Shipping & Marine Issue 135 August 2016

135 August 2016

l ia c e M n p o S SMiti d e

The magazine for maritime management

Waste

lines Given its devastating impact on the marine environment, it is crucial to understand how litter finds its way into the sea

In this issue:

u The implications of Brexit u Shipping containers u Navigation u New technologies u Fire safety u SMM

135 August 2016

S p e e SM c d it M ial io n

Editor’s comments

THE MAGAZINE FOR MARITIME MANAGEMENT

‘‘

The feedback I am getting is that we are still in such early stages of this new era, that predicting the future impacts is almost impossible

Waste

lines Given its devastating impact on the marine environment, it is crucial to understand how litter finds its way into the sea

In this issue:

u The implications of Brexit u Shipping containers u Navigation u New technologies u Fire safety u SMM

Chairman Andrew Schofield Editor Libbie Hammond libbie @ schofieldpublishing.co.uk Production Manager Fleur Daniels Art Editor/Design David Howard Profiles Editor Jo Cooper Staff Writers Andrew Dann Joshua Younespour Production dhoward @ schofieldpublishing.co.uk studio @ schofieldpublishing.co.uk Advertisement Administrator Tracy Chynoweth studio @ schofieldpublishing.co.uk

Operations Director Philip Monument Editorial Researchers Rory Gallacher Jo-Ann Jeffery

Advertising Sales Joe Woolsgrove - Sales Director Mark Cawston Tim Eakins Andy Ellis Darren Jolliffe Jonas Junca Dave King Theresa McDonald

Subscriptions ikidd @ schofieldpublishing.co.uk

Get in

touch

I

n my last editor’s page I promised more Brexit coverage in this issue and while we do have some opinion pieces, I haven’t filled the pages with a huge variety of angles and topics on the subject. The feedback I am getting is that we are still in such early stages of this new era, that predicting the future impacts is almost impossible and by the time I get the info to my readers, the facts and opinions will likely have changed. Of course regular updates on any developments will be reported, and if you have anything to share on the subject, please get in touch.

Moving on, SMM is almost upon us and this issue is going to be at the event, so if you are reading the magazine in Hamburg then I hope the show is going fantastically well. I will be reviewing it in September and would love to hear your feedback on all your experiences of the exhibition and conference.

Editor: Libbie Hammond libbie@schofieldpublishing.co.uk

Follow us at: @ShippingMarine

Schofield Publishing Cringleford Business Centre, 10 Intwood Road, Cringleford, Norwich, NR4 6AU, U.K. Tel: 044 (0)1603 274130 Fax: 044 (0)1603 274131 www.shipping-and-marine.com

Please note: The opinions expressed by contributors and advertisers within this publication do not necessarily coincide with those of the editor and publisher. Every reasonable effort is made to ensure that the information published is accurate, and correct at time of writing, but no legal responsibility for loss occasioned by the use of such information can be accepted by the publisher. All rights reserved. The contents of the magazine are strictly copyright, the property of Schofield Publishing, and may not be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or reproduced without the prior written permission of the publisher.

©2016 Schofield Publishing Ltd

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Features

4 News Updates and announcements from the shipping and maritime arena

7 Brexit - Assessing the impact Both the UK and EU need to maintain their focus and work together to maintain standards of maritime security

8 The implications of Brexit What can the maritime sector expect if and when article 50 is invoked

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10 Weighty issues New container weight safety rules came into force on 1st July and these regulations will have three major impacts

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12 Take your position The first local position reference sensor that does not use targets has been launched by Guidance Marine

14 Waste lines Marine debris is a major issue and the impact of it reaches from tiny organisms to the largest ocean mammals

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17 Time to embrace the future The shipping industry’s reluctance to embrace new technology is frustrating Dick Welsh

18 Hot topic Cutting maintenance costs can have knock-on effects on fire safety and the consequences can be serious

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22 SMMart shipping Taking place from 6th to 9th September 2016, the 27th SMM will provide further valuable insights to those in the shipping industry

25 Insatech Marine 28 SeaNet Group 30 Viewsafe 32 LNGTainer Ltd 35 Cummins Inc. 37 Frese

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40 McMurdo Group

Profiles 45 Griffon Hoverwork 49 Jo Tankers 53 Luka Koper/Port of Koper 56 Hepworth 59 Port of Constantza

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62 Gibraltar Port Authority 66 PD Ports 68 Anytec 70 SureWind Marine Ltd.

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Maritime news Fully certified uRINA Services recently awarded Carnival Maritime GmbH ISO 14001 and BS OHSAS 18001 certificates. Now the Carnival Maritime office in Hamburg as well as 26 ships in Carnival Maritime’s fleet have been awarded environmental management ISO 14001 and occupational health and safety management BS OHSAS 18001 certifications. The certified fleet includes Costa and AIDA ships. Not only do these new certifications make Costa Group’s fleet greener and safer, but also more cost effective.

Eyes wide open uOceanLED has introduced its new ‘EYES’ HD underwater ocean camera - the premier underwater video camera for yachts and boats of all sizes. OceanLED new EYES HD can be mounted anywhere, including the cockpit, allowing the owner to capture those once-in-a-lifetime moments and underwater experience in the most vivid way possible.

OceanLED’s CEO, Guppy Dhariwal said: “EYES HD offers a technically superior lens with a broader field of view and higher definition, as well as offering an easy-to-use camera that offers security, high-visibility, precision, and fun.”

Beneficial position uSingapore’s position as Asia’s leading maritime services hub is likely to be enhanced in a post-Brexit environment, according to Singapore-based Ince Law Alliance, comprising Ince & Co Singapore LLP and Incisive Law LLC. According to Bill Ricquier, Managing Director at Incisive Law, if London suffers from a UK-wide downturn, or indeed gains from new free trade deals and greater autonomy, Singapore is well placed under either scenario to benefit both from its historic relationship with the UK, as well as newly developed ties.

Star chair uKristiansand’s Alu Design is once again hitting the silver screens this summer, as its MH OCH 300 operator chair follows up its appearance in the 2014 hit Transformers: Age of Extinction with a new role in Star Trek Beyond. The film, released globally on 22 July, will feature the state-of-the-art moulded aluminium chair in a host of key scenes.

Alu Design created the MH OCH 300 in 2012.

It was produced to deliver the best possible working environment for drilling operators working on offshore rigs, however, its appeal has since proven much wider than originally intended!

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Open for business uThe expanded Panama Canal is now officially open! During the official inauguration ceremony, Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela and Panama Canal Administrator and CEO Jorge L. Quijano spoke to a crowd of more than 25,000 jubilant Panamanians, Canal employees, heads of state and dignitaries from around the world, Canal customers, shipping and trade executives, and nearly 1000 journalists. This is the first expansion of the waterway since its original construction.

The inaugural transit began with the passage of Neopanamax vessel COSCO Shipping Panama through the Agua Clara Locks on the Atlantic side of the country and concluded with its transit through the Cocoli Locks on the Pacific side. The ship is en route to Asia.

Considered and analysed with more than 100 studies, the Expansion will provide greater economies of scale to global commerce. It will introduce new routes, liner services, and segments such as liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The Expansion Program is the Canal’s largest enhancement project. It included the construction of a new set of locks on the Atlantic and Pacific sides of the waterway and the excavation of more than 150 million cubic metres of material, creating a second lane of traffic and doubling the cargo capacity of the waterway.

Buy British uHampshire-based Hunton Yachts is adding the XRS54 to its range of luxury cruisers after almost a decade in the works. With an upcoming launch imminent, the latest addition to the Hunton stable represents a new breed of luxury cruiser.

It encompasses everything that discerning boat enthusiasts might come to expect from the legendary boat builder with a great British pedigree.

Driven by an uncompromising quest for excellence, the Romsey-based firm is committed to building the best boats of its generation under the guidance of CEO Fiona Pool, a former investment banker at Bank of America and Goldman Sachs in The City of London. These luxury yachts were designed by the legendary Jeff Hunton, an offshore powerboat racer who established Hunton over 30 years ago, with the now famous stepped hull responsible for the smooth ride, stability and handling of these unique boats.

The new model, a 15.8 metre cruiser, comes with a choice of hardtop or open cockpit, twin or triple engines, diesel propulsion, two cabins (both with bathrooms), modular cockpit seating, leather interiors, cutting-edge electronics and a top speed of around 50 knots.

In line with all the firm’s yachts, the XRS54 is handcrafted with an attention to detail and quality of finish rarely seen down at the marina. The XRS54, with a price tag around £1m, is aimed at discerning ultrahigh net worth individuals (UHNW’s) who expect only the very best, and comes with bespoke finishes, interiors and design as standard.

Streamline operations uLeading offshore engineering and technology company Osbit Ltd has successfully delivered its first project to Dutch company Van Oord; a bespoke gangway system to be utilised on the installation of offshore wind farms. Delivered to meet a demanding 18-week design and manufacturing lead-time, the P-12R gangway has been installed on the HLV Svanen. The vessel has been initially deployed to support construction of the Burbo Bank Extension wind farm off the North West coast of England and will subsequently support offshore wind projects in the Baltic, as well as in the UK. Osbit’s tailored offshore access system will help to streamline operations, enabling technicians to safely and reliably access the transition pieces in an area with significantly wide tidal range.

Maritime news Seawork Maritime Professional of the Year 2016 uThe Seawork Maritime Professional of the Year award celebrates exemplary individuals within the maritime sector. The Maritime Professional of the Year 2016 winner is John Haynes, managing director of UK company Shock Mitigation.

He was nominated by James Ellison, who said: “John Haynes is a thought leader in the high-speed craft, shock mitigation and hybrid marine power sectors with a unique ability to engage and create momentum globally. John has a passion for these sectors, rooted in his own maritime background. He has a genuine vision of improving people’s lives on boats. His work with over 100 organisations is testament to this.”

James added: “John provides professional end-user organisations, boat builders and equipment manufacturers with relevant subject matter expertise plus an independent overview of how the sub IMO fast boat sector is rapidly changing worldwide. His subject matter expertise includes 30 years training, consultancy and strategic product development. He is also the founder of the RIB and High Speed Craft Directory that brings together boats, equipment and technology for the professional sector.”

He has chaired technical conferences ranging from ‘The Future Of Wind Farm Support Vessels’ to ‘Fast Interception and Riverine Operations’. He has written numerous papers on future requirements and new technology. He is known for organising workshops with high-

level panel discussions to help solve industry issues. In 2015 he set up a working group to assist the MCA create a Marine Guidance Note for lithium-ion and energy storage on vessels. His hybrid concept ‘The Hour Of Power’, combining diesel - battery - electric, has the potential to reduce fuel consumption and emissions for vessels worldwide.

Lloyd’s Maritime Academy The MBA in Shipping and Logistics, studied by part-time distance learning, with Lloyd’s Maritime Academy and Middlesex University is the world’s leading business administration program for the shipping industry.

Students study the course from all over the world, from homes, offices, whilst travelling or at sea.

The curriculum has been designed to equip current and future maritime leaders with the skills, knowledge and tools they need to manage a business successfully.

The new 2016 intake will shortly be commencing studies via the online classroom - a virtual learning and collaborative environment. Prospective students can still make the decision to start the course in 2016.

Find out more about the MBA Shipping and Logistics at www.MBA4Shipping.com

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Maritime news New president arrives

A show of support

uOn 1 July 2016, David Pougher, Principal of Deep Consultancy, took over the well-respected role of British Marine President from Fiona Pankhurst who has held the position since 2014. During her time as President, Fiona led the organisation forward and was instrumental in seeing British Marine unveil a strong new identity that stands out within the context of modern brands in the marine sector.

Incoming President, David, has been involved in the UK marine industry for over 35 years. On taking over from Fiona, he commented: “It is an honour to become the next President of British Marine. The organisation provides members with invaluable support, opportunities and benefits to help grow their businesses and it does a great job in raising the profile of the UK marine industry.

My fellow British Marine members and the team at Marine House have my commitment, focus and drive to assist, support and protect over the next two years.”

uDrew Marine Signal & Safety has announced its support of Portsmouth Sail Training Trust, a local sailing charity working with young, disadvantaged members of the public. It has provided Portsmouth Sail Training Trust with a selection of vital marine distress signals, for use in offshore emergencies and important training sessions. The donation includes a Pains Wessex offshore flare pack, coastal pack and dummy flares for education purposes.

Using sailing training as a platform to help disadvantaged young people gain skills and recognised qualifications, Portsmouth Sailing Trust supports children and young adults to plan for their future, with employment opportunities in the local area. Since the start of this academic year, the local sailing charity has worked with nearly 70 young people on a regular basis – an increase on last year already – and it will continue to deliver high quality training, to enhance life skills and raise the aspirations of young people.

Chris Feibusch, Head of Global Marketing at Drew Signal & Safety, noted: “We are delighted to be able to support Portsmouth Sail Training Trust – the charity does incredible work helping to further the careers and ambitions of young people. By providing a full Pains Wessex offshore flare pack, coastal pack and dummy flares, we hope Liz and everyone at Portsmouth Sail Training Trust can continue to provide their brilliant service safely.”

Propelling success uFollowing the recent opening of Damen North America – the company’s branch office located in Houston, Texas - Damen Shipyards Group is highlighting the advantages to be gained from the Damen Optima Nozzle to the North American inland shipping sector. The Optima is a propeller nozzle developed and manufactured by subsidiary Damen Marine Components (DMC).

While DMC produces various types of propeller nozzle suited for a wide spectrum of maritime uses, it is the Damen Optima that yields the most benefits for inland shipping operators. “Using the Damen Optima has many advantages,” says DMC Managing Director Steef Staal. “And it’s these that we want to pass on to our North American customers.

One of the main reasons of the dominance of nozzles is the use of skewtype propellers, whose rounded profile successfully addresses the historical problem of sediment and debris blockage.

DMC designed the Damen Optima – a nozzle with a slightly longer and higher intake and a propeller positioned just aft of the centre line – to increase performance even further. Real-life results from the first launching customers confirmed what model testing had predicted: “The feedback we heard from operators on the subject of thrust, both forward and reverse, was very positive. This is a very important factor for inland vessel and push boat captains: they need to be able to count on optimum stopping distances. In fact, when you consider performance and stopping distance, the Optima is a world leader. It is better in other aspects too: Fuel use and exhaust emissions are decreased; thus reducing fuel costs and improving air quality.”

DMC tailors the propeller frequency specifically for each vessel, thus reducing sound and vibration levels. This makes life more pleasant for the crew and is also important when inland waterways pass through urban areas.

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Brexit

Assessing the

impact

Brexit and maritime security. By Gerry Northwood

T

he UK’s decision to leave the European Union in July shocked many worldwide. The Referendum debate brought many different arguments to the fore about the effect a British exit from the EU could potentially have on the economy, trade and most importantly from our perspective as a risk management company, maritime security.

Anyone who works in the shipping industry knows well that we live in a highly interconnected

world. Brexit will not change that and both the EU and the UK will no doubt adapt their relationships with international and national organisations, as well as industry bodies, to develop and strengthen existing security structures.

What is yet to be seen is how the EU, without the UK, and the UK, outside the EU, will seek to adapt their respective roles, though there are already some important indications of the direction of travel.

The maritime domain is a relatively new departure for the EU as it is only since 2008 that the EU became involved in maritime operations.

Firstly to take a lead in suppressing Somali piracy in the Indian Ocean. The second and more recent to combat the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean.

Given that the EU shares its maritime assets with NATO, and that EU Member States have been cutting back on the size of their navies, maintaining two highly demanding operations in their current form, is not sustainable for much longer.

Furthermore, the EU without the UK will inevitably see Eastern Europe as its centre of gravity, as more political power shifts east to Berlin, and concerns over protecting the eastern borders from migrant flows and a resurgent Russia, become the prevailing security priority.

Add to this the natural temptation toward introspection to tackle the Islamist terror threat operating at the heart of Europe, and it is clear that the EU will have to work hard if it is to maintain an open and outward looking maritime posture. To this end the EU Naval Force in the Mediterranean will no doubt continue to focus on the migrant problem.

