Shipping

Do you know why a Ship Structural Access Manual is required onboard?

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The Ship Structural Access Manual is an essential document
The Ship Structural Access Manual is an essential document

Maintaining a ship’s structural condition requires regular surveys and inspections throughout its operational life and the Ship Structural Access Manual is an integral part of this process. These checks help ensure that structural components remain free from damage, such as cracks, buckling, deformation, corrosion, or thickness diminution beyond acceptable limits.

For this reason, suitable means of access to the hull structure are essential, enabling safe and effective overall and close-up inspections, as well as thickness measurements. Continue reading “Do you know why a Ship Structural Access Manual is required onboard?”

Turning embarkation and disembarkation regulations into safe practice

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Turning embarkation and disembarkation regulations into safe practice. Photo credit: C.Olavo Vieira & Capt Jorge Gonzales
Turning embarkation and disembarkation regulations into safe practice. Photo credit: C.Olavo Vieira & Capt Jorge Gonzales

A single defective ladder step, improperly secured gangway, or poorly rigged pilot ladder can turn a routine transfer operation into a serious accident within seconds as embarkation and disembarkation regulations have been neglected.

Ship operators need to always remember that safe embarkation and disembarkation operations depend not only on compliant equipment, but also on a well-implemented Safety Management System (SMS), effective crew training, and a strong safety culture onboard.

Safe embarkation and disembarkation operations remain Continue reading “Turning embarkation and disembarkation regulations into safe practice”

Black Sea MoU releases results of 2025 CIC on Ballast Water Management

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Black Sea MoU logo
The Black Sea MoU has published the results of its 2025 CIC on Ballast Water Management.

The Black Sea MoU has released a report into the 2025 Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Ballast Water Management (BWM).

The campaign was carried out from 1 September 2025 to 30 November 2025, and it was conducted in conjunction with the Paris and the Tokyo Memoranda. It was also conducted under the campaign coordination of the Maritime Administration of Türkiye.

A total of 775 inspections were carried out covering 736 individual ships. Among these, 624 inspections were conducted using the CIC questionnaire.

Continue reading “Black Sea MoU releases results of 2025 CIC on Ballast Water Management”

CINS shares guidance on shipping lithium-ion cells and batteries in containers

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CINS shares guidance on shipping lithium-ion cells and batteries in containers
CINS shares guidance on shipping lithium-ion cells and batteries in containers

The Cargo Incident Notification System (CINS) has published a new guidance on shipping lithium-ion cells and batteries in containers by sea.

CINS Guidelines for Shipping Lithium-ion Cells and Batteries in Containers provides shipping companies, operators and carriers with safety guidance for the transport of lithium-ion cells and batteries, classified under UN Nos. 3480 and 3481, in Cargo Transport Units (CTUs). Continue reading “CINS shares guidance on shipping lithium-ion cells and batteries in containers”

Black Sea MoU publishes Port State Control Annual Report 2025

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Black Sea MoU logo
The Black Sea MoU has released its Port State Control Annual Report 2025.

The Black Sea MoU said that in 2025 the average detention percentage rose to 6.78% — the highest level recorded since 2007.

In its Port State Control Annual Report 2025, the Black Sea MoU said its member authorities carried out a total of 5,117 inspections, representing an 11.6% increase compared to 2024. This remains approximately 3% below the ten-year average of 5,274 inspections under the New Inspection Regime, which began in 2016.

Continue reading “Black Sea MoU publishes Port State Control Annual Report 2025”

Latest guidance for shipping lithium-ion cells and batteries in containers

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Guidance for shipping lithium-ion cells and batteries in containers has been published
Guidance for shipping lithium-ion cells and batteries in containers has been published

In response to the growing risks associated with the maritime transport and shipping lithium-ion cells and batteries, the following guidance for shipping lithium-ion cells and batteries in containers has been published. Lithium-ion cells are the core components of batteries and come in various forms, as they are widely used in portable electronics and electric vehicles because they can efficiently store and release energy through the movement of lithium ions between positive and negative electrodes. However, due to their chemical properties, lithium-ion cells and batteries are classified as dangerous goods and must be handled with care. Released against a backdrop of rising concern, the guidance comes as battery-related incidents at sea become both more frequent and more severe. Continue reading “Latest guidance for shipping lithium-ion cells and batteries in containers”

Engine retrofit market continues to prepare but not fully commit

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Engine retrofit market continues to prepare but not fully commit
Engine retrofit market continues to prepare but not fully commit

The future of engine retrofits will depend heavily on regulatory developments says Lloyd’s Register in its latest Engine Retrofit Report.

