Shipping and Marine Issue 103 Early Edition

ISSUE 103 early

Shipping &MARINE

The magazine for maritime management

Welcome to

Miami

PortMiami is making significant investments and learning from global best practice in order to become a one-stop shop for both the American markets and Caribbean and Latin trade

act now!

The shipping industry needs to take decisive action to prepare for upcoming emissions requirements

reaching new heights

Lifting is a key part of offshore and marine applications – and the right equipment maintenance is key

Getting approval

When it comes to AIS equipment, it’s recommended to design-in certification compliance

Editor ISSUE 103 Early

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

Miami nice A

Shipping &MARinE

ThE magazInE for marITImE managEmEnT

Welcome to

Miami

Portmiami is making significant investments and learning from global best practice in order to become a one-stop shop for both the american markets and Caribbean and latin trade

lthough I always enjoy putting together articles for Shipping and Marine, researching and writing about the

act now!

the shipping industry needs to take decisive action to prepare for upcoming emissions requirements

reachinG new heiGhts

Lifting is a key part of offshore and marine applications – and the right equipment maintenance is key

Port of Miami for this issue was particularly rewarding.

GettinG approval

when it comes to aIS equipment, it’s recommended to design-in certification compliance

From start to finish, the process was smooth and easy - the company and my contacts couldn’t have been more helpful.

I am convinced that the mindset of efficiency and customer satisfaction extended across all departments

Of course the work I was doing was very simple compared to the incredibly complex logistics and organisation the Port of Miami does on a daily basis, but from working with them, I am convinced that the mindset of efficiency and customer satisfaction extended across all departments. And this got me thinking – is this the impression your staff would give to customers from boardroom down to the front line?

libbie@schofieldpublishing.co.uk

Schofield Publishing

Cringleford Business Centre, 10 Intwood Road, Cringleford, Norwich, NR4 6AU, U.K. Tel: +44 (0)1603 274130 Fax: +44 (0)1603 274131

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk. © 2013 Schofield Publishing Ltd

Chairman

Production Manager

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Andrew Schofield

Fleur Conway

Mark Cawston

Group Managing Director

ART EDITOR

Editorial Researchers

Mike Tulloch

David Howard

Sales director

DESIGN

David Garner

Jenni Newman Jamie Elvin

Editor Libbie Hammond

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, 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.

STAFF WRITERS Matthew High Jo Cooper Drew Dann Steve Nash

EDITORIAL AdminISTRATOR Emma Harris

Production studio@schofieldpublishing.co.uk

Office Manager Tracy Chynoweth

Head of Research Philip Monument

Laura Thompson Natalie Martin Gavin Watson Mark Cowles Joe Wright

Advertising Sales Joe Woolsgrove Dave King Darren Jolliffe Finlay Johnson Nick Davies Tim Eakins

subscriptions ikidd@schofieldpublishing.co.uk

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 1

Contents FEATURES

PROFILES

3 News

19 the china navigation company

Updates and announcements from the shipping and maritime arena

23 stolt-nielsen

6 act now!

30 de keizer marine engineering

Upcoming Tier III legislation sees the introduction of designated Emission Control Areas with particularly stringent requirements for NOx emissions

27 konecranes lift trucks 33 alma maritime/empire navigation 36 nemport 39 nordhavn 42 load line marine 45 Port of Liverpool (Peel ports mersey division) 48 clean marine 50 hakvoort 53 scorpio group 55 port of pori 58 chevalier floatels 60 baltic transshipment center 62 anangel maritime services 64 alnmaritec 66 barge terminal born

8

68 port of milford haven 70 amoe ship management 72 zf marine krimpen 74 port of den helder

8 Welcome to Miami

76 nimbus boats

Eric Olafson, manager, intergovernmental affairs/cargo development, talks to Libbie Hammond about the current expansion at PortMiami

78 factorias vulcano

11 Sector update The 2013 conference season has been a strange time for the maritime sector as John Stevenson reports

12 Reaching new heights Having the right equipment, in the right place, at just the right time is absolutely paramount and asset-tracking systems give operators comfort

14 Powering the future

74

Subsea environment systems are being deployed that require reliable power and communications connections in more demanding environments

16 Getting approval As Jean-Louis Evans highlights, the test and certification process of AIS equipment is highly involved

2 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

45

27

News Next generation thruster portfolio Wärtsilä, the marine industry’s leading solutions and services provider, has introduced a new series of both steerable and transverse thrusters that will further develop the current portfolio. The new Wärtsilä Steerable Thruster series (WST) is being introduced to replace the company’s Modular Thruster and Compact Thruster series, while the new Wärtsilä Transverse Thruster series (WTT) is replacing the current range of transverse thrusters. The new products have been developed in response to changing market demands, requiring competitive thruster products, which are more efficient and cover a wider power range.

“The marine sector is undergoing a period of significant change and technological advancement, and this next generation Wärtsilä thruster portfolio has been developed in line with these trends by utilising the latest calculation tools and model testing to secure the hydrodynamic leadership of the products. The new products are even more efficient and reliable than earlier, as well as being lighter and easier to install,” says Arto Lehtinen, vice president propulsion, Wärtsilä Ship Power.

Move into Germany A leader in global maritime security solutions, the AdvanFort Company, has announced it has opened an office in Hamburg, Germany, as part of its growing and far-reaching customer service network, particularly for clients in Europe.

“AdvanFort has made a substantial investment in the future of our clients in Germany and the rest of Northern Europe by inaugurating our office in Hamburg, the maritime crossroad in that region, thus ensuring that we are closer to our customers,” said company president William H. Watson. “Our move into Hamburg comes as we have named Axel Tuetken, former Maersk Line country president in Japan, as our vice president for sales and business development.”

Watson pointed out that one big benefit offered by the Hamburg office is an improved service level for AdvanFort’s growing customer base, ensuring that there is no major time difference for customers in Europe, as well as the fact that real-time face-to-face meetings are now possible to discuss critical issues.

For his part, Tuetken underlined the fact that the opening of the Hamburg office comes hand in hand with AdvanFort’s creation of a robust sales team in the Asia market, at a time when – as the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) recently revealed - Southeast Asia is the region reporting the highest number of pirate attacks. The company is also stepping up efforts to deliver a wide range of maritime security services to ports and vessels in the increasingly troubled Gulf of Guinea, he added.

Regulation improvement project A new three year European Research Project, partly funded by the EU has been launched to help increase efficiencies in regulation compliance and enforcement for the maritime sector. e-Compliance will facilitate tighter integration and co-operation in the fragmented field of regulatory compliance.

It will closely align with the EU e-Maritime initiative of which a key priority is supporting authorities and shipping operators to collaborate electronically in regulatory information management.

Philipp Lohrmann, project manager for e-Compliance comments: “Presently, there are numerous disparate initiatives and projects that address specific aspects of the regulatory domain. The e-Compliance project will bring these different approaches together, using their most promising aspects in order to increase coherence and efficiency in the world of maritime regulations.” e-Compliance consists of ten partners, all of which bring their own areas of knowledge and experience of working in the maritime space. They include: BMT Group Ltd, Det Norske Veritas (DNV), Danaos Shipping Co Ltd, INLECOM Systems, The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), TEMIS, Acciona Infraestructuras, PORTIC Barcelona, Norsk Marinteknisk Forskningsinstitutt AS (MARINTEK) and the Maritime Administration of Latvia.

Software chosen for college

QinetiQ Maritime’s Paramarine ship and submersible design software has been selected by the Australian Maritime College (AMC) to use as part of its maritime engineering training programme. Through AMC’s National Centre for Maritime Engineering and Hydrodynamics, the software will assist students on a four-year Bachelor of Engineering degree that is accredited by Engineers Australia and recognised worldwide.

“We selected Paramarine not only because of its extensive range of capabilities and functionality but also because it is so widely used by ship and submarine builders and designers around the world. We also wanted to ensure our students had exposure to and experience in using the design software used and recommended by many of our industry partners including the Australian DOD,” observed Dave Harte, associate lecturer, Maritime Engineering and Hydrodynamics, Australian Maritime College.

“We are very pleased to have been selected by the Australian Maritime College who along with the many other academic institutions around the world are using Paramarine to train many hundreds of naval architects. With the recent introduction of our latest version of the software, we believe we have the most functionally rich and modern ship and submersible design software available today,” said Vittorio Vagliani, managing director, QinetiQ GRC.

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 3

Evolution innovation Raymarine was proud to announce that the Evolution autopilot received the IBEX Innovation Award for electronics at the International Boatbuilders Exhibition and Conference held in Louisville KY, USA. The Evolution autopilot, which was launched earlier this year, combines advanced aerospace guidance technology with Raymarine’s marine autopilot expertise to deliver a new level of accurate autopilot control.

The Raymarine R and D teams were tasked to produce an autopilot with superior performance to anything available on the market, with no need of a set-up compass swing, minimal or no calibration, and without the need to be specifically adjusted for each boat. The result is a breakthrough in autopilot intelligence, performance and installation, which has attracted the attention of boat manufacturers everywhere.

Strengthening co-operation Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS), an IACS-member classification society and NAPA, a leading software house for ship design and operation have announced that RS will take NAPA software into use to be able to serve their customers even better.

Further expansion of RS presence on new and traditional markets demands first-class software tools to enhance client’s satisfaction.

Shipyards, design offices and engineering companies require their drawings and calculations being reviewed and assessed

by Class in shorter time with no compromise on quality and safety. NAPA software facilitates achievement of these goals.

During design review of a newbuilding project or during existing ship modernisation RS will use NAPA to assess and approve various calculations, such as stability calculations and statutory compliance.

Wider use of NAPA in RS will make data transfer between design bureau and classification society easier, and review of the calculations less time- and labour-consuming processes.

Tidal development consent Independent, international energy consultancy Xodus Group was delighted to hear the announcement of consent for Europe’s largest tidal energy project in the Pentland Firth at the Scottish Renewables Marine Energy Conference.

As lead consultant in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the 86MW Phase 1 MeyGen tidal energy project, Xodus played a pivotal role in the creation of the Environmental Statement (ES).

