Marine Log October 2021

ARINE OG M L www.marinelog.com

HELPING MARITIME PROFESSIONALS MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS

FERRY DESIGN:

October 2021

Taking a Systems Approach

FERRIES 2021 attendees to tour the new Ollis Class ferry delivered to New York City this month.

NEW RAIL FERRY Makes First Mexico Roundtrip

FERRY RIDERSHIP Back on the Uptick

CRUISING The Come Back Gains Pace

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A U T O N O M Y O F

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H Y D R O G R A P H Y.

JON L. DASLER; PE, PLS, CH Senior Vice President and Director, David Evans and Associates, Inc. (DEA) Marine Services

DEA utilized Sea Machines to fulfill a portion of a NOAA contract to survey more than 60 square NMs in Texas.

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CONTENTS

12 DEPARTMENTS 2 EDITOR’S LETTER FERRIES Returns In-Person After Two Years 4 INLAND WATERWAYS An Optimistic Outlook on U.S. Inland Waterways 6 WELLNESS Fibers of Life 8 VESSEL OF THE MONTH Volcán de Taidía: Fast Cat for Canary Islands 10 REGULATIONS Rules of the Road, E-Documents and Firefighting Training 12 UPDATES • Jones Act Compliant WTIV Design is Hydrogen Ready • Burger Boat Books Order for Ferry Designed for Tough Winters 17 INSIDE WASHINGTON House Panel Puts a Focus on Ferries

19 FEATURES

19 20 22

MAIDEN VOYAGE New Rail Ferry Completes First U.S.-Mexico Round Trip The rail ferry, the Cherokee, completed its maiden voyage with record results for transportation speed and railcar volumes CRUISE SHIPS Cruising Starts its Comeback, Eyes its Options Where is cruise ship design headed and what will the next generation of cruise ships look like?

FERRY DESIGN What’s Outside of an E-ferry is as Significant as What’s Inside Building a ferry that’s all electric from day one is already technically feasible for increasingly long routes

33

MARKET OUTLOOK: FERRIES Ferry Ridership Slowly Climbing As pandemic restrictions are lifted, service routes are being added and plans for ferry system expansions are still in the works

29

Q&A …

Does Hydrogen Make Sense for Passenger Vessels?

Efforts to get new greener vessels into commercial operation have to not only get the technology right, but also meet regulatory requirements

35 TECH NEWS JDP Aims to Develop Future-proof LNG Carrier Design 37 NEWSMAKERS Rusty Murdaugh Named President of Austal USA

Cover Photo Credit: Eastern Shipbuilding Group

40 SAFETY Incentivizing Safety: Is it a Good Move?

October 2021 // Marine Log 1

EDITOR’S COLUMN

MARINELOG OCTOBER 2021 VOL. 126, NO. 10 ISSN 08970491 USPS 576-910 SUBSCRIPTIONS: +1 (402) 346-4740 Fax: +1 (847) 291-4816 Email: marinelog@omeda.com PRESIDENT Arthur J. McGinnis, Jr. amcginnis@sbpub.com PUBLISHER Gary Lynch glynch@sbpub.com Photo Credit: Shutterstock/ John Penney

FERRIES Returns In-Person After Two Years

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or the first time in at least 18 months, the ferry industry will gather in person at our 34th annual Marine Log FERRIES conference in Jersey City, N.J., overlooking ferry traffic on the Hudson River and just across from the Manhattan skyline.

This region has heavily relied on public transportation for decades, and given all that has happened with the pandemic, it’s been somewhat of a relief to see the ferry industry get back to business from the windows of our Lower Manhattan office.

The conference, which is aptly themed, “The Ferry Industry is Poised to Rebound in 2022,” has been created in partnership with the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA) to present two days of in-person discussions, panels, and dynamic Q&A sessions. We have also built in plenty of time for networking and a unique field trip.

The field trip and an event highlight will be a tour of the first of the three new Ollis Class ferries (see the cover of this issue) being delivered to New York Harbor this fall for the New York City Department of Transportation Staten Island Ferry Division. The ferries—designed by Elliott Bay Design Group in Seattle, Wash.— were built by Eastern Shipbuilding Group’s Allanton, Fla., shipyard.

Over the next several years, the ferry industry is expected to experience rapid growth and innovation. The collaboration between Marine

Log and the PVA enables both organizations to share resources and industry knowledge in support of the ferry industry at this critical juncture.

If you turn the pages of this issue, you’ll find examples of how the ferry industry continues to make waves despite the impact COVID-19 had on ferry operations, design, and construction. As pandemic restrictions are lifted, service routes are being added and plans for ferry system expansions are still in the works (page 33).

Also, a new, state-of-the-art rail ferry, the Cherokee, completed its maiden round-trip voyage with record results for transportation speed and railcar volumes (page 19). Last but not least, we look at designing a ferry system in an age where everything is going greener (page 22).

You’ll also see more in-depth information on the FERRIES 2021 conference, including a complete lineup of our expert speakers, sold out sponsorships, panelists and keynote address.

With less than a month left, we hope you have registered and we look forward to seeing you there!

SENIOR EDITORIAL CONSULTANT Nicholas Blenkey nblenkey@sbpub.com ART DIRECTOR Nicole D’Antona ndantona@sbpub.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER Hillary Coleman hcoleman@sbpub.com MARKETING DIRECTOR Erica Hayes ehayes@sbpub.com PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Mary Conyers mconyers@sbpub.com SALES MANAGER David Harkey dharkey@sbpub.com SALES REPRESENTATIVE KOREA & CHINA Young-Seoh Chinn corres1@jesmedia.com CLASSIFIED SALES Jennifer Izzo jizzo@mediapeople.com CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Maureen Cooney mcooney@sbpub.com CONFERENCE DIRECTOR Michelle M. Zolkos mzolkos@sbpub.com CONFERENCE ASSISTANT Stephanie Rodriguez srodriguez@sbpub.com CONTRIBUTORS Emily Reiblein Crowley Maritime Corporation Tracy Zea Waterways Council Inc. SIMMONS-BOARDMAN PUBLISHING CORP. 88 Pine Street, 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10005 Tel: (212) 620-7200 Fax: (212) 633-1165 Website: www.marinelog.com E-mail: marinelog@sbpub.com

HEATHER ERVIN Editor-in-Chief hervin@sbpub.com

Marine Log Magazine (Print ISSN 0897-0491, Digital ISSN 2166-210X), (USPS#576-910), (Canada Post Cust. #7204564; Agreement #40612608; IMEX Po Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2, Canada) is published monthly by Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, 88 Pine St. 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10005.

Printed in the U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and Additional mailing offices.

PRICING: Qualified individuals in the marine industry may request a free subscription. For non-qualified subscriptions: Print version, Digital version, Both Print & Digital versions: 1 year, US $98.00; foreign $213.00; foreign, air mail $313.00. 2 years, US $156.00; foreign $270.00; foreign, air mail $470.00. Single Copies are $29.00 each. Subscriptions must be paid in U.S. dollars only.

COPYRIGHT © Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation 2021. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced without permission. For reprint information contact: PARS International Corp., 102 W 38th St., 6th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10018 Phone (212) 221-9595 Fax (212) 221-9195.

For Subscriptions, & address changes, Please call (US, Canada & International) +1 (402) 346-4740, Fax +1 (847) 291-4816, e-mail marinelog@omeda.com or write to: Marine Log Magazine, Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, PO Box 239, Lincolnshire IL 60069-0239 USA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Marine Log Magazine, PO Box 239, Lincolnshire IL 60069-0239 USA.

2 Marine Log // October 2021

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Heather Ervin hervin@sbpub.com

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INLAND WATERWAYS

The date to vote on the Senate-passed infrastructure bill passed without a vote and, at press time, Congress continues to negotiate on infrastructure.

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urricane Ida was an unwelcome visitor to the Gulf Coast in late August, disrupting people, power, and inland waterways assets. While there is still much that needs to be sorted out from the storm and the impact it had on the waterways, Congress has an opportunity in the near future to pass an infrastructure bill that will help strengthen the inland waterways for decades to come.

At press time in September, Waterways Council Inc. is feeling confident that the longdebated and much anticipated bi-partisan infrastructure bill will be passed by Congress and signed into law sometime in 2021. The twists and turns of this package have felt at times like showing up at a theme park for a family vacation only to find the park closed, to white-knuckled riding the tallest coaster without seat belts. But with so much at stake for the nation, we hope the last hill has been climbed, the wild ride is about to end, and it was worth the wait.

In the most recent twist at this writing, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reached a deal in late August with moderate Democrats in Congress to advance the rule for a $3.5 trillion budget framework that also set a date to vote on the Senate-passed infrastructure bill (the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, H.R. 3684) on or by September 27. The agreement on the date is a non-binding deal that gave House leadership some flexibility

if they do not have the votes for infrastructure by that September date. Before the deal was reached, moderates had threatened to not support the rule that allowed budget reconciliation to advance unless the infrastructure bill was voted on first.

There was significant action in the Senate, however, and on August 10, by a vote of 69 to 30, it passed the infrastructure bill, which included $2.5 billion of direct federal funding for the construction of inland waterways projects. The Corps is required to develop and submit a project-specific workplan to Congress no later than 60 days after enactment of the infrastructure bill is signed into law and every month until all monies provided are allocated.

Combined with full annual appropriations of inland waterways construction, this additional funding would equate to nearly $4 billion over the next five years for inland waterways construction and major rehabilitation projects.

Additionally, $4 billion was provided for the Corps’ Operations and Maintenance account for all business line items within the Civil Works mission. Inland waterways projects and dredging are eligible to compete for funding to be allocated in a work plan.

Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) appropriations have been strong thus far, and in early August, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed

out of Committee the FY22 Energy & Water Development (E&WD) Appropriations bill (S. 2605) that funds the Corps’ Civil Works Program. With overall FY22 funding for the Corps at $8.96 billion, this was an increase of $1.165 billion above the FY21 enacted level and $2.168 billion above the Administration’s budget request. The full House of Representatives-passed FY22 E&WD appropriations bill funded the Corps at $8.66 billion.

This action represents the eighth consecutive year that use of estimated annual revenues from the Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF) were approved by Senate appropriators, a key WCI priority. The Senate’s IWTF project funding level was roughly $200 million higher than the Administration’s budget request. More than $350 million in construction of IWTF-funded projects is provided in the Senate committee-approved bill.

The FY22 E&WD appropriations bill also approved new starts for Three Rivers channel deepening project on the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS) at $149 million and the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP) through Congressionally Directed Spending (formerly earmarks) at $45.1 million (this was double what the House provided). Montgomery Lock and Dam, received $20.1 million in second-year funding.

The Corps’ Operations and Maintenance (O&M) account received $4.683 billion, up $833.1 million above the FY21 appropriated amount and $554 million above the Administration’s FY22 budget request. Six major rehabilitation reports were funded to completion, receiving a total of $13 million, to position those projects to become construction-eligible.

The Investigations account was funded at $153 million, with nearly $7 million ($6.932 million) in Pre-Construction Engineering & Design (PED) for the Gulf Intracoastal Waterways’ Brazos River Floodgates and Colorado River Locks project.

Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) projects will receive an estimated $2.05 billion, the highest request to date.

TRACY R. ZEA

President/CEO, Waterways Council Inc.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock/Sheila Fitzgerald

An Optimistic Outlook on U.S. Inland Waterways

4 Marine Log // October 2021

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WELLNESS COLUMN

Fibers of Life

6 Marine Log // October 2021

disease prevention was well gauged in a 2019 study sponsored by the World Health Organization. The purpose was to assess the impact of all fiber on noncommunicable diseases. The study also looked at the amount of fiber consumed in relationship to weight reduction. The results reported to the world in The Lancet (Jan 2019), included 185 observational studies—amounting to 135 million person-years—and 58 clinical trials over almost 40 years. This research found that people who consume the most fiber in their diet are 15–30% less likely to die prematurely from any cause or a cardiovascular condition, compared with those who eat the least fiber. Consuming foods rich in fiber correlated with a 16–24% lower incidence of coronary heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, and colon cancer.

