Mjellem & Karlsen Verft AS

The U.N. shipping agency approved further measures on Thursday to boost the energy efficiency of commercial vessels although critics said the move fell short of what was needed to cut the industry's carbon footprint.The International Maritime Organization (IMO) formally adopted the rules to reduce the carbon intensity of existing ships after member states reached agreement on the plans at a virtual meeting this week.The measures add to already adopted energy efficiency regulations for new vessels and aim to reduce the carbon intensity of international shipping by 40% by 2030 compared with 2008 levels.

A coalition of nine Argentine port worker unions will go on a nationwide 24-hour strike starting at midnight to press for vaccinations against the coronavirus, the labor groups said in a statement on Thursday.Workers including tugboat captains and customs officers have held similar work stoppages recently, as the South American grains powerhouse gets hit by a second wave of COVID-19 cases."We have raised the issue and held meetings with different authorities with the purpose to obtaining concrete answers regarding the application of vaccines against COVID-19 to our workers," the unions said in the statement. "But to date, we have not obtained concrete answers or solutions.

Since the beginning of May, Royal IHC has been busy replacing the propulsion gearbox mountings on the HNLMS De Ruyter. This work is part of a maintenance program for the Air Defense and Command Frigates (LCF). Royal IHC will replace the mountings on all four LCF-frigates for the Royal Netherlands Navy.Annemieke Selbach, Head of Purchasing at the Royal Netherlands Navy, said, “Royal IHC has taken on an enormously challenging project in the replacement of the mountings on the frigates. To perform this work, the gearboxes have to be lifted a few millimeters to remove the old mountings and install new ones.

The Port of Corpus Christi Authority (PCCA) has added a new patrol boat to its security force.The new 44-foot port security boat was purchased using a combination of Port Security Grant Program funds from the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as well as matching funds from the PCCA. The new boat replaces one existing police vessel that has been in operation for more than a decade and had limitations when operating in severe sea states. This new vessel also comes equipped with advanced detection equipment, in addition to limited firefighting capabilities.

A new touch-free payment platform for the maritime industry has been launched by Secure Seas.Secure Seas says its electronic payment platform is designed to provide financial security to seafarers by transferring their pay electronically, removing the antiquated and problematic system of cash distribution in U.S. dollars. This provides seafarers with basic facilities the rest of us take for granted: full access to their funds in their preferred currency, use of an International, non-jurisdictional bank account and debit card to withdraw cash or transfer funds home, and the ability to transfer payments via PC or smartphone.