The EIA considered the possible positive or negative impacts of the project on the local environment as well as potential social and economic aspects. The ES represented the culmination of four years’ of consultation, surveys and assessment, with the offshore and onshore applications submitted to the Scottish Government and The Highland Council in July 2012.

Phase 1 of the MeyGen project will see the construction of up to 61 tidal turbines in the Inner Sound of the Pentland Firth between

4 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

the Island of Stroma and the north east coast of the Scottish mainland. It will encompass almost 1.1 km2 of fast flowing water and electricity generated will be exported onshore for transmission to the national grid.

Liz Foubister, marine renewables specialist based in the Orkney office, said: “We are delighted that this significant project has gained development consent. Working closely with MeyGen throughout the EIA has resulted in a smooth approval process with minor clarifications required for the regulators and their advisors during the determination period. This clearly demonstrates the quality of work undertaken by Xodus and the EIA partners. We are continuing to support the MeyGen project and also look forward to fully utilising our broad range of capabilities in the offshore renewables sector on other similar innovative projects.”

News Very first concept luxury trimaran In 2013 Sunreef Yachts’ in-house design office took another step forward in luxury multihull design with the completion of a superb concept for a 210ft mega power trimaran. The project has been prepared upon the request of a potential client who was looking for an extraordinary multihull and appreciates Sunreef’s strong position as a world leader in custom catamaran-yachts and superyachts design and construction. With the length of 210 feet and interior space used to the fullest within all three hulls, it has reached a remarkable living space equalling 950m², which makes the TRIMARAN 210 the biggest yacht of this type on the market. Operated by 18 crewmembers, the yacht will comfortably accommodate up to 14 guests in comfort and privacy.

The top deck comprises a 125m² dining area for 14, the captain’s private cabin, internal helm station and a guest day head. There is also a private king terrace on the aft intended for relaxation after a long day in the sun. This deck can be accessed via a lift connecting all floors on the yacht.

The main deck was arranged in a way to maximise available space without losing roominess.

The 220m² saloon can be arranged in many different ways, taking into consideration the privacy of the guests staying on board. There are four separate areas from which guests can admire unforgettable views through the window wall without being disturbed. It has also six spacious guest cabins with queen beds, which are positioned transversely to the axis of the boat. They are located in front of foldable private balconies, which enhance the luminosity of the cabins and allow guests to admire sunrises and sunsets from their cabins. Each one of them possesses a private bathroom and extended storage.

Apart from a smart and comfortable interior space the TRIMARAN 210 is a true exterior design masterpiece. Her sleek flawless lines incorporating streamlined window walls prove again that Sunreef is the world’s leader in its niche sector.

Acquisition advisor International law firm McDermott Will & Emery advised Actuant Corporation, a diversified industrial company in the acquisition of Viking SeaTech from HSBC Private Equity for £150 million.

Viking SeaTech is a specialist support company based in Scotland that provides services and equipment to the oil and gas industry principally in the North Sea (UK and Norway) and Australia.

Actuant Corporation, headquartered in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, is a $1.5bn diversified industrial company with operations in more than 30 countries. Commenting on the transaction, Robert C. Arzbaecher, Chairman and CEO of Actuant stated: “Viking represents a great addition to Actuant’s energy platform and will be included within the Energy segment.

Its leadership position in the largest offshore regions, strong technical competency and solid management team have allowed Viking to generate above average growth and margins.”

Expansion progresses Ports of Normandy Authority (PNA) is forging ahead with the extension of the Quai des Flamands in Cherbourg, with the next phase due to start in October 2013 - part of a redevelopment project whose funding exceeds €100 million. The announcement of a call for expression of interest in a tidal-farm pilot project in the area, together with the agreements concluded by DCNS and Alstom with PNA, confirms the importance of Cherbourg in the MRE sector. This was further enhanced

by President François Hollande’s visit of Cherbourg on 30 September.

For Ports of Normandy Authority, regarding the work at Cherbourg, the stakes are twofold, sums up Laurent Beauvais, president of PNA (which is the port authority that runs and owns the ports of Cherbourg, Caen and Ouistreham, in North-Western France): “It is a matter of adhering to the commitments made to our partners Alstom and EMF [i.e. Eolien Maritime France] with regard to [offshore] wind energy and, from now on, providing a credible response to new requests that emerge.”

A major ambition of PNA, as well as that of businesses based across the region, is to secure the future of marine renewable energies (MRE) in the area. PNA is positioning itself as a key player for all new industrial and logistical developments in the field of wind-and-tidal energy, with

current projects that include the extension of the port of Cherbourg and the redevelopment of the outer-harbour in Ouistreham.

The €40 million extension of the Flamands quay (or Quai des Flamands) in Cherbourg will be a new tool for the effective handling of MRE-related operations. Cherbourg was chosen by EMF and Alstom as an MRE development site thanks to its privileged position at the heart of the French offshore-wind-energy market and its proximity to the wind farms being built off the South Coast of England. www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 5

emissions control areas

Act

now!

Decisive action is needed on emissions regulations, according to Dr. Phil Bush

CFD modelling of combined SCR & DPF system

U

pcoming Tier III legislation sees the introduction of designated Emission Control Areas with particularly stringent requirements for NOx emissions, and marine manufacturers will face some challenge when considering the available options to tackle these.

The need to reduce pollution from shipping is of course nothing new. In fact, marine vessels have been subject to various emissions regulations since 2000. However, the implementation of Tier III for vessels entering designated Emission Control Areas (ECAs) adds

6 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

a significant deal more complexity for marine manufacturers who must quickly get to grips with the new technology needed to meet the stricter requirements. This is also exacerbated by uncertainty over exactly when the legislation will come into force, which is unfortunately out of their hands.

Tier III, currently scheduled to come into force in 2016 sees the introduction of (ECAs) covering the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, most of the US and Canadian coast and the US Carribean, including Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Once introduced, any new or remanufactured marine engine wishing to enter an ECA

will require an approved exhaust after-treatment system that can be proven to cut the emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) by a further 70 per cent over and above the Tier II requirements.

An SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) system is perhaps the most straightforward and best understood means of meeting the challenge. In fact a report by the International Maritime Organization into the available technologies cites hundreds of vessels and land-based power plants that have been using SCR technology for over 20 years. The technology has many supporters and has already been used by ship owners to

meet national NOx limits in Norway and Sweden.

In spite of this Russia has tabled a proposal to the IMO, which will be voted on in early 2014 to delay the introduction of Tier III until 2021. Meanwhile, the USA has pressed ahead with introducing its own regulations even if the international rules are pushed back by five years. This lack of clarity causes unnecessary headaches for owners, for shipbuilders and suppliers.

Yet acting now and working to the original deadline appears the best option. After all, it is the only way to protect the global freedom of any vessel built from 2016 by guaranteeing its ability to enter US waters.

Regardless of the timeline for the implementation of Tier III, there is a pressing need to identify the right engineering partners now to develop the best solutions for different vessels. SCR systems are highly sophisticated pieces of technology and cannot therefore simply be purchased ‘off the shelf’. Extensive calibration and design engineering must take place in order to optimise the performance of the unit and fit it into the available space on the vessel while maintaining fuel efficiency and other emission reductions. Experienced emissions engineers will be required to optimise the performance of the SCR unit and ensure its continued ability to perform in this new environment.

As this is the first time marine manufacturers have been required to evaluate exhaust after-treatment systems there has been some concern over where to find the external partners with the relevant expertise. However, the heavy duty on-road vehicle market for SCR is already very mature and those involved in this field hold a great deal of knowledge that can be directly transferred. For example, Eminox worked closely with Transport for London on a pilot project designed to significantly reduce NOx emissions from London buses. This required new catalyst formulations and extensive system calibration incorporating CAD design, computational fluid dynamics, harshness analysis and finite element analysis to deliver innovative concepts that were right first time. This intelligence is now being applied to the next generation of marine engines.

The current situation regarding exactly when Tier III regulations are set to be introduced isn’t ideal. However, in the absence of clear guidance from the IMO it falls to the industry to take the decisive action on preparing for upcoming emissions requirements. As the deadline to comply gets ever closer the need to reduce levels of NOx won’t go away and the availability of experienced partners will become ever more constrained. The task of developing and optimising the best system is a major engineering challenge and one that will prove very attractive to ship buyers operating within the ECAs. The best advice to marine manufacturers would therefore be to start now on signing up the right development partner to design and manufacture the technology. v

Dr. Phil Bush

Dr. Phil Bush is Technical Manager at Eminox. Eminox designs and manufactures bespoke exhaust and emission control systems for heavy duty diesel vehicles and equipment.

For further information, visit www.eminox.com.

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 7

port expansion

Welcome to

Miami P

Eric Olafson, manager, intergovernmental affairs/cargo development, talks to Libbie Hammond about the current expansion at PortMiami

ortMiami is numbered among America's busiest ports. It contributes approximately $28 billion annually to the South Florida economy and helps provide direct and indirect employment for more than 207,000 people.

As well as acting as the largest seaport in the State of Florida, it also acts as a very important hub for the entire States, as Eric Olafson, manager, intergovernmental affairs/cargo development explained: “One of our main claims to fame on the cargo side – which is what I do – is that we’re the cargo gateway to the Americas, so 54 per cent of our business is with the ports to the south of us - we have a regular feeder service to the Caribbean,

8 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

Central America and Latin America. So because we’re the closest to Latin America, we receive a lot of perishable and manufactured goods coming in from those countries.”

In fact, perishable goods are a key focus area for PortMiami, and as Eric highlighted, the business regards this sector as a huge opportunity: “In the past five to ten years the expansion of fresh, organic, perishable products has been incredibly important to America, and it remains a growth industry. Miami is at a huge advantage because we are the closest port to the growing regions in Central America, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and South America.

“Right now a lot of those products are grown in South America

and shipped to ports in the North East and then trucked down to Florida, Georgia and Carolina and this doesn’t make sense when with perishables, every day is a day of shelf life. If you stopped in Miami, you reach 74 per cent of the population in one to four days and save those days sailing time.”

