Ukraine Hits Two Tankers at Novorossiysk and Three Vessels at Primorsk

IMO Adopts World’s Largest Emission Control Area and Other Issues at MPEC

Published May 1, 2026 7:39 PM by The Maritime Executive

While much of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MPEC 84) was bogged down with political positioning and stalling tactics, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), however, reports decisions on a number of key initiatives, including the North-East Atlantic Control Area (ECA) as well as efforts on plastics and ballast water. The new Atlantic ECA is being billed as the world’s largest emission control area, extending the efforts in Northern Europe with a far broader reach. The efforts for the ECA had...

Military Permit Derails South Korea’s Anma Offshore Wind Project

Published May 1, 2026 7:16 PM by The Maritime Executive

Technical hurdles have been a primary risk in the development of offshore wind projects around the world. In South Korea, however, a non-technical issue is derailing the Anma offshore wind farm, proving how regulatory barriers could affect a project already in the construction phase. Anma is a 532 MW offshore wind farm project located 24 miles west of the South Korean Peninsula’s southwestern coastline. The $3.5 billion project was one of the successful bids on the 2024 fixed-price wind power...

US Tightens Economic Controls on Iran and Warns Shipping About Hormuz Tolls

Published May 1, 2026 6:06 PM by The Maritime Executive

In what it is calling “Economic Fury,” the U.S. Department of the Treasury is expanding a number of efforts to tighten the economic controls on Iran while adding warnings to the shipping industry. It rolled out additional sanctions on Friday, May 1, while also citing the potential sanctions risk from paying directly or indirectly tolls for passage through the Strait of Hormuz. “Treasury is moving aggressively, through Economic Fury, to sever the Iranian military’s financial lifelines,” said Secretary of the...

IMO Delays Decisions but Maps Steps for Net-Zero Framework at Close of MPEC

Published May 1, 2026 5:11 PM by The Maritime Executive

Two weeks of hard-fought discussions at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on the approach to the Net-Zero Framework (NZF) and efforts to control greenhouse gas emissions came to a close on Friday with a general consensus that there was progress. With the opposition of the United States and others, however, the meeting concluded with the agreement to have more meetings, without selecting a framework. The first week consisted of a working group that set the framework for constructive discussion and...

Shipping

Bulker Evades Suspicious Approach South of Yemen

A safety warning went out to shipping on May 1 after an unidentified skiff approached a bulker sailing south of Yemen. The authorities believe there was a clear intent to board the vessel, but it was able to evade the incident by taking defensive measures and displaying its armed guards. The incident took place approximately 92 nautical miles south of Al Mukalla, Yemen, in the Gulf of Aden. The nationality of the attackers was not determined, but it is near...

Tugs & Salvage

Ukraine Hits Two Tankers at Novorossiysk and Three Vessels at Primorsk

Ukraine's security forces have struck and damaged two shadow fleet tankers at the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, Russia, and three additional vessels at the Baltic port of Primorsk. The two ports are home to some of the most important oil export terminals in Russia, and Ukraine's ability to reach and hit them indicates faltering Russian defenses - particularly in the Black Sea's northeastern corner, previously a secure redoubt. The weekend attacks also demonstrate Ukraine's ability to mount major long-distance...

Government

Sweden Boards and Detains Falsely-Flagged Tanker off Trelleborg

Sweden's coast guard has boarded and detained a Russia-facing shadow fleet tanker in the Baltic, the latest in a growing campaign of Nordic/European interventions to impede a vast fleet of tankers that evade Western sanctions and operate outside of international regulatory structures. The vessel in question is a sanctioned tanker with IMO number 9430272, currently operating under the name Jin Hui (ex names Yi Bao, Celcius Roskilde). While she claims Syrian registration, her Equasis record indicates that this is false,...

Corporate News

Galveston Port Wins Regional Development Award for Cruise Terminal 16

[By: Port of Galveston] The Houston Business Journal (HBJ) has honored the Galveston Wharves with a Landmark Award, recognizing the port’s new Cruise Terminal 16 as one of the best real estate projects in greater Houston. The port transformed a 1960s-era cargo warehouse into a $156 million cruise terminal in just 18 months. Opened in November 2025, Terminal 16 features a 165,000-square-foot terminal building with tropical landscaping, a seven-story parking garage, and two custom-built boarding bridges. The terminal is designed...

