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Fortescue ends bitter green iron battle with Element Zero

Cecilia Jamasmie | November 26, 2025 | 

Fortescue’s founder and largest shareholder, Andrew Forrest. (Image: Fortescue Metals Group.)

Australia’s Fortescue (ASX: FMG) has agreed to settle its high-stakes lawsuit accusing former executives of stealing company data to build their green iron start-up Element Zero.

The iron ore miner had claimed that former chief scientist Bart Kolodziejczyk and former technology development lead Bjorn Winther-Jensen used green iron technology they helped develop while at Fortescue to form Element Zero.

Company lawyers argued the work was tied to Fortescue’s broader push for hydrogen-based solutions in its pursuit of what it called the green ore holy grail. Element Zero chief executive Michael Masterman, also a former Fortescue employee, was named in the case.

The spat intensified as Fortescue used private investigators who produced surveillance reports that included photographs of children and private homes, details taken from rifled mail and tracking of family members. The company also won court approval for raids on the homes and offices of Element Zero principals, leading to the seizure of about 9 million documents.

Hole in the pocket

Fortescue hit a major setback last month when Federal Court Justice Brigitte Markovic rejected its push to access all of Element Zero’s work, something the miner’s own counsel had argued in September was needed to run the case.

“We are delighted to put this episode behind us,” Masterman said in a statement. “We can now focus all of our deep and capable technical resources on rapidly advancing our iron-ore-to-iron technology and developing our manufacturing sites in the Pilbara heartland of Port Hedland and in the US.”

Element Zero said each side would cover its own expenses.

The start-up’s $10 million in funding has been heavily depleted by its legal defence, leaving it in need of far more capital to prove commercial viability and build its planned manufacturing sites. The outcome raises the question of whether Fortescue would have been better off taking a stake in the venture instead of dragging its former executives through court.

 

Brazil’s Prumo sells stake in joint venture with Anglo American

Reuters | November 14, 2025 | 

Porto do Açu is a major Brazilian seaport and industrial hub. Image: Porto do Açu

Brazilian logistics firm Prumo said on Friday it agreed to sell its 50% stake in Ferroport, a joint venture with miner Anglo American that operates an iron ore terminal at Rio de Janeiro’s Acu Port.

The Ferroport stake is being sold to investment firm 3Point2, which had financial support from lender BTG Pactual, Prumo said in a statement.

Financial details were not disclosed.

Closing of the deal still depends on some conditions, Prumo added.

“The transaction is in line with Prumo’s strategy of simplifying its corporate structure and optimizing its capital structure,” it said.

(By Rodrigo Viga Gaier; Editing by Natalia Siniawski)

TIPC Diversified Investment Businesses

Taiwan International Ports Corporation 

Kaohsiung Port Warehouse No.2 (KW2)

Published Nov 15, 2025 4:20 PM by The Maritime Executive

[By: Taiwan International Ports Corporation]

Established in 2012 by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications ROC, Taiwan International Ports Corporation (TIPC) is in charge of seven international ports in Keelung, Taipei, Suao, Taichung, Kaohsiung, Anping, Hualien, and operates two domestic commercial ports in Budai and Penghu.

TIPC’s main business includes specializing in international commercial port management, container and bulk cargo loading and unloading, freight warehousing, international cruise terminals and other core port businesses. In line with international port management trends, TIPC seeks to diversify business scope through asset development, reinvestment, and international expansion.

TIPC has actively developed investment businesses since 2014 and now holds more than 20% of the equity in a total of 7 investment affiliates and subsidiaries, focusing on the main port industry such as harbor towage service, warehousing & logistics, land development around the port area to create higher economic value.

In addition, in accordance with offshore wind power policies, TIPC has developed offshore wind power related business such as “O&M”, “logistics & warehousing” “wind power talent cultivation”, and “heavy cargo transportation”.

Meanwhile, in response to government’s New Southbound Policy and TIPC’s investment strategy, TIPC has worked with affiliates to explore countries in Southeast Asia with economic development potential and cargo sources, and deployed port-related and extended industries in ports, logistics and terminals in order to promote the diversified development.

Outreach core competencies of port business and capacity

Working Vessels & Operations and Maintenance
Founded in 2014, TIPC Marine Corporation (TIPM) is TIPC 100% subsidiary. The main business projects are shipping related services in commercial port areas such as vessel entry and exit and berthing operations, and high-quality ship repair services.

TIPM has provided vessels and onshore facility services for major offshore wind developers and EPCI (Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Installation) companies, earning recognition for its high service quality since 2017.

The fleets of TIPM include CTVs, tugs, and barges. TIPM has participated in the construction of most offshore wind farms in Taiwan, providing personnel transportation, heavy cargo transport, guard vessel services and onshore facility leasing.