This is a task shared with NATO, and it is fortunate for the EU that it is to NATO and the United States that the really important work in the Mediterranean will devolve. That of protecting the EU’s south eastern flank by containing the Russians in the Eastern Mediterranean, and Black Sea. So, as the EU at best is likely to play no more than a supporting role in contributing to maritime security around Europe, what role will the post

Brexit UK play? By ordering the next generation of Trident nuclear missile submarines the UK parliament has made a positive commitment to play its part maintaining the international order; to have credibility as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, to remain a firm and trusted partner of the US, and a leading and influential member of NATO. This is of course a continuation of the UK’s global role as a member of the EU. As one of the great global trading nations and the fifth largest economy in the world, post Brexit it is doubly important that the UK maintains global reach and influence. With commercial access to the sea routes of the South China Sea, West Africa, Persian Gulf, and the Indian Ocean, to name just a few flashpoints, under threat from criminality or state action, the maritime community needs the UK to be out there supporting the United States and its many allies.

Maintaining our freedom of trade in the interest of continued globalisation is a maritime mission.

Something that is often overlooked by those who are not directly connected to maritime affairs. In these unsettled and troubled times, it behoves the maritime community to insist that both the UK and the EU keep their eyes lifted to the far horizon. v Gerry Northwood is COO at MAST, the international maritime security company MAST is a leading global security provider with the expertise and capability to provide comprehensive security advice, including the delivery of intelligence information, physical security solutions and technology.

MAST is without doubt one of the pioneers in the maritime security industry, having been at the heart of development of the legal and operational standards that now allow clients to engage security services in the marine sector with confidence. www.mast-security.com.

Follow MAST_security on Twitter for real time information on global security developments.

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Brexit

The implications of

Brexit

The potential impact of Brexit on the maritime sector if Article 50 is invoked.

By Lindsey Keeble, Asha Kumar, Toby Royal, Andrew Ward and Richard Stephens

W

hile the nature of the United Kingdom’s future trading relationship with the European Union (EU) will take some time to become clear, it is important to realise that in the immediate aftermath of the result of the UK’s recent EU referendum, nothing has changed in terms of the trading relationship and the movement of people and goods between the EU and the UK and the laws which apply to your maritime business and contractual arrangements.

New UK Prime Minister Theresa May has made it clear she does not intend to invoke Article 50 before 2017. Once invoked, the UK has an extendable period of two years to negotiate new trade arrangements with the EU. During this negotiating period the UK remains a full member of the EU and subject to all the related rules and regulations. While trade relationships of various forms between the UK and EU have been suggested as possibilities by different

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people, organisations and publications, ultimately it is difficult at this stage to know what form that relationship will take, or to be able to advise in detail on the full potential impact of a Brexit from the EU for the maritime sector.

English law: a favourable contractual & dispute resolution regime for maritime contracts?

Whatever the outcome of the UK’s trade relationship with Europe, we are of the belief that English law will remain a favourable legal regime for the documentation of international contracts and transactions. The choice of English law is due to the certainty of its long established legal precedent and court system, not because the UK is part of the EU. Generally speaking other elements of law that directly regulate the maritime sector are international in scope and incorporated into English law so the status quo would largely remain in place.

As regards England as a jurisdiction for disputes,

Brexit should not have any effect on the preeminence of London and its arbitral institutions in the resolution of international arbitrations. The current worldwide enforceability of London awards should remain.

As regards court litigation, the various EU regulations in respect of jurisdiction, applicable law, enforceability of judgments and insolvency should be applied by English courts, and by the courts across the EU in respect of UK matters, until such time as the UK has left the EU. Nothing should change during this period, although it remains to be seen how different courts in fact deal with matters as the date of departure approaches.

As regards the situation after the UK leaves the EU, we consider it too early to draw conclusions on what the landscape might look like for dispute resolution and insolvency. However, we do not consider it a necessary or probable outcome of the UK leaving the EU that the English courts and those of the remaining Member States will lose a common framework for ruling on jurisdiction or

Employment & Immigration law in the maritime sector

applicable law or that the reciprocal enforcement of judgments or recognition of insolvency proceedings will cease.

UK Tonnage Tax & UK flag Whilst the UK Tonnage Tax regime currently needs to comply with EU State Aid Law, the regime itself is not derived from EU law.

The legislation that governs tonnage tax is domestic legislation and, accordingly, Brexit does not need to have any impact on the UK Tonnage Tax regime. If the UK is able to operate without the need to comply with the EU State Aid Law, then there could even be the possibility of relaxations to the rules, for example, on the limits on time chartered in tonnage.

It is to be hoped that the UK Government will retain its current support of the tonnage tax system, and continues to recognise the important role it has in contributing to the UK economy and attracting shipowners to set up businesses in the UK.

In terms of employment law implications, the position is very uncertain. One view is that the Government may seek to deregulate this area in order to make the UK appear more competitive compared with countries remaining within the EU. However, laws underpinning employment on board ships arise from the ILO Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (the Convention), which the Government ratified on 7 August 2013, and a number of enforcing EU Regulations.

The overriding aim of the Convention was to set decent, minimum global standards for seafarers’ living and working conditions and to help create conditions of fair competition and a level playing field throughout the shipping industry. In order to comply with the Convention, UK legislation (insofar as it was necessary) was brought in line with its standards and in our view it is unlikely that the UK will in any way seek to deviate from its Convention obligations not least because of the international repercussions. However, many believe that there will be some watering down of certain employment law rights, such as rules relating to the calculation of holiday pay, which could be relaxed allowing employers to reach their own decisions on the appropriate level of pay, and also on the ability of employees to carry forward leave in cases of long term sickness absence. It is also unlikely that the anti-discrimination laws will undergo a radical change but we agree with the views expressed by the UK Chamber of Shipping that the Government may seek to introduce a cap on the damages awarded in such claims.

In terms of immigration we expect big changes in this area and we would be very surprised if the UK Immigration Rules and Tier 2 remain in their current form. For example, the government may need to open the Tier 3 ‘low-skilled’ category of the Points Based System (PBS) (currently suspended) to fill any void left by EU workers e.g. agricultural workers. In terms of the maritime sector, this could be beneficial by opening up a category to non-EU nationals (e.g. Filipino nationals) who don’t currently qualify under Tier 2. However, if the plan is to move EU nationals into the current PBS system then this will increase pressure on the system and the current PBS problems, which include delay and inconsistency across different jurisdictions, will apply to EU nationals also (although, this, of course, depends on the negotiations).

Border controls and customs Potential changes to border controls are of particular concern to cruise & ferry operators; however, as the UK is not part of Schengen and passport controls are already in place at UK ports no practical changes are anticipated and there will be no immediate changes in any event. Whether there will be changes to applicable customs rules will depend on the negotiations surrounding the UK’s continued access to the Single Market.

Environmental and safety regimes While the EU has done much to advance environmental and safety legislation, there have been thoughts in some quarters that such legislation is at times as much a burden as a benefit. Practically speaking, once the UK leaves the EU we would expect most EU environmental legislation that has shown itself to be of value to be incorporated into the laws of the UK. An interesting case that might provide opportunities for the UK concerns the recycling of decommissioned vessels. Recycling activity is currently governed by the EU Ship Recycling Regulation, which takes elements from the 2009 Hong Kong Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships. Once no longer beholden to some of the more onerous elements of the regulations, more ship recycling may be possible in the UK and thus provide a boost to this industry. Metal from a number of already decommissioned North Sea offshore platforms still standing could be recycled if their owners no longer had to abide by the exacting standards of the EU Ship Recycling Regulation.

Conclusion The extent to which changes resulting from Brexit will impact the shipping industry will depend heavily on the relationship of individual companies with the UK and the EU and, ultimately, as for all sectors, where the discussions between the UK and the other EU member states finally come out on the key issues of free movement and access to the Single Market. It is, at present, ‘business as usual’ and, as the maritime industry is a global, predominantly US dollar industry many may not directly feel the impact of Brexit.

We will be watching developments closely to determine how they will affect our clients. v

Lindsey Keeble, Asha Kumar, Toby Royal, Andrew Ward and Richard Stephens are all partners at Watson Farley & Williams, a leading international law firm providing services of high quality and value to clients throughout a range of industry sectors, with particular focus on: Energy & Infrastructure, Maritime, Natural Resources, Real Estate and Transport. Lawyers from its international offices work as integrated teams to provide practical, commercially focused legal services. Its locations allow the business sufficient geographical spread to be competitive in the global market and to provide consistently high-quality legal services to clients. www.wfw.com

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Shipping containers

Weighty

issues

Failure to observe new container weight safety rules will be punishable by fine or imprisonment. By Giles Searby

M

ajor new international rules came into force on 1st July 2016, which require a container’s weight to be verified by prescribed methods before it can be loaded on to a ship. The laws will stipulate the weighing of packed containers by calibrated and certified equipment, although in limited circumstances, pre-weighed packages may be placed into the container and added to its tare weight.

This amendment to the Safety of Life at Sea Convention (SOLAS) was approved by the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Maritime Safety Committee, in 2014. Failure to comply will be a criminal offence, punishable by a heavy fine or a prison term.

Now regulated by the IMO, a UN agency, most coastal states worldwide are signatories to SOLAS, which was first, convened in 1914 following the sinking of the Titanic two years previously. SOLAS already demands that shippers declare container weight on the Bill of Lading and associated paperwork. However, it is

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estimated that more than a third of the 130 million containers transported around the word each year are overweight, which has clear safety consequences - hence the need for stricter verification.

For example, when the MSC Napoli sank off the coast of Cornwall in 2007, it was discovered that 20 per cent of the containers on board were at least three tonnes over their declared weight – and some were as much as 20 tonnes heavier.

The obligation to declare the weight of the loaded container falls on the shipper, as stated on the Bill of Lading or transport document. The named shipper will often be the company that is exporting the goods and responsibility falls upon that company - irrespective of whether they are using a third party - to actually move the goods.

Any exporter using containerised freight to ship goods must either ensure that they have carried out the weight verification themselves or that their freight forwarder can offer the service in a SOLAS-compliant manner.

If a valid weight certificate is not supplied, the container will not be loaded on to the intended

ship, with an obvious commercial cost including repacking, detention etc - as well as causing delays which may heap additional financial penalties on the shipper. Such penalties are in addition to criminal punishment.

In the UK, the amendment will become law without the need for an Act of Parliament and will be enforced by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).

These regulations will have three major impacts.

Firstly, shipper-forwarder contracts will need to be revised to reflect the shipper’s new responsibilities. A clear definition of roles and responsibilities is required – and potentially some provision for an additional charge for weighing services.

The responsibility to declare weight lies with the shipper - and the question of who is named as shipper on the Bill of Lading/way-bill is more important than ever. A freight-forwarder may wish to define itself as being only a ‘booking

“

Any exporter using containerised freight to ship goods must either ensure that they have carried out the weight verification themselves or that their freight forwarder can offer the service in a SOLAScompliant manner

party’ to ensure the liability remains further down the supply chain. If weighing services are to be offered at a cost, then T&Cs will need to address this and whether they are offering Method 1 which entails weighing the loaded container by an approved means and/or Method 2. T&Cs should also reflect the consequences of verified gross mass (‘VGM’) not being supplied in terms of additional costs that might be incurred as a result.

Secondly, for the Method 2 weighing – i.e. where all items going into the container, including packaging, pallets, dunnage, and securing equipment are weighed and added to the container’s tare weight – there is an unresolved issue, as something like a wet wooden floor could throw the tare weight out. There is debate about there being a five per cent +/- tolerance but that is not explicitly stated in the written regulations.

Finally, where a terminal offers weighing services, it does not alter the liability of the shipper, save that a shipper might have a potential claim on the terminal if it was negligent in the weighing, for example. There is some debate around the fact

that there is a danger that weighing in terminal could be too late as the carrier will need to be advised of shipping instructions of the VGM in advance of loading, which adds to the risk of shipping slots being missed.

The feeling is that the industry might have some practical issues to address in areas like this, which may cause some initial teething issues in the system – notably regarding the Method 2 aggregated containers, where the forwarder is gathering packages into a container at the terminal. A system may develop where VGM has to be advised separately from other instructions, which only serves to add to the documentary requirements at point of shipment.

Ultimately, businesses that ship goods abroad using containerised transport will be required to make the necessary changes to their systems to be compliant with the amended regulations.

This may be something that freight forwarders can assist with - and most will be updating their Terms and Conditions and services to reflect the revised regulations. v

Giles Searby is a partner in the litigation and dispute resolution team at hlw Keeble Hawson with experience of shipping. With offices in Sheffield, Leeds and Doncaster, hlw Keeble Hawson is one of the region’s biggest law firms and is at the heart of the business and wider community. Highly regarded and with more than 200 years of history, experienced commercial and private client teams provide the very best support, guidance and technical advice to entrepreneurs, SMEs and individuals. www.hlwkeeblehawson.co.uk

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Navigation

Take your

position Guidance Marine has launched the first local position reference sensor that does not use targets

2

Trials onboard the Ocean Zephyr

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016 has seen the launch of a new type of sensor that is changing the way that vessels operate around wind farms. RangeGuard is the first sensor from Guidance Marine that does not use physical targets. It uses radar reflections from its surroundings to calculate precisely the vessel’s range to the nearest object in its field of view. Combining the information from two sensors allows range and bearing to be calculated and input into the dynamic positioning (DP) system of a vessel. The result was the first targetless DP local position reference sensor (PRS).

Guidance Marine presented a paper at the Royal Institute of Naval Architects conference Design & Construction of Wind Farm Support Vessels, on 30th March titled A ‘ New Era in Position Referencing’. Business Development Manager, Dr Sasha Heriot, described a collaboration between Bernhard Schulte Ship Management, Marine Technologies and Guidance Marine where two RangeGuard sensors were installed on the Bernhard Schulte managed vessel, the Ocean Zephyr.

Hendrick Busshoff, Offshore Marine Superintendent at Bernhard Schulte Ship Management trained as a Master mariner in the offshore oil and gas industry before moving to offshore wind. He recognised the differences in vessel operation in a wind farm compared to an oil field and identified the need for a new type of position reference sensor.

A vessel approaches a wind turbine on DP and typically uses DGPS and a laser PRS to obtain precise position. If poor quality reflector targets are installed on the wind turbine it can lead to the laser sensor detecting false reflections due to their proximity to other highly reflective surfaces, such as the high vis jackets

the sensors were not connected into the DP system, the sensors successfully recorded the movements of the vessel. The next stage of the project is now underway at Marine Technologies to connect the sensors into the DP system of the ship.

After the promising results obtained during the trials on the Ocean Zephyr, Bernhard Schulte decided to make full use of the potential of RangeGuard and install a fully DP integrated system on its SOV new build Windea La Cour. The technologically advanced vessel is scheduled to set sail in Q2 2016 and the RangeGuard system will ideally complement and expand the capabilities of the ship. v

of workmen on the landing platform and walk-towork gangway. To overcome this problem, high quality reflective prism targets should replace low quality reflectors, but the cost of installing these on every single wind turbine in a wind farm can be prohibitive. Removing the need for physical targets altogether is a step change in wind farm navigation.

Guidance Marine installed two RangeGuard

sensors on the starboard side of the Ocean Zephyr. The 24GHz radar sensors send out a low power signal and the radar reflections from their field of view are detected. By combining information from two sensors, the location of the wind tower relative to the vessel can be calculated precisely.

Data was collected during a sea trial to the BARD 1 wind farm in August 2015. Although

Guidance Marine is an expert in designing and manufacturing local position reference sensors and is the leading sensor supplier to vessels in the oil and gas industry. Guidance Marine invests heavily in its people and in their skills with innovation as a pivotal culture. The expertise, passion, ambition and collective team ethos forms the cornerstone of the business. www.guidance.eu.com

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Marine litter

Waste

lines

T

he problem of marine litter is well known but little understood. Most of us get glimpses of the visible effects through bleak images; albatross carcasses stuffed full with plastic, seals tangled in old nets, beaches strewn with litter. For others it is a vocational hazard, as propellers tangle in tackle and fish get caught in old nets (‘ghost fishing’). Or for those switched on to recent research, it might be the slow and impalpable movement of microplastics up the food chain that causes most concern.

