General News

China?s shipping and shipbuilding industries are benefiting from sweeping reforms of state enterprises, increased foreign investment and technical assistance. Plans for China to join the World Trade Organisation is likely to accelerate…

Chinese shipping interests Shipping Container Line (SCL) and China Shipping Container Line (CSCL) went on a spending spree in January, confirming orders for no less than 21 ships at yards in China…

Hyundai Heavy Industries is to use Saab TankRadar as the primary custody transfer system by for two LNG carrier newbuildings. Previously the system has been installed on the existing LNG carrier LNG…

Croatia?s Viktor Lenac has completed repairs to three Sealand D-6 class 1,178 TEU container ships. The block booking involved hull survey work, repairs to all 28 hatch covers on each vessel, cell…

While last year was very poor for operators of bulk tonnage there are now strong signs of a good recovery and people are more optimistic. From the coast of Brazil to the…

Having lately been displaced from their position as the world?s leading shipbuilders by Korea, Japanese shipyards received another major blow in December when Kawasaki of Japan decided to order five 5,600 TEU…

A new compact motion sensor (CMS) has been launched by TSS. The sensor measures 16cm x 9cm and can measure dynamic pitch and roll to an accuracy of better than 0.25 deg…

Norwegian offshore operator Havila Supply is converting supply vessel Havila Reel into a cable layer for charter to the Alcatel group. The vessel, which was built to the UT705 design and subsequently…

Holland America Line (HAL), part of Carnival Corporation, has signed an agreement with Italian shipyard Fincantieri for the construction of two new 84,000g cruise vessels which are expected to enter service in…

A water-soluble plastic film dam has been introduced by Huntingdon Fusion Techniques for pipe purging during welding. The dam, made from Argweld water-soluble film, allows a small volume of pipe either side…