[By: DNV]
DNV has awarded an Approval in Principle (AiP) to HD Hyundai Mipo for its 20,000 cbm liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO?) carrier. This AiP is another milestone in the development of next-generation CO? transport solutions in this rapidly developing vessel segment.
As the first major projects in the global carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) sector start to come on-line, shipping is stepping up to support this emerging industry. An innovative new 20K-class LCO? carrier design has been developed in close cooperation between HD Hyundai Mipo and DNV and is now recognized through the award of an Approval in Principle (AiP) at the Nor-Shipping trade fair.
The optimized design has been tailored to meet the increasing demand for efficient and secure transport of CO? for decarbonization projects worldwide. It addresses the specific challenges to CO? transport, including the high internal pressure, low-temperature conditions, and long-distance transport requirements. The AiP covers HD Hyundai Mipo’s optimized medium-pressure, type C cargo tank design, with structural safety verification for the complete vessel now finalized.
Dongjin Lee, EVP/Head of the Initial Design Div. & Detailed Design Div. at HD Hyundai Mipo, said: “We are proud to receive this Approval in Principle from DNV. The successful development of this vessel further strengthens HD Hyundai Mipo’s position as a front runner in eco-friendly shipping. This 20K LCO? carrier design offers a safe, practical solution for the expanding carbon transport market, and we are confident it will play a key role in global decarbonization efforts.”
Vidar Dolonen, Regional Manager of DNV Korea & Japan added: “This project is a successful example of global collaboration, drawing the deep technical competence and commitment to innovation between two leaders in their fields. By bringing together HD Hyundai Mipo’s technological excellence and DNV’s regulatory expertise, we are working to offer this exciting new industry a solution that can support the deployment and scaling of CCUS infrastructure and the global energy transition.”
An Approval in Principle (AiP) is an independent evaluation of a concept based on a predefined framework of requirements. It confirms the feasibility of the design and ensures there are no significant technical obstacles hindering its implementation.
[By: Torqeedo]
The “Perle Noire” is the first of a new generation of electrically powered tourist ferries to be launched in Paris. Torqeedo, the leading company for electric propulsion systems on water, has equipped the luxurious vessel with a fully integrated electric-hydraulic propulsion system in cooperation with the Breton specialist for hydraulic propulsion technology, Hydro-Armor. The “Perle Noire” offers elegant, electric-powered river cruises on the Seine, designed to accommodate up to 60 people in a modern ambience.
“The Perle Noire represents a new generation of sustainable vessels in Paris. It demonstrates that luxury and sustainability can seamlessly coexist – not only through its refined design, but also through its innovative drive,” says Matthias Vogel, SVP Global Market, Customer & Service from Torqeedo. “Our aim was to enable our guests to enjoy up to two hours of cruising on the Seine without the need to recharge. To achieve this, we equipped the ‘Perle Noire’ with six batteries with a total capacity of 480kWh. Paired with the Hydro-Armor hydraulic system, this setup provides an efficient and practical pathway towards low-emission propulsion for ships of this size.”
Maximum ride comfort with electric hydraulic drive
The vessel, which weighs 70 tons and is 22.5 meters long, is powered by three high-performance outboard motors developed by Hydro-Armor using Torqeedo’s Deep Blue 100i motors and six Deep Blue Battery 80s. The electrical energy generated by the Torqeedo motors is used to build up hydraulic pressure to drive the propeller. In addition, a bow thruster powered by another Deep Blue 50 motor ensures maximum maneuverability in the narrow passages of the Seine. All power for both propulsion and on-board systems is supplied by the six Deep Blue Battery 80s with a capacity of 80kWh each. The system is complemented by a 40m2 solar roof, which provides additional energy during sunny hours to further increase the range.
Innovation for sustainable tourism in Paris
The “Perle Noire” is a prototype of the French company SEINE ALLIANCE, which specializes in the development of innovative projects in the field of river and maritime transport, with a particular focus on sustainable tourism and environmental technologies. The “Perle Noire” was christened on April 8, 2025, in the Paris marina.
The SEINE ALLIANCE is committed to the ecological transformation of urban waterways, including pioneering propulsion concepts and solutions.
You can find more information about the “Perle Noire” here.
[By: Kongsberg Maritime]
Kongsberg Maritime has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India’s Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) during the Nor-Shipping 2025 event in Oslo, initiating a collaborative effort to explore the design of India’s first indigenous polar research vessel.