As with so many environmental concerns, when the scientific details begin to emerge, the reality they illuminate is far worse than most dared to expect. Each year, millions of tons of litter finds its way into the marine environment, and its impacts reach from the smallest and most remote ocean organisms all the way up to the largest ocean mammals. The damage continues on land and in human society, as citizens and businesses both feel the effects, be it through possible concerns about eating contaminated fish, the losses of revenue to littered beach side resorts or ghost fishing further contributing to declining fish stocks.

It is crucial, then, to understand how litter finds its way into the sea. Many believe that the

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Chiarina Darrah analyses the need to tackle the issue of marine debris

majority originates from land-based rather than sea-based sources – 80 per cent is the figure usually cited. But what about the rest? Trade associations representing ship owners and big industry players state they follow regulations regarding correct disposal of solid waste. But evidence from marine litter surveys tells us that waste from at-sea sources is getting into the marine environment, and in some places it accounts for much more than 20 per cent of the items found – indeed, in one extreme example from the North Sea it makes up as much as 90 per cent 1.

In general, fishing vessels and aquaculture are a predominant source of marine plastics. In one EU-wide analysis, fishing and aquaculture related items such as nets, fish boxes, fishing buoys, were found to make up an average of 22 per cent of all beach litter. Other types of vessels are also a key source of marine litter, e.g. merchant ships, ferries, cruise liners and recreational vessels. The same EU study found that litter from other vessels made up 13 per cent of beach litter, indicated by items such as catering and industrial packaging.

Last year, Eunomia completed a marine litter report for the European Commission looking into at-sea sources of debris in the EU, and

measures to mitigate them, such as the Port Reception Facilities (PRF) Directive. We wanted to get a better picture of the at-sea sources of marine debris. First, we looked at solid waste generated by ships, of the type that can become marine debris. We then compared this with the amount of waste that ships delivered to ports.

The gap between the two was considerable; between 2006 and 2013, an average of 170,000 tonnes more waste was generated each year than disposed of in port. Compare this with the amount of marine litter input from land, estimated in the EU at 110,000 tonnes2, and we could be looking at a much larger contribution of at-sea sources in the EU than previously thought.

With this in mind, it is clear that the maritime sector is an important stakeholder when it comes to marine litter. Waste disposal at sea of most types is already prohibited globally by legislation like the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) and the London Convention and Protocol. At EU level the most important piece of legislation is arguably the Port Reception Facilities (PRF) Directive, which requires ports to provide facilities for receiving waste from ships, and requires ships to deliver their waste when they are in port. But

the issue of enforcement remains; how do you detect infringement? And how can you encourage good behaviour where the risk of detection is minimal?

One aspect we looked at in our study was the financial incentivisation of proper waste management. The PRF Directive states that all vessels must contribute significantly to the cost of waste management. The idea behind this is that a vessel is paying towards waste management whether it uses the facilities or not, and that this reduces the financial saving a vessel would make by discharging its waste at sea. However, this doesn't mean there's mathematically zero financial incentive to discharge at sea - some still remains.

Furthermore, it doesn't tackle other, non-financial ('hidden') incentives to discharge waste at sea, such as the hassle factor, other priorities of crew members, and limited time.

So what would be the most effective way of incentivising proper waste management?

A very different scenario would be financial disincentives to discharge waste at sea - i.e. if ships actually faced a cost for doing so. This could be achieved by charging a refundable deposit, which is returned when ships deliver their waste in port. In this way, vessels are rewarded for doing it right, and they would lose out if they discharged their waste at sea.

At present however, fishing vessels and recreational vessels (under 12-person capacity) are exempt from the charging system prescribed by the PRF Directive. These vessel types account for approximately 33 per cent of activity at sea and, as such, it is highly important to bring

them too into the legislative fold. The time for this is now; the PRF Directive is currently undergoing a lengthy revision process. This includes considering amendments to help reduce atsea marine litter emissions. Both the scope of vessels under different provisions, and the cost structure of port reception facilities will come under the spotlight.

The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) states that by 2020, “Good Environmental Status” must be achieved for European seas; for marine litter this means that: “Properties and quantities of marine litter do not cause harm to the coastal and marine environment”. This is a rightly ambitious goal. If we are to achieve it, we need all hands on deck, both on land and at sea.

Only then will we be able to secure the future of our seas. v

Chiarina Darrah is Senior Consultant at Eunomia.

Established in 2001, Eunomia Research & Consulting Ltd is a Bristol-based, independent consultancy dedicated to adding value to organisations through the delivery of improved outcomes. Eunomia has over 65 employees in the UK, and has offices in Bristol, London, Manchester, Glasgow, Brussels and Auckland. www.eunomia.co.uk

“

Each year, millions of tons of litter finds its way into the marine environment, and its impacts reach from the smallest and most remote ocean organisms all the way up to the largest ocean mammals

1 Van Franeker, J.A., Meijboom, A., De Jong, M., and Verdaat, H. (2010) Fulmar litter EcoQO monitoring in the Netherlands 1979-2008 in relation to EU directive 2000/59/EC on port reception facilities, Wageningen IMARES Report, No.C027/10 2 See Eunomia (2015) and Jambeck, J.R., Geyer, R., Wilcox, C., et al. (2015) Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean, Science, Vol.347, No.6223, pp.768–771

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New technologies

Time to embrace the

future

Dick Welsh gives his opinions on the shipping industry’s reluctance to leap into new technologies, particularly ECDIS

Dick Welsh

I

was recently in Posidonia, one of the largest gatherings in the shipping calendar, with the great and good of shipping. At one of the many social events, we got to talking about new technologies, in particular ECDIS (electronic chart display information system), and a general trend within the industry of reluctance to take the leap into new technologies. You can imagine, as an engineer, I felt well out of my depth, but extremely loath to admit it.

Why the reluctance, I thought? On further reflection I am still wondering.

I want designers and regulators to embrace new technology. I want to show youngsters that the bridge of a ship or yacht looks more like the Star Ship Enterprise than the Titanic. They expect touch screens and up to the minute displays of where they are, where they are going, and what else is out there to bump into. They want state-of-the-art not state of the Ark. They don’t want, or need, magnetic compasses, sextants and monstrous steering wheels. Yes, they need windows to look out of and to keep a proper look out. They should also not be distracted by multiple screens, but really? Let’s move on!

When was the last time you looked at an A to Z of London, or any city for that matter? When was the last time you drove around with a big book of road maps next to you on the passenger seat – desperately looking for where you are and where you should be? Let me guess. You use a smartphone to find your way around a strange city and a Satnav to navigate your way as you drive. Granted, you still need to put your head up to stop walking into lamp posts while walking and look out of the windows of the car

whilst driving – but it is the technology that is navigating!

Since voicing my opinions I have received many positive comments on social media from various sectors and disciplines within the industry.

I have also had a few quoting technical reasons behind the navigator’s reticence to let go of their paper charts, corrections, erasers, and second mate’s pencils! These are mainly to do with global coverage of electronic charts and the lack of consistency in different manufacturer’s systems. There is also unwavering support for the good oldfashioned magnetic compass, which requires no power source and appears to be a step too far to remove altogether.

As an engineer, I probably have no place to say this – but I will. Let’s stop this reluctance to embrace new technologies. Let’s consign these magnetic compasses; sextants; and paper charts to museums, and equip modern ships with the latest technology. Let’s provide and regulate for the redundancy, back-up supplies and install robust designs the ships need to be safe and efficient. I would go one stage further – let’s stop training our poor cadets in yesterday’s navigation techniques. They are not Polynesian adventurers steering by the stars to find new and uncharted lands.

There I have said it and I feel better! I have also thrown my slide rule and steam tables in the bin lest anyone accuse me of not following my own advice! v Dick Welsh is Director of the Isle of Man Ship Registry. The Isle of Man Ship Registry was established as an international register in 1984. Since then it has become highly recognised as a quality register offering unrivalled levels of service. It boasts some of the world’s most highly respected shipping companies among its clients. www.iomshipregistry.com www.whereyoucan.im/maritime

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Fire safety

Hot topic When market conditions are challenging, maintenance programmes can be cut and this has serious implications for fire safety. Libbie Hammond spoke to Henry Green, operations director oil and gas, Tyco, about this issue

“T

here are a number of difficulties facing ship owners and operators at the moment,” Henry began.

“Capacity exceeding demand is always a problem for any industry, but within commercial shipping it also drives a reduction in charter rates. This challenges ship owners and operators’ ability to effectively manage operating and fuel costs while maintaining environmental compliance. Added threats from piracy and cyber-attack weigh heavily on the minds of those tempted to reduce or even postpone expenditure on maintaining safety systems. The perception is often that fire and security systems can be serviced and maintained by ship staff rather than trained engineers, which can often result in system integrity becoming compromised.”

He continued: “Commercial shipbuilding hasn’t fully recovered from the last economic crash, and the oil and gas industry is also still coming to terms with low oil prices. As a result, financial returns are low, with owners and operators looking to minimise their capital and operational expenditure.”

Nevertheless, regardless of cost reduction

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programmes, or efficiency drives, it remains the duty of everyone to act responsibly where the risk of fire is present. “Ships operate under an international minimum standard for fire safety at sea and should be fitted with appropriate protection systems. These systems reside in a passive state waiting for an event and as such must operate flawlessly when called upon. As a working example, prior to the 9/11 attacks, Morgan Stanley staff were made to practice drills over and over again, and it is estimated that this action saved more than 2500 lives. Whatever your ship’s fire and security plan, you have to ensure your systems are meticulously maintained and your crew is well prepared,” emphasised Henry.

Tyco works closely with its clients in order to ensure that they not only minimise risk to life, but also the company is also very experienced in the marine market and understands the areas that are most important to its customers. For container shipping groups, for example, this is to maximise business continuity. Based on the sheer size of today’s modern container ships, the possibility of business disruption from the threat of a fire is a constant one. For CMA-CGM Container Line, an

organisation with over 336 ships on more than 100 shipping routes, the need to keep sailing is paramount, and to this end, Tyco Marine Division’s design and project management teams were specified to protect its ships with Minerva T2000 digital analogue fire detection and alarm systems.

Manufactured to BSEN ISO 9001/2 and approved by all the major marine authorities, this system is designed to meet the fire detection and alarm needs of the ship, its crew and cargo. The decision to sound the alarm is made at the controller allowing adjustments and compensations to be made for changes on environmental conditions.

In short, providing maximum security whilst minimising the risk of false alarms. These systems have been the result of intensive and proactive research and development acquired from working in partnership with the marine industry and marine approval authorities for a period in excess of 60 years.

Another market segment that is benefitting from Tyco’s new and innovative products is the naval sector, where Henry identifies an appetite for investment globally. “This market continues to be successful, led by those companies

which continue to invest in a broad spectrum of innovative safety and security solutions to support their efforts in meeting both the economic and legislative challenges they face,” he said.

“With regards to environmental regulatory issues for example, the IGF code, effective from 1st Jan 2017 as an adoption of MSC 391(95), will require that traditional fire extinguishing agents such as CO2 are used in far higher concentrations than currently permitted. It is expected that newer chemical gases will replace these old standards. For example, Novec 1230 is expected to become the agent of choice as it is approved for hydrocarbon fuel fires.”

Another part of the green agenda relevant to the marine sector, is the trend towards dual fuel engines, and as Henry noted, as this technology becomes more prevalent, so too are fire suppression systems becoming more specialised and detection systems are required to report more detailed information faster.

That is where the value of having programmable logic controller (PLC)-based surveillance systems on board, becomes apparent, as these enable remote diagnostics. “The resulting situational

awareness enables early identification of potential issues and risks, in order to help response teams to act upon them well in advance and thereby preserving life and integrity of the vessel,” explained Henry.”

As the challenges of the market continue, a host of new opportunities and problems are on the horizon for the shipping sector. “As with any industry, shipping is affected by supply and demand. Oil prices, green fuels and commercial and political unrest are all becoming increasingly influential factors in the sector, and with owners replacing their fleets less frequently and the potential growing for the life of a ship to be extended, the challenge of maintaining a vessel’s integrity is becoming ever more pertinent,” said Henry.

“Shipping companies must rise to the challenge and ensure that their fleet is sound, secure and prepared for any emergency. In a time of economic uncertainty, fire and safety should be the last thing to go by the board: as we have seen all too often, a failure to address these systems can have much worse than financial consequences,” he concluded. v

“

Morgan Stanley staff were made to practice drills over and over again, and it is estimated that this action saved more than 2500 lives

Henry Green is operations director oil and gas, Tyco. Tyco develops practical, integrated fire protection and security solutions for increasingly complex environments. Tyco’s solutions can be found aboard 80 per cent of the world’s naval fleet. Tyco is proud to have a marine heritage spanning almost 80 years, and has contributed to some landmark projects across the world’s naval, cruise, commercial shipping and super yacht sectors. www.tyco.com

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D

rew Marine Signal and Safety (DMSS) is the world’s leading supplier of SOLAS, MED & USCG-approved marine distress signals. The company markets the Comet brand alongside sister brand Pains Wessex.

Chris Feibusch of DMSS explained that SOLAS requirements state the specific safety equipment that has to be stocked on the bridge, including two MOB man overboard (MOB) units, four linethrowers (with a minimum 230 metre line) and 12 parachute rockets. “In 2014, we updated our MOB unit to the Mark 9, which now incorporates an LED bulb in the lamp and lithium batteries. It is also smaller, so it fits inside a lifebuoy ring and it can be automatically deployed by releasing the attached lifebuoy, or manually activated. It will emit dense orange smoke for 15 minutes and the lamp will emit light for a minimum of two hours at a two candela, and this exceeds SOLAS regulations,” he said.

Comet has also released an improved version of its Smoke Signal, which is now manufactured in-house, and Comet believes it is now more reliable and easier to use.

Comet rockets, flares and smoke signals can be found on the bridges, life rafts and lifeboats of ships around the world, and these are all supported by a worldwide network of specialist distributors, offering a truly global availability.

Full details can be found on the Comet website.

SMM 2016

Claus Ulrich Selbach

SMMart shipping Viewed as a must for all stakeholders of the maritime sector and a great opportunity to meet up face-toface with existing and potential business partners, SMM has gained a strong reputation for showcasing tomorrow’s trends and developments over the years, with 2016 being no different. Taking place from 6th to 9th September 2016, the 27th SMM has been enhanced and expanded to offer further valuable insights to those in the shipping industry

D

rawing huge interest, SMM had more than 2100 exhibitors registered

by June 2016 and is anticipated to have over 50,000 industry visitors from around 100 nations attend.

Furthermore, much like the record year 2014, the Hamburg fair complex is fully booked months in advance even after being expanded by an additional 3500 square metres. Additional changes include the offering of hall A5, which is exclusively dedicated to green propulsion, and the clear division of halls in accordance with product areas.

Moreover, visitors of SMM 2016 will be guided to exhibitors through the utilisation of specific routes that provide special offers on the themes digitalisation, green shipping, maritime security and careers.

Speaking to Jo Cooper in May 2016, Claus Ulrich Selbach, Business Unit Director of Maritime and Technology Fairs at Hamburg Messe and

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Congress, revealed what guests should expect from SMM this year: “Presenting impressive innovations, facilitating conversations with top experts and offering conferences on the topics of the future, we will once again welcome more than 2100 exhibitors from around the world, including the Who’s Who of the maritime industry as well as newcomers and young start-ups whose purposedesigned products and services are valuable additions to the market. SMM visitors will encounter all the international key players from the shipping sector, covering the entire value chain. The fair is also becoming more international with more than 60 nations being represented this time and Iran, Malaysia and Greece all setting up 2016 country pavilions of their own for the first time this year.”

He continued: “Digitalisation is the leitmotif that pervades the entire SMM programme this year.

Believed to bring fundamental change to the industry, experts are calling it the third revolution of

shipping. What makes this topic so very important is the current situation of the industry, which is marked by low freight and charter rates, a weak global economy, and strong fluctuations of the global flow of goods, all of which threaten the financial basis of the shipping sector. At the same time, we are faced with tightening safety and environmental protection regulations. The only way out of this dilemma is to optimise performance further, and the name of the solution is Smart Shipping.”

Digitalisation was also one of the core topics of discussion at the SMM advance press conference in Hamburg on 2nd June 2016, which involved several highly distinguished speakers giving fascinating insights into current industry trends.

