News

Delmas, the Le Havre based shipping line, will this month take delivery of the third in a three ship series of 1,641 TEU container ships. The ships, Elisa Delmas, Flora Delmas and…

French owner GIE Dragages Ports has taken delivery of a hopper dredger with electric propulsion. The 5,000m3 trailing suction hopper dredger was built at Spanish shipbuilding group Izar?s yard in Gijon, northern…

Spanish shipbuilder Izar has secured another valuable ferry order in the shape of a ropax to be operated by Strandfaraskip Landsins (SSL), the state-owned shipping company of the Faroe Islands. This ferry…

Pioneering spirit transcends through generations. If The Motor Ship owes its existence to any one company, Italian shipping line Mediterranea di Navigazione is a definite contender.In 1910, Giorgio Cagnoni, the great grandfather…

Great American Lines Inc (GALI), pioneer of the two-way traffic concept on its transpacific service between the US and Japan based on cars and citrus fruit, has, earlier this year, received delivery…

Like a child growing up, the path to technical maturity isn?t always trouble-free. So in spite of its problems, it should always be remembered that podded propulsion technology remains in its infancy.Computer…

A number of Finnish companies are working together to produce vessel concepts that combine diesel-electric with diesel-mechanical machinery. Wärtsilä, the engine manufacturer, Kvaerner Masa-Yards, the shipbuilder, and ABB, the electrical systems developer,…

Responding to a perceived market demand for electric drives with power ratings under 5 MW, the German propulsors manufacturer, Schottel, has launched a small compact pod-type drive. The drive, called the Schottel…

The growth of Korea into the world?s leading shipbuilding nation has not troubled Europe?s critical equipment manufacturers. Korea?s shipyards have largely bought their steel and other non-critical components locally while relying on…

The government and the shipyard marketing departments may be anxious to connect the future of Korean shipbuilding with high value ships, but the reality of today is that much of the shipyards?…

The Korean Register of Shipping (KR) has extended its port state control pre-inspection service to ships scheduled to call at European ports.Relatively poor performance of KR-registered ships in USCG statistics for 1999…

South Korea, like Japan, is continuing to invest in research and development to guarantee its long-term future. All the major shipbuilders on the South Korean peninsula have R&D projects underway recognising that…

The idea of shipping passengers, trailers and containers together in one hull is, on the face of it, an attractive idea for ferry operators as they seek to expand the flexibility of…

When it comes to high-speed commercial vessels, shipowners are spoilt for choice with a range of catamarans, air cushion craft, pentamarans and semi-displacement hulls either already in service or under consideration. Another…

Incinerators? days are numbered. So says Jeff Argent, environmental projects manager at Norwegian-headquartered roro operator United European Car Carriers (UECC).The pressures of environmental stewardship - to reduce air borne emissions - are…

Fitting environmentally friendly systems onboard ship comes at a cost and owners want to see some return for their investment, which is why class societies now offer environmental class notation.A number of…

Sea trials are underway on the first Royal Navy vessel to feature integrated electric propulsion and podded propulsors. HMS Echo, a 3,470t survey ship, left Appledore Shipbuilders yard in Devon, UK in…

In an interesting approach to upgrading a flexible fleet while meeting diverse transport requirements, the French ferry company Société Nationale Maritime Corse Méditerranée (SNCM) is about to see its expansion plans come…

In a blow to the French shipbuilding industry, the English Channel ferry operator Brittany Ferries has confirmed that it has placed a $150 million contract with German shipbuilder Meyer Werft of Papenburg…

Many will have thought that the hovercraft is dead in all but its military guise. However, hovercraft are still being used as a means of commercial transport and have a number of…

The pentamaran design first patented by Nigel Gee & Associates (NGA) six years ago looks like it might eventually get built. The backing of Spanish shipbuilder Izar has given the vessel?s British…

Izar Carenas, the ship repair division of the Spanish Izar Group, says 2001 was a successful year for it in the ship repair business. The group, which includes yards at Cadiz, Cartegena,…

Medium-speed market-leader Wärtsilä may not have much to report in the way of big development stories right now that The Motor Ship hasn?t previously covered, but those companies trying to take market…