News

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…

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…

Both Kvaerner Masa-Yards and Aker Finnyards have embarked on substantial information technology investments. Masa-Yards has acquired a 3D CAD system for basic ship design from the Spanish supplier Sener Ingeneria y Sistemas.…

AP M?ller-owned shipyard Volkswerft Stralsund is building a series of four 2,833 TEU container vessels for operation by sister company Maersk Sealand. The second unit of the VWS 2900 design was christened…

Bureau Veritas has launched an extension to its Veristar system allowing clients to track classification of their newbuilding projects in real time using the Internet. Brittany Ferries is using a pilot version…

Technology is leaping across the divide between MAN B&W Diesel?s various operating subsidiaries. The most recent example is the SEMT Pielstick developed PC2.6B, which MAN B&W is now selling as its own-branded…

Finnish shipbuilders have largely concentrated on passenger shipping in recent years. This focus seems set to continue, although their development work does cover other ship categories. Kvaerner Masa-Yards Double Acting Tanker (DAT)…

Will doubling up prevail on future tanker designs? The situation already exists where new tankers require a double hull in order to improve their safety margins. But the majority of tankers still…

Izar has confirmed it is negotiating with Algerian shipowner ENTMV for a share of a contract to construct two 2,900 dwt roro passenger ferries. The two-ship order is subject to a Development…

DNV and GL plan to increase the number of survey stations they operate jointly more than four-fold. The class societies will establish a further 22 jointly-operated service stations on top of the…

A recent inspection campaign concentrating on cargo securing has unearthed a disturbing catalogue of safety issues. The campaign, by Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) port state control authorities, found that a third…

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…

A number of major shipping industry organisations have joined together to launch a new code of practice for ship recycling. The code of practice is a response to concerns about safety and…

Lloyd?s Register says vessels classed with it dominate the USCG?s Qualship register. Ships on the register benefit from less frequent USCG inspections. For example, ships carrying freight only require two-yearly inspections if…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

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…

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…

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.…

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania claim to have developed a prototype fuel cell that is powered by diesel. The breakthrough would solve the problem of reforming a commonly available hydrocarbon fuel…