BLUE CASTOR

The World Maritime University (WMU) has published a new report, In Search of a Sea-Life Balance in an Adverse Environment, shedding light on the realities of seafarers’ work, health and career intentions in today’s shipping industry. Commissioned by the Officers’ Union of International Seamen (OUIS), the study draws on responses from 4,372 seafarers representing 99 nationalities, making it one of the most comprehensive recent surveys of life and work at sea.The findings point to persistently long working hours, limited opportunities for rest and shore leave, and high levels of work-related stress.

Hafnia has taken delivery of the ECOMAR GIRONDE, the final vessel in its four-ship ECOMAR dual-fuel methanol newbuilding program developed in joint venture with France’s Socatra, completing the newbuilding series.Built at Guangzhou Shipyard International in China, ECOMAR GIRONDE is a 49,800-deadweight dual-fuel, methanol-capable Chemical IMO II medium-range tanker. With its delivery, the ECOMAR quartet - ECOMAR GASCOGNE, ECOMAR GARONNE, ECOMAR GUYENNE and ECOMAR GIRONDE - is now complete.

HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division is marking 140 years of service to the US today, January 28, 2026.On Jan. 28, 1886, Collis P. Huntington, a businessman whose investments enabled completion of the U.S. transcontinental railroad, turned his focus to shipbuilding, establishing what was first chartered as Chesapeake Dry Dock and Construction Co. and was then renamed Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company.Several years later, the shipyard delivered its first vessel, the tugboat Dorothy, named for the daughter of William C. Whitney, the 31st Secretary of the Navy. Today, Dorothy sits outside the gates of NNS as a reminder of the shipyard’s humble beginnings.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has signed a long-term charter agreement with India’s state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) for two newbuilding very large ethane carriers (VLECs) to be constructed by Samsung Heavy Industries.MOL established two joint ventures with ONGC, with the joint ventures and ONGC signing a 15-year charter contract for the vessels.The two vessels, each with a cargo capacity of 100,000 cubic metres, will be built at Samsung Heavy Industries’ Geoje shipyard in South Korea. The ships will be equipped with dual-fuel main engines capable of burning ethane as fuel, with delivery expected from late 2028 onward.

Fincantieri has launched Italian Navy’s newly built hydro-oceanographic ship (N.I.O.M.) Quirinale at its integrated shipyard in Riva Trigoso, marking a milestone in Italy’s maritime research and monitoring capabilities.The vessel, designated N.I.O.M. Quirinale, has been designed to support scientific mapping and monitoring activities and will operate in support of the Italian Navy Hydrographic Institute, the state authority responsible for producing official national nautical documentation.Measuring approximately 110 meters in length with a displacement of around 6,000 tonnes, Quirinale can accommodate up to 140 personnel, including crew and scientific staff.