Shell starts oil production from Whale semi-submersible in US Gulf of Mexico; estimated peak production of 100,000 bpd

Shell Offshore, a subsidiary of Shell plc, has started oil production at the Shell-operated Whale floating production facility in the Gulf of Mexico. Whale replicates the simplified, cost-efficient host design of the Vito platform, which began production in early 2023. The Whale development is owned by Shell Offshore Inc. (60%,... Read more →


China in December launched the hull of an inland (river) containership to be powered by hydrogen fuel cells. Installation of the hydrogen power system and controls will be completed in 2025. The Dong Fang Qing Gang will have the largest hydrogen fuel cell system so far deployed on a ship... Read more →


Vale, in partnership with the Omani shipowner Asyad, has started a test period with rotor sails on the Sohar Max, a Valemax-type ship, 362 meters long and with a capacity of 400 thousand tons of cargo. The technology, developed by the English manufacturer Anemoi Marine Technologies, uses wind energy to... Read more →


Norwegian fuel cell company TECO 2030 ASA files for bankruptcy

The board of directors of TECO 2030 ASA has decided to file for bankruptcy. The board decision is unanimous and is due to the fact that there is no longer a realistic opportunity to raise sufficient capital to continue operations. A stock exchange notice on 14 November 2024 disclosed that... Read more →


Together with the renowned Frauscher Shipyard in Austria, Porsche has developed an electric boat that is also intended to impress on the water with its Porsche E-Performance—now in two different versions. While two-door Porsche sports cars are available as coupés and convertibles, among other variants, Frauscher offers a choice between... Read more →


MAN Energy Solutions announced the successful retrofit of the main engine of the Maersk Halifax to a dual-fuel MAN B&W ME-LGIM unit. MAN PrimeServ, MAN Energy Solutions’ after-sales division, carried out the work, the first such project globally involving a VLCV (Very Large Container Vessel). The 15,000 teu vessel entered... Read more →


Europe’s container ships pollute as much per container as they did six years ago, new EU shipping data shows, according to analysis by European transportation NGO T&E. T&E calls for stricter efficiency measures to ensure shipping companies sail slower and invest in energy saving technologies such as wind. According to... Read more →


Wallenius Marine is conducting advanced wind tunnel tests aimed at realizing the world’s first wind-powered PCTC (Pure Car and Truck Carrier) vessel. The tests are being carried out in Gothenburg, at one of Europe’s most advanced wind tunnels, with wind speeds of up to 250 km/h (155 mph). As a... Read more →


Wallenius introduces bunker adjustment factor (BAF) 2.0: a multi-fuel BAF for a net-zero future

Wallenius Wilhelmsen is launching a re-engineered bunker adjustment factor, BAF2.0, to prepare for future fuels on the path to net-zero emissions by 2040. BAF2.0 will streamline and simplify the adaptation of alternative fuels. Bunker Adjustment Factor (BAF) is a pricing mechanism used to adjust freight rates based on fuel price... Read more →


MAN Energy Solutions announced that the development of its ME-LGIA (Liquid Gas Injection Ammonia) engine has entered a new phase with the commencement of testing of a full-scale, two-stroke engine running on ammonia at its RCC (Research Centre Copenhagen). (Earlier post.) Having already completed more than 12 months of testing... Read more →


Hapag-Lloyd concludes long-term offtake agreement with GoldWind for green methanol; annual delivery of 250,000 tonnes

Hapag-Lloyd has reached an agreement with Goldwind, a global strategic partner in clean energy with headquarters in Beijing, China, for the delivery of 250,000 tonnes of green methanol per year. The green methanol will consist of a blend of bio- and e-methanol, ensuring greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction of at... Read more →


LR announces partnership with Samsung Heavy for floating production and storage system for green ammonia

Lloyd’s Register (LR) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) for the joint development of a floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) system for green ammonia.  The FPSO process has been widely used in the oil and gas industries, but its application for ammonia is relatively... Read more →


Liquid Wind raises €44M in Series C with Uniper, HYCAP and Samsung Ventures to meet increasing demand for low-carbon fuels

