Maritime Vessels Directory

Belgium-based offshore installation services company DEME has signed an agreement to acquire Havfram, an offshore wind installation contract based in Norway, in a deal worth $985.5 million.The strategic acquisition aligns with DEME's ambition to expand its footprint in the offshore wind energy market and enhances its competitive positioning in turbine and foundation installations.Havfram is a Norwegian offshore wind infrastructure company focused on providing transport and installation to the offshore wind sector.

The Trump administration has pulled out of the decarbonization negotiations taking place at the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) 83rd session this week.The US government is threatening reciprocal measures if any fees are imposed on US vessels based on GHG emissions or fuel choices.The 2023 IMO GHG Strategy outlines a set of “mid-term measures” aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping. These measures should consist of:• a technical element: a goal-based marine fuel standard designed to gradually lower the GHG intensity of marine fuels; and• an economic element: a pricing mechanism for maritime GHG emissions.

The United States will "take back" the Panama Canal from Chinese influence, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday during a visit to the Central American nation.After talks with Panama's government, Hegseth vowed to deepen security cooperation with Panamanian security forces and said China would not be allowed to "weaponize" the canal by using Chinese firms' commercial relationships for espionage."Together, we will take back the Panama Canal from China's influence," Hegseth said, speaking at a pier renovated with U.S. assistance in Panama City."China did not build this canal. China does not operate this canal and China will not weaponize this canal.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told lawmakers on Tuesday that not all of the agency's proposed multimillion-dollar fees for Chinese-built ships to dock at U.S. ports will be implemented, and they may not be cumulative.Greer told a Senate Finance Committee hearing that the proposals were made to address a lack of shipbuilding in the United States.He said the port fees were "proposed actions or series of potential revenue" that could be used to incentivize shipbuilding in the United States following a USTR probe into China's growing dominance on the seas."They're not all going to be implemented. They're not all going to be stacked," Greer said.

Hanwha Ocean has held a naming ceremony for its high specification ultra-deepwater drillship Tidal Action, signaling its official entry into the deepwater drilling industry.The Tidal Action is built on Hanwha Ocean’s proprietary design and is capable of drilling at depths of up to 12 kilometers in waters as deep as 3.6 kilometers.The drillship is also equipped with a dynamic positioning system for a stable station keeping and ready to accommodate 20,000 psi blowout preventers for enhanced safety and operational efficiency.In February 2024, Hanwha Ocean established Hanwha Drilling to operate its drillship fleet and made the strategic decision to manage its assets independently.