Shafts News

A.P. Moller - Maersk (Maersk), in close collaboration with the owners, is retrofitting around 200 vessels in its time-chartered fleet as part of a large-scale program involving 50 different shipowners.The main aim of the program is to reduce the slot cost by improving fuel efficiency and cargo-carrying capacity leading to a decrease in both cost and greenhouse gas emissions.Maersk has set the target of a 35% absolute reduction in its scope 1 greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to the 2022 baseline year.In total…

Damen Marine Components (DMC) has secured contracts to supply rudders, steering gear and nozzles for 14 multi-purpose vessels (MPVs) under construction at two shipyards in India.The contracts cover eight 6,300 DWT MPVs being built by Udupi Cochin Shipyard for a Scandinavian customer, and six 7,500 DWT MPVs being built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders for Danish shipowner Navi Merchants.For the Udupi Cochin Shipyard vessels, DMC will deliver piston-type steering gear and Atlantic-type rudders tailored to the specific design.

French ferry operator Corsica Linea has achieved up to 22% fuel savings on its RoPax ferry Pascal Paoli following the installation of a retrofit package delivered by Finnish technology group Wärtsilä.The upgrade, completed in late 2024, included the installation of a twin screw controllable pitch propeller (CPP) system optimized for the ship’s operating profile, an EnergoProFin energy-saving propeller cap, and updated control systems with customized combinator curves for different…

Kongsberg Maritime has signed a contract with Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) to supply integrated technology packages for nine new Dynamic Positioning (DP) Shuttle Tankers, being built for Greek shipowner Tsakos Group.The vessels will be a bare-boat charter by Brazilian energy logistics company Transpetro, supporting offshore operations in Brazil’s pre-salt oil fields.Construction of the vessels will take place at SHI’s shipyard in South Korea, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2027.

Skarv Shipping Solutions, a joint venture between Peak Group and Grieg Edge, has increased its order for ‘zero carbon project carriers’ from Shandong Huanghai Shipbuilding to five ships, extending its commitment to a Berg Propulsion package that optimizes vessel efficiency regardless of power source.Skarv specified inline ammonia-ready engines for the initial four 7,000 dwt ships, with the first ship due delivery in the fourth quarter of 2025, followed by three more through 2026.

BERG Propulsion is offering the shipping industry its first opportunity to select propeller shafts made using the climate neutral GreenForge® production process.Three Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) ro-ro vessels due in service from 2026 to carry aircraft parts across the Atlantic are already set to take advantage of sustainable wind power, courtesy of their rotor sails, while their hybrid propulsion, power management and control technology is coming from BERG.In addition, BERG will supply propeller shafts made from recycled scrap steel…

The increased performance of the SCHOTTEL RudderPropeller Dynamic SRP-D has once again been confirmed by external sources. At the request of the Dutch Damen Group, the Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN) carried out extensive research to demonstrate the added value of the SRP-D for Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (CSOV).While an earlier study had already demonstrated a reduced DP footprint and fuel savings, Damen’s latest research focused particularly on propulsion efficiency during thruster interactions.

AME will its partnership with Fluke Reliability and PRUFTECHNIK Group, enhancing its focus of providing technology solutions for maritime and industrial mechanical applications. As the official sales representative for Florida, Georgia, North, and South Carolina, AME is ready to provide reliable support and expertise to machinery operators at every level.PRUFTECHNIK, a provider of precision alignment and condition monitoring technology, and FLUKE, known for their diagnostic tools, perfectly align with AME’s extensive knowledge and experience in condition-based maintenance and alignment.

The International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) has published a new Unified Requirement, UR M85, providing comprehensive technical guidelines for type approval testing of synthetic materials used in aftmost propeller shaft bearings.Recognized as a critical component of a vessel’s propulsion system, these bearings are essential for long-term operational safety and efficiency.The new UR M85 establishes a robust framework for type approval testing to address what it says is a vital gap in maritime standards.

Kongsberg Maritime has secured $73.3 million contract from Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding in China to supply range of equipment for a new fleet of 10 platform supply vessels (PSVs) being built for Greek shipowner Capital Offshore.Under the contract, Kongsberg Maritime will supply all propulsion, automation, and energy systems for the 95-metre vessels of MMC 897 CD design.The Kongsberg Maritime electrical system on these vessels will enable optimal operation through the Energy Storage System (ESS).

Representing a breakthrough in the evolution of a ship’s propeller shaft line, Canada’s Thordon Bearings has unveiled the Thordon-Blue Ocean Stern Space (T-BOSS), a new solution designed to meet the propeller shaft requirements of the sterntubeless ship design proposed by the Blue Ocean Alliance.The Blue Ocean Alliance is a consortium of industry partners – ABS, Thordon Bearings Inc, Wärtsilä, SDARI, and the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) – that have collaborated…

Kongsberg Maritime has secured a contract to design and a equip a 10th hybrid chemical tanker for Danish operator Tärntank.The new Tärntank vessels will reduce carbon emissions using a combination of clean technologies.The wind-assist technology will be installed on the latest four vessels ordered, and this feature alone is expected to reduce emissions by up to 19%. The new vessels will have an Energy Efficiency Design Index close to 40% below the 2025 Phase 3 requirements.The 15…

