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Unique innovative technologies developed in Latvia presented at Kundziņsala

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At the opening of the region’s largest technology forum, Techritory, autonomous marine drones and boats developed in Latvia, air and land drones, as well as unique data transmission platforms using technology integration and secure data transmission in the 5G network were presented to participants and foreign media representative.

These products and technological solutions significantly improve the efficiency of maritime and port operations, as well as promote port safety and sustainability both on water and on land. Furthermore, these technologies showcase the ability of Latvian companies to create innovative products and solutions with significant export potential.

The purpose of the event was to demonstrate how smart technologies – private 5G networks, IoT (Internet of Things) solutions, autonomous systems, and real-time data exchange – are being transformed from pilot projects into full-scale products of Latvian companies.

The demo day took place at the Baltic Container Terminal (BCT) in the Port of Riga, where the first private 5G network in the Baltics, created by LMT, is in operation. During the event, LMT presented the capabilities of the private 5G network, ensuring data transmission at the terminal, as well as the use of IoT sensors and cameras for company security and operational efficiency.

In the framework of the event the LMT 5G Core solution was presented, highlighting the possibility of installing LMT 5G Core aboard ships, ensuring real-time transfer of large amounts of data and uninterrupted 5G connectivity at sea. This technology is the basis for the first known 5G connectivity solution at sea, which LMT demonstrated in the Port of Riga in the summer of 2024 in cooperation with LVR Flote. Last year, the project “Continuous 5G Connectivity Solution in the Baltic Sea” received the prestigious International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) Sustainability Award in the “Digitalization” category.

Using the capabilities of LVR Flote’s new multifunctional vessel LAURA, the delivery and launching of floating drones and autonomous vessels was demonstrated in cooperation with partners. The equipment on board the LAURA makes it possible not only large objects to be moved, lifted and immersed into the water, but also unmanned vessels, thus ensuring flexible, multimodal maritime services. The technical capabilities and equipment of the vessel open up opportunities for the port technical service provider LVR Flote to form new partnerships and offer innovative services, including to the national defence sector.

LVR Flote boasted modern and effective hydrographic or depth measurement option using the Baltic’s first floating unmanned vehicle or drone USV OTTER and 5G capabilities, which can transmit and process large amounts of measurement data in real time. To improve the data processing, LVR Flote is also collaborating with RTU to develop and implement automation tools for filtering measurement data. This approach to hydrographic surveying saves time, reduces fuel consumption and human resource involvement, and improves accuracy and service delivery efficiency.

Meanwhile, the autonomous boat SPARK Bot, created by Spark Technologies, is a fully electric, composite-material vessel with an AI vision and navigation system that enables real-time decision making. SPARK Bot is capable of performing tasks on water without human presence, reducing risk in dangerous situations, saving resources, and improving data accuracy and work efficiency. During the demonstration, the boat was controlled from a remote control centre at RTU, operating autonomously according to GPS coordinates while fulfilling the assigned mission. SPARK Bot is designed as an open technology platform and can be adapted to the needs of various industries – security and defence, environmental monitoring, port infrastructure surveying and navigation support, as well as rescue operations and goods transportation.

Jan De Nul launches largest cable-laying vessel in the world

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Jan De Nul launches its newest cable-laying vessel: the Fleeming Jenkin. The company will use it to install subsea cables for the transmission of renewable energy. 

The launch took place by flooding the dry dock at the CMHI Haimen shipyard in China. The final vessel construction phase now begins, including sea trials. 

Wouter Vermeersch, Director Subsea Cables Offshore Energy at Jan De Nul, said:

“The Fleeming Jenkin combines all the cable installation expertise we have built up over the past fifteen years. The entire vessel and the technologies on board were designed by our in-house specialists. The result is a vessel that operates very efficiently, reducing both the cost price and the ecological footprint of our projects.”

Once operational, the Fleeming Jenkin will immediately start her first assignment: the 2GW Program by TenneT, the grid operator for the Netherlands and large parts of Germany. This 2GW Program introduces a new generation of offshore grid connection systems that can each transmit up to two gigawatts. This is more than double the capacity of existing connections, usually between 700 and 900 megawatts. For comparison, an average nuclear power plant typically generates between 1 and 1.6 gigawatts. Fleeming Jenkin will install export cables on four of these 2GW connections, bundling and laying four cables together. This results in a total of more than 2,800 kilometres of cable being installed over a distance of more than 700 kilometres.

The global demand for subsea energy infrastructure is high. According to the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity, around 400 billion euros will need to be spent by 2050 to build Europe’s transmission infrastructure for offshore energy, supporting Europe’s goal of 355 gigawatts of installed offshore wind capacity for renewable energy1. 

