18 minute read
Ever Given
THE WORLD WATCHES THE ‘EVER GIVEN’
Mainstream media seldom shows interest in the marine salvage industry but far-reaching implications of the Ever Given stranding suddenly made everyone sit up and take notice
Credit: SCA
Maritime media regularly recounts the salvage industry’s activities, explaining probably to the already converted the importance fi nancially and to society in general of emergency response specialists when things go wrong at sea. Other than when global oil supply lines are at risk or pollution threatens local environments ship groundings seldom grab world attention.
It was so different with the container ship Ever Given, the world focused on the incident and the outcome in the hands of a small group of committed professionals, a fleet of tugs and dredgers and for the camera, an operator in a shorebased backhoe digger whose battle for overtime payment made column inches.
Ever Given was northbound in the Suez Canal under pilotage, enroute from China to Rotterdam when it grounded. The reason is yet to be determined, the vessel’s technical manager Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement stating initial investigations suggested it grounded ‘due to strong winds’ and ruling out any mechanical or engine failure. Suez Canal Authority (SCA) meanwhile was reported as stating it believed the impact of the wind was not the main reason for the vessel’s grounding.
Ever Given is one of a series of eleven similar ultra-large container ships and while described as one of the largest such vessels (219,079gt, 20,388teu, 399m LOA) it is worth noting that around 100 container ships with a greater TEU capacity (all with a similar 399m LOA) are either in service or on order.
Somewhat inconveniently Ever Given came to rest with its bow aground on the canal’s eastern bank in Asia and its stern on the western bank in Africa blocking the canal and bringing the flow of traffic to a complete stop.
SCA’s own fleet of tugs quickly responded in attempting to refloat the vessel and subsequently Netherlands-based Smit Salvage along with Tokyo-based Nippon Salvage were called in to assist. Of particular concern was that with its bow and stern aground Ever Given’s midbody section was unsupported risking structural damage.
On such occasions, water ballast and fuel may be offloaded reducing the ship’s draught and ground reaction or transferring such within the vessel itself. Cargo removal is another option but the deeply laden ship and limited shoreside facilities would perhaps have presented challenges here. Indeed, the salvage industry has previously highlighted the difficulties of offloading such ships at remote locations without the specialist gantry cranes at container terminals.
SCA deployed its dredgers Mashhour and Tenth of Ramadan to remove sand from around the vessel and as well as its own contribution of 15 tugs extra towage assistance was employed including: Svitzer Port Said 1 and 2; Maridive 703, ALP Guard and Carlo Magno. After around five days, sustained efforts resulted in partial refloating freeing the vessel’s stern and changing its heading to be more aligned with that of the canal but the bow however remained firmly aground. Two days later, after further dredging and taking advantage of high tide Ever Given was refloated completely. AIS data at the time indicated the tugs ALP Guard (285tbp) and Carlo
Magno (155tbp) at the vessel’s stern with SCA’s own tugs forward and alongside. Ever Given then proceeded under its own power to an anchorage in the Great Bitter Lake where it could be inspected for damage.
The media attention was understandable given the eyewatering financial and practical implications. With around 13% of global trade using the Suez Canal and a backlog of some 400 ships involving an estimated US$9.6bn of goods held up every day reaching US$80bn in total before the canal reopened, the pressure on the salvors was enormous. At the time of writing Ever Given was still at anchor in the canal zone, reports suggesting SCA was attempting to secure nearly US$1bn in compensation before allowing the ship to continue. Some carriers chose to reroute their ships around South Africa rather than wait for the canal to reopen, the episode causing ripple effects of delayed cargo deliveries, unscheduled port congestion and of course the legal considerations of those adversely affected exploring how to recoup their losses. The story will doubtless run for years but without the same mainstream media attention perhaps.
8 Ever Given was
eventually refl oated by a fl eet of 15 tugs
The Netherlands-based Tug Training & Consultancy (TTC) and Maritime Training Institute Karachi (MTI) have signed an MoU to develop training for seafarers including tug masters.
