ATLANTIC LABRADOR

India is set to establish a 250-billion-rupee ($2.9 billion) maritime development fund to provide long-term financing for the country's shipbuilding and repair sector, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced on Saturday.The initiative aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of transforming India into a developed nation by 2047. As part of this effort, the government is investing heavily in infrastructure to enhance its manufacturing capabilities on a global scale.Presenting the budget for the fiscal year beginning April 1, Sitharaman revealed that the government will contribute 49% of the fund, with the remainder being raised from ports and private sector participation.

UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography issued a request for proposals (RFP) to select a shipyard for the final design and construction of its new 163-ft. Coastal Class Research Vessel (CCRV), reportedly the first oceanographic research ship to primarily operate on renewable fuels.The vessel will feature a dual-powered hydrogen fuel cell and diesel-electric propulsion system, capable of conducting 75% of its missions using only liquid hydrogen. When running on hydrogen, CCRV will produce zero emissions and operate with minimal noise, ensuring contamination-free sampling and enhanced performance of its underwater acoustic sensors.

The future of the two insolvent German shipyards, Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) and Nobiskrug, looks brighter as Lürssen Group moves to place a formal bid to take over the facilities of the Nobiskrug shipyard, while Heinrich Rönner Group agrees to buy the FSG.The insolvency administrators, Christoph Morgen of Brinkmann & Partner and Hendrik Gittermann of REIMER, said they would accept the offers in the week following the official opening of insolvency proceedings.Lürssen, based in Bremen, plans to integrate Nobiskrug into its Lürssen-Kröger shipyard operations in Rendsburg, while Rönner, from Bremerhaven

In an article by Rhonda Moniz published this week on MarineLink, Siemens sales executive Ed Schwarz noted the flexibility provided by an electric distribution “backbone” that enables ferry operators to add more batteries, switch to new fuels or become 100% emission free with fuel cells.A string of deliveries reported this week demonstrate that steps are being taken along this pathway for a range of vessels:The hull of Lithuania’s first green hydrogen and electricity-powered ship was launched by the Klaipėda State Seaport Authority. The tanker will accept waste from vessels entering the port when it enters operation later this year.

A Scottish court has invalidated Britain's approvals for two major North Sea oil and gas projects, delivering a significant victory to environmental groups and raising uncertainty over future fossil fuel developments in the UK.The Court of Session in Edinburgh found that the government had unlawfully granted approval for Shell's Jackdaw gas field and Equinor's Rosebank oil and gas field by failing to consider the emissions generated when the extracted fuels are burned—known as downstream emissions. The ruling follows legal challenges from Greenpeace and Uplift, which argued the approval process did not align with climate obligations.