Offering a perfect appetizer for the fair, the distinguished panel of experts highlighted the importance of SMM for the industry as it generates fresh impetus and ideas for the maritime industry,

SMM 2016

while also offering a strong platform for networking and negotiating business deals. Concluding on the conference, Bernd Aufderheide, President and CEO of Hamburg Messe and Congress emphasised: “It has been made clear today that the shipping industry must aim high today to be successful tomorrow. This industry has always had its strongest moments when everybody joined forces and embraced innovation. This spirit will be clearly felt at SMM 2016.”

Opening its doors very soon, SMM 2016 will be accompanied by an attractive supporting programme that includes the newly created conference Maritime Future Summit on 5th September. Taking place one day ahead of the opening of SMM, the summit will see software experts and CEOs of leading manufacturers of ship propulsion systems discuss the consequences of Smart Shipping and Big Data for the shipping industry of the future. “During this new conference international experts and major players across the sector will discuss their visions for a highperforming, sustainable and successful future

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shipping industry. This conference will primarily focus on the challenges and opportunities of digitalisation when conventional means of optimising efficiency have been exhausted,” says Selbach.

With smart fleet management and networking viewed as the next step for the industry, companies will need to embrace key new technologies such as telematics, satellite communication, data storage, information technology and automation to remain competitive in the long-term. Because Smart Solutions and the digital revolution are a major topic for this year’s exhibition, digital solutions are naturally central to the portfolios of many of the 2100+ exhibitors presenting their products and services on more than 90,000 square metres of exhibition area.

Part of this exhibition space will be comprised of a new area set up to highlight new developments in the field of green propulsion, with LNG a particular focus. Hall A5 will cover all aspects of alternative and environmentally friendly technologies in marine propulsion and will thus provide shipyards and

equipment suppliers the ideal showcase for their alternative and low-emission technologies; these include LNG, methanol, fuel cells and hybrid and dual-fuel propulsion systems. Alongside exhibiting state-of-the-art innovations, SMM also boasts a solid conference programme that includes the Global Maritime Environmental Congress (GMEC) on 6th September.

LNG will be a key topic at GMEC, with highly distinguished speakers such as Knut ØrbeckNilssen, CEO of the classification society and consultancy DNVGL Maritime, Martin Stopford, Non-Executive President of Clarksons Research, Paul Holthus, founder and CEO of the World Ocean Council, and Oskar Levander, VicePresident of the ship engine manufacturer Rolls Royce Marine reporting current trends in this area. The conference will also discuss new, tighter regulations such as the upcoming ballast water convention or the planned ECA zones in China. Following GMEC is the Maritime Security & Defence conference on 7th September, which is anticipated to include a number of high-ranking naval and coast guard delegations from all over the world.

On top of these topics, SMM will be brimming with expert advice and technological developments from a wide range of companies, organisations and speakers on subjects ranging from cyber attacks to career opportunities. For example, the Maritime Career Market (MCM), which is concluding SMM 2016, will be providing companies with an excellent opportunity to meet up with promising young talents and experienced potential leaders. This event is expected to have twice as many companies participating compared to SMM 2014 and is also making an increased effort to target female candidates in line with a trend of women entering the shipping industry.

More innovative and international than ever, with additional space, clearer routes and a new hall for green propulsion, this year’s action-packed SMM will ensure the fair’s impeccable reputation as a source of new ideas and a driving force for the maritime industry is maintained. v

Profile: Insatech

Marine

High

performance E

With a mission to be a trustworthy and competent partner, the company has developed longstanding relationships with some of the leading manufacturers within instrumentation and automation across the globe

stablished in 1989, Insatech A/S has been focused on automation and instrumentation since its inception, and, with more than 25 years of experience, it has become a strong partner for customers and suppliers alike. With a mission to be a trustworthy and competent partner, the company has developed longstanding relationships with leading manufacturers across the globe. Continuously striving for the best possible solution the company boasts enviable knowledge and experience of the maritime industry in business segments such as process instrumentation and calibration equipment, automation control and data acquisition; system design, engineering and validation of DCS, as well as marine and ship systems.

A recent successful project for Insatech Marine took place in 2015, when Team Tankers International chose the company’s Performance Monitoring System to ensure continued success in an increasingly competitive freight market. Continuously searching for ways to enhance their fleet’s performance in order to stay competitive, Team Tankers knew that in order to optimise, they first needed to measure; in response to this the company researched a number of options before installing a performance monitoring system from Insatech Marine. After

only three months the benefits are already emerging.

As a worldwide chemical carrier, the key to Team Tankers International staying competitive is its ability to manage each voyage thoroughly. This means running a tight ship by focusing on fuel and energy consumption and by enhancing crew awareness, as well as implementing fleet wide optimisation projects.

However, as technical project manager Henrik Marloth explains: “If we can’t measure the effect of a project, we can’t optimise. We needed a tool to monitor performance.” Team Tankers considered several different systems, but the choice fell on Insatech Marine’s performance monitoring system. “The platform is great and the system is very flexible; if we decide to add new measures, we can do so.

We have had influence on the system and could design it almost as we wanted, which has been really important to us. Furthermore we wanted to own the data, which we do with the performance monitoring system.”

Crew awareness: The cornerstone of performance optimisation success “The performance monitoring system does not earn you money – unless you apply awareness,” says Henrik Marloth. Having done so, Henrik sees a clear advantage: “We are able to operate our ships more efficiently;

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Profile: Insatech

Marine

Performance monitoring system

furthermore our staff at shore is able to view the same data and trends. It’s a valuable tool, which the crew has really adopted. One of our captains called it liberating to always know how the vessel was performing against the KPI’s.”

Henrik describes the system as a decision enabler, aiding operator and vessel senior management in determining the best course of action: “If the expected voyage conditions changes, for example, due to bad weather, and thereby increases bunker consumption higher than planned, we can, as a team (ship-shore), act immediately and decide our best course of action. In the past we had limited information and basically we could only conclude upon voyage result at each voyage completion. However, now we are able to make changes in real time taking more factors into consideration, when we decide whether to keep the same speed or change it. The factors can be weather, next voyage and other commercial factors. The goal is to be able to optimise our performance in real time, and we are convinced that we will be able to do so with the performance monitoring system.”

Annual savings based on recent performance system optimisations The installation of the performance system was made in 2015, Henrik explains that after only three months they have already made some interesting discoveries, which will translate into huge annual savings. “Based on the data we were able to reduce fuel consumption significantly, as the data has allowed us to optimise trim and compare sister vessels, to thereby increase vessel performance.” Trim optimising is an important performance factor, however Team Tankers International also has other goals.

Testing and verification of pilot projects The system has several uses. By creating a valid baseline Team Tankers International evaluates pilot projects to find the most feasible investments before rolling it out on fleet level. “Currently we are evaluating high end antifouling products on our hull and propeller coating.” The goal is to verify that the products are complying with the manufacturer’s specifications. Furthermore, a reduction in hull cleaning and propeller polishing is expected. Other enhancements such as propeller boss cap fin are at the moment being evaluated using the performance system.

“By utilising the system and data we will be able to verify and confirm which types of antifouling products are most optimal, as well as the timing of hull and propeller cleaning,” says Henrik.

Based on the initial experience with the performance system Henrik says: “We expect to cut down our total fuel consumption with three to five per cent per ship/year, but that is probably a little conservative.” While technical tests and projects are now possible to evaluate, Henrik stresses that the ultimate

benefit of the system is the crew awareness and the added value it will create. “Without it you cannot leverage consumption reductions or operational optimisation,” he concludes.

Team Tankers is just one example of Insatech Marine’s capabilities when it comes to delivering customer satisfaction through innovation and reliability, the future looks positive for the company as it continues to help optimise performance and co-operation between ship and shore.

Currently Insatech Marine is developing a fleet management tool, Fleet Viewer, which enables management staff at ship and shore to compare and analyse all vessels to enhance large scale decision making.

Visit Insatech Marine at SMM, hall B1 stand EG 401, for more information.

Insatech Marine www.insatechmarine.com • Supplier of performance optimisation solutions • Supplier of bunker management systems • More than 25 years of experience

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Profile: seanet

group

Glass balcony

Side door

Drop keel

Hyperbaric chambers

Special

delivery

F

ounded in 1975, SeaNet Group is a leading maritime engineering company with a long tradition of providing a range of integrated solutions to marine safety and handling systems around the world. Headquartered in Genève, Switzerland, and with its main production facilities in Italy, the group consists of four companies that develop a range of innovative systems to the cruise, ferry, military, mega-yacht, research (for which it supplies the drop keel system) and offshore sectors.

Today, over 4000 SeaNet systems have been installed around the world, 3000 of which are its core offering of watertight doors and over 650 relating to special systems projects.

“The company was initially born to provide watertight and, later on, splashtight doors, which remain central to the business, yet it has grown now to provide a range of key equipment and special projects to various sectors under our different brands,” outlines Chairman, Giovanni Lanza de Cristoforis. “The

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Selmar brand, for instance, which we acquired in 2015, perfectly suits our philosophy where safety and innovation are paramount. Selmar is a world leader in drop keel systems – a world first innovation – and so complements SeaNet’s business very well. We also provide access equipment such as stern and side ramps, elevators, car decks and shell doors, plus a range of ship automation systems.

However it is our innovative special divisions business that is particularly interesting.”

Throughout its history SeaNet has maintained a leading position at the cutting edge of marine engineering solutions, and has a number of world firsts under its belt to prove it. In automation, for example, it was the first company in the world to use electronic circuit boards in marine safety equipment, a move that was immediately approved by all necessary certification bodies. Then, in 2010, it patented its Web Interface Safety System (WISS), which revolutionised safety systems as the first to create a browser interface making

them independent from the hardware installed, and creating lots of safety, reliability and easeof-use benefits.

One such project that demonstrates the level of innovation and engineering expertise inherent in SeaNet’s market approach is its work on the MOSE water defence system designed to isolate the Venice Lagoon from the Adriatic Sea during high tide events. “We have been entrusted with the compartmentalisation, control system and deep seabed hydraulic gate, and, having manufactured these special sectional hyperbaric chambers, are now delivering them,” explains Giovanni. “These hyperbaric chambers use a revolutionary sectional design and feature pressurising and balance systems that enable maintenance operations to be performed on the barrier system underwater.”

Providing highly bespoke solutions such as that illustrated by the MOSE project lies at the heart of SeaNet’s success. “We are not too big, and this makes us extremely flexible

Terrace platform

in understanding our customers’ needs and delivering on them,” Giovanni continues. “A major competitor may be strong at providing multiple replicated units with the exact same specifications but we have a well-proven ability to design special innovations with lower costs and a wealth of experience. Whilst we are of course multinational, operating and selling around the world, we maintain this familyowned, personal service wherever we work.”

A result of this family focus is a strong affinity to close working relationships with clients and the supply chain. “Most of our most interesting projects tend to start with an idea that the client doesn’t fully believe is possible, but we can prove otherwise and consistently deliver solutions,” details Giovanni. “The mega-yacht market is a really strong sector for these kinds of projects as we can solve problems for all kinds of mega-toys the owners are looking for.”

Keen to continue delivering its leading engineering solutions and innovative services to the global market, SeaNet Group is currently focused on a major expansion strategy. At present there are two manufacturing facilities in Italy and one in Miami, Florida, with main offices set up in

Switzerland. “We have been looking closely at Canada for a while and this year we hope to open up a new business subsidiary in the region as well as a new workshop,” Giovanni discusses. “We hope to apply the same strategy in the Far East to set up an asset over there in support of the healthy sales activity going on in China and Southeast Asia.”

Over recent years, SeaNet Group has experienced growth rates in the region of 10 to 15 per cent every year. Expanding its global footprint will be key to the company making the most of generally favourable market conditions around the world and continuing this trend. The cruise, mega-yachts and navy sectors remain strong, according to Giovanni, and whilst not traditionally a major market for the business, the oil and gas industry will be the focus of fresh attention once it regains some strength and confidence.

SeaNet Group www.seanetgroup.ch • Continues to deliver innovative solutions to special projects around the world • Experiencing strong market conditions • Focused on global expansion strategy

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Profile: Viewsafe

Safety first T

he creation of Lewis Rowland, Viewsafe is the safety assured maintenance aperture for the condition monitoring of live electrical switchgear and assets that has taken the shipping and oil and gas industries by storm. “Viewsafe was developed whilst I completed my Masters in Business Management at Lancaster University. The product design work was completed at this stage, and the past five years have seen the design develop into the product it is today,” says Lewis Rowland, owner of Viewsafe.

“The initial designs and concepts of Viewsafe were created with the basis of creating a product that was safer, more flexible and offered better performance than what was out there in the market.

We were well aware of the practices of Thermal Imaging and Partial Discharge, but there was nothing in the market that could combine the two techniques. Customers had to make a choice of one or the other,

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but if there were a single system to complete both inspections, that choice would not have to be made. Off the back of the initial designs, Viewsafe developed further as we introduced the capability of Visual inspection and Emergency CO2 access to equipment.

The early investment in items such as global patents, trademarks and internal arc testing meant it was always going to take a period of time to get to full implementation in the market. With safety being paramount to the product, it was imperative that we covered all aspects of safety before introducing the product to potential customers,” he continues.

Today used by the likes of Norwegian Cruise Line, Disney Cruise Line, P&O Cruise Lines, Cunard and Teekay Gas Shipping, the product offers the unique ability of enabling operators to complete condition monitoring of their live electrical switchgear through both thermal imaging and partial discharge in a safe manner. “With many of the clients,

we are moving towards complete fleet or asset coverage with the Viewsafe system.

For example, when the three Cunard vessels, Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth were all in Liverpool to mark the 175th anniversary of the company it was a proud moment for us as Viewsafe is installed on all three of these vessels.

“We are also working very closely with switchgear manufacturers such as Powell Industries, ABB and GE Energy Management for Viewsafe’s inclusion in new-build switchgear projects, which brings an entirely new dimension to the product and business,” highlights Lewis.

Since previously featuring in Shipping & Marine magazine in July 2015, Viewsafe has enjoyed a surge of demand both in the UK and overseas, particularly in the maritime sector. “We have also seen an increase in new types of marine customers with the likes of subsea construction, diving and pipelaying vessels taking Viewsafe on-board,

as well as an ever-increasing continuation of installations within the cruise market.

Geographically we continue to expand all around the world from the USA, Europe to the Far East and as Viewsafe continues to grow in brand and reputation we expect this to continue,” says Lewis. “Another notable development is that Viewsafe has been working closely with GE Energy Management on the integration of a ‘New-Build’ version of Viewsafe that will be installed at the fabrication point of electrical switchgear assets, and we hope that this strategic move alongside such a prestigious company as GE will take Viewsafe onto another level in the coming years.”

With innovation clearly playing a vital role in the product’s success, from what has already been developed to what the company plans to do with Viewsafe in the future, the dynamic firm was nominated as a finalist in the Institution of Engineering and Technology Awards and followed this with finalist places in the UK Energy Innovation Awards 2016.

Discussing the reasons behind Viewsafe achieving recognition, Lewis comments: “I

think the product offers operators something that no other product can offer, and the judges of the Awards bodies have identified this from our entries. Whilst the combining of multiple techniques is not a new concept, the fact Viewsafe has managed to do this with high value assets and switchgear in a way nothing else can make us stand out.”

As more people become aware of the benefits of Viewsafe, Lewis says the company has focused on managing demand in the market: “As our scope of delivery expands further around the globe this quality control becomes an even more important focus. Due to this high demand for Viewsafe, we were forced to introduce new suppliers for the system, which in itself has been a challenge. Ensuring the same output quality between suppliers has been time intensive but has been very satisfying at the same time. Furthermore, we have opened up a Far East Office that is located in Singapore to deal with the Far East and Australian market and it will be a focus for us to develop this sector more in the next 12-24 months.”

Keen for Viewsafe to become the first

choice for customers seeking condition monitoring tools for electrical switchgears, Lewis sees a strong future for Viewsafe, despite challenges in the oil and gas market.

“Obviously the significant drop in oil prices has seen a dip in the offshore market sector, not just for Viewsafe but for all companies associated. For Viewsafe it has been important to diversify our customer base and this diversification has seen our focus turn to other types of maritime customers as mentioned earlier.

“Despite these difficulties, the next three to five years will no doubt see a further increase in condition monitoring practices globally and Viewsafe intends to be at the forefront of this push,” Lewis concludes.

