A Japanese consortium has been jointly awarded what is thought to be the first Approval in Principle (AiP) for a ship equipped with a large low-speed two-stroke hydrogen-fueled engine as the main propulsion engine. Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), MOL Drybulk, Onomichi Dockyard, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Japan Engine Corporation (J-ENG) received the AiP from ClassNK for […]
3D printing for marine applications is still in it nascent phase – although ambitious projects in the US, Denmark and the Netherlands are casting light on the potential for 3D-printed vessels. In October 2019, the world’s largest 3D-printed composite boat, the 3Dirigo, was assembled and launched by the Advanced Structures & Composites Center of the […]
Cycloidal (or vertical axis) propellers have, frankly, been a bit ‘niche’ – until now, writes Stevie Knight. Although their ability to change thrust direction almost instantaneously has proven very useful for tugs and ferries, their Achilles Heel has been speed. So, the most important point about ABB’s new Dynafin is that it promises to deliver […]
ABB has signed a contract with global logistics company Samskip Group, based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, to supply a comprehensive power, propulsion and automation system for two newbuild short-sea container ships. The vessels will be among the world’s first of their kind to use hydrogen as a fuel. The two vessels will be built by […]
Zulu Associates, the Belgian short-sea shipping company, has contracted Conoship International to advance the design of the Zulu MASS 200TEU container vessel. The new 100m-long vessel will be powered by zero-emission propulsion technology and provide a short-sea platform initially for direct container and feeder flows. It will be able to operate on both rivers and […]
European developer of wind-assisted propulsion (WAP) systems bound4blue has secured €22.4 million in new funding from several key investors as well as the European Commission. A total of €15.9 million comes from a Series A funding round led by GTT Strategic Ventures, with the participation of the EIC Fund (European Innovation Council) and the Sustainable […]
South Korean company develops new ESS technology for large ocean-going vessels The most recent acquisition by South Korea-based technology and engineering conglomerate Hanwha Group has had a rocky start. Formerly known as Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME), the newly rebranded Hanwha Ocean posted losses of 159.1 billion won (US$120 million) in Q2 2023. However, […]
The company says the unmanned vessel ‘demonstrates compelling technical feasibility’ but also needs to be economically viable and be sustainable. UK-based engineering and ship design consultancy BMT has unveiled the design of a Large Uncrewed Surface Vessel (LUSV). The LUSV concept, was unveiled at the Defence and Security Equipment International 2023 (DSEI) exhibition and conference […]
A spate of tests and demonstration projects are being used to advance the introduction into service of a range of uncrewed assets. Potential naval applications of uncrewed surface vessels and of unmanned underwater and above water units continues to proliferate in the US and in Europe as recent developments attest. In July 2023, the Defence […]
Swiss-headquartered engine manufacturer WinGD has been awarded the first ever approval in principle (AiP) for a two-stroke engine fuelled by ammonia by classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR). The AiP is for WinGD’s X-DF-A dual-fuel range, with the first engine in the series, the 52-bore X52DF-A, due for delivery in the final quarter of 2024. Under […]
A new green energy consortium launched in Singapore hopes to answer the Port Authority of Singapore’s (MPA’s) call for electric harbour craft operations within its waters. The consortium is being led by Singaporean company Cyan Renewables, which has stated its intention to own and operate a fleet of modern offshore wind farm support vessels worth […]
Artificial Intelligence and automation are hot topics these days. Governments, companies and individuals all over the world are wondering how best to integrate them into our lives. The maritime sector is no exception. Unmanned or semi-unmanned vessels operating on the world’s oceans will soon no longer be the stuff of science fiction but reality. Helping […]