Founder and Editor, The Maritime Gazette
Maritime journalist, PR and communications specialist
Luke Smout is a maritime journalist, PR and communications specialist, and the Founder and Editor of The Maritime Gazette. He leads the publication’s editorial direction across shipping, ports, vessels, maritime business and public policy, translating complex maritime developments into clear reporting and useful reference coverage for readers in the United Kingdom and internationally.
Luke Smout leads The Maritime Gazette’s editorial standards, reporting development and public-facing maritime communications. The publication uses verifiable factual records, writes in its own editorial voice and corrects material errors transparently.
Luke’s professional focus combines maritime journalism with PR and communications work, with an emphasis on clear public information, sector context and responsible editorial practice.
A report published on 27 September 2026 by reports says ethanol is increasingly viewed as a plausible means to cut greenhouse gas emissions in shipping, aided by expanding project activity and technical advances that are taking the fuel beyond regional pilot schemes.
Follow Luke Smout’s latest Gazette reporting alongside the connected archive of maritime coverage below.
Read this reportSources indicated on 27 September 2026 that resilient demand and weather‑driven congestion in Asia pushed container rates higher this week, while liquid chemical tanker freight ex‑US Gulf remained flat to slightly firmer.
Shipbroker commentary relayed by reports on 27 September 2026 shows the clean products sector tightening and following recent crude freight drivers.
Eastern Shipbuilding Group and the Bay County Artificial Reef Association have announced the fourth annual Coastline Initiative, a competition aimed at students from welding schools, according to MarineLink.
Sources indicated that India’s Bharat Petroleum issued a spot tender on 23 September 2026 for a November-delivery LNG cargo priced to the JKM, seeking 3.1–3.8 TBtu for delivery to Dahej.
World Steel Association figures reported put global crude steel output at 144.2 million tonnes in August 2026, a 1.2% fall from the year before, with divergent regional performances.
The Nautical Institute’s forthcoming second edition of Guidelines for Collecting Maritime Evidence, Volume 2 focuses on identifying, recovering and preserving electronic evidence from onboard systems, sources indicated on 24 September 2026.
Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. announced the delivery of Puteri Kelantan, an LNG carrier built for Petronas LNG Ltd., which was handed over on 24 September 2026 at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding in China.
Accelleron reports that more than 100 of its ACCX300-L low‑speed turbochargers have been committed in projects during the four months after the platform’s April 2026 launch.
A The report on 24 September 2026 said the disputes at Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai persist as South Korea’s shipbuilding sector expands under a US–Korea cooperation project and stronger demand for high value vessels.
Ship-to-ship crude transfers in the Gulf of Oman are operating at full capacity after Saudi Arabia diverted exports from the Red Sea, according to industry sources and a MarineLink report dated 25 September 2026.
Louis Dreyfus Armateurs has taken delivery of the DP2 multipurpose support vessel TVO Mariner for LD TravOcean, enhancing the subsidiary’s capability for subsea cable installation, repair and protection work, MarineLink reported on 25 September 2026.
Bassim Khudair says Iraq is in talks with OPEC to secure a higher crude output quota to compensate for production losses during decades of conflict, a report published on 25 September 2026 states.
Reports that the United States and Iran are discussing a phased reopening of the Strait of Hormuz prompted a modest fall in Brent futures, even as a Houthi missile attack on Saudi Arabia sustained geopolitical uncertainty.
IFAPA told the 6th International Ferro Alloys Conference in Goa that rising steel output creates a new growth runway for India’s ferro‑alloys sector and an opportunity to strengthen its global role, sources indicated on 25 September 2026.
A joint analysis from Chatham House and the Forest Stewardship Council, summarised by reports on 25 September 2026, warns that accelerated biofuel mandates could intensify competition for key crops and vegetable oils through 2030, potentially raising agricultural commodity prices.
MarineLink published a podcast on 27 September 2026 titled “Got Propane? Adoption in Port & Maritime Accelerates,” presenting a discussion of growing interest in propane within ports and maritime operations.