As part of the extra attention being paid to perishables, PortMiami has, with the vision of its port director Bill Johnston, developed a ‘perishable committee’. “We meet once a month and we bring in the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), customs and border protection and FDA (Food and Drug Administration) together with our shippers, brokers and port and terminal operators. We’ve been able to develop protocols and policies where perishable goods are prioritised.”

Eric gives an example of one innovation that has come out of the committee: “The Enforcement Link to Mobile Operations, commonly referred to as ELMOcargo, allows U.S. Customs and Border Protection field officers to use a handheld device to release products in real time. In the past, if we had 30 boxes of perishables that needed to be released for inspection at 8am, someone would have to manually inspect all 30 boxes, check them all off, go back to his office and handle the paperwork to issue the releases, which would take up to three hours. Then all the trucks show up and everything gets congested.

“Now if a box is ready to go at 8:01 then the officer can just press a button on Elmo and the truck driver and the broker know that it is released. That means that products can be off port and at the train yard in 20 minutes, and can reach Atlanta in a day and a half.

This saves a day and a half of shelf life and any grocer or buyer really appreciates this.”

Eric added: “We have also introduced inbox fumigation technology.

Traditionally you used to have to go to a big warehouse, unload the pallets, tent it or put it in a big room to fumigate it.

Now we have come up with technology where the refrigerator box can be kept at the same temperature, you put the hoses in, you fumigate, you aerate and then they are off. You don’t have to offload; you don’t have to manipulate.

It saves time and it also saves money, because you don’t have as many people touching the product.”

As a result of its dedication, PortMiami has been designated a port of expertise and excellence for perishable products. “This means that we have more inspectors here at Miami than at any other gateway port in the US,” explained Eric. “Plus if there is a question of a product coming into any part of the nation, for example this product is coming in to Seattle and it’s a new fruit or vegetable and they have never handled it before, they call Miami, because we are regarded as the experts.”

However, PortMiami is aware that it is still in competition with the other ports around the United States and to advance its position in the market it decided to co-operate with the Government of Panama on the Canal initiative. And says Eric, “we are building a relationship with the Port of Rotterdam; Bill Johnston takes the approach that we want to learn from best practice around the world. Rotterdam is the fourth largest port in the world and handles 80 per cent of the perishables from Europe. It has achieved this position through strategy and research. Rotterdam is in a very densely populated country where real estate is not inexpensive, so it isn’t the cheapest option. But it still handles a massive percentage of perishables, and that’s because it has the logistics, it has the expertise and it is able to move forward.

“Miami is similarly densely populated, it has the ocean on one side and the Everglades on the other, so the two areas have a lot in

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 9

port expansion

common. So we want to learn how Rotterdam, in a built-up area, still maintains its impressive European market share.”

The kind of research the Port of Rotterdam is undertaking is very impressive, as Eric highlighted. “It works with scientists and the educational community, to develop products that last longer post harvest. Research has revealed that if you can keep the product at a certain temperature it can last longer or if you keep it at a certain elevation it helps avoid condensation from the walls.”

PortMiami and Port of Rotterdam are developing a close relationship, and Eric noted that although he considers the Dutch to be the masters at logistics, there is still much Miami brings to the table. “We’ve invited members of the Rotterdam team to attend the TOC Container Supply Chain Americas, a major terminal operating show that we’re hosting here in October, and afterwards the Dutch government has offered to further provide a venue so that the people who are speaking from the Netherlands will talk to our perishables community, discussing how Miami can learn from the best practices, and see what its universities and scientists can do.

“And we can contribute to that dialogue as for example, we have exotic fruits that aren’t grown in Europe so we are keen to explore how we can use technology to get fruit from groves in Chile to the table in France. We feel that we can learn so much from them in perishables and develop expertise from partnering with them to learn the best practices.”

With 34 per cent of its business already being carried out with Europe, the Port of Rotterdam offers access to a huge market for PortMiami, but once the products arrive in the US, getting them to their destination in the most efficient manner possible is a top priority and to this end, within the next two years the port is going to finish $2 billion in projects, with the aim to become one of the most technologically and infrastructural advanced ports in the country. “We’re completing a billion dollar tunnel in May 2014 which will provide direct highway access between the US interstate highway system and PortMiami,” said Eric. “This will mean no stoplights between Miami and Atlanta and Chicago, Memphis, Charlotte, New Jersey or New York - once you’re on the interstate system its all open highway. That’s an incredible advancement.

“Starting October 15th 2013 we also brought in on-dock rail with Florida East Coast Railway, a 351-mile freight rail system that connects to the US Class 1 railroads to bring goods to 70 per cent of the US in four days or less. Rail is huge to us too; we plan to double cargo in the next five to ten years.”

He continued: “We’re currently involved in a dredging

10 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk -

programme, which will deepen the port to 50 feet. That’s 15.5 metres - the same depth as the Panama Canal, and we are set to open PortMiami’s new deep depth in two years time, in tandem with the opening of the Panama Canal expansion. This means there will be three seaports on the Eastern seaboard of the United States that can handle the bigger ships, which will come from the Canal to Miami, Norfolk and New Jersey.

“At the moment, the major population bases are being served by ports on the west coast, way out across the Rocky Mountains, which results in great time delays and expense, so the plan is to create a nexus for East/West cargo coming in from Asia. And of course, ships don’t want to go home empty, so we’re working with the US Department of Commerce to promote the export of US manufactured and grown products out of Miami to Asia and Europe.”

Interestingly, the tunnel and dredging projects are all related to the Panama Canal development, and PortMiami has created a campaign along with the Panama Port Authority to promote the 2015 countdown to opening. “We’ve worked closely with the Dutch on this as well,” noted Eric. “And really, we are working to become an essential logistics hub, working with a member of Congress, the governor of Florida and the attorney general – the entire state is heavily invested in this.”

He concluded: “Because of the geography we are closest to the Panama Canal, and because of our depth we’ll be the first port south of Virginia that can take the big vessels. Asian vessels can stop here and tranship, because of our regular service to the countries in South America, and reach those booming economies through our regular feeder service. Our developments are all targeted to make Port Miami a one-stop shop for both the American markets and Caribbean and Latin trade.

We’re embracing the future and really looking forward to 2015.” v Eric Olafson For further information visit: www.miamidade.gov/portmiami

SPECIAL FEATURE

Sector

update

2013 party conference diary. By John Stevenson

T

he 2013 conference season has been a strange time for the maritime sector. The inaugural London International Shipping Week started things off with a bang and then the sector moved on to the political party conferences circuit.

Ports were well represented with a healthy splattering of corporate affairs directors, but positive announcements or, at the very least, mentions by ministers and their shadow colleagues were limited to a few fleeting references. In his closing speech, the Prime Minister championed the potential for a marine renewable energy base on the Humber, while the Secretary of State's speech touched upon the investment planned and being made by ports across the land.

Various events skated around maritime issues – the Rail Freight Group breakfast meetings examined issues around landside connectivity and intermodal traffic, while live animal exports to the continent was a side issue at the RSPCA's fringe events – but interventions, positive or negative, were muted.

For a sector with such impressive figures on employment, gross domestic product and tax revenue, it is concerning that the rowing and sailing lobby had a more visible presence in both the exhibition area and fringe meetings at the most important set of events in the political calendar.

With a packed list of concerns stretching from the proposal by the EU to ‘re-nationalise’ the UK's ports through the Port Services Regulation, marine planning and the possible designation of swathes of the seas as marine conservation zones, to the impact of the sulphur emission control areas on UK ferry and cruise traffic – the sector has to be more vocal in the political arena. Next year’s

conference season is the most important in the electoral cycle as the parties look to gather ideas and distill their thoughts further ahead of the publication of the manifestoes.

Given the port sector’s symbiotic relationship with the energy sector, Ed Miliband's commitment to freeze energy domestic prices for 20 months after the general election combined with another – yes, another – energy bill to reform energy markets, re-engineer and give the regulator some teeth, has created a hiatus in the market. Ed's energy policy declaration was doubtless a popular move with the public, but in an area where the UK government has consistently failed to grasp the nettle and plough forward with trying to deliver an energy infrastructure investment programme of any meaning, his intervention is unhelpful for many port customers and ports alike.

The officers (MPs and peers) of the All-Party Parliamentary Maritime and Ports Group plan to pick up the baton once again in Parliament in the run up to the general election. The officers of the Group are about to set the agenda for the coming year, with sessions proposed on a range of subjects, including West African maritime security, tidal energy and updates from various ministers. If you would like to suggest a possible session or find out more about the Group, please contact John Stevenson who supplies the secretariat services on john.stevenson@ freshwater-uk.com or 020 7067 1595. v

John Stevenson

John Stevenson is head of public affairs at Freshwater UK, a specialist transport and infrastructure political communications agency.

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 11

offshore lifting

Reaching new

heights W

Lifting is a key part of offshore and marine applications – it is essential that the equipment used is maintained and used properly

ith upwards of 570 rigs, hundreds more support vessels and 18,000 offshore workers currently active across the UK Continental Shelf; there are literally billions of moving pieces and items of equipment helping keep the oil and gas industry going.

Every clamp, hoist, level and hook has to be accounted for and, more importantly when safe operations are at stake, each has to be continually checked and certified as fit for its given purpose.

Lifting and mechanical handling operations can pose a major accident hazard if a suspended load or crane boom falls on to processes piping with recent statistics showing that injuries and dangerous occurrences arising from lifting operations account for about 20 per cent of the total of those occurring offshore.

As the global demand for energy continues to rise and oil and gas operators continue to look for opportunities to maximise safety and reduce downtime, effectively managing the accurate tracking and logging of equipment from large-scale wire rope pulling machines or floor cranes through to the smallest bearing swivel can be a significant influence on slowing operations and reducing production.

“This is particularly relevant in the lifting environment where the typically corrosive conditions of the offshore industry dictate that operators need to demonstrate the integrity of critical lifting equipment,” said Keith Moorhouse, chief executive of ATR Group,

lifting and tooling specialists to the global oil and gas, marine, subsea and renewables industries.

“Lifting is a key part of almost all offshore and subsea operations. It can range from lifting of stores and spares handling through to complicated and heavy lifts so choosing suitable equipment and ensuring it is maintained, tested and certified in an appropriate way is of high importance.”

