Iran Responds to Trump's "Project Freedom" With Escalation and Attacks

India Moves to Accelerate Expanding Shipping Capacity by Adding 62 Vessels

Published Sep 30, 2026 1:43 PM by The Maritime Executive

India’s Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, mapped out an ambitious plan to rapidly expand the country’s domestic maritime capabilities. The government has already set a high priority on building its commercial maritime operations, and now the minister told an inter-ministerial meeting it is even more important, highlighted by the recent global situation. The Minister said that the hostilities in the Middle East and the closing of the Strait of Hormuz had further highlighted the vulnerabilities and the...

Maryland Plans to Replace its Contractor for Key Bridge Reconstruction

Published Sep 30, 2026 1:43 PM by The Maritime Executive

The state of Maryland has decided to change contractors for the reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which was destroyed by a ship strike in March 2024. The demolition of the wreckage was a highly complex salvage operation, and took months to complete. In the meantime, the state's engineers and consultants began designing a bigger, better replacement: a cable-stayed design built to modern standards for survivability, with 300 feet of additional width in the center span and an extra...

people on boat with lifejackets and hands up

Israeli Forces Intercept Boats from Activist Flotilla Seeking to Reach Gaza

Published Sep 30, 2026 1:43 PM by The Maritime Executive

For the second time, Israeli forces have acted to stop a flotilla of small boats loaded with activists that were attempting to reach Gaza and creating an international spectacle. Last October, Israeli forces intercepted the boats close to the Israeli shore, but this time Israeli forces sought to stop the flotilla while it was in international waters near Greece. The group, calling itself the Global Sumud Flotilla, had initially set out from Barcelona on April 12. Last week, they had...

U.S. Navy Destroyer Suffers Serious Fire in the Indo-Pacific

Published Sep 30, 2026 1:43 PM by The Maritime Executive

U.S. officials have confirmed that a fire seriously damaged a guided missile destroyer operating in the Indo-Pacific Command area of operations. Multiple officials told CBS that a significant fire had occurred aboard the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Higgins. One official confirmed that the blaze took out propulsion and electrical power - a significant development if true. A casualty would have to affect both of the Burke-class' two fully redundant, compartmentalized engine rooms in order to disable the vessel. The USS...

Shipping

Maersk Tankers' Ammonia Power Tanker Retrofit Project Gets EU Funding

Maersk Tankers' Ammonia Power Tanker Retrofit Project Gets EU Funding Maersk Tankers’ proposal to retrofit its Very Large Ammonia Carriers (VLACs) for ammonia power has been selected for funding by the EU Innovation Fund. The first-of-its-kind project, designed to adapt the large vessels to use ammonia as a marine fuel, is in keeping with the pioneering adoption steps by the industry for ammonia power. The proposal submitted to the EU fund calls for retrofitting the ocean-going ships. Known as Ripple,...

Tugs & Salvage

Salvage Teams Continue to Fight Fires on Two Boxships at Sea

Salvage teams are continuing to work on two different containership fires. Both Seaspan, as the owner of the Espirito Santo Express, and HMM updated on the status of their vessels, highlighting the difficulties the industry faces from fires at sea. A spokesperson for HMM told The Maritime Executive that the firefighting operations aboard the HMM Platinum are “in the final dampening-down stage. Once the fire is fully extinguished, the vessel is scheduled to proceed to a near port to conduct...

Government

The Blockade on Iran is Deepening – But Also Widening

It is generally accepted that the U.S. naval blockade on Iran, targeting both Iranian ships and ports, is nearly 100 percent effective. Iran has not been able to export oil for many weeks, and stocks built up as a contingency reserve before the war are now either exhausted or are nearly run down. The effect is now being felt by the Iranian government, which will be losing approximately 40 percent of the revenues on which its annual budget is based....

Corporate News

Port of Galveston Strengthening Security with $1.18M in Federal Grants

[By Galveston Wharves] The Galveston Wharves will strengthen security systems around the port with federal grants totaling $1,180,524 and port funds. The Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) has awarded the port four grants to expand video surveillance, maintain security systems, install smart padlocks and purchase a mobile vehicle barrier system. “As the Port of Galveston grows, we continue to enhance our security systems to ensure that port facilities, tenants and guests are protected,” said Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves port director...

Cruise Ships

Carnival Deals Blow to Australia Ending Deployment of Two Cruise Ships

In the latest blow to Australia’s already struggling cruise industry, Carnival Cruise Line announced it will redeploy permanently to North America two of the four cruise ships it has had in the market. While Australia is the fourth largest overall cruise market, a coalition formed earlier this year highlighted that the market is sagging under rising costs and a lack of regulatory certainty. Carnival Cruise Line announced the Carnival Adventure (108,865 gross tons with accommodations for up to 3,150 passengers)...