The history of training tug crews typically involved skills being passed down from one generation to the next with an element of learning on the job and the potential for the most junior deckhand to rise to the most senior of roles - master. The same career path still exists of course but increasing sophistication of tugs and equipment, not to mention regulatory requirements mean a more structured approach embracing technology including simulators is becoming the norm now. The MoU establishes a long-term strategic partnership encompassing ‘exclusive training’ of seafarers including tug masters and pilots in Pakistan by certified TTC trainers at MTI’s training facilities in Karachi.
TTC is part of the Kotug Group and can draw on its experience and knowledge of tug operations including the importance of the relationship between tug master and pilot in shiphandling operations and the joint announcement states: ‘Joint pilot tug master training is requested more and more by various ports and terminals in the world to increase port safety and efficiency; therefore effective and efficient teamwork between pilot and tug masters is one of the key training programmes to be delivered by TTC at MTI.’
The two participants are matched in their high quality credentials, TTC being the only ISO 9000 certified tug training company in the world, paired with MTI who share ‘similar values’ with a fully equipped and exclusive Maritime Simulator Centre in Karachi which encompasses combined classroom and state-of-the-art simulators in combination with on board training which Patrick Everts, general manager at TTC describes as: ‘a proven didactic method for the best training results, preparing the students for expected and unexpected real-life situations.’
Captain Ajmal Mahmoodi, managing director of Maritime Training Institute states: “Indeed it is a great honour for MTI to be associated with the world-renowned Tug Training & Consultancy.”
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RESCUE 75
PORTER 68
HARBOUR 45
PORTER 120
BOLUDA AWARDED GERMAN ETV CONTRACT
Boluda Deutschland GmbH has been awarded a contract to operate its tug Bremen Fighter as an Emergency Towing Vessel (ETV) in German waters
The contract, awarded by German Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration runs for two years, renewable for up to three years and involves provision of rescue services in the Baltic Sea. Boluda Deutschland is a subsidiary of Boluda Towage Europe and at 104tbp Bremen Fighter is its most powerful tug, a 48.8m LOA conventional anchorhandling tug with twin CP propellers.
The vessel is now based in Sassnitz on the island of Rügen providing emergency response cover in the eastern Baltic Sea under the command of German Federal Waterway Authorities and later this year it will display official coast guard colours.
Boluda has established a notable presence in Europe through strategic acquisitions including German operator Urag in 2017 and the Dutch Kotug Smit Towage operation in 2019 establishing a presence in: Germany, the Netherlands, UK and Belgium with additional markets opening including in Portugal with the acquisition of Iskes Towage & Salvage a few weeks ago. Boluda Corporacіón Marítima CEO Vicente Boluda Fos welcomed the news stating: ‘For the first time, the Boluda flag will be a permanent presence in the Baltic Sea’.
Operating a government-sponsored ETV may seem an expensive luxury in financially challenging times with nothing visibly to see for the taxpayer, a seemingly reasonable argument for discontinuing perhaps, until something goes wrong.
Mainland European coastal states have resisted the temptation to reduce such emergency provision with waters from the Western Approaches to the North Sea through to the Norwegian Sea and around to the Barents Sea benefiting from state-sponsored emergency towage provision, in addition of course to the commercial tugs of opportunity in these busy waters, but of course not always guaranteed to be at the right place at the right time and freely available.
The past winter has seen several incidents including ships with machinery failures, lost containers and most recently the plight of the Eemslift Hendrika adrift and listing in heavy weather of Norway’s west coast. In the case of the Eemslift Hendrika and most other incidents it was tugs of opportunity that came to the rescue but with a multi-purpose ETV in very close proximity ready to intervene if required.
8 Bremen Fighter will be operated as an ETV by Boluda Deutschland GmbH
ETA refl ects on hybrid and LNG tug operations
During its fi rst webinar of 2021, the European Tugowners Association (ETA) has refl ected on the impacts of green technologies in the towage sector.
The desire for greater efficiencies and environmental benefits for the shiphandling tug sector has led to an increasing number of new vessels adopting green technologies in recent years including hybrid and LNG and ETA has tapped into the experience of some of the industry’s major players, reflecting on their experiences and thoughts for further developments.