Broadly speaking, certification is designed to determine whether equipment is fit for the coming period of service. “It is often the most simple and economic items – such as slings and lifting attachments – which play the most safety-critical roles,” added Mr Moorhouse.

12 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

industry for inspections to be carried out in a way that allows for the seamless continuation of offshore activities.

“In today’s climate of high day rates for drilling and other support services, a company must have a thorough understanding of how its equipment is working and when it needs to be reworked or replaced,” explained Mr Moorhouse.

“Having the right equipment, in the right place, at just the right time is absolutely paramount and asset tracking systems give operators the comfort of a forward look on certification. This approach allows replacement parts to be dispatched and fitted prior to the recertification date, negating the potential for work to be halted should an issue be found.”

Mr Moorhouse believes for operators and those throughout the supply chain, the benefits to this approach are many.

“Beyond the peace of mind that every item of equipment is regularly replaced, serviced and inspected from the same trusted source, with inspection, testing and recertification times varying depending on equipment type and function, it ensures consistency of operations throughout the year.

“It also eliminates waiting time for parts and therefore reduces the potential for downtime due to maintenance management.

“In the energy industry where the cost implications for having assets shutdown or operating at part-capacity can stretch into the tens of thousands of pounds/dollars, this can have a significant impact on an organisation’s bottom line.” v

“Any item of equipment will deteriorate with age and usage. In many cases this is a slow process and if properly monitored there is ample warning before it becomes dangerous. However, lifting equipment often has a particularly hard life.

“It is therefore subject to a thorough examination before it is put into service for the first time. Once in service, examinations can take place at maximum fixed intervals or at agreed points based on the frequency and nature of use, the operating environment, and the rate at which a particular piece of equipment will deteriorate.”

Examination of an asset’s integrity is typically carried out through on-site independent monitoring and inspection of equipment but ATR Group is seeing a rising demand in the

ATR

ATR provides clients in on- and offshore oil and gas, subsea, production and renewables with a range of services and tools for activities including sales and rental of lifting equipment, inspection and certification, and power generation.

ATR is the market leader in the delivery of equipment services for the offshore oil and gas industry maintenance market, operating throughout the North Sea and UKCS, the Caspian region and the global energy market.

For further information, visit: www.atrgroup.co.uk

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 13

subsea cables

Powering the

future Mark Hendry discusses the rapidly changing subsea cable market

I

n today’s subsea environment, systems being deployed require reliable power and communications connections in more demanding and dynamic environments.

The team at Hydro Group are being asked more and more for increasingly complex composite and physically demanding cable designs - the days have gone when we were simply asked to provide an underwater electrical connection. Today most subsea cables designed and manufactured at Hydro Group’s Aberdeen, Scotland facility incorporate numerous specialist elements such as fibre optics, twisted pairs, triples or quads, Coaxial, VHF and high frequency RF, components.

As subsea equipment is becoming more complex with data management and collection systems transferring significantly higher volumes of information at faster rates, the transmission characteristics, low loss and shielding requirements need to be addressed in the design and composition of the cables.

To ensure the performance of the designs, increasing use of complex software modelling and analysis tools are employed.

Hydro Group engineers routinely utilise packages such as Comsol multiphysics software to model designs and provide virtual realisation of the cable characteristics under a variety of simulated conditions. Transmission characteristics and performance are also simulated with the use of Optem software tools.

Hydro Group regularly incorporate stainless steel tubes, rather than PBT tubes, for all of our Subsea Cable designs incorporating

fibre optics. The benefits of utilising optical fibres contained within stainless steel tubes are primarily two fold: l The elimination of increased attenuation (signal loss) seen in the fibre due to the compressive forces on the glass as the crushing action of the water pressure on the cable sheath is transferred through to the fibre itself l The addition of a hydrogen scavenging/absorbing gel is used within the St/St Tube to prevent the potential darkening of the optical fibres due to the natural ingression of small amounts of hydrogen, which are present in these extreme conditions Both of these advantages over PBT tubed fibre optics are deemed crucial in the demanding conditions seen by subsea optical cables.

Mechanical factors are extremely significant in the overall performance of subsea cable designs. Often these present a much higher risk in the reliability and durability of the design than all other constraints. The application of FEA design and modelling tools such as Comsol and Orcaflex allow simulation and analysis of the design to ensure construction and incorporation of components that will meet the dynamic application requirements.

Understanding the static and dynamic forces that will be applied allow the incorporation of features and components such as Vectran braids and cords for tensile strength in light weight and

14 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

more flexible applications and Contra Helical steel wire armouring packages where significantly higher mechanical forces will be experienced.

Hydro Group service a global client base, with ocean environments varying significantly in different regions and therefore different risks to consider such as salinity, water temperatures and seabed conditions. As industry explores deeper sea depths, this affects the design and material selection of cables, with challenges such as UV stability, marine growth, microbial attack and even the burrowing Teredo Navalis Shipworm to be addressed.

With a full appreciation of all the electrical, optical, mechanical and environmental requirements imposed on the application of the cable a robust and reliable cabling solution can be realised.

The combination of the above design factors and the fact that equipment demands are increasing rapidly are driving more customised solutions. In addition to the design approach employed, Hydro Group have invested heavily in new machinery, significantly increasing and improving in-house cable manufacturing capabilities, to compliment this rapidly evolving market.

With regards to future innovations, as part of Hydro Group’s research and development program, the R&D team is working on a number of cable design projects for specialised applications in energy, defence and renewables. Amongst these we are currently trialling various low smoke flame retardant materials to address single cable designs capable of operating between separate boundaries from topside to subsea. v

Mark Hendry

Mark Hendry is technical director of Hydro Group plc, an energy-service firm made up of Hydro Bond Engineering and HydroCable Systems Ltd. It is a major global supplier of harsh environment engineered products to the offshore oil and gas, defence, oceanographic, renewable energies, diving and ROV/AUV markets. For further information, visit: www.hydrogroupplc.com.

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 15

it - ais

Illustration courtesy of SRT Marine Technology

Getting

approval A As Jean-Louis Evans highlights, the test and certification process of AIS equipment is highly involved

utomatic Identification System (AIS) is an automatic tracking system that is used on ships, leisure boats and by vessel traffic services for identifying and locating vessels by automatically exchanging electronic data with other nearby ships and base stations. The system integrates standardised VHF transceiver systems and Global Positioning System receivers, with other electronic navigation sensors, such as a gyrocompass or rate of turn indicator.

16 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

To ensure greater safety at sea, many countries are now insisting that AIS equipment is installed on all vessels above a certain tonnage. This means that tests must be completed to prove compliance with each of these countries’ regulations and ships inspected in port, which are shown not to be using correctly certified AIS equipment will be fined.

AIS shipborne mobile devices are split in to two different classes.

Class A devices are for ships over 300 tonnes and in Europe are required to meet the guidelines set out in the Marine Equipment

Directive (96/98/EC). This includes vessels that fall within the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).

The Marine Equipment Directive (MED) also covers a wide range of other equipment relating to SOLAS, from lifejackets to pyrotechnics and radio beacons. Under the regulation, manufacturers of such equipment must gain independent certification from an EU Notified Body, which is appointed by national flag administrations (organisations that control shipping in each country), before their devices can display the mark of conformity - known as the Ships Wheelmark.

Class B AIS devices are for non-SOLAS vessels, which do not come under the MED, but do require testing and certification under the R&TTE Directive for the European Union and FCC and Industry Canada certification for North America.

As AIS Class B devices fall within the scope of the R&TTE Directive (1999/5/EC) and there are no European harmonised standards available, Annex III of the Directive requires that manufacturers consult a Notified Body to identify a suitable test schedule. Once a Notified Body has identified the test schedule, the manufacturer has the testing performed and then seeks the Notified Body expert opinion on the device’s compliance by presenting a Technical Construction File. The CE marking should then be affixed to the product and the device can be marketed throughout the EU subject to national licensing considerations.

Other AIS equipment that falls within the scope of the R&TTE Directive includes Aid to Navigation (AtoN). This is a shorebased or mobile station providing location and status of an aid to navigation. These stations may also be programmed to provide other navigation safety information, for example, meteorological and hydrological data.

The R&TTE Directive also covers AIS base stations, a shorebased transceiver which operates using self-organised timedivision multiple-access (SOTDMA), a radio channel access method which divides a channel into frames so that individual AIS systems can transmit in rapid succession, one after the other, each using their own time slot. These have a complex set of functions to control the AIS system and all the devices operating therein.

To ensure that an AIS system can communicate with any other AIS equipment in use, and that the system integrates with marine products such as the communications and navigation systems, type testing of this equipment must be completed. This includes testing to standards such as IEC61993-2 (Class A), IEC62287-1 (Class B CS), IEC62320-2 (A to N) and IEC 60945, which covers a range of EMC, Environmental, Safety, RF and Protocol testing.

MED approval To gain the Ships Wheelmark on a piece of Class A AIS equipment, compliance with the MED involves ‘Type Certification’, shown as Module B within the MED document. This is where the product is tested against the MED’s required standards, after which the manufacturer provides a Technical File, detailing the test process, to a Notified Body for assessment. The Notified Body then carries out the assessment and issues a ‘Module B Type Examination Certificate’ on completion.

This is then followed by a suitable ‘production module’. In most

Jean-Louis Evans cases the production module chosen by the manufacturer will be ‘Module D’, which proves production quality assurance and involves a Notified Body auditing the manufacturer’s production facility to ensure that devices are being manufactured in accordance with recognised quality procedures (e.g.

ISO9000) and being tested as they come off the production line. A Module D certificate is then issued on an annual basis, which lists all of the MED products that the manufacturer produces in that particular production facility.

As the Ships Wheelmark shows the mark of compliance for MED products, it can only be applied once the manufacturer has both Module B and Module D certification in place for that particular product. The Wheelmark is only applicable in the EU, but other flag administrations outside the EU do recognise it, while other regions such as the USA have their own requirements.

Reducing complexity The test and certification process of AIS equipment is highly involved as it follows a complex set of requirements and standards and can take a minimum of four weeks. This time of course extends if a manufacturer works with separate test houses to complete the many environmental, radio frequency, EMC and safety tests required by the MED, rather than one provider that can offer all of these services under one roof, such as TUV SUD Product Service.

