Fairfield Maritime Japan (FMJ) on Wednesday (22 July) said it has signed a long-term charter contract with Neste for two vessels. 

The agreement enables FMJ to fund and manage the construction of two Ice Class 1A medium range (MR) oil and chemical tankers for Neste’s transports to and from its refinery in Porvoo, Finland. Neste is a producer of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), also refining a wide range of oil products in Porvoo. 

Fairfield Maritime Japan Ltd. is a portfolio company of Fairfield-Maxwell Ltd., a family office for the Sugahara family headquartered in New York City.

The two new ships will each have the capacity to ship 50,000 deadweight tons (DWT) and will be built by HD Hyundai Co., Ltd. of South Korea and delivered in the first and second quarters of 2029.

As Ice Class 1A certified ships, the two new vessels will be capable of navigating in ice conditions with the support of icebreakers, adhering to the Finnish Swedish Ice Class Rules.

These rules encompass the specific requirements for vessels navigating the Baltic Sea during the winter season. The highly ice-resistant ships will be able to approach and depart Porvoo in the winter months, contributing to operational continuity for Neste’s Porvoo facility.

The vessels will utilise low-sulphur fuels and will be capable of being retrofitted to operate on methanol at some point in the future. 

The vessels will be ready for the future with the possibility to connect to shore power when that is available. In addition, the ships will be equipped with wind-assisted propulsion systems (WAPS) to supplement the ships’ main engines. These technologies will reduce fuel consumption, emissions and operating costs.

“We’re pleased to partner with Fairfield Maritime Japan and Fairfield-Maxwell. With these new state-of-the-art vessels, we are continuing our efforts to deliver safe and efficient sea transport to and from our Porvoo refinery,” said Sander Wilgenhof, Head of Chartering, Neste.

“We are proud to be Neste’s long-term partner,” said Ryuichi Osonoe, President, Fairfield Maritime Japan. 

“We believe that our knowledge and expertise will significantly assist Neste in its sea transportation. We are looking forward to seeing these two new ships cross the sea to safely export out of Neste’s Porvoo refinery.”

“Fairfield has been a partner of choice for world-class shippers for nearly 70 years,” said Byron Sugahara, chairman of the board of Fairfield-Maxwell. 

“This agreement with Neste is  confirmation that our family’s legacy in the shipping industry remains strong and provides a solid foundation for continued growth and success.”

Photo credit: Scott Graham
Published: 24 July, 2026

VARD, a subsidiary of the Fincantieri Group and shipbuilder of specialised vessels, on Wednesday (22 July) announced that it has been awarded a contract with the British maritime safety and welfare organisation Trinity House for two multi-function Buoy and Lighthouse maintenance vessels. 

Future-proofed for the maritime energy transition, the vessels are designed with the capability for conversion to methanol fuel, an optimised hull design and highly efficient propulsion equipment. 

The vessels for Trinity House feature a hybrid propulsion system and can operate fully on battery power while alongside, at anchor and for limited duration during dynamic positioning and transit. The battery system also provides peak shaving and spinning reserve support to the main generators, minimising fuel consumption, emissions and environmental impact.

These are the first two vessels VARD has signed of its kind. The value of the contract exceeds EUR 220 million.

The two multi-function Buoy and Lighthouse maintenance vessels are of VARD 9 601 design, designed by Vard Marine Inc in Canada in collaboration with Vard Design in Norway. 

VARD was awarded the contract following a public tender. The two new vessels will replace the ageing THV Patricia and THV Galatea and are part of Trinity House’s plans to renew their fleet of three vessels.

Trinity House is a maritime safety and welfare organisation that works for the benefit and safety of all mariners as a General Lighthouse Authority and maritime charity. As the General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar, it operates marine aids to navigation that are critical to the safety of ships and seafarers.

Photo credit: VARD
Published: 24 July, 2026

The Port of Antwerp-Bruges recently published bunker fuel sales data for the second quarter (Q2) of 2026.

Total bunker sales at the port was 2.05 million metric tonnes (mt) in Q2 2026, compared to sales of 1.99 million mt (+3%) during the similar period in 2025.

Deliveries of ultra low sulphur fuel oil, very low sulphur fuel oil, high sulphur fuel oil and marine gas oil in Q2 2026 (against on year) recorded respectively 164,987 mt (+43.6%  from 114,917 mt), 537,926 mt (+12.8% from 476,746 mt), 659,182 mt (+11.6% from 590,544 mt) and 366,329 (-15.7% from 434,766 mt).

Biofuel recorded 26,833 mt in Q2 2026 with 41,939 mt (-36%) recorded in the same period the year before. 

Port data showed 76,513 mt of liquefied natural gas (LNG) being delivered as a marine fuel in Q2 2026, down by 13.4% from 88,328 mt in Q2 2025. Meanwhile, there has been no deliveries of methanol at the port for the year so far.

Related: Antwerp-Bruges biofuel bunker sales plunge 50.6% on year in Q1 2026, LNG soars 214%

Photo credit: Port of Antwerp-Bruges
Published: 23 July, 2026