Notably, TIPM has built long-term partnership and project collaboration with offshore wind developer. Additionally, TIPM manages Taiwan's largest offshore wind O&M base at Taichung Port to form the industrial cluster.

Heavy Cargo Transportation
Taiwan International Ports Heavy-Machinery Corporation (TIPH), established in 2020 as a joint venture between TIPC and Giant Heavy Machinery Service Corporation, specializes in heavy cargo transportation and offshore wind project management.

TIPH offers customized logistics planning, construction method design, and equipment support, including cargo-specific assessments, lifting and transport equipment configuration, and route planning — all delivered through an integrated approach to ensure high safety and execution quality.

TIPH has actively participated in numerous Taiwan’s offshore wind farm projects to transport key components such as pin piles, jackets, blades, towers, and nacelles.

TIPH will take a more proactive role in clean energy industry projects in the future.

With abundant experience and strong execution capability, TIPH is dedicated to becoming the hub for heavy cargo transportation and port engineering in the Asia-Pacific region.

Logistics Services
Taiwan International Ports Logistics Corporation (TIPL), as a joint venture between TIPC and 3 private enterprises, was established in 2014.

TIPL operates warehousing and logistics businesses in Kaohsiung, Taichung and Taipei Ports, with leased warehouses located in the Free Trade Zone. TIPL takes advantage of the Free Trade Zone to mainly provide various high value-added logistics services.

TIPL operates “Maritime Cargo Express Service” in Taipei Ports for the demand of goods in real time and small quantities. The service provides fast and efficient logistics solution for cross-border logistics in the Asia region.

In recent years, to meet the demand of offshore wind energy industry, TIPL has been actively seeking offshore wind energy business opportunities since 2021, and provide indoor/ outdoor storage area at Taichung Port for offshore wind farm O&M parts storage.

The end customers include offshore wind energy developers and equipment suppliers. In the future, TIPL will also seek to become an O&M Base of offshore wind energy operator.

Waterfront Development
Kaohsiung Port Land Development Corporation (KPLD) was established in 2017.

The main business services are to promote the development of the old port areas of Kaohsiung Port and the surrounding areas, and combine the resources and platforms of TIPC and Kaohsiung City Government to achieve the goals and benefits of regional development.

Nowadays, KW2 and Kaohsiung Port Depot have been iconic landmarks in Kaohsiung city. With the collaboration of port and city, KPLD demonstrates successfully resilience of ports from cargo transportation to waterfront recreation.

Bridging Asia Pacific Region

New South Bound
TIPC actively promotes internationalization and expands overseas investment business in line with the government's New Southbound Policy. PT. Formosa Sejati Logistics (FSL) and Taiwan Foundation International Pte. Ltd (TFI) were established in 2018.

FSL mainly operates container distribution and logistics warehousing in Surabaya, Indonesia, and also provides container consolidation, container maintenance, inland and ocean freight, and third-party logistics operations (integrated logistics).

TIPC sets up TFI in Singapore by cooperating with domestic shipping, port and logistics business operators, in order to evaluate suitable targets in Southeast Asiancountries to carry out investment planning and management business in ports, international logistics and other industries.

Talent Cultivation
Founded in 2018, Taiwan International Windpower Training Co., Ltd. (TIWTC) is a joint venture between TIPC and several state-owned and private enterprises affiliated with the offshore wind industry.

TIWTC is committed to cultivating offshore wind professionals who meet international standards. As one of the largest offshore wind training centers in the Asia-Pacific region, TIWTC operates advanced training facilities and delivers safety and technical training modules accredited by the Global Wind Organization (GWO).

TIWTC also offers Dynamic Positioning (DP) courses certified by the Nautical Institute (NI), providing a broad range of specialized maritime training programs.

Training more than 1,000 participants annually, TIWTC has successfully cultivated over 10,000 offshore wind professionals to date. It has held the highest number of GWO certifications in Asia for four consecutive years and was honored with the GWO “Training Team of the Year – Asia Pacific” award in 2024, in recognition of outstanding training performance on the international stage.

In 2025, TIWTC was nominated for the fifth time as the GWO “Training Team of the Year – Asia Pacific. In 2024, TIWTC established a subsidiary in Japan, further strengthening regional presence and reinforcing role as a key connector of global offshore wind talent.

Future Prospects
TIPC aims to become a world-leading port management group. Due to the changes and increasingly intense competition in the international port ecosystem, in order to overcome the challenge in its core business, TIPC draws on the experience of international benchmark port groups to enhance corporate value and competitiveness through diversification and conglomeration.

The products and services herein described in this press release are not endorsed by The Maritime Executive.

