MarRI-UK Maritime Round Up #115

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March 2026
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Xue Xu

Welcome to the MarRI-UK weekly roundup!

The UK maritime sector leads this week’s developments, with strong momentum in technology and innovation. Progress spans offshore wind expansion, floating wind investment, vessel electrification, and advances in AI-driven simulation and autonomous systems, alongside growing work in nuclear and alternative fuels. Strategic partnerships and new contracts continue to strengthen capabilities across defence, clean maritime, and smart shipping. Globally, increased U.S. Navy activity and escalating tensions involving Iran are contributing to disruption in key shipping routes, adding pressure to global trade and energy flows.

This week’s highlight

MarRI-UK Member’s and Partner’s News

  • (19/03) Transforming early support for children in crisis with Three Nines charity Emotional First Aid Kit Read more
  • (19/03) Babcock awarded UK Ministry of Defence white fleet management contract Read more
  • (19/03) QinetiQ has been announced as a major sponsor of the 2026 national Armed Forces Day event Read more
  • (19/03) LR strengthens partnership with Echo Marine Group to deliver Western Australia’s first electric ferry fleet Read more
  • (18/03) FLOWRA and LR to collaborate on floating offshore wind development Read more
  • (18/03) Babcock and S.A.F.E sign Memorandum of Understanding to explore international training opportunities Read more
  • (18/03) UK based engineers rapidly developing new way of tackling drone threats Read more
  • (16/03) Babcock aims to lead industry shift with SME Defence Charter Read more
  • (13/03) Strathclyde to lead £23M UK doctoral programme to train next generation of nuclear engineers Read more

UK Maritime

  • (19/03) GT Wings Announces Strategic Manufacturing Partnership with Zunsion Technology for AirWing™ Production  Read more
  • (19/03) Hunterston B site relicensed for decommissioning Read more
  • (19/03) Offshore Vessel Charging Tech Developer Plans Commercial Rollout in UK Read more
  • (18/03) UK releases new plans to speed nuclear deployment Read more
  • (18/03) SEA Strengthens Royal Malaysian Naval Partnership With Support And Training Contract Read more
  • (18/03) UK and Ukraine strengthen civil space cooperation Read more
  • (18/03) UK and Norway plan 30 new vessels for coastal ops Read more
  • (17/03) Key contracts awarded in UK fusion programme Read more
  • (17/03) Cambridge Atomworks, Mott MacDonald sign microreactor MoU Read more
  • (17/03) Chartwell Marine, Japanese Shipbuilders’ Association Team Up on Local Construction of SOVs, CTVs Read more
  • (17/03) Partnership to advance offshore wind support vessels in Japan Read more
  • (16/03) Robosys Has Unveiled its New VOYAGER AI Simulator at Oceanology International Read more
  • (16/03) UK to Launch Next CfD Allocation Round in July Read more
  • (13/03) Welsh Government Backs Marine Power Systems’ Floating Wind Tech with GBP 8 Million Read more
  • (13/03) Qair Receives Onshore Planning Consent for 1 GW Floating Offshore Wind Farm in Scotland Read more
  • (12/03) Scottish Defence Growth Deal Read more

Newly added Funding Opportunities – access the full list via MarRI-UK: Maritime Funding Opportunities

Events Highlight

Publication

  • Making the most of Britain’s AI for Science strategy Read more
  • The human cost of coastal erosion and what Gov’t should do next – EFRA Committee reports Read more
  • Coastal Change and Transition in the UK Download
  • Mastering maritime data for competitive advantage Download
  • Engineering Economy and Place, UK 2026 Download
  • From complexity to clarity: a systems approach to research security Read more
  • Reviving our ageing Infrastructure Download
  • LR Class News 05/2026: IACS guidelines for Human Element in maritime sector Download

Global Maritime News

Offshore Renewable Energy

  • (19/03) Marco Polo Marine Lands 15-Year Offshore Wind Emergency Towage Charter in Taiwan Read more
  • (19/03) Norway-made adaptive mooring technology pilot installed at Portuguese testing site Read more
  • (19/03) Hanwha unit joins French floating wind project Read more
  • (18/03) GWEC, JWPA Join Forces on Offshore Wind in Japan Read more
  • (18/03) Q Energy Joins Another French Floating Wind Project Read more
  • (18/03) Minesto’s microgrid-scale tidal energy powerplant begins producing in Faroe Islands Read more
  • (18/03) US offers $1bn to scrap two TotalEnergies offshore wind projects Read more
  • (17/03) Thor Feeds First Power into Danish Grid Read more
  • (16/03) Construction of Vineyard Wind 1 Completed Read more
  • (14/03) Revolution Wind Starts Delivering Power Read more
  • (13/03) RWE Sells 350 MW Polish Offshore Wind Project to PGE Read more