Cruise Ships

World’s Largest Sail Cruise Ship Celebrates Naming and Delivery

Orient Express Corinthian, the world’s largest sailing ship, was christened on April 29, in Saint-Nazaire, France, and delivered to her owners, Orient Express Sailing Yachts, as part of the expansion of the fabled brand. With a displacement of approximately 15,000 metric tons, the ship is unique and has already set a speed record for wind propulsion for ships of its size. Built at Chantiers de l’Atlantique, the companies highlight that it is the product of a decade of research and...

Ports

Baltimore new container terminal groundbreaking

Groundbreaking Starts Sparrows Point Container Terminal for Baltimore

Tradepoint Atlantic and MSC’s Terminal Investment Limited (TiL) broke ground on May 1 on the Sparrows Point Container Terminal. A key part of the redevelopment of the former Bethlehem Steel site in the Baltimore (Maryland) area, the companies are saying it represents one of the largest private container terminal investments ever made in the U.S. The new terminal, developed in partnership with TiL, a global leader in container terminal investments owned by MSC and BlackRock, will dramatically expand Baltimore's capacity...

Shipping

Bulker Evades Suspicious Approach South of Yemen

Tugs & Salvage

Ukraine Hits Two Tankers at Novorossiysk and Three Vessels at Primorsk

Government

Sweden Boards and Detains Falsely-Flagged Tanker off Trelleborg

Corporate News

Galveston Port Wins Regional Development Award for Cruise Terminal 16

Cruise Ships

World’s Largest Sail Cruise Ship Celebrates Naming and Delivery

Ports

Groundbreaking Starts Sparrows Point Container Terminal for Baltimore

Offshore

Military Permit Derails South Korea’s Anma Offshore Wind Project

Shipbuilding

India Moves to Accelerate Expanding Shipping Capacity by Adding 62 Vessels

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...

Environment

IMO Adopts World’s Largest Emission Control Area and Other Issues at MPEC

Business

The Falcon Heavy carrying Viasat-3 F3 (Courtesy SpaceX)

Inmarsat Gains High-Speed Pacific Coverage With Final Viasat-3 Launch

Inmarsat's high-end broadband service is fast, but its recent tie-up with U.S. satcom giant Viasat promises to make it even faster. Inmarsat's multi-orbit hybrid network is designed to integrate bandwidth from ViaSat's next-generation satellite constellation, ViaSat-3. First launched in May 2023 for service over the Americas, the VS3 satellite series should bring high speed broadband over Europe and Asia as well - and it is now one big step closer to full deployment. On April 29, the third and final...

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

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Ukraine Hits Two Tankers at Novorossiysk and Three Vessels at Primorsk

IMO Adopts World’s Largest Emission Control Area and Other Issues at MPEC

Military Permit Derails South Korea’s Anma Offshore Wind Project

US Tightens Economic Controls on Iran and Warns Shipping About Hormuz Tolls

IMO Delays Decisions but Maps Steps for Net-Zero Framework at Close of MPEC

Bulker Evades Suspicious Approach South of Yemen

Ukraine Hits Two Tankers at Novorossiysk and Three Vessels at Primorsk

Sweden Boards and Detains Falsely-Flagged Tanker off Trelleborg

Galveston Port Wins Regional Development Award for Cruise Terminal 16

World’s Largest Sail Cruise Ship Celebrates Naming and Delivery

Groundbreaking Starts Sparrows Point Container Terminal for Baltimore

Containers Don’t Lie Symposium: Actionable Forum in Chaotic Times

From Fossil Fuels to Shore Power With the Port of San Diego

From Local to Global: Genoa Maritime Forum to Bring the Industry Together

Bulker Evades Suspicious Approach South of Yemen

Ukraine Hits Two Tankers at Novorossiysk and Three Vessels at Primorsk

Sweden Boards and Detains Falsely-Flagged Tanker off Trelleborg

Galveston Port Wins Regional Development Award for Cruise Terminal 16

World’s Largest Sail Cruise Ship Celebrates Naming and Delivery

Groundbreaking Starts Sparrows Point Container Terminal for Baltimore

Military Permit Derails South Korea’s Anma Offshore Wind Project

India Moves to Accelerate Expanding Shipping Capacity by Adding 62 Vessels

IMO Adopts World’s Largest Emission Control Area and Other Issues at MPEC

Inmarsat Gains High-Speed Pacific Coverage With Final Viasat-3 Launch

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

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Maritime Industry Conferences and Events