Maritime News

February 4 ------ Lloyd’s Register (LR) has published what it says is the maritime industry’s first dedicated guidance notes for onboard hydrogen generation, as a response to growing interest from shipowners, yards and technology developers in producing hydrogen onboard using alternative fuels such as LNG, methanol and ammonia.   Although it allows shipowners to avoid the need for space-demanding and complex compressed or liquefied hydrogen storage systems and eliminate depen

February 4 ------ A group of Iranian gunboats approached a U.S.-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz north of Oman, maritime sources and a security consultancy said on Tuesday.   The Iranian boats ordered the tanker, the Stena Imperative, to stop its engine and prepare to be boarded before it could speed up and continue its voyage, maritime risk management group Vanguard said. The vessel did not enter Iranian internal territorial waters and was escorted by a U.S. warship, t

February 4 ------ The Philippine Coast Guard issued an urgent alert to all vessels on Friday, January 30, after it received a distress call from a Chinese-owned bulker. Few details were issued, but it appears contact has been lost with the ship in the waters near Eastern Samar.   The alert requested all vessels transiting the area to “keep a sharp lookout” for the distressed ship. They were instructed to report all findings to the nearest Coast Guard office or radio station.

February 4 ------ An aging freighter has gone aground on a sandy beach near the Atlantic-side entrance to the Panama Canal.   The Panama Maritime Authority and National Aeronaval Service of Panama report that a cargo ship is aground at Maria Chiquita, a small seaside community about 10 nm to the northeast of Colon. Monitoring from the air and ground is ongoing, and the crew have been safely evacuated from the vessel.   The vessel's name is obscured in official photos, but AIS

February 3 ------ Independent university testing has proved that marine fuel consumption and associated emissions could be reduced more quickly and cost-effectively than previously assumed, using existing vessels and standard fuels already in circulation.   A study conducted by the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) has found that a fuel treatment technology developed by UK-based Fuelre4m delivered measurable efficiency improvements in large marine engines operati

February 3 ------ In the first week of January 2026, US and UK forces seized a Russian-flagged tanker in the North Atlantic. Finland detained a freighter suspected of cable sabotage. Sweden held a sanctioned cargo vessel in the Baltic. Three separate seizures, three different jurisdictions, all within days of each other.   The message from regulators is clear. The era of warnings has ended. Twelve months ago, I was advising to prepare for uncertainty. Now I'm telling them to

February 3 ------ As climate change continue to affect the Arctic, long-frozen waters of the Canadian high north have become navigable for the first time. The region includes waters around Queen Elizabeth Islands and western Tuvaijuittuq, which historically have been inaccessible due to thick ice all year round, but in a recent expedition, the Canadian icebreaker CCGS Amundsen was able to enter and explore.   The expedition happened back in September, led by researchers from

February 3 ------ Germany’s Central Command for Maritime Emergencies oversaw the overnight response to an engine room fire aboard a car carrier. A total of 63 emergency personnel, four ships, and two helicopters were involved in the operation to secure the vessel Thames Highway and ensure the fire was extinguished.   The vessel had departed Emden on Monday and shortly after clearing the harbor, reported an engine room fire. The crew onboard moved quickly to seal off the engin