The European Investment Bank is to lend €100 million to the Klaipėda State Seaport Authority to modernise Lithuania’s main port and strengthen its role in defence, energy and Baltic trade.
A DP World whitepaper published for World Maritime Day 2026 warns that the sea-borne networks carrying an estimated $14 trillion of containerised goods are being tested by geopolitical, climate and policy pressures.
Early tests of Suez Canal routings have shortened India–Savannah transit by around 10–14 days, with port officials citing faster inventory fulfilment and lower carrying costs for importers.
PROSTEP has entered a memorandum of understanding with Seoul-based Lattice to pursue deployment of its OpenPDM integration technology in South Korea’s shipbuilding industry, sources indicated on 25 September 2026.
Sources indicated on 25 September 2026 that a cargo ship laden with 524 special containers departed Jiangyin port for the Port of Manzanillo, inaugurating a new direct container service between Jiangsu and Mexico with an estimated transit of around 22 days.
The Marine Management Organisation published guidance on 25 September 2026 covering the importance of seagrass, steps to avoid damage and the MMO’s support for recovery in England.
Sanjeev Sanyal told News18 DEFCON 2026 that India could suffer serious economic disruption if three to four global shipping lines were to restrict access, a report by sources said on 25 September 2026.
Following a security reassessment of the Red Sea, Maersk and Hapag‑Lloyd have said AE19 and AE15 will transit the Suez Canal rather than round the Cape of Good Hope, a report dated 25 September 2026 states.
Sources indicated on 25 September 2026 that US President Donald Trump said his administration would act to prevent the IMO from adopting a global emissions-pricing mechanism.
The IMO sub‑committee finalised changes to interim guidance on methyl and ethyl alcohol fuels and agreed a harmonised performance standard for lashing software at its 12th session, held 14–18 September 2026.
Sources indicated on 25 September 2026 that IUMI described the offshore energy insurance market as challenging in 2025, with premium gains reflecting currency effects and changes in business mix rather than underlying expansion.
NYK used the IMO Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers to present the NYK Group’s initiatives aimed at practical deployment of ammonia-fuelled vessels, MarineLink reported on 25 September 2026.
Washburn & Doughty has handed over the tug Mary McAllister to McAllister Towing in Maine; the vessel is the sixth of seven ABS-classed, 84-metric-ton bollard-pull, low-emission tractor tugs, MarineLink reported on 25 September 2026.
Marea Scale Models has launched in the UK, bringing its AI-assisted design process Ai Refloat to the European maritime market; the process is described as producing highly detailed, accurate and immediately recognisable models.
MarineLink reported on 25 September 2026 that SAAM Towage has taken delivery of five tugboats so far this year as part of an ongoing fleet renewal programme.
The TVO Mariner, a DP2 multipurpose support vessel, was delivered in mid‑September to subsidiary LD TravOcean and is intended for subsea cable installation and protection, sources indicated on 25 September 2026.
reports reports that a high-quality workforce in maritime services and shipbuilding is essential for Hai Phong to implement the Politburo’s Resolution No. 20‑NQ/TW of 28 July 2026 and support Vietnam’s ambition to become a strong maritime nation.
Indigenous shipowners say long-term Contracts of Affreightment for petroleum products, cement and fertiliser would create the predictable cargo flows needed to finance and expand Nigeria’s domestic fleet.
Sources published VHBS's ConTex time charter assessment for week 39 on 25 September 2026, with the Verband noting the continued resilience of shipping markets.
Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri told markets on 24 September that India will maintain supplies and honour export contracts for petroleum products including diesel, sources indicated on 25 September 2026.
Sources published Gibson Shipbrokers Ltd’s "Gibson tanker report – Clean Catchup" on 25 September 2026; the verified material supplied here contains only a single, incomplete summary sentence.
MACN has welcomed ABS, DNV and RINA as its first classification society members after a General Assembly vote on 30 April 2026 to open membership to classification societies, sources indicated on 25 September 2026.
reports on 25 September 2026 carried Advanced Shipping & Trading's Week 39 market note, which records a single committed Capesize, Highland, with survey dates shown.