The Study further showed that the break point for this fibrous reduction in disease was 29 grams of fiber a day. By comparison, the average American consumes 15 grams or less daily.

With every “magical” food there comes a debate, opinion and more research.

Nu a n ce s ex i s t i n f i b er con su m p t i on starting with which fibers may be “better” for the human system. Back in 2012, A. J. Wanders and colleagues published a paper (Obes Rev; 2011 Sep; 12(9):72439) showing that weight reduction based on fiber consumption occurred more prevalently with “fibers characterized as being more viscous (soluble) reduced appetite more often than those less viscous fibers (insoluble) (59% vs. 14%).”

Nothing in this article constitutes medical advice. All medical advice should be sought from a medical professional.

EMILY REIBLEIN

Director-Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) Crowley Logistics

Photo Credit: Shutterstock/Poligoone

P

rotein intake is commonly seen as one of the most important aspects of nutrition because it builds and operates human cells. An often-overlooked fact is that there are other important cells in the human body that need energy and care as well: bacterial cells. These cells outnumber human cells and oper ate everything from your immune system to how genes express themselves. There are over 1,000 known species in the body and over 40 trillion of them inside you right now are switching on and off physical and mental operations. What keeps them healthy and powered is not protein but fermentable fibers.

Fiber from food falls into two categories: soluble and insoluble. Insoluble fiber expands when liquid is added to it. This fiber races through the intestinal track without absorbing, giving it the “insoluble” title. Supermarket shelves are filled with high insoluble fiber foods, including nuts, seeds and green vegetables.

Most foods that contain insoluble fiber also contain some soluble fiber. This second type of fiber creates a gel by binding with fatty acids and it starts fermenting in the stomach. Fibers that ferment are important to the overall health of the human system for one main reason; they feed the 40 trillion bacteria controlling your responses to the environment around you. Activation of your DNA, emotions, behavior, the central nervous system, disease manifestation, and much more are all controlled by these little living organisms.

Fiber’s overall impact on long-term

Eating higher amounts of soluble fiber m ay b e m ore a dv a n t a ge o u s to t h o s e looking for weight reduction. Research has also shown that soluble fiber supports stronger gut health overall.

On the flipside, fiber can sometimes feel like an irritant to those with irritable bowels and other gut issues. Discomfort can occur as dosage goes up from insoluble fibers that increase “intestinal bulk.”

Insoluble fiber expands while passing through the intestines as moisture accumulates in it. Adding to that discomfort may be the soluble fiber that starts fermenting in the stomach. Together, they can yield bloating, gas and pressure on gut mechanoreceptors that can quickly spark the consumer to back off their consumption. When increasing your fiber intake, always start off slow and work up to a higher amount. While studies do not support the replacement of fiber with resistant starches, research shows certain types of resistant starch are a powerhouse for gut health. They fly through the intestine like insoluble fibers without absorbing and with a bit less expansion and irritation.

Eventually, resistant starches arrive at the colon where they ferment and keep our little friends strong and healthy. Like fiber, resistant starch’s lack of absorption in the intestines helps prevent these carbohydrates from becoming a fast sugar spike and entering the blood stream at a high rate.

These starches can be found in foods, such as green bananas, plantains, cooked and then cooled potatoes, cooked and then cooled rice and beans, dandelion greens, and tapioca or cassava starch.

Fiber is indeed necessary. Its support of human health through decreasing our risk of non-communicable diseases and fortification of mental health functions will allow us to maintain a quality of life and ability to live well.

VESSEL OF THE MONTH Volcán de Taidía in Hobart, Tasmania, prior to departure for Spain.

ustralian shipbuilder Incat Tasmania reports that its latest high-speed ferry, the 111-meter catamaran Volcán de Taidía, has been delivered to Spain’s Navieras Armas. She is now on her way to her new home in the Canary Islands via Auckland, New Zealand, across the Pacific Ocean to Tahiti and the Panama Canal before crossing the Atlantic to operate alongside sister vessel Volcán de Tagoro, which was delivered by Incat in 2019.

Both vessels will operate out of the new private port facility strategically located in the center of the Canary Islands at Las Palmas and developed by Naviera Armas in 2019.

When she enters service, Volcán de Taidía will be the sixth Incat-built vessel operating in the Navieras Armas fleet. She is also the owner’s second newbuild direct from Incat Tasmania, its other Incat-built vessels being acquired on the second-hand market.

“We are delighted to have a new sister 8 Marine Log // October 2021

ship of the catamaran Volcán de Tagoro whose excellent performance and benefits have raised the quality of maritime transport to its highest level,” says Naviera Armas owner, Antonio Armas senior.

Incat Tasmania CEO Tim Burnell says the delivery of a second large high-speed ferry to Naviera Armas is a sound endorsement of the excellent seakeeping qualities delivered by Incat catamarans.

“The original vision of Naviera Armas was to facilitate high speed movement for passengers, cars and trucks between the two main cities in the Canary Islands, Las Palmas and Tenerife,” he says. “The one concern Antonio Armas senior had was that this is one of the most exposed routes in the Canary Islands.” The vessel was designed

by Revolution Design Pty Ltd. and features two slender, aluminum hulls connected by a bridging section with a center bow structure at the forward end. Each hull is divided into ten vented, watertight compartments divided by transverse bulkheads. Three

compartments in each hull are prepared as fuel oil tanks with additional strengthening on each of the end bulkheads and intermediate tank tops.

There are crew accommodations port and starboard at Tier 2 level for eight crew including bunks, lockers and bathroom facilities.

Volcán de Taidía has a capacity for 1,200 persons, including crew, and the vehicle deck provides for 595 truck lane meters plus 219 cars, or, in car-only mode, 401 cars.

Volcán de Taidía is powered by four MAN 28/33D STC 20V engines, each rated at 9,100 kW at 100% MCR, driving four Wärtsilä Lips LJX 1500SR waterjets via four ZF 60000 NR2H gearboxes and achieved over 42 knots with 600 tonnes deadweight during speed trials.

A Naiad Dynamics’ active ride control system is fitted to maximize passenger comfort. This system combines active trim tabs aft and retractable T-foil located at the aft end of the center bow.

Photo Credit: Incat Tasmania

A

Volcán de Taidía:

Fast Cat for Canary Islands

Offshore

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Insights into the evolving offshore market

The Biden administration’s just announced plans to jump-start U.S. offshore wind will generate a boom in demand for specialized Jones Act-compliant vessels and services. To help give you the insights needed to meet the needs of the new market, we have launched a new weekly newsletter, Marine Log Offshore.

Marine Log will also host a podcast and webcast series focusing on the latest in offshore wind farm development, policy and regulation and the implications for U.S. shipyards and vessel operators.

www.marinelog.com/offshorenewsletter

REGULATIONS

Rules of the Road, E-documents and Firefighting Training

By C.F. St. Clair

Firefighting Training: Proposed Modifications

T

his month’s report focuses on three recent maritime policy issues: a Mississippi River accident and a court’s decision regarding Coast Guard “rules of the road;” the Coast Guard’s proposal to modify firefighting training for personnel on Western Rivers and the inland waterways, open for public comment until November 1; and a Coast Guard final rule, allowing electronic filing of safety documents at oil, gas and hazardous material terminals.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock/ Red_Shadow

A Restricted Vessel?

On January 3, 2019, the M/V Strandja, a 610-foot oceangoing ship, was departing anchorage on the Mississippi River near Chalmette, La. Suddenly, the Strandja began topping around, moving into the path of the downbound pushboat Kieffer E. Bailey and six barges. A collision, unfortunately, occurred. Who was at fault?

This case was recently highlighted by Texas attorney Carra Miller, senior associate w ith Welder Leshin LLP, in her maritime client newsletter. Miller notes that for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, this case was an “issue of first impression,” i.e., first time dealing with this set of issues.

The court’s ruling, Miller explained, establishes greater clarity on inland waterway rules and operational liabilities, particularly with Coast Guard Navigation Rule 18 – “Responsibilities Between Vessels”—which requires a power-driven vessel to keep out of the way of a restricted vessel.

The Strandja’s legal team claimed that the

Bailey was at fault because its strike violated Rule 18. Attorneys argued the Strandja was a “restricted vessel” because one of its anchors was still down. Therefore, as required by Rule 18, the Bailey needed to yield.

“No way,” countered the Bailey’s attorneys. They argued—successfully—that the Strandja could not claim standing as a “restricted vessel.”

Importantly, restricted does not mean impaired and, to be clear, restricted is not a wide-open concept. In fact, Navigation Rule 3(g) defines a restricted vessel as one “which from the nature of her work is restricted in her ability to maneuver as required by these Rules and is therefore unable to keep out of the way of another vessel.”

Note the highlighted reference to work, which Rule 3(g) limits to six broad tasks, ranging from pipeline work to aircraft recovery to certain towing operations.

Bailey attorneys also pointed out that the Strandja did not display the required balldiamond-ball signal indicating a restricted status. Strandja attorneys said an anchor ball signal (for the downed anchor) showed this was a restricted vessel, requiring the Bailey to change course.

On August 21, Chief Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown sided with the Bailey legal team, ruling that the Strandja was not a restricted vessel under Rule 18. She wrote further “heaving anchors is not ‘work’ as defined by Rule 3(g).” And she noted the absent ball-diamond-ball signal, as required by Rule 27.

Judge Brown granted the Bailey team’s motion for partial summary judgement.

On September 1, the U.S. Coast Guard moved to revise firefighting training requirements for national Merchant Mariner Credential endorsements as master of towing vessels (limited) or mate (pilot) on inland waters or Western Rivers routes.

For employees—and employers if they pick up the tab—this could save money since required courses would be shorter, taking less time. The Coast Guard doesn’t foresee any reductions in safety.

The proposed changes would be limited, affecting just the personnel working on the Western Rivers or inland waterways. Those mariners would no longer have to train on equipment required on ocean going or Great Lakes vessels. However, if a person shifted employment to those vessels, that move would require the expanded training.

The proposal follows suggestions from two Coast Guard advisory committees—the Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee and the Towing Safety Advisory Committee, under study since 2013. The proposal emphasizes that “basic firefighting training for national officer endorsement as master or mate (pilot) of towing vessels on inland waters and Western Rivers should be retained,” but it can be limited to the equipment required aboard vessels in those waterways.

This proposal is open for comment until November 1.

Final Rule: Electronic Submission Liquefied natural and hazardous gas facilities and oil or hazardous materials bulk facilities which transfer those materials to a vessel (greater than 250 barrels) are required to maintain an Operations Manual and an Emergency Manual. Two copies of each must be submitted to the Captain of the Port for approval before a facility can operate, requirements last set in 1996.

This updated rule removes the two-copy requirement, allowing submission of one printed or electronic copy of each manual and it allows facilities to maintain either a printed or electronic copy.

Watch for upcoming, similar moves to expand e-filing, e.g., with Facility Security Plans. The Coast Guard writes that it is “exploring the long-term feasibility of expanding this capability” within future rulemakings.

October 2021 // Marine Log 11

UPDATE

Burger Boat Books Order for Ferry Designed for Tough Winters

The NP20000X ULAM design is intended to be Jones Act compliant.

BURGER BOAT COMPANY’S MANITOWO C , W I S ., shipyard has started

ABS HAS AWARDED ITS APPROVAL IN PRINCIPLE (AIP) for a hydrogen-ready

wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) design to Ned Project Inc., which is working with GPZ Energy to develop WTIV projects for the U.S. market.