Ports

The Russian nuclear power barge Akademik Lomonosov is the best-known working example of a seaport-based nuclear power plant (Elena Dider / CC BY)

LR: Ports Will Benefit From Early Planning for Nuclear Power Systems

In a new white paper, Lloyd's Register and the British Ports Association (BPA) are encouraging port operators to get ready for the arrival of nuclear-powered vessels and microreactor power units, which could both accelerate port decarbonization. Ports are increasingly reliant on wattage-hungry equipment, having invested in electrification as a way to reduce their carbon footprints. The need to feed electric cranes, battery-electric rolling stock, shore power stations and other big consumption sources can outstrip the supply available from the local...

Shipping

Maersk Tankers' Ammonia Power Tanker Retrofit Project Gets EU Funding

Tugs & Salvage

Salvage Teams Continue to Fight Fires on Two Boxships at Sea

Government

The Blockade on Iran is Deepening – But Also Widening

Corporate News

Port of Galveston Strengthening Security with $1.18M in Federal Grants

Cruise Ships

Carnival Deals Blow to Australia Ending Deployment of Two Cruise Ships

Ports

LR: Ports Will Benefit From Early Planning for Nuclear Power Systems

Offshore

Locals clean Agua Dulce beach in the municipality of Lerdo de Tejada, Veracruz state, Mexico. The state oil company Pemex reported 798 pipeline spills and leaks to its financial regulators during 2014-2025 (Image: Rodrigo Soberanes)

A Year of Offshore Oil Spills Prompts Growing Concern in Mexico

[By Rodrigo Soberanes] In early March, Andrés Palma was watching his children build a sandcastle on the beach in El Bosque, south-east Mexico. The fisher soon noticed that something was not quite right: his children were playing in sand laced with crude oil residue. Palma was witnessing the consequences of a huge oil spill that happened in February, which triggered a 30-day fishing ban and has contaminated fishing grounds along the Gulf coast. Its source was initially disputed but in...

Shipbuilding

HD Hyundai and Kiewit Plan to Develop New Gulf Coast Shipyard

South Korea’s largest shipbuilder, HD Hyundai, is continuing its efforts to expand in the U.S. market, announcing a new joint venture with Texas-based Kiewit Maritime, an affiliate of Kiewit Offshore Services. The companies announced plans to establish HD Kiewit Shipbuilding and envision developing a new, purpose-built shipyard on an existing industrial site along the U.S. Gulf Coast. No details were announced on the yard, but they said the approach would create modern vessel production facilities while making use of an...

Environment

China concept floating island for marine research

China to Build Self-Propelled Floating Marine Research Island

The construction order was signed this week in China for what is being called the world’s first floating deep-sea island. Designed for ocean research, it will be a self-propelled vessel, a catamaran designed for long-term residence at sea with the ability to change positions. The ship will be built by Shanghai Waigaoqiao, which highlights that it will leverage its experience building the world’s largest sixth-generation 3,000-meter-deep-water semi-submersible drilling platform. The yard also highlights that China is the first shipbuilding nation...

Business

Defense Arm of US Investment Manager Buys Fraser Industries

A group focused on investments in the U.S. defense sector, recently launched by a Florida-based investment manager, has agreed to acquire the Wisconsin-based Fraser Shipyards as part of a planned move into shipbuilding and defense sector investments. Wildcat Defense, part of Wildcat Equity Partners, reports it plans to make investments in the operations after closing the acquisition of Fraser Industries, while it is also exploring other investments, including an offer it made to acquire Austal’s U.S. operations. The operations of...

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

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Iran Responds to Trump's "Project Freedom" With Escalation and Attacks

India Moves to Accelerate Expanding Shipping Capacity by Adding 62 Vessels

Maryland Plans to Replace its Contractor for Key Bridge Reconstruction

Israeli Forces Intercept Boats from Activist Flotilla Seeking to Reach Gaza

U.S. Navy Destroyer Suffers Serious Fire in the Indo-Pacific

Maersk Tankers' Ammonia Power Tanker Retrofit Project Gets EU Funding

Salvage Teams Continue to Fight Fires on Two Boxships at Sea

The Blockade on Iran is Deepening – But Also Widening

Port of Galveston Strengthening Security with $1.18M in Federal Grants

Carnival Deals Blow to Australia Ending Deployment of Two Cruise Ships

LR: Ports Will Benefit From Early Planning for Nuclear Power Systems

Maritime Procurement: Where the Cost is Really Set

How the Maritime Industry Will Unlock the Value of AI

Crew Welfare and Content: Morale, Wellbeing, and Retention

Maersk Tankers' Ammonia Power Tanker Retrofit Project Gets EU Funding

Salvage Teams Continue to Fight Fires on Two Boxships at Sea

The Blockade on Iran is Deepening – But Also Widening

Port of Galveston Strengthening Security with $1.18M in Federal Grants

Carnival Deals Blow to Australia Ending Deployment of Two Cruise Ships

LR: Ports Will Benefit From Early Planning for Nuclear Power Systems

A Year of Offshore Oil Spills Prompts Growing Concern in Mexico

HD Hyundai and Kiewit Plan to Develop New Gulf Coast Shipyard

China to Build Self-Propelled Floating Marine Research Island

Defense Arm of US Investment Manager Buys Fraser Industries

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

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Maritime Industry Conferences and Events