The marine industry at large slowly evolves on fuel transition, as the questions on regulation, technology and finance of emerging technologies cumulatively works to stunt growth. Enter Dave Lee, Executive Director,  e1 Marine. Dave Lee is certainly no stranger to advanced marine technology, as he also serves as VP of Innovation and Technology @ Maritime Partners, and held a similar position previously with ABB. Read aoub the e1 Marine plan to effectively enable hydrogen as a marine fuel, helping to pave the path for others to follow.

Maritime’s Future Fuel: Methanol-to-Hydrogen

It’s been said and written time and again: there is no silver bullet solution to the maritime industry’s future fuel conundrum, premised on the not the technology itself, rather the diversity of maritime vessels and routes.

e1 Marine’s approach to hydrogen is pragmatic. Rather than relying on the logistical challenges of traditional hydrogen supply chains, the company leverages methanol—an abundant, widely available commodity. Using advanced reforming technology, e1 Marine converts a methanol and water mixture into fuel cell-grade hydrogen, offering a clean, efficient alternative for maritime applications.

“We’re not just adapting hydrogen for maritime use;…

Stena Immaculate and the Portuguese-flagged container ship Solong Tanker, cargo ship collide off UK coast causing blaze and casualties

A chemical tanker and container ship collided off the northeastern coast of England on Monday causing a huge fire on at least one of the vessels and leading to numerous casualties.

Authorities mounted an emergency response, and the coastguard agency said a helicopter, fixed-wing aircraft, lifeboats and nearby vessels with fire-fighting capability had all been called to the incident to help.

Thirty-two casualties have been brought ashore with ambulances waiting to take them to hospital in the port town of Grimsby, the chief executive of the Port of Grimsby East said via email. It was not clear how severe their condition was.

The vessels involved are the U.S.-flagged chemical tanker Stena Immaculate and the Portuguese-flagged container ship Solong, according to shipping industry sources.

The BBC cited the chief executive of Stena Bulk, Erik Hanell, as confirming that all the crew on the tanker had been accounted for.

Television images from the BBC showed at least one vessel ablaze with clouds of black smoke billowing into a grey sky.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), a lifeboat service working on the…

Fincantieri Marinette Marine’s Board of Directors approved Jan Allman to assume the duties as FMM’s CEO beginning this week. 

Current FMM CEO Mark Vandroff is returning to Fincantieri Marine Group in a new role as the Senior Vice President of Government Relations in Washington D.C.

Allman is quite familiar with Fincantieri operations in Northeast Wisconsin, as she has served as the VP and General Manager of Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding since April 2023, and previously served as FMG’s Senior Vice President for Public Affairs and Community Relations and as the former CEO of Marinette Marine for seven years (2014-2021).  

Vandroff returns to D.C. where he started with FMG in 2021. Vandroff will manage the company’s outreach with senior government leaders, including the Department of Defense, the Navy, and elected and appointed officials.

Marco Galbiati, CEO of Fincantieri Marine Group, offered his congratulations to both senior leaders.  “I want to thank Mark for his exceptional leadership at FMM, and I look forward to working with him as we navigate our company’s many opportunities with government stakeholders in Washington,” said Galbiati.

“And I want to welcome Jan back to Marinette, where she spent many years overseeing the successful…

A new era in Canadian shipbuilding is underway as Seaspan Shipyards has been awarded the contract to build one of the Canadian Coast Guard’s (CCG) next-generation heavy polar icebreakers. This landmark project, part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS), will reinforce Canada’s Arctic sovereignty, economic development, and scientific research capabilities while marking a historic revival of domestic polar shipbuilding.

“Today’s contract signing is the next step in our journey of fulfilling the vision of the National Shipbuilding Strategy, which is to build ships for Canada, in Canada, by Canadians,” said John McCarthy, CEO of Seaspan Shipyards. “The NSS is demonstrating that a made-in-Canada approach is not only possible, but also imperative to our security and sovereignty.”

The heavy polar icebreaker, to be built entirely at Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards, will be among the world’s most advanced icebreaking vessels. As one of only a few Polar Class 2 ships in operation globally, it will allow the CCG to operate self-sufficiently year-round in the high Arctic, even in extreme conditions as low as -50°C.

“The polar icebreaker to be built by Vancouver Shipyards will be able to operate in the Arctic year-round,” said The…

Norwegian shipbuilder Vard has marked the start of construction of Island Offshore’s hybrid power ocean energy construction vessel (OECV) at its shipyard in Romania.

Vard secured the order for the vessel, named Island Evolution, from Island Offshore back in May 2024, which also included an option for two additional vessels. Island Offshore placed the order for the second vessel, to be named Island Explorer, in August.

Roy Viggo Fjørtoft, Project Manager from Island Offshore, had the honor of pressing the button to initiate the cutting of the first steel plate – an exciting milestone in this project. The event was attended by representatives from Island Offshore and VARD.

The vessels are of VARD 3 25 design developed in close collaboration between Island Offshore and VARD for work in offshore oil and gas as well as renewables.

Designed for flexible configuration and versatility depending on the specific operations to be performed, the vessels will undertake subsea operations including inspection, maintenance and repair (IMR), pipe laying, subsea infrastructure construction and installation, diving support, and equipment for remotely operated underwater inspection.

Further, the vessels will be prepared for renewable work scopes such as…

President Donald Trump’s administration is considering a plan to stop and inspect Iranian oil tankers at sea under an international accord aimed at countering the spread of weapons of mass destruction, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Trump has vowed to restore a “maximum pressure” campaign to isolate Iran from the global economy and drive its oil exports to zero, in order to stop the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Trump hit Iran with two waves of fresh sanctions in the first weeks of his second-term, targeting companies and the so-called shadow fleet of ageing oil tankers that sail without Western insurance and transport crude from sanctioned countries.

Those moves have largely been in line with the limited measures implemented during former President Joe Biden’s administration, during which Iran succeeded in ramping up oil exports through complex smuggling networks.

Trump officials are now looking at ways for allied countries to stop and inspect ships sailing through critical chokepoints such as the Malacca Strait in Asia and other sea lanes, according to six sources who asked not to be named due to the sensitive subject.

That would delay delivery of crude to refiners. It could also expose parties involved in facilitating…

Lighting solutions specialist Glamox has signed a contract to light the Wind Apex Wind Turbine Installation Vessel (WTIV), being built for Cadeler.

The ship is a hybrid WTIV capable of installing both XL turbine foundations and wind turbines, expected to be delivered in the first half of 2027.

The contract is with COSCO Shipping (Qidong) Offshore, which is building Wind Apex at its shipyard in Qidong City, China.

Glamox, set to deliver the lighting scope in April 2026, will provide 2,342 marine LED lights for the exterior and interior of the NG 20000F A-Class vessel.

This includes lighting for the bridge, internal stairways, galleys, corridors, crew quarters, the engine room, and the exterior of the vessel.

Lighting ranges from reading lights in cabins and downlights to tough linear water-resistant luminaires and explosion-proof luminaires capable of withstanding harsh marine conditions and corrosive saltwater environments.

Glamox is also providing floodlights and searchlights. This is the fifth in a series of NG20000 vessels Glamox is lighting for Cadeler.

“Glamox is lighting the offshore energy transition from oil and gas to offshore wind. Our customers demand lighting that a vessel’s crew can depend on. Lighting that is long-lasting,…