Woodchip carrier ‘VANGUARDIA’ delivered — will serve Daio Paper Corporation

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President & CEO: Takeshi Hashimoto) has announced that on 10 August 2021, the wood chip carrier VANGUARDIA with a cargo capacity of 4.3 million cubic feet, was delivered to Oshima Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (Oshima Shipbuilding; President: Eiichi Hiraga; Headquarters: Saikai-shi, Nagasaki Prefecture). MOL will operate the vessel, which transport wood chips for Daio Paper Corporation (President & CEO: Yorifusa Wakabayashi; Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo).

The vessel is equipped with a SOx scrubber and Ballast Water Management System (BWMS) and in pre-compliance with the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) phase 3 to be in conformity with stricter environmental regulations (Note 1). It also has environmentally friendly specifications in line with ‘MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.1’ (Note 2) such as Seaworthy Bow (a bow shape that reduces the decline in vessel speed during adverse weather) and Advanced Flipper Fins (energy-saving equipment to improve propulsion efficiency)which are Oshima Shipbuilding's technologies, Advanced Control for Ecology (ACE) (Note 3), a cutting-edge hull shape with an improved stern shape, and Propeller Boss Cap Fins (PBCF) (Note 4) in addition to adopting an electronically controlled engine and lowfriction ship bottom paint.

MOL continually strives to offer safe and stable wood chip transport service for customers including paper manufacturers around the world while caring for the environment, and contribute to a stable supply of resources.

(NOTE 1): Emissions regulations: Regulations to prevent air pollution generated by merchant vessels were established in Annex VI issued in 2005 of the MARPOL Treaty adopted by the IMO. Since then, emissions regulations have been strengthened on a global scale. The allowable sulphur content in ship fuel oil in general sea areas has been reduced to 0.5% or less, requiring regulationcompliant bunker oil or installation and use of SOx scrubbers on vessels.

The Ballast Water Management

Convention: a September 2017 treaty requires the control and management of ballast water and sediment discharges. Ballast water, which is taken onboard to stabilize vessel, can move aquatic organisms to non-native habitats, where they might threaten biodiversity and harm local ecosystems. Vessels from countries ratifying the treaty are required to install an IMO-certified BWMS (Ballast Water Management System) to ensure that the number of marine organisms contained in ballast water is below the regulated level. Energy Efficiency Design Index: Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions when transporting one tonne of cargo in one mile. In EEDI Phase3 (applicable to woodchip carriers contracted after 2025), the vessels will be required to achieve a 30% reduction in CO2 emissions from the EEDI baseline in their design phase.

(NOTE 2) MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.1 | Environment | Sustainability | Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (disclosure.site). MOL Group will continue to promote “Enhancement of Energy-Saving Technologies”, including Propeller Boss Cap Fins (PBCF), and will continue to move forward toward the achievement of Environmental Vision 2.1.

(NOTE 3) Advanced Control for Ecology estimates disturbance effects such as wind and tide by setting the vessel's course direction, and optimally controls the helm to minimize route deviation and reduce the number of course changes required during a voyage, achieving reductions in fuel consumption.

(NOTE 4) Propeller Boss Cap Fins (PBCF) is an energy-saving system to improve propeller efficiency and reduce vessel fuel consumption, and was developed by a group of companies including MOL.

ClassNK grants its first DSS(Hull Monitoring) notation for 211,000dwt bulk carrier ‘DREAM CLOVER’

Major classification Society ClassNK has granted its notation indicating that the vessel is provided with the cutting-edge hull monitoring system, for DREAM CLOVER, 211,000dwt bulk carrier which was built by Japan Marine United Corporation for Daiwa Kisen Co., Ltd., and to be chartered by NYK Line (delivery 28 July 2021). The vessel is marked with the first DSS(Hull Monitoring) on its notation in ClassNK’s registry.

In the light of the rapid technological evolutions of hull monitoring systems and the industry’s growing needs, ClassNK released Guidelines for Hull Monitoring in June 2021, utilizing the outcome of R&D(*1) performed by stakeholders. The guidelines include the comprehensive requirements to be met to achieve functions contributing to improving the safety of the hull structure and the class notation indicating that the ship is provided with specific functions.

