15 minute read
Salvage round-up
Major salvage companies regularly make the news and it is easy to overlook smaller regional salvors so this month we briefly look at operations which may otherwise miss the front page
Following the fire and subsequent sinking of the yacht Reine d’Azur in 60m of water off the northern side of Île Du Levant, France and after an International Invitation to Tender, Greek maritime services provider Spanopoulos Group was awarded a contract to undertake the removal, recovery and proper disposal of the wreck and any of its parts, pollutants, debris and stores within 50m of the site.
Spanopoulos deployed its 52tbp tug Christos XXXIV, 400t lift floating crane Ignatios III and support craft Antipollution 1 with diving company Eirl Applisub subcontracted to assist with the floating crane for installation and later removal of diving equipment.
Pollution prevention was as standard a high priority during the operation with booms deployed across the wreck site, including the wreckage footprint and complete working area of the crane and diving operations.
Absorbent booms were also deployed in the radius of the working area of the crane’s boom. The wreck was lifted from the seabed and placed temporarily on a barge along with the collected debris and an official ROV underwater survey completed to the satisfaction of the French authorities’ representatives.
Praise for speedy action from ISU Bangladesh Associate Member Prantik Bengal Salvage and Diving in Chittagong Port followed when the 1,105teu containership Haian City sustained serious damage following collision with the tanker Orion Express. Large holes in the container ship’s hull resulted in significant water ingress with greatest danger from a hole measuring 22’ by 26’, which was fixed by divers welding a huge 33’ by 40’ steel patch below the waterline.
With the risk of the ship breaking up in the main channel into Bangladesh it was decided to bring it into port, an operation carried out by six tugs, four from Chittagong Port Authority and two from Prantik, along with two recovery and pollution control vessels. The extra water in the vessel had increased its draught to 11m, 1.5m more than the permitted draught of 9.5m at the jetties at Kamaphuli.
The seabed at Kamaphuli Dry Dock was therefore dredged to berth the ship there. After two months the vessel was cleared for a single voyage to Singapore for permanent repairs.
Captain Md Anam Chowdhury, President of the Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers’ Association, said: “If Prantik was not there, we would have had to bring expertise and logistics from abroad to rescue the vessel.”
Nippon Salvage
Continuing this look at operations of a global nature, Nippon Salvage was formed in 1893, the Tokyo-based salvor’s fleet including Koyo Maru, a traditional salvage tug design seldom replicated nowadays, whose capabilities set it aside from other similar deepsea tugs, including a range of up to 23,000 miles and maximum speed of 18.15kn.
Nippon was on hand when the container ship CSL Santa Maria reported machinery failure five miles northwest of Okinoshima Island. With a risk of the vessel grounding, the tugs Hayashio Maru and Kairi were dispatched, a salvage team boarding the disabled vessel to secure a towing connection whereafter CSL Santa Maria was towed to Yeosu, South Korea.
Other recent work for Nippon Salvage includes oil extraction from two sunken vessels in 110m and 80m water depths. Saturation diving equipment deployed on the DP barge Kaishin was used on the operations.
Harbor Star Shipping Services may not spring to mind as a prominent or well-known salvage service provider, but the Philippines-based company’s expertise and experience were put to the test when the Supramax bulk carrier Ambition Journey hit an unknown object while sailing from Homonhon, Philippines to Tieshan, China.
The vessel was loaded with 49,550t of nickel ore and it soon became clear it had sustained major damage, with two of the five cargo holds flooding with oil and sea water, ballast tanks and fuel oil tanks also contaminated.
The ship was intentionally grounded to prevent possible pollution and the nickel ore cargo transferred to barges and returned to Homonhon island for disposal.
Ambition Journey was successfully refloated and towed to Davao for sheltering and it was eventually decided that the ship would be scrapped, the salvage operation successfully performed by Harbor Star along with its co-salvor US-based T&T Salvage.
8 Spanopoulos
Group recovered the fire damaged wreck from 60m water depth
Boskalis reports improved financial results for first half-year 2022 but a sharp decline in revenue and earnings in its Towage & Salvage division.
