BLUE CASTOR

A dual fuel combustion system developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in collaboration with Caterpillar Inc. addresses the challenge of methanol ignition in diesel engines, with clear relevance for inland and coastal marine vessels.Methanol is typically produced from natural gas, an abundant domestic resource, and converting it into a liquid allows easier storage and handling. However, methanol does not ignite easily, creating a barrier for vessels that rely on compression-ignition diesel engines.ORNL’s approach pairs methanol with a small amount of diesel used as a pilot fuel to start combustion, enabling methanol dual fuel operation across a much wider range of conditions.

The U.S. military fired a Hellfire missile at a tanker heading toward Iran on Tuesday as part of a blockade being imposed by President Donald Trump, who is pressing Tehran to negotiate a peace agreement on his terms.The U.S. military's Central Command posted a video showing the missile strike the tanker and said it targeted the Botswana-flagged M/T Lexie's engine room, disabling it."The ship's crew ignored repeated warnings, failing to comply with directions from U.S. forces multiple times over a 24-hour period," Central Command said in a statement."A U.S.

Firmus and SUBCO announced a landmark agreement to build a new submarine fiber optic cable connecting Tasmania to mainland Australia, significantly expanding the state's digital capacity and supporting the next generation of AI infrastructure.  The new cable, to be named Bernacchi-1 in honor of pioneering Tasmanian-raised scientist and Antarctic explorer Louis Bernacchi, will connect Tasmania into SUBCO's SMAP cable system between Sydney and Melbourne.Underwritten by Firmus, this represents a major private-sector led investment in Tasmania's digital infrastructure, that will be for the benefit of all Tasmanians for generations to come.

In an open letter to the industry, ABS has set out a measured and data-driven approach to support the development of an effective global framework for maritime decarbonization.Titled, The ABS View: A Practical Path Forward on IMO Mid-Term Measures, it reflects broad alignment across the industry on the need for one international approach to emissions reduction, while recognizing that implementation will be shaped by real-world constraints across the global fleet.The thinking is based on the findings of a detailed ABS assessment of the key drivers influencing the industry’s transition.

SSI, a leader in software, services, and expertise for the business of shipbuilding, is helping shipyards build and convert assets more efficiently with integration of third-party ship models into its software platform.Shipyards can choose whether to import ship models created in third party software into SSI’s Product Lifecycle Management suite or into SSI’s ShipConstructor CAD solution depending on the level of complexity required for each project.Shipyards looking to build series of ships based on existing designs that require only minor modification can manage their projects directly in PLM and focus on process efficiency with data that feeds downstream systems.