 

Oman to Build Clean Energy Bunker and Export Hub in Salalah

File image courtesy Salalah Port Services

Published Nov 12, 2025 2:15 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

HIF Global and Acciona Nordex Green Hydrogen have signed a deal with Oman's Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology to explore the building of an e-methanol production and bunkering hub in the port of Salalah, in Oman's Dhofar Province. The project leverages vast wind and solar farms producing electricity which are being built in the hinterland behind Salalah, in projects involving EDF, Fortescue, J-Power, Marubeni and Samsung.

The port of Salalah has experienced major growth in recent years, both in container and general cargo traffic. Container traffic grew 21% in the 1H25 compared with the same period last year, with movement of 2.03M TEUs, largely a consequence of the rounding-out of Gemini services provided by Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd. General cargo over the equivalent periods grew by 11%, largely on the back of increased gypsum dry bulk cargo. After a recent expansion, Salalah can now handle 6M TEUs annually, and in recent years throughput has grown quickly to match capacity as new facilities are introduced.

The port of Salalah is particularly popular with visiting sailors in the summer, when the local area uniquely enjoys lush green vegetation and monsoon rains, at a time when temperatures in the rest of the region are in the high 40Cs.

HIF Global, based in Houston (TX), has expertise in building and delivering projects which combine captured CO2 and hydrogen - produced by the solar and wind energy - to produce e-methanol. E-methanol can in turn be refined to produce synthetic substitutes for petrol, diesel and aviation fuel.

Separately, two sovereign-owned companies, OQ Alternative Energy and Asyad Shipping, are working with A.P. Moller-Maersk and Sumitomo Middle East to provision e-ammonia and e-methanol bunkering and export facilities at Salalah, but also in the port of Duqm. A local firm, Horizon Energy Salalah, has already signed a lease agreement creating a biofuel storage hub in Salalah.

Fortescue’s Forrest doesn’t get the hype over critical minerals

Kristie Batten | October 31, 2025 |

L-R Fortescue CEO metals Dino Otranto, executive chairman Andrew Forrest and CEO growth and energy Gus Pichot. (Photo by Kristie Batten.)

Fortescue (ASX: FMG) founder and executive chairman Andrew Forrest said on Friday that the company was progressing critical minerals projects despite not understanding the “fuss” surrounding the strategic metals.

Speaking at Fortescue’s annual general meeting in Perth, Forrest said the company remained committed to its critical minerals projects but questioned the hype following a deal signed by US President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on October 20.

“It was good. Knock yourselves out. I mean, I don’t see anything that rare about critical minerals,” Forrest told reporters following the meeting. 

“You’ve got declining strategic commodity prices everywhere. I don’t see the fuss, but anyway, other people do so it’s good for the business. We’ve got plenty of critical minerals, which we’re happy to get out of the ground.”

Despite downplaying the sector, Forrest admitted Fortescue was exploring for rare earths in Brazil, where CEO of growth and energy Gus Pichot had discovered “buckets” of material.

“There’s nothing rare about rare earths. [Pichot’s] got a small ocean of it,” he said. “I’d like to see it developed and cranking across to Louisiana and getting developed.”

His comments coincided with Fortescue’s wholly owned subsidiary Wyloo Metals and joint venture partner Hastings Technology Metals (ASX: HAS) signing a non-binding agreement with Ucore Rare Metals (TSXV: UCU). They will explore a long-term offtake agreement for concentrate from the Yangibana project in Western Australia and hydrometallurgical processing options in Louisiana.

Failure key

Forrest reaffirmed Fortescue’s commitment to achieving real zero emissions by 2030, defending the company’s investment in decarbonization.

“This $6.2 billion investment we took back in 2022 will pay dividends. I give you my assurance and sure, we’re the guys up front with the arrows in the back, to be dragged down and told we failed here, we failed there,” Forrest told the meeting. 

“Honestly, it just put steel into the spine of the 20,000 people who work at Fortescue getting constantly criticized. Decarbonization is not a straight line. It demands creativity, experimentation and relentless innovation. We’ve literally had to invent our way through.”

Fortescue has walked away from some of its green hydrogen projects amid weak economics, but Forrest said trying and failing was the “fast track to success.”

“We specialized into hydrogen, believing it would get really big – it hasn’t yet,” Forrest said. “What is enormous is replacing fossil fuel-generated energy with renewables, firmed by the breakthrough we’ve all seen in batteries. That is a crossover point in history, and that’s beginning to happen.”

Forrest conceded there had been job losses in its green energy division but said Fortescue was creating jobs elsewhere.

“I don’t know the net number, but we’re swinging harder and harder into R&D. That is where the value is,” he said. 

“We’ve got smartest people in the world working for us. Other people can do spectacular manufacturing. We did what we said we’d do. We’d see if we could compete on manufacturing. We couldn’t, but we can definitely compete on R&D.”