The NP20000X ULAM design is intended to be Jones Act compliant. It is also designed to be able to meet future offshore wind market demands, specifically operations involving 15-20 MW wind turbine installations. Its innovative approach loads monopiles vertically on the 8,000-square-meter deck, eliminating the need to rotate monopiles to the vertical position at sea, increasing efficiency and safety.

The design is equipped with a leg encircling heavy cargo crane with a working load of 3,500 metric tons capable of handling turbines of 240-meter rotor diameter and 150-meter tower height.

The enginerooms of the hydrogen-ready WTIV are designed to be able to be converted into fuel cell compartments accommodating polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells, 12 Marine Log // October 2021

making it possible to rely solely on liquefied hydrogen (LH2) to meet its energy demands.

“There is significant potential for growth in the U.S. offshore wind market and we are confident our WTIV design has the attributes required to deliver this,” said Peter Novinsky, spokesperson for GPZ Energy. “The scale, power and handling capacity as well as the innovative way it handles the monopiles means this is perfectly adapted to serve the U.S. industry.”

“ABS is the ideal partner for a highly specialized wind turbine installation vessel such as this, both for the U.S. market and internationally,” said Greg Lennon, ABS vice president, offshore wind. “Our extensive knowledge of U.S. regulations combined with our global offshore industry leadership means we are uniquely equipped to support this project and a range of other innovative vessels now being commissioned to support the growing international demand for renewable energy. ABS is committed to playing a significant role in the safe development of the U.S. offshore wind industry.”

Neebish Islander III

Photo Credit: (Left) Ned Project; (Right) Seacraft Design

Jones Act Compliant WTIV Design is Hydrogen Ready

construction of a new 92-foot vehicle/ passenger ferry, the Neebish Islander III. Ordered by the Eastern Upper Peninsula Transportation Authority (EUPTA), located in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., the ferry will operate year-round on the St. Mary’s River in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula between Barbeau, Mich., and Neebish Island. It has been designed to operate in the harsh winter environment and through the solid ice conditions it will encounter on its route.

Based on the experience of four previous commercial vessel designs built by this shipyard, we know that EUPTA will receive a first-class product from Burger Boat Company, and we look forward to collaborating once again,” said Mark Pudlo, president, Seacraft Design LLC, which designed the vessel.

The Eastern Upper Peninsula Transportation Authority, established in 1975, operates three local vehicle and passenger ferries to the nearby islands of Sugar, Neebish, and Drummond.

“We’re grateful to be selected by the Eastern Upper Peninsula Transportation Authority to build their new vessel,” said Jim Ruffolo, president and CEO, Burger Boat Company. “At Burger, our team prizes collaboration, among each other and with our clients, to deliver vessels people can look upon with pride, year after year. Whether it’s a luxury yacht or a hard-working ferry for demanding conditions like those the Neebish Islander III will face, we are committed to delivering tailored, quality vessels that meet and exceed the owner’s vision.”

TTB

TUGS TOWBOATS BARGES

In partnership with The American Waterways Operators

Presented by

>> SAVE THE DATE <<

Building a Maritime Workforce for the Future Marine Log’s TTB—Tugs, Towboats & Barges—is back in person in 2022.

TTB is the only event dedicated exclusively to the tug, towboat and barge segments of the maritime transportation industry.

Meet industry experts, network and gain inside knowledge on how to recruit and retain a skilled workforce in today’s competitive environment. Registration opens November 2021.

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TABLETOP EXHIBITS & SPONSORSHIPS David Harkey 973.563.0109 dharkey@sbpub.com

LEARN MORE www.marinelog.com/ttb

MARCH 29 & 30

2022

RENAISSANCE MOBILE RIVERVIEW PLAZA MOBILE, ALABAMA

UPDATE

Bunkerings in Two Countries Show Trend to Greener Versions of Gas Fuels

RLNG bunkering was carried out by bunker vessel Clean Jacksonville extend the time that IMO standards can be met by LNG-fueled ships.

Last month saw two pioneering bunkering involving these cleaner fuels. In one, carried out in the Port of Jacksonville, Fla., America’s first LNG bunkering vessel, Clean Jacksonville, bunkered the world’s

Photo Credit: Jaxport

WHILE LNG OFFERS drastically reduced CO2 emissions compared to other fossil fuels, it’s seen as a bridge to zero emissions such as ammonia or hydrogen. As shipowners face progressively tighter IMO CII and EEXI standards, the search is on for greener liquefied gas fuels that promise to

first LNG-fueled containership, TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico’s Isla Bella, with a blend of LNG and renewable liquefied natural gas (RLNG) supplied by JAX LNG, a small-scale LNG facility located along the St. John’s River in Jacksonville.

Element Markets supplied the renewable natural gas (RNG) used to produce the RLNG. Produced from the decomposition of organic waste, RNG is compatible with existing natural gas infrastructure, providing a practical and replicable source of energy that mitigates and repurposes carbon emissions. For this bunkering event, RTCs were matched to the physical LNG loaded into the Clean Jacksonville to create the RLNG/LNG blended product.

JAX LNG is the long-term supplier to the two LNG-fueled container vessels—the Isla Bella and the Perla del Caribe—that TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico operates between Jacksonville and Puerto Rico.

“We’re proud to partner with JAX LNG, which has continued to solidify its position as the industry leader in the clean fuel revolution,” said Mike Noone, president of TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico.

“RNG is a clean, drop-in fuel source that

14 Marine Log // October 2021

UPDATE

ElbBLUE was bunkered with SNG by Liquid Marine truck.

to decline by 56 tons for this coming trip.

Owned by German shipowner Elbdeich Reederei and operated by charterer Unifeeder, the 1,036 TEU feeder containership operates on the North Sea and the Baltic.

be converted to LNG operation. Following the SNG monitoring, the ElbBLUE continued its journey under the supervision of engineers from MAN PrimeServ, MAN Energy Solutions’ after-sales division. The vessel’s direct CO2 emissions are expected

140FT

can be readily deployed for use today, since it needs no new equipment to capture or transport it.”

On the other side of the Atlantic, at the Elbe port in Brunsbüttel, Germany, a containership that first made the headlines when its main engines were converted to dual-fuel operation was in the news again.

In a world-first for the maritime sector, the ship, the ElbBLUE, was bunkered by LNG supplier Liquind Marine with some 20 tons of green SNG (synthetic natural gas). The liquefied SNG was produced in a power-to-gas facility in Werlte, Germany, owned by kiwi AG. It was generated using 100% renewable energy, one of a number of Power-to-X electricity conversion, energy storage, and reconversion pathways that make use of surplus electric power, typically during periods where fluctuating, renewable-energy generation exceeds load.

The ElbBLUE is the former Wes Amelie. In 2017, its MAN 8L48/60B main engine was retrofitted to its current, four-stroke MAN 51/60DF unit to enable dual-fuel operation.

The first such conversion of its type globally, it showed that existing engines could

High-Speed Subchapter K Passenger Vessel

Photo Credit: MAN Energy Solutions

World-leading ship design for passenger vessels

Get in touch 703-920-7070

inquiries@bmtdp.com

www.bmt.org

October 2021 // Marine Log 15

UPDATE

Austal USA Sees Booming Ship Repair Business at New West Campus

FOLLOWING

ITS

SEPTEMBER

2020

Mike Bell said. “We are pleased with all of the positive feedback we have received from our ship repair customers thus far.”

Austal’s acquisition included 15 acres of waterfront property spanning almost 3,000 linear feet of waterfront pier space, a 20,000ton certified Panamax-class floating dry dock, a 300,000 square foot outside fabrication area, and 100,000 square feet of covered fabrication facilities all just 30 miles from the Gulf of Mexico.

Photo Credit: AustalUSA

acquisition of additional waterfront along the Mobile River in Mobile, Ala., Austal USA was quick to establish a ship repair facility that, it reports, has had a booming response.

“Almost immediately after word got out Austal USA had purchased the additional waterfront property, we were inundated with calls from commercial captains looking to return to Mobile to have their ships serviced,” Austal USA’s senior vice president of operations

While Austal USA is best known for advanced manufacturing of high tech Navy ships, word is rapidly getting out that the company also has a highly capable ship repair operation.

The Austal West Campus repair facility is located across the river from Austal USA’s 165-acre corporate headquarters providing access to deep water berthing for vessels up to 1,000 feet, advanced manufacturing capabilities, including a friction stir welder, CNC machines, CNC cutting tables, and a carpenter shop, machine shop and electrical and pipe shops. The repair facility also offers heavy-lifting capability with mobile cranes, overhead cranes and wing wall cranes that travel the length of the 668-foot dry dock.

Services provided by Austal’s Mobile ship repair operation range from conversions and upgrades to advanced ship repair.

The machine shop and fabrication areas are fully equipped with overhead cranes, lathes, and CNC plasma cutters. Other technical services offered to the company’s service clients include full-service detail design capability, 3D modeling, field engineering support and dimensional accuracy control.

16 Marine Log // October 2021

UPDATE

BIZ NOTES Pensacola, Fla., based Ian-Conrad Bergan, LLC—a marine equipment manufacturer with a 45-year track record is rebranding as Bergan Marine Systems and has a new president and CEO Kyle Durden.

The company is to expand its focus to include electronic and computer controls, as well as cloud-based solutions for marine data systems, along with continuing their traditional products.

“We’re thrilled to be moving in a new direction to better reflect the future of our company,” said Durden. “While we’ve been a mostly product-centered company throughout our history, we’re now integrating our products with computer-based control systems and generating data that’s transmitted to the cloud, to customers in real-time.”

Initially founded in Norway, the company moved to the Pensacola area in 1980 and provides products and systems for tank ships, tank barges, ocean barges, specialty fleets, bulk carriers and industrial customers.

Svanehøj’s rapidly growing service business, which has almost tripled its revenue since 2018. Svanehøj is already a leading provider of cargo system service for LPG vessels, and the intention is to use the acquisition to achieve a similar position within the larger LNG ship

segment. Additionally, as part of the acquisition of Wärtsilä TCS, a new independent business for land-based activities will be established. The business will be based in Calais, France, from where Wärtsilä TCS currently produces measurement systems for land-based LNG systems.

S VA N E H Ø J ACQ U I R E S WÄRTSILÄ TANK CONTROL SYSTEMS Making its second acquisition in less than a year, Danish gas pump specialist Svanehøj has agreed to acquire Wärtsilä Tank Control Systems (TCS), which employs more than 50 people in the U.K., Singapore, and France. The company was historically known as Whessoe and that name is expected to be revived when the acquisition is complete.

“Gas is one of the biggest driving forces in the green transition. Liquefied natural gasses such as LNG and LPG are already cleaner alternatives to oil and coal today,” says CEO of Svanehøj, Søren Kringelholt Nielsen. “And with Power-to-X, we will see green electricity from solar power and wind converted into climate-friendly fuel for aircraft, ships, lorries and industry in a few years. The acquisition of Wärtsilä TCS is an expression of our desire to make Svanehøj a globally leading specialist in producing and servicing equipment for handling all types of liquefied gas—natural gas, biogas and not least the Power-to-X-based fuel of the future.”

Svanehøj says the addition of Wärtsilä TCS opens new, exciting opportunities for

October 2021 // Marine Log 17

INSIDE WASHINGTON

House Panel Puts a Focus on Ferries

F

erries were in focus at a hearing titled “Examining the Role of Ferries in Improving Mobility,” held September 28 by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Highways and Transit. As subcommittee Chair Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) noted in her opening remarks, although the panel has oversight on two ferry programs— one under the Federal Highway Administration and one under the Federal Transit Administration—this was the first hearing it had held on ferry transportation.

“One of my priorities as subcommittee chair,” she said, “has been ensuring that we consider innovative and varied modes of transportation— whether improved public transit, new approaches to micromobility such as scooters, or utilizing our waterways to move people.”

