stevie Knight The new Archipelago zero.63 is a methanol fuelled, 18.3m conundrum, combining a number of elements that you wouldn’t necessarily expect in a single vessel. So, how – and why – have very disparate […]
With 17kW of peak solar power at its disposal, and a wingsail designed for optimal wind capture, the new ZEN50 catamaran series is set to bypass the need for the ‘obligatory’ backup diesel genset The forecast’s for sunshine for builder ZEN Yachts, which has confirmed the pre-sale of the first four units in its solar-powered, […]
Autonomous technology meets alt-fuel readiness in SAFE Boats International’s ambitious AHSV Merlin, which has been carefully developed to conjure up cost efficiency on offshore wind farm pre-assessment missions As with offshore wind farm support vessels, it’s not unreasonable to expect research and survey vessels to ‘green up’ their operations. After all, there’s a certain irony […]
Tugboat original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have relied on hydraulic oil-driven winches for decades, but they are now starting to embrace energy-efficient, next-generation electric winches, writes Mikael Holmberg, winch and crane segment sales manager at ABB Drives Hydraulic winch systems have been adopted by nearly 70% of vessels across the world, and they’ve stood the test […]