Clean Maritime

  • (20/03) Baltic CCS network advances with Aker Solutions FEED award Read more
  • (19/03) Eastern Pacific completes second bound4blue wind power install Read more
  • (19/03) US makes the case to torpedo ‘flawed’ Net-Zero Framework Read more
  • (19/03) Shipping Corp of India moves into green methanol with new PSV order Read more
  • (17/03) Onboard flex‑fuel reformer pilot to turn existing ships into multi‑fuel vessels Read more
  • (17/03) Japanese majors step up ammonia bunkering push in Singapore Read more
  • (16/03) Kent wins FEED work for Greek CO2 storage project Read more
  • (13/03) N-Sea’s hybrid, biofuel-ready vessel starts sea trials Read more

Nuclear Energy

  • (19/03) Finland looks to reform nuclear energy legislation Read more
  • (19/03) Kazakhstan updates on nuclear energy, uranium plans Read more
  • (19/03) Planning for Swedish SMR plant proceeds Read more
  • (18/03) Poland’s radioactive waste management reviewed by IAEA mission Read more
  • (18/03) Serbia and EDF discuss roadmap to nuclear energy Read more
  • (18/03) ‘Projectile’ hit 350 metres from Bushehr nuclear reactor – IAEA Read more
  • (17/03) Pilot operation of accident-tolerant fuel completed Read more
  • (17/03) AtkinsRéalis collaborates with Nvidia on nuclear-powered AI factories Read more
  • (16/03) Regulatory momentum builds for maritime nuclear at NRC RIC Read more
  • (16/03) GE Vernova, Hitachi explore Southeast Asia market for BWRX-300 Read more
  • (16/03) First new Kursk unit reaches full power Read more
  • (16/03) Hyundai, Thorizon team up for MSR commercialisation Read more
  • (16/03) French ministerial council reiterates need for nuclear revival Read more
  • (16/03) Darlington 4 back in service, completing refurb project Read more
  • (15/03) Energy Security: US moves to fund Japanese and Korean nuclear fuel projects Read more

Ports

Navy

  • (19/03) Anschütz clears CDR for Hunter-class frigate navigation systems Read more
  • (19/03) Latvia to acquire naval strike missile coastal defense system from Kongsberg Read more
  • (18/03) US Navy ups Hammerhead anti-submarine mine order to enhance undersea warfare Read more
  • (18/03) Damen to build three next-gen patrol vessels for Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard Read more
  • (17/03) US Navy extends service life of aircraft carrier USS Nimitz to 2027 Read more
  • (17/03) Brazil’s first Tamandaré-class frigate nears commissioning Read more
  • (17/03) Over 100 Iranian warships destroyed, US claims Read more
  • (16/03) Lockheed Martin delivers new AN/SPY-7(V)1 radar equipment to Japan Read more
  • (16/03) Saab restructures, launches new naval division Read more
  • (13/03) US Navy picks Anduril for XL-AUV program Read more
  • (13/03) Textron Systems hands over LCAC 115 to US Navy Read more
  • (13/03)  FN and Damen to develop next-generation maritime defense solutions Read more

Global Shipping & Newbuild

  • (20/03) Newbuilding Orders Progressing at a Healthy Pace Read more
  • (19/03) Shipping’s new chokepoints are organisational Read more
  • (18/03) First US Subsea Rock Installation Vessel Begins Sea Trials Read more
  • (18/03) Spin takes US Maritime Action Plan away from shipbuilding Read more
  • (18/03) Euroseas books high-reefer boxship newbuilds in China Read more
  • (18/03) Dalian Shipping launched with local government backing and Hengli support Read more
  • (17/03) Yang Ming greenlights six LNG dual-fuel containerships Read more
  • (17/03) HD Hyundai lands $550m boxship order tied to HMM Read more
  • (17/03) Selective Gulf transits emerge under Iranian verification Read more
  • (16/03) Dutch Start Building Enshore’s Specialist Shallow Draft Cable Lay Barge Read more
  • (16/03) Jinjiang Shipping presses ahead with newbuild plan Read more
  • (16/03) Pan Ocean bulks up with Qingdao Beihai newcastlemaxes Read more
  • (16/03) JP Morgan shipping arm books suezmax trio at Samsung Heavy Read more
  • (16/03) Procopiou pushes tanker expansion with more VLCC orders Read more
  • (16/03) Tehran’s selective authorisation of Hormuz transits splits shipping Read more
  • (13/03) South Korean player taps France’s GTT for LNG carrier tank design Read more