Berg Propulsion has won a contract to deliver the hybrid propulsion solution for three wind-assisted Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) Ro-Ro vessels.Following delivery by China’s Wuchang Shipbuilding from 2026 onwards, the innovative vessels will carry Airbus A320 Family jetliner subassemblies from France to the final assembly line in the United States.The ships have been designed by Deltamarin with the aim of halving fuel burn and CO2 emissions in transatlantic operations by 2030…

Technology group Wärtsilä has secured a deal to supply engines, fuel gas supply system and thrusters for two new Ropax ferries being built for French operator La Méridionale, a subsidiary of CMA CGM.The vessels, which have been specifically designed to minimize emissions, are to be built at the China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Weihai), and will operate between Marseille and Corsica.For each ship, Wärtsilä will supply two 12-cylinder, one 10-cylinder and one 8-cylinder Wärtsilä 31DF engines.The two ferries will benefit from Wärtsilä’s NextDF technology…

Thordon Bearings won a contract to convert the rubber tailshaft bearings across an entire fleet of Panama-operating tugs, pilot vessels, and workboats to water-lubricated polymer bearings.The agreement with the unnamed operator follows the retrofitting of Thordon’s SXL tailshaft bearings to 12 of its twin-screw tugs last year during scheduled dry dockings.The remaining 32 vessels will now be converted in batches at planned maintenance intervals over the next four years.For the first batch of retrofit conversions…

Stena’s new Ro-Pax vessel, Ala’suinu, equipped with Wärtsilä propellers has received DNV’s Silent(E) notation, issued to vessels that demonstrate the ability to effectively reduce emissions of underwater radiated noise.Technology group Wärtsilä has designed and delivered controllable pitch propellers for Stena’s new Ro-Pax vessel, Ala’suinu, which has successfully completed sea trials.Following these sea trials, Ala’suinu became the first Ro-Pax vessel to fulfil the DNV Silent(E) notation…

Brunvoll has signed a contract with Vard for the delivery of a comprehensive propulsion and maneuvering system for Cyan Renewables' new Service Operation Vessel (SOV).The vessel will have the first azimuth propulsion thrusters from Brunvoll with an 8-degree tilted propeller and nozzle, for enhanced performance during dynamic positioning operations.The delivery for the new SOV consists of two azimuth propulsion thrusters, two retractable azimuth thrusters, a tunnel thruster, and…

Damen Naval has selected Kongsberg Maritime Sweden to deliver controllable pitch propellers and shaft lines for the four Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) frigates for the Netherlands and Belgium.As part of this contract, Kongsberg will supply four shipsets of its controllable pitch propeller systems and associated equipment including blades, hubcaps, hubs, and shaft lines.The four ASW frigates will replace the current Karel Doorman-class multi-purpose frigates. They will be deployed for a wide variety of tasks, with anti-submarine warfare as their main purpose.

Thordon Bearings reports it has secured a second major Mexican Navy contract for the supply of its water-lubricated SXL wear rings for retrofit installation to the waterjet propulsion nozzles on 25 interceptor patrol vessels.The contract follows the success of extensive trials in which the SXL material replaced the use of other anti-corrosive coatings in waterjet impeller housings, resulting in increased resistance to cavitation induced corrosion.Rotary Parts, Thordon’s authorized distributor in Mexico, is supplying the housings for 25 Polaris and Polaris II fast patrol boats.

Wärtsilä has introduced a new high-performance thruster and propulsion control solution, which is said to raise the level of offshore dynamic positioning for greater efficiency and operational performance of vessels.The company’s new high-performance thruster and propulsion control solution package utilizes a combination of Wärtsilä’s WST-E embedded electric steerable thruster and WST-R retractable thrusters, together with an updated remote propulsion control system featuring an enhanced user interface ProTouch…

Ascenz Marorka, a GTT Group company, announced that it has been granted a Type Approval certification for its ShaPoLi solution by the classification society Bureau Veritas.Designed to help shipowners and operators comply with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions and reducing ship carbon intensity by 40% by 2030, the solution monitors propeller shaft power and signals an alert in the wheelhouse if it exceeds the EEXI calculated maximum power. The system logs the periods where the limit was exceeded and enables crew to give comments.

Thordon Bearings and Wärtsilä have announced the formation of the Blue Ocean Alliance to develop and promote a stern tube-less ship concept.The Blue Ocean Alliance brings together Thordon Bearings, Wärtsilä, the School of Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), naval architect SDARI (Shanghai Merchant Ship Design & Research Institute CSSC) and ABS.The companies say that the concept of a ship design that does not require a…

30 years ago shaft generators with PTI capability kept container ships sailing at top speed. That purpose gone, PTI/PTO is making a new comeback in more cargo shipping segments, this time for reducing emissions.Retrofitting a shaft generator is not an insignificant undertaking. Around 50 tons of equipment needs to be installed into the engineroom through a hole in the hull. A new section of shaft is usually required.That a few shipowners are undertaking such projects - Klaveness Combination Carriers on the Ballard…