The past few years have seen regulators warm to nuclear power’s potential, but a major challenge remains: persuading investors to fund nuclear-powered commercial ships. This was the main theme of the roundtable Is Nuclear the Missing Piece in Maritime Decarbonisation?, hosted by classification society IRClass during London International Shipping Week in September. Gihan Ismail, director […]
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has issued generic interim training guidelines for seafarers tasked with handling and managing zero-emission/near-zero-emission fuels, including hydrogen, ammonia, fuel cells, battery packs and methyl/ethyl alcohol. The interim training guidelines, which come under STCW7/Circ.25, will be debated further by the IMO’s Sub-Committee on Human Element, Training and Watchkeeping in February 2026 […]
For the past five to six years, cruise ships have come under renewed scrutiny, with critics citing their levels of in-port emissions as some of the worst in the maritime sector. “Sustainability is the main driving force of the Port of Barcelona”, that Spanish cruise hub states on its website. However, in 2022, Barcelona recorded […]
Japan Engine Corporation (J-ENG) reports that it has finalised development of its 2-stroke, dual-fuel ammonia engine, the 7UEC50LSJA-HPSCR, which completed performance verification tests in August 2025. The engine – under development since 2023, as part of a NEDO-funded project with partners NYK Line, Nihon Shipyard, Japan Marine United Corporation (JMU) and ClassNK – will be […]
Finnish ship designer Deltamarin has signed a contract with China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Weihai) for six new methanol-compatible ro-pax vessels. Ordered by Grimaldi Group, the ferries will be built to the specs of the ‘Next Generation Med’ class and will cover Mediterranean routes serviced by the owner’s Grimaldi Lines and Minoan Lines subsidiaries. Each newbuild […]
The 85m x 15m Whitchampion has become the first bunker tanker certified to load, carry and blend fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) B100 on board, according to classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR). The 2003-built vessel, operated by UK-based John H. Whitaker (Tankers), secured this certification from LR on behalf of the Isle of Man Flag […]
Updated guidance on tackling ‘non-traditional’ fires, including those involving batteries and alternative fuels, take prominence in the British Tugowners Association’s (BTA’s) recently published Use of Tugs in Firefighting e-doc, which offers industry-standard guidance for tug operators. “In 2023, over 200 shipboard fires were reported globally, highlighting the urgent need for effective firefighting protocols,” the BTA […]
The global shipping fleet must adopt low- and zero-emission fuels to meet the climate goals set by IMO, writes Tore Stensvold. The goal is a 20% reduction in total GHG emissions by 2030, and a 70% reduction by 2040, both relative to 2008 levels, with the end goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Ammonia […]
As something of a stellar year for ship production, 2024 saw a 38% year-on-year increase in orders for alternative-fuelled newbuilds, totalling 515 ships, according to data released by DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight (AFI) platform. The AFI data suggests that container ship orders led the charge, with 69% of these orders opting for alt-fuels, predominantly (67%) […]
A report jointly issued by tech firm CORE POWER, marine insurer NorthStandard and class society Lloyd’s Register (LR) paints an optimistic picture for the safe development and installation of small nuclear reactors aboard commercial ships and floating nuclear power plants (FNPPs) in the UK – provided the government gets behind the effort. The paper, entitled […]
The UK’s National Oceanography Centre (NOC) is trialling the use of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) as a fossil-free marine fuel for two of the country’s Royal Research Ships (RRS): the 89.2m James Cook and the 52m Discovery. The trial is being funded by the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), which owns both vessels, to […]
Is nuclear energy shedding its unfairly earned reputation as a dirty, dangerous alt-fuel? Perhaps the maritime industry, mainstream media and public are still not completely sold on the concept –but, compared to when we covered the topic two years ago (see Ship & Boat International January/February 2022, pages 28-30), attitudes appear to be softening. The […]