Trump, big oil criticized

Forrest also took aim at big oil companies and Trump, accusing them of dividing the world on climate change.

“You’ve got a President of the United States who declared that climate change is the greatest con job in history, straight in the face of massive investment by some of the smartest people I will ever meet,” he said.

“We’ve got these two stories unfolding, one of progress, one of retraction. One side is racing to deploy renewables at record speed. The other is changing to a view of a romanticized past that never even existed as their own economics fall away.”

His comments followed rival Hancock Prospecting’s annual results on Thursday, when CEO Garry Korte warned that Australia could not afford the cost of reaching net zero.

Forrest dismissed the claim. “All I can say is that we’re seeing economic growth. We’re seeing investment … so trying to pedal yourself back to a utopian history which never existed anyway is not a way to grow an economy,” he said.

Mr President, Take Our Critical Minerals: Albanese in the White House

by Binoy Kampmark / October 28th, 2025

The October 20 performance saw few transgressions and many feats of compliance. As a guest in the White House, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was in no mood to be combative, and US President Donald Trump was accommodating. There was, however, an odd nervous glance shot at the host at various points.

The latest turn of events from the perspective of those believing in Australian sovereignty, pitifully withered as it is, remains dark. In an attempt to seize a share of a market currently dominated by China, Albanese has willingly placed Australia’s rare earths and critical minerals at the disposal of US strategic interests. The framework document focusing on mining and processing of such minerals is drafted with the hollow language of counterfeit equality. The objective “is to assist both countries in achieving resilience and security of minerals and rare earths supply chains, including mining, separation and processing”. The necessity of securing such supply is explicitly noted for reasons of war or, as the document notes, “necessary to support manufacturing of defense and advanced technologies” for both countries.

The US and Australia will draw on the money bags of the private sector to supplement government initiatives (guarantees, loans, equity and so forth), an incentive that will cause much salivating joy in the mining industry. Within 6 months “measures to provide at least $1 billion in financing to projects located in each of the United States and Australia expected to generate end product for delivery to buyers in the United States and Australia.”

The inequality of the agreement does not bother such analysts as Bryce Wakefield, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Institute of International Affairs. He mysteriously thinks that Albanese did not “succumb to the routine sycophancy we’ve come to expect from other leaders”, something of a “win”. With the skill of a cabalist, he identified the benefits in the critical minerals framework which he thinks will be “the backbone for joint investment in at least six Australian projects.” The agreement would “counter China’s dominance over rare earths and supply chains.”

Much of what was agreed between Trump and Albanese was barely covered by the sleepwalking press corps, despite the details of a White House factsheet. There were more extorting deals extracted from Canberra, with agreements to purchase US$1.2 billion in Anduril unmanned underwater vehicles and US$2.6 billion worth of Apache helicopters. Of particular significance was the agreement to push Australia’s superannuation funds to increase investments in the US to US$1.44 trillion by 2035, which would increase the pool by US$1 trillion. “This unprecedented investment will create tens of thousands of new, high paying jobs for Americans.”

Back in Australia, attention was focused on other things. The mock affair known as the opposition party tried to make something of the personal ribbing given by Trump to Australia’s ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd. Small minds are distracted by small matters, and instead of taking issue with the appalling cost of AUKUS with its chimerical submarines, or the voluntary relinquishment of various sectors of the Australian economy to US control, Sussan Ley of the Liberal Party was adamant that Rudd be sacked. This was occasioned by an encounter where Trump had turned to the Australian PM to ask if “an ambassador” had said anything “bad about me”. Trump’s follow up remarks: “Don’t tell me, I don’t want to know.” The finger was duly pointed at Rudd by Albanese. “You said bad?” inquired Trump. Rudd, never one to manage the brief response, spoke of being critical of the president in his pre-ambassadorial phase but that was all in the past. “I don’t like you either,” shot Trump in reply. “And I probably never will.”

This was enough to exercise Ley, who claimed to be “surprised that the president didn’t know who the Australian ambassador was”. This showed her thin sheet grasp of White House realities. Freedom Land’s previous presidents have struggled with names, geography and memory, the list starting with such luminaries as Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. Not knowing the name of an ambassador from an imperial outpost is hardly a shock.

The Australian papers and broadcasters, however, drooled and saw seismic history in the presence of casual utterance. Sky News host Sharri Markson was reliably idiotic: “The big news of course is President Trump’s meeting with Albanese today and the major news story to come out of it is Trump putting Rudd firmly in his place.” Often sensible in her assessments, the political columnist Annabel Crabb showed she had lost her mind, imbibing the Trump jungle juice and relaying it to her unfortunate readers. “From his humble early days as a child reading Hansard in the regional Sunshine State pocket of Eumundi, Kevin Rudd has been preparing for this martyrdom.”