These investments are essential to make renewable energy reliable. Wind and solar production must match consumer demand, so energy must be transferred efficiently. Subsea cables play a crucial role, bringing energy ashore and linking grids across countries and regions to balance shortages and surpluses.

Wouter Vermeersch, Director Subsea Cables Offshore Energy at Jan De Nul, said:
“The Fleeming Jenkin and her twin vessel William Thomson are the best vessels on the market for installing interconnection cables that connect energy grids over longer distances. These connections are crucial for building a reliable energy network based on renewable energy.”

Wärtsilä and TMS Cardiff Gas renew LNG carrier lifecycle agreements

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Technology group Wärtsilä and TMS Cardiff Gas have renewed their existing Lifecycle Agreement, covering the 2-stroke main engines onboard seven LNG Carrier vessels, for a further five years. The agreement is designed to ensure the vessels’ maximum operational reliability by enabling flexible maintenance scheduling and optimising time between overhauls (TBO). The renewed order was booked by Wärtsilä in Q3 2025. 

LNG carrier operators must navigate regulatory, environmental, and geopolitical challenges, along with intense competition from oversupply. This creates pressure to deliver on time while also remaining adaptable.

“In a competitive market, unplanned downtime is costly. The agreement’s combination of technology, high-quality spare parts delivery and expert support means we can continue to strengthen the operational reliability of these vessels, ensuring we can meet rising global LNG demand and tight delivery schedules,” says Alexandros Politis-Kalenteris, Deputy COO, TMS Cardiff Gas.

The seven vessels each operate with two WinGD 5X72DF dual-fuel two stroke engines and Wärtsilä gas valve units. The scope of the agreement includes Wärtsilä’s Dynamic Maintenance Planning service, which will provide flexible maintenance scheduling with extended maintenance intervals and reduced spare parts consumption, 24/7 remote operational support, as well as contract management. It also includes Expert Insight, Wärtsilä’s unique predictive maintenance service that uses real-time vessel data to detect potential issues.

“Maximising uptime while ensuring safety, flexibility and reliability is critical for operators,” comments Stefan Wiik, Vice President, Parts and Field Service, Wärtsilä Marine. “Our advanced digital solutions and lifecycle support empower our customers to achieve operational excellence and maximise the availability of their assets.”

TMS Cardiff Gas, established in 2011, is an operator and manager, with a fleet of 20 modern Gas Carriers. TMS Cardiff Gas is part of TMS which manages more than 140 ships across the LNG, LPG, Oil/Chemicals, Dry Bulk and Container sectors.

Fugro completes site investigations for TenneT’s offshore grid connection projects

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Fugro has completed comprehensive land and marine site investigations for TenneT Germany, a leading European transmission system operator, to support the development of the LanWin1 and LanWin2 offshore grid connection projects. 

These projects are part of TenneT Germany’s 2 GW programme, a major initiative that aims to connect at least 14 offshore connection systems to the onshore electricity grid, delivering clean energy to up to 35 million European households.

The LanWin2 cable route required a range of onshore and nearshore investigation activities to support project development. Fugro’s new GroundIQ® service enabled low-impact geophysical surveys, including electrical resistivity profiling and patented 3D ambient noise tomography, a technique that uses naturally occurring vibrations to map subsurface conditions without intrusive methods. The geotechnical phase involved borehole drilling and cone penetration testing (CPT) at 15 locations, including four in nearshore intertidal zones. Fugro’s ARAN® 250 jack-up platform was specially configured for shallow operations, reducing seabed disturbance and minimising environmental impact in these sensitive areas.

At sea, Fugro deployed four specialist survey vessels to meet TenneT Germany’s need for detailed engineering data to guide cable routing and installation. The Fugro Frontier, Fugro Pioneer, and Scotia conducted geophysical, unexploded ordnance, and electromagnetic crossing surveys for both LanWin1 and LanWin2. Shallow geotechnical investigations were carried out by the Fugro Resolve using Blue Snake®, Fugro’s innovative geotechnical system that integrates CPT and sampling technology to acquire high-quality data safely and efficiently in a single deployment.

The Geo-data from the land, nearshore and offshore investigations will be delivered to TenneT Germany through Virgeo®, Fugro’s secure cloud-based platform. These findings will provide insights to guide cable design, routing, and installation planning, helping ensure the long-term reliability and environmental integrity of the grid connection infrastructure.