The agreement marks a significant milestone in India’s ambitions to strengthen its polar research capabilities and scientific presence in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. While still in the exploratory phase, the MoU reflects the strategic importance of polar science and the increasing global demand for advanced, sustainable research platforms.
Kongsberg Maritime brings decades of ship design expertise, including the successful delivery of complex polar research vessels for nations such as the United Kingdom and Norway. The company takes an integrated approach to vessel design, combining advanced propulsion, automation, and mission-critical systems tailored for operations in extreme polar environments and heavy ice conditions.
“This collaboration reflects the trust placed in Kongsberg Maritime’s capabilities and our long-standing commitment to supporting scientific exploration in the world’s most challenging environments,” said Annette Holte, Country Manager – India, Kongsberg Maritime.
“We are proud to support India’s vision for a state-of-the-art polar research platform. This initiative aligns strongly with the Government of India’s ‘Make in India’ policy, and we look forward to working closely with GRSE to explore innovative and locally driven design solutions.”
The proposed vessel is to support a wide range of scientific missions, including climate research, oceanography, and polar logistics. It will incorporate Kongsberg Maritime’s integrated technologies to ensure safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible operations in polar regions.
The MoU was signed at Nor-Shipping 2025, where Kongsberg Maritime is showcasing its latest innovations under the theme Technologies for Sustainable Oceans.
[By: Jotun]
Jotun, the global leader in marine coatings, has published a new report based on a survey among 1000 ship owners and operators, uncovering trends in biofouling management strategies exploring the impacts of biofouling in shipping. The report reveals that many owners and operators have faced the consequences of inadequate biofouling management through regulatory penalties or refused port access.
The Biofouling in Shipping report, which surveyed 1000 ship owners and operators across 11 countries, reveals that even though the topic on biofouling seemingly has more awareness today than compared to a few years ago, there is still knowledge gaps in the industry.
“How biofouling management plays a key role in the shipping industry’s aim to cut carbon emissions and protect biodiversity has received an increasingly more acceptance amongst port authorities and regulatory stakeholders, as well as ship owners and operators. However, although 79% of respondents considers hull performance a top priority for their company, only 31% believe their company has adequate knowledge of hull performance solutions. This highlights the importance of continuing to increase the awareness and understanding, as the environmental and economic effects are significant,” said Morten Sten Johansen, Global Category Director Hull Performance in Jotun.
The report highlights the hidden costs of the lack of proper biofouling management.
“Perhaps even more telling, today half (49%) of those surveyed avoid ports with stringent biofouling regulations, a strategy that becomes increasingly unsustainable as global standards continue to tighten,” said Petter Korslund, Regulatory Affairs Manager Hull Performance in Jotun. “We have arrived at a crossroads where regulations so far have had a regional or local focus,
which can make it difficult for ship owners and operators to navigate in the regulatory landscape. We are now seeing a shift towards a more global framework that we believe, and hope, will make it easier to manage for those who live with day-to-day operations. With that said, it remains and is all more important, to have a good biofouling management plan.”
Beyond regulatory impacts, the research reveals substantial operational consequences. More than half (50.4%) of ship owners report experiencing fuel inefficiencies as a result of biofouling, representing missed opportunities for both cost savings and meaningful progress toward decarbonisation goals. Still, as many as 1 in 5 ship owners and operators are aware that they are not using the most effective antifouling coating for each vessel in their fleet today.
“Although our findings underscore a growing recognition of the link between effective biofouling management and operational efficiency, there is still room for improvement. Ship owners that proactively seek and embrace a tailored biofouling management plan, including hull performance solutions tailored to trade, will gain a competitive edge within the market, maximising effectiveness while reducing unnecessary costs and environmental impacts,” said Johansen in Jotun, and added: “In an environment where profit margins are increasingly tight, it is more important than ever to minimise hidden costs. With more regulations on the horizon, including a legally binding biofouling framework on biofouling, our survey results are a stark reminder of the cost of being unprepared.”
Jotun’s report was presented during Nor-Shipping as a part of Jotun’s ongoing Clean shipping commitment and sets out a roadmap for rethinking biofouling as a strategic priority for the shipping industry, against a backdrop of increased regulations and efficiency obligations.
Thai Oil along with multiple government agencies are racing to contain an oil slick that occurred overnight as a supertanker owned by Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines disconnected from an offshore pipeline connection during a storm. Oil dispersants, booms, and skimmers are being deployed to contain the spill.