18 Marine Log // October 2021

“Here in the D.C. metropolitan area, we face some of the worst traffic congestion in the country,” she continued. “We know that we cannot solve congestion by simply building more highway lanes—in many congested areas, more roads simply means more traffic. That means we need to pursue alternatives, including expanded ferry service.

“As we work to build a transportation system that is more innovative, sustainable, and equitable, we must ensure that the federal government is a strong partner for those operating ferry service, and for those who wish to launch new routes,” she concluded.

Ranking Member Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) also had a constituent among the witnesses at the hearing: Kyle Godar, the county engineer from Calhoun County, Ill. Davis noted that his office had been working to resolve an issue Calhoun County has with utilizing its Ferry Boat Program funding.

“Under current law, this subcommittee authorizes two programs that provide federal funds for ferry transportation,” noted Davis. “The Ferry Boat Discretionary Program is administered by the Federal Highway Administration, and the Passenger Ferry Grant Program is administered by the Federal Transit Administration.

The Senate’s bipartisan infrastructure bill includes two new ferryboat programs and grows ferry program funding levels from $550 million to $2.3 billion.

“While ferry service certainly is not a solution for each state, it is important to understand the role ferries play in quickly connecting people and communities through water crossings,” he added. “It also is important to understand the needs of ferryboat and facility owners and operators. Addressing these needs, as those here before us today will testify, is critical to improving our ferry operations.”

FEATURETTE The Cherokee measures 590 feet in length and is designed to carry up to 135 railcars.

NEW RAIL FERRY Completes First U.S.-Mexico Round Trip

Photo Credit: CG Railway LLC

C

G Railway LLC (CGR), a joint venture between Genesee & Wyoming Inc. and SEACOR Holdings Inc., announced late September that its new, stateof-the-art rail ferry, the Cherokee, completed its maiden round-trip voyage with record results for transportation speed and railcar volumes. As the Cherokee completed that trip, its sister vessel, Mayan, completed its delivery voyage from China’s CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Company.

The Cherokee departed the Port of Mobile, Ala., on September 12, 2021, hauling 122 railcars and arrived at the Port of Coatzacoalcos in Veracruz, Mexico, on September 15, 2021.

The vessel began its return trip from Coatzacoalcos on September 18, 2021, with 130 railcars onboard and docked in Mobile three days later.

The Cherokee measures 590 feet in length and is designed to carry up to 135 railcars, a 17% capacity increase per sailing compared to CGR’s previous rail ferries.

“We are extremely pleased with the Cherokee’s performance during its maiden voyage,” said Todd Biscan, CGR vice president of sales and marketing. “The rail ferry transported more than 22,500 tons of diverse commodities, including chemicals, plastics, pulp and paper, agricultural products and food. CGR is excited to enhance service quality to customers and safely move railcars from the U.S. to Southern Mexico in three days with customs

cleared en route.”

The second new rail ferry, the Mayan, is expected to enter into service in December and replace CGR’s existing vessel, the Banda Sea. Until then, the Banda Sea will continue to operate alongside the Cherokee to provide steady service to customers.

“Offering greater capacity and more sailings per week between the Southeast U.S. and Mexico, CGR service is better than ever,” said CGR President Hoffman Lijeron. “In addition, both the Cherokee and Mayan will generate lower CO2 emissions than land alternatives and our legacy ferries. These collective benefits provide a

long-term, sustainable supply chain solution for existing and prospective customers.”

Established in 2000, CG Railway operates as a U.S. Class III freight railroad that currently transports approximately 10,000 carloads of diversified commodities annually across the Gulf of Mexico, with long-term agreements to operate purpose-built rail-ferry terminals in the ports of Mobile and Coatzacoalcos. Genesee & Wyoming Inc. and SEACOR Holdings Inc. formed the rail-ferry joint venture that includes CG Railway LLC in 2017, combining the two companies’ experience in rail and marine transportation.

The Cherokee departed the Port of Mobile, September 12, hauling 122 railcars, returned September 21 with 130 onboard.

October 2021 // Marine Log 19

CRUISING American Eagle

CRUISING W

here is cruise ship design headed and what will the next generation of cruise ships look like?

Though that’s something cruise lines may be pondering, right now most of their attention is on returning to service the ships they already have and deploying the ships in the current newbuilding pipeline.

That pipeline is extensive. According to the most recent Seatrade Cruise Orderbook, between 2021 and 2027, a total of 96 new cruise ships will join the world fleet, adding 203,858 berths to its capacity and coming in at total estimated price of $57.3 billion. This year will see 19 ships delivered, while 26 will be delivered in 2022 and 20 in 2023, after 20 Marine Log // October 2021

which projected deliveries start to taper off.

Can the industry bounce back strongly enough to fill the added berths and, more importantly from a shipbuilding viewpoint, how long will it be before new orders are inked? And how will the industry respond to the ambition being pushed

by Denmark, the U.S., the U.K. and other countries for IMO to target zero emissions from shipping by 2050?

The good news is that, at last, cruises are resuming in significant terms. The bad news is that to get through the shutdown imposed by the pandemic, the cruise lines have been borrowing heavily to maintain liquidity.

Meantime, the world’s largest cruise ship operator, Carnival Corporation, last month reported third quarter results that reflected

more than a few rays of hope. Though the company reported a U.S. GAAP net loss of $2.8 billion and adjusted net loss of $2.0 billion for the third quarter, it ended the quarter with $7.8 billion of liquidity, which it believes is sufficient to return to full cruise operations.

That “cash flow positive” indicates that even operating under all sorts of COVIDrelated restraints, once they are working, cruise ships are earning and the sooner more of them are working, the better for industry prospects all round. As of August 31, 2021, eight of the Carnival’s nine brands had resumed limited scale cruises, with the company expecting to return over 50% of its total fleet capacity to guest cruise operations by the end of October.

Photo Credit: Carnival Cruise Lines

Starts its Comeback, Eyes its Options

CRUISING pipeline got some attention.

“While capacity growth is constrained, we will benefit from an exciting roster of new ships spread across our brands, enabling us to capitalize on the pent-up demand and drive even more enthusiasm and excitement around our restart plan,” said Donald, noting that Carnival “will achieve a structural benefit to unit costs in 2023 as we introduce these new larger and more efficient ships, coupled with the 19 ships leaving the fleet, which were among our least efficient.”

Some other things to emerge from the in the call-in was that the new ships entering the fleet are some 25% to 35% more fuel-efficient on a unit basis than the ships Carnival has disposed off and that the ships already in its newbuild pipeline will require capital expenditures of about $4.5 billion in 2022 and $2.7 billion in the following year.

State-of-the-Art Carnival Cruise Lines’ LNGfueled Mardi Gras packs in all the features cruise vacationers are looking for.

By Nick Blenkey, Senior Editorial Consultant

In a call-in with financial analysts following publication of third quarter numbers, Carnival Corporation President and CEO Arnold Donald noted that already this year the company has carried over 500,000 passengers, noting that, “on any given day, we are now successfully carrying around 50,000 guests, and expect that number to continue to rise as we introduce more capacity and as we increase occupancy over the coming months.”

“Looking forward,” Donald told analys t s , “ we con t i nu e to wor k tow a rd s resuming full operations in the spring [of 2022], in time for our important summer season where we make the lion’s share of our operating profit.”

When will the industry get to a place when we see newbuilding orders placed again? That was a question not on any of the analysts’ mind. However, the absorpt ion of the new ships in the cur rent

Though new orders may be yet a while away, right now cruise ship designers need to be thinking long and hard about paths to zero.

Of the 96 ships in the current order book, only 21 will be LNG fueled, which right now is just about the only available option for significantly cutting CO2 emissions.

The current state of the art in cruise ship design is probably best represented by the first LNG fueled cruise ship built for the U.S. market, Carnival Cruises’ Mardi Gras. On July 31, it finally made its maiden revenue voyage, becoming the first cruise ship to set sail with guests from Port Canaveral, Fla., since the industry-wide pause in operations 16 months earlier.

Built by the Meyer Turku Shipyard, in Turku, Finland, the 180,000 gt vessel has a length of 1,130 feet, beam of 137 feet and can carry up to 6,465 guests at full occupancy, though normal occupancy is 5,282. It has a crew of 1,745.

The Mardi Gras has a 3,600-cubic-meter LNG capacity, sufficient for 14 days of cruising with passengers. LNG not only powers the ship’s four Caterpillar MaK 16 M 46 DF main engines, it’s used for all shipboard systems, from elevators, lighting and computers to galley equipment and, of course, Bolt, the first roller coaster at sea.

MaK engines are not likely to propel any future LNG-fueled cruise ships. In an announcement made to employees in a seven-minute video earlier this year, MaK parent Caterpillar said it was exiting the medium speed engine market and would shutter the MaK production facilities in Germany by the end of next year.

Though the choice of engines maybe of some interest to us, it is not likely to be

among the features that bring vacationers aboard the ship. What is bringing in the paying passengers are features like its two dozen restaurants and the rest of the host of culinary, bar and entertainment experiences on offer on its 19 decks and six distinct themed zones, along with a wide range of outdoor attractions, including the longest ropes course and largest water park in the fleet and, of course, Bolt.

Needed: Green Fuels When the next generation cruise ships are ordered, packing in moneymaking guestmagnets will be the top priority. The trick will be how to push all these power-consumers through the water while meeting carbon-neutrality goals. Like the rest of shipping, cruising is looking for the emergence of future fuels and new technologies.

M S C Cr u i s e s l a s t m o n t h o u t l i n e d some of the options. It became a signatory to the Getting to Zero coalition’s call for action on shipping decarbonization. Pledging to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in its cruise operations by 2050. It gave examples of the paths it is pursuing including: Hydrogen-Powered Vessels: The MSC Cruise Division has entered into a partnership with leading shipbuilder Fincantieri and energy infrastructure company Snam to jointly determine the conditions for the design and construction of what could become the world’s first oceangoing hybrid hydrogen/LNG-powered cruise ship. These include arranging ship spaces to accommodate the necessary hydrogen technologies and fuel cells, identifying the technical parameters of onboard systems, calculating the potential greenhouse gas emissions savings, and technical and economic analysis of hydrogen supply and shore-based infrastructure.

Fuel Cells on LNG-Powered Vessels: With three ships on order that will operate on LNG, MSC notes that this is “a transitional fuel that offers up to 21% less greenhouse gas emissions,” and says it is studying the integration of fuel cells as a means to achieve further reductions.

Retrofitting Fuel Cell Technology: The MSC Cruise Division has also joined a consortium with GE Power Conversion, Lloyd’s Register, and Ceres Power Holdings to explore how to address the barriers to the adoption of fuel cells in large ship applications. It will examine how SOFCs (solid oxide fuel cells) can be integrated into a ship’s operational functionality, including the existing power and propulsion architecture and layout.

October 2021 // Marine Log 21

FERRY DESIGN

FERRY DESIGN: The Boat is Just One Part of the Solution

22 Marine Log // October 2021

vessel without designing in a pathway to future conversion/retrofit to an electric or hybrid solution.

Let’s take a look at a few recent projects, starting with the Ellen.

Operating between the Danish islands of Ærø and Fynshav, the vessel is less than 60 meters long and with a breadth of approximately 13 meters. It travels at speeds of 12-12.5 knots, and is capable of carrying 198 passengers in summer months, with this capacity dropping to 147 during winter. It can also carry 31 cars or five trucks on its open deck.

With a 4.3 MWh capacity battery pack, at the time of construction the largest installed for maritime use, it is the first electric ferry to have no emergency backup generator on board.

Danfoss Editron was selected to supply the full electric drivetrain. The Editron system comprises two 750 kW propulsion motors and two 250 kW thruster motors, both driven by synchronous reluctance assisted permanent magnet technology

and controlled by DC/AC inverters. Danfoss Editron also provided the vessel’s power management system, providing complete on-board automated power and load control. Additionally, the company delivered the onshore charging station and charging arm for the battery.

