MarRI-UK Maritime Round Up #130

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July 2026
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Xue Xu

Welcome to the MarRI-UK weekly roundup!

Last week’s maritime developments highlighted three dominant themes: the acceleration of decarbonisation and digitalisation, continued investment in defence and maritime innovation, and growing geopolitical disruption to global shipping. Progress in nuclear-powered shipping, wind-assisted propulsion, hydrogen technologies, offshore wind, and AI-enabled maritime infrastructure underscored the sector’s transition toward cleaner and smarter operations. In the UK, significant activity focused on defence partnerships, skills development, and preparations for the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). Meanwhile, ongoing disruptions –including Panama Canal capacity constraints, drought impacts on inland waterways, and security risks in the Strait of Hormuz and the Black Sea – continued to affect global trade, while strong shipbuilding demand, led by China, reflected sustained growth in the global maritime industry.

This week’s highlight

  • SMI Responds to Trinity House Vessel Replacement Programme Outcome Read more
  • Europe’s great rivers run dry Read more
  • Panama Canal trims booking slots Read more
  • Long Beach lined up as US testbed for nuclear-powered shipping Read more
  • Vattenfall, Dutch AI Infrastructure Company Explore Wind-Powered Offshore Data Centres Read more
  • Research estimates Scotland needs climate adaptation investment up to £14 billion Read more

MarRI-UK Member’s and Partner’s News

  • (23/07) BMT expands international maritime design expertise with One2three acquisition Read more
  • (23/07) SMI Futures Early Career Profile: Gemma Turner Read more
  • (23/07) Babcock collaborates with Dassault Systèmes to accelerate digital engineering Read more
  • (23/07) 15,000 people expected to visit Devonport Open Days 2026 Read more
  • (22/07) Babcock and LIG D&A sign Strategic Cooperation Agreement to promote global capabilities Read more
  • (22/07) Babcock and LIG D&A sign Strategic Cooperation Agreement to promote global capabilities Read more
  • (21/07) Capital Ship Management, K Shipbuilding and LR target scalable wind-assisted propulsion for MR tanker sector Read more
  • (21/07) Next generation of drone and missile warheads unveiled Read more
  • (21/07) Babcock launches national skills study to help engineer the future of defence Read more
  • (20/07) Babcock partners with ACUA Ocean Technologies and Frankenburg on maritime counter-drone air defence systems Read more
  • (20/07) QinetiQ invests £20m to accelerate the development and manufacture of high-energy laser technology Read more
  • (20/07) BMT names new Global Technical Director Read more
  • (20/07) BAE Systems secures 40Mk4 naval gun order from Brazilian Navy Read more
  • (17/07) Maritime Nuclear Technology: Reality, Risk and Opportunity Roundtable Recap Read more

UK Maritime

  • (24/07) UK maritime ETS countdown begins Read more
  • (23/07) First jacket for BP’s $7 billion gas and CCUS project reaches its destination Read more
  • (23/07) EDF extends life of UK’s Heysham 1 and Hartlepool Read more
  • (23/07) Smulders Taps Palfinger for East Anglia Two Davit Cranes Read more
  • (23/07) Half of cabling in place for first UK-Germany energy link Read more
  • (22/07) UK buys strategic energy site to support future naval operations Read more
  • (22/07) Second FPSO oil train boosts Brent-linked production growth Read more
  • (21/07) Jacobs to assist in planning of UK SMR projects Read more
  • (21/07) Two more Czech sites lined up for Rolls-Royce SMRs Read more
  • (21/07) UK firms join forces to develop maritime counter-drone air defense system Read more
  • (21/07) Good Energy Signs Largest PPA in Its History for Ørsted’s UK Offshore Wind Farms Read more
  • (21/07) Bureau Veritas approves UK firm’s wind-assisted propulsion technology Read more
  • (21/07) Avenir’s newbuild LNG bunkering vessel hits the water Read more
  • (21/07) Geophysical survey to begin along potential export cable corridor for Bellrock floating wind farm Read more
  • (20/07) Flintstone to start scour protection work at Dogger Bank C Read more
  • (20/07) UK’s offshore energy seeks North Sea oil & gas policy U-turn to unlock multi-billion investments Read more
  • (20/07) Navantia UK delivers Trinidad-bound subsea structures to McDermott Read more
  • (20/07) Collision topples crane at UK port Read more
  • (20/07) Scotland approves Ocean Winds’ 2GW offshore wind project Read more
  • (20/07) NOC showcases marine science and innovation at parliamentary drop-in event Read more