Viewsafe www.viewsafe.co.uk • Provider of revolutionary switchgear inspection products • Ensure operator safety during inspection • Exhibiting at SMM

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Profile: LNGTainer

Thinking

Ltd

differently by having the insulation

on the inside of the LNG tank

T

he background to LNGTainer is tied to Finnish engineer and inventor Tom Sommardal, and the origins of the founder are key to understanding the business and providing an insight into how well the company knows the industry. Now CEO, Tom expanded on this: “My background was as a deck officer and then as a naval architect, and I have been in the industry since I was 16 years old, throughout these many years I have worked mainly on oil tankers – which mostly operated in the North Sea and other areas of Europe – so energy and shipping has been a passion my entire life.” Tom’s career then went onto involve working with a range of shipping, from passenger to 100,000 tonne oil tankers, which provides the company with an understanding of the industry and the issues it faces.

The LNGTainer is the culmination of research and development efforts by Tom to create a low-cost solution to the transportation of LNG products. It took several years of secret product design

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and testing to create, but as of June 2015 the new innovation in LNG transportation – a storage and consumption container was unveiled, ready for large-scale serial production.

The most revolutionary aspect of the new tank container, and what gives a basis for the advanced design, is the fact that the insulation has been moved from the outside of the cryogenic tanks to the inside. The patented LNGTainer tank container that Tom has created stands head and shoulders above many others in the market, which Tom highlighted: “One reason we have had so many enquiries is that we have by far the biggest capacity in its class combined with light weight construction which give exact same weight when fully loaded as a normal 40 foot container.” This feature will clearly make it a tempting proposition for those within shipping that want to maximise space and capacity. Tom went on to provide other positives of the product: “We have a rigid outer tank with the micro glass/perlite insulation on its inside covered with a thin

metallic inner tank. When the inner tank is laying on a micro glass/perlite bed, it is very tolerant – for vibrations and other similar things, especially if there are bad roads or terrains. These often can lead to micro cracks in the standard LNG tank containers’ inner tanks, and these cracks mean you lose the vacuum and thereby the isolating capacity, which could be critical for a safe LNG transport. Whereas, with our tanks the micro glass/perlite bed is so tolerant and strong that it can handle these. This is why we call them the second generation tank containers - the whole thing is about making sure the LNG product is delivered safe and as cheaply as possible to the end user.” Then on top of this there is also the provision of tank tracking for companies, which is a useful tool that provides an overview of where all the tanks are and help arrange all the transport in advance. These present just some of the reasons why customers are so keen to invest in LNG tank containers.

The tanker company has already received paid requests for manufacturing

the containers, and the number within the orders range from 50s to 1000s, which demonstrates that LNGTainer has made a product that many within the industry wanted. Tom provided more details about the LNG tanker: “It is actually 15 per cent bigger volume than others in the market and we also get about 30 per cent less weight, which are both extremely good for the transport sector.

The LNGTainers can be fast loaded even with warm tanks. Because its inner tanks small mass need only minimum cooling and it will not heat up the LNG and evaporate it to gas, which is important.”

The company has a clear sense of environmental awareness, something which has always been of interest to Tom: “I thought it would be good to do something which might reduce the emissions and give us a slightly better future for our children. And for us it has always been about thinking how we can reduce the energy consumption.” That in essence is what the LNG tank container will do, it will pair profit with environmental awareness. Tom went into further detail about what the product will achieve: “This has been my goal the whole time, to do something

in order to reduce the CO2 emissions. I strongly believe that this is one of the best ways to get the fuel CO2 down, as well as many other emissions.”

The huge potential of the LNGTainer and the almost unlimited growth potential of the worldwide market makes the company one of the most interesting energy solution opportunities in the world. LNG has the possibility to be the energy source that could replace the heavy fuel oil, diesel oil and petrol, which is used by vessels and vehicles. The research and development achievements of LNGTainer clearly present a company that looks to the future – it thinks outside of the box to find solutions. Therefore, the very ambitious outlook LNGTainer has for the future is not to be scoffed at, it sees itself becoming the leading tank provider in the world - based on the quality of the product that seems realistic.

The final resounding statement for the future of LNGTainer will go to Tom: “We are sure we will become the biggest – because we have a light weight product that is 15 per cent bigger volume, which gives more than 15 per cent less OPEX per transported ton – for the same investment cost. That is why we will become the largest in the world.”

LNGTainer Ltd www.lngtainer.com • World’s biggest capacity in its class • Heavy reduction of weight • More environmentally friendly

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With ratings up to 4200 hp (3132 kW), Cummins QSK95 achieves power previously exclusive to medium-speed engines in a more compact installation.

Innovative design makes it possible to provide 95 liters in a 78-liter platform weighing 25 to 70% less than medium speed platforms with similar power.

Plus, we optimized transient response using a unique turbo arrangement and dry system to provide operators with advanced maneuverability. Combined, all of this makes the QSK95 the ideal solution for high-hour, hardworking vessels such as tugs, offshore support vessels, short sea cargo and coastal tankers.

Ready for more? Visit marine.cummins.com or see us at this year’s SMM in Hamburg, September 6-9, hall A4 stand no. 208.

Š2016 Cummins Inc., 4500 Leeds Ave., Suite 301, Charleston, SC 29405 U.S.A.

Shipping&Marine_QSK95_AdSMM_210x297.indd 1

31/05/2016 10:00

Profile: Cummins

Inc.

Platform for

growth S

ince its foundation in 1919, Cummins Inc. has become a global power leader in the design, manufacture, sale and service of diesel engines and related technologies to customers located in 190 countries and territories. Headquartered in Columbus, Indiana (the US), Cummins employs around 55,000 personnel worldwide and serves its clients through a network of approximately 600 company-owned and independent distributor locations as well as more than 7200 dealer locations. Having earned $1.4 billion profit in sales of $19.1 billion in 2015, Cummins anticipates further growth with the launch of its QSK95 into the marine industry.

As Cummins’ newest, largest and most powerful engine to date, the QSK95 boasts advanced features to make common service tasks more simple and to keep downtime to a minimum in target markets such as locomotive, power generation and, now, marine. Key to the groundbreaking

capabilities of the engine is its thorough design, which enables the engine to have easy access to traditionally challenging maintenance procedures as well as innovative improvements that significantly enhance reliability, as Richard Newman, Sales Director at Cummins Inc. comments: “One example of this is the externally-mounted, screw-type lube pump, which is very reliable and robust.

By mounting the pump externally, we avoid the need to drop the oil pan or lift the engine to change it, thus making it easier to service or replace.”

He continues: “When it comes to the oil pan itself, we developed a tool that makes it easy to lower and raise the pan with a couple of people in a safe manner that doesn’t involve lifting the entire engine; the tool is fully integrated into the product. Meanwhile, the cylinder head in the fuel pump can be easily lifted off the engine with a small, very compact crane that we designed and developed; this not only reduces service time, but also

www.shipping-and-marine.com - 35

Profile: Cummins

Inc.

improves the safety and service of the operation.”

The company has also extended oil change intervals on the engine, which is attributed to longer service life as well as reduced operating costs, and has a centrifugal lubrication filtration system that is known as an Eliminator. This is agency approved and allows for longer oil change cycles when customers are monitoring their lubrication qualities. “Ultimately, we have done a lot to ensure that the operating costs are minimised and that we give a lot of life to our products,” says Richard.

Alongside these coveted benefits, the QSK95 will increase the company’s marine power range by 50 per cent, making the engine an ideal solution for high-hour, hardworking vessels such as offshore support vessels, crewboats, passenger vessels, patrol vessels and superyachts.

With ratings from 2386 kW to 3132 kW, the QSK95 achieves a power output that was previously only possible from larger medium-speed marine engines; it also brings the advantages of a lower capital cost and a more compact installation. Furthermore, the engine provides 95 litres of displacement in a 78-litre package, while nested cylinders and a 60-degree V enables a short, narrow engine block that is relative to other engines of similar displacement. In addition, the QSK95 weighs in at just over 13,000 kg, which is between 25 per cent and 70 per cent less than medium speed platforms of a similar power output.

Aware that operators are seeking enhanced vessel maneuverability, the QSK95 also delivers faster transient response thanks to a unique turbo arrangement and dry system.

In fact, by using one turbo per four cylinders, the innovative engine is able to use a small turbo model. The dry turbo housings and dry exhaust manifold maximise the available energy to the turbos, which allows them to spool up quickly; this leads to a fast engine response.

Discussing the time and effort that went into creating a game-changing product, Richard highlights: “More than 3000 voices went into the design and development of the QSK95. Over the last six years, more than 200 engineers spent more than 750,000 design and analysis hours developing the engine, with an extra 80,000 hours spent testing the engine for various target markets. We spent this time, and approximately $1.4 billion dollars,

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As we progress into the marine industry, emissions will have an increasingly important role for the QSK95; this means variants of the engine will be released to meet more stringent emission regulations on not only making an innovative and durable product, but also on ensuring a product that is easy to service.”

Unveiled for the first time to the Asian maritime market at Asia Pacific Maritime, Cummins QSK95 generated a positive amount of booth traffic as people that designed, built, operated and maintained vessels stopped by to gain an understanding of the product’s benefits. “There is a long cycle between when customers begin evaluating engines of this size and when said product is actually installed in the vessel. We want to be ahead of that cycle by getting people excited and interested

in the benefits of the product so they start thinking about designing a boat around it,” says Andy Kelly, Communications Manager at Cummins Inc. “Asia Pacific Maritime was a great opportunity for us to show this engine to the Asia Pacific Region and get them to consider the engine for their upcoming projects over the next 12-24 months.”

Soon to be shown at SMM 2016 in September, Cummins’ QSK95 will be delivered to early adopter customers before it is delivered to other clients for a limited production in the final quarter of 2016.

Following this, Cummins will generate market awareness of the engine’s capabilities and help customers understand how to leverage the features and benefits of the product as it continues to develop and improve in line with market trends and demands. “As we progress into the marine industry, emissions will have an increasingly important role for the QSK95; this means variants of the engine will be released to meet more stringent emission regulations across the world over the next three to five years. This is a platform product, so Cummins fully intends to bring out other derivatives to fully support the marine industry as we move forward,” concludes Richard.

Cummins Inc. http://marine.cummins.com • Global power leader that serves customers in 190 countries and territories • Launched QSK95 engine for marine use at Asia Pacific Maritime • QSK95 is Cummins’ newest, largest and most powerful engine to date

Profile: frese

AS

Dynamic hydronic balancing

controls W

ith roots dating back as far 1944, Frese has more than seven decades of experience and specialist knowledge in developing innovative fluid control and component solutions for the HVAC, plumbing, marine and offshore market sectors.

Børge Frese founded the business when he acquired a modest foundry producing small-machined products in a basement in the Danish city of Slagelse. The company soon established a solid reputation across Denmark for the production of

metal products including aluminium pots and pans, doorknockers and bronze candlesticks. As Frese continued to expand Børge gradually extended the foundry and soon made room to accommodate the production of valves. This development allowed the business to expand rapidly and quickly establish itself as a leading specialist in the production of valves and associated components for clients operating within the commercial heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), shipping and offshore sectors.

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The oil and gas and marine industries each have stringent requirements such as special test qualifications and certification to obtain, which is where having different focus areas across the company allows us to provide each industry with best solution for the application

Throughout the 1960s Frese continued to invest heavily in advanced valve production machinery, which later enabled the company to develop and patent innovative new valve technologies. During the 1980s Frese finally introduced its renowned dynamic balancing valves and by 1989 had taken the milestone step of dividing the business into two separate companies, forming what would eventually grow into the Frese Group. Frese Metal - og Stålstøberi A/S operates as a high-tech foundry, while Frese A/S continues to develop and produce dynamic balancing valves. Today the Frese Group continues to operate two separate businesses that provide a solid group structure that incorporates the skills and collective knowledge base to develop and deliver the best fluid control and component solutions to its customers across the globe.

The continued success of the business has lead to the development of a global network of specialist distributors, sales offices, partners and subsidiaries. Frese is

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currently represented throughout the world with subsidiary offices within China, the UK, Germany and Turkey and sales offices in the Middle East, Australia and Europe.

Frese continues in the tradition of being a family-owned company that divides its focus across four key business areas, comprised of HVAC, foundry, marine and plumbing applications. To further emphasise the group’s competency across its four targeted market sectors as well as the common synergies throughout the business, the Frese Group unveiled a reinvigorated brand image and newly designed website during January 2016. The new brand image consists of a refreshed Frese logo that combines the traditional and recognisable Frese logo with the company’s corporate colours, which is today used across the Frese Group to create a common brand identity. In addition to the new logo, a new Frese Group website has been developed to deliver information about the Frese Group as well as providing a gateway to the individual business unit

Profile: Frese

websites. “These changes form part of our strategy that aims to present a stronger, united group image to all of our stakeholders,” comments Frese Group CEO, René Barington. “The new branding will help to create a consistent image for the Frese brand globally whilst helping to demonstrate our knowledge and expertise across the individual areas of our business.”

“The approach for Frese over the past couple of years has been to have a more dedicated industry focus. To do this we can take the same innovative valve technology and deploy it in various industry applications” adds Business Development Director, Morten Møller. “This means that we are able to adapt our valve technology to meet the environmental or other unique requirements of each market sector.

For example the oil and gas and marine industries each have stringent requirements such as special test qualifications and certification to obtain, which is where having different focus areas across the company

allows us to provide each industry with best solution for the application.”

Core to the success of the Frese Group is the company’s position as a global leader in manufacture of dynamic balancing valves for a range of markets including HVAC, marine and industrial. Dynamic balancing valves represent an innovative alternative to traditional hydronic balancing methods through the use of static balancing valves to provide a system with efficient and accurate flow limitation as well as differential pressure control. This means that intended flow conditions are achieved at all time, regardless of pressure fluctuations. “The general benefits of using dynamic valve technology are huge, as the basic principle of dynamic balancing is that it is possible to always control the flow through various systems at all times,” Morten explains.

“In typical marine and offshore heating and cooling applications for example, systems do not control themselves due to the constant changes in the system

AS

characteristic but dynamic balancing valves control the hydrostatic balance in the system at all times. This offers significant cost savings in terms of the amount of energy used, the increase in system performance and efficiency as well as in terms of the number of valves installed.

Dynamic balancing valves have three distinct functions, flow, pressure and temperature control, that can reduce the initial cost of investment in a new system by reducing the number of required valves.”

The Frese range of dynamic balancing valves include pressure independent control valves (PICV) and flow limiting valves in a range of materials that ensure that clients have control of their systems at all times.

Dynamic balancing valves offer a huge variety of additional benefits including energy savings, increased overall efficiency, low initial investment costs and reduced commissioning costs. Throughout the remainder of 2016 and beyond, Frese will seek to continue to highlight the benefits of dynamic balancing valve technology to offer clients an effective solution with both environmental and cost-saving implications.

“The offshore and oil and gas industries tend to have a very traditional and conservative approach towards changes in technology.

However this is not a new technology, as we have been providing dynamic balancing valves for over 25 years meaning that it is a proven solution with many domestic, marine and industrial installations,” Morten observes.

“With the on-going push for reduced energy consumption in environmental legislation throughout world, dynamic balancing valves offer greater environmental accountability and increased sustainability,” he concludes. “We are specialists in working with special alloys and we manufacture all of our products ourselves, which means that we can control the manufacturing process and the resulting quality of the valves. We intend to see Frese continue to be the leading supplier of dynamic valve technology and will continue to push the benefits of this system as a green and sustainable solution.”

Frese AS www.frese.eu • Rebranded in January 2016 • Innovative dynamic balancing valve technology • Seven decades of valve experience

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Fast

response S

ynonymous with quality, reliability and innovation in the marine industry, McMurdo Group has shaped the future of the sector for more than 150 combined years with commercial-grade GMDSS and leisure marine products and systems that keep those at sea safe. With a proven history behind it and a solid reputation as a company to trust, McMurdo has grown an enviable global customer base that includes BP, British Royal Navy, Maersk, RNLI and Shell.