Compared to a similar modern dieselpowered ferry, Ellen annually saves around 2,520 tons of CO2, 14.3 tons of NOX, 1.5 tons of SO2, 1.8 tons of CO and half a ton of particulate matter. The E-ferry is charged from the local grid on the island of Ærø, w hose elec t r icit y demand is entirely powered by wind.

Elle n delivers a propulsion system efficiency that reaches 85% grid-to-propeller. This is over twice as efficient as a conventional diesel-powered ferry (tankto-propeller) and enabled a 20% reduction in travel time compared to the dieselpowered ferry it replaced. The E-ferry consumes around 1,600 kWh per return trip, performing better than projected in preliminary studies.

Photo Credit: Leclanché

T

here are a lot of moving parts to designing a ferry system, and the boat itself is just the one that floats. Ferries—and i n p a r t i c u l a r co m m u t e r s world, those networks need to be green.

That usually means electric. In places where electricity is already green, whether from wind, solar, s all electric from the day it enters operation is already technically feasible for increasingly long routes.

The Danish E-ferry Ellen has been operating successfully for some two s first E-Ferry (that credit goes to the Ampere in Norway, which entered s Horizon 2020 program which means that a lot of documentation on the project is on the public record.

In designing an all-electric ferr y, a major part of the equation is the charging infrastructure and involves a significant investment. When all the pieces for an allelectric ferry are not there yet, a hybrid solution probably makes sense. What no longer makes sense is making a significant investment in a conventionally fueled

By Nick Blenkey, Senior Editorial Consultant

FERRY DESIGN N.Y., integrated the new electric propulsion system with support from American Traction Systems, Fort Myers, Fla., (power conversion) and Spear Power Systems, Grandview, Mo. (batteries). Cochran Marine, Seattle, Wash., was responsible for shipboard and shore side charging stations.

Skagit County E-Ferry

Calculations show that the initial high investment costs for building the E-ferry will be compensated for after just five to eight years of operation. s lifetime. The quick amortization means that the operator will save between 24% and 36% in operating costs compared to operating a diesel or diesel-electric ferry for the remainder of the ferry’s estimated 30-year lifetime.

Gees Bend Ferry While Ampere and the Ellen have captured the headlines, one all-electric ferry has been in operation in the U.S. since April 2019 when, after conversion at the Master Marine shipyard in Bayou la Batre, Ala., the s first zero-emission, electric-powered passenger/car ferry.

The 95-by-42-foot Gees Bend Ferry was originally built in 2004 with diesel propulsion. Operated by HMS Ferries on behalf of ALDOT, the 15-vehicle/132-passenger ferry runs on the Alabama River between Camden and Boykin, Ala. The conversion was funded with the support of a $1.09 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, along with $765,350 matching dollars from ALDOT. Seattle, Wash., naval architecture and marine engineering firm Glosten provided concept through contract design and shipyard technical support for the project, which was managed by HMS Ferries and HMS Consulting.

Marine Interface Inc. of East Northport,

Recently, Glosten has been working on what could be the first newbuild battery electric ferry in the U.S.: an all-electric replacement, the 40-year-old diesel powered Guemes that operates on the 5/8 of a mile route that separates Anacortes, Wash., from Guemes Island.

The replacement ferr y will be double-ended with a three-tiered deckhouse and accommodate four lanes of vehicles including highway-rated trucks and emergency vehicles. Challenges associated with mixing cars and passengers were addressed by keeping walk-on passengers and vehicles separated throughout the trip; this also improves schedule efficiency by eliminating delays during the switch between car and passenger loading. In addition, the battery-electric propulsion system will significantly reduce vessel noise production, which means that passengers can enjoy a quieter commute.

According to Glosten, the vessel will see a 50% reduction in operational costs compared to its diesel-propelled predecessor and produce virtually zero emissions during its crossing. Glosten analyzed the route, terminals, and utility infrastructure and found that charging once during each round trip was feasible, reliable, and minimized the cost of the project.

A request for proposals from electrical integrators to provide the vessel shore electrical systems and the automated charging plug for the vessel closed last month. Once the proposals have been analyzed and vendor selected the path should be open to prepare a proposal for shipyards to bid on.

Ottawa Road Ferries Meantime, what will be the first fully electric road ferries to operate in North America have arrived in Canada from the Damen Galati shipyard in Romania.

Ordered by the Ministr y of Transportation, Ontario, Canada, the 68 meter long Amherst Islander II and 98 meter long Wolfe Islander IV are equipped for fully electric operation, but also have twin diesel generators installed to allow hybrid and full diesel propulsion for maximum redundancy.

The delivery of the vessels marks the completion of the first of the two stages of the project. The second stage, which is well underway, is installation of the facilities that will enable the vessels to use shore power supplied via integrated shore charging and mooring systems.

Damen has selected Switzerland-based Leclanché to construct and provide two fast charge stations, and supporting electrical storage systems on Lake Ontario.

The agreement with Leclanché’s Stationary Solutions group provides the complete recharging infrastructure.

Both are powered by Leclanché’s Marine Rack System, certified by Bureau Veritas, under prior contracts with Leclanché’s e-Marine group. The Amherst Islander II (Damen 6819 E3) has a 1.9 MWh capacity Leclanché battery system and produces zero emissions. It will carry up to 42 cars and 300 passengers at speeds of up to 12 knots and connect the mainland port city of Millhaven, Ontario, with Stella on Amherst Island. The larger Wolfe Islander IV features a 4.6 MWh Leclanché battery system and can carr y twice the number of passenger vehicles as the Amherst Islander—83—plus 399 passengers. It, too, will sail at up to 12 knots.

Leclanché says that its in-house capability to provide both the battery energy storage system to power maritime vessels and the on-land charging and storage system, powered by the grid or increasingly cost-effective renewable sources of energy, sets it apart from other providers.

For those portside regions unable to install a fixed energy storage system on shore, Leclanché is working on a mobile charging station option—essentially a floating e-Barge with a fast-charge storage system onboard.

The Ontario ports and harbor systems will be equipped with a 3.0 MWh Leclanché battery energy storage system (BESS) located in port-side structures. The BESS, which will be charged by the harbor grid, is connected to the ferry charger via 1,800 kW DC-DC converters. These “buffer stations” will be protected by a fire suppression system using piped in water running alongside the battery racks and behind each battery module. The batteries have been designed to charge each vessel up to 7,850 times per year or more than 78,500 times over their projected 10-year lifespan.

Crossing time between ports will be just 20 minutes and Leclanché’s high power, D C-to-D C fast charg ing system w il l enable the e-ferries to “refuel” in just 10 minutes at each port.

October 2021 // Marine Log 23

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The Ferry Industry is Poised to Rebound in 2022. Are You Ready?

Nov. 9–10, 2021

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5 REASONS TO ATTEND FERRIES 2021 1

Prepare for the anticipated boom in ferry ridership at the first ferry event in 18 months for the Marine Log community

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Be ready for changing industry regulations and compliance targets under the new administration

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Take home lessons learned from ferry owners and operators, including moving to safer, more energy-efficient vessels

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Discover new ways to meet economic and environmental targets through technology, innovative operational strategies, and vessel design

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Find out how smaller operations can benefit from emerging technologies and diversify their business

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November 9-10, 2021 FERRIES PROGRAM Moderators: Gary Lynch, Publisher, Marine Log | Heather Ervin, Editor-in-Chief, Marine Log

{ TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9 } th

{ WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10 } th

8:00am Registration | Continental Breakfast in the Exhibit Area

8:00am Morning Coffee in the Exhibit Area

9:00am Opening Remarks Gary Lynch, Publisher, Marine Log

8:30am Opening Remarks Gary Lynch, Publisher, Marine Log

9:10am Keynote Address Cecilia Kushner, AICP, EVP Planning Division, New York City Economic Development Corp.

8:35am Bringing the Norwegian Experience to US Ferry Operators Bruce Strupp, Senior Account Mgr., ABB Marine & Ports

9:40am Post-COVID: Contactless Ticketing and Lessons Learned Cameron Clark, Chief Strategy & Business Development Officer, City Experiences | Hornblower Group 10:10am Sponsor Spotlight

9:05am First Zero-Carbon, Hydrogen Fuel Cell Ferry Launches Pace Ralli, Chief Executive Officer, SWITCH Maritime LLC 9:35am Building the SSG Michael H. Ollis Joey D’Isernia, President, Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc.

10:30am Coffee Break in the Exhibit Area

10:05am Coffee Break in the Exhibit Area

11:00am Vessel with Voltage: Updating a Transit District Fleet with Hybrid Technology Hank Berg, General Manager, Casco Bay Lines

10:35am Advancements in Ferry Design James Moran, Project Manager, BMT Morgan Fanberg, President, Glosten John Motlow, Executive VP, ZEI

11:30am Glosten: Foil Ferry Progress Matthew Lankowski, Senior Ocean Engineer, Glosten 12:05pm Luncheon in the Exhibit Area 1:35pm Cummins Sponsor Spotlight 1:55pm Small-scale Ferry Operations Nigel Cabral, Chief Executive Officer, Tideline Marine Group 2:25pm Worldwide Ferry Safety Association Spotlight Roberta Weisbrod, Executive Dir., Worldwide Ferry Safety Association

11:15am Closing Remarks Gary Lynch, Publisher, Marine Log 11:20am Brunch in the Exhibit Area 11:50am Group Meetup in the Lobby 12:00pm Group Departs for Staten Island Ferry Tour | Sponsored by UES Seating Tour will be approximately 90 minutes.

Limited space available.

2:30pm Group Returns to Hotel | Conference Adjourns

2:35pm Coffee Break in the Exhibit Area 3:05pm Ridership Growth: Preparing for the Boom Cameron Clark, City Experiences | Hornblower Group Nigel Cabral, Tideline Marine Group Seamus Murphy, Executive Director, WETA 4:00pm Regulations: What’s There to Worry About?

Edmund Welch, Legislative Director, PVA 4:30pm Closing Remarks Gary Lynch, Publisher, Marine Log 4:30pm Cocktail Reception in the Exhibit Area 6:00pm Conference Day Ends

26 Marine Log // October 2021

Register now: www.marinelog.com/ferries

At FERRIES 2021, two panels will engage in discussions in front of a liveaudience on the topics of ferry design and ridership growth.

This year for FERRIES 2021, two panels will engage in discussions in front of a live-audience on the topics of ferry design and ridership growth. The audience will be invited to ask the panelists questions immediately following both discussions.

RIDERSHIP GROWTH On Tuesday, November 9, the first panel will lend their expertise during a discussion on “Ridership Growth: Preparing for the Boom.”

While the pandemic significantly depressed ferry use over the past 18 months, ridership is continuously increasing in most markets, and operators are scaling up service to meet demand that in many spots still isn’t at pre-pandemic levels. As pandemic restrictions are lifted, service routes are being added and plans for ferry system expansions are still in the works.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: • What are the best plans for post-COVID-19 recovery for ferry operations?

• What impact do current and pending regulations have on ferry operations and ridership growth?

• Why partnering with other modes of transportation to get your customers to where they want to go might make sense.

• How ferry services can rapidly expand or adjust routes to best serve needs of riders, and more.

WHO WILL BE SPEAKING:

CAMERON CLARK Chief Strategy and Business Development Officer

NIGEL CABRAL Chief Executive Officer

SEAMUS MURPHY Executive Director

Tideline Marine Group

San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA)

Hornblower Group

FERRY DESIGN On Day 2 of the program, a second panel will convene to speak on the topic of advancements in ferry design. What is becoming increasingly clear is that ferry design can no longer look at just the design of the vessel alone but must think of its role as part of an overall green transportation infrastructure.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: • What are the latest advancements in ferry design technology?

