Philippine News

October 30 ------ Fatigue is not a new problem in shipping. It has been discussed, regulated, and reported for years, yet it remains one of the greatest threats to safety at sea. Work schedules, crew size, and external conditions — such as adverse weather or busy port operations — can all play a role in building up cumulative fatigue. Even a single night of inadequate sleep can impair cognitive function, causing reduced alertness, slower response times, and lapses in concentr

October 30 ------ Power and propulsion solutions provider Rolls-Royce has completed testing of what is said to be “the world’s first” high-speed marine engine powered exclusively by methanol. Together with its partners in the meOHmare research project, Rolls-Royce conducted the trial on its test bench in Friedrichshafen, marking “an important milestone on the road to climate-neutral and environmentally friendly propulsion solutions for shipping.” The joint project meOHmare is

October 30 ------ A report published in the Financial Times, quoting investigations carried out by TankerTrackers.com, a maritime intelligence company, has shown clear evidence of transshipments of sanctioned Russian oil at transfer locations in the Gulf of Oman. The cargo was destined for delivery to the Guru Gobind Singh Refinery in Punjab, a facility co-owned by Mittal Energy. The investigation tracked the outward voyages of four sanctioned tankers, which each loaded in Mu

October 30 ------ Swedish maritime battery system provider Echandia has signed an agreement to supply energy storage systems for at least eight newbuild cargo vessels to be owned by Dutch shipping company Spliethoff Group. As disclosed, the contract includes the option to equip an additional pair of cargo vessels with battery systems. The units are presently under construction at Wuhu Shipyard in China. According to Echandia, Finnish energy efficiency solutions provider WE Te

October 29 ------ The majority of top flag states voted either in favor of postponing the Net Zero Framework (NZF) by a year, or abstained, according to figures released by the IMO. A readout of the voting on whether or not to adjourn the recent extraordinary meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) by a year showed that world’s two largest flag states – Liberia and Panama voted in favor of the postponement. Of 106 yes and no votes there was a simple majo

October 29 ------ A sanctioned Russian crude oil tanker traveling as part of the southbound convoy in the Suez Canal broke down on Tuesday, October 28, briefly interfering with transits. The Suez Canal Authority is emphasizing its quick response to get the tanker, which had grounded, back underway. The ship, which is currently trading under the name Komander, is another flagrant example of the tactics of the shadow fleet. Built in 2004, the 150,580-dwt tanker has had four nam

October 29 ------ Salvage efforts are continuing eight months after the containership MSC Baltic III went aground in a remote cove on the west shore of Newfoundland, Canada. While the majority of the fuel and cargo have been removed from the vessel, they are focusing on additional cleanup as the vessel is prepared for the onset of winter weather in the region. The 207-meter (679-foot) vessel (33,767 dwt) was driven ashore in a fierce winter storm in February 2025 with a darin

October 29 ------ Dry bulk cargo carrier ESL Shipping has received approval from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) for its near and long-term emission reduction targets. ESL Shipping was granted approval as the first company in the general cargo segment, meaning that its targets align with the latest climate science to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius in line with the Paris Agreement. The company has committed to reducing its well-to-wake GHG emissions by

October 28 ------ Singapore and China have agreed to collaborate on establishing a green and digital shipping corridor, with the aim of fostering innovation, enhancing maritime connectivity, and supporting the global transition towards a more sustainable maritime sector. To formalize the collaboration on the Singapore-China Green and Digital Shipping Corridor (GDSC), the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Singapore and the Ministry of Transport of the People’s Republic

October 28 ------ The Port of Seattle announced today the completion of the 2025 cruise season. The record cruise season delivered an estimated $1.2 billion in regional economic benefit, while providing more than 5,120 individuals direct and indirect jobs throughout the season. The season also saw a record number of passengers and sailings, plus significant shore power use by ships in berth: • 298 total ship calls across 8 home port cruise brands operating 14 different ships