“Contributing to a project of this scale allows us to demonstrate how high-quality Geo-data can drive smarter, more sustainable infrastructure decisions,” said Jaco Stemmet, Fugro’s Regional Business Line Director for Land. “Our integrated site investigation approach, combining land and marine expertise with environmentally sensitive operations, will help support the successful delivery of LanWin1 and LanWin2 and contribute to Europe’s sustainable energy future.”

Saipem strengthens offshore drilling order intake

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Saipem has strengthened its offshore drilling order intake with new contract awards and extensions worth a total amount of approximately 135 million USD, further reinforcing its presence in key strategic areas such as West Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Far East.

The Santorini, a seventh-generation drillship, will continue operations in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire respectively on behalf of Eni Ghana Exploration & Production Limited and Eni Côte d’Ivoire Limited, ensuring continuity of activities ahead of the next drilling campaign in the Mediterranean Sea.

In addition, the Deep Value Driller, a seventh-generation drillship managed by Saipem under a bareboat charter agreement, has completed its operations in Ghana on behalf of Eni Ghana Exploration & Production Limited and will be employed for a new project in Indonesia for Eni Ganal Deepwater Limited, with activities expected to commence by the end of the year.

The Scarabeo 9, having recently completed a successful drilling campaign in Egypt for Burullus Gas Company, an Egyptian oil and gas company active in offshore gas production, has started operations in Libya under a new contract with Eni North Africa BV, that will keep the rig active until early 2026.

Tanker loads Arctic LNG 2 cargo as China receives tenth shipment despite sanctions

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A liquefied natural gas tanker has left Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 after loading a cargo there, according to data compiled by LSEG and analytics firm Kpler, as the project continues output despite Western sanctions over Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

The Christophe De Margerie tanker arrived at Arctic LNG 2 on October 17 and departed loaded on October 20, according to Kpler data. Shipping database Equasis lists the tanker’s registered owner as Zelitiko Shipping, and its ship or commercial manager as Gas Carriers SCF Management, both with registered addresses in Dubai.

On the other hand, China has received a tenth cargo of LNG from the same project. The Arctic Mulan tanker, which is also under Western sanctions, berthed at the Beihai LNG Terminal in the southwestern region of Guangxi on October 17, Kpler data showed.    

Its registered owner is Zinnia International and its commercial manager is Skyhart Management Services, both with registered addresses in India, according to shipping database Equasis.    

It had picked up a cargo from the Koryak floating storage unit in Kamchatka, eastern Russia, on October 4, a facility only used for handling LNG from Arctic LNG 2, according to Kpler. It departed Beihai terminal on October 18.

PipeChina, operator of the Beihai LNG Terminal, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Arctic LNG 2 had been set to become one of Russia’s largest LNG plants, with eventual output of 19.8 million tonnes a year, before it was placed under U.S. sanctions. It has delivered 10 cargoes to China’s Beihai terminal in the southern region of Guangxi this year.

While Western countries have sought to cripple Moscow’s oil and gas sector to punish it for its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, China has ramped up energy imports from Russia.

Source: bairdmaritime

NAPA and Interoutes launch Expert Route Monitoring service

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NAPA and Interoutes have announced the launch of their new Expert Route Monitoring service. 

Through direct communication with experts onshore, captains receive real-time, optimized route recommendations and weather updates, to help ensure vessels arrive on time, minimize fuel consumption, and reduce emissions – even when navigating challenging weather conditions. This approach enables captains to make better decisions, enhances voyage safety, and streamlines the handling of complex and dynamic sources of weather data at sea.

In practice, the Expert Route Monitoring process begins when NAPA receives the itinerary and objectives shared by the shipping company. Interoutes’ experts then use NAPA Voyage Optimization to prepare voyage planning and weather forecast reports. After careful review, the routing proposals are uploaded directly into the NAPA system onboard the vessel and shared with the vessel’s captain, along with an open line of communication for feedback and assistance.

Through the service, captains have direct access to Interoutes’ routing experts – including well-seasoned captains, master mariners and first mates – and will be able to get frequent and detailed advice from them on voyage planning. Routing experts deliver these insights based on their access to detailed NAPA Performance Models, allowing them to increase the accuracy of route projections, compare different route configurations, and get the necessary support for captains at sea to make the best decisions. 

QatarEnergy commences utilization of LNG storage at the UK’s Isle of Grain terminal

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The capacity of up to 7.2 million tons per annum will be utilized pursuant to a long-term agreement signed in October 2020. The first LNG cargo to be delivered under this agreement was successfully unloaded at the Isle of Grain terminal on 15 July 2025, marking the start of the 25-year term of the agreement.

