ELEKTRON

As global demand for data storage and processing accelerates — driven by cloud computing, streaming media, and the explosive growth of artificial intelligence — the physical footprint of data centers has become a growing challenge. Land-based facilities face mounting constraints: limited space, water scarcity, grid congestion, long permitting timelines and rising community opposition. Against that backdrop, a once-niche concept is moving rapidly into the mainstream conversation: floating data centers.

Norwind Offshore has taken delivery delivery of Norwind Maestro commissioning service operations vessel (CSOV) from Vard Søviknes, further expanding its managed fleet and reinforcing long-term commitment to supporting offshore wind farm operations.The 85-meter long Norwind Maestro CSOV has become the sixth vessel in Norwind Offshore’s fleet.The vessel, of VARD 4 19 design, will immediately start its 10-year contract at the Global Tech 1 Offshore Wind Farm in Germany, supporting operations and further strengthening the company’s long-standing partnership with Wind Multiplikator, a subsidiary of Semco Maritime.

Subsea services provider OMS Group has signed contracts with Ulstein for the design and construction of two cable laying vessels (CLVs).The vessels will be designed by Ulstein Design & Solutions and constructed at Ulstein Verft, with delivery planned for 2028. Each vessel will be about 130 meters long and 22 meters wide, with cable capacity of up to 6,500 tonnes and accommodation for 75 people.The design includes two large cable tanks, two spare-cable tanks, an enclosed cable deck hangar, and an open deck above the hangar for remotely operated vehicles and containers. The vessels will also be equipped with a 50-tonne A-frame and towing winch for cable ploughing operations.

CF Industries, Trafigura and TFG Marine have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to facilitate the adoption of low-carbon ammonia as a marine fuel.Building on the successful collaboration between CF Industries and Trafigura in the shipment of low-carbon ammonia, the agreement establishes a framework for the parties to work together on advancing low-carbon ammonia as a marine fuel, supporting the global shipping industry's emissions-reduction efforts.Under the MOU, CF Industries, Trafigura and TFG Marine will collaborate on market development, stakeholder engagement and bunkering logistics planning. The collaboration will initially focus on the U.S. Gulf Coast and Northwest Europe.

As Americans do each year, with 2026 just the same, we are hopeful for a more promising year, with better outcomes and calmer seas. But for construction of the Nation’s inland waterways lock and dam infrastructure, there is a strong sense of urgency like never before.Since 1987, just 10 projects to modernize or expand locks on the inland waterways system have been completed, with seven of them started and finished between 1987 and 1997 at an average cost overrun of 33%.Since 2008, only two lock modernization projects have been completed. One of them, the Olmsted Locks and Dam, opened in 2018 and took 26 years to complete at a cost hike of 275% from its original authorized cost.