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World Tankers Management clarifies media reports of “MT Strovolos”

‘The vessel [MT Strovolos] has been wrongly charged with stealing the cargo. It is not and has never at any time been our intention to misappropriate the cargo.’
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World Tankers Management Pte Ltd, the operators of MT Strovolos, on Wednesday (1 September) released a media statement clarifying an incident regarding recent events of the oil tanker:

World Tankers Management, operators of the MT Strovolos wish to strongly deny inaccurate media reports alleging the vessel and its crew were caught by the Indonesian Navy loading barrels of crude oil illegally without having permission to anchor in Indonesian waters. We also wish to highlight the impact on humanitarian issues of the approach taken by Cambodian and Indonesian authorities, where wrongful allegations made against the crew have resulted in refusals to enable a lawful crew change.

On 21 May 2021 the vessel’s charterers loaded a cargo of about 300,000 gross bbls of crude oil in the Apsara field in the Gulf of Thailand on the understanding that the cargo belonged to the charterers.

In addition to their failure to pay hire when it was due and owing, the charterers also failed with their obligation to supply fuel to the vessel when they had been informed that fuel levels were critically low.

The charterers’ default meant that we and the crew had no realistic choice but to sail the vessel to the nearest appropriate port, Map Ta Phut, Thailand, to refuel for the safety of the crew, ship and the cargo.

While the vessel was there, we tried to undertake a crew change as many of the crew had remained on board since September 2020 and they required to sign off and return home to their families.

In the meantime, the charter was terminated and the vessel was withdrawn from its chartered service.

Since then, we have requested that the owners of the cargo arrange to remove it from the vessel by ship-to-ship transfer at a convenient and practical location, but no agreement has been reached to enable this to occur.

Regrettably the vessel and the crew have been subject to unfair and unreasonable interference by and at the behest of the Cambodian Government and this has caused the crew immense distress and suffering.

Firstly, when the vessel arrived in Thailand, the Royal Thai Navy boarded the vessel, acting upon the request of the Cambodian Government.

Following the intervention of lawyers, the IMO and the Bahamas Maritime Authority, the Royal Thai Navy stepped back and allowed the vessel to sail to Batam, Indonesia, to make the crew change there as it was not permitted in Thailand due to Covid-19 restrictions.

We as owners stress that the reason for the vessel proceeding to Batam was for humanitarian purposes, to effect the long overdue crew change and allow the crew to return home to their families in accordance with their basic rights.

The Cambodian Government was made aware of the need to effect the crew change at Batam.  

However, the owners have also been faced with difficulties affecting the necessary crew change in Indonesia.  The vessel initially waited off Batam in view of the travel restrictions placed by Indonesia due to COVID-19.  It is alleged by the Indonesian Navy that the vessel did not have permission to anchor in Indonesian waters.  

We deny this but it seems that a key factor why the vessel was targeted was because of the wrongful allegations made by the Cambodian Government that the vessel and its crew had committed criminal offences in relation to the vessel’s departure from the Apsara field to refuel.

As such, as preparations for the crew change with the involvement of the IMO, the Bahamas Maritime Authority and the Indonesian Government were in progress, we have been informed that Cambodian authorities have made an application to Interpol and the Cambodian Government is allegedly requesting that the crew be extradited to Cambodia. We now fear for the wellbeing and health of our crew. 

The vessel has been wrongly charged with stealing the cargo. It is not and has never at any time been our intention to misappropriate the cargo. 

It is our express requirement that it is offloaded from the vessel by the party that owns it on terms that we are paid the sums owed to us or otherwise that such amounts are adequately secured in the usual way. The vessel has at all times operated entirely within the trading area agreed in the charter.

We regret to report that some members of the crew have been detained ashore by the Indonesian authorities and remain so detained whilst the remaining crew are stuck on board the vessel unable to disembark.  

Our crew are entirely innocent and blameless in this matter and should not come to bear the brunt of commercial and political issues. 

The human rights of our crew are paramount and all parties involved in this matter, including the Cambodian and Indonesian authorities, should recognise and respect this.

As a result of this situation, we now have no choice but to involve diplomatic channels and the UN Human Rights Office.

Related: Cambodia: Government to take legal action after return of allegedly stolen oil cargo

 

Photo credit: MarineTraffic / Chun-Hsi
Published: 2 September, 2021

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Incident

MPA: 25 crew rescued after abandoning “MSC HERMES III” east of Vietnam

MRCC Singapore coordinated the rescue after receiving a distress alert at about 8.45am as the vessel was within Singapore’s Maritime Search and Rescue Region.

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18 hours ago

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September 23, 2026

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RESIZED bunker tanker singapore

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) on Tuesday (22 September) said all 25 crew members from the Liberia-registered container vessel MSC HERMES III were rescued on 22 September 2026. 

The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Singapore coordinated the rescue after receiving a distress alert at about 8.45am (Singapore Time). 

“The vessel was within Singapore’s Maritime Search and Rescue Region (MSRR), about 300km east of Vietnam,” MPA said in a statement. 

MRCC Singapore immediately issued a broadcast requesting vessels in the vicinity to render assistance. Three vessels responded, and MSC RUBY recovered all 25 crew members after they had abandoned MSC HERMES III in a lifeboat. 