Commenting on this occasion, His Excellency Mr. Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, the President and CEO of QatarEnergy said: “We are pleased to commence utilization of the LNG storage, and regasification capacity at the Isle of Grain terminal. This is an important milestone, which expands our LNG storage portfolio, and marks a significant step in QatarEnergy’s strategic expansion into the UK gas market through Europe’s largest LNG receiving terminal.”

Commencing the utilization of the Isle of Grain’s terminal capacity also complements QatarEnergy’s wholly owned subsidiary, QatarEnergy Trading’s existing LNG terminal capacities at Zeebrugge (Belgium) and Montoir (France), reinforcing its commitment to providing reliable LNG supplies across Europe, while enhancing the flexibility of its global LNG portfolio and supporting the rapid growth of its business.

New high-speed Ro-Pax ferries now in operation for the Integrated Transport Centre

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Two new aluminium high-speed Ro-Pax ferries designed by global digital shipbuilder Incat Crowther for the Integrated Transport Centre (ITC), an affiliate of the Department of Municipalities and Transport in Abu Dhabi, have successfully completed sea trials and are now operating on the ~42-kilometre route between Dalma Island and Jebel Dhannah on the UAE mainland.

The new 56-metre vessels, Jazirat Dalma and Al Dhannah, built by Singapore based, publicly listed, designer, builder, owner and operator, Penguin International Limited in Batam, Indonesia, can transport up to 192 passengers and 25 vehicles at speeds of up to 39 knots, equivalent to roughly 70 km per hour. Each vessel boasts a spacious, air-conditioned passenger deck which provides comfortable seating for 185 passengers, space for an additional seven wheelchair passengers and two large viewing areas at the bow and stern.

With sleek catamaran hulls and aluminium construction, Jazirat Dalma and Al Dhannah offer speed, stability and efficiency, and have been designed with comfort and accessibility in mind. Each vessel features a VIP room for eight passengers, two cafés, five bathrooms, and a playroom for children. Ample luggage and cargo spaces have also been included throughout both the passenger and vehicle decks, which are connected via an onboard elevator.

Each vessel is powered by four MTU engines and propelled by Kamewa waterjets with Jazirat Dalma and Al Dhannah designed specifically for extreme temperatures and sandy conditions in the Arabian Gulf.

The vessels’ vehicle deck has been designed for operational efficiency and allows for quick roll-on and roll-off operations. The elevated wheelhouse provides each vessel’s captain with excellent lines of sight while the bridge deck also features a crew mess and bathrooms for the vessel’s ten crew.

Ed Dudson, Incat Crowther’s Managing Director, Europe said, “The successful entry into service of Jazirat Dalma and Al Dhannah is testament to the strong collaboration that defined this project. Our team of naval architects has worked closely with shipbuilder Penguin International throughout and we’re proud to see these vessels in operation.”

CIMC Raffles delivers “Norse Wind” offshore wind turbine installation vessel

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On October 15, CIMC Raffles, a subsidiary of CIMC Group, successfully delivered the offshore wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) “Norse Wind” to DEME on time, a leading Belgian marine engineering company.  

The Norse Wind project is the first vessel in the NG20000X series, representing the world’s first WTIV designed with a full DC power distribution system. Unlike conventional vessels, this new-generation WTIV consumes significantly more electrical power during jacking and lifting operations. The DC power system overcomes the inefficiencies and high energy consumption of traditional AC systems. By intelligently controlling generator speeds, it reduces fuel consumption, enhances operational efficiency, and improves environmental performance.

As a flagship project supporting Europe’s clean energy transition, the Norse Wind is equipped with a DP2 system, featuring exceptional deck load capacity and lifting performance. The vessel is capable of transporting and installing multiple types of wind turbines, meeting the demanding operational conditions of the North Sea continental shelf.

Compared with previous generations, Norse Wind is fitted with a 3,200-ton main crane and the latest hybrid battery propulsion system. Notably, the battery system can fully replace the output of one main engine — a technological breakthrough that reduces carbon emissions per megawatt installed by more than 70%. After delivery, the vessel will be deployed to the Nordsee Cluster wind farm in Germany, contributing to the generation of more clean energy for the world.

It is worth mentioning that the Norse Wind project, one of the most highly automated wind turbine installation vessels today, has been successfully delivered and highly commended by the shipowner and DNV. Both parties expressed recognition for CIMC’s professional technical capabilities and its performance in delivering the project on time with high quality. Next, the vessel will be deployed at the German NordseeCluster wind farm, contributing more clean energy to the world.

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