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

Events Highlight

Publication

  • What IMO’s MASS Code means for remote control and autonomy at sea Read more
  • Ministry of Defence’s Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) action plan Read more
  • Project CAPTURED advances regulatory pathways for onboard captured CO2 Read more
  • LR Summary Report: Implementation of IMO Instruments (III 12) Download
  • LR Horizons Issue July 2026: The future of net-zero, war risk insurance under pressure, nuclear momentum building Read more

Global Maritime News

Offshore Renewable Energy

  • (24/07) Sweden Greenlights Two, Rejects 11 Offshore Wind Farms Over Defence Concerns; Vattenfall Halts Approved Project? Read more
  • (24/07) Gasunie launches tender for 10-year offshore wind PPA in Netherlands Read more
  • (24/07) Belgium rewrites rules for delayed offshore wind auction Read more
  • (23/07) Van Oord Completes Installation of Nature-Inclusive Scour Protection at New Dutch Offshore Wind Farm Read more
  • (23/07) BW Ideol, NGE Partner on Floating Wind Foundation Manufacturing Facility in Southern France Read more
  • (22/07) Nordseecluster A Feeds First Electricity Into German Grid Read more
  • (22/07) Japan’s Oga–Katagami–Akita Offshore Wind Project Receives Certification Read more
  • (22/07) Dutch ocean current prototype wraps up open-water testing Read more
  • (21/07) Why monopile lowering is becoming a critical load case for jack-ups Read more
  • (21/07) DNV awards world’s first certification for wave energy technology Read more
  • (20/07) DEME wins foundation role on 1GW offshore wind project Read more

Clean Maritime

  • (24/07) China launches largest hydrogen-powered inland cargo ship Read more
  • (24/07) North Sea pilot project produces first green hydrogen on operational platform Read more
  • (21/07) NKT Eleonora Departs Romania for Norway as Construction Progresses Read more
  • (20/07) What MEPC84 means for shipping’s Net Zero ambitions Read more
  • (20/07) Clean Tankers: Higher Rates in Store? Read more
  • (20/07) Construction Starts on 390 MW Shinan Ui Offshore Wind Project in South Korea Read more

Nuclear Energy

  • (23/07) Trump admin. eyes offshore nuclear reactors in plan to quadruple atomic energy by 2050 Read more
  • (23/07) Saudi Arabia, USA sign nuclear agreements Read more
  • (22/07) Molten salt reactor gets US safety design approval Read more
  • (22/07) Korean-US partnership for floating SMR platform Read more
  • (21/07) Learning from the pioneers of maritime nuclear: Former NS Savannah operator visits CORE POWER Read more
  • (21/07) Amentum selected for Savannah River AI project Read more
  • (21/07) Global nuclear M&A deals ‘double to USD7 billion’ Read more
  • (20/07) Newcleo advances MOX fuel licensing in France Read more
  • (20/07) Bulgaria’s planned AP1000s ‘strategic bilateral priority’ Read more
  • (20/07) Economic assessment filed for Swedish uranium project as law comes into force Read more