Norway’s Buksér og Berging AS introduced Borgøy, the world’s first LNG-powered escort tug in 2014 and Vetle J Sverdrup reported ‘important’ CO2 and NOx reductions with its operation stating the greener performance was not only a positive outcome of fuel choice but also the result of years of data analysis and adopting best practices to operate in a more efficient way.
Kotug International is noteworthy for its pioneering spirit in exploring new and innovative technologies and Koos Smoor from the Rotterdam-based towage operator focused on hybrid tugs and the ways crew and technical staff need to adapt to the technology including closer cooperation between tug
8 Echo.1 can collect data in areas where a
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master and engineers along with continuous definition of best practice to improve operational efficiencies and extend battery lifetime. Mr Smoor also called for more support for early adopters, avoiding technical and financial efforts to make their fleets greener ending up being ‘isolated and impactless’.
As mentioned elsewhere, Boluda are the dominant towage operator in Europe and Geert Vandecapelle from Boluda Europe described the diverse benefits of hybrid technologies including 30% to 35% reduction in CO2 and NOx reductions leading to improved fuel economy and maintenance savings stating: ‘This technology is best when used in a port environment where transfer distances are short.’
The International Salvage Union (ISU) has published its Pollution Prevention Survey for 2020 showing an increase in potential pollutants.
“Governments have talked for many years about zero tolerance for pollution, but society now demands it”. The words of ISU president Richard Janssen during the recent virtual Associate Members’ Day where the 2020 Pollution Prevention Survey was unveiled by the organisation representing the global salvage industry.
The survey is heavy in numbers but the scale is recognisable in indicating the potential of any reduction in adequate emergency response services globally. In 2020 ISU members carried out 191 services to vessels carrying 2.5m tonnes of potential pollutants, a small increase from 2.3m tonnes in 2019. The survey points out that one or two VLCCs can have a significant impact on numbers, for example crude oil in 2020 was 360,733 tonnes, similar to 2019’s 400,000 tonnes while the equivalent in 2018 was 978,000 tonnes.
The impact of container ship casualties is a hot topic currently and in 2020 the number of containers involved in ISU members’ activities rose to 33,523teu, up from 25,799teu in 2019, the 2020 figure equating to 502,845t (nominal 15t per teu).
There are mixed numbers, while refined oil products fell in 2020 to 112,096t, less than half of 2019 figures, chemical cargoes nearly doubled to 133,150t. For the survey bulk cargoes include coal, scrap, steel, grains, soya and cement and 2020 saw a slight decrease on the previous year to 744,246t. Some bulk cargoes are not included as potential pollutants and ISU members’ services were provided to bulkers carrying 521,326t of non-hazardous dry bulk, mainly metal ores. At 111,886t recovered bunker fuel has remained very similar since 2018 but it should be remembered that virtually every ship carries bunker fuel (in the case of large container ships, the volume is often such that would cause concern if cargo in a tanker requiring assistance in its own right) and removal of such is often an early priority in salvage operations, not only as a lightening measure but to reduce environmental risk.
Expanding on how the industry’s importance is now very relevant Mr Janssen adds: ‘Widespread public support for the environmental movement shows that care for the environment is now mainstream and has put it at the heart of political and economic decision making.’
ISU POLLUTION PREVENTION SURVEY 2020
Credit: Boskalis
8 Environmental protection work can involve
wreck removals by ISU members
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8 Port of Rotterdam Authority has sold its
last remaining icebreaker tug to contractor Zijsling en Zonen BV in Jutrijp, Friesland.
RPA 20 was one of four similar icebreakers built by Hendriks Shipbuilding in the 1960s and part of PRA’s fleet of port service vessels, the distinctive profiles of most indicating their towing capabilities as part of their emergency response role. As well as a reinforced bow, RPA 20 was ballasted at the stern to increase propeller immersion allowing the bow to rise over the ice. It was last in action as an icebreaker in 2012 making the Delfshavense Schie navigable for inland shipping.
8 Marlink subsidiary Telemar has signed a
service contract with Fairplay Towage to provide bridge maintenance services on 50 of the company’s tugs in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium.
