Thailand wants to revive the decades-old Kra Canal to bypass Malaysia + Singapore: Thailand is pitching to US investors a USD 28 bn land bridge across the Isthmus of Kra, which would allow those shipping in Southeast Asia to bypass the Malacca Straits, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, Bloomberg reports. The idea replaces a decades old project to dredge a canal in the Isthmus of Kra with a multimodal corridor, involving two seaports on either side of Kra, along with an overland connection involving a railroad and pipelines, the business news information explains.

The pitch: The proposed 90 km-long landbridge would allow for the transport of 20 mn TEU of containers, potentially shortening the duration of transport of goods via the Malacca Strait by an average of four days and lower shipping costs by 15%, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is quoted as saying at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

Mitsui + Kepco ink CCS service agreement to develop a liquified CO2 carrier:Tokyo-based Mitsui O.S.K. Line and Kansai Electric Power Co (Kepco) have inked a service agreement to conduct feasibility research on the design of a liquified CO2 carrier at the shipyards in Japan and overseas, according to a press release. Under this agreement, the companies will conduct studies of an optimal ship size for the carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) value chain to be constructed by Kepco, with the aim of leading to ocean transport of liquified CO2, according to the release.

Finnish technology group Wärtsilä has introduced the world's first commercially available four-stroke engine-based ammonia fuel solution for vessels, according to a statement. Wärtsilä’s 25 engine solution is designed for easy adoption of sustainable fuels, adding ammonia to its previous capabilities of operating on diesel, LNG, and carbon-neutral biofuels.

Reaching commercial markets: Zero emission shipping company Viridis Bulk Carriers will be the first shipowner to utilize the ammonia solution across its fleet. Wärtsilä and Viridis Bulk Carriers have signed an LOI for the 25 ammonia engine solution and plan to sign a commercial contract in early 2024.

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