General News

The credit crunch has taken its first Japanese shipyard to the wall with Tsuji Heavy Industries filing for bankruptcy. Tsuji and four of its group companies filed debts of $834m with the…

India?s largest private sector ship builder ABG Shipyard is running the risk of cancellation of orders for three seismic surveyor vessels worth Rs 1,000 crore ($213m) by the prospective Norwegian buyer due…

Six shipbuilders from South Korea, two from China and one from India are competing for a contract estimated at $540 million to build four 318,000 dwt VLCCs for the state-run Shipping Corp.…

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) and STX France Cruise SA, STX Europe's French shipyard, have reached an agreement and are moving forward with the construction of a new third generation Freestyle Cruising project…

Japan?s NYK Line plans to cuts back on spending for new ships by about 15% for three years in response to the sharply deteriorating global shipping market. The largest Japanese shipping firm…

China has witnessed a decline of 44% in new shipping orders on a yearly basis during the January-November period, compared with a fall of 37% worldwide, and analysts predict a continuation in…

Germanischer Lloyd (GL) has developed a guide outlining major methods and procedures involved in ship lay-ups. The guide gives technical assistance to shipowners focussing on the maintenance of class, ship's safety as…

The Canadian government's plan to buy $10-billion worth of new navy ships, including a fleet of Arctic icebreakers, needs to get "back on track," Defence Minister Peter MacKay says. This is growing…

With the entry into service of the 3,950-passenger MSC Fantasia, MSC Cruises has raised the Quality, Health, Safety and Environment (QHSE) bar for all cruise operators. MSC has entrusted Bureau Veritas with…

Keppel Verolme BV, a wholly owned subsidiary of Keppel Offshore and Marine Limited, has decided, after evaluating all possible options, to terminate the MPU Heavy Lifter project and commence the scrapping process…

The recent inauguration in Rijeka, Croatia, of ABB Turbocharging?s 100th service station has set a new milestone for ABB?s Turbocharging global service network. Besides serving the local maritime community in Croatia the…

Transpetro, the shipping and transport arm of Petrobras, has signed a contract with the Eisa shipyard for the construction of four Panamax tankers. The $349 million deal is part of Transpetro's fleet…

The biggest containership ever classed by Germanischer Lloyd (GL) was recently delivered at Samsung Heavy Industry Shipyard in Geoje, Korea. The newbuilding named MSC Daniela has a capacity of 13,800 TEU.MSC Daniela…

Sembcorp Marine in Singapore is pleased to announce the award of an evergreen favoured customer contract (FCC) from International Gas Transportation Company Limited (IGTC) to provide repairs, upgrades and other marine services…

Antwerp-based Euronav NV has taken delivery of the first VLCC built to the industry?s new Common Structural Rules (CSR) by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) in Korea.The 318,000 dwt Olympia, constructed to Lloyd?s…

A new edition of the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code, the standard guide to all aspects of handling dangerous goods and marine pollutants in sea transport, has been published by the…

Brazilian iron ore producer Vale denies that it is cancelling its $1.6bn order for 12 VLOCs from the Jiangshu Rongsheng shipyard in China. Despite some reports in the international media suggesting that…

India?s shipbuilding industry could suffer cancellations of about 15% of their total orders, worth at least Rs 3,750 crore, as the global economic crisis takes its toll on the sector, industry experts…

China Ocean Shipping Group (COSCO), China?s largest shipping company, cancelled plans to purchase some 120 vessels in 2009, a source from the company said. According to the original plan, three-quarters were dry…

Fuel testing agency Lintec Testing Services has warned that owners, operators and charterers should not be tempted as a result of financial pressures induced by the global credit crunch into using non-accredited…