Ports

Navy

  • (24/07) Saronic, Samsung Heavy Industries forge alliance on autonomous maritime systems Read more
  • (24/07) Singapore Navy’s second Victory-class multi-role combat vessel hits the water Read more
  • (23/07) Fincantieri cuts steel for Italian Navy’s second FREMM EVO frigate Read more
  • (23/07) US Navy awards contract for mid-range maritime strike missile Read more
  • (23/07) US, partners sink decommissioned cruiser and amphibious assault ship during RIMPAC 2026 Read more
  • (22/07) Raytheon lands $1.8B US Navy contract for SPY-6 radar production and sustainment Read more
  • (22/07) Portugal selects Italy for three next-gen frigates in major naval fleet upgrade Read more
  • (21/07) Navantia lays keel of Spanish Navy’s third F110 frigate Read more
  • (21/07) Rhoads Industries, GDEB sign $2.5B deal to support US Navy submarine construction Read more
  • (21/07) Fincantieri partners with Qatar Navy on Training and Simulation Center Read more
  • (20/07) US selects construction team for new missile range instrumentation vessels Read more
  • (20/07) Naval Group, PPC Inspectra team up on Hellenic Navy’s FDI frigates Read more
  • (20/07) TotalEnergies’ subsidiary to supply Li-ion battery systems for Barracuda and Scorpene submarines Read more
  • (20/07) GAO: US Navy’s Zumwalt hypersonic missile upgrade program hit by major delay Read more

Global Shipping & Newbuild

  • (24/07) Korean yards roll out US projects as Lutnick demands ships, not MOUs Read more
  • (24/07) China smashes ship orders record in first half Read more
  • (23/07) ZPMC starts building multipurpose CLV for Far East Cable Read more
  • (23/07) Titan Wind Energy joins China’s tanker building ranks Read more
  • (22/07) Sea1’s first offshore energy support vessel launches at Chinese yard Read more
  • (22/07) COSCO orders eight heavylift ships at Chengxi Read more
  • (21/06) Yang Ming picks Hanwha Ocean for $1.2bn boxship series Read more
  • (21/07) New vessel type to speed Guinea-China iron ore trade Read more
  • (21/07) China’s Vehicle Export Machine: How Chinese OEMs are Reshaping Global Car Carrier Demand Read more
  • (20/07) China Merchants maps out $728m VLOC order Read more

Smart Maritime

  • (24/07) GTT’s integrated digital toolkit enhances Petronas-chartered LNG vessel fleet Read more

Other news

  • (24/07) Chinese yard to turn semisub into floating accommodation unit Read more
  • (24/07) Trump tariff reset clouds liners’ post-peak season Read more
  • (24/07) South Asia capacity cuts and Hormuz Closure boost freight rates to 3-year highs Read more
  • (23/07) FSRU name revealed as Europe’s new LNG terminal edges closer to completion Read more
  • (23/07) The risk of taking over a vessel without its history Read more
  • (23/07) Improving safety record masks rise in offshore fatalities Read more
  • (23/07) Dalian launches new deepsea shipping platform Read more
  • (23/07) Russia-Ukraine strikes choke Black Sea trade Read more
  • (22/07) First of five wells in €65 million North Adriatic drilling campaign yields more gas Read more
  • (22/07) War risk insurance under pressure as volatility reshapes shipping routes Read more
    (22/07) For maritime risk, look to the networks behind the ships Read more
  • (22/07) Direct hits push Hormuz tanker traffic to new lows Read more
  • (22/07) Houthi threat tightens Saudi oil pincer Read more
  • (21/07) 6,900-kilometer gas pipeline takes step forward as West African States seal the deal Read more
  • (21/07) Sinokor offers crews six months’ pay for Hormuz round trips Read more
  • (21/07) ADNOC backs $6.2bn offshore gas field expansion Read more
  • (21/07) New registries emerge for the shadow fleet Read more
  • (21/07) Tanker Count on Both Sides of Hormuz Exceeds 700 as Strait Tensions Reignite Read more
  • (21/07) Dry Bulk Shipping: Coal Usage on the Rise, Amid LNG Disruptions Read more
  • (20/07) Black Sea ships come under deadly weekend assault Read more
  • (20/07) Somali pirates seize tanker off Yemen and steer it towards Puntland Read more

Maritime Events Archive

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