Key figures from the Dutch maritime services provider indicate revenues up from €1.32 billion in H1 2021 to €1.61 billion in H1 2022 and net profit of €116 million (including €37 million exceptional gain) this year, compared with €72 million for the same period in 2021.
Within Towage & Salvage, revenue and earnings “declined sharply”. After several years with large high-profile salvage projects and significant settlement results from old projects, the first half of the year was quiet in terms of both revenue and earnings. It must be remembered that both execution and settlement of salvage projects, including wreck removals, can extend over long periods beyond the usual reporting periods.
At the end of June, the sale of the Keppel Smit Towage joint venture was successfully completed, with towage activities mainly related to terminal services of Smit Lamnalco. Within its Offshore Energy division, Boskalis operates a substantial fleet of ocean-going tugs, including the five 205tbp former Fairmount ocean tugs along with 15 anchor-handling tugs and its largest, the 257tbp Boka Pegasus.
At Offshore Energy, revenue increased by 3% with the EBITDA result increasing by 29%.
A “sharp decline” in contracting activities partly due to a volume decline at Subsea Cables was more than offset by a good half year
Kotug has gained a notable contract moving cocoa beans on the Netherlands inland waterways using its zero-emission E-Pusher tug and barge combination.
MJ has reported previously on Kotug’s “game-changing” range of E-Pusher modular and scalable electric pusher tugs featuring within the services part of the division, with swappable battery containers. vessel utilisation “exceptionally high”, partly
The range comes in three sizes: small, thanks to a strong demand from the offshore medium and large; and while the rst wind and traditional oil and gas markets. application involved an E-Pusher type S Separately, Boskalis has been providing transferring garbage, construction materials regular updates of the takeover bid by HAL and retail products in the municipality of Holding. Both had announced that Offer Leiden, this development involves rst use of Conditions had been satisfied with the the E-Pusher type M along with four barges. unconditional offer price of €33 per share
The contract is with global food and being final by law. agricultural commodity supplier Cargill and At the time of writing Boskalis had involves the transport of cocoa beans announced that during the post-acceptance between Amsterdam, the world’s largest period, shares were tendered representing cocoa import port, and Cargill’s cocoa facility approximately 13.7% of the issued share at Zaandam, on the North Sea Canal roughly capital of Boskalis, which together with shares halfway between Amsterdam and IJmuiden. already held by HAL represent 98.3% of
Cargill will be the rst company with this Boskalis shares. fully-electried industrial arrangement for As a result of HAL holding more than 95% of inland shipping, achieving what Kotug the shares, Boskalis and HAL will seek to describes as “more resilient and sustainable procure the delisting of the shares from supply chains” in support of the worldwide Euronext Amsterdam. In Q4 2022 HAL will energy transition and modal shift from road commence statutory buy-out proceedings to transport to waterways. The E-Pusher acquire the remaining shares.
type M can push barges with up to 4,000 tons of cargo.
At the heart of the operation are the swappable battery containers supplied by Shift Clean Energy including battery swapping and charging stations provided by Shift. The containers use its ESS battery systems ranging from 70kWh to 6MWh, depending on the size of pusher tug.
Battery systems may well be zero-emission from the point of use, but of course one has to consider the source of electricity when charging and Shift’s PwrSwäp solutions are charged through clean power generation from biogas, hydrogen and other renewable sources either on the vessels themselves or at Shift’s dedicated energy stations. The swappable power system maximises uptime for vessel owners.
Ard-Jan Kooren, Kotug International president and CEO, said: “We launched the E-Pusher concept in 2021, and the smaller type, the E-Pusher S (the CityBarge One) is already successfully deployed in several inland waterways and cities. ”I am very proud that an international company like Cargill is our rst customer for the E-Pusher type M. The vessel is designed for transportations like these and guarantees zero-emission logistics and a signicantly improved efficiency. As a result, we can support a broad range of industries to turn a part of their supply chain emission-free without extra costs.”
BOSKALIS RESULTS KOTUG MOVES COCOA AND TAKEOVER LATEST BEANS EMISSIONS FREE
Credit: Kotug
8 Kotug’s latest E-Pusher reference will transport
cocoa beans in Amsterdam
8 Boskalis operates around 20 deepsea tugs
Credit: Peter Barker
KNIGHTH D
community broking; connected dedicated marine insurance solutions
Our specialists have been bringing con dence and security to maritime businesses for over 45 years. We will work closely with you to thoroughly understand your business’s risks and requirements to arrange the cover you need.
want to nd out more?