The time to final certification is also extended if problems, relating to non-compliance, arise during testing as the manufacturer must then go back and fix them before testing can recommence. In such a situation, testing could take two to three months to complete and severely impact time to market for new products. Best practice advice would therefore be to design-in compliance from product concept through to final production, ensuring at regular stages that the design of the product complies with the required standards to ensure that it is fit for its purpose of safety at sea. v

Jean-Louis Evans

Jean-Louis Evans is managing director at TÜV SÜD Product Service, a global product testing and certification organisation, and at its sister company, TÜV SÜD BABT, a Notified Body under the Marine Equipment Directive 96/98/EC. TÜV SÜD Product Service is one of the world’s leading experts in product testing and certification, with 150,000 product certificates in circulation globally. TÜV SÜD Product Service analyses over 20,000 products each year in Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Americas, ensuring that products are safe and minimising liability risks for manufacturers, importers and retailers.

For further information, visit: www.tuvps.co.uk.

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 17

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.

l the china navigation company

l port of pori

l stolt-nielsen

l chevalier floatels

l konecranes lift trucks

l baltic transshipment center

l de keizer marine engineering

l anangel maritime services

l alma maritime/empire navigation

l alnmaritec

l nemport

l barge terminal born

l nordhavn

l port of milford haven

l load line marine

l amoe ship management

l Port of Liverpool

l zf marine krimpen

(Peel ports mersey division)

l port of den helder

l clean marine

l nimbus boats

l hakvoort

l factorias vulcano

l scorpio group

Profile: The China Navigation Company

Shipping

horizons

O

wned by its parent company John Swire & Sons Limited, the China Navigation Company finds itself part of an incredibly diverse global group. The Swire Group maintains a reputation for integrity, professionalism and innovation and setting operational standards of excellence wherever it does business. The group is proud of its reputation and strives to be original and forwardlooking, which are qualities that have guided it for close to 200 years. The group is highly active within the Asian Pacific region, where traditionally its operations have centered on Hong Kong and Mainland China.

The China Navigation Company (CNCo) was formed in 1872 to operate a modest fleet of paddle steamers on China’s Yangtze River and

has since evolved to become a leading provider of Handysize and multipurpose liner shipping services. It is specifically focused on the Pacific region, servicing routes up and down China’s coast, as well as to Australia, New Zealand, North America, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands. During the 1960s and 1970s the company diversified in two very different directions. During the 1960s CNCo developed a passenger cruising business, effectively creating a niche market-operating seminar cruises out of Japan, which was a market it was able to dominate for close to 20 years. Starting in the 1970s, CNCo began to invest heavily into the dry bulk carrier market, representing the company’s first move away from a traditional operator role to that of a shipowner and tonnage provider with a succession of vessels ranging from Handymax

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 19

CHENGXI SHIPYARD Chengxi Shipyard Co.,Ltd aims at sustaining growth with its ship building and ship repair improved at the same time and steadily moving forward. It has established deep co-operation relationships with CNCo, obtaining new building orders of 16 39,500DWT bulk carriers. And many famous worldwide owners have been attracted to Chengxi Shipyard for new building orders of Dolphin 64 which amounts to 36 ships.

With regards to ship repair, Chengxi Shipyard Co., Ltd mainly focuses on high-value and hi-tech repair and conversion projects and recently successfully completed several LPG vessel repairs from Japan NYK and other notable companies.

20 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

to Capesize chartered into some of the world’s leading bulk pools. During the mid-1980s the company saw another new departure from its normal operations and the beginning of a decade long relationship with the VLCC market, which served to further expand the company’s experience.

Today CNCo represents the deep-sea shipping arm of the Swire Group with its headquarters located in Singapore where its operating divisions, Swire Shipping, Swire Bulk and Swire Bulk Logistics are managed. It remains most active in the Asia-Pacific region and provides dry bulk, liner shipping and bulk logistics services to customers globally.

Recently the company’s actions have been in response to challenging market conditions and innovations in vessel design. During the fourth quarter of 2011, Swire Bulk was established to focus on the Handysize sector to take advantage of market cycles and incorporate progressive vessel design to own and operate the most efficient fleet of modern bulk carriers.

The Handysize class of vessel represents the

Profile: The China Navigation Company

Wuchow - CNCo newbuilding supervision team at Chengxi Shipyard

most numerically common class of bulk carrier owing to their flexibility and ability to enter smaller ports. Although lacking the size of their Handymax counterparts, Handysize vessels offer their owners greater accessibility and reach and can also be fitted with cranes to enable efficient unloading at port. In addition to eight S Class (31k dwt) and four Chief Class (22k dwt) multi-purpose vessels, CNCo has ordered 20 Deltamarin designed BDelta (40k dwt) Handysize vessels for delivery between 2013-2015. Of these, the first vessel expected for delivery is the Wuchang, which was delivered on 18th October 2013. Additionally, CNCo maintains options for further vessels should they be required.

All of the new builds will be fitted with Wartsila engines, a decision which has been made due to the efficient performance of these engines at low power. CNCo believes that slow steaming, or eco-steaming, will remain an important feature in dry bulk and liner markets in coming years and is keen to best position its fleet to embrace market trends and take advantage of the new environment. As well as its main base in Singapore, Swire Bulk operates offices in Australia and New Zealand to allow it to focus on activities in the Pacific and a third regional office

in London will be established in November 2013 to focus on customers in the Atlantic market.

Complementing its fleet expansion and Handysize development, the company recently increased its minority shareholding in Polynesia Line to become to sole owner of the company.

Commenting on the acquisition, CNCo managing director Tim Blackburn says: “Polynesia Line is a logical fit within Swire Shipping’s expanding liner network in the Pacific Islands and provides market leading services between North America, Tahiti and the Samoas.

“We are delighted to have Polynesia Line on board within the Swire Shipping network to provide our customers with the most comprehensive network of liner services in the South Pacific.”

Operating under its motto ‘Esse Quam Videri’, meaning to be, rather than seem to be, CNCo is determined to move forward while maintaining the values of its parent, the Swire Group. Continuity, endeavour, excellence, humility, integrity and teamwork all represent cornerstones in how the business operates and conducts it activities. Throughout the remainder of 2013 the company is committed to completing the delivery of its yearly business

plan, which is designed to support the longterm vision of the company outlined in its Vision 2020 project. This can be specifically broken down into five strategic objectives; operational excellence, winning customer relationships, financial success, enduring partnerships and happy team. CNCo is focused on meeting operational milestones that it set out to reach at the beginning of the year and is progressing well to meet its targets.

Commenting on the company’s transition to be fit for the future, Tim says: “Our vision is to be the leading provider of sustainable shipping solutions and our customers’ partner of choice.

“There is no doubt that we are operating in difficult times, but we are fortunate to be operating in the world’s most exciting economies. We remain committed to growth but, above all, to sustainable growth.” v

The China Navigation Company www.chinanav.com • Sustainable shipping solutions • Specific focus on Asia-Pacific region • Significant fleet investment

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 21

22 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

Profile: Stolt-Nielsen

Tanked

up Mercurius Shipbuilding After a careful tender process, Stolt-Nielsen ordered two newbuilding inland waterway chemical tankers in 2010 from Mercurius. These ships were designed and build, tailor-made based on the specific requests from Stolt-Nielsen. At that time, Stolt-Nielsen and Mercurius already had a long-term partnership with each other, as Mercurius operates various chemical tankers in the fleet of Stolt-Nielsen, both with coated tanks and with stainless steel tanks.

INOX Surface Treatment For more than 20 years, INOX has been ‘The Specialist’ in surface treatment of stainless steel and carbon steel.

It is located in Rotterdam and Shanghai, in order to offer worldwide services for new building ships, ships in service and ships in dock.

It is your partner to directly solve corrosion problems by in-house specialists with equipment and chemicals, or to supervise ship’s crew using ship’s equipment.

INOX’s annual inspection of cargo tanks should be in the scope of every chemical tanker owner.

“S

tolt Tankers recently had its third quarter earnings statement, which showed the third quarter was up again compared to the second quarter; we are making steady progress and results are getting better. For the first time in three years we recorded a profitable month in August, which is positive, and our contracts are all progressing well. The market is improving, albeit slowly,” says Hans Feringa, president of Stolt Tankers.

Previously in Shipping & Marine magazine in April 2013, the shipping arm of Oslo-listed StoltNielsen Limited (SNL) has continued to enjoy a steady flow of work through its contracts with major global chemical and petrochemical firms such as Shell, Exxon, Chevron and BP during the economic downturn. By focusing on its three core areas of safety, energy management and port time management, the company can meet the most stringent demands of its global customer base as well as all local and international regulatory requirements.

“Because we always want to improve our safety record and ensure there are no incidents or accidents, we have a high focus on safety. It really is the most important thing to us, so a lot of emphasis goes on that. Our second focus is on energy management; fuel is expensive and we consume a lot, so we are making every effort through speed and consumption, planning and maintenance for short-term goals in reducing fuel.

However, our longer-term focus is on the design of more energy efficient ships that will deliver significantly lower consumption. Finally, our ships are spending too much time in port, so we are working with our customers to improve this,” highlights Hans.

Aside from the mutual commitment to health, safety and quality within the SNL divisions, there is an element of complementary integration to ensure ongoing operational improvements; particularly between Stolt Tankers and Stolthaven Terminals, which have joined forces to combine the latter’s global network of high efficiency bulkliquid terminals and Stolt Tanker’s sophisticated

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 23

Profile: Stolt-Nielsen fleet of 150 vessels. Reducing port time and increasing efficiency is a core strategic focus for Stolt Tankers, especially since deep-sea parcel tankers spend one-third of each voyage loading and unloading in ports. Through this unity, Stolt Tankers has more control over the tanker/terminal interface and thus has a significant competitive advantage in meeting customer requirements.

The operation of sophisticated deep-sea, regional, coastal and inland parcel tankers by Stolt Tankers is one of the firm’s three largest subsidiaries alongside Stolthaven Terminals and Stolt Tank Containers (STC). Stolt Sea Farm (SSF), Stolt Bitumen Resources (SBS) and StoltNielsen Gas make up the rest of the portfolio.