Having been politically martyred by the Labor Party at the hands of his own deputy Julia Gillard in June 2010, who challenged him for being a mentally unstable, micromanaging misfit driving down poll ratings, this was amateurish. But a wretchedly bad story should not be meddled with. At the very least, Crabb blandly offered a smidgen of humour, suggesting that Albanese, having gone into the meeting “with the perennially open chequebook for American submarines, plus an option over our continent’s considerable rare-earths reserves” was bound to come with some human sacrifice hovering “in the ether.”

In this grand abdication of responsibility by the press and bought think tankers, little in terms of detail was discussed about the next annexation of Australian control over its own affairs by the US. It was all babble about the views of Trump and whether, in the words of Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Rudd “did an extremely good job, not only in getting the meeting, but doing the work on the critical minerals deal and AUKUS”. For the experts moored in antipodean isolation, Rudd had either been bad by being disliked for past remarks on the US chief magistrate, or good in being a representative of servile facilitation. To give him his due, Wakefield was correct to note how commentators in Australia “continue to personalise the alliance” equating it to “an episode of The Apprentice.”

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Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He lectures at RMIT University, Melbourne. Email: bkampmark@gmail.com. Read other articles by Binoy.

 

Chinese Shipyard Launches First Two Large Ammonia-Fueled Bulkers

Chinese shipyard has floated the first large, ammonia-fueled dry bulk carriers (CSSC)

Published Oct 19, 2025 6:48 PM by The Maritime Executive

Construction is proceeding on the first large ammonia-fueled bulkers, which were ordered by CMB.TECH for Bocimar, its operator of dry bulk carriers. The ships are being built in China, and when delivered, will be pioneers for ocean-going, ammonia-fueled shipping.

Beihai Shipyard, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, reports it recently floated out the first two Newcastlemax dry bulk carriers. The ships are 300 meters (984 feet) in length and, when completed, will be 210,000 dwt. CMB.TECH currently has a total of 10 Newcastlemax vessels on order that will be fitted with ammonia-fueled propulsion and an additional eight vessels that will be ready for a future conversion to ammonia.

CMB.TECH announced the project in 2023 as an effort to lead shipping into ammonia as an alternative fuel. It partnered with WinGD to develop the X72DF engine, a two-stroke engine capable of operating on ammonia as its fuel. Later, the companies announced they were making progress on the 72-bore ammonia engine, and this year, WinGD highlighted good progress on the engines. Its first ammonia engine, a 52-bore, was installed in August 2025 in a gas carrier newbuild at HD Hyundai in South Korea.

Benhai reports that before floating out the two vessels from the dry dock, it completed the installation of four engines and one auxiliary boiler for each ship. They expect to proceed with the testing simultaneously on the two vessels to shorten the construction period.

CMB.TECH has reported that it has entered into an agreement with Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) for the joint ownership of three of the ammonia-fueled bulkers. These vessels are due to be delivered in 2026 and 2027, with MOL taking them on 12-year charters. Separately, CMB.TECH has also announced a charter with Fortescue for another one of the ammonia-powered ore carriers. Fortescue will get its ship by the end of 2026, and the plan calls for it to operate transporting ore from Australia’s Pilbara to customers in China and around the world.

CSSC reported that Beihai has overcome difficulties in its operations and is accelerating various construction projects. After the floatout from the dry dock of the two vessels for CMB.TECH, Beihai reports the bottom blocks were set for two more of the Newcastle carriers ordered by the Belgian company. The two that started construction are part of the ammonia-ready portion of the order. Work has also started on another one of the large ore carriers for CMB.TECH.

DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insights database lists only three ammonia-fueled ships in operation in the world, including the OSV converted by Fortescue and a tug converted by NYK. They project both the Exmar gas carrier being built in South Korea and the first of the CMB.TECH bulkers will be delivered this year, with ammonia-fueled deliveries accelerating in the coming years. It lists 22 ammonia-fueled ships for delivery in 2026 and a total of 39 on order for delivery by 2029.

 

IMO Fails to Adopt and Adjourns for One Year the Net-Zero Framework

TRUMP SABOTAGE

IMO at the end of a contentious week adjourned the vote on the Net-Zero Framework for one year (IMO)

Published Oct 17, 2025 4:34 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

At the end of what may have been one of the most contentious weeks in the history of the International Maritime Organization, the member states voted to adjourn discussions for one year on the Net-Zero Framework, which was designed to create a global standard for shipping decarbonization. The IMO emphasized that work would continue to create consensus and, in the interim, amendments to MARPOL would proceed, but the news drew wide condemnation and criticism of the IMO, with a few, namely the United States, celebrating the vote as a “win.”