• Of those advancements, which are more cost-effective and practical?

• Info on some of the latest ferry projects in the development phase, under construction or recently launched.

• What solutions should be examined when meeting challenges to ferry design for efficiency, meeting regulations, lowering emissions, and more.

WHO WILL BE SPEAKING:

MORGAN FANBERG President

JOHN MOTLOW Executive Vice President

JAMES MORAN Principal Naval Architect

Glosten

Zero Emission Industries

BMT Designers & Planners Inc.

October 2021 // Marine Log 27

In Partnership With

November 9-10, 2021 Hyatt Regency Jersey City on the Hudson Jersey City, NJ

SPONSOR & EXHIBITOR PREVIEW PLATINUM CUMMINS, INC. | EXHIBITOR Cummins offers a complete line of propulsion, generator and auxiliary power. Our diesel, hybrid and emerging power solutions are developed with your needs in mind – low total cost of ownership, higher uptime with reliable engines, and a comprehensive support network – so you can provide a safe, smooth ride for your passengers. www.cummins.com/marine STATEN ISLAND TOUR UES MARINE Engineering marine interior and exterior solutions since 1904, UES Marine is a familyowned company passionate about excellence, integrity, and imaginative seating design and marine solutions around the world. ues-marine.com LUNCHEON HORNBLOWER GROUP Hornblower Group is a global leader in world-class experiences. Today, Hornblower’s footprint spans 111 countries and territories, and 125 U.S. cities, with offerings including water-based experiences, land-based experiences, overnight cruise experiences, ferry and transportation services and full-service support via Hornblower Shipyard at Bridgeport Boatworks in Connecticut. www.hornblowercorp.com GOLD ABB MARINE & PORTS | EXHIBITOR As a front runner of hybrid and zero emission solutions for ferries, ABB can help you optimize energy consumption onboard your vessel and reduce emissions to stay compliant and protect our local environment. To enable safer voyages, our cutting-edge digital solutions offer assisted and even remote operations with technology readily available today. new.abb.com/marine/vessel-segments/ passenger/ropax-and-passenger-ferry GLOSTEN Glosten is a full-service naval architecture and 28 Marine Log // October 2021

marine engineering firm. Founded in 1958, the company is recognized throughout the marine industry for integrating advanced analysis with practical, experience-based design. In recent years, Glosten has emerged as an industry leader in the design of hybrid and electricpropelled passenger vessels, with two such vessels already in operation. www.glosten.com MARINE JET POWER | EXHIBITOR For 35 years, Marine Jet Power (MJP) has been redefining the waterjet market with innovation and unsurpassed quality. Engineered and built in Sweden, MJP’s proven stainless steel, mixed-flow and aluminum, axial-flow waterjets are used in many diverse applications, from fast military craft and passenger vessels to luxury yachts and workboats worldwide. www.marinejetpower.com SIEMENS ENERGY | EXHIBITOR The Siemens Energy marine commitment stretches back more than 130 years. Our highly innovative portfolio of electrical products, systems, solutions, and services covers the entire lifecycle. A promise of supporting businesses like yours with future-proof solutions for the safe, efficient, and reliable operation of commercial as well as naval vessels. www.siemens-energy.com/marine SILVER BEIER INTEGRATED SYSTEMS | EXHIBITOR Beier is a leading provider for fully integrated engineered equipment packages including automation, alarm & monitoring, vessel control, steering, navigation & communication, switch gear, power distribution, power management systems, dynamic positioning, and motor control systems. In 2020, Beier experienced a major milestone by celebrating their 75th anniversary.

During this time, they have successfully completed over 10,000 projects. www.beieris.com BMT | EXHIBITOR The premier independent ship design and engineering firm, BMT provides professional

and technical engineering and design services to the passenger vessel industry. BMT naval architects, engineers, and subject matter experts serve as partners of choice for ship owners and shipbuilders globally. www.bmt.org ELECTRONIC MARINE SYSTEMS (EMS) | EXHIBITOR EMS is a Veteran-owned 42-year-old small business, an ABS Type Approved Manufacturer, for ACCU and ABCU Designations, as well as ISO 9001:2015 Certified. EMS products include full ferry alarm and monitoring, tank level indication systems, engine order telegraph, layup alarm and throttle control systems that are manufactured in the USA and fully tested and witnessed by ABS, owner’s representative and contracting shipyard(s). EMS has manufacturing facilities in both the East and West Coasts, as well as engineering support offices in Florida and Mississippi. www.emsmarcon.com ELKON ELEKTRIK SANAYI VE TICARET A.S. | EXHIBITOR Elkon is an electrical design, engineering, system integration and installation company established in 1980, with offices in Istanbul and Norway. Ferries, fishing vessels, aquaculture vessels, Ro-Pax, tugboats and OSVs are designed and engineered by elkon for shipowners in Europe, Turkey, Central Asia and the Middle East. Elkon is the electric system integrator of an all-electric ferry to Norway, operated by Basto Fosen, as well as all-electric tug boats to be operated by HaiSea for LNG Canada / Shell. elkon-tr.com MTU – A ROLLS-ROYCE SOLUTION | EXHIBITOR Rolls-Royce provides world-class power solutions and complete life-cycle support under our product and solution brand MTU. Through digitalization and electrification, we strive to develop leading-edge solutions that are robust, reliable and smart. Our powerful engines and systems are trusted around the world. www.mtu-solutions.com

NCP COATINGS INC. | EXHIBITOR NCP develops and manufactures technologically advanced primers, enamels, textured coatings, topcoats, reducers and marking paints. Markets / industries include: commercial and recreational marine shipbuilding / maintenance; aerospace; military weaponry; ground force equipment and naval shipbuilding / maintenance. Other industries served include heavy truck / trailer, and off-road equipment. www.ncpcoatings.com/commercial-marine ROCKETREZ | EXHIBITOR Ferry companies run complex operations that require multi-boat online ticketing, real-time capacity, and weight management and ticket validation. RocketRez gives operators the tools they need to grow their revenue, streamline operations, and get actionable data from across their entire business in an all-in-one, cloud-based software system. rocketrez.com THE SHEARER GROUP, INC. | EXHIBITOR The Shearer Group, Inc. (TSGI) is the global leader for design of inland towboats, ferries, marine construction equipment, and barges.

TSGI has a rich history of providing naval architecture, marine engineering, and marine surveying services to the marine industry, with a focus on the inland sector. shearer-group.com THRUSTMASTER OF TEXAS, INC. | EXHIBITOR Thrustmaster of Texas is a leading designer and manufacturer of marine propulsion systems for over 37 years. Thrustmaster can deliver complete turnkey hybrid and all-electric propulsion solutions including the controls, gensets, energy storage, power manage, drives, motors, and propulsors. Thrustmaster is a US small business located in Houston, Texas and can meet all Buy America and Buy American requirements for projects. www.thrustmaster.net BRONZE ALL AMERICAN MARINE | EXHIBITOR All American Marine has been the technological leader in custom aluminum vessel design and manufacturing for over 30 years. We build innovative, high-quality vessels ranging from research and patrol boats to passenger vessels, hydrofoil-assisted catamarans, vessels with hybrid-electric propulsion, and the first hydrogen fuel cell-powered vessel in North America. www.allamericanmarine.com

BAE SYSTEMS | EXHIBITOR BAE Systems has been on the forefront of clean power and propulsion with a market-leading electric drive system. For 25 years, we’ve been delivering propulsion and power management capability with innovative electrification products and solutions advancing mobility, efficiency, and performance. Our electric drive systems power both low and zero emission vessels including: electric hybrid, battery electric and fuel cell electric. This year we proudly introduce our next-generation electric drive system featuring game-changing power electronics advancing efficiency, increasing flexibility, while decreasing size and weight. www.gettozero.com DERECKTOR SHIPYARDS | EXHIBITOR Established in 1947, Derecktor Shipyards has since become renowned for excellence in the construction, repair and refit of yachts, workboats, military ships and hybrid vessels.

Today, four Derecktor facilities span the Eastern Seaboard of the US, offering everything from marina space and routine maintenance to major refits and commercial vessel and megayacht construction. www.derecktor.com EASTERN SHIPBUILDING GROUP, INC. | EXHIBITOR Eastern Shipbuilding Group is a leading innovator in marine construction and repair.

They build world class vessels for national defense and commercial clients, including the new Staten Island Ferries and the USCG’s highest acquisition priority, the Heritage Class Offshore Patrol Cutters. With three shipyards and a portfolio of over 350 vessels, ESG is known as one of the most diverse vessel construction companies. www.easternshipbuilding.com ELLIOTT BAY DESIGN GROUP | EXHIBITOR Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) is a fullservice, employee-owned naval architecture and marine engineering firm that supports owners, operators and shipyards. Our team of naval architects, engineers, designers, certified weld inspectors, and analysts have expertise with designing vessels and marine facilities, providing engineering support for fleets of vessels and analyzing the feasibility of marine transportation. Since our inception, we have established ourselves as a responsive, reliable and innovative company that harmonizes construction and operations through design. www.ebdg.com

KARL SENNER, LLC | EXHIBITOR Karl Senner, LLC is the exclusive sales and service representative for REINTJES marine transmissions, STEERPROP azimuth thrusters, and provides complete propulsion systems integration. Karl Senner, LLC provides the maritime community with the highest quality marine propulsion equipment. Premium products backed by superior service allow Karl Senner’s customers to optimize vessel performance, safety and operating hours. karlsenner.com PANOLIN AMERICA, INC. | EXHIBITOR PANOLIN is the global leader in high performance Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants (EALs). Based on PANOLIN’s Fully Saturated Ester Technology, our products are EPA VIDA / VGP compliant and OEM Approved. Our lubricants are readily biodegradable, minimally toxic, non-bioaccumulative, no visible sheen, no compromise, high performance, life time fill fluid. A true lubricating solution! www.panolinamerica.com R.A. MITCHELL CO., INC. | EXHIBITOR R.A. Mitchell has been in business since 1954 serving the fishing fleet as well as the workboat, tug boat and ferry boat industries.

Full-service company with parts in stock and factory-trained technicians! Engines, generators, controls, pumps and more. ramitchell.com RIGIDIZED® METALS CORPORATION | EXHIBITOR Rigidized® Metals Corporation is a supplier of custom lightweight aluminum honeycomb panels, which are IMO- and USCG-Certified for T and K passenger vessels. We have supplied decorative panels—using vinyl or HPPL laminates—to prominent ferry projects: Staten Island Ferry, NYC Ferry, NOLA RTA, Kitsap and others. www.rigidized.com/markets/marine TNEMEC COMPANY, INC. | EXHIBITOR For over 100 years, Tnemec Company, Inc. has manufactured and developed high performance coatings that protect against some of the toughest environments around the world. From corrosion resistant primers to the unmatched color and gloss of our fluoropolymer lines, Tnemec offers the performance needed to keep your asset looking great. www.tnemec.com/marine October 2021 // Marine Log 29

MARKET MARKET OUTLOOK OUTLOOK

STEADY SHE GOES: Ferry Ridership Slowly Climbing

W

hile the pandemic significantly depressed ferry use over the past 18 months, ridership is continuously increasing in most markets, and operators are scaling up service to meet demand that in many spots still isn’t at pre-pandemic levels. As pandemic restrictions are lifted, service routes are being added and plans for ferry system expansions are still in the works.

Incentives are being offered to encourage riders to get back on the ferries. In July, the San Francisco Bay Ferry/Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) launched its Pandemic Recovery Program, which lowered fares and increased service.

“The intent of the program was to provide record levels of service spread throughout the day to be ready for passengers returning to travel when that happens and no matter how their travel patterns change,” said Thomas Hall, public information manager for WETA.

