Thruster propulsion specialist Steerprop has appointed Juhani Hupli as its new Director of Service. Hupli, who joined Steerprop in February, will lead the development and delivery of the company’s lifecycle solutions for its thrusters, which operators rely on to maximize reliability and availability while operating in the world’s most challenging marine environments. Hupli will be part of the management team of Steerprop.

Hupli brings over 25 years of experience in the maritime industry, having held several senior management roles at Wärtsilä. Most recently, he served as Vice President, Transformations and Strategy for the company’s marine digital technology division, where he played a key role in driving innovation across a wide range of service and digitalization initiatives.

“Steerprop has built a reputation for making the world’s most reliable high-performance thrusters for the most demanding marine applications. Now, as the company aims to bring that quality to an even wider market, it is critical that the service offering also evolves to meet the needs of a larger and more diverse customer base. I am looking forward to taking on that challenge,” said Hupli. 

Africa Global Logistics, which operates Ivory Coast’s main port, plans to invest over 60 million euros ($67 million) in inland logistics over the next five years to boost its position as a transport hub and gateway for landlocked West African nations.

The company plans to establish operational hubs across Ivory Coast and develop dry warehouses equipped with cooling facilities, Regional Director Asta-Rosa Cisse told Reuters.

As well as operating Abidjan’s main port in Ivory Coast, the world’s top cocoa and cashew producer, Africa Global Logistics SDSC.CI handles shipments to and from landlocked neighbours Burkina Faso and Mali.

The company, owned by Mediterranean Shipping Company, also handles other commodities including cotton, rubber, bananas, mangoes and palm oil.

“Abidjan suffers from centralisation, with everything converging on the port,” Cisse said.

The company plans to decentralise operations by establishing hubs in Ferkessedougou in northern Ivory Coast, Bouake in the centre and San Pedro in the southwest, aiming to improve speed and efficiency, she said.

Import and export traffic at Abidjan’s main port is expected to rise by 50% this year to about 1.8 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs), from 1.2 million TEUs last year, said…

Seaward Services, Inc. (SSI), a subsidiary of Hornblower Group, announced its selection by the Maine State Ferry Service (MSFS) and the Maine State Department of Transportation for a new 5-year contract to provide supplementary marine crew services to the MSFS fleet of vessels.

MSFS provides essential, year-round mainland transportation services to the island communities of Maine. Through this partnership, Seaward will support and supplement the existing MSFS crew across six different ferry routes that connect Maine’s island communities. Seaward’s continued provision of expert and professional crew will ensure vessels remain operable and accessible throughout the year for the island and coastal communities of Maine.

In this role, Seaward will provide Masters, Engineers, Able Bodied Seaman, and Ordinary Seaman who will work side-by-side with MSFS employees in the safe navigation and maintenance of vessels serving the people of Maine.

Under the new contract awarded by MSFS, Seaward will build on its previous success providing supplemental crew to MSFS since June of 2024. This includes providing crew on short notice to ensure operations meet all requirements to continue vessel operations without interruption. Since June 2024, with the assistance…

U.S. House lawmakers laid out plans on Sunday to phase out key clean energy tax credits, as well as slash billions in spending related to electric vehicles and renewable energy, fast-track gas exports and claw back unspent climate-related funds. Credit: Adobe Stock/Walt

U.S. House lawmakers laid out plans on Sunday to phase out key clean energy tax credits, as well as slash billions in spending related to electric vehicles and renewable energy, fast-track gas exports and claw back unspent climate-related funds as part of the Republicans’ attempt to pass a multi-trillion-dollar budget to carry out President Donald Trump’s agenda.

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce laid out a proposal, which will be voted on Tuesday, that would raise $6.5 billion from the repeal of climate-related parts of the Biden administration’s massive Inflation Reduction Act legislation.

It would repeal major Biden administration Environmental Protection Agency rules such as one that would slash allowed emissions for light- and medium-duty vehicles starting with model year 2027.

It also includes measures aimed at speeding up permitting for liquified natural gas exports and would direct $2 billion for the Energy…