The Net-Zero Framework had been formulated in April 2025 after an equally contentious session, but in the end won the support from 63 member states to move it forward. Shipping was recognized as the first industry to propose a global approach to decarbonization. The framework would have also created the first global carbon pricing mechanism for any industry. It would also have provided clarity for an industry that needs uniformity and a global approach to regulation.

The IMO’s leaders had admitted that more work needed to be done to complete the framework. However, going into this week, they were still confident that the support existed. Normally, the IMO seeks to make agreements by consensus and avoids giving any appearance of disunity by carrying measures only with thin majorities.

“While the Net-Zero Framework is far from perfect, adopting it would have been an important step to deliver on the IMO’s commitment and send key signals to an industry that was not only asking for a global framework, but actively supported this deal,” said John Maggs, the Clean Shipping Coalition’s Representative at the IMO. 

During the session, many national delegates reserved their positions, perhaps nervous after Donald Trump posted the day before the vote that he was bitterly opposed to what he described as “this Global Green New Scam Tax on Shipping,” and the creation of a “Green New Scam Bureaucracy” to spend money on “Green dreams.”

Behind the scenes, the United States threatened in the run-up to the meeting to impose tariffs and port taxes to counteract the measure, regarding it as a threat to consumers and to the competitiveness of the U.S. merchant fleet that Trump is seeking to bolster. Other nations, including Saudi Arabia, proposed amendments while there were growing reports of bullying and “undiplomatic” efforts.

Attempts to change delegates’ minds continued throughout the morning today, October 17, at the committee session and over lunchtime, made it clear to those supporting adoption of the Net-Zero Framework the risk they would not win a vote with sufficient authority. Within the IMO, plenary votes can be overturned if states representing more than 50 percent of registered tonnage subsequently object in writing. 

At the IMO Secretariat’s suggestion, the meeting then took a vote and adopted a proposal to adjourn the question for one year, with many countries that had not declared their position voting in favor of the postponement. The final vote was 57 countries in favor of the delay and 49 against the delay.

In the run-up to the vote, the United States, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Liberia, and Saudi Arabia were amongst those opposed to the adoption of the framework. China, the European Union, Brazil, and the United Kingdom were openly in favor, but Cyprus, Greece, and Malta threatened to break the European 27-strong bloc vote by voting against or abstaining.

The view is that whereas a failure to secure support for a measure would be its death sentence, the nature of debate at the extraordinary session suggests that those supporting the measure will now seek to modify it, in order to win stronger support in one year’s time. They may regard securing an adjournment as a victory, given there was a strong possibility that if the framework had been put to a vote, it would have been defeated. Those opposed to the framework appeared keener to kill it off than to see it modified.

IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez, who had been confident of the adoption, was largely silent after the vote. He said it would take time to regroup. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, however, called it “another huge win,” while U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz posted a message on social media saying that with the U.S. leadership, they had prevented a “massive UN tax hike.”

The NGO community and environmental organizations were quick to react, along with many parts of the shipping industry. The International Chamber of Shipping, which had been a strong supporter of the carbon fees and fund program, said it was disappointed and highlighted “the industry needs clarity.” It has raised the fear of many that individual nations or regions might move ahead, creating a patchwork of regulations on the industry.

The European Shipping Council highlighted that the industry is international and requires meaningful global regulations to guide its decarbonization. They said it is essential for a “level playing field” to deliver the energy transition of international shipping.

The influential group Danish Shipping issued a statement saying that “geopolitics derailed the green transition,” and expressing its disappointment. “This is not what we came for. We came here to finally conclude a crucial climate agreement for international shipping,” said Danish Shipping’s CEO, Anne H. Steffensen.

Smaller and island nations had been relentless in their advocacy. The Minister for Climate Change for the Republic of Vanuatu said they had been reluctant supporters, highlighting that the framework “lacks the ambition,” but was a significant step. He said the delay is “unacceptable given the urgency we face in light of accelerating climate change.”

Andrew Fortescue, who was a strong supporter and advocate for decarbonization efforts, spoke out against the bullying that was going on. His company later issued a statement highlighting its disappointment and saying, “today’s outcome represents a lost opportunity for the world.”

“By delaying adoption of its Net Zero Framework, IMO has today squandered an important opportunity to tackle global shipping's contribution to climate breakdown,” said Maggs of the Clean Shipping Coalition. “With climate warming impacts being felt everywhere on Earth, kicking this decision down the road is simply evading reality.”

The UCL Energy Institute noted that the IMO and the member states had failed to complete the next milestone forward in the program toward the entry into force of the Net Zero framework, leaving many to question what is next.

“This is catastrophic for confidence, and therefore also for the equitable and ambitious decarbonization we need,” said Dr. Tristan Smith, Professor of Energy and Transport at UCL Energy Institute Shipping & Oceans Research Group. “We will now have to double down on other means to drive shipping GHG reduction and energy transition.”