“McMurdo Group’s extensive experience in the area of search and rescue was created by the combination of the Boatracks, McMurdo, Kannad and SARBE brands, and over those one and a half centuries McMurdo has revolutionised innovation and continues to drive improvements in two main areas of marine safety. The first of these is the development of products that save lives, starting from early 121.5 & 243 MHz based tracking beacons for the military after World War Two under the SARBE brand, to the first personal and compact personal 406 based location beacons and, most recently, the first jacket fitted, AIS-based man overboard recovery solution - the Smartfind S20,” begins Sean McCrystal, Marketing Manager of McMurdo Group.

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Profile: McMurdo

Group

“The second area is McMurdo’s unique contribution to the COSPAS SARSAT search and rescue ecosystem where we develop the beacons, infrastructure, satellite connectivity and rescue co-ordination software that has contributed to 43,000 lives being saved since 1981,” he adds. “Geographically we are global, and working with the infrastructure and satellite connectivity elements of the group has opened up new markets that require McMurdo’s unique skill sets in support, search and rescue. Within the marine industry all of the shipbuilding and energy sectors work with McMurdo and the workboat market has seen growth with our AIS (Automatic Identification System) technologies, particularly in America in support of their new AIS mandate requirements.”

At the heart of McMurdo is this everevolving product portfolio that provides resilient positioning, navigation and tracking services to customers requiring search and rescue and maritime domain awareness solutions. Complementing this diverse range of products is the company’s offering of the world’s first complete end-to-end readiness and response platform; a development that

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McMurdo’s development of the MEOSAR ground-based MEOLUTS and our leading position on developing new MEOSAR products under the European-funded HELIOS project means we will be at the forefront of this technological revolution and I can see more lives will be saved

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stems from the consolidation of the proven brands mentioned previously - Boatracs, Kannad, McMurdo, SARBE and TechoSciences, Inc. “We supply the world’s first start to finish search and rescue ecosystem – from distress beacons to satellite connectivity to mission control and rescue co-ordination centre systems and eventually to rescue operations,” confirms Sean. “Our solutions have been at the core of the COSPASSARSAT satellite-based search and rescue system, which co-ordinates global land, sea and air rescues via the 406MHz frequency, since its inception in 1982. McMurdo’s unique contribution is the development and support of all aspects of the ecosystem as well as our work with the international bodies that define standards within the network.

Through our shared knowledge of the ground infrastructure, satellite connectivity and 406MHz beacon solutions, we can help create a ‘gold standard’ in our equipment to maximise the effectiveness throughout interoperability, innovation and support.

Regardless of what 406MHz beacon you deploy, your rescue will be supported by some aspect of the McMurdo ecosystem.”

In more detail, the search and rescue ecosystem starts with a beacon distress signal being sent from the aircraft, marine vessel or individual before beacon

positioning/location data is relayed by satellite communications to satellite ground stations or Local User Terminals (LUTs). From here the LUT computes the location of the aircraft, vessel or individual and sends alerts to the appropriate Mission Control Centres (MCCs), which then collects, stores and sorts the data receieved from LUTs and other MCCs before distributing alerts to associated Rescue Co-ordination Centres (RCCs); the RCC then notifies and co-ordinates emergency response/rescue teams.

Having recently upgraded the COSPASSARSAT satellite system, McMurdo announced the first life saved using the Medium-altitude Earth Orbit Search and Rescue system (MEOSAR), an advanced next-generation satellite-based technology that is revolutionising search and rescue (SAR), in July 2016. The person saved was Don Stevens, a 53-year-old teacher from Wellington, New Zealand, who fell more than 90 feet while hiking and activated his McMurdo FastFind 220 personal locator beacon (PLB); the distress signal was then relayed by the MEOSAR satellite system to the Rescue Co-Ordination Centre New Zealand in a mere four minutes – 50 minutes sooner than the existing system picked up the same distress signal.

Proud of the immense capabilities of the

Profile: McMurdo

upgraded system, Sean highlights: “Our unique contribution to the development and support of the COSPAS SARSAT search and rescue infrastructure means I see huge opportunities ahead for McMurdo. The future of search and rescue is moving to the next generation in terms of speed and accuracy in the next three or four years with the introduction of MEOSAR to the COSPAS SARSAT ecosystem. McMurdo’s development of the MEOSAR ground-based MEOLUTS and our leading position on developing new MEOSAR products under the European-funded HELIOS project means we will be at the forefront of this technological revolution and I can see more lives will be saved.”

Alongside this game-changing innovative development on the revolutionary new SAR network, the company has also been busy with the launch of the McMurdo SmartFind R8F. Launched at Seawork 2016 in Southampton, the UK, on Survitec’s stand, the radio was developed in response to a number of measures set out by the International Maritime Organization’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) to improve fire safety at sea. Improvements include the mandatory provision of specific types of handheld two-way radios for firefighting operations: SOLAS Chapter II-2, which means ships must carry firefighting radios that are explosion-proof or intrinsically safe.

Offering all the features that are needed in a radio by an emergency team, the new rugged McMurdo SmartFind R8F has enhanced grip and large tactile buttons for fast and easy operation. Moreover, it has a powerful in-built loudspeaker and Ultra High Frequency (UHF) for optimised indoor use.

“With all McMurdo Products our aim is to improve safety and save lives and the SmartFind R8F specifically supports the extreme requirements of ship firefighting

Group

crews. As ships get bigger and the danger and cost of uncontrolled fire in an enclosed environment increase, the new SOLAS mandate rightfully supports the equipment requirements for these teams, which ensures ease of use, improves communication and puts team safety at the heart of regulation,” says Sean.

With major product launches at the forefront of 2016 for McMurdo, the company is certain to continue its trend for growth, as land-based customers increasingly adopt 406MHz technologies for distress awareness and demand remains strong for the company’s AIS electronics and Man Overboard (MOB) devices in the workboat market. “McMurdo is leading many existing new developments in search and rescue technology in the coming years and we would ask people that when they think of the safety of their marine crews, they always look for the ‘M’,” concludes Sean.

McMurdo Group www.mcmurdogroup.com • Global leader in emergency readiness and response • Offer the world’s only complete end-to-end emergency readiness and response platform • Recently launched the innovative SmartFind R8F radio

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Profiles There are thousands of ships sailing the oceans today, transporting every kind of cargo.

The global fleet is manned by over a million seafarers of virtually every nationality and the companies involved in this sector are among the most technologically sophisticated of any in the world.

The prominent and successful companies that are highlighted in the next pages of Shipping & Marine provide real world examples of how state-of-the-art technology, best practices and modern innovations are put into practice in the maritime sector.

Griffon Hoverwork Jo Tankers Luka Koper/Port of Koper Hepworth Port of Constantza Gibraltar Port Authority PD Ports Anytec SureWind Marine Ltd.

Profile: Griffon

Hoverwork

12000TD Solent Flyer

Perfecting its YASA installed

G

craft

riffon Hoverwork’s history of working in the hovercraft industry extends back over four decades. The craft are all designed in-house referencing their history and including the original British Hovercraft Corporation knowledgebase. The development of Griffon Hoverwork under the ownership of Bland Group has allowed investment in lean manufacturing techniques, product development and after-sales service.

Its market extends to 41 countries with over 180 craft brought into service. Griffon has achieved global leadership of the design and manufacture of hovercraft and has therefore now evolved its mission to include a drive to re-use the technology it has developed to provide customers with products and services that will enhance the sustainability of both air cushion and conventional marine vessels.

Working with customers informed Griffon Hoverwork that improved efficiency was pivotal in the development of new passenger carrying and logistic designs. Its newest design, the 12000TD is a groundbreaking new model that combines experience and new technology from Griffon Hoverwork; bringing together a variety of improvements. The first stage of the design was to work with its sister company, Hovertravel, to analyse passenger throughput demand and to improve the passenger experience. The result is a new model of hovercraft that is optimised for the Hovertravel route between Southsea and Ryde, Isle of Wight.

Griffon Hoverwork’s managing director Adrian Went gives some more details about this new launch. It is the first high speed craft code passenger vessel (hovercraft or conventional) to be designed, built and used

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Bow Thruster on the 12000TD

Olsen Actuation

Today’s most technically advanced hovercraft, the Griffon 12000TD, is benefiting from innovative technology supplied by Olsen Actuation.

Olsen Actuation has developed a fully electric rudder system that reduces the installation weight by almost 500 kg compared to similar hydraulic solutions. It also provides the pilot with invaluable real-time functional information and diagnostics, complemented by comprehensive data logging.

The Griffon 12000TD rudder system features high-reliability Exlar stainless-steel GSX40 roller screw linear actuators with servo drive control systems and advanced motion software to optimise rudder control. Olsen Actuation also supplied the boarding ramps, clamshell hatch actuators (with manual override feature); thrust prop pitch control and marine rated power and signal cables.

Other pioneering fully electric marine solutions developed and installed by Olsen include a nine-axis ROV Moonpool door and locking pin control system plus Exlar actuators for Subsea 7 Kestrel, ATEX fire door control for the Indian Navy and a new range of submarine-rated subsea linear actuators.

Tap into Olsen Actuation’s extensive marine experience - bring the company your application challenges and it will deliver world-class solutions!

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in the UK for over a decade: “The 12000TD hovercraft, which will be put in to service between Southsea and the Isle of Wight, is a completely new design, breaking with our tradition of extending what came before. It took years of experience of having worked in the hovercraft market to accomplish this vessel. For one, we did analysis to gauge the passenger numbers so that it could be optimised to meet their needs, and we combined this with a design for significantly improved fuel and crew efficiency.”

The 12000TD also features new technology that Griffon has pioneered. Mixed aerodynamic flow fans are used to minimise power taken from thrust for lift and compact permanent magnet generators, motors and an in-house developed power electronics control system is used for the bow thrusters.

Development of the latter was a result of work on a new small hovercraft using diesel electric drive, the 995ED, where the electric solution allowed distribution of machinery around the centre of gravity to obviate the need for ballast. It also features a lightweight bonded aluminum structure as an alternative to a welded structure, improving strength, weight, fabrication time and dimensional tolerance. The electric drive system has been re-configured and is being successfully marketed as a hybrid or electric drive system for conventional vessels in the range 60 to 300kW. This system can provide a very economic and flexible in-harbour low speed drive and hotel power solutions with or without battery storage. It can be fitted to a standalone small diesel engine or fitted as an ancillary drive from

Profile: Griffon

Hoverwork

12000TD Solent Flyer

the main engine, as well as to hybrid-ready gearboxes. Fuel and maintenance savings are significant as well as the installation’s green credentials. These remarkable achievements are a testament to the company’s investment in technology and demonstrate how it is leading the way in this industry.

It is clear that there is a focus by Griffon on providing the best product for what a client needs, as well as ensuring cost effective and efficient craft, which is compliant with Flag and International (high speed craft) regulations, something that predecessor craft have not been able to achieve. Adrian notes: “The 12000TD is entirely compliant with all of the

995ED Power module

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Profile: Griffon

Hoverwork

latest requirements for passenger disabled access, something that fewer passenger vehicles than you might expect actually meet, as many came in before the new standard was set. The deep windows maximise visibility to improve the passenger experience, as well as providing an ergonomically designed cabin for the captain – these were priorities for this vessel.

“A better view during the crossing has enhanced the appeal of the service for tourists who make up a large proportion

of the passenger activity. The noise signature of the craft has also received attention, we have managed a decrease of 12 decibels, a significant drop. This was achieved by increasing the radius of the propellers.

Increasing blade chord in order to reduce tip speed – the source of much of the signature.”

The achievements made by Griffon with the new craft 12000TD have been a useful way of raising the company’s standing and reputation in the market, as Adrian explains: “We see Hovertravel as being the shop window for our services in the passenger market and to show what we can do.”

Though this newest craft is for the passenger market there are a variety of other applications for hovercrafts that extend across multiple sectors. Griffon’s products are used for survey work, civil engineering support, mobile medical clinics, search and rescue, and logistics, with a major part of sales being for international security requirements. The main benefits of a hovercraft from Griffon is it has the ability to travel at high speed over a wide variety of surfaces, with the high reliability and low maintenance running costs of modern diesel engines. The hovercraft has a simple and robust construction with a high degree of maneuverability, and its designs allow for a wide variety of fit out configurations. Whether it be military, paramilitary, industrial, commercial, or for transport and commuting purposes, the hovercraft offers versatility and reliability for a wide range of environments than other vehicles cannot access including marshland, tidal areas, shallow water, ice and riverine rapids.

Griffon has made developments that will have a wide reaching impact across the industry and the many sectors it provides for.

It has proven once again to have a talented research and development team in the business, which has paid dividends with the improvements made in bonded structures and the light-weight electric drive system, with both likely to underpin all future designs.

Furthermore, with growing opportunities that span sectors ranging from military to tourism, and with interest from markets across the globe increasing, it is a business that looks in a great position to take advantage of all the opportunities that present themselves going forward.

Griffon Hoverwork www.griffonhoverwork.com • New hovercraft models • New technology • New international opportunities

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Profile: jo

tankers

A new

horizon W

ith four generations of shipping and three generations of chemical tankers, Jo Tankers is a company with a proud history, dedicated employees and high performance.

Throughout its past it has offered high quality transportation, and been able to meet the stringent customer requirements.

Despite its size, it has been able to be in the forefront delivering results.

But the future always brings challenges, and sometimes that requires a new direction as Nils-Petter Sivertsen, CEO, explained: “The business environment requires economy of scale, global capacities and increased service flexibility. In each of these areas Jo Tankers has reached the limit of our capabilities. The move from regional partner to global player would require a partner who shared our values and long term thinking.”

In a transaction announced as recently as July 18th (and still subject to competition authority approval, with a decision expected before the end of September 2016) an agreement has been signed with Stolt Nielsen to purchase Jo Tankers AS. “We are proud that a quality company like Stolt wanted to purchase our business,” added Nils-Petter. Stolt emerged as the best buyer after an open international process, and will

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Scanjet

Scanjet focuses on packages for Intelligent Tank Management (ITAMA) has lately been well received among the chemical tanker operators where Scanjet’s equipment is integrated into one system covering: • Level Gauging in cargo and ballast tanks as well as draft • Pressure measurement in tanks and lines • Temperature measurement in HFO tanks and cargo tanks • High Level Overfill alarms (HLOA) for cargo tanks • Tank Cleaning solution enabling quick turn around when changing cargoes • P/V Valves that safeguard the tanks against over & under pressure as well as passage of flames in case of fire onboard JO Tankers has chosen Scanjet as the suppler for the above NB to its ongoing new buildings at NTS in China.

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acquire the Jo Tankers organisation as well as the chemical tanker ships.

As reported on the Stolt-Nielsen website, the transaction comprises 13 chemical tankers and a 50 per cent share in a joint venture with eight chemical tanker newbuildings.

The total purchase price is approximately $575 million, including the proportional share of the newbuildings in the joint venture. Funding for the transaction has

been secured through some of Stolt-Nielsen Limited’s main banks with a combination of bridge financing, secured term loans and available corporate funds.

Commenting on the transaction, Mr. Niels G. Stolt-Nielsen, Chief Executive Officer of Stolt-Nielsen Limited, said: “The transaction covers the tonnage replacement needs of our current chemical tanker fleet for the next several years. While giving us some operational savings, it adds new trade routes

Profile: jo

to our service offering, thus expanding our presence on key trade lanes and enabling us to better serve the needs of our global customer base. With the expanded fleet we will be better positioned to serve our customers with the quality, reliability and flexibility they require from their logistical provider. Because Stolt Tankers and Jo Tankers share similar approaches to ship management and trading, we will be able to quickly, cost effectively and synergistically

integrate these ships into our worldwide operations.�

The 13 chemical tankers consist of eight all stainless steel ships, ranging from 19,000 dwt to 38,000 dwt, and five ships with a combination of stainless steel and coated tanks, all of approximately 37,000 dwt. Six of the 13 ships have been on time charter to Stolt Tankers for the last five years. The newbuildings included in the transaction consist of eight all stainless steel eco-

tankers

Garrets

Garrets provide a better standard of living at sea. Being the leading provision and stores management partner, we serve more than 1600 vessels around the world with high focus on quality based on an agreed daily rate. We guide each vessel via healthy menu planning, offer cookbooks for every crew nationality, perform on-board galley audits and provide training programs for chefs.

