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Year: 2024

New President and Vice President for IMCA 

The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) announces a new President, Luca Gentili of Saipem.   He replaces Jonathan Tame of Subsea7 who previously held the role and who, in accordance with IMCA’s constitution, came to the end of his two-year term. Hugo Bouvy of Deme Offshore is appointed as new Vice President.  Luca Gentili, Head of Assets, Fabrication and Project Services in Saipem, and new IMCA President said: “I’m delighted to be appointed President of IMCA and I am looking forward to continuing to work with the board, as well as with our CEO Iain Grainger.  IMCA has a key role to

Replay: ProjectGHG Forum

On Wednesday 10 April, IMCA brought the industry together to explore how the industry can meet ambitions from regulators, governments, clients, and colleagues on GHGs. The inaugural ProjectGHG forum was kindly hosted by IMCA Board Member Boskalis at their campus in Papendrecht, Netherlands. Together we welcomed around 100 delegates for a vital conversation on the changing regulatory framework, new carbon taxes, and shifting client expectations. The Forum also created a vital space for industry debates on the solutions required – notably around alternative fuels – and showcased inspirational best practice from Members. Commenting on the ProjectGHG Forum, Lee Billingham, IMCA

Amid rising tensions in Middle East, IMCA writes to Secretary General of UN

IMCA has joined 16 associations representing the maritime industry and has written to Secretary-General Gutteres of the United Nations (UN) to highlight the worrying increase in attacks on vessels, following the latest high-profile incident with MSC Aries in the Strait of Hormuz.  The letter, which was co-signed by IMCA CEO, Iain Grainger, reminded the Secretary-General that, amid rising political tensions in the Middle East, “innocent seafarers have been killed, seafarers are being held hostage.”   It called for an, “enhanced military presence, missions and patrols to protect seafarers against further aggression.” It also called for Member States of the UN to

Workshops reveal DP community’s views on GHG ambitions 

Last year IMCA held two workshops with the Dynamic Positioning (DP) community covering GHG emissions and the challenges for the industry to meet the more stringent IMO GHG Targets for the offshore fleet worldwide.   Held at the DP Asia Conference in Singapore in June 2023 and at the IMCA Regional Meeting in Rio de Janeiro on 9 November 2023, the two workshops reveal differing regional perspectives, as well as common concerns around the new interim targets.   In both Rio and Singapore, workshop participants were experienced DP professionals who shared their knowledge gained from years of working offshore.  Overall, both regions

DP Conference 2024: Bringing the Dynamic Positioning community together 

IMCA is delighted to share details of the programme for the upcoming IMCA Dynamic Positioning (DP) Conference in Amsterdam on Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 May 2024.  Alongside a keynote from IMCA CEO Iain Grainger, the two-day Conference showcases thought leadership and best practice from a range of organisations including the Nautical Institute, Petrobras, DNV, Subsea7, Valaris, Simwave, and Kongsberg Maritime. It also features the latest thinking from IMCA on DP and Safety.  Interactive workshops on Walk to Work and Annual Trials and IMCA M190, as well as engaging panel discussions and Q&A sessions on assurance and training and Position

Working at Sea: IMO review of STCW identifies new focus areas

The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1978, as amended, is an international agreement which sets the standards of competence for seafarers internationally. The 1978 STCW Convention entered into force on 28 April 1984 and since then several revisions have taken place, with the last adopted in 2018.  The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has now started work on the long-awaited comprehensive review of both the Convention and Code. IMCA attended the meeting of the IMO’s Sub-Committee on Human Element, Training and Watchkeeping (HTW) in February 2024 and participated in the Working Group which was

