General News

Maritime satellite communications provider Stratos Global has just launched its FBBPlus managed global broadband service, based on the FleetBroadband and VSAT platforms.

17 February saw the naming of two more 13,100 TEU container vessels for Rickmers Group. ‘Leo Rickmers’ and ‘Scorpio Rickmers’ will be chartered to Maersk Line as ‘Maersk Edmonton’ and ‘Maersk Elba’.

UK company SE Hydraulics has partnered with Parker Hannifin to develop a passive damping system for use on the rescue craft davits of BP’s regional support vessels (RSVs).

Maersk Line has announced that it has signed a contract with Daewoo in Korea to build 10 container ships of 18,000 TEU capacity to a new environmentally-friendly design.

The launch of the second ro-pax ferry, ‘Spirit of France’, which STX Rauma is building for P&O Ferries, took place on 17 February 2011. She is a sister ship to ‘Spirit of…

STX Finland Oy and Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources of the Republic of Namibia recently signed a contract for the construction of a fisheries research vessel at a cost of approximately…

In late 2010 Wärtsilä initiated a major project to further develop its low-speed engine portfolio to include gas engines, alongside its medium-speed dual fuel engines, as part of the companys strategy.

Rolls-Royce has won a £20 million order from Chinese conglomerate Sinopec to design and equip a specialist seismic research vessel.

Singapore-based ST Engineering announced that its US shipyard, VT Halter Marine, has been awarded a shipbuilding contract worth about $144 million from Honolulu-based Pasha Hawaii (Pasha).

Alewijnse Marine Systems in the Netherlands is to design and install a new electric propulsion drive using a DC bus system for the main electric installation in three vessels to be built…

Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), the world largest shipbuilder and marine engine manufacturer, has produced its 5,000th HiMSEN engine ten years after manufacturing its first unit in 2001.

Royal Caribbean reports on its web site that it has signed a letter of intent with German shipyard Meyer Werft to build a 4,100-passenger cruise ship with an expected delivery in autumn…

Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven (LWB) will build the 7,000 dwt ‘Beluga Connection’, the first cable-layer for new German company Beluga Offshore Cable.

Norway’s Eidesvik Offshore ASA recently placed a newbuilding contract worth over NOK 800 million ($138 million) with Ulstein Verft for the construction of a 165 m offshore IMR/ construction vessel.

The Dutch heavy-lift company Dockwise BV has appointed Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) to build a 117,000 dwt ‘Type 0’ (T-0) semi-submersible heavy-lift vessel for delivery by the end of 2012.

German navigation system supplier Raytheon Anschütz has introduced Nautosteer, described as a new advanced steering control system. Availability is expected by the end of 2011.