The National Maritime Interests Protection Center (ThaiMecc) initially reported that an estimated 10 cubic meters or approximately 10,000 liters of oil had spilled in the Si Racha District southeast of Bangkok on the Gulf of Thailand. Later reports doubled the estimate to 20,000 liters.
The supertanker Phoenix Jamnagar (311,798 dwt – registered in Singapore) was at the offshore terminal connected to the pipeline. The vessel which was built in 2019 is reported to be operating under charter to Thai Oil.
Spill was drifting to the south at 1 to 2 knots (ThaiMecc)
The spill happened around midnight on June 5 due to unexpected severe weather conditions, including high waves and sudden strong winds. The company initiated a process to stop the oil transfer but during the sudden storm, the breakaway coupling worked as designed to prevent damage to the ship or pipeline. It disengaged causing the spill which officials report took 30 minutes to stop. Safety values permitted what is being called a small amount of oil.
Officials were reporting that booms were strung at 399 and 600 meters but the spill spread to create a slick covering an area estimated at 10 meters by 10 meters (32 feet) and being driven southward at a speed of 1 to 2 knots.
Boats and helicopters with dispersant were crossing the area and a skimmer had also been deployed. The goal was to complete the skimming operation by Friday afternoon.
Thai officials said the focus remains on protecting the marine environment. They believe it was an accident caused by the sudden storm. No damage was apparent to the tanker or the pipeline.
The UK government presented a new set of proposed reforms to align its port sector for future growth. Maritime Minister Mike Kane presented to parliament on Wednesday, June 4, a draft of an amended national policy statement for ports (NPSP), and launched a public consultation which will close on July 29 for the plan document.
The government wants a review current of the NPSP which was adopted in 2012 highlighting that new infrastructure priorities are arising in ports across the UK. The proposed revisions aim to streamline the planning process for ports and expedite the approval processes. This will include clearly outlining the existing needs for port facilities and how to design applications to meet the latest requirements to avoid process delays.
One example offered for the updated proposal will more clearly outline how ports can meet obligations on noise and emissions, increasing the likelihood of achieving planning approvals and saving time and money. Greater clarity, fewer delays, and reduced costs will give ports the confidence they need to expand, emphasized the Department for Transport.
These plans tie in with wider reforms, including the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, and will see ports going further and faster with commercial projects. The reforms are coming at a time when the UK is investing in infrastructure upgrades in its major ports.
Last month, the UK announced a $47 million investment in the Port of Liverpool to develop a new deep-water terminal. Another $1 billion is being invested in the Port of Tyne to develop state-of-the-art infrastructure.
“A refreshed ports policy statement is welcome recognition from the government of the value of port development and expansion to the UK’s future prosperity. We hope it will speed up planning processes, delivering on shared industry and government economic growth ambitions,” said Richard Ballantyne, Chief Executive of the British Ports Association (BPA).
Last year, BPA warned that delays in approving port infrastructure upgrades put billions of pounds of investment at risk. The association, whose members own and operate ports in the UK, complained of the slow process of getting project approvals. In some cases, ports had to wait for almost four years for approvals.
Alongside the proposals, the government also published the UK’s port freight demand forecasts, revealing the need for long-term planning for the shipping sector. The forecast covers the years 2024 to 2050. It projects that UK port traffic will grow by 1.2 percent by 2035 and 7.8 percent by 2050. That represents an increase from 420.6 million tons in 2023 to 425.8 million tons in 2035 and to 453.5 million tons in 2050.
The growth will mostly be driven by ro-ro cargo, containers, and dry bulk freight. However, liquid bulk traffic is forecast to significantly decrease, by 63.3 percent, from 169.3 million tons in 2023 to 62.1 million tons in 2050. The decrease is likely to come from the net zero transition affecting crude oil and oil products.
Maryland’s Department of the Environment, Air, and Radiation Administration issued the final necessary approval to permit the start of construction of US Wind’s proposed offshore wind farm. The large project has received all the necessary state and local permits, but it still faces local opposition and the potential that the Trump administration could object to the approvals issued at the end of the Biden administration.
US Wind highlights it has been in review and permitting for the past four years with an arduous and thorough process of reviews. It gained approvals in 2024 from Maryland, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and in December 2024 the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management signed off on the Construction and Operation Plan for the full site. Today’s approval from Maryland is for air quality permits for the construction and operation of Maryland Offshore Wind.
