General News

Mitsui OSK Lines has set new environmental targets for its ships and operations. In September it released its second environmental report, stretching from April 2001 to March 2002. It states that MOL…

The Japanese organisations NKK and Hitachi Zosen are to merge their ship repair divisions. They will consolidate ship repair activities at NKK?s 4,000g capacity Tsurumi Works. And a new 180m x 35m…

Setfair, the on-line procurement service, has re-designed its website, www.setfair.com, to include several new features. The Stem to Stern section is a free-to-access marine procurement news bulletin service. It also covers operational…

Bureau Veritas is drawing on past experience to offer a shaft alignment service to large-vessel owners. The service comes outside the normal scope of class. It has already been utilised on newbuildings…

Rotterdam-based heavy lift operator, Bonn & Mees Drijvende Bokken, has recently started building a huge sheerlegs-type floating crane. Called Matador 3 it will have a maximum lifting capacity of over 1,400t using…

The Standard P&I Club, in combination with Videotel Marine International, has launched a CD-ROM based training package aimed at improving collision avoidance at sea. The creators say the Windows-based package provides an…

Simplicity is a virtue when designing a new product. It is of particular importance when trying to correlate the complex movements of a ship at sea with the resultant data this produces…

Akishima Laboratories (Mitsui Zosen) has launched NeoShip, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation system. The company, a subsidiary of Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding (MES), says it is Japan?s first commercial ship design…

Electrical accessory company Garo UK has designed portable electrical distribution units for Appledore Shipbuilders. The shipbuilder is currently constructing two new survey vessels for the Royal Navy. The suitcase-type portable units house…

The Standard P&I Club, in combination with Videotel Marine International, has launched a CD-ROM based training package aimed at improving collision avoidance at sea. The creators say the Windows-based package provides an…

Tanker owner Frontline has joined with fellow Norwegian-company Venturie to develop a low-tech oil vapour recovery system. The system has recently undergone trials on Frontline?s suezmax tanker Front Granite. The companies say…

Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries (IHI) and Kawasaki Heavy Industries have called off a planned merger of their shipbuilding operations. The companies will continue to cooperate however, in an operational alliance with Mitsui Engineering…

iShipExchange, the web-based shipping procurement service, has introduced the Chinese language (using traditional and simplified characters) alongside English and Japanese. However the core data entries remain in English, says the company. iShipExchange…

The dust is settling on the dot.com era after a number of high profile collapses. Many now realise that you cannot sit between a shipowner and his supplier and collect a premium…

Austal Ships has signed a contract with Venezuelan ferry operator Conferry to build an 86m high-speed roro passenger catamaran. According to Austal?s managing director, Bob McKinnon, the contract reflects a marked improvement…

Fein Industrial Power Tools has introduced two new angle grinders. The WSG 20 and WSB 20 feature controlled soft start and self start protection to prevent accidental restarting following power supply interruptions.…

iShipExchange, the web-based shipping procurement service, has introduced the Chinese language (using traditional and simplified characters) alongside English and Japanese. However the core data entries remain in English, says the company. iShipExchange…

MAN B&W has seen the first installation of a selective catalytic NOx reduction system on one of its 6S35MC diesels. The ship has now passed its test trials and begun reduced-emission operations.…

The Committee of EU Shipbuilders Association has called on the EU to make a quick decision in relation to its shipbuilding policy and in particular its stance on countering alleged unfair practices…

Electrical accessory company Garo UK has designed portable electrical distribution units for Appledore Shipbuilders. The shipbuilder is currently constructing two new survey vessels for the Royal Navy. The suitcase-type portable units house…

Howard Harley?s Skirtless SES patented technology has had an important breakthrough. The EFFISES (Energy Efficient SAFE Innovative Ships and Vessels) project, which was initiated last year by SES Europe of Norway and…

Alstom has announced its third FPSO gas turbine order in two months. The French company will supply three gas turbines, worth over $6 million, to a shipyard in Singapore from its Lincoln,…

A pair of 6,750dwt general cargo/container ships under construction at Qingshan, China are to be fitted with a range of MacGregor equipment, including hatch covers, cranes and container securing devices. Stowage is…