With our global purchasing power, we support substantial logistic cost savings for our customers handling their spare parts in co-operation with our global logistics partners.

Garrets - your partner at sea.

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Profile: JO

TANKERS

friendly ships of 33,000 dwt on order from New Times Shipbuilding in China, the first of which was delivered in early July 2016.

The seven remaining newbuildings are to be delivered in the second half of 2016 and in 2017.

It is no surprise that a company such as

Jo Tankers would make an appealing partner, as its rich heritage in shipping and its reputation for the safe transport of high value chemicals and liquids set it apart from the competition. Historically the organisation prided itself on a clear set of values, cleverly using the acronym S.H.I.P in order to make them memorable. They stood for: Safety and Environmental Care. These were top priorities, and could not be compromised on. Jo Tankers remained firmly committed to achieving ‘zero incidents and zero spills’ in its operations through use of risk analysis procedures and continuous improvement processes.

Human Resources: People were considered its most important assets. As stated on the website: ‘We value our colleagues and we believe they are the best in the business.

We are committed to recruiting and training the highest quality personnel, because we believe that only the best people can deliver the best result.’

Integrity – this is required and demanded in all business dealings, with the aim to conduct all negotiations and operations with honesty and professionalism. All Jo Tankers employees were expected to follow a published Code of Conduct, and to act within the law at all times.

Profitability – this is always important and Jo Tankers strived to work cost effectively, and to deliver long term value to stakeholders and customers.

These are business values that can be appreciated in almost any industry, and must have contributed to making Jo Tankers an attractive proposition to Stolt-Nielsen.

As the company now evolves into a new chapter of its life, its management and staff can always be proud of its achievements.

These included some pioneering innovations such as the introduction of the first tanker with stainless cargo tanks back in 1960 and by introducing the first large double hull chemical parcel tanker in 1993. Jo Tankers always worked towards creating better and more advanced ships and systems for further improvements in quality, safety and efficiency of its operations, and that solid foundation can only benefit its new owners in the future.

Jo Tankers www.jotankers.com

• Organisation and chemical tankers business recently acquired by Stolt-Nielsen • Established a reputation for innovation and excellence • Transaction brings multiple benefits to Stolt-Nielsen

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Profile: Luka

Koper/Port of Koper

Positive

pulse

A

relatively young port that was established in 1957, Port of Koper lies on 280 hectares of land and utilises 12 specialised terminals in the Obalno-Kraska (CoastalKarst) region; though small in size, this area of Slovenia is among the most developed in terms of economic conditions. Leaving an impact on the development of the ObalnoKraska region is Luka Koper, a public limited company that operates as the operator/ authority of the port and thus provides the region with a positive and dynamic economic pulse. “Luka Koper, port and logistic system, d.d., is a public limited company that develops and manages the Port of Koper, the only Slovenian seaport of high strategic interest. We operate all 12 specialised terminals in the port and handle all types

of cargo, such as containers, cars and Ro-Ro, various general cargo products, dry bulk, liquid bulk and passengers. Our main advantage is our organisation; Luka Koper is acting both as a terminal operator and as port authority and because we are managing operations on all 12 terminals in the port area, this brings us many synergic effects. The result of this is a higher level of flexibility and reliability when it comes to port services,� begins Mr Dragomir Matic, President of Luka Koper.

Because it is multi-purpose, Port of Koper offers services to a broad spectrum of cargo groups, however, its core business comes from handling, storage and offering of complete logistics and transport services, either directly or through its partners.

Recognised as the largest container port in the North Adriatic, the port handles an

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Our vision is clear, we would like to become a leading port operator and global logistics solutions provider for the countries of central and Eastern Europe annual cargo of 20 million tonnes.

Not only benefiting from the diversity of its operations, Port of Koper is also the Northern most Adriatic port, which provides the shortest and cheapest inland transport route between Koper and all of the key central and Eastern European markets. “The Port of Koper has a strategic geographic position in the North Adriatic region and therefore important opportunities for servicing its central European markets,” explains Dragomir. “It represents the shortest link from the Far East via Suez to Europe, with a distance that is approximately 2000 nautical miles shorter when compared to other North European ports; this consequently enables a shorter transit time of around five days. The advantage of this is the optimisation of the whole supply chain, making it more efficient and lean, with substantial cost and time savings for the customer.”

Previously featured in Shipping & Marine magazine in October 2011, the Port of Koper has undergone a series of investments over the last five years; this includes completing the dredging of the port basin along the container terminal quayside, which now reaches a sea depth of 15 metres. “This investment means we are now able to berth larger and fully loaded vessels,” says Dragomir.

“Additionally, we have increased the container terminal stacking areas for both full and empty containers and added five new terminal railway sidings, each of which is 750 metres in length.

Furthermore, new handling equipment has been ordered or already purchased and, in the last few months, we have increased our finished vehicles storage capacity and improved our conventional cargo handling facilities. By the final quarter of 2016, we shall also complete the construction of three new tanks for jet fuel storage.”

No stranger to investment, Luka Koper began an important investment cycle worth 300 million euros in 2015, which is due for completion by 2020.

“We are aware of the market potential of

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Profile: Luka

the port and must adapt to our customers increasingly demanding requirements.

Around 235 million euros will be allocated into the container terminal alone; we have also ordered new super post panamax shore-to-ship gantry cranes, which will be able to handle containers on vessels of up to 20,000 TEUs capacity; the expected delivery of these cranes is the final quarter of 2017,” says Dragomir.

On top of this, Luka Koper aims to invest in finished vehicle handling facilities, new parking areas and additional railway tracks on the car terminals and a new dedicated berth for car-carriers. “In the next two years, we also plan to construct a multi-purpose warehouse on Pier II, which will be used for storing general cargoes and dry bulk cargoes. A new entrance to the port should also be constructed to alleviate the traffic at the existing gates,” adds Dragomir.

By continuously investing in port infrastructure and equipment the company has been able to increase the overall capacities of the port year-on-year; a trend it hopes to continue in the future, as Dragomir comments: “The total throughput of the port

Koper/Port of Koper

in 2015 was 20.7 million tonnes, including 790,000 TEU and 607,000 car units; these numbers make the Port of Koper the largest container terminal in the Adriatic and one of the largest car terminals in the Mediterranean. For containers, we plan to increase the current annual capacity of 950,00 TEU to 1.3 million TEU by 2020.”

With a busy period of investment ahead, the Port of Koper is certain to go from strength to strength over the coming years as it continues to listen to and respond to the evolving demands of its diverse

customer base. “Our vision is clear, we would like to become a leading port operator and global logistics solutions provider for the countries of central and Eastern Europe,” concludes Dragomir.

Luka Koper/Port of Koper www.luka-kp.si

• Slovenia’s only multi-purpose sea port • Luka Koper works as operator/port authority • Due to begin significant expansion and investment programme

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Profile: hEPWORTH

A clear

vision D

Multi purpose plugins

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ating as far back as the 19th century Hepworth International has a rich history, and has been under the management of the Eddy family since the early 20th century, therefore longevity is something that the company does not lack. It has a record of diversification, having started out as a manufacturer for carpet chemicals, and then progressing to be the global leader in the design and production of windscreen wiping systems. It has gone on to offer these services to both the marine and rail industries, which is something it continues to this day, and has gone on to expand the business into new markets.

In June 2015, Hepworth announced the acquisition of Monitor Marine International, a privately owned company established 30 years ago to develop and manufacture a wide range of high quality, precision-engineered stainless steel marine deckware and interior fittings for super yacht and quality volume boat builders. This acquisition is a sign of the direction and ambition of the company, and demonstrates how the business is continuing its historic tradition of looking to the future and investing in it. CEO Jonathan Eddy went into

greater detail about this: “We have moved production from Monitor Marine’s side and brought it to our factories, which has meant most of the actual manufacturing is in-house.

Something else we have done with this new part of the business is extend the range quite significantly, with additional items, to make it more attractive to our customers across the world.” Jonathan also explained what had motivated the purchase: “I could see over a number of years that Monitor Marine wasn’t really expanding, and I thought we could add a significant amount to it, through the company’s manufacturing, and world wide sales distribution – we export 80 per cent of what we make around the globe, from China, America, Singapore, South America, and many more.”

The purchase of Monitor Marine is not the only investment Hepworth has made to secure a increasingly profitable future, there have also been large investments in a new factory that will be added to the existing one, and an expansion of the fabrication division, as well as increasing the sales team. Jonathan built on this: “We are doing a lot of fabrication work now for the marine industry. From basic parts molded into the hulls, to all the polished

Spaceframe deckhousing

stainless steel, and the glossy dips you see on the outside. We have been expanding this side of the business quite a lot over the last couple of years, and we will continue to do so.” The improvements achieved with the new factory is something else Jonathan highlighted: “We invested three quarters of a million on a new much larger high speed plant, which will not replace the previous one but instead be in addition. It will provide greater output and value – it increases the size of material we can cut for our main industry, such as stainless steel and aluminum, and this was on top of the three new CNC machines we bought.”

This impressive amount of reinvestment in improving what the business can offer is no doubt a sign that Hepworth has built on the success of the last 150 years.

There are many notable contracts that Hepworth has worked on, in a wide variety of markets - the company provides for Navies, super yachts, cruise ships, and many other vessels. One example is in April 2016, of the HSSV for the Oman Royal Navy, which Hepworth fitted with a wiper system. Another is in May 2016, the company provided the world’s largest cruise ship, Harmony of the Sea, with wynn straight-line wipers. There

are countless illustrations of what Hepworth can do, but Jonathan singled out one recent accomplishment: “There had been one big issue, heavy ships windows have been getting bigger and bigger, and windscreen wipers had not been able to meet that. So we have developed, tested, and now put into production a wiper system that can go up to two metres in length, and made sure that it

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Profile: hEPWORTH

Pull-up cleats

Articulated awning

has the same reliability that all our products have.” The dependability of Hepworth products is crucial to the cost effectiveness of shipping, as windscreen wipers is a safety related item, and this was something Jonathan did outline: “There have been quite a few occasions where ships have come into a port, and the authorities have said until you get your windscreen wipers working we aren’t going to let you back out, and that is expensive, which is why we place such importance on our products consistency.”

Having had a year that saw Hepworth experience over five per cent growth, and around one and a half million pounds invested in plant equipment, as well as expansion of the sales office, the plan for the company in the next few years is right to be ambitious. This is something that Jonathan did sketch out: “Currently we have a turn over of £15 million, and are hoping to get £24 million next year, and then to £30 million the year after that. In order to achieve this we have invested in people, methods, and being able to get the quote and product to the customer as quickly as possible.” The improvements to production and delivery time was something Jonathan expanded on: “The turnaround time used to be between 10 to 12 weeks, but we have now got it down to a matter of days. We can take an order on the Monday, ship it out by the Wednesday, and have it arrive in China by the Friday – we do not turn down a delivery challenge unless it really is impossible.”

Hepworth is a name that has lasted for well over a century, and it shows no signs of dwindling in another century. In fact, it is quite the opposite, under the current leadership the company has backed a policy of innovation and expansion. It has a growing list of accomplishments such as the new larger windscreen wipers, and a market dominance that is only on the increase, Hepworth appears to be one company that won’t be wiped away.

Hepworth www.b-hepworth.com • Bigger design for bigger ships • Expanding the company • Improving the speed of the service

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Profile: Port

of Constantza

Constant

success C

onstantza has a rich history that can be traced back to the 6th century BC, and it has often been at the centre of a changing European environment due to its position that provides access into the Black Sea and to the Mediterranean. However, now it is time for the port, for Romania, and for the whole of Europe, to fully realise what this harbour can become. Its position is ideal for offering access to either sea it is located near, facilitating trade, and welcoming tourists to Romania and the rest of the region.

Constantza has already displayed over its history as being important, as a port does not remain in place after many millenniums without being very significant.

The port of Constantza has undergone a large amount of development in the past few years, which have aimed to utilise the advantageous geographical position

to solidify the port as one of the greatest hubs in Europe. The impressive amount of investment that has gone into the port from the EU and the Romanian State demonstrates how crucial Constantza is to the continent.

The improvements have taken the form of many projects; these have ranged from infrastructure improvements to developments made to the port itself. CEO Valeriu Ionescu gave an overview of some of these: “A road bridge has been built across the DanubeBlack Sea canal, which links the north and south ports of Constantza together, and it is the biggest structure of this type in Romania.

Another example is the development of the rail capacity in the area, which provides the optimum and unitary service for the present and future port operations. A third investment is Constantza’s north breakwater extension, this has increased

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Valeriu Ionescu

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ships’ safety through protecting fairways of the ships and reducing the destructive effects of waves over port precincts works.

Lastly, there has been the master plan of the port, it represents a strategic planning for the medium- and long-term until 2040 ensuring the continuous port development with efficient use and operation, orientated

towards the real requirements of the market, and within the context of competition with other ports.� There are further plans to embark on dredging projects and continued modernisation developments, these will ensure the port can meet the requirements of larger ships and maintain a safe harbour for all.

Profile: Port

The port facilitates the traffic of significant amounts of goods in the region, and during 2015 it registered over 56 million tonnes which was an increase on the previous year.

The prominence of Constantza in this market was something Valeriu explained: “The port has gained the hub position for grains in the Black sea basin - the spectacular evolution in this field is owed to the investment in new storage capacities. Thus within the total traffic of 2015, agribulk represented 34.8 per cent, crude oil 11.7 per cent, various commodities 12.2 per cent, oil products 9.2 per cent, and solid mineral fuels 5.7 per cent. During the first six months of 2016, an increase of nine per cent in the quantity of containerised cargo traffic, respectively eight per cent increase of the number of TEUs as compared with the same period of time in 2015.” While becoming the hub for the Black Sea might be rightfully significant, the Port is not stopping there, and has plans to become the main transit hub of Central and Eastern Europe for Central Asia.

The port has demonstrated its ability to entice ships, and puts on quite a show for those that visit, which Valeriu built upon: “Romanian and foreign tourists will be able to fully enjoy exceptional events, such as the 2016 Black Sea tall ship regatta that spans across September and October, it is an exciting and unique opportunity for people to come admire and visit the beautiful sail ships.” The port has entrenched its place as the number one destination of the Black Sea for large cruise ships, and Valeriu gave some examples of those that the port has interested: “The Royal Clipper, a luxurious sail ship has called at Constantza twice this year, and the port has received her like a star of the seas with brass band music and an attractive programme for the tourists aboard.

There is also the Silver Whisper cruise ship which has made two calls at the port, and

has confirmed for the 2018 cruise season.”

The prominence of Constantza in the industry is underlined by its representation at the 48th general assembly of the Medcruise association.

The port has an ideal location, perfect to attract both tourists and commercial traffic, and with such ambitious investment already happening and more planned, there is little more that could be done to improve the future prospects for Constantza. It seems to be solidifying its position as a hub for goods, and an ideal location for tourists to visit,

of Constantza

which is an impressive combination to achieve. The port has come a long way from the one the Greeks or Romans knew, or even the port it was at the turn of the 21st century, everything suggests that it will continue to evolve into an even more impressive maritime hub.

Port of Constantzawww.jotankwww.portofconstantza.com • Massive investments • Improved infrastructure • Attracting new cruise ships

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Profile: Gibraltar

Port Authority

A position of

strength T

he Gibraltar Port Authority was established in 2005. Its strategy is to build on Gibraltar’s unique geographical position, and provide a vital link between all shipping stakeholders in order to deliver the best possible service to visiting ships, in a safe and efficient operating environment. As part of delivering this core function, it manages safety of navigation, as well as regulating the various activities that are carried out in its waters. Notable among these is the regulation of the bunkering industry, for which the Port attracts international recognition for best practice. The vision for

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the future builds on this success, and extends this level of partnership and transparency to all sectors of the industry at the port.

The Port has managed to develop a strong position after what proved to be a positive 2015. The Gibraltar Port Authority (GPA) has seen increases across the board, which is something that Commodore Bob Sanguinetti outlined: “In the year 2015 we have seen growth in almost all sectors of port activity.

This comes against the backdrop of increased regional competition, and in the wake of a number of years that have seen a slight reduction in activity following the economic

crisis of the last decade. We have seen great activity ranging from the total tonnage that has come into Gibraltar, and the number of vessels that have used the port, both for bunkers and in general.” Continuing on from this Bob gave further details about some of the increases that have been seen: “The number of cruise ships is up by 13 per cent and the number of super yachts is up by over 50 per cent on the previous year - the growth across most sectors has been really pleasing.”

