Technical articles

Watching the ebb and flow of marine traffic is fascinating at the best of times, oil and gas from there, grain from here, boxes of Samsung S22 Ultras heading to excited consumers everywhere. Throw in a pandemic, a war and sanctions, suddenly the traffic takes on a whole new dimension. We explore what it means, […]

With the world’s eyes on the Russia/Ukraine conflict at the moment, tensions between China and Taiwan are bubbling away. As Russian troops and armoured vehicles rolled into Ukraine last month, nine Chinese aircraft entered Taiwan’s air defence zone, prompting a broadcast warning from the island nation. Now seems as good a time as any to explore […]

The image of Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping together at the Beijing Olympics solidified, for many observers, the sense that Russia and China really are partnering up to simultaneously strengthen their own relationship and weaken the global power of the United States and its allies.

As tensions rise between Russia and Ukraine there are potentially troubling implications for shipping. While the focus is currently on the land border, soon eyes will likely turn to the sea and the potential for maritime aggression. What will it mean for seafarers, trade and ships?

Ask most people how data moves around the world and they will probably mutter something about satellites. However, with around 99% of international data traffic carried by subsea cables, and short undersea routes crisscrossed with energy cables, the seabed is where the answer can actually be found. Which brings both challenges and opportunities in keeping […]

One of the most basic aspects of shipping is the relationship between where a ship goes, and who orders it to go there. This is the interplay between shipowner and charterer, and the fundamental safety issue of where a chartered ship is instructed to load or discharge. The “safe port” debate sits at the heart […]