US Wind, which is a partnership between investors of funds managed by Apollo Global Management and Italy’s Renexia, acquired its lease for 80,000 acres from the federal government in 2014. It proposes to build in two phases a total project with up to a total of 114 wind turbines generating between 1.8 and 2 GW of power. The project also includes four offshore substation platforms, one meteorological tower, and up to four offshore export cable corridors.
It would be located between Maryland and Delaware approximately 10 miles offshore from Ocean City, Maryland a popular tourist and vacation destination. Ocean City has opposed the project on the grounds that it would be a negative for the tourist industry as well as potentially ocean fishing. Residents in Delaware have opposed the plan to bring a cable ashore in that state.
While Trump has adamantly opposes offshore wind, the Maryland project has not drawn the same attention as New Jersey where the administration withdrew a federal air quality permit. In New York, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum withdrew federal permits for over a month on the already under construction Empire Wind project.
Burgum alleged that the permit for Empire Wind had been rushed by the Biden administration despite the approvals having been issued in February 2024. US Wind’s approval came from BOEM in December 2024 after the presidential election. At the time, the Biden administration highlighted it was the nation’s tenth commercial-scale offshore wind project to be approved.
US Wind has all the approvals required to begin construction of its project although there continue to be pending legal cases objecting to the approvals. Maryland law also provides for an appeal of today’s approval which could trigger a judicial review. A potential appeal, which is likely from the opponents of the project and offshore wind in general, must be filed in Maryland by July 14.
Jeff Grybowski, CEO of US Wind said in a statement issued to Maryland media that the company was pleased to have secured the final permit from Maryland. He emphasized the benefits of the project and said they look forward to continued engagement with the state as they work to bring the project online.
Maritime investigators in New Zealand are calling for the banning of substandard ships from the country’s water to avoid potential disasters. In the wake of the release of the final report on the near catastrophic incidents involving container ship Shiling, which twice had to be rescued and towed back to port in 2023, the investigators as saying that New Zealand can take a cue from Australia and ban substandard ships.
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) contends that the Singapore-registered Shiling, which had a notorious history of mechanical problems, should never have been allowed in New Zealand waters. TAIC is calling on the Ministry of Transport to pass a law giving Maritime NZ the authority to ban certain ships from the country. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has the powers, which it has repeatedly utilized in banning ships deemed unsafe.
In the case of Shiling, the telltale signs were already evident even before the boxship twice experienced engine failures in New Zealand waters in a span of less than a month in 2023. Evidence pointed to the fact that the ship was a disaster in waiting from as early as 2018 when she was classified as a “high risk” vessel under the Tokyo Port State Control (PSC) statutes.
In 2020, a year after Shiling Navigation purchased the vessel and tapped Asian-Alliance Ship Management as the operator providing liner services between New Zealand and ports in Asia, inspections in Russia, China, and Chile detected a total of 19 deficiencies in five PSC inspections.
The same happened in New Zealand where Maritime NZ had issued 16 deficiencies against the ship during three PSC inspections between March 2022 and March 2023, with the last one coming just a month before the first major incident. It is also emerging that twice, in February 2022 and July 2022, the Shiling suffered engine failures while arriving and departing the Port of Wellington.
“The Commission found that the Shiling had a history of deficiencies and that it’s virtually certain the ship wasn’t seaworthy while in New Zealand,” said Naveen Kozhuppakalam, TAIC’s Chief Investigator of Accidents.
Owing to its troubled history, it was just a matter of time before a serious incident could occur. It did not take long for the 294-meter (965-foot) long ship built at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries in 2005 with a capacity of 5,117 TEU to experience its first major incident.
On April 15, 2023, the Shiling was under pilotage at Wellington. Just after initiating a turn into the Wellington Harbour entrance channel, the vessel suffered a blackout that caused the main engine to stop. The momentum of the turn carried the ship into the shallow waters of Falcon Shoal, where the bridge team succeeded in using both the ship’s anchors to stop the ship from grounding. She was subsequently towed dead-ship by tugs back to its berth.
Maritime NZ issued a detention order against the Shiling and carried out detailed inspections that identified numerous deficiencies. For the next 25 days, the boxship remained at Wellington undergoing repairs to its generators and rectification of the deficiencies identified.