Responsible for the regional European Inland Tanker fleet, Stolt-Nielsen Inland Tanker Service (SNITS) is the leading inland shipping firm in the chemical market. “With a fleet of 26 stainless steel and ten coated chemical inland vessels, SNITS operates in the ARA area, the Rhine River and adjacent canals, thus covering the entire north-west European waterway network,” explains Frank Maerckaert, general manager at SNITS. “Our main focus is on the chemical market with products that require special handling expertise and knowledge. Some vessels are operated on dedicated trades whilst the majority of the fleet handles more than 200 different products, with an average of 100 voyages per year per vessel. Our priority is on offering our customers a quality performance, whereby safety has top priority.”

Headquartered in Switzerland, SNITS was established in the early 1990s when SNL decided to construct five stainless steel inland vessels to offer its customers an additional service to pickup or deliver overseas cargo from and to inland destinations as well as optimising the rotation

of the deep-sea fleet when calling at the port of Antwerp and Rotterdam. To expand the inland shipping business, SNL strategically acquired a number of firms throughout the 1990s, of which the purchase of Swiss based inland shipping company Hamburger Lloyd in 1997 was the most significant.

Dedicated to operational excellence, SNL as a whole believes in continuous improvement in operations through teamwork and education, a commitment that is at the core of all staff that work in the firm’s divisions. “As part of the Stolt-Nielsen organisation, we focus a lot on the training of our crew and harbour the same attitude and principles in our shipping operations. It is a competitive market, so you

really have to focus on safety and quality through professionalism,” highlights Frank. “We invest a significant amount of money and manpower to train our crew, with safety awareness, knowledge and expertise just a few of our trademarks.

However, our customers, such as BASF, Shell, and BP, also choose SNITS for its flexibility. With a variety of stainless steel and coated vessels, at a capacity between 800 tonnes and 6000 tonnes, all contract requirements are executed to the charterers’ full satisfaction. On top of this, we can meet last minute changes and special requests.”

To further maintain a quality service to its customers, SNITS added two fully owned stainless steel new-builds to its fleet in 2012, with

THE Kooiman GROUP The Kooiman Group is a modern all-round group of companies in the marine sector, capable of developing complete designs, build and outfit any kind of sea and river going vessel. Its products range from sea going dredgers and multipurpose workboats to river going dry cargo ships and duplex tankers, but its main focus is on custom build projects. With its wellequipped facilities and pipe manufacturing, electrical and carpentry workshops, it can offer solutions to a variety of challenges.

The group’s main dry docking facilities are with Scheepswerf Kooiman and Shipyard Hoebee, where last year a complete new slipway was installed, which is capable of dry docking the biggest inland waterway vessels for maintenance and repairs.

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 25

Profile: Stolt-Nielsen

Maas Marine & Industrial Equipment Maas Marine & Industrial Equipment provides a wide range of high quality marine equipment. The company can draw on a long experience in the marine industry. For many years it has been the key supplier of tank cleaning systems onboard Stolt vessels. The Scanjet installations are tailor made to meet Stolt’s specific needs backed up by 24/7 service. Being a member of the Scanjet group, Maas supplies directly from manufacturer to customer. This way it can assure the highest quality at low cost.

26 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

both vessels wholly built in Serbia by Mercurius Scheepvart. First agreed in 2010, the SNITS expansion plan was completed with the arrival of the time charter tanker Justina, which began operating in May, and the second owned new building Stolt Merwede, which was delivered in mid 2012. Continuously looking to adapt its fleet to market requirements, this strategic move has positioned SNITS as one of the leading owner/ operators of stainless steel vessels.

Looking ahead, the forward thinking company is preparing for changes in legislation regarding all liquid products being shipped in double

hulled vessels as well as regulations coming into place for sulphur emissions and ballast water over the coming years. “We have a number of single hulls in our deep-sea fleet that are being phased out in the next year or two, so we are ahead of the game in that respect. However, there are other regulations that are challenging to everyone; for example the US is looking to deal with ballast water in a different way to the rest of the world, which is very confusing. There are also regulations regarding sulphur, which should be taken out of the refinery so lower sulphur fuel is provided; it would cost a fortune if all ships had to have a scrubber or a similar product on them,” explains Hans. Despite these upcoming challenges, SNL and its divisions have the fleet, expertise and reputation to maintain its leading position in the chemical market. v

Stolt-Nielsen www.stolt-nielsen.com • Global leader in the transport of bulk-liquid • Sophisticated tanker fleet • Expanding fleet in 2014-2015

Profile: Konecranes Lift Trucks

Lifting

businesses

A

t the heart of many companies’ lifting set-up is Konecranes Lift Trucks AB – a fitting accolade for a business which itself has been dedicated to lift trucks ever since its first delivery in 1959. Originally operating under the name Silverdalens Mekaniska Verkstad (SMV), the company became part of Konecranes in 2004 and subsequently saw its name change to Konecranes Lift Trucks. In the years before, production has been moved from the east coast of Sweden to Markaryd in the south, with a second facility opened in Lingang, China in 2007.

After almost a decade as part of Konecranes, sales and marketing manager Patrik Lundbäck describes how this has benefited the business: “Konecranes is a Finnish crane company so there is no conflict between our offerings. Instead we complete the portfolio so it’s been a very good match for the company. Most of our production is going on export, with sales to over 100 countries around the world so we are a truly global company.”

Equally widespread is the number of industries that Konecranes Lift Trucks’ equipment is found in. In

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 27

Although we’re very much a global company, we place a great deal of importance on the individual local markets as well - being close to the customer and having a strong network for support and aftersales

essence, the company can supply to any sector with a heavy lift requirement such as the paper and pulp market, sawmills, steel industry, and intermodal segment. Perhaps its biggest market though is the port and maritime industry.

The range of products offered by Konecranes Lift Trucks is focused on three main lines; forklift trucks, container handlers, and reach stackers. The company’s aim is to build the hardest-working, longest-lasting heavy-duty lift trucks in the world. To this end because everything is designed and built in-house there are very few limits on the size and capacity of the equipment, and Konecranes Lift Trucks continuously refines its designs based on feedback.

To date Konecranes Lift Trucks has delivered forklift trucks from ten tonnes lifting capability up to 65 tonnes.

Smart technology and excellent craftsmanship mean that not only are the company’s lift trucks known for their strength, reliability, and performance, but that they also offer a lower total cost of ownership. “We put a lot of effort and budget into research and development,” notes Patrik. “As such there’s been a lot of innovation within the business such as the world’s largest barge handler, and the first hybrid reach stacker. All of our customers heavily use our equipment, sometimes literally 24/7, which means high uptime is a critical focus in this development.

“Other drivers are safety, and fuel efficiency, which in turn helps reduce costs. Also related to fuel is the issue of emission levels, which is another area our customers are focused on due to environmental regulations. The other major change is that in the past a customer may lift one paper roll or a 25-tonne coil, now they are lifting four rolls and 30-tonnes. There’s a move towards needing equipment with a much higher payload to increase productivity,” he continues.

It’s some of these developments that have made Konecranes Lift Trucks unique within the lift truck sector. The recent launch of the SMV 4531 TB5 HLT hybrid reach stacker for container handling is one key example.

Built around a diesel/electric driveline, hydraulic lifting system and super capacitor system for electrical energy storage, this lift truck reduces diesel consumption and emissions by up to 30 per cent. In turn it can lift up to 45 tonnes, and has improved acceleration and lifting response.

The cost and environmental benefits are achieved by electrifying all flows of energy through the hybrid technology. Propulsion and lifting are powered by electric motors, whilst the energy generated by braking and load lowering is recovered and stored for re-use later. This is made possible through the super capacitor system, which is in turn connected to the truck’s electrics.

It also helps to boost the diesel-powered electrical generator at times of peak power demand.

“Another development we have launched in recent months is the TRUCONNECT remote monitoring and reporting for lift trucks system,” highlights Patrik. “This enables the fleet manager to track the real usage of their fleet through a remote connection, including safety alerts, general performance and fuel

28 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

Profile: Konecranes Lift Trucks

consumption. It also highlights maintenance and servicing intervals, and identifies where operator training could improve safety and productivity.”

With products in many different markets, Konecranes Lift Trucks is perhaps further removed from the individual ebbs and flows of these industries than some. Such changes are still of keen interest to the business though in allowing it to put some focus onto those markets showing signs of growth. This is particularly important given the high degree of uncertainty that still remains for many following the financial crisis.

“We’re preparing for the future by continuing our focus on R&D,” concludes Patrik. “Although

we’re very much a global company, we place a great deal of importance on the individual local markets as well - being close to the customer and having a strong network for support and aftersales. This is something that we continue to pursue for the coming years.” v

Konecranes Lift Trucks www.kcllifttrucks.com • Heavy lift experts • Innovative product development • Close to customer

Parker Hannifin With annual sales of $13 billion in fiscal year 2013, Parker Hannifin is the world’s leading diversified manufacturer of motion and control technologies and systems, providing precision-engineered solutions for a wide variety of mobile, industrial and aerospace markets. The company employs approximately 58,000 people in 49 countries around the world.

Parker has increased its annual dividends paid to shareholders for 57 consecutive fiscal years, among the top five longestrunning dividend-increase records in the S&P 500 index.

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 29

Technical

opportunities

B

ased in the Netherlands, De Keizer has specialised in the installation of custom electrotechnical systems in superyachts and ships since 1965.

The company designs, builds and installs sophisticated computerised security systems and complex monitoring and control systems in the maritime sector, and also possesses extensive knowledge and experience in the field of entertainment and control systems.

A prime example of this is the work the company is doing on the MY Golden Age, a vessel that is due for completion in April 2015.

De Keizer is one of Hakvoort’s prime co-makers on this contract, and is responsible for the complete overall electrical installation onboard.

AMCS DekaSis will be, as system integrator, a key element of this prestigious Hakvoort new built.

