Ferrocement patrol vessels could offer a cost-effective solution to maritime security capability gaps. Using Design for Six Sigma methods, researchers developed a concept vessel tailored to Indonesian Coast Guard requirements for Natuna Sea operations. The approach highlights affordable construction, material accessibility, and sustainable fleet expansion supporting law enforcement objectives effectively.

Optimising Ro-Ro ferry service speed requires balancing energy efficiency with seakeeping performance. Combining resistance modelling, CFD analysis, and motion assessments, researchers identified operational trade-offs affecting propulsion requirements and vessel behaviour. The approach provides practical guidance for selecting speeds that reduce energy demand while maintaining safety, comfort, and reliability at sea.

LNG-fuelled vessels can unlock additional efficiency by recovering both engine waste heat and cryogenic energy. Using regenerative Organic Rankine Cycle and direct-expansion technologies, researchers identified high-performing working fluids and quantified efficiency gains. The results reveal significant decarbonisation potential while highlighting safety-related trade-offs associated with fire-retardant refrigerant mixtures today at sea.

China’s shipbuilding industry has transformed dramatically through decades of expansion, becoming a cornerstone of national industrial development. Yet rising demands for digitalisation, sustainability, and global competitiveness are reshaping its future. The analysis examines growth drivers, emerging structural challenges, and strategic choices that will determine long-term success in the green era.

Data-driven analytics is helping container terminals tackle congestion and operational inefficiencies. By applying data-mining techniques to daily terminal reports and examining container dwell times within straddle-carrier operations, researchers uncovered performance insights that support smarter yard management. The approach demonstrates how digital technologies can improve throughput, resource utilization, and competitiveness worldwide.

Optimising ballast water drainage can significantly improve cargo-handling efficiency and vessel profitability. Through hydraulic modelling and experimental analysis, researchers identified design strategies to shorten drainage times and minimise residual water in ballast tanks. The findings provide practical guidance for improving deadweight utilisation, reducing delays, and enhancing operational performance globally today.

Analysis of longline fishing vessels reveals significant fuel inefficiency and associated emissions, highlighting a need for improved operational practices and data quality. By linking fuel consumption to catch and income, the assessment provides a clearer emissions benchmark, supporting informed policy decisions, sustainability initiatives, and fleet performance improvements worldwide globally ahead.

Enhanced unsinkable passenger boat technology is demonstrating improved survivability under severe flooding conditions. Through redesign of buoyancy systems, air bags, and centralized air supply, full-scale sea trials confirmed continued flotation, stability, and operability with complete onboard flooding. The results provide practical guidance for safer small passenger vessel design worldwide today.

Reanalysis of a Ro-Ro ferry sinking combined accident investigation methods with technical seakeeping assessments to uncover links between waves, vessel motions and unsecured vehicles. Results showed unlashed vehicles could slide at 20 degrees of heel under observed sea conditions highlighting critical stability, cargo-securing and operational safety lessons for future ferries.

Hydrodynamic appendages such as Hull Vane® offer new opportunities to improve vessel efficiency beyond conventional hull optimisation. Using CFD and experimental comparisons, researchers evaluated foil position and angle-of-attack effects on wave resistance and lift characteristics. The findings identify configurations delivering substantial resistance reductions, supporting lower fuel consumption and emissions globally.

Tidal energy is emerging as a valuable contributor to net-zero ambitions. By comparing multiple tidal power plant concepts and assessing their decarbonisation potential, the analysis highlights sustainable alternatives to conventional electricity generation. The findings demonstrate how predictable marine renewable energy could strengthen energy security while supporting long-term emissions reduction goals.