LR added the longer conventionally fuelled vessels remain in service, the greater the pressure will be to retrofit them later to meet emissions targets, potentially compressing demand into a narrower and more costly timeframe.

The 2026 update shows that 2025 delivered limited growth in announced retrofit projects, but significant progress in capability. Continue reading “Engine retrofit market continues to prepare but not fully commit”

DNV shares insights into post-fire ship hull structure and material assessment

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DNV shares insights into post-fire ship hull structure and material assessment
DNV shares insights into post-fire ship hull structure and material assessment

Fire incidents on ships rank among the most frequent accidents, and in recent years, fire incidents have specially increased among container and ro-ro cargo/passenger ships.

And DNV has supported many cases of post-fire structural and material assessments.

The incidents have ranged from isolated small-scale fires in cargo holds to major fires damaging the complete ship. Continue reading “DNV shares insights into post-fire ship hull structure and material assessment”

Key considerations for the carriage of cement

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Key considerations for the carriage of cement. Photo credit: Britannia P&I Club
Key considerations for the carriage of cement. Photo credit: Britannia P&I Club

The volume of seaborne cement trade continues to grow, with the most recent annual figure estimated to be over 145 million tonnes, however, the carriage of cement on conventional bulk carriers presents significant operational challenges, Britannia P&I Club explains.

According to Britannia P&I Club, bulk cement is typically carried on dedicated cement carriers or standard bulk carriers. On dedicated carriers, cement is loaded from shore silos through a pneumatic system and discharged via a closed self-unloading system, where compressed air fluidizes the cargo and a vacuum pipeline transfers it to shore—effectively minimizing dust and preventing hardening. In comparison, loading cement on conventional bulk carriers, whether in bulk or in bags, remains a much more challenging operation. Continue reading “Key considerations for the carriage of cement”

Update on MGN 675 (M+F) guidance for control and management of ships’ ballast water and sediments regulations

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Update on MGN 675 (M+F) guidance for control and management of ships’ ballast water and sediments regulations
Update on MGN 675 (M+F) guidance for control and management of ships’ ballast water and sediments regulations

The UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency has published an update to MGN 675 (M+F) Amendment 2 The merchant shipping (control and management of ships’ ballast water and sediments) regulations 2022.

This notice provides important information on the UK’s implementation of the international convention for the control and management of ships’ ballast water and sediments 2004, which aims to address the spread of invasive non-native species by ballast water and sediments. Continue reading “Update on MGN 675 (M+F) guidance for control and management of ships’ ballast water and sediments regulations”

New ISO standard for in-water hull cleaning published

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New ISO standard for in-water hull cleaning published
New ISO standard for in-water hull cleaning published

A new standard on in-water cleaning of vessel hulls has been launched.

Preventing and removing biofouling on hulls of ships limits the introduction and spread of invasive aquatic species (IAS). This in turn threatens coastal environments by disrupting ecological systems, which can also negatively affect fisheries, aquaculture and tourism. Biofouling is also estimated to increase a ship’s fuel consumption by on average 9 % – this added fuel consumption costs the shipping industry billions of USD. Therefore, improving biofouling management across the global shipping fleet will have considerable benefits, both from an environmental and economic standpoint. Continue reading “New ISO standard for in-water hull cleaning published”

Key tips for transferring of plastic pellet in containers

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Key tips for transferring plastic pellet in containers
Key tips for transferring plastic pellet in containers

Steamship Mutual P&I Club has provided guidance on the risks associated with transferring of plastic pellet in containers and provides practical measures to prevent spillage and protect the marine environment.

Understanding the risks of plastic pellets

According to the Club, in recent years, several high- profile incidents have occurred, such as the Trans Carrier in 2020 and the XPress Pearl in 2021, where containers have fallen overboard and resulted in the release of plastic pellets into seas and oceans with subsequent harm to the marine environment.

While the carriage of plastic pellets in shipping containers is a secure means of shipment, the environmental concern arises when these containers are lost overboard. Once plastic pellets are released, their physical properties of being small and light allow them to travel extensive distances from the initial release location. Continue reading “Key tips for transferring of plastic pellet in containers”

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