ProjectGHG Forum: Join us for a vital conversation on GHGs

IMCA is bringing the industry together for a vital conversation on meeting new ambitions for Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) at a one-day seminar in Papendrecht, Netherlands on Wednesday 10 April 2024. Hosted by IMCA board Member Boskalis, the ProjectGHG Forum will welcome anyone with a working interest in this space. In the morning, sessions will explore the challenges faced with Philip Lewis of Intelatus Global Partners sharing the impact of GHGs on market and vessel demand, while Marie-Anne Moussalli of Clyde & Co will dive into their impact on the legal, regulatory, and taxation environments. The changing views of clients will

Recognising exceptional bravery at sea 

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is looking to recognise exceptional acts of bravery with a call for nominations for the IMO Honours for Exceptional Bravery at Sea 2024.  Established by the IMO to provide international recognition for those who have risked their own life to perform acts of exceptional bravery or displayed outstanding courage to save life at sea or mitigate damage to the marine environment, previous winners have also demonstrated extraordinary seamanship skills in often challenging conditions.  The honours – which cover the period from 1 March 2023 to 29 February 2024 – offer three categories of recognition –

Industry shares deep concern over tragic loss of life after Red Sea attack

BIMCO, the International Chamber of Shipping, CLIA, Intercargo, Intertanko, ECSA, OCIMF, and IMCA have issued a joint statement following the attack on the MV True Confidence in the Red Sea on 6 March 2024. “Industry Associations express their deep concern over the tragic loss of life and injuries suffered by the crew of MV True Confidence in an attack in the Red Sea on 6 March 2024. “ “The loss of life and injuries to civilian seafarers is completely unacceptable. Merchant vessels crewed by civilian seafarers transporting global trade have a right to innocent passage through the region without the

Revised Code of Practice equips Members with tools to meet sustainability challenge

IMCA has revised its Code of Practice on Environmental Sustainability. Acknowledging the pressing need for action by the offshore industry, and an even stronger focus from Members on biodiversity loss, sustainability, and the environment, the document has been reclassified to a Code of Practice. This means that IMCA expects the highest level of compliance from its Members on its contents. The first revision since its initial launch three years ago, the new document reflects a rapidly shifting landscape with recently introduced legal requirements such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) now featured. The CSRD requires European Listed companies and

Innovation on display as IMCA chairs Subsea Expo session on ROVs

IMCA was a proud supporter of Subsea Expo in Aberdeen from 20 to 22 February, sponsoring the technical discussions on the Conference’s Teal Stage. An active supporter of the industry event for many years – which offers great opportunities for networking with delegates, meeting Members, staying ahead of industry trends, and on top of the latest technological innovation – several IMCA colleagues attended this year. Among them was Roger Moore, Technical Adviser – Remote Systems & ROV and Offshore Survey, who chaired an industry discussion on ROV Technology & Handling at the Teal Stage. The discussion featured a range of

New diving expert welcomed to IMCA

David Slater has joined IMCA as its new Technical Adviser – Diving   He has a 34-year background in Diving, having worked as an offshore air and saturation diver, project engineer, offshore inspection engineer and workshop manager for companies including Oceanteam, Aquanos, and UTEC in the North Sea, the Middle East, Russia, and Europe.  His most recent role was with the UK Health & Safety Executive (HSE) where he’s worked since 2008 as a Diving Specialist Inspector, regulating the safety of divers working in the offshore energy and other sectors of the diving industry.   Joining IMCA’s Diving team, David will work

Join us for a vital industry conversation on GHGs

IMCA invites Members to a vital industry conversation on Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) in Papendrecht, Netherlands on Wednesday 10 April 2024. Kindly hosted by Board member Boskalis, our ProjectGHG Forum will welcome technical experts and business leaders to discuss the challenges in meeting new ambitions on GHGs. With Members facing a raft of changes – including legislative and around taxation – as well as technical and investment decisions which will have repercussions long into the future, there has never been a better time for IMCA to bring the industry together to help find the solutions. The one-day Secretariat-led Seminar will showcase