Maggs at the Clean Shipping Coalition said there is no time to waste, and the focus shifts to the IMO’s Marine Environmental Protection Committee and its MPEC 84 session in April 2026. They are calling for focusing attention on transforming the CII into the energy efficiency measurement needed for the industry.

The World Shipping Council, which represents the container carriers, said it recognizes the challenges and complexity of the negotiations. It said the IMO remains the right place to deliver a global solution and that they should use the next year to close the remaining gaps and ensure an efficient global agreement.

 

Australia Reports on Bulker’s Engine Shut Down in Busy Port Hedland

Fast action by the pilot and tugs prevented the massive bulker from grounding (ATSB photo)

Published Oct 9, 2025 5:37 PM by The Maritime Executive

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has released its interim report on the incident involving bulk carrier FMG Nicola (260,840 dwt) while departing Port Hedland in Western Australia in February this year. It details how an iron ore carrier nearly caused a major blockade of a busy shipping channel that provides access to the world’s largest bulk export port, and the quick response.

The 327-meter (1,073-foot) Singapore-flagged vessel lost propulsion after her engine shut down due to what investigators have established was a faulty switch monitoring the main engine’s lubricating oil pressure. The ship, fully laden with iron ore, was saved from grounding by tugs and the fast response of the pilot overseeing the outbound trip.

The massive vessel, which was built in 2016 and operates for Australia’s Fortescue Metals Group, could easily have blocked the busy channel that provides access to Port Hedland. It is the world’s largest bulk export port by tonnage, handling over 500 million tonnes of cargo annually. While more than 95 percent of the volume is iron ore, the port also handles exports of salt, manganese, copper concentrates, lithium minerals, and livestock, with more than 6,000 ship movements each year.

Access to Hedland is through the single 22?mile dredged channel that allows only one large ship to pass at a time. For most laden ships, particularly capesize ships such as FMG Nicola, the use of the channel is restricted by tidal conditions. The incident, which happened on February 7, took place within the 10?mile section of the channel that is closest to the port, an area prone to strong tidal flows and with particularly confined spaces.

“A disabled ship can strand on a receding tide as well as blocking the passage of other ships. Depending on departure times, separation between ships and the location of an incident, up to three additional ships could be committed to, or within, the channel and exposed to this hazard at a given time,” said Angus Mitchell, ATSB Chief Commissioner.

Though the investigation is ongoing, ATSB’s interim report provides the details of the incident involving Nicola and a well-organized response. At 0832 local time, the bulker completed loading over 237,000 tonnes of iron ore at its berth in Hedland and was due to depart for Dongjiakou, China, that same afternoon.

By 1348, the ship’s main engine and steering had been tested, and the master-pilot information exchange was completed in preparation for the departure. Four tugs were secured to assist the ship through the port’s single shipping channel. The ship departed at 1412, and 30 minutes later, she was progressing along the channel as planned.

At about 1516, FMG Nicola’s main engine suddenly shut down while she was moving at a speed of 8.3 knots. The pilot quickly informed the tug masters that the ship had lost propulsion and directed them to help keep it in the channel. Luckily, two tugs were still secured, and a third was nearby.

The report highlights that the engine had shut down due to a faulty switch monitoring the main engine’s lubricating oil pressure. Over the next half hour, the ship neared the western and then the eastern side of the channel, before travelling along the channel’s eastern edge as it slowed gradually. The efforts by four tugs prevented the ship from grounding, something that would have resulted in blocking the channel.

The ship’s engineers identified that the engine had shut down as the “main bearing and thrust bearing lubricating oil pressure low” non?cancellable trip had activated. They determined that it had activated due to the faulty operation of the pressure switch. After confirming all engine systems were operating normally, the engine trip lockout system was reset and, at 1523, the engine was restarted at dead slow ahead.

About 35 minutes after the shutdown, the ship had been moved away from the channel side, and its main engine speed had progressively been increased to full ahead, enabling the ship to continue her voyage to China. No damage or injuries occurred during the incident. 

ATSB will publish its final report detailing the analysis and findings upon the conclusion of the investigation.

Troubled Ferry Glen Sannox Pulled From Service Over Repeated Cracking

Glen Sannox (CalMac / Ferguson Marine)

Published Oct 9, 2025 8:24 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

CalMac's ill-starred ferry Glen Sannox is suffering repeated hull cracking issues just eight months after delivery, and the problem is related to an unresolved and severe vibration issue in her propulsion system, according to Scottish paper The Herald. 