Smart Maritime

  • (19/03) Alfa Laval scales AR-enabled remote support to boost vessel performance and compliance at sea Read more
  • (19/03) EcoNavis launches tool to gauge savings from propeller boss caps Read more
  • (18/03) Most maritime AI failures will be data failures, not algorithmic Read more
  • (18/03) Researchers expose hack that could hand attackers full control of ship’s engine, navigation and power Read more
  • (17/03) European client first to use Exail’s 9-meter USV for civil offshore operations Read more
  • (17/03) What is AI in shipping? Read more
  • (16/03) ‘Shipbuilding industry’s first’ robotic pipe fabrication facility opens in South Korea Read more

Other news

  • (20/03) Eni set for major growth with two hubs off Indonesia Read more
  • (20/03) Complexity of Hormuz constriction Read more
  • (20/03) Splash Wrap: ‘The largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market’ Read more
  • (20/03) U.S. Leads Brazil in Corn Exports to China Read more
  • (19/03) US waives Jones Act for 60 days amid fuel price pressure Read more
  • (19/03) Middle East ceasefire essential this week or next to prevent ‘hard shutdowns’ Read more
  • (19/03) Development of Southeast Asian gas discoveries is a go Read more
  • (19/03) Seabed clearance for second Malta-Italy interconnector to remove 393 targets Read more
  • (19/03) Path clear for Worley to advance second segment of LNG project on US Gulf Coast Read more
  • (19/03) Gulf’s energy crown jewels become targets Read more
  • (19/03) Vessel ablaze after strike off UAE, crew abandon ship Read more
  • (19/03) Iran hits energy facilities in Qatar following attack on South Pars gas field Read more
  • (18/03) More oil unearthed in Norwegian waters as Equinor strikes black gold again Read more
  • (18/03) South American waters yield more gas: Petrobras makes new find in Colombia Read more
  • (18/03) War rattles world’s largest bunkering hub Read more
  • (18/03) SLB OneSubsea to deliver subsea production systems for CNOOC Read more
  • (17/03) Angola’s first non-associated gas development goes live Read more
  • (17/03) Fresh gas discoveries in North Africa give Mediterranean energy security a leg up Read more
  • (17/03) Fertilisers, food security and foreign policy Read more
  • (17/03) Global energy crisis could exceed worst expectations Read more
  • (16/03) US oil sanctions waiver seen as ‘financial lifeline’ for Russia Read more
  • (16/03) Indexes split in volatile container market Read more
  • (16/03) Trump’s Strait call to arms falling on deaf ears Read more
  • (16/03) Liberian Registry to introduce electronic seafarer documents Read more
  • (16/03) Acciona boosts fleet with Australia’s biggest jackup barge Read more
  • (16/03) Trump orders restart of California offshore oil project amid Iran war Read more
  • (16/03) Swedish court detains captain of tanker bound for Russia Read more
  • (14/03) When the strait closes: How tanker charterers navigate the Hormuz crisis Read more
  • (14/03) Tanker Market Rebounded in February Read more
  • (13/03) To back Make American Shipbuilding Great Again initiative, South Koreans open research hub in US Read more
  • (13/03) ‘Largest and heaviest’ part of $5.1B LNG development reaches Canadian shores Read more
  • (13/03) US scoops up nearly $47M in high bids for second Gulf of America oil & gas lease sale Read more
  • (13/03) WATCH: Jan De Nul to carry out ‘industry’s first’ simultaneous multi-cable installation for TenneT Read more
  • (13/03) IMO extraordinary council meeting on Middle East situation Read more
  • (13/03) 36 bulk carrier transits of the Strait of Hormuz Read more

Maritime Events Archive

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