Circular Economy principles support Members on their sustainability journey

New Guidance from IMCA on the Circular Economy (CE), Practical guidance to implement the circular economy principles (IMCA ES003), supports Members to take their first steps in Circularity – key to making positive progress on sustainability. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF) only 9% of raw extracted materials are reused, with nearly two-thirds (62%) of global Greenhouse Gasses produced during their extraction. Worldwide consumption of raw materials has tripled since 1970 and is set to double again in the next 25 years. The Circular Economy aims to reassess our use of all types of products so that they do

Shipping industry calls for release of Galaxy Leader crew still held captive

Monday 19 February 2024 marks the three-month anniversary since the Houthis seized the Galaxy Leader and its 25 seafarers in the Red Sea. The vessel, a roll-on/roll-off vehicle carrier, was seized on the 19 November 2023. IMCA has joined the maritime industry to express concern for the seafarers who have been held hostage, and call on the Houthis to release the crew of the Galaxy Leader, co-signing an industry statement calling for their release: “The 25 seafarers who make up the crew of the Galaxy Leader are innocent victims of the ongoing aggression against world shipping, and their plight is

IMCA Live 2024: Finding solutions to the challenges we face

We are delighted to share our event programme for 2024, IMCA Live, which brings Members and the industry together to find the solutions to the challenges we collectively face. Alongside the next editions of our industry-leading DP Conference (21-22 May) and Lifting & Rigging Seminar (12 September) – which are both held in Amsterdam – IMCA is hosting an Underwater Ship Husbandry Seminar (10 October) in Singapore to explore this safety-critical diving issue. Our Secretariat-led ProjectGHG Forum (10 April), which is kindly hosted by Board Member Boskalis, will bring our Membership together to find the answers in meeting new ambitions

ProjectGHG: A new campaign to support Members on their decarbonisation journey

IMCA has launched a new campaign, ProjectGHG, which will bring Members together to explore the solutions to meeting ambitions for Net Zero Greenhouse Gas emissions by 2050. A new online hub has been launched at the IMCA website which pulls together related technical documents, industry commentary, along with details on the latest on the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO’s) targets for Net Zero shipping. To support this activity, a new Greenhouse Gasses (GHG) focal group has been established to drive the publication of related content and develop the tools to support Members to take positive steps towards the sector’s 2050 goal

Next steps identified on Underwater Radiated Noise (URN) at IMO

As previously shared in September 2023, the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) approved Revised Guidelines for the Reduction of Underwater Radiated Noise from Shipping to Address Adverse Impacts on Marine Life (MEPC.1/Circ.906). Following on from this, the IMO Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Construction has considered its next steps where it was agreed that the work in this area will now be entitled ‘Experience Building Phase for the Reduction of Underwater Radiated Noise’ with a target completion year of 2026. At the 10th meeting of the IMO Sub-Committee Ship Design and Construction (SDC 10), attended by IMCA, the following views were expressed: While

Red Sea & further developments on IP Code at IMO

We report from the 10th meeting of the IMO Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Construction (SDC 10), attended by IMCA, where some of the key discussions focused on the Red Sea, developments on the IP Code, and on Underwater Radiated Noise. Red Sea There was general condemnation of the attacks by Houthi rebels on commercial ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Concern was expressed for the safety of ships and their crew. The plight of those on board the MV Galaxy Leader, whose crew is still being held hostage was highlighted with several Flag States calling

Event analysis reveals common causes of DP failure

IMCA shares new detailed analysis of Dynamic Positioning (DP) station keeping events reported in 2023. Dynamic Positioning Station Keeping Review – Incidents and Events Reported for 2023 (IMCA M266), offers a comprehensive review of the 177 separate DP events submitted to IMCA in the last calendar year. These came from 133 distinct vessels. The analysis provided enables the industry to identify emerging trends, and IMCA to highlight areas which require additional focus, developing targeted guidelines and best-practice. It also feeds into our Continuous Professional Development (CPD) scheme, which has an ongoing focus on professional learning and adherence to the safest

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