Swedish eFuel facility developer Liquid Wind raised €44 million in Series C financing led by Uniper, HYCAP Fund I SCSp (“HYCAP”) and Samsung Ventures. The financing will support the development of 10 eFuel facilities by 2027 as part of the company’s vision of reaching 500 facilities globally by 2050. The... Read more →


Yamaha Motor Europe unveiled the latest version of its pioneering HARMO electric outboard, now featuring a series of upgrades designed to deliver a more versatile, more intuitive boating experience. The revolutionary integrated electric propulsion and steering control system, now offers enhanced capabilities and refined control features that build on the... Read more →


As the first large vessel in the industry, the container ship Maersk Halifax has been converted into a dual-fuel vessel able to operate on methanol. The retrofit operation was conducted at the Zhoushan Xinya Shipyard in China over 88 days with completion at the end of October 2024. Following the... Read more →


Hapag-Lloyd orders 24 new dual-fuel container ships

Hapag-Lloyd has signed two contracts with two Chinese shipyards for a total of 24 new container ships. Of these, 12 newbuildings—each with a capacity of 16,800 TEU—will be built by Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Group. These units will be used to expand the capacity of services that are already in place. An... Read more →


Maersk signs long-term methanol sourcing deal with LONGi

Maersk entered into a long-term bio-methanol offtake agreement with LONGi Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd. First volumes are expected in 2026 with full production expected at the end of the decade. The agreement will contribute to lowering GHG emissions from Maersk’s growing fleet of dual-fuel methanol container vessels. Bio- and... Read more →


Yanmar Power Technology, a group company of Yanmar Holdings, successfully completed a land-based demonstration test of a pilot-ignition hydrogen 4-stroke high-speed engine for power generation in coastal vessels, achieving operation at a rated output of approximately 500kW. This trial was conducted as part of the Nippon Foundation’s zero emission ship... Read more →


Technology group Wärtsilä has introduced its innovative NextDF feature for the Wärtsilä 25DF dual-fuel engine. While operating on liquefied natural gas (LNG), the NextDF feature reduces methane emissions to less than 2% of fuel use across all load points, achieving as low as 1.1% in a wide load range. The... Read more →


MAN Energy Solutions has received multiple orders for MAN B&W G95ME-LGIM Mk 10.5 methanol engines to power a series of Very Large Container Vessels (VLCVs). The order brings the cumulative number of G95ME-C10.5-LGIM methanol engine orders to 95 at various yards in South Korea, China and Japan since the engine’s... Read more →


EPA awarding 6 port authorities $475M to advance hydrogen-based port operations

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced 55 grants for a total of nearly $3 billion from the Clean Ports Program, funded through the Inflation Reduction Act. (Earlier post.) The selected applications will fund zero-emissions port equipment and infrastructure as well as climate and air quality planning at US... Read more →


EPA awarding $3B through Clean Ports Program

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) selected 55 applicants across 27 states and territories to receive nearly $3 billion through EPA’s Clean Ports Program. These grants will support the deployment of zero-emission equipment, as well as infrastructure and climate and air quality planning projects at ports across the country. The... Read more →


WinGD introduces LPG ‘pre-fit’ option for operators aiming for ammonia trade

Swiss marine power company WinGD has introduced an option for its X-DF-A ammonia-fueled engines to be delivered capable of running on liquified petroleum gas (LPG). The ‘pre-fit’ solution will be of particular interest to vessels under construction for the anticipated global trade in ammonia, which will also be capable of... Read more →


In the course of the market launch of the MAN D3872 (earlier post) for workboats, MAN Engines is expanding its portfolio with additional performance for heavy-duty applications. The new MAN D3872 in the LE427 variant for heavy-duty applications has an output of 920 kW (1,250 hp) at 1,800 rpm and... Read more →


Having designed and tested the first two-stroke ammonia engine (earlier post), MAN Energy Solutions has now launched the ‘AmmoniaMot 2’ research project. Initiated by MAN with partners from industry and research institutes, the project aims to develop a four-stroke, medium-speed, dual-fuel test engine that runs on ammonia. ­ Supported by... Read more →