The MY Golden Age is a 61-metre superyacht, which will feature a carefully considered balance of indoor and outdoor spaces. One of the most striking features will be the positioning of the four guest suites and VIP stateroom on the main deck, ensuring that all

124 30 -- www.shippingandmarine.co.uk www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

guests have superb views. The main deck will also be home to a large dining room and lounge, with the owners’ accommodation housed on a dedicated private deck above. This extra deck will comprise the master stateroom forward with two bathrooms, a master study and a bar with sky lounge. Above will be the bridge deck with wheelhouse and a range of facilities for the captain, with the rest of the crew also being very well catered for on the lower deck. In addition to four crew cabins forward, there will be an additional cabin on the lower deck for a nanny, pilot or masseur. The latter will undoubtedly be impressed with the dedicated massage room and the lower deck will also feature a hammam and a steam shower in the spacious lazarette. Two large tenders will be launched from both port and starboard. Add in the sun deck with a 3x2 metre swimming pool and this is clearly going to be a magnificent superyacht in every sense. The interior and exterior will come from the drawing boards of Sinot Yacht Design and reflect a classic contemporary style. Naval architecture, construction and engineering design for this project will be by Diana Yacht Design, which has been given the

brief to optimise technical accessibility and keep maintenance requirements to a minimum.

The De Keizer DekaSis system, which will feature on the MY Golden Age, is a decentralised AMC (alarm, monitoring and control) system. DekaSis is a custom built, userfriendly interface for more onboard comfort with an automatic back-up system that allows clients to operate their systems from various locations via DVI Touch Screens.

De Keizer developed the decentralised system to save cables and thus weight, and increase flexibility during and after construction.

Creating redundancy was a key issue. The PCs, PLCs and network are all redundant. This means that the underlying system automatically takes over in case of failure in one system. It also reduces fuel consumption and peak loads, and creates more space on the bridge.

Thanks to the decentralised layout, clients can add equipment or functionalities to the system after it has been delivered. Touchscreens enable the redesign of control elements without actually having to add new switches in the already finished interior or control panels. The industrially sorted computers use two compact

Profile: De Keizer Marine Engineering

flash memory cards that, unlike hard discs, are shockproof. DekaSis components have been certified by the major maritime classification societies such as Lloyds, ABS, GL and DNV. DekaSis was developed in-house by De Keizer’s R&D department, which is constantly on the lookout for new solutions and improvements for existing systems. The result of this approach has led to the development, alongside DekaSis, of the DekaSmartGrid and the KVM switch.

The DekaSmartGrid is an intelligent solution that consists of technology and software to optimise the use of power onboard.

Superyachts use generators that rarely work to their best in a conventional setup. The DekaSmartGrid ensures that they are used more efficiently and that any surplus power generated is stored in batteries for use later. This results in lower fuel consumption, while the generators will not suffer from the build-up of soot – enhancing the performance and lifespan of the generators.

The DekaSmartGrid therefore ensures that a yacht generates power efficiently, which reduces operational costs and benefits the environment.

Additionally, the system saves space due to smaller generators and an easier installation of the batteries. The DekaSmartGrid is also able to support the share connection and considerably reduce electricity costs in port by using the battery. As a stand-alone system it also enhances user-friendliness, reduces smoke and exhaust emissions, and increases the options for silent periods.

De Keizer developed an optical KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse) Switch in close cooperation with IHSE. The design of the KVM switch is a combination of its years of nautical experience and IHSE’s knowledge of video switching technologies. It provides access to computers from multiple locations onboard a yacht, allowing users to monitor and check the radar, CCTV and AMCS as well as use the navigation system. The fibre optical systems ensure that De Keizer can guarantee perfect

picture quality and high speed. Unlike analogue signals via copper cables, which are sensitive to interference, the fibre optical systems allow the transfer of digital video and USB signals over distances of up to ten kilometres without loss or distortion.

It is clear that De Keizer highly values innovation in its mission to make unlimited technical opportunities possible for superyachts.

However, the technological side of the company is supported by a comprehensive service

department, which is also known as ‘the guys in red’. This team is always ready to support clients and their crew anywhere in the world.

The performance of a superyacht relies on regular professional maintenance and the right support at the right time - De Keizer’s experienced, international 24/7-operating service team is always available, whenever and wherever it is needed. This is why ‘the guys in red’ are known throughout the superyacht world.

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 31

Profile: De Keizer Marine Engineering Entertainment When a customer orders a vessel worthy of the title ‘superyacht’, he wants the perfect combination of looks, performance, and style.

One of the major components of the impact of a vessel is the entertainment on board and this is another area where De Keizer excels.

The company designs an entertainment set-up by listening to a client’s ideas and developing a system that exceeds their expectations. Entertainment, lighting, IT, climate control; all of these can integrate into one of its control systems - it understands that onboard entertainment is a total experience, and that it must meet the highest personal demands.

As a result, each client request is a new challenge for the entertainment and control designers. Examples of previous assignments include complete outdoor cinemas that can be enjoyed while lying in the pool; the largest television screens concealed in ceilings or furniture; or a dance floor that consists entirely

of coloured fields that bring the yacht to life as the party gets underway.

These and other individual demands can be integrated within a user-friendly interface such as an iPad. This allows a client to control all functions via a single screen from anywhere on their yacht. If so desired, this feature can also be developed for other guests onboard.

De Keizer is also skilled in the latest applications of, for instance, modern 3D televisions, or the oculus technology; the Google Earth for yachts which shows the course being charted by the captain.

When considering the amazing array of vessels that feature De Keizer technology and the fascinating market in which it works, it is no surprise to learn that the Discovery Channel wanted to make a television series about this industry. De Keizer was a part of the series called ‘Superyachts’, which was broadcast on the Discovery Channel, and took a look at the Dutch yacht building industry. It gave insight into

Santon Circuit Breaker Services Santon Circuit Breaker Services B.V. is specialist in the field of supplying, maintaining and replacing of circuit breakers in existing installations. Santon offers a Sidunn conversion set for almost any type of circuit breaker, which makes it possible to replace old circuit breakers for new ones in just a few hours.

Santon Circuit Breaker Services is the partner for all your circuit breakers.

32 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

some of the world’s largest and most impressive superyachts, and over six episodes, Discovery Channel followed the Dutch luxury yachting industry, its leading characters, and it showed the innovation, technology and design behind this exclusive industry.

A century of shipbuilding, traditional values of craftsmanship, the latest technologies and the finest equipment are all ingredients for what turned out to be a spectacular and exclusive series about the industry and its pursuit of perfection in luxury ship building. v

De Keizer Marine Engineering www.dekeizermarine.com • Passion for electrical systems in luxury yacht building • Aims to be leader in leader in maritime electrical engineering • Activities take place in close consultation with owners and yard

Profile: Alma Maritime/Empire Navigation

A new

A

lma Maritime was founded in 2008 by chief executive officer and chairman Stamatis Molaris with the goal of providing exceptional services to the crude oil, clean product and dry bulk carrier sectors. From 2005 until April 2008, Mr Molaris served as chief executive officer, president and a member of the board of directors at Quintana Maritime Limited, before serving as CEO and director of NYSE-listed dry bulk firm Excel Maritime Carriers in April 2008 following the sale of Quintana Maritime Limited to Excel. Mr Molaris retained the position of CEO and director of Excel Maritime Limited until the merger of the two firms was successfully completed. Boasting a rich level of expertise in the shipping industry, Mr Molaris previously served as chief financial officer and director of Stelmar Shipping Limited from August 1993 until January 2005.

With a comprehensive knowledge of the shipping industry behind it, the international firm was established to provide reliable, efficient and responsible transportation services in a manner that will result in long-term, returning customers.

Keen to focus on ownership, Alma Maritime established a subsidiary for fleet management,

empire

Empire Navigation Inc. in 2009; comprised of an efficient, professional and highly experienced team of shipping specialists. Empire currently manages a fleet of modern vessels that includes five Capesize bulk carriers, four double hull Suezmax tankers, six handysize vessels and an impressive eight product tankers; seven of which were acquired following Singapore-based firm FR8 exiting the ship owning sector in September 2012.

The vessels included FR8 Venture, a 2006 model at 74,065 dwt, FR8 Endurace (2007/50,655 dwt), FR8 Pride (2006/74,035 dwt), FR8 Reginamar (2004/70,312 dwt), FR8 Endeavour (2006/50,546 dwt), Stena FR8 1 (2007/46,846 dwt) and the FR8 Fortitude, (2007/46,763 dwt). With a previous fleet capacity of more than 1.5 million, Empire operates a fleet of two and a half million mark. The new vessels were smoothly integrated into Empire Navigation’s existing fleet and have enabled the firm’s continued growth, progression and increased performance.

Mr Molaris discusses the company’s developments since it last appeared in Shipping and Marine magazine in December 2012: “Empire Navigation’s fleet has expanded over the last 12 months. In view of its growth and in order to be able to keep providing specialised services the dry bulk carriers of the company’s fleet were

transferred to a newly established company – Empire Bulkers Ltd. This expansion has resulted in both companies’ increasing office personnel and more dedicated professionals joining the team in order to keep up with the standards we have introduced since Empire Navigation started its operations three years ago.”

Located in Gylfada, Athens, Empire Navigation’s objective is to manage modern ships that operate in wet and dry cargo markets, and as a manager of such ships, it is committed to maintaining a high standard of safety and quality in all operations. When first established, the organisation designed a Safety Management system in order to meet all relevant requirements of ISO 9001-2000 (Quality), ISO 14001-2004 (Environment) and TMSA; it was certified by ABS in August 2009. Empire Navigation retains a policy to promote and enhance health and safety at sea, in order to prevent human injury or loss of life and avoid any adverse impact on the environment. In order to implement its health, safety management and environmental protection policy effectively, the company follows a number of rules, such as frequently inspecting and auditing its vessels, carrying out necessary maintenance and repairs and

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 33

Profile: Alma Maritime/Empire Navigation

Global Seaways Global Seaways is a leading crew management & maritime training group of companies with strategically established offices worldwide. It is maintaining more than 100 vessels and employing more than 3000 seafarers under its management.

