JASCON 40

Kongsberg Maritime is expanding its Elegance Pod propulsion range with the launch of five new sizes delivering up to 22MW, enabling the company to address the requirements of the world’s largest cruise vessels.The new units are being developed to support both today’s and future vessel architectures, including hybrid and fully electric propulsion systems, providing shipowners with greater flexibility as the cruise sector continues its transition towards more sustainable operations.The Elegance Pod’s compact permanent magnet motor enables a smaller pod diameter, reducing hydrodynamic drag while maintaining high propulsion performance.

China's state-owned shipping giant COSCO uses concealed equipment on board its ships to spy on military communications near the coastlines of target nations including the U.S., two senior Trump administration officials said.The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the U.S. assessment of the Chinese program, said COSCO has a decades-long intelligence-collection partnership with Beijing. The arrangement allows China to collect communication signals from vessels and aircraft operating across Europe, North America and Asia, they said.

On the release of a new ABS report “Decision Point: Practical Pathways to 2035” John McDonald, ABS Chairman and CEO, explains: “The industry has entered a new phase. For many years, the discussion centered on identifying a future fuel winner. Today, the challenge is broader. Shipping companies are making investment decisions for assets that will operate into the 2040s, while managing regulatory uncertainty, changing market expectations and evolving technology pathways. Success will depend on making practical decisions that create value under a range of future scenarios.”The report concludes that there is no single pathway for the industry.

The American Great Lakes Ports Association has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Great Lakes Alliance of Shipyards to advance shared priorities in domestic shipbuilding and commerce.The MoU marks the first formal partnership between the U.S. Great Lakes port and shipyard communities. By connecting public port authorities with leading American shipyards, the organizations will work more closely to expand the region’s industrial capacity, pursue new cargo and export opportunities, develop the next generation of skilled maritime workers, and advance national priorities to restore American shipbuilding and strengthen the maritime industrial base.

Four shipowners from Sweden, Norway and Canada have ordered four new VINGA product tankers for delivery in 2028 and 2029, expanding the Furetank-developed vessel series to 26 ships.Two of the vessels will be owned by FureBear, a joint venture between Sweden's Furetank and Canada's Algoma Central Corporation, while Norway's O.H. Meling and Sweden's Älvtank will each take one.The order marks O.H. Meling's first investment in the VINGA series, while Älvtank already owns three of the vessels.The four 17,999-dwt product tankers will be built at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Yangzhou, China. They will enter the Gothia Tanker Alliance and be commercially managed by Furetank Chartering.