The cutting-edge hull monitoring system equipped to DREAM CLOVER has functions such as assistance for maintaining and managing the ship based on the fatigue strength evaluation and assistance for the captain’s operation in the rough condition. ClassNK has verified the vessel according to the related guidelines and issued the class certificate with DSS(HM(F+LS,O)) notation for hull monitoring, the first in ClassNK’s registry, and DSS(EE) for energy efficiency analysis function.

As a part of Japan Ship Technology Research Association’s “R&D of the highly accurate digital twin models for ship hull structures (Supported by The Nippon Foundation),” additional sensors and measurement devices are going to be installed to the monitoring system of the vessel, and the verification of the digital twin for hull structures on the actual ship is expected to be conducted.

(*1) The outcome of “Study on Monitoring the Structural Health of Vessel Hulls for Very Large Containerships” jointly conducted by NYK Line, MTI Co., Ltd. and Japan Marine United Corporation from 2016 to 2020 as a support project of “i-Shipping” promoted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan.

(*2) The R&D conducted by Japan Ship Technology Research Association supported by The Nippon Foundation since 2018. Three shipping companies, including NYK Line, six shipyards, including Japan Marine United Corporation, National Maritime Research Institute and ClassNK has participated in the project.

Boers offering free Covid-19 jabs to seafarers

Crew services specialist Boers has launched seafarer vaccination programmes at German and Belgian ports, as shipping executives warn of onboard Covid-19 outbreaks because mariners are not getting vaccines quick enough.

Seafarers arriving at ports in Antwerp, Ghent and Zeebrugge can get one-shot Covid-19 jabs through Boers’ scheme, which is being launched to protect key workers in the shipping industry.

The Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine will be available free of charge until further notice to all mariners of any nationality arriving in Belgium for crew changes. There is a fee for the medical services provided by the port authorities.

“Getting as many seafarers as possible vaccinated is absolutely vital to supply chains and global markets,” said Hans Boers, Co-CEO of Boers, the Netherlands-based shipping crew transport services operator for Northern Europe.

“We’ve seen with the crew change crisis the challenges shipping companies face in hiring seafarers for their vessels, creating a shortage of available mariners which in turn has led to rising prices for goods, food and petrol as demand outstrips supply.

“For us, the most important thing is making sure crew members entering Belgian ports have access to free Covid-19 jabs. Protecting seafarers from the virus is paramount — and we have the means to help do that. The more mariners who have the vaccine, the quicker shipping and life in general can return to normal.”

Boers recently began offering free jabs to mariners at German ports in Hamburg and Bremerhaven. The company also provides vaccinations at ports in the Netherlands, albeit for just Dutch flagged or owned vessels but it plans to extend this service to all seafarers.

While Boers is supporting efforts to vaccinate all seafarers, maritime executives such as Esben Poulsson, Chairman of the International Chamber of Shipping, say the new delta strain of Covid-19 has hampered the shipping industry.

Poulsson added that crew changes were not happening quickly enough to satisfy increased demand for products, especially from the US and Europe in the lead up to Christmas, putting more pressure on already strained global supply chains. He also criticized government figures for continuing to stick their heads in the sand.

Stephen Cotton, general secretary, International Transport Workers’ Federation, expressed similar concerns about the crew change crisis. “The situation is going from bad to worse,” he said, “We need more than lip service from governments; we need concrete action that allows crew changes to be carried out in a safe manner.”

Meanwhile, IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim has urged IMO member states to support a fair global distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, to ensure seafarers have access to jabs.

“No seafarers should be left behind or forced to forgo their careers because of limited resources in their home country,” Lim said. He added that shipping companies needed to provide testing, appropriate PPE and access to medical and sanitation facilities, to protect crew members and prevent the virus spreading.

ABOUT BOER CREW SERVICES: Established in 1946, Boers Crew Services is a crew change specialist, unburdening its clients through local knowledge of immigration rules and maritime infrastructure. The company handles all travel and logistical requirements for seafarers, such as providing taxi services to and from ports, arranging letters of indemnity, visas on arrival, hotel bookings, pandemic services and Dutch documents.