Bosch Engineering is unveiling a newly developed, high-performance electrification solution for electrical systems with voltages of up to 800 volts, which further extends the potential use cases of electric drives in maritime applications while also raising system efficiency. With the latest generation of our electric motor and inverter with silicon... Read more →


NS United Kaiun Kaisha, Ltd. (NSU) and Vale International SA (Vale) reached an agreement to install rotor sails (H:35m x D:5m x 5 units) manufactured by Anemoi Marine Technologies Ltd. (Anemoi) on 400,000dwt-type VLOC, NSU TUBARAO, which has been engaged in a long- term transportation contract between NSU and Vale... Read more →


Vale and Petrobras signed a Strategic Alliance Agreement to supply products with a focus on competitiveness and advancing the decarbonization agenda. This agreement, which reflects the natural evolution of the protocol of intentions signed by the companies in September 2023, establishes conditions for testing and potentially marketing three strategic products:... Read more →


Ohmium collaborating with SwitcH2 BV and BW Offshore for floating green ammonia plant

Ohmium International, a green hydrogen company that designs, manufactures and deploys advanced Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolyzer solutions, signed a Term Sheet with SwitcH2 BV, a renewable energy Joint Venture with partners such as BW Offshore, a leading provider of offshore production solutions. Under the agreement, Ohmium will develop PEM... Read more →


Anthony Veder has deployed two VentoFoils sails onboard ethylene carrier Coral Patula, delivered by Econowind. With this installation, Anthony Veder is the first worldwide to install sails onboard a gas carrier. Later this year sister ship Coral Pearl will be equipped with two similar sails. The VentoFoil is a non-rotating... Read more →


Jumbo announced the successful installation of two mechanical sails to Heavy Lift Vessel (HLV) Jumbo Jubilee. The wind assisted ship propulsion (WASP) solution is the latest in a series of innovative technologies installed to the vessel in a bid to boost fuel efficiency and cut carbon. Jumbo is committed to... Read more →


Hurtigruten, one of the leading sustainable brands in travel, has released its updated plans for its Sea Zero project, the zero-emission ship scheduled to debut in 2030, as it is in its research and development phase. With the help of large batteries, sails, and other innovative solutions, the ship will... Read more →


HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has developed a zero-carbon ammonia dual-fuel (DF) engine—the world’s first high-pressure ammonia direct injection engine. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has completed the model-based class approval testing for the “HiMSEN Ammonia Dual-Fuel Engine,” (model: H22CDF-LA) at its Engine Technology Center in the Ulsan Headquarters. The testing was... Read more →


Alfa Laval to supply first systems for ammonia-fueled marine vessels by end of 2025

Alfa Laval said it will be ready to supply its first fuel systems for ammonia-fuelled vessels by the end of 2025. Leveraging its extensive expertise with fuels such as LNG, LPG, and methanol, Alfa Laval is accelerating the development of new technologies for ammonia to ensure its safe and efficient... Read more →


Lake Lucerne Navigation Company (SGV) AG, a Swiss transportation company, has signed a five-year fuel offtake agreement with cleantech company Synhelion. SGV will purchase nearly 100 tons of solar fuel annually to power its fleet. This will make SGV the first navigation company in the world to use Synhelion’s solar... Read more →


Nikkei: Mitsubishi HC Capital to invest approximately ¥200 billion in shipping containers

Mitsubishi HC Capital will invest approximately ¥200 billion (US$1.35 billion) this year in shipping containers through group company CAI International—the largest such purchase in 2024—Nikkei reported. Tensions in the Middle East have caused container ships to avoid passage through the Red Sea and Suez Canal, extending the length of voyages... Read more →


TotalEnergies made the Final Investment Decision (FID) for the GranMorgu development located on offshore Block 58 Suriname in northern South America. “GranMorgu” means both “new dawn” and “Goliath grouper” in Sranan Tongo, the local language. The GranMorgu project will develop the Sapakara and Krabdagu oil discoveries, on which a successful... Read more →


DOE awards $2.5M to develop and advance fuel cell technology at Port of Oakland

The US Department of Energy (DOE) awarded a $2.5-million grant to develop and demonstrate advances in fuel cell technology at the Port of Oakland. The grant is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The total project cost will be more than $7 million and is another part of the Port’s... Read more →


