International Report – Pacific Maritime Magazine

MOL Adding Wind Propulsion, Investing in U.S.-Based E-Fuels Company

Tokyo-based shipping company Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) revealed Sept. 13 that it has an agreement in place with multinational energy corporation Chevron to install the Wind Challenger, a hard sail wind-assisted ship propulsion system, on a new build LNG carrier under long term charter from an MOL subsidiary to Chevron Asia Pacific Shipping Pte. Ltd. The system was developed by MOL and Oshima Shipbuilding, and the vessel’s addition of it would mark the world’s first LNG (liquified natural gas) carrier equipped with Wind-Assisted Ship Propulsion Systems, according to MOL. Wind Challenger is expected to help reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse…

MSC Marie Sets Record for Largest Cargo Vessel Through Panama Canal

The container ship MSC Marie marked a milestone on Aug. 30 by becoming the largest capacity Neopanamax to transit through the Panama Canal. With a length of 366 meters (1,200 feet) and a width of 51 meters (167.4 feet), the MSC Marie boasts a maximum capacity of 17,640 TEUs, a new record for the interoceanic route. This achievement surpassed the previous record held by the Ever Max vessel, which made the transit at a capacity of 17,312 TEUs during its inaugural passage in August 2023. The MSC Marie’s arrival in Panama, coming from Mexico’s Port of Manzanillo, not only highlights…

Maritime Piracy Incidents Fall, But Crew Safety Remains at Risk, ICC Reports

The International Chamber of Commerce’s International Maritime Bureau (IMB) is calling for sustained vigilance to protect seafarers amid increasing violence despite an overall drop in the number of incidents reported in IMB’s mid-year report for 2024, released July 11. Sixty incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships were recorded in the first half of 2024, a decrease from 65 incidents for the same period last year. “While we are reassured to see a fall in the number of overall reported acts of piracy, the concerning rise in incidents of a violent nature underscores the need for continued vigilance from…

New Report Highlights Continued Threat of Somali Piracy

In its first quarter report for 2024, the International Chamber of Commerce’s International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has raised concern regarding continued acts of maritime piracy off the coast of Somalia. A total of 33 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships were recorded during the first three months of 2024, an increase from 27 incidents for the same period in 2023. Of the 33 incidents reported, 24 vessels were boarded, six had attempted attacks, two were hijacked and one was fired upon, data show. Violence toward crew continues, with 35 crew members taken hostage, nine kidnapped and one threatened.…

IMO Opening Regional Office in Fiji to Serve the Pacific

The International Maritime Organization is opening a Regional Presence Office in Suva, Fiji to serve countries and territories in the Pacific Islands region. IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez and Fiji’s Minister for Public Works, Meteorological Services and Transport of the Republic of Fiji, Ro Filipe Tuisawau, signed a Memorandum of Understanding at IMO Headquarters in London on March 18 to seal the arrangement. “The Regional Presence Office will support the maritime needs and priorities of countries in the Pacific Islands region,” the International Maritime Organization explained in a statement, “aligning IMO actions with national and regional development policies, while providing advice…

New Report Reveals Concerning Rise in Maritime Piracy Incidents

The annual Piracy and Armed Robbery Report of the ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) released in mid-January has raised concern over the first successful Somali based hijacking since 2017. The IMB’s annual report recorded 120 incidents of maritime piracy and armed robbery against ships in 2023 compared to 115 in 2022. According to the report, 105 vessels were boarded, nine attempted attacks, four vessels hijacked and two fired upon. Since the number of 2023 reported incidents has slightly increased compared to 2022, the IMB has urged caution for crew safety as the number of crew taken hostage and kidnapped increased…

IMO Names New Secretary-General, Senior Management Team

A new secretary-general has been installed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and has announced the members of his leadership team. Arsenio Dominguez became the 10th elected Secretary-General of IMO on Jan. 1. Dominguez, who’s from Panama, succeeded Kitack Lim of South Korea, who was IMO Secretary-General from 2016-2023. Dominguez was confirmed by the IMO Assembly 33rd session, which met in November-December 2023. His initial term is four years, ending Dec. 31, 2027. Dominguez had been director of the IMO’s Marine Environment Division, a post he’d held since January 2022. He joined the IMO Secretariat in 2017 as Chief of…

Dutch University Launches Maritime Cyberattack Database

Researchers at NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands in July announced that they have launched the Maritime Cyber Attack Database (MCAD), a database of incidents involving the worldwide maritime sector. As of the time of its launch, the database contained more than 160 incidents. The university said in a statement that incidents in the database demonstrate the relevance of cybersecurity across the board of today’s maritime industry and the vulnerabilities that exist. Drawing from open source information, the NHL Stenden’s Maritime IT Security research group collected information on the more than 160 cyber incidents for the MCAD.…

Kongberg Maritime Awarded Vessel Design Contract

Kongsberg Maritime announced in mid-November that it has won a NOK 300 million ($30 million USD) contract with Pelagic Wind Services to supply advanced vessel design and equipment for two new commissioning service operation vessels (CSOVs) to be built at Cochin Shipyard in India. The CSOVs are to be built to Kongsberg Maritime’s UT 5519 HL design. “We’re delighted to work with Kongsberg Maritime to develop this next-generation vessel, which is firmly focused on sustainable operation, safety and efficiency,” Pelagic Wind Services CEO Andre Groeneveld said. The equipment package includes a complete hybrid propulsion system driving highly efficient, permanent magnet…

UWL Opens First China Office

U.S.-based global third-party logistics solutions provider UWL has expanded its global footprint with the opening of its first office in China in Shanghai’s Bund area. UWL began servicing customers on Dec. 1. “2021 and 2022 were years of tremendous challenge for UWL and our customer base, who to this day, remain heavily invested in China and Asia for their manufacturing needs,” UWL President Duncan Wright said. “This expansion is part of our strategy to be physically closer to our customers’ factories and our ocean network and carrier partners. The better we can collaborate on solutions and have more direct control…