The GPA has managed to achieve this growth by taking a multifaceted approach, and Bob shed some light on the kind of avenues

that have been explored: “We introduced a reinvigorated marketing campaign which focused on one-to-one engagement with ship owners and operators. We have also increased our attendance at conferences and exhibitions. Operationally, by working closely with the shipping agents, bunker suppliers and other port operators, we have become more efficient in the busy bay, improving turnaround times, and reducing ship-waiting times to a minimum. More widely, we are also considering plans to further increase land based storage of marine fuels, which would increase our capacity and our resilience.”

In June 2016, at an exhibition in Greece the Gibraltar Port Authority co-hosted a stand with bunker suppliers and other port operators.

This style of marketing is something it has pursued with great success, highlighting the extremely close working relationships across the Gibraltar port community. The GPA is also delighted to be hosting this year’s annual IBIA (International Bunker Industry Association) convention in Gibraltar in November 2016 - a clear indication of the port’s reputation and standing on the global stage. The convention will be an opportunity to engage with global shipping partners, which will help ensure that the port further grows its popularity and reputation, particularly as the premier bunker port in the Mediterranean and as a maritime centre of excellence. The importance of building these personal and professional connections is something Bob

We have seen great activity ranging from the total tonnage that has come into Gibraltar, and the number of vessels that have used the port, both for bunkers and in general

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Profile: Gibraltar

values extremely highly: “We value personal relationships, those that want to use Gibraltar can put a name to a face rather than just a business card. They can communicate with us directly or indirectly, but either way it better allows us to understand their needs and to then tailor our services for them. We want to work closely with the local port community and international shipping community to provide the best possible service.”

Continuing on from a very strong year, the GPA has many more plans, which include further expansion for on-land facilities that will increase storage capacity. The improvements to the port are something Bob highlighted: “We have improved the vessel management system, which has helped provide a more efficient working environment without having to compromise on safety of navigation which is and will always be a fundamental objective.

We are also relocating the port office to provide it with a great vantage point over the Strait of Gibraltar and the bay, to help oversee the busiest areas.” There is also a continued commitment to expanding the premium bunkering service provided at this port, which Bob gave an example of: “We are currently improving the infrastructure for bunkering alongside existing jetties for smaller vessels, cruise ships, and super yachts. We have also increased the occupancy of the eastern anchorage, by introducing a cheaper tariff to encourage vessels to stay for longer periods and carry out crew changes, light maintenance, surveys and provisioning. This has led to a pleasing increase in the number of ships taking advantage of this great facility.”

Gibraltar for centuries has been one of the most fought over places in Europe, due to

its strategic location at the entrance of the Mediterranean. The Gibraltar Port Authority has been able to use this lucrative position for economic purposes, appealing to private yacht owners, as well as to large shipping companies. The port knows its strengths and has made clear efforts to accentuate them, along with the provision of a variety of services to all types of vessel. Gibraltar Port Authority is carving out a well-respected position in what is a competitive industry. With all the improvements, and increase in popularity, combined with its advantageous geographical location, it seems perfectly positioned for further growth and success.

Gibraltar Port Authority www.gibraltarport.com

Port Authority

We are currently improving the infrastructure for bunkering alongside existing jetties for smaller vessels, cruise ships, and super yachts. We have also increased the occupancy of the eastern anchorage, by introducing a cheaper tariff to encourage vessels to stay for longer periods and carry out crew changes, light maintenance, surveys and provisioningal

• Increase in business • Improvements to the port • Involvement in international conferences

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Profile: pd

ports

Freight

expectations P

D Ports is an award-winning ports and logistics business based in northeast England with locations throughout the UK. Employing around 1250 members of staff, the organisation owns and operates the ports of Teesport and Hartlepool as well as the short sea ports of Howden, Keadby and Medina Wharf on the Isle of Wight; it is also the largest stevedoring and warehousing company within the port of Immingham (Humber Estuary) and offers customer solutions at a number of other key locations such as Felixstowe, Scunthorpe, Billingham and the Thames.

Acquired in July 2015 to expand its Humber presence, Groveport, a privately owned inland port complex on the River Trent, is the most recent addition to PD Ports’ portfolio. Due to its handling of a mix of bulk cargoes throughout its 190 acre freehold site, Groveport has a dominant position in the UK’s market for imported steel long products.

With a long-established market position

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in key sectors and highly competent and experienced team of employees, Groveport was an excellent strategic addition to PD Port’s existing business portfolio and is certain to be a major asset for strengthening PD Ports’ Humber activities over the next few years. Today the Immingham terminal facility handles steels and associated products, forestry products, minerals, wind energy components and biomass; it also provides clients with the following services: bulk cargo, containers, warehousing, shipping and inspection services, chartering, jetty management, ships agency and freight forwarding. The terminal handles in excess of one million tonnes of cargo per annum and has project cargo and heavy lift specialists available.

With 40 million consumers located within a four hour drive of its location, Immingham terminal has ensured it is able to offer key facilities on a vast scale. As such, it has the largest general and project cargo stevedore in the port, 535,000 square feet of covered warehousing, is a London Metal Exchange

warehouse, boasts a board range of open storage compounds and provides onsite transshipment and cargo devanning services.

While Immingham, much like many of PD Port’s businesses, goes from strength to strength, Teesport remains the jewel in the crown of PD Ports’ operations – it is the second largest container port in the north of the UK, and handles 38 million tonnes of throughput per annum and around 5000 vessel calls each year. PD Ports is the statutory harbour authority at Teesport and is responsible for managing the river traffic for the ports of Tees and Hartlepool, ensuring safe navigation and maintaining the required channel depth.

Located less than a mile from the mouth of the River Tees, this deep-water facility has a natural marine opening, which provides lockfree access to the North Sea. Alongside this benefit, Teesport is well served by road and rail services, with direct access to the A66 Trans-Pennine East and West routes and A19/A1 M1 national motorway links for North

of covered warehousing and substantial open storage areas; more than three million square feet of portcentric warehousing in operation, private rail sidings capable of handling a comprehensive range of cargoes and extensive open storage compounds that are capable of handling vehicles such as cars, heavy good vehicles and machinery.

Services available at Teesport include bulk cargo, containers, shipping and inspection services, chartering, jetty management, freight forwarding, river management, contract logistics and project cargo.

Keen to maintain its competitive edge as an award-winning ports and logistics company, the company announced the completion of its £35 million redevelopment of Teesport’s number one quay. Declared open for business at Breakbulk Europe 2016, the 550m deep water quay means the company now owns and operates some of the deepest general cargo berths in the UK and is now capable of accommodating two fully laden 235 metre long panamax vessels

simultaneously in water 14.5 metres deep.

Following this investment, Teesport will be able to take bigger vessels, both for import and export, which will drive down freight costs for its customers. Due to the quay’s design, there is also capacity to further deepen the berth pockets in the future, should development be required.

As ships continue to get bigger and carry increasing amounts of cargo, PD Ports will continue to improve its facilities while also expanding on its portcentric concept to ensure continued growth in all sectors. Looking ahead, the company will also become more engaged in the energy sector, particularly wind and biomass, and seek out further opportunities to develop its successful and profitable business.

PD Ports www.pdports.co.uk

• Award-winning ports and logistics business • UK’s third largest seaport • Has invested £35 million in Number One Quay

and South. This is complemented by direct rail links via the East Coast Main Line and Trans-Pennine routes to all areas of the UK. Handling more than 5000 vessels per year and approximately 40 million tonnes of cargo, the Teesport estate covers some 779 acres and plays an integral role in the wider industrial area as steel, petrochemical, agribulks, manufacturing, high street commerce and engineering operations are all supported through this port. On top of this, the port supports a growing renewable energy sector, in both production and assembly facilities, all of which use its warehousing, logistics and superiors supply chain expertise.

Known for its versatility and adaptability, Teesport is able to offer a diverse range of facilities to customers that include two container terminals, each compromising of two berths, three general cargo berths that handle a variety of commodities including steel, dry cargo and project cargoes; three Ro-Ro berths, two within the main port and one river berth, over two million square feet

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Profile: Anytec

More than just

seaworthy F

or more than 30 years Anytec has strived to build the world’s best aluminum boats. The same guiding principles have accompanied it throughout: an absolutely uncompromising attitude with regard to materials and construction. This motivates it to further develop what is already the best product on the market. This year, Anytec returns stronger, faster and better equipped to meet the challenges of the sea than ever before.

However, one thing will never change: its unique hull design.

Beginning its operations in the 1960s, Anytec made the strategic decision to become a renowned builder of the best quality aluminium boats for private use during the mid 1990s. During these formative years, the company focused on constructing ships that could perform well throughout all seasons of the year and even the most demanding of customer requirements. Indeed, by providing the best materials, components and construction skills over the last 20 years, Anytec has grown into a global leader of aluminium vessel construction. By the 1970s the dockyard Öregrundsvarvet acquired more and more contracts for building both passenger boats as well as working boats in aluminium. Over time the dockyard grew to become one of the leading Swedish

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companies for welding and boat build in aluminium. Anytec eventually faced a demand that outstripped what the current facility could cope with so in 2004 the company invested in a new larger base of operations.

After several busy years Anytec once again needed to expand and over a decade later has now completed its 2014 plans to increase the capacity of the business, which was required due to the success of the products. Head of sales and marketing David Stenlund provided some details: “We have expanded our facilities in Riga with a new building of 1500 metres squared, we did this to make production more sufficient.”

This will help to protect the company’s future, ensuring that it is always producing its ships in the most efficient and effective ways. The improvements made are a byproduct of the continued high sales that Anytec achieves, it is also a clear indication of commitment the company has to reinvest its success, which was something David discussed: “We invest continuously in production and the latest investment is a new milling cutting machine, new bending machine, turn milling machine, that was installed during the summer.” The machinery will mean that Anytec can further improve on the production that it currently has, and persist in providing innovative, modern, and high quality boats.

Anytec has a catalogue of expert designed boats, built with the latest technology to the very highest standard with customers in mind. The ambition of the company is not to simply build a boat that works - which other companies can achieve - instead it is to go further and to build something that is designed to combat every situation a boat can face at sea. This approach must be effective as the company is currently the world’s leading aluminium boat producer.

David gave a few reasons why its customers choose Anytec: “We believe our strengths are: High performance hulls – only welded parts, no screws, our boats are handmade, built

in jigs – the brand is also well-known, with a good reputation. I also think that the way in which we design the boats, they have a stylish presentation that is attractive and makes us different from our competition.”

The boats themselves are worth highlighting, as the company makes the finest in the sector, and David provided an insight of recent improvements that have been made: “We have had a focus on giving a face lift to all the SPD models, plus the development of the appearance on the 747CAB and 868CAB. Also on our biggest models – the 747, 750, 860 and 868 – we have launched new chair stands of the highest quality, and added Ohlins racing performance, which are now standard on our biggest models.”

David went on to outline some other models that have seen improvements: “The 868CAB hull has been redesigned for better driving performance, and on the 750SPD we have added bow thrusters from 2016. On the 747CAB we have improved sound isolation by using better sound absorber material.”

These developments will make the boats more effective, in addition to making sailing it a more pleasurable experience.

The investments in new facilities and machines are not the only investment that Anytec embarked on, there has also been the development of new products, something

that David was keen to highlight: “We are launching a completely new model this autumn called the 1221, it will be our flagship model in our range, it will be equipped with four engines - Mercury Verado R400 – and will also include the joystick system. This boat will only be built on order, and we have already had some orders made for it, though it will not be launched until the end of August and it will be in Stockholm.”

Anytec has changed a great deal from the company that began in the 1960s, but it has held true to the values and ambitions that were already in place then, a commitment to innovation and becoming the best at what it does. It has paired continued success and sales with further innovation and investment. Anytec has become the world leader at aluminium boat building, and if it continues in this way then it will hold its position at the top for many more years to come.

Anytec www.anytec.eu • New facilities • Improved models • Completely new designs

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Profile: Sure

Wind Marine Ltd.

Crew transfer

vessels

S

ure Wind Marine Ltd. (SureWind) is a shipping company which was established in 2009 in the UK, in order to provide crew, technician and cargo transfers as well as other support services for the construction and maintenance of offshore wind parks. Since its formation, SureWind has continued to expand its presence within the offshore wind market and today represents an important partner to developers, operators, OEMs as well as EPCI and O+M providers within this increasingly buoyant sector. The company’s clients include industry leading companies such as Vattenfall, VBMS, RWE Innogy, MHI Vestas, WPD, Siemens to name a few. “SureWind has been active within the offshore market for seven years now, making us one of the first companies to provide specialist services for offshore wind.

As of 2016 we have ten on shore employees within the company and around 40 crew rotating on our ten classed approved crew transfer vessels (CTV). We initially began by providing services for

Damen Twin Axe 2610 - Sure Swift

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offshore wind farms around the UK, but have since expanded the business to include German, Danish, Dutch and Belgian sites with ca. 150,000 safe transfers up to now,” mentions Managing Director, Ektor Kalathas. “The company’s strong presence within the UK as well as in continental Europe, with operating offices in both regions, represents a significant advantage for the business. SureWind also has a strong and proven track record at a variety of offshore sites with different environmental conditions and with variable clients within the offshore wind industry,” he continues. “This proven company capabilities is supported by the fact that we are having several repeat customers, who continue to be entirely satisfied by the level of service that they receive including customer orientation, flexibility, safety and reliability.”

The SureWind fleet is comprised of three complementary CTV vessel designs that each delivers a unique service to the clients as well as one survey vessel.

20m P Class - Sure Partner

These designs are made up of the cost-efficient and highly manoeuvrable 20m Incat Crowther P Class vessels; the versatile ‘2610 Damen Twin Axe’ vessels capable for working in very rough weather conditions; and the robust and reliable ‘26m Nigel Gee StratCat’ vessels with controllable pitch propellers (CPP) and the capability to carry up to 24 technicians while remaining fuel efficient even at high speeds.

“Since the beginning of 2016 we have added two new 26-metre ‘StratCat’ vessels to the fleet. The main reasons that we opted for these vessels was that we wanted to increase the capacity of our Stratcat 26 - Sure Dynamic

fleet to transfer persons from 12 to 24. SureWind has been the first company in the market to have these vessels certified under the new issued code of the UK flag state and these vessels were also the first ones to receive the certificate of equivalence to work in the German sector carrying also 24 persons. Both flag states have been very helpful and co-operative in this approach opening the ground for cost reductions in this sector as less CTVs may be used for specific operations.

“The CPP system provides the vessel with an 18t bollard pull, as well as the high end Sea-sight fender at the vessel bow which allows technicians and equipment transfers during more extreme weather conditions,” Ektor reveals. “Furthermore, we aimed to foresee larger deck space areas on both the fore and aft decks of the vessels and to have larger fuel tanks for extended endurance offshore to increase client flexibility. Lastly with our own defined internal lay out, we aimed to provide even more comfortable accommodation environment for the passengers. These vessels have been successfully integrated into the fleet and have been involved with projects since the very first day that they were delivered.”

As the offshore wind market continues to develop, SureWind will work further to ensure that it remains able to meet the evolving needs of its clients while expanding its presence within the offshore market.

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Profile: Sure

Wind Marine Ltd.

Stratcat 26 - Sure Diamond

“The strategy for SureWind during the coming years is based on leveraging the strengths of its complementary vessels and focusing on matching the vessel types within the fleet with the client requirements of the various project conditions and operational capabilities.

“We are monitoring closely the design developments of CTVs to allow us to increase even more our capacity to manage transfers in even higher weather conditions.

We are also looking at CTV type vessels with increased accommodation capacity for passengers offshore. We are also looking at the future potential to create even longerterm partnerships, with clients to be able to support investments into further new vessels as the current day rates and project contract durations are relatively depressed, although we expect these to increase again in the future,” Ektor concludes.

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Shipping &MARINE

The magazine for maritime management

www.shipping-and-marine.com

Editor: Libbie Hammond libbie@schofieldpublishing.co.uk Sales director: Joe Woolsgrove jwoolsgrove@schofieldpublishing.co.uk

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