China Merchant Group (CMG) has awarded a contract to Norway-based Ulstein Design & Solutions for the design and provision of an equipment package for the Ulstein CX103 expedition cruise ship.

The CX103 is one of the four expedition vessels ordered by US-based SunStone Ships as part of a deal that includes an option for six additional vessels.

Ulstein's CX103 will be 104.3m-long and 18.4m-wide and is expected to accommodate 255 persons, including passengers and staff.

The vessel's hull is set to be built in accordance with polar-class PC6 regulations, as well as Safe Return to Port and Virtual Anchorage standards.

The ship will be built at CMG’s China Merchants Heavy Industry yard and is schedueld for delivery in 2019.

Wärtsilä has received a contract to supply controllable pitch propellers and Power Take Off / Power Take Home (PTO / PTH) shaft generator systems for two new RoRo vessels that are currently being built at Uljanik shipyard in Croatia.

"Wärtsilä has received a contract to supply controllable pitch propellers and Power Take Off / Power Take Home (PTO / PTH) shaft generator systems for two new RoRo vessels."

The 211m-long vessels are set to be owned by Luxembourg-based operator CLdN Ro-Ro and will be deployed on routes in the North Sea. 

They will be specially designed to contain 5,500m of lane space for vehicle storage.

Wärtsilä will provide its new WCP G-hub propeller shaft line system featuring propulsion controls, in addition to a stern tube package with seals and bearings, intermediate shaft line bearings, and various accessories as part of the arrangement.

A joint project comprising Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) and Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding was chosen by Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourism (MLIT) to develop a technological concept for an autonomous ocean transport system.

MLIT has initiated a competitive research funding scheme known as the FY2017 Transportation Research and Technology Promotion Programme to research and develop methods of reducing traffic and transportation issues.

The research involves creation of autonomous vessels to provide reliable, safe and efficient ocean transit, along with the infrastructure required to facilitate autonomous shipping.