Call today on 01342 327111 or email enquiries@knighthoodcorporate.com www.knighthoodcorporate.com
Damen’s first all-electric harbour tug Sparky has finally commenced operations following delivery and christening for its owners Ports of Auckland (POAL).
MJ has been reporting regularly on progress with Damen’s “revolutionary” all-electric tug, based on its increasingly successful RSD Tug 2513. With the final steps in this six-year journey for Damen and POAL from concept to operation now complete, a release of its detailed specification allows a closer examination of this powerful vessel.
Sparky carries similar specifications to others of the same class but with the new design name RSD-E Tug 2513. Headline of note records the tug capable of manoeuvring even the largest vessels undertaking two or more assignments before recharging, which takes just two hours. The LR-classed vessel carries notation *✠ 100A1 Tug, Specified Coastal Service, [*] LMC UMS IES CAC3 Electric Hybrid DC. Dimensions include: LOA 24.73m, beam OA 13.13m, depth 4.95m, draught aft 6.4m and displacement (98% consumables) 540t.
Main Engines (electric) are two TW 1400r L electric motors from Ramme Electric Machines GmbH delivering 3,700bkW at 500rpm to Kongsberg US 255 L-Drive thrusters. Battery capacity is 2,782kWh maximum with bollard pull 70.9 tons ahead and speed ahead 12.3kn.
Two Caterpillar C32TA gensets delivering section and cylindrical fendering are included and accommodation is provided for four persons in two single and one double cabins. The accommodation is air conditioned, completely insulated and resiliently mounted to reduce noise levels.
While principally for harbour use, Sparky has an adequate navigation and communication system installation including Furuno radar, Navi-Sailor electronic chart system and Simrad autopilot and satellite compass/GPS. Two Cobham Sailor VHFs are included along with two Jotron handheld VHFs and a Sailor UHF radiotelephone.
1,175kVA, 690V at 60Hz are included with Azcue providing general service, bilge water and fuel transfer pumps. Azcue also provides a fresh-water pressure set with Wärtsilä Hamworthy supplying the sewage treatment plant. A generator-driven pump provides 1,200-1,400m3/hr to a 1,200m3/hr water/foam monitor for external firefighting. Tank capacities include 50m3 fuel oil, 8.7m3 fresh water and 8.8m3 foam.
An anchor and separate towing winch are installed forward, the latter a hydraulically driven split-drum model providing a pull of 31t up to 11m/min and a reduced pull up to 50m/ min with a brake holding force of 175t (all second layer). Typical sturdy D section, W
8 Damen’s first all-electric tug Sparky has finally
started work
Svitzer has announced the relocation of a UK-based tug following an addition to its Milford Haven fleet along with the strengthening of its Brazilian fleet with an order for two ASD tugs.
Changing demands including expected growth on the rivers Thames and Medway have resulted in the redeployment of a tug from Milford Haven where a former Svitzer vessel has returned to the fold.
Svitzer’s diverse fleet make-up provides the flexibility to deploy suitable tugs depending on demand, and this move was facilitated by the arrival of the Svitzer Pembroke to support terminal operations at Milford Haven. Originally built in Spain for Svitzer in 2010, it was sold in 2014 since when it operated under the name Boa Odin. The powerful 100tbp tug has both aft winch and fire-fighting provision, making it “uniquely suited” to support Svitzer’s terminal activities at Milford Haven, including strengthening its emergency response capabilities.
The move has allowed the Svitzer Ramsey to be deployed to the Thames and Medway, where escort tugs with bollard pulls from 80t upwards along with fire-fighting capabilities are becoming increasingly important for serving customers effectively.
