Varun Shipping Company Ltd.

MAN Energy Solutions won an order for six MAN B&W 11G95ME-GI Mk10.5 main engines in connection with the building of six ultra-large, 23,500+-teu container vessels for Hapag-Lloyd.The engines will be built in Korea and will offer the option of operating on LNG or conventional fuel, meeting Tier III emission standards through SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction). The first engine delivery is scheduled for May 2022. Korean shipyard, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, will build the vessels with delivery expected from April through December 2023.The newbuildings will be deployed on the Europe – Far East routes as part of THE Alliance.

Tanker shipping was in many ways the odd one out of the shipping sectors in 2020; at the start of the pandemic, the market was strong, only to finish off the year in the doldrums, while the other sectors stayed profitable. Even a demand boost in December only managed to lift earnings slightly, raising the question of what it will take for tankers to return to profitability?In the immediate aftermath of the pandemic being declared, tanker shipping appeared immune, but it too has suffered from lockdowns and travel restrictions. The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that global oil demand fell by 8.9% in 2020, from 101.2m barrels per day to 92.2m bpd.

Engines manufacturer Fairbanks Morse said it has been awarded a six-year indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). The agreement, worth approximately $53 million, enables Fairbanks Morse to maximize and improve engine lifecycle support for the USCG’s 270-foot WMEC Famous Class Cutters.As part of the USCG 270-foot WMEC Service Life Extension Program (SLEP), Fairbanks Morse was awarded this contract to provide services, personnel, facilities, expertise, technological information, special tools, supplies and incidental materials necessary to ensure the longevity of the fleet’s 18-cylinder FM 251F engines.

ROV manufacturer Forum Energy Technologies has completed the construction of what it says is a highly advanced submarine rescue vehicle (SRV), which may be utilized to extract submariners from distress situations.According to Forum, the LR-class SRV is capable of rescuing up to 17 people at a time and operate at depths of up to 600 meters. "The new model has increased power and an advanced auxiliary thruster control system that allows for speeds of up to four knots, enabling it to operate in high currents. The vehicle is able to attach to submarines at highly precarious angles, above 40 degrees," Forum said.

Japan's Kawasaki Heavy Industries is aiming to replicate its success as a major liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker producer with hydrogen, a key element that may help decarbonize industries and aid the global energy transition.A A$500 million ($385 million) pilot project, led by Kawasaki and backed by the Japanese and Australian governments, plans to ship its first cargo of liquefied hydrogen from Australia to Japan this spring, which the firm hopes will mark the dawn of a new clean energy era.