The Shipowners’ Club, the leading P&I insurer in the smaller and specialist vessel sector, is delighted to announce the appointment of four new directors to its Board. These co-options were agreed at the Club’s Board meetings in August and November 2023, effective from the Club’s Board meeting which takes place in March 2024. Commenting on the appointments the Club’s Chairman, Donald A. MacLeod KC, said: “The Club’s Board seeks to ensure peace of mind for all its 8,500+ Members and their 34,000+ vessels. In so doing the Board has responsibility ...

The Board of The Swedish Club has announced a 7.5% General Increase for P&I in 2024, reflecting the balanced approach adopted by the Club to meet the needs of its members and the continuing volatile operating environment faced by the shipping industry. Speaking at The Swedish Club’s December board meeting, held in London today, Managing Director Thomas Nordberg said: “We are continuing our drive for sustainable growth, with an enhanced focus on quality members and tonnage. This strategy has served us well in 2023 and will reinforce our strong platform ...

Security at ports and terminals is vital to protect cargo, other assets and workforce. However, the typical size and layout of a port (especially container terminals) can make monitoring difficult, since the line of sight may be obscured by cargo, buildings and plant or/equipment. Similarly, the physical distance sometimes required to travel across the facility, compounded by the potential disruption to automated operations, adds to the challenges. Where the security staff might struggle with this on the ground, the use of drones can provide the speed of deployment and a ...

Saudi Arabia has asked the United States to show restraint in responding to attacks by Yemen’s Houthis against ships in the Red Sea, two sources familiar with Saudi thinking said, as Riyadh seeks to contain spillover from the Hamas-Israel war. The Iran-aligned Houthis have waded into the conflict that has spread around the Middle East since war erupted on Oct. 7, attacking vessels in vital shipping lanes and firing drones and missiles at Israel itself. The group which rules much of Yemen says its attacks are a show of support ...

Hosting special events at your premises can be an effective means – particularly for ports – to engage positively with your local communities. This can create greater levels of transparency and improve common perceptions about your activities, as well as generate new income streams – all while serving to demonstrate a commitment towards social elements of an ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) policy. Whether the event be a regatta, fun run, other sports related, a music concert or exhibition, encouraging schools, colleges, and the general public to interact with your ...

According to the GL in question, all transactions prohibited by the Venezuela Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 591 (the VSR), including transactions involving Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA) or  any entity in which PdVSA owns, directly or indirectly, a 50 per cent or greater interest that are related to oil or gas sector operations in Venezuela are authorized through 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time, April 18, 2024, including: •Production, lifting, sale, and exportation of oil or gas from Venezuela, and provision of related goods and services; •Payment of invoices for ...

A major escalation in maritime attacks in the Middle East unfolded this weekend when ballistic missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels struck three commercial ships Sunday in the Red Sea. A week earlier, the Iran-backed Houthis seized a Japanese-operated cargo ship in the Red Sea, with armed men jumping onto its deck from a helicopter before hoisting Palestinian and Yemeni flags. The Marine Traffic tracking site said the empty car carrier, which was owned by Israeli busisnessman Abraham Ungar, left Korfez in Turkey and was on its way to Pipavav ...

As part of their Ecoshipping Programme Vale SA are committed to supporting the shipping industry in reducing carbon emissions through operational measures and decarbonisation. Vale SA is one of Steamship Mutual’s very longstanding Members and, as part of that programme, they invited the Club to work with them on three projects, including the recently announced plans to install Anemoi Rotor sails on a 400,000DWT Valemax, the world’s largest ore carrier: Rotor sail installation The rotor sails are developed by the Norwegian company Norsepower Oy Ltd. The installations are proven to ...

War risk insurance premiums edged up for Red Sea voyages after three vessels were attacked in the area on Sunday and fears grow over worsening perils for commercial shipping, maritime and insurance sources said on Monday. The incidents are the latest in a series of attacks in Middle Eastern waters since a brutal war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas broke out on Oct. 7. The three commercial vessels came under attack in international waters in the southern Red Sea, the U.S. military said on Sunday. Yemen’s Iran-backed ...

Leading insurance provider to the international freight and logistics sector, TT Club has announced a significant change to its New Jersey office leadership. After 29 years at Thomas Miller, TT’s management company, Leo Kirchner will retire at the end of June 2024. A period of leadership transition will commence in January 2024, with Leo continuing to provide support to Thomas Miller Americas for a further two years. Succeeding Leo as TT’s Regional General Manager – Americas from 1st January 2024 will be Graeme Sassarini, who has been with the company ...

The IMO has adopted a new voluntary speed restriction scheme in the North-West Mediterranean Sea to protect local whale populations. This area is also marked on the newly released global whale chart aimed at helping seafarers in planning their voyages to reduce the risk of vessel-whale collisions. Collisions between vessels and whales, vessel strikes, are a global concern and can occur wherever there is an overlap between whale activity and vessel traffic. Although separation of shipping lanes from whale habitats is the most effective way to prevent vessel strikes, experience ...

With the ever-increasing focus on care for the marine environment greater attention must be afforded to the particular risks associated with the transport of microplastic pellets. Commonly referred to as ‘nurdles’ these are the building blocks used in the production of most plastic products. Concerns about the universal use of secure packaging, as well as the stability of these receptacles, and their weight distribution within sea containers are mounting. However, it is the consequences of a spillage that rank highest in the urgent requirement to minimise incidents involving these cargoes ...

NorthStandard’s Strike & Delay class has introduced Weather Cover into its suite of risks, providing shipowners and charterers with the first ever marine insurance protection to mitigate the threat posed to ships solely by adverse weather conditions. The global marine insurer has responded to market needs with a groundbreaking marine insurance product which offers up to eight days of cover against the risks of a ship being delayed in or outside a port due to bad weather, as part of its broader Strike & Delay package. Despite extraordinary advances in ...

The question of whether, how, and when the Israel-Hamas war may escalate remains, and in the past two weeks, there is some evidence that international shipping may be a new area where at least some expansion of the conflict might take place. The fighting has not remained limited to Israel and the West Bank/Gaza Strip even since the outset of hostilities. Other types of horizontal escalation have taken place almost since the start of the fighting. Houthi rebels in Yemen fired cruise missiles and drones at Israel that were intercepted ...

In the past few months, Gard has received several queries on the safe carriage of battery energy storage systems (BESS) on ships. In this insight, we highlight some of the key risks, regulatory requirements, and recommendations for shipping such cargo. According to the International Energy Agency, energy storage systems (ESS) will play a key role in the transition to clean energy. Sometimes referred to as “energy storage cabinets” or “megapacks”, ESS consist of groups of devices that are assembled together as one unit and that can store large amounts of ...