October 28 ------ A car carrier transiting the English Channel reported a fire and subsequently requested a tow. Unlike other recent incidents, however, the fire appears to have been limited to the engine room and not involving the cargo aboard the vessel. Grimaldi Euromed’s car carrier Grande Roma (14,483 dwt) departed Antwerp, Belgium, on October 24, reporting a destination of Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates. The following day, October 25, the captain reported a fire

October 28 ------ The British press and maritime authorities are reporting that a crewmember was killed yesterday aboard the P&O cruise ship Arvia. The ship was two days into a two-week cruise to the Caribbean from the UK. The Arvia, which is 185,581 gross tons, is one of the largest cruise ships in the world, and with her sister ship Iona, is the largest operating from the UK. The Arvia was introduced by the UK’s P&O Cruises in 2022 and is 344 meters (1,128 feet) in length w

October 27 ------ The IMO’s International Maritime Organization’s Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Ships wrapped up a week of closed-door meetings with observers agreeing there had been progress and a promising outlook for the future. Observers said the working group had been able to rise above the rancor of the prior week’s special session of MEPC (Marine Environment Protection Committee) and get back to work on the Net-Zero Framewor

October 27 ------ Japan is prepared to sign a memorandum with the United States providing additional details on the investment in shipbuilding that was continued in the countries trade talks. The Yomiuri Shimbun news outlet reports the signing is likely to happen on Monday, October 27, time to Donald Trump’s visit to Japan, which will also see the two countries’ leaders sign a memorandum for greater cooperation. Japan committed to an investment of $550 billion in the United S

October 27 ------ Sweden’s Minister of Civil Defense, Carl-Oskar Bohlin, and the Swedish Coast Guard are reporting that surveillance efforts detected a crewmember dumping trash into the Baltic. While a fairly minor offense, officials said it demonstrates the level of monitoring now underway and, after all, “the sea should be free of trash.” A Coast Guard aircraft on a routine patrol detected the offense. When asked how much, a spokesperson said it was enough that they could s

October 27 ------ Japanese classification society Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (better known as ClassNK) has given a technology qualification (TQ) certificate for a component of South Korean shipbuilding giant Samsung Heavy Industries’ (SHI) autonomous navigation solution. As disclosed, the TQ—which is issued for solutions based on new concepts and designs that existing rules and standards cannot address—validated SHI’s “SAS-IBS,” which is a component of the company’s “Samsung Autonom

October 26 ------ Energy efficiency measures can reduce the total cost of the maritime energy transition by up to $220 billion per year, according to a new report released by the World Bank. As explained, improving the energy efficiency of the global merchant fleet is insufficient to meet the IMO’s policy objectives alone. Therefore, green fuels, such as methanol and ammonia, will be indispensable in 2040 and 2050, but are more expensive than conventional fuels. A cost-effici

October 26 ------ In the past two years, India has announced massive investments in its nuclear energy capacity. The focus currently is to design small modular reactors (SMRs) intended for use in off-grid sites in remote areas. However, local media reports this week indicate that the government wants to extend deployment of the SMRs to commercial shipping. India’s Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC), run by the government, is developing two SMR designs of 55 MWe (megawatt el

October 25 ------ The United States has always been a leader—innovative, resilient, and unmatched in maritime capability. Our domestic maritime industry, with more than 40,000 vessels and 650,000 American jobs supported, remains the envy of the world. The secret behind this enduring success is simple: strong cabotage laws that protect and promote our national interests, laws that more and more nations are now choosing to adopt. At the heart of America’s domestic maritime stre

October 25 ------ A partnership consisting of GTT and Bloom Energy is working together with France’s Ponant Explorations Group to combine fuel cells and marine carbon capture as part of a project to achieve the first net-zero cruise ship. The project, which was first revealed last year, reports that GTT, known for its containment systems and Bloom Energy will lead a joint innovation project to develop an integrated energy system to cover the vessel’s energy needs related to o