It’s a familiar refrain, but the world’s oceans and its ecosystems remain largely unknown and unmapped by mankind. According to scientific estimates, 91% of ocean species have yet to be classified and at the current rate of progress it would take several millennia to achieve knowledge comparable with our current understanding of the Amazon rain […]
By Philippe Holthof, Correspondent True to its name, the Guangzhou Shipyard International-built P&O Pioneer introduces many firsts on the English Channel. Besides being the first double-ended ferry on the Dover-Calais route, P&O Ferries’ new flagship also pioneers the hybrid element. This, together with the double-ender design and a long list of energy-saving technologies, guarantees a […]
Fincantieri, RINa and newcleo team up for nuclear-propulsion study Although it’s unlikely to offer a short-term solution to shipping’s decarbonisation mission, the tantalising possibilities offered by nuclear power continue to attract a small but growing number of proponents among the industry’s forward thinkers. In late July, Italian shipyard Fincantieri became the latest company to declare […]
newcleo, a UK-headquartered nuclear technology company, has announced an agreement with shipbuilders Fincantieri and Italian classification society RINa to carry out a feasibility study into the application of small modular reactors (SMRs) in the shipping industry. In particular, the collaboration will explore the potential of using newcleo’s innovative LFR (Lead-cooled Fast Reactor) as a small nuclear […]
A report published by the independent expert committee the Regulatory Horizons Council (RHC) has concluded that a lack of alignment between stakeholders and regulators, including a lack of regulatory guidance for innovators, threaten the UK’s ability to play a leading role in ship and technology-related design and manufacture for hydrogen-propelled vessels. The RHC report on […]
The Royal Navy is transitioning mine countermeasures capability from ships to unmanned, autonomous units and a distributed, disaggregated force that makes use of networking, autonomy and artificial intelligence. With a series of operational demonstrators already on contract as part of Block 1 of the Mine Hunting Capability (MHC) programme, the Ministry of Defence and UK […]
Shipbuilder Harland & Wolff has teamed up with naval architect Macduff Ship Design, propulsion specialist Kongsberg Maritime and battery manufacturer Echandia to develop a zero-emissions harbour and coastal tug. Two tugs are specified in the initial order, each with a proposed length of 25.5m, a beam of 12m and a draught of 4.85m – although, […]
Yachtbuilder Sunseeker International has launched an intensive boatbuilding course with the aim of attracting fresh talent into the industry to counter the UK’s current “national skills shortage”, the company says. The course is the first offering of the newly created Sunseeker Skills Academy, which was developed in partnership with Bournemouth and Poole College. Alex Bowman, […]
MMS Workboats aims to take “25 lorries off the roads” of Yorkshire, UK with each trip of its recently converted canal freight barge – aptly named MMS Off-Roader. The barge was originally launched by Yorkshire Dry Dock as the oil products tanker Humber Princess in 1979, but will now carry up to 500tonnes of various […]
SeaTec Services reports increased demand for its propeller polishing and hull cleaning services on the back of the latest IMO environmental regulations UK-based SeaTec Services last year launched its new closed-circuit propeller polishing system, which features technology that captures biofouling and metal particles and removes them safely to the surface for filtering. Over the past […]
A&P Falmouth has completed a multi-million-pound program of works on the largest passenger ship to visit the facility in over 60 years. Bolette, a Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ vessel, entered drydock for a 13-day refurbishment, including maintenance to the ship’s azipods and bow thrusters as well as a new application of underwater paint. This was […]
Type 26 to get fully automated ammunition system for Mk45 gun as Type 23 is upgraded with enhanced torpedo launch systems Royal Navy surface combatants including the Type 26 frigate and Type 23 frigates are to be the recipients of new weapons handling technology. BAE Systems Inc has received a US$219 million contract to equip […]