IIMS News

New guidelines to enhance efficiency of container stowage

Posted on by News Hound
New guidelines to enhance efficiency of container stowage
New guidelines to enhance efficiency of container stowage

ClassNK has released new guidelines for those involved in container shipping, aiming to enhance the efficiency of container stowage while ensuring safety measures such as preventing cargo collapse.

According to ClassNK, these guidelines apply the latest expertise in weather forecasting, ship motion, and digital twin technologies. The newly released guidelines enable safer and higher-capacity container shipping by optimizing stowage based on weather forecasts for short-term voyages and by taking advantage of the roll reduction effects of anti-rolling devices. Continue reading “New guidelines to enhance efficiency of container stowage”

Preventing the next lithium fire at sea: A data-driven blueprint for safer transportation

Posted on by News Hound
Preventing the next lithium fire at sea: A data-driven blueprint for safer transportation
Preventing the next lithium fire at sea: A data-driven blueprint for safer transportation

With new data and technological innovation, the maritime industry must re-evaluate cargo handling protocols and develop more resilient fire mitigation strategies to address growing risks at sea, argues Alicia Lee, Chief Operating Officer at GSBN. On a summer morning in June 2025, a carrier vessel called the Morning Midas caught fire in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The entire crew on board had to abandon ship to escape flames. The Morning Midas, along with the electric vehicles it was carrying that started the blaze, now rests at the bottom of the ocean. Continue reading “Preventing the next lithium fire at sea: A data-driven blueprint for safer transportation”

Industry-first AI Cargo Safety Program launched

Posted on by News Hound
The World Shipping Council (WSC) has launched its new Cargo Safety Program
The World Shipping Council (WSC) has launched its new Cargo Safety Program

The World Shipping Council (WSC) has launched its new Cargo Safety Program – an industry-led initiative to detect misdeclared and undeclared dangerous goods.

It aims to prevent ship fires, protect crews, vessels, customers’ cargo, and the marine environment. Continue reading “Industry-first AI Cargo Safety Program launched”

P&I Market Review: Fires are biggest cause of major losses

Posted on by News Hound
P&I Market Review: Fires are biggest cause of major losses
P&I Market Review: Fires are biggest cause of major losses

Lockton in its latest analysis of the marine Protection & Indemnity (P&I) market, highlighted mounting financial pressures on the International Group of P&I Clubs against a backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty and ongoing market volatility. According to Lockton analysis, the 2024/25 policy year saw the clubs report a collective underwriting loss of $312m, reversing two years of surpluses and resulting in a net underwriting loss of $98m over the past three years and fires are the biggest cause of major losses. Continue reading “P&I Market Review: Fires are biggest cause of major losses”

UK MAIB report into engine room fire on Finnmaster published

Posted on by News Hound
Finnmaster. Credit: MAIB
Finnmaster. Credit: MAIB

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch has released its findings and issued 12 recommendations in a report into a auxiliary engine room fire on the Finnmaster Ro-Ro cargo ship as it departed a UK port in 2021.

What happened

At 2013 on 19 September 2021, a fire broke out in the auxiliary engine room on the Finland registered roll-on/roll-off cargo ship Finnmaster during departure from Hull, England. Finnmaster lost power, but the fire was later extinguished and the vessel safely re-berthed with the assistance of tugs. The auxiliary engine room was significantly damaged but there were no injuries. Continue reading “UK MAIB report into engine room fire on Finnmaster published”

TSB says cracked exhaust silencer cause of fishing vessel fire

Posted on by News Hound
A fishing vessel called the Fundy Leader at port
The Fundy Leader. Source: Clearwater Seafoods

A 30cm crack along the main engine exhaust silencer led to a fire on board scallop fishing vessel Fundy Leader, according to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB).