Critical bridge navigation equipment maintenance will be consolidated to one provider including regulatory compliance ‘to agreed timeframes rather than carried out on an ad hoc basis.’ The offshore tugs Nordic and Baltic are included with access to a remote 24/7 hotline intended to align and minimise annual tasks for each vessel to one service call per year.
8 Port of Rotterdam Authority has sold its last
icebreaker tug
8 Prompted by Covid-19 travel restrictions,
Kotug has started using its AR glasses, designated the ‘Kotug Eye’ to provide on-site support by engineers.
Kotug was already at an advanced stage with its AR glasses but the pandemic has speeded up developments. The hands-free tool guides crew in complex tasks guided by experts ashore who can log in from anywhere and access real-time visual information to achieve problem resolution without visiting the vessel and Kotug states it will keep using the device post-Covid.
8 One of the towing world’s best-known
restoration projects is the 1959-built tug Elbe, restored to its former glory and in full working condition by the Foundation Maritime Collection Rijnmond at Maasluis in the Netherlands.
Fotorondleiding.nl has news that those who cannot visit Maasluis and the Elbe in person can view the interior of the vessel thanks to Jaap Pameyer who has recorded a virtual visual tour. The high-quality tour involves 784 scans and takes the visitor through Elbe’s interior revealing the exquisite and loving attention volunteers have paid to restoring the vessel to its original condition and not visible from the exterior. The tour can be viewed at https://my.matterport.com/ show/?m=hD7rqCy3qPC
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SELF-ERECTING WIND TURBINE NACELLE
SENSEWind has completed a demonstration of its SENSE Up-Tower system that eliminates the need for cranes and conventional off shore installation vessels when mounting WTG nacelles and blades
This self-erecting nacelle and service system, which is suitable for use with both onshore and off shore wind turbines and fl oating wind turbines, is a signifi cant departure from how wind turbines are usually installed. SENSEWind and its industry partners believe it can make turbine installation cheaper, quicker and safer. Independent analysis has shown the SENSEWind system could reduce the levelised cost of energy of a project by as much as 12%. x
“By automating the heavy-lifting and positioning at height, it also improves safety, while reducing technical and programme risks,” said a SENSEWind spokesperson. “The system has the added benefit that it can be used in reverse to allow the blades and machinery to be lowered for repair or replacement. Inspections, repair and maintenance of blades and towers are also quicker and easier.”
SENSEWind has successfully demonstrated the SENSE system in action, installing a modified Vestas V27 rotor nacelle assembly on a 26-m high tower at its test site in Northern Ireland. The combined nacelle and blades are mounted upside down on a carriage that can climb up the side of the turbine tower using special tracks. Once at the top a hydraulic ram angles the nacelle into its correct position ready for bolting in place. The company has also developed a system involving a ramp that can allow the nacelle and blades to be transferred from a ship onto the side of a turbine tower.
SENSEWind chief executive Patrick Geraets said, “The team is extremely pleased with how well the demonstrator performed. We can now finally show the wind industry that SENSE works and has the potential to solve many of the installation and service problems for very large turbines, both on and offshore. The tests have also provided us with valuable information as we work to upscale the SENSE system for the growing market.” The SENSEWind team is now discussing the roll-out of an operational system with several partners, investors and clients.
8 SENSEWind
has successfully demonstrated the SENSE system in action, installing a modifi ed Vestas V27 rotor nacelle assembly on a 26-m high tower
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“Motion compensated feedering offers major benefits for the feeder operation,” explained Barge Master. “It enables a controlled hook on and lift off by the crane of
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8 Barge Master’s BM-Feeder is designed to be a safe, reliable and cost-eff ective way of feedering all off shore turbine components
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The scalable BM-Feeder platform is based on Barge Master’s existing BM-T700 systems. The unique design of the platform makes it ideal for upscaling payload capacity and adjusting functionality to customer requirements.
The BM-Feeder can be mobilised on a US-flagged vessel or sea going barge, able to load the components in a US port and sail out to the Installation Jack Up, making it a fully Jones Act-compliant solution.