TUGS ON THE MOVE FOR SVITZER
8 Svitzer Pembroke has returned to work at
Milford Haven
Kasper Karlsen, Chief Operating Officer, Svitzer Europe and interim head of Svitzer in the UK, said: “With the purchase of Svitzer Pembroke, we simultaneously accomplish two key goals. Increasing our minimum 80 tonnes bollard pull fleet in London from six to seven tugs allows us to better meet current and future customer demands there. At the same time, we are able to strengthen our ability to provide emergency services and towing at Milford Haven. We are very pleased to once again have Svitzer Pembroke in our fleet.”
Separately, Svitzer’s Brazil operations are to be enhanced following the ordering of two new Robert Allan RAmparts 2300 ASD tugs. Svitzer’s Brazilian operations were expanded in 2021 to include towage provision at Suape and Pecem as part of its growth ambitions in the country and the ordering of four new tugs from Brazil’s Rio Maguari shipyard. The newbuild programme has been expanded further now with these two additional 70tbp tugs, which are due for delivery in 2024.
As with the previous news, the inclusion of external fire-fighting capabilities are included in the order specification, Svitzer Brazil saying: “… which we know is highly requested by both our customers and port authorities.”
8 Netherlands-based Wagenborg Towage
has added a powerful new tug to its Eemshaven fleet.
The new tug, Waterlines, was built in 2020 by Turkey’s Uzmar Shipyard, previously working for Uzmar bearing the name Anka 8. The 80tbp vessel was built to an ASD 3280 design and its operational flexibility makes it suitable for use in port and terminal berthing operations, escort operations, fire-fighting work as well as traditional coastal and offshore towing operations. Delfzijl-based Wagenborg Towage’s fleet currently comprises six tugs mainly operating in the Netherlands and Germany. It also has a fleet of pontoons up to 20,000dwt.
8 The International group of P&I Clubs
and the International Union of Marine Insurance have published their revised Code of Practice.
The Code of Practice is produced in relation to all future casualty situations that may give rise to the need for third party salvage services. It is concise and includes advice on the notification of details of the severity of casualties to liability underwriters by the property underwriter also providing advice on communication between the
8 Wagenborg’s new tug under its previous name
Anka 8
parties. The Code also goes into detail in relation to salvage services under Lloyd’s Standard Form of Salvage Agreement, where the Special Compensation P&I Clubs (SCOPIC) clause has been invoked by the contractor. 8 Svitzer Towage has reported a further
expansion of its EcoTow product with a three-year contract with UECC.
EcoTow is the arrangement whereby fossil fuels are replaced by biofuels on Svitzer tugs and UECC, which provides transportation services for cars and other rolling cargo in Europe, will provide immediate cuts as high as 100% in tank-to-waste emissions and a reduction of almost 25% in UECC’s seaborne Scope 3 emissions. CO2 emissions from towage operations at the ports of Esbjerg, Gothenburg and Malmo will benefit from a reduction of more than 200,000kg over the term of the agreement with Svitzer.
8 brand Marine Consultants (bMC) has a
new recruit in Jacek JaŻdŻejewski, who joins the team as Head of Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering.
bMC specialises in consultancy services for salvage and wreck removal projects with a team experienced in all related maritime disciplines, and JaŻdŻejewski, who has worked previously for a JV partner, brings “a wealth of up-to-date and relevant” naval architecture skills particularly with casualty cases requiring modelling or simulations.
JUNE 2023 13 15 TO
Seawork is open for business – all year
Reserve now for 2023. Keep your full business profile and capabilities in front of your customers 365 days a year. Create meetings with Seawork visitors and build business all year. Hold product launches and host leadership events.
Southampton United Kingdom
Make the most of marketing & PR support from Seawork, Maritime Journal and our leading commercial marine magazines, in print, online, eNews and via social media.
Showcase your latest innovations in vessels, equipment and services to an international audience of over 30,000 all year on Seawork.com
Seawork & Marine Civils exhibition encompasses 12,000m2 of halls featuring 600 exhibitors and over 70 vessels and floating plant. Features include the European Commercial Marine Awards (ECMAs) and Innovations Showcase.
The Seawork Conference programme offers opportunities to explore the challenges, changes and emerging opportunities in today’s and tomorrow’s commercial marine and workboat sector.
Co-located with: Also returning in 2023 Speed@Seawork
Sea Trials & Conference
Media partners: MARITIMEJOURNAL