30 Marine Log // October 2021

“We expect that the peak commute period will continue to lag as employers adjust their return-to-work policies, but we also see an opportunity to meet the needs of a broader range of Bay Area residents. The lower fares are intended to incentivize a return to transit ridership and make San Francisco Bay Ferry cost-competitive with other modes.”

There is a lot of lost ground to be regained, though. For some sense of the loss in ridership experienced in the sector during the pandemic, consider that in 2020, ridership aboard Washington State Ferries dropped by 41% from 2019. That’s nearly 10 million riders. There’s been nowhere to go but up, and the forecast is bright.

Through summer, passengers came in droves to boost ridership to pre-COVID demand on Washington State Ferries. Much of the traffic is tourism-related. Reports indicate there aren’t enough crewmembers to meet service demand.

Still, such issues aren’t dampening spirits

in a sector that’s seen much hardship in the last two years. Operators across the nation are optimistic about 2022.

WETA officials expect business to grow significantly in the coming year. They believe ridership will climb as vaccination rates rise and more places re-open. In yet another pandemic-inspired move, WETA has enabled riders to check the ferry’s current ridership.

“We have seen very strong ridership on weekends as residents take advantage of what the Bay Area has to offer,” Hall said.

“We’re often selling out our San Francisco Giants ferry service, as well. We expect weekday commute ridership to increase as we get into 2022, based on employers’ return-to-work plans.”

In Seattle, Kitsap Transit provides ferry service into the city from three different locations in Kitsap County. The commuter ferry company also provides passenger-only service between two communities in the county.

As of September 2021, the service was still

Photo Credit: WETA

By Jonathan Hawes

MARKET OUTLOOK WETA’s M/V Hydrus preparing to dock in Alameda with San Francisco seen in the background.

Photo Credit: WETA

A high-speed passenger vessel in the San Francisco Bay Ferry fleet docks at the WETA Central Bay Maintenance and Operations Facility.

operating at just 40% capacity, and so officials there believe they can handle business growth, according to John Clauson, executive director for Kitsap Transit.

“Because so much of our service is commuter service, we are not sure just how fast folks will be required to return to their office and how many will continue to work remotely,” Clauson said. “Because of this uncertainty in the return-to-work issue, we are not expecting to see much over a 10% increase over the demand we are currently seeing.”

Due to the unprecedented nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting restrictions, there’s a lot of uncertainty in the many local markets that comprise the overall U.S. ferry sector. In some localities, people are driving more and in most places they are commuting less than in 2019, pre-pandemic.

“As long as this virus is with us, you’re going to see this hybrid work model” of

people working both at home and the worksite said Nigel Cabral, CEO for Tideline Marine Group. “A lot more people are taking solo trips. People will continue to work parttime [onsite] and telecommute part-time.”

Because of the unique style of transportation that ferries provide, the sector might bounce back a bit quicker than other modes of public transport.

“Ferries are going to be one of the easier systems to adopt as a customer, because it’s open air,” Cabral said.

Just as commuters, office workers, students, and everyone else has had to change to deal with a new “normal” dictated by a waning pandemic, ferry operators have had to embrace a very flexible business model. All of Tideline’s public ferries cut back their routes and trips per route due to the pandemic.

“You have to adapt as the market indicates,” Cabral said. “Ridership is slowly going up now. As companies implement a better back to work structure, demand will rise.”

Cabral is confident that at some point in 2022, ridership should be back to what used to be a normal ridership level. That view seems to be the consensus among other market experts.

“When riders come back, they’ll see the excellent experience they are accustomed to with lots more weekday service across the system, including more trips in off-peak periods such as the midday and late evening,” Hall said. “Ferries are a high quality, fresh air transit option that we see being very attractive to those returning to the commute or just returning to life.”

Expansions Planned For their part, some ferry systems across the country are upgrading offerings—both service and facilities. And those improvements are not just COVID-related amenities.

“Riders will not see any changes in service levels but will see additions inside our vessels,” Clauson said. “The big change inside is that we have installed UV light, air scrubber units in the passenger cabin. These new units have provided a much improved/increase of air flow that will be both seen and felt.”

Perhaps not surprisingly, since many ferry systems are at least partly publicly funded, some U.S. ferry operators are moving full speed ahead on planned improvements to their systems.

This year, WETA began a new ferry terminal at Seaplane Lagoon. WETA also plans to soon add new ferry terminals in Mission Bay, Redwood City and Treasure Island. WETA officials are working to reinvigorate with new funding the halted Mission Bay Project—a terminal across from the Chase Center. The authority also is discussing with Berkely officials the possibility of restoring the Berkely Ferry service.

In Florida, it’s clear skies for expansion plans for the Cross-Bay Ferry, in the Tampa Bay area. Officials there want to expand service by the ferry and make it year-round by sometime in 2024.

The Cross-Bay Ferry provides a nearly hourlong ride across Tampa Bay from St. Petersburg to Tampa and the reverse. The system broke its own ridership records in 2020.

In just its third season, Cross-Bay Ferry carried more than 50,000 passengers.

October 2021 // Marine Log 31

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Q&A HYDROGEN VESSELS

allow hydrogen powered passenger vessels?

Strom: The use of hydrogen as a marine fuel is not specifically addressed in the US Code of Federal Regulations; however, each subchapter for specific shipping operations provides the allowance to propose equivalents. The proposed equivalency to the regulations must guarantee, to the satisfaction of the Commandant, a degree of safety consistent with the minimum standards set forth in the regulations.

Pratt: There is nothing in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFRs) about hydrogen, what is the process for evaluating and approving designs, and what kinds of standards are used?

A Q&A

DOES HYDROGEN MAKE SENSE FOR PASSENGER VESSELS?

Photo Credit: ZEI

E

fforts to get new greener vessels into commercial operation have to not only get the technology right, but also meet regulatory requirements, which can create challenges when regulations around specific technologies have yet to be written.

For over a decade, Zero Emission Industries’ (ZEI) team members have worked closely with regulatory bodies across the globe to educate them on the characteristics of hydrogen and best practices for ensuring the safety of hydrogen system operators and customers. In recent history, that focus has been on working with the U.S. Coast Guard to better understand the safety requirements involved with putting a complete hydrogen fuel cell system on the water.

This article comes from an interview the Dr. Joseph Pratt, CEO/CTO of ZEI, conducted with U.S. Coast Guard Cmdr.

Frank Strom regarding how the Coast Guard approaches the introduction of a new technology like hydrogen fuel cells into U.S. waters.

Strom is the active Chief, Systems Engineering Division at the Coast Guard Office of Design and Engineering Standards after

serving at Sector San Francisco as the Chief, Inspections Division, and four years at the Marine Safety Center. While at Sector San Francisco he worked closely with the

The design basis must consider every regulation in the specific shipping subchapter and must address gaps in the regulations due to novel design features.

Strom: As mentioned, the use of hydrogen as a marine fuel is not specifically addressed in the CFR so any proposal using hydrogen must be considered on a case-by-case basis as an equivalency to the CFR. When proposing a novel vessel concept, the designers can work with the Coast Guard’s Office of Design and Engineering Standards (CG-ENG) to develop a design basis for the vessel that lays out a framework of design standards and requirements for the equivalency.

The design basis must consider every regulation in the specific shipping subchapter and must address gaps in the regulations due to the novel design feature being proposed. International regulations or industry standards may be used to help develop the design basis, and a risk assessment of the design will be required to evaluate the suitability of the proposed alternatives. Once the design basis is approved by CG-ENG, the designers can then take that design basis and use it when fleshing out the detailed plans for the vessel. Finally, the Coast Guard will use the design basis when approving finalized vessel plans, and conducting inspections during vessel construction.

ZEI team as the local lead for the sector’s involvement in the Sea Change Ferry project, the first hydrogen vessel in the U.S.

Pratt: From a regulatory perspective, is it possible to repower a conventional diesel boat to hydrogen? Do you see that regulatory approval path as being any more or less challenging than a newbuild?

Dr. Joe Pratt: Thank you for taking the time to talk with us today. To start, do current Coast Guard regulations

Strom: It is possible to repower a conventional diesel boat to hydrogen and the general regulatory process detailed above October 2021 // Marine Log 33

Q&A HYDROGEN VESSELS will apply. As with all projects requesting a design equivalency, the Coast Guard on a case-by-case basis will consider each proposal. The specific design details for the existing vessel considering to repower may present additional challenges. It is impossible to detail every issue that may be difficult to resolve for an existing vessel to repower to hydrogen but, as an example, the designation of hazardous areas around components of the hydrogen system may present design challenges for an existing vessel depending on the vessel’s arrangement, especially for a smaller vessel.

Pratt: Are any aspects of fueling a hydrogen vessel subject to Coast Guard regulations?

Strom: Yes, fueling a hydrogen vessel will be subject to Coast Guard regulations and inspection and will require specific approval by the local Coast Guard Captain of the Port where the bunkering will take place. Bunkering a vessel with hydrogen is not specifically addressed in the regulations so it will have to be addressed during the design review process. Additionally, the details of the bunkering operation 2021_GH-Interferry_MarineLog.pdf

should be evaluated during the project risk assessment to ensure that potential hazards associated with refueling the vessel are considered and safely mitigated as appropriate.

Pratt: Do you have any tips or recommendations on how to work with the Coast Guard on a hydrogen vesse l project to achieve a po sit iv e experience?

they contact?

Strom: Please feel free to contact me with any questions about seeking a design equivalency for an alternative fuel. The local OCMI where the vessel plans to operate is the best source for information on the certification process.

Have questions or are interested in learning more about how hydrogen fuel cells regulation? Write us at marinelogQs@ zeroei.com.

Strom: The process to receive a design equivalency can be time consuming so I would recommend reaching out to the Coast Guard as soon as possible. The first step in the process is always to notify your local Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection (OCMI) that you intend to seek certification of a vessel using hydrogen as a marine fuel. The OCMI will serve as the overall Coast Guard manager for the project and will generally take the lead with interactions with CG-ENG and the Marine Safety Center for plan review issues.

Pratt: If someone has questions for Coast Guard about this process, who or which office do you recommend

11

3/4/21

2:37 PM

Cmdr. Frank Strom

A

Event

2 5 – 2 6

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The SNAME Maritime Convention brings together the global maritime community's best and brightest minds to discuss, debate and build the industry's future. Join us 25-29 October and get ready to:

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• REUNITE and reconnect with your maritime peers from around the world • GAIN unique insight into the innovative new practices that will change how the world does business • EXPLORE what is driving innovation and change in the maritime industry

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34 Marine Log // October 2021

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Photo Credit: U.S. Coast Guard

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TECH NEWS

Photo Credit: Wärtsilä

JDP Aims to Develop Future-proof LNG Carrier Design WÄRTSILÄ is working with ABS and China’s Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (HZS) in a Joint Development Project (JDP) to develop a flexible, future-proof, and modular LNG carrier (LNGC) vessel concept. The multi-fuel electric vessel is intended to deliver immediate CO2 savings, and to be ready for the adoption of future decar bonization technologies to support zero-emission shipping ambitions.

Wär tsilä’s Inte g r ate d Systems and Solutions specialists are working alongside ABS specialists in Singapore, Houston and Athens and HZS’ R&D and LNGC design team in Shanghai to evaluate the vessel’s performance against the IMO’s Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) up to at least 2050.

T h i s i nvolve s t h e u s e of a dv a n ce d multi-physics modeling and simulation, and the application of various decarbonization technologies and solutions to the vessel’s design and operational modes.

The entire vessel design will be o p t i m i z e d a ro u n d a c o m p a c t , e l e c trified, integrated, and efficient propulsion power solution that will lead

to a significant reduction in CO2 emissions immediately. The design will also be ready to integrate new technologies in the future in order to stay ahead of the requirements of CII. “ The e volv ing demands of the CII mean vessels will need to be ready to continuously adapt to improve their rating and remain viable for the duration of their operational life,” said Patrick Ryan, ABS senior vice president, global engineering and technology. “Advanced multi-physics modeling and simulation techniques enable the development of a vessel with a strong CII profile at launch that is also equipped to take advantage of future decarbonization technologies as they mature.”

