The carbonization of shipping in combination with new technologies and the recovery of the international competitiveness of European shipyards dominated this year's edition of the Poseidonia shipping exhibition, the curtain of which fell on Friday, 07/06, with a record number of visitors, which according to the organizers exceeded 30,000 people.

Αt the same time, the business deals were also unprecedented, with major players in the shipping industry coming together to conclude important agreements. Atlas Maritime will order two more Suezmax tankers at South Korea's DH shipyard, bringing Leo Patitsa's current order book to over $2 billion.

ONEX Group has signed an agreement with leading international tug design company Robert Allan for a €280 million production line of 30 tugs, at least 20 of which are expected to be completed by 2026, in a strategic partnership that aims to change the landscape in the Greek market, as exclusive rights to build a specific range of tugs in the country are granted to ONEX Group.

Two South Korean companies, Korean classification society KR and HD Hyundai, have signed an MoU to collaborate on the pilot project to develop a next-generation smart ship solution.

The project aims to equip and demonstrate the implementation of next-generation smart ship solutions.

KR plans to conduct technical inspections based on classification societies' rules as well as local and international regulations, which will verify the suitability of the next generation smart ship solutions.

Also, Evangelos Marinakis, founder of Capital Maritime & Trading Corp, announced the order of six VLCC (Very Large Crude Carriers) tankers with LNG fuel capability from Chinese shipyard CSSC.

This move highlights Capital Maritime's significant investment in dual-fuel technology, making it a leader in environmentally friendly shipping solutions.

Additionally, Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) and classification society Lloyd's Register chose Neptune 2024 to sign a joint development plan for the creation of the largest ammonia carrier (VLAC) in the world. With a capacity of 100,000 cubic metres, the vessel will feature an independent IMO Type B tank for the safe storage of ammonia, which is expected to optimise its operational efficiency.

In addition, Franman, a supplier to the shipping industry, announced an agreement with International Maritime Industries (IMI) of Saudi Arabia to become the exclusive agent for Greece and Cyprus of the largest shipyard in the Middle East and North Africa. Africa.

The agreement involves the promotion and attraction of potential customers from the two markets for IMI's Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) services.

SIRC Group, the Saudi Arabian recycling investment company wholly owned by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Greek company Hellenic Environmental Center SA (HEC).

Engineer Ziyad Al-Sheiha, CEO of SIRC, and Dimitris Melissanidis, chairman of the HEC board of directors, both signed the MoU.

The American classification society ABS signed a Memorandum of Understanding with HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co., Ltd. (HD KSOE), HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Co., Ltd. (HHI) and the Liberian Institute of Shipping and Customs (LISCR) to collaborate on the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to eliminate ship safety blind spots.

LASSIFICATION and the technical advisor to the US classification society ABS also announced that they are moving forward with the creation of a seafarers' training centre for ship safety "Greek Ship Safety Centre" to be established "for the benefit of the entire industry".

The new centre to be established in Athens will be a place where "the changing dimensions of safety will meet the next generation of learning. The project has garnered the support of the Greek Ministry of Shipping and Insular Policy, as well as the Greek Shipowners' Association.

Man Energy Solutions has signed a memorandum of understanding with Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) to develop a crew training programme in the handling of ammonia as fuel on board ships.

Finally, CAPITAL GAS, ERMA FIRST and BABCOCK signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to install an innovative carbon capture and storage (CCS) system, Fit Carbon, on four new carbon dioxide (LCO2) carriers.