“All 25 crew members are safe, with no injuries reported,” MPA said. 

“MRCC Singapore is coordinating with the Vietnamese MRCC on arrangements for the rescued crew members to return safely to shore.”

 

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 23 September, 2026

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Alternative Fuels

GCMD, Equinor to combine expertise on alternative bunker fuels, decarbonisation solutions

Equinor brings extensive experience to partnership as a vessel charterer and marine fuel supplier, including chartering dual-fuel LNG and methanol tankers, testing biofuels and supplying methanol.
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18 hours ago

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September 23, 2026

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GCMD, Equinor to combine expertise on alternative bunker fuels, decarbonisation solutions

The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) and Equinor on Tuesday (22 September) announced a five-year Impact partnership.

The partnership brings together GCMD’s capabilities in conducting real-world maritime pilots with Equinor’s experience as a charterer, energy provider and developer of low-carbon solutions.

Together, the organisations will leverage their complementary expertise to help address technical and operational gaps in scaling alternative marine fuels and supporting the development and uptake of other maritime decarbonisation solutions.

GCMD’s work on alternative fuels, including biofuels, ammonia and methanol, focuses on two critical aspects of deployment: operational safety and robust monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV). Its pilots and studies are generating operational data to support safe bunkering and handling of these fuels. 

At the same time, its assurance work seeks to strengthen confidence in quantity, quality and GHG emissions abatement.

“Equinor brings extensive experience as a vessel charterer and marine fuel supplier. This includes chartering dual-fuel LNG, LPG and methanol tankers, testing and using biofuels and supplying methanol to the maritime sector,” GCMD said.

Equinor is also piloting the use and supply of ammonia as a marine fuel, contributing to the development of associated safety, regulatory and bunkering arrangements.

Combining these perspectives can help address practical barriers to alternative fuels deployment while strengthening assurance across emerging marine fuel value chains.

Beyond alternative fuels, GCMD is working to accelerate the adoption of solutions that can reduce emissions from the existing fleet, including energy efficiency technologies (EETs) and onboard carbon capture and storage (OCCS).

GCMD’s work on EETs includes quantifying real-world fuel savings from technologies such as wind-assisted propulsion systems and developing financing mechanisms to scale their adoption. In OCCS, Project CAPTURED demonstrated an end-to-end value chain for onboard captured and liquefied CO₂, generating evidence that contributed to the recognition of captured CO2 under the EU ETS and in-principle support at the IMO for recognising carbon mineralisation as permanent storage.

Equinor brings decades of experience in offshore CO₂ storage, including its role in the development and operation of Northern Lights, the world’s first cross-border CO2 transport and storage facility, where liquefied CO₂ is transported by ship to an onshore receiving terminal before it is sent by pipeline for permanent geological storage beneath the North Sea.

Through the partnership, GCMD and Equinor will explore opportunities to combine their respective capabilities and experience to support the deployment and scaling of maritime decarbonisation solutions.

 

Photo credit: Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation
Published: 23 September, 2026

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Decarbonisation

Wah Kwong NatPower, AREL partner on maritime electrification in Hong Kong

Collaboration will examine opportunities to deploy shore power facilities, vessel charging infrastructure and battery energy storage solutions, alongside the development of electric vessels.
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18 hours ago

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September 23, 2026

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Wah Kwong NatPower, AREL partner on maritime electrification in Hong Kong

Wah Kwong NatPower (WK NatPower) on Tuesday (22 September) said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises Limited (AREL) to explore the electrification of piers, vessels and supporting energy infrastructure in the Aberdeen area of Hong Kong.

Against the backdrop of the HKSAR Government’s latest policy direction to advance green shipping, smart port development and shore power infrastructure, WK NatPower and AREL will explore the development of an integrated marine electrification ecosystem in the Aberdeen and Shum Wan areas. 

The collaboration will examine opportunities to deploy shore power facilities, vessel charging infrastructure and battery energy storage solutions, alongside the development of electric vessels for future transport and tourism services.

The initiative supports Hong Kong to become a leading hub for sustainable maritime innovation while contributing to the revitalisation of one of the city’s most iconic waterfront communities. As an initial phase of the collaboration, the two parties will explore the opportunity for the construction of a series of electric vessels and transport vessels. 

The initiative will also examine the potential deployment of the ApliAber® electric vessel fleet as a new benchmark for sustainable waterfront mobility and hospitality experiences in Hong Kong.

Vincent Ni, General Manager of WK NatPower, said: “This MoU marks an important step in supporting Hong Kong’s marine energy transition. Aberdeen has long been an iconic part of Hong Kong’s maritime heritage, and we are delighted to explore opportunities to develop integrated shore power and vessel electrification solutions that can support a cleaner and more sustainable future for the harbour.”

Wong Tai Yu, Director of AREL, said: “Through this collaboration, we look forward to exploring practical ways to introduce cleaner energy, electric vessels and sustainable waterfront experiences, while supporting the revitalization of Jumbo Kingdom® for future generations.”

 

Photo credit: Wah Kwong NatPower
Published: 23 September, 2026

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