On May 10, the Shiling departed Wellington bound for Singapore. Normal operational standards entail that while a vessel is in port, any accumulation of oily water must be stored in tanks for later controlled discharge away from any coastline. Due to the length of the Shiling’s stay at Wellington, the various tanks used to store oily water were at capacity.
The engine room bilges were confirmed as dry before the ship departed with the chief engineer intending to begin pumping out the tanks through the approved oily water separator once the ship was outside New Zealand’s territorial waters.
Owing to adverse weather forecasts for the Tasman Sea, the master decided to take shelter near the New Zealand coast and wait for about 36 hours for the weather to abate. At about 2300 on May 11, the Shiling departed the sheltered waters bound for Singapore. Because the engineers had been unable to begin pumping out the oily water holding tanks, additional oily water that had been produced while the ship remained in sheltered waters had filled the engine room bilges and begun accumulating on the engine room tank top.
When the ship entered the Tasman Sea, it began to roll, and the free water on the tank top entered the void under the main engine sump, where three rubber diaphragms were located. The fact that all three rubber diaphragms deteriorated with age allowed the bilge water to enter the lube-oil tank, causing the lube-oil pumps to lose pressure and the main engine to stop. New Zealand’s inspectors later concluded the diaphragms had gone uninspected for years.
Given the contamination of the lube oil tank, the engineers were unable to restart the main engine. Without propulsion, the Shiling settled beam-on to the waves and began rolling heavily. At 0828, the master radioed the New Zealand Marine Operations Center to request towing assistance. At 1056, due to continued heavy rolling, the master made a mayday call and a tow vessel responded, managing to rescue the container ship to the sheltered waters of Golden Bay and eventually back to Wellington.
For the next 45 days, the Shiling remained at Wellington undergoing surveys and repairs to the main engine, further repairs to the generators in connection with the first incident, and repairs to several other systems identified as substandard. On July 7, the ship was finally allowed to depart New Zealand for Singapore.
In both incidents, there were no injuries reported for the ship’s 24 crewmembers or environmental pollution. Following the release of the final report, TAIC has gone ahead to issue several recommendations, key of which is banning substandard vessels from New Zealand’s waters.
A team of scientists is preparing to take to the sea to carry out a critical mission of mapping and studying a nuclear waste disposal site that is littered with thousands of drums that were dumped by European countries in the North Atlantic Ocean.
Starting mid-June, the team intends to sail to the Abyssal Plains in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean where they plan to map out over 200,000 barrels containing radioactive waste which were dumped over a four-decade period spanning from 1946 to 1990. The drums are believed to be at depths of between 3,000 and 5,000 meters (1.8 to over 3 miles) and were sealed in bitumen or cement before being dumped into the ocean.
The Nuclear Ocean Dump Site Survey Monitoring (NODSSUM) project aims to map the main immersion area, understand the behavior of radionuclides in the deep ocean, and interactions with the ecosystem. The drums are said to contain mainly radioactive waste from the development of nuclear power produced by several European countries between 1949 and 1982.
According to declarations to the International Atomic Energy Agency made by the dumping states, the barrels contain low or intermediate-level radioactive residues like process sludge, contaminated metal parts, ion exchange resins, and laboratory and office equipment among others. Though the radioactive activity of the waste is believed to have decreased significantly since its immersion due to the natural decay of the isotopes, there are concerns that some long-lived elements may remain.
From June 15, scientists will be in the North Atlantic waters for a month-long mission to locate and detect possible leaks. The team is led by the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and includes scientists from the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (Ifremer), and the Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Authority (ASNR) among other organizations.
During the period, the team intends to crisscross the dumping sites by deploying the French Oceanographic Fleet underwater vehicle UlyX. Using its high-resolution sonar, the Ifremer-operated robot will navigate at approximately 70 meters above the seafloor to map and identify the barrels and will approach a distance of 10 meters to photograph them and identify areas for water, sediment, and fauna sampling.
Ultimately, the scientists will be able to analyze the presence of radionuclides in the water and their impact on the marine environment. The research ship they are using is equipped with radioactivity measurement instruments.
Based on the results of the first mission, a second expedition that is still in the planning stages will involve the deployment of a remotely operated robot or a manned submarine to carry out studies and samples in the direct vicinity of the barrels. The team is putting a strong emphasis on safety and has no intention of bringing the drums to the surface.
“Beyond the minimization of risks, the logistics would be too complex and without scientific interest. The objective of the project is to assess their state in situ, using underwater vehicles, and to study the environmental conditions around them,” states NODSSUM on its website.