It has been a long road for the Glen Sannox project, and an illustration of the difficulties of starting a national shipbuilding program. Shipyard Ferguson Marine started work on the CalMac ferry in 2015, went bankrupt after serious design flaws emerged, and was nationalized in 2019. After a long saga of rework, budget hikes and personnel changes, the ferry finally entered service in January 2025, six years behind schedule and four times over budget. It has been in and out of repair status ever since.  

In March, Glen Sannox was pulled from service after a five-inch-long hairline crack was discovered in a weld seam on the hull, in way of the steering gear compartment near the waterline. Repairs were completed shortly after, and following a dive inspection the ferry was cleared to sail again. 

Last week, a new crack was discovered in the same area, and the Glen Sannox has been pulled from service through at least October 13. The Herald reports that CalMac is consulting with marine engineering experts at home and abroad in search of a permanent solution. The crack is believed to be caused by a vibration issue in the same specific area. 

Passengers confirmed that the ship had severe vibration at the stern during certain evolutions. "Anyone who has been on the ship, particularly in the aft end of passenger space while maneuvering, could have worked that out," commented passenger Sam Bourne, a local resident, in a social media post. "It was vibrating so badly it would literally shake the coffee out of your cup."

One passenger video shows the rails of a ladderway visibly shaking from heavy vibration near the stern.

The source of the vibration has not been published, but the Herald reports that it is related to a propeller issue. Glen Sannox is fitted with a stern thruster to help handle strong currents and winds on the beam, and she has twin controllable pitch propellers.

TSB: Barge Stability Drops Off Dangerously When Overloaded

Barges adrift in frigid water off Iqaluit, Nunavut, Oct. 2023 (TSB)

Published Oct 9, 2025 5:45 PM by The Maritime Executive

Canada's Transportation Safety Board is advising mariners to keep in mind the differences in stability between flatbottomed barges and seagoing hull shapes. A properly-loaded barge is highly stable at low angles of heel, but its righting moment tails off sooner and more abruptly than a ship's, leaving it vulnerable to capsizing once tipped - as experienced by the crew of the Arctic sealift ship Sivumut at Iqaluit, Nunavut two years ago. 

The Sivumut is a geared freighter used to serve outposts in the Canadian Arctic. It carries two deck barges, Tasijuaq I and II, which are used for lightering off cargo for delivery to coastal villages. Upon deployment, the two barges are lashed together into a single unit with rods, hooks and cleats, and used as a single vessel throughout the operating season. The cargo is loaded towards the center of the barge and is not secured before making a gentle tow to shore, where the barges are beached and the cargo removed. 

On October 27, Sivumut's crew were offloading cargo in Frobisher Bay, a sheltered inlet near Iqaluit. The shipowning company's CEO was on board for a visit. 

At about 1430, in a routine evolution, they laid down 12 containers on the barge Tasijuaq's deck alongside the ship, then another tier of 12 on top. At this point, the barge was carrying about 340 tonnes and listing slightly to port. When the tug came alongside and took the barge on the hip for transit to shore, the tug's bow bumped into the barge's starboard side. Tasijuaq heeled to port; swayed back; then slowly heeled to port again and kept going. 

As the unsecured cargo on deck slid to port, the barge began to capsize. The lines connecting it to the tug parted, and 23 out of 24 containers went into the water, along with a deckhand from the tug. As the barge's load lightened, it righted itself and returned to upright. 

The tug master cast off the remains of the lines and went searching for the deckhand, who was drifting in ice-cold water along with the containers. He was found unconscious within about five minutes, floating with his PFD inflated. The tug master jumped atop a floating container to reach and retrieve him, and with the assistance of other crewmembers, he hauled the deckhand up onto the container. The victim was injured and suffering from hypothermia, and was treated by local physicians before a medevac to Ottawa for higher care. 

The barge was retrieved promptly after the deckhand was recovered, and the crew immediately went after the lost cargo. Ultimately 10 boxes were recovered in a dynamic operation over several days; the remainder had to be left because the navigation season was ending and winter conditions were coming. 

After the casualty, TSB calculated that the barge (as laden) had a positive GM of about two feet, and an angle of vanishing stability of less than three degrees of heel - after which it would likely capsize. This is a fraction of the 20-degree international code requirement for small barges, even if the barge's GM was positive.

Tasijuaq was carrying about 130 tonnes more than it was rated for in its structural arrangement plan, a copy of which was not carried aboard (carriage is not required by Canadian law). The crew and the master were not aware of the barge's limitations as described in the plan. 

"Vessels with relatively wide hulls and flat bottoms, such as barges, typically have a higher initial GM and a steep righting lever (GZ) curve (peaks at smaller angles), and the range of stability is much less than a traditionally shaped vessel," TSB cautioned. "It is therefore important to ensure that the stability characteristics and loading limits are established and that the cargo crew are familiar with them."

GZ versus angle of heel for a typical flat-bottomed barge (TSB)