The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) can make important contributions towards decarbonising the shipping industry and supporting safe, secure and thriving oceans, not least through the critical role that their products and services play in the transition through route optimisation and improved geospatial data. The UKHO also have a wider role as the Primary Charting Authority […]
Current UK laws on the carriage of cargoes and dangerous goods are being revised and updated by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), to make sure they continue enforcing safety at sea in line with international safety standards. The first proposed set of regulations is the Merchant Shipping (Carriage of Cargoes) Regulations 2024. This will revoke and replace […]
A new consultation on rules aimed at reducing illegal discharge of garbage into seas is launched by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. Shipowners and operators, in particular, are being encouraged to have their say on laws designed to further support the UK in its work to keep its seas clean by making it compulsory for […]
The maritime industry – which accounts for nearly 3% of global CO2 emissions and is under pressure from investors and environmental groups to accelerate decarbonisation – is exploring a number of different technologies including ammonia and methanol in an effort to move away from dirtier bunker fuel. In a step forward in the decarbonisation aims […]
The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) said its Marine Environment Protection Commission has adopted a “historic… strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping”. Compared with 2008 levels, the United Nations’ global shipping regulator said nations had agreed to cut total annual emissions of greenhouse gases “by at least 20 percent, striving for 30 percent, […]
The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) released a landmark report aimed at addressing a major threat to marine species: noise pollution. Noise pollution is known to cause significant disturbance to marine wildlife, including migratory species protected under CMS such as whales and dolphins (and their prey). Such impacts can […]
HD Hyundai has announced that the Prism Courage, a 122,000 tonne ultra-large natural gas tanker operated by its subsidiary Avikus, has become the first large ship to make an ocean passage of over 10,000 km (6,210 miles) under autonomous control. A ship that is capable of sailing itself isn’t new. Even the smallest vessel can […]
An investigative report by Lighthouse estimates that 3,000 vessels discharge mineral oil into European waters annually – the equivalent to eight spills per day, each the size of 750 football fields. The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) has spent millions of euros creating an elaborate system, CleanSeaNet, that aims to monitor and prevent bilge dumping […]