The NODSSUM expedition is part of the Prime Radiocean project that is involved in missions that seek to better understand radioactive waste risks in marine environments, thus contributing to the development of safer and more sustainable nuclear waste management policies.
In the vast expanses of the world’s oceans, a silent yet pervasive threat is taking shape: nurdles. These tiny, pre-production plastic pellets, measuring between 2 to 5 millimeters in diameter, are fundamental to the plastics industry, serving as the building blocks for a myriad of plastic products. However, their small size belies the significant environmental and potential health hazards they pose.
The start of 2024 highlighted the ongoing problem of plastic nurdle pollution. In January, the news reported a significant incident involving a spillage of nurdles from a shipping container caused by a storm the vessel encountered in December 2023. Over 1000 sacks of plastic nurdles were lost from a Danish ship, and 25 tonnes of plastic pellets fell from a Liberian vessel. These spills had a considerable impact on Spain, where vast quantities of nurdles washed up on the coastline and are notoriously hard to collect.
Nurdles pose a significant threat to marine ecosystems because they are often spilled during transportation, resulting in millions of nurdles entering the marine environment annually. Due to their minuscule size, they are not always readily visible except when they wash up in unusually huge quantities. Often mistaken for food by a wide range of marine species, they are ingested once they enter the ocean. This misidentification is particularly dangerous for smaller marine organisms, as it can lead to internal injuries, blockages, and starvation. Furthermore, as nurdles break down over time, they can release harmful chemicals, especially if they have absorbed toxic substances. These chemicals may contaminate the food chain and disrupt the delicate balance of marine ecosystems.
One of the most concerning aspects of nurdle pollution is its ability to accumulate in remote and pristine areas. Ocean currents and wind can transport nurdles across vast distances, carrying them to even the most isolated islands and coastlines. This widespread distribution makes it challenging to contain and clean up nurdle pollution, further exacerbating its negative impact on marine life.
Plastic nurdles leaking into the environment can be argued to be potentially worse than an oil spill. In the rare occurrence of an oil spill, most of it can be cleared away by specialized equipment, dispersants, biological agents, or via nature alone. However, when these plastic pellets enter the marine environment, they could end up anywhere depending on currents, making recovery at sea very difficult. Most of the recovery can only be done when it hits land, and over time they get buried in beaches, which makes recovering every nurdle impossible.
This was the case with the X-Press Pearl disaster in 2021. Following the fire and subsequent sinking of the ship, plastic pellets were found in the bellies and gills of local fish and washed up on Sri Lankan beaches as far as the eye could see. This is not the only case of nurdles spilled from containers. In 2017, approximately 2.25 billion nurdles spilled from a moored ship in Durban, South Africa. It was reported in various news outlets that these nurdles traveled as far as the southwest coast of Western Australia.
Global Efforts to Mitigate Nurdle Pollution
At MEPC 82 in October 2024, some progress was made towards tackling the plastic pollution problem, however, there was a lack of concrete decisions and enforceable legislation. Delegates approved the guidelines on good practice relating to clean-up of plastic pellets from ship-source releases. These provide practical guidance for government authorities on issues such as contingency planning, response, post-spill monitoring and analysis, and intervention and cost recovery.
In addition, the committee continued discussions on the development of mandatory regulations to address plastic pellets released from ships. These would build on the non-mandatory recommendations for the carriage of plastic pellets by sea in freight containers approved by MEPC 81, and the aforementioned best practice guidelines. While it is a positive step to see IMO discussions held and guidelines developed, given the significance of the plastic pollution challenge, the implementation of mandatory regulations as soon as possible is essential.
In January 2025, the Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR 12) agreed to a draft action plan to address Marine Plastic Litter from ships. The plan dictates the need to develop mandatory measures to reduce environmental risks when plastic pellets are transported by sea in freight containers. This was to be reviewed in the MEPC 83 that occurred in April 2025.
While significant progress has been made in recent years, the challenge of mitigating nurdle pollution remains substantial. The widespread distribution of nurdles and the ongoing production of plastic products make it difficult to eliminate this environmental threat, especially while the industry continues to wait for mandatory regulations. However, by continuing to implement effective prevention and cleanup measures, and by promoting sustainable practices, it is possible to significantly reduce the impact of nurdles on marine ecosystems and human health.
Emma Forbes-Gearey is the Loss Prevention Officer for West P&I