What happened

On 06 December 2024, the fishing vessel Fundy Leader, with 13 people on board, was reported having sustained a fire 100 nautical miles southwest of Cape Sable, Nova Scotia. The crew extinguished the fire, and the vessel was Continue reading “TSB says cracked exhaust silencer cause of fishing vessel fire”

BSU lessons learned after loss of steering caused ships to collide

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BSU logo
BSU lessons learned following a collision of two ships on a canal after loss of steering.

The German BSU has shared lessons learned following two ships collided on a canal after loss of steering.

What happened?

Two ships were due to pass each other on a narrow channel. Shortly before the encounter, a malfunction occurred in the steering system of one of the ships. This malfunction caused the rudder to veer sharply to port. Switching to emergency steering was unable to correct this rudder position. Continue reading “BSU lessons learned after loss of steering caused ships to collide”

DNV Maritime Forecast to 2050 on the future of shipping and alternative fuels

Posted on by News Hound
A preview of the front page of the DNV Maritime Forecast to 2050
DNV has published its Maritime Forecast to 2050

New insights from DNV’s Maritime Forecast to 2050 show that shipping’s energy transition is entering a new phase.

According to DNV, With the IMO’s Net-Zero Framework (NZF) approved but pending adoption in October, and the number of alternative-fuel-capable vessels in operation set to almost double by 2028, shipowners are shifting from preparation to action.

By 2030, the alternative-fuelled fleet will be able to burn up to 50 million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe) of low-greenhouse gas (GHG) fuels annually, double the estimated volume needed to meet the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2030 emissions target.

Yet today, actual consumption of low-GHG fuels remains at just 1 Mtoe. Continue reading “DNV Maritime Forecast to 2050 on the future of shipping and alternative fuels”

NTSB alerts land-based firefighters to risks of vessel fires

Posted on by News Hound
A fire boat directing water onto the Grande Costa D’Avorio at a port
A fire boat directing water onto the Grande Costa D’Avorio. Source: NTSB

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued a safety alert urging greater awareness and training for land-based firefighters who may be called to fight fires aboard vessels in local ports.

The safety alert follows several NTSB investigations into deaths and injuries to firefighters.

The NTSB found land-based firefighters often lack the necessary training and familiarity with vessel layouts and fire protection systems to effectively fight in-port vessel fires. They also may be unaware of how to use the structural fire protection built into most commercial vessels.

Continue reading “NTSB alerts land-based firefighters to risks of vessel fires”

Hong Kong SAR lessons learned on enclosed space death

Posted on by News Hound
The Marine Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) logo
The Hong Kong SAR has published a report into an enclosed space death on cargo vessel Seren

The Marine Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) has shown the results of an investigation into a death in an enclosed space on cargo ship Seren last year.

Continue reading “Hong Kong SAR lessons learned on enclosed space death”

Emerging battery technologies in the maritime industry volume 2

Posted on by News Hound
Top half of blue cover art of the ABS Emerging Battery Technologies in the Maritime Industry Volume 2
ABS has released a publication on the latest advancements in battery technology trends.

The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has published ‘Emerging battery technologies in the maritime industry Volume 2’.

Understanding the latest advancements in battery technology trends is essential as the industry works to meet regulatory requirements.

The publication addresses the limitations and advancements surrounding next-generation batteries, including: Continue reading “Emerging battery technologies in the maritime industry volume 2”

NTSB report says lithium-ion battery bank cause of yacht fire

Posted on by News Hound
A picture of a grey 25-metre yacht in the water with a marina and apartment blocks in the background.
​​The Flagship before the fire. Source: Flagship Marine LLC

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has said in a report that inoperable battery management systems was the probable cause of a fire on yacht Flagship last year.

What Happened

​On April 28, 2024, at 1031 local time, a fire started on board the uncrewed yacht Flagship while it was docked at an enclosed bay of a shipyard on the Miami River in Miami, Florida. Shoreside firefighters moved the vessel to a nearby sea wall, where they extinguished the fire. The vessel eventually sank at the sea wall. There were no injuries, and no pollution was reported. The Flagship was declared a total loss, valued at $5 million.

Continue reading “NTSB report says lithium-ion battery bank cause of yacht fire”

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