“We a re ve r y g l a d to cl o s e l y wor k together with Wärtsilä and ABS to develop the new generation of LNG carriers offering a low-carbon footprint and low OPEX cost,” said S ong Wei, R&D deputy director of Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding. “This state-of-the-art hybr id solution w ill be developed to power the future LNG carrier, enabling dual-fuel engines to run always at their

best efficiency and providing flexible power supply modes to adapt to various load demands.”

“Shipowners are currently faced with unprecedented challenges and uncertainties as they attempt to plan for their f l e e t s to m e e t t h e I M O’s C I I t r a j e c tory of -70% by 2050. What is certain is that this planning must start now in order to safeguard a future-proof newbuild vessel design,” says Stefan Nysjö, vice president, power supply, Wärtsilä Marine Power. “By optimizing the vessel design around a compact, electrified and hybridized propulsion system, remarkably high efficiency will be maintained across a broad range of vessel speeds and power nodes—making it highly suitable to accommodate all needed vessel speed and voyage optimizations in the future.

“The modular and hybrid smart propulsion system also provides the correct foundation for the introduction of new and potentially highly intermittent low carbon energy sources and propulsion energy saving devices, both in the newbuild phase and also later as potential retrofit solutions.”

October 2021 // Marine Log 35

TECH NEWS

Hyundai Heavy Gains BV AiP For AmmoniaFueled Ammonia Carrier BUREAU VERITAS (BV) has given an Approval in Principle (AiP) to Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (HHI) and Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co., Ltd. (KSOE) for an ammonia-fueled ammonia carrier.

The design was developed to ensure its compatibility with the existing infrastructure for ammonia, while also reflecting the market’s demand for very large gas carriers (VLGCs).

The vessel will be 227 meters long, 36.6 meters wide, and 23.6 meters deep—similar dimensions to that of the HHI 91K VLGC design. It will be equipped with four

prismatic-type cargo tanks with a total capacity of 91,000 cubic meters.

To maximize competitiveness for shipowners, both in terms of CAPEX and OPEX, the design was optimized for the safe and efficient carriage of ammonia as a single cargo.

The design builds on HHI’s expertise and experience with the transport of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

The AiP certificate was delivered to Dong Jin Lee, Vice President of HHI by Matthieu de Tugny, President Marine & Offshore at BV, at a ceremony on BV’s Gastech exhibition stand in Dubai.

Ecochlor Seeks BWMS USCG Type Approval N O R T H H AV E N , C O N N . , h e a d quar tered bal last water management s y s te m s p e c i a l i s t E co c h l o r h a s f i l e d an application for the EcoOne Filterless and EcoOne Hybrid ballast water m a n a g e m e n t s y s t e m s ( BW M S ) w i t h the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) for Type Approval. The systems were launched earlier this year.

“This application is an amendment t o E c o c h l o r ’s e x i s t i n g B W M S Ty p e Ap p rov a l ; i t i s o u r e x p e c t a t i o n t h a t the EcoOne and EcoOne Hybr id w ill receive USCG type approval certification by the end of 2021,” said Ecochlor CEO Steve Candito.

Type Approval applications have also been submitted to class societies LR, KR, BV and ABS, as well as the French and Greek flag administrations.

Ecochlor says its BWMS often exceed class society and industry standards and 36 Marine Log // October 2021

are “fit for purpose” all the way down to the component level. Each of the systems relies on the same core chlorine dioxide (ClO2 technology), which has distinct advantages over other disinfection techniques.

It is effective on all aquatic organisms, can operate anywhere in the world and does not require retreatment or neutralization at discharge.

Ecochlor says the filterless EcoOne BWMS can operate anywhere in marine and brackish waters (≥1PSU) with no restrictions on temperature or turbidity.

The EcoOne Hybrid BWMS (in filter mode of operation) has no operational limitations with temperature, turbidity or salinity and allows operation with filter or no-filter. This feature ensures that shipowners have the flexibility of unrestricted operation globally but with the convenience of a no-filter system.

TO MEE T t he growing demand for greater transparency in energy trading operations, Fueltrax, a leading elec tronic fuel mana g e m e n t s o l u t i o n ( EF M S ) p r o v i d e r f o r o f f s h o r e ve s s e l s, h a s p a r t n e r e d w i t h H o u s to n - b a s e d b l o c k c h a i n s p e c i a l i s t To p l t o u s e i t s Blo c kc hai n - a s - a -S e r v ice ( BaaS) plat form.

With blockchain integrated into EFMS products, each step in the e n e r g y t r a d i n g p r o c e s s ha s a n equivalent digital step, including contr ac t for mation, as set tr acking, and deliver y of the product.

As supply chain event s occur in real-time, each is added to the Topl Blockchain, where a tamperproof record will live forever, providing more granular documentation and traceability.

Adding the Topl Blockchain to Fu e l t r a x ’s f u e l m o ni to r i n g s y s tems and tech stack will allow client s to tr ack, review, and of fer proof of every change in the fuel transfer process.

T he To pl Blo c kc hain link s all steps for vessel fuel transfers, creating a full, complete, verifiable digital record. Any changes made alo ng t he s u p p ly c hain w ill b e recorded immutably. Clients will now be able to easily repor t on the progress of successful bunker and transfer operations.

“The maritime industr y knows h ow c r u c ial i t i s to c o n s t a nt l y improve security efforts in offshore operations,” says Anthony George, founder, and CEO of Fueltrax. “The Topl Blockchain will help us to add a layer of verification to assure vessels operations are performing to achieve company goals and help prove ethical practices while using Fueltrax technology.”

“Blockchain technology is ideally suited to thrive and deliver value in complex ecosystems.” says Kim Raath, founder and CEO of Topl.

“The maritime shipping industr y is composed of a web of parties and counterparties. Our technology is designed to cut through this.”

Photo Credit: Bureau Veritas

Fueltrax Partners With Blockchain Specialist Topl

NEWSMAKERS

Rusty Murdaugh Named President of Austal USA RUSTY MURDAUGH has been appointed as president of Austal USA. Murdaugh, who joined Austal USA in 2017 as CFO, has been serving as interim president of the company since February. In that role, he led the addition of steel shipbuilding to the Austal USA manufacturing operations and the shipbuilder’s facility expansion in Mobile, Ala. BIMCO’s Chief Shipping Analyst PETER SAND is leaving the international shipping association to join Oslo-headquartered ocean and airfreight rate benchmarking and market analytics platform Xeneta, where he will serve as chief analyst, starting on November 1.

Wärtsilä has appointed TEIJA SARAJÄRVI as executive vice president (EVP), human resources and member of the Board of Management. She will take up her role no later than February 2022, succeeding ALID DETTKE, who will take on new responsibilities at Wärtsilä.

Fairbanks Morse Defense has added two more executives to its leadership team. CRYSTAL BRENT joins the company as vice president of marketing. Coming to the company with more than a decade of experience, she previously served in various marketing roles with RollsRoyce Marine Services and Mercy Ships Canada. CHANCELOR WYATT joins as vice president and general manager of Ward Leonard.

ABS has appointed GREG LENNON as vice president of global offshore wind. He joins ABS with more than 20 years’ energy industry experience with Fortune 500 and global energy companies, most recently with Mitsui and Co. Crowley Maritime Corporation has appointed MASSIMO MESSINA as vice president, mergers and acquisitions (M&A). He will lead Crowley’s corporate expansion goals by identifying and assessing potential M&A candidates and execute transactions that align with the company’s future growth projection and endeavors across all business units. He comes to Crowley with more than 25 years of experience in M&A, financial advisory and investment banking.

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SAFETY FIRST

Workplaces with strong safety culture report more productivity, lower turnover and higher levels of employee satisfaction.

W

ithin my time in the maritime industry, I’ve worked in oil and gas as well as (currently) a major cruise line. Although oil tankers and passenger vessels are about as different as can be in terms of operations, safety remains paramount.

When looking at safety culture in particular, one practice seems fairly consistent across the maritime industry: calculate bonuses for senior officers in part based on reportable/lost time incidents. The intention behind this is no doubt good, but studies and anecdotal evidence show that the outcome is the opposite of the desired effect. Also, there are monetary safety incentives and/or prizes available for most other crewmembers. But does that come with the same potentially negative consequences? Let’s break it down.

It is noteworthy to mention that workplaces with a strong safety culture and climate report more productivity, lower turnover and higher levels of employee satisfaction. Plus, businesses suggest it makes a notable difference in cost savings, too.

An argument can be made that there should be enough intrinsic motivation to carry out jobs correctly and safely; that a great employee doesn’t need to be incentivized and when it comes to safety, returning home at the end of your shift just as healthy as you arrived is a strong enough motivator. Unfortunately, human nature tends to sabotage this practice.

We are evolutionarily designed to seek the greatest reward with the smallest amount of energy expenditure. Basically, we tend to be lazy. Plus, when completing a task that we’re familiar with, we have the tendency to mentally check out (enter complacency). Finally, there is the common mentality of “it won’t

40 Marine Log // October 2021

happen to me.” All of these factors and more show us it is rare (if not impossible) to find a worker who is completing their tasks in totality 100% of the time.

So where does this leave us? With two main types of safety incentive programs: rate-based programs and behavior-based programs. Rate-based programs utilize statistics, including lost time incidents,

Perhaps a way to move forward will be to remove ratebased safety bonuses altogether ... to quantify rewards then distributed to employees. Unfortunately, it is shown that this pervasively discourages reporting, as employees fear backlash and a potential lack of bonuses too much to risk reporting safety issues. At one point, this was such a problem that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released a statement protecting workers who report safety issues and stating it was discriminatory to put programs into place that discouraged reporting.

The other type of incentive program is behavior based. For example, rewarding crewmembers who proactively report a

near miss with lessons learned or recognizing those who fill out a permit to completion and include a strong job safety analysis. This can result in some monetary rewards as well, but it encourages present practices instead of issuing punishment for those in the past.

Behavior-based safety incentive programs are popular for this reason. So why do we still tie so many senior leader and executive bonuses to rate measured safety?

Surprisingly, even as adults, most of us still revel under positive recognition from our peers and superiors, showing that an easy (and cost effective) way to elevate safe working practices is by recognizing them often, specifically and preferably in public. It takes it a step further than “thanks all for completing the in-port transit safely today,” and turns it into “thank you, Jack, for keeping a sharp eye on the tacking sailboat and vocalizing the CPA to the rest of the team, and thank you, Jill, for catching the helmsman going port 5 instead of starboard 5.”

Yes, these tasks fall clearly into Jack and Jill’s job descriptions in this example, but it takes very little time and zero extra dollars to recognize them in front of the rest of the bridge team for a job well done and it pays off in spades with how incentivized most employees will be after this type of specific affirmation.

Perhaps a way to move forward will be to remove rate-based safety bonuses altogether and instead utilize a myriad of different quantifiables for the myriad of different people that work within our industry. If safety is the end goal, I argue that we should look towards the data that tells us high employee satisfaction rates is one of the best indicators of a strong safety culture. In short, employees who feel appreciated by their superiors and content at their company are more motivated to perform to their best ability. What if the maritime industry utilized a combination of employee satisfaction surveys, strong self-reporting culture (i.e. voluntarily entering near misses), proactive improvements of job safety analysis, and average longevity of employees’ tenure to determine annual bonuses? It may be a lofty dream, but it’s worth the discussion.

ANSLEY ODELL Marine Safety Investigator Royal Caribbean Group

Photo Credit: Shutterstock/Iam_Anuphone

Incentivizing Safety: Is it a Good Move?

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