DOE opens $112.5M funding opportunity for wave energy

The US Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) opened an opportunity (DE-FOA-0003415) for up to $112.5 million in funding to advance the commercial readiness of wave energy technologies through open water testing and system validation. This five-year investment will significantly accelerate the design, fabrication, and testing of multiple... Read more →


Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) has, through its wholly-owned subsidiary MOL Clean Energy, US LLC, decided to invest in HIF Global LLC, a US-based company developing and operating e-Fuels projects globally. HIF has a production target of about 4 million tons per year of synthetic fuel (e-fuel) and synthetic methanol (e-methanol)... Read more →


FTA awarding nearly $300M to 18 projects to expand and modernize ferry systems

The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced grants totaling nearly $300 million to expand and modernize US ferry systems. In total, FTA is awarding 18 grants in projects in 14 states. Federal funding will support projects such as replacing old vessels with electric ships that reduce greenhouse... Read more →


As part of their ongoing commitment to lower the carbon intensity of their operations, Chevron Shipping Company (Chevron), a subsidiary of Chevron USA and Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) announced an agreement to install Wind Challenger, a hard sail wind-assisted ship propulsion system developed by MOL and Oshima Shipbuilding together, to... Read more →


Lloyd’s Register partners with ROTOBOOST and Amogy on fuel cell, ammonia and methane cracking, and CCS study to support maritime emissions reduction

Lloyd’s Register’s (LR) business advisory team is partnering with energy companies ROTOBOOST and Amogy on a fuel cell and pre-combustion Carbon Capture Storage System (CCS) study to assess opportunities for emissions reduction. The joint development project (JDP) will evaluate the use of hydrogen fuel cells, ammonia and methane cracking technology... Read more →


TMC the metals company Inc., an explorer of the undersea resources of critical battery metals, successfully produced high temperature material (calcine) during the first phase of a commercial-scale campaign to process a 2,000-tonne sample of deep-seafloor polymetallic nodules at its partner PAMCO’s Hachinohe Rotary Kiln Electric-Arc Furnace facility in Hachinohe,... Read more →


MAN Energy Solutions has announced a new generation of its Common Rail injection system for its medium-speed, four-stroke portfolio. The CR 2.2 common-rail fuel-injection system will eventually completely replace its CR 1.6 predecessor and builds on its experience, allowing a very precise and flexible control of injection pressure, timing, and... Read more →


Hypermotive Ltd. unveiled the X-M1, a platform for hydrogen fuel cell-based power generation tailored to marine applications. Developed in collaboration with Honda, and underpinned by Hypermotive’s SYSTEM-X technology, X-M1 is a scalable, modular, hydrogen fuel cell power system that makes clean energy transition more accessible and achievable for maritime operators.... Read more →


Chevron starts water injection to boost oil and natural gas recovery at two deepwater facilities in US Gulf of Mexico

Chevron Corporation started water injection operations at two projects to boost oil and natural gas recovery at the company’s existing Jack/St. Malo and Tahiti facilities in the deepwater US Gulf of Mexico, where Chevron operations produce some of the world’s lowest carbon intensity oil and gas. Delivery of these two... Read more →


Wärtsilä has signed a contract with Norwegian shipowner Eidesvik to supply the equipment for the conversion of an offshore platform supply vessel (PSV) to operate with ammonia fuel. The vessel, ‘Viking Energy’, which is on contract to energy major Equinor, is scheduled for conversion in early 2026 and is expected... Read more →


X-Press Feeders, the world’s largest independent common carrier, launched its second green methanol-powered route, the Green Baltic X-PRESS (GBX). It is part of Europe’s first scheduled feeder network powered by green methanol. This expansion follows the successful launch of the Green Finland X-PRESS (GFX) in July and marks another milestone... Read more →


NYK Line and IHI Power Systems, in cooperation with Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK), have completed the world’s first ammonia-fueled vessel for commercial use—the tugboat Sakigake. The NYK Group company Shin-Nippon Kaiyosha will employ the vessel in tugboat operations in Tokyo Bay over a three-month demonstration period. This vessel was a... Read more →