All of its company members have obtained ISO 9001:2008 as well as MLC 2006 certification. Global is proud to contribute to Alma Maritime’s continuous success.

appointing dedicated personnel to be responsible for maintaining health, safety and environmental matters. A member of major marine associations including Intertanko, Bimco, OCIMF and Helmepa, the company is headed by Mr Nikolaos Arkadis, who boasts a plethora of shipping knowledge and more than 30 years experience in the industry.

Focused on safety, environmental protection and high quality services to charterers and third parties since its inception, Empire Navigation’s dedication to excellence has led to long-term business relationships with agents, suppliers, yards and other parties. Keen to optimise performance through fleet expansion, this development has also inevitably changed the company’s market place and grown its customer base. “The different types and sizes of vessels in Empire Navigation and Empire Bulkers are now part of different segments of the tramp market,” says Mr Molaris. “New charterers have employed our newly acquired vessels while we have reinforced the commercial bonds with our existing charterers. All of our charters for both the wet and the dry fleet are with first class, reputable charterers.”

Despite the market remaining challenging within the shipping industry, the company has already benefited from the largest ‘distressed’ deal in the tanker market, therefore viewing periods of crisis as a time of opportunity. “There are encouraging signs of improvement in certain sectors, but it remains to be seen if this improvement has legs. As always, the periods of crisis are also periods of opportunity, as distressed deals can be pursued by those who had acted prudently before the crisis and are in the position to take advantage of the low part of the shipping circle,” explains Mr Molaris. “We are always interested in further expanding our fleet and business when the right opportunity arises for a potential profitable product.”

Moving forward, the main focus for Empire Navigation is to optimise its charter mix and manage its sector exposure by retaining a balanced range of crude oil and product product tankers as well as dry bulk carriers for commodity producers and consumers in the shipping industry. Furthermore, it will expand on the management’s successful chartering relationships with leading customers in the dry bulk and tanker markets, an area in which the company hopes to become the first choice for quality services in the coming years. “Our aim is to not only maintain the high quality of services that we have offered since our inception, but to improve as well. Looking ahead at the next few years, it is our goal to keep improving in every aspect of our business and to further expand,” concludes Mr. Molaris. v

Alma Maritime/ Empire Navigation www.almamaritime.com • Young, high quality fleet • Focus on long-term charters • Fleet managed by subsidiary ‘Empire Navigation’

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 35

New

thinking

I

n relation to other ports around the globe, Nemport is a newcomer compared to its contemporaries.

However, far from being a hindrance, the port’s youth has enabled it to make a dynamic and forward thinking entry into the market. The development of the Nemport Project began in 1999 after the Heris family, owners of Akdeniz Chemistry, began to look into the possibility of importing liquid raw material via their own port.

As captain Oguz Tumis, managing director elaborates: “Akdeniz Chemistry began to look for a suitable area in which to construct a terminal and found a promising location in Nemrut Bay in Aliaga-Izmir. While the company struggled with the authorities to get the necessary permissions for operations, they assessed the feasibility of introducing the liquid import business to the port. However, it found that the location was not satisfactory for liquid

124 36 -- www.shippingandmarine.co.uk www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

import but was instead very promising for the container business.

“As a sector leader within Turkey, Akdeniz Chemistry had large amounts of container shipment in both import and export. Because of the unbearable congestion in Izmir Port, the company decided to construct a container terminal instead of a bulk liquid terminal in which it could handle its own containers without any problems. Additionally it could also serve other customers suffering from the similar problems in Izmir Port.”

After a lengthy period of construction and consultation with local authorities the first cargo vessel called into Nemport Container Terminal in October 2009. Since that time the port has displayed a flexible, forward thinking approach that has made it an important service provider for the main container liners calling into Izmir.

The port is the first private container terminal in

Profile: Nemport

the Aegean Region, operating with an annual capacity of 450,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU’s). It also boasts a number of features that make it an attractive destination compared to state-run ports in the area. Nemport Logistics also runs an off-dock railway within close proximity to the port, which supports its operations. This allows Nemport to provide an excellent, cost-effective transport solution for customers using the railway. Complimenting its logistics service, the port is able to provide unrivaled storage options to its customers through the use of its A Grade General bonded warehouse, as Oguz explains: “Situated within the terminal itself the warehouse provides lots of advantages to both importers and exporters as it is not common for the container terminals in Turkey to have this kind of warehouse. When

Terex Port Solutions Nemport is a leading terminal operator and operates five Terex® Gottwald harbour cranes in its Aliaga terminal. The Terex® Gottwald harbour cranes for Nemport offer greater handling advantages when servicing large container vessels thanks to its specially adapted geometry of boom length, boom pivot point and viewing height of the operator cab.

These cranes, including more than 70 other Terex® Gottwald cranes in Turkey that are serviced ‘around the clock’ by Terex Port Solutions’ long-standing representative Eksen Makina, enjoy excellent availability and productivity with competitive operational costs. Also, more than 85 per cent of the Generation 5 Terex® Gottwald cranes delivered to Turkey since 2006 feature an integrated external power feeding system to help save costs.

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 37

Profile: Nemport

Although the terminal is almost four years old, in terms of service quality Nemport is pretty ahead of many terminals in Turkey the customers wish to store goods inside the warehouse and strip the containers, they inform the terminal before the vessel arrives. We discharge the containers from the vessel and carry them directly in front of the warehouse, because the warehouse is not outside of the port customers pay no extra transportation cost and terminal handling fees.

“Besides that, the goods can be stored in the warehouse without a time limitation until the customs clearance is settled. According to the Turkish customs rules the goods can stay in the terminal for a maximum of 45 days. If the customs procedures are not over within that time, the goods are confiscated. Ultimately, the warehouse allows the port to offer extended storage solutions in a cost-effective manner.”

Another differentiating factor for Nemport is that its services and equipment portfolio are undertaken in an environmentally friendly way. All of its quayside cranes are run by electric power and the port operated the first electrically powered rubber-tired gantry cranes (E-RTGs) in Turkey.

Similarly electric forklifts are used in all of the port’s container freight station (CFS) and warehouse operations. Commenting on the port’s environmental commitments Oguz says: “Nemport is very environmentally friendly. Electricity has lower carbon emissions than diesel oil and terminal equipment has minimum noise level when they run by electricity, which is why it is always the preferred option in the port’s operations. There is also a waste treatment facility inside the terminal, where waste like sludge, bilge water, wastewater and other solid wastes are collected from the vessels and treated safely. The terminal has been certificated with ISO 14001, as well as ISO 9001 and OHSAS 18001. In the very near future the intention is to apply to Turkish Ministry of Transportation, Maritime Affairs and Communication to be a ‘Green Port.’”

Nemport is also heavily focused on developing its internal systems as well as reaching out and engaging with its customers. It has developed its own terminal operation software, which has been developed to be flexible and highly configurable to allow the system to be used to quickly and effectively address clients’ needs. To further ensure that the port is able to effectively service its customers, its marketing team visits operators regularly to gain feedback and explore any problems, needs or requirements.

Moving into the future, Nemport is committed to further developing its use of environmentally friendly energy by taking advantage of the regions steady wind and year round sunshine and moving in renewable energy. A wind power station is planned within the terminal as well as a series of solar panels and walls. Concluding on the port’s energy commitments and future Oguz says: “Although the terminal is almost four years old, in terms of service quality Nemport is pretty ahead of many terminals in Turkey. However, we intend to continue to invest to satisfy our customers’ needs, develop new technologies, to reduce energy consumption and energy related costs and to increase the productivity of the terminal by having and operating a highly reliable and available equipment park.” v

38 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

Nemport www.nemport.com.tr • New port facility • Advanced port facilities • Environmental focus

Profile: Nordhavn

Customised

solutions

W

ith more than 60 years of experience in the specialised supply of diesel engines such as gensets, diesel generators, emergency power and emergency gensets, Nordhavn AS has grown a wide customer base in the marine, industrial and offshore sectors. “We were originally known for competitive sets for propulsion, gensets and emergency gensets for marine vessels of all sizes, from fishing boats to super tankers,” explains Soren Rasmussen, service director at Nordhavn AS. “Today, we have brought these accumulated qualities ashore, where diesel engines and competencies are translated into modern gensets, emergency gensets and industrial diesel engine applications.

The move into new industries was a natural development that benefits from the support,

expertise and innovation that we have obtained through 60 years of working with customers and partners at sea.”

As a strong supplier of propulsion units and complete marine installations, Nordhavn AS co-operates with staff at all levels inside a shipyard, from ship owners, consulting naval architects and harbour workshops to ensure projects result in complete satisfaction; on top of this, its sales department is fully prepared to offer further information in relation to products.

Through offering products, concepts and support that covers the complete process of diesel installations from beginning to end, Nordhavn AS delivers total solutions, as Soren highlights: “We are at your service with the entire pallet, from projecting to the installation of large, complex applications. Our technicians and specialists are responsible for the design, installation and

implementation of our products, while our service team ensures everything runs optimally once the installation is in place.”

Delivering solutions to major firms such as Maersk, Tidewater, the Danish Navy, A2SEA and Northern Offshore Service over the past 60 years, the ISO 9001 certified Nordhavn AS has the expertise, flexibility and commitment to compliance to work within the stringent naval and offshore industries. “We are able to customise our products to suit customer requirements from design and installation to the efficient delivery of one single spare part. Each time a customised solution is required, the project is demanding because we have to understand what the customer is asking for and from that work out what the best solution is. The challenge is for all products to integrate with each other to ensure a successful complete package is the

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 39

40 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

Profile: Nordhavn

Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands.

Committed to developing long-term, open working relationships with its partners, Nordhavn AS began distribution for Scania in 1959, more than 50 years on this relationship is still going strong. Furthermore, its relationship with Valmet, now Sisu, has been developing positively since 1970, while its workshop for JCB was finalised in 2008.

Having earned a proven track record in establishing positive partnerships, Nordhavn AS’s service department, Nordhavn Marine Service, recently became the official distributor for Twin Disc in Denmark, Greenland and The Faroe Islands. “In the past we have had a very good relationship with Twin Disc when offering the complete propulsion package,” says Soren.

“However, now that we have the distribution deal in house, we will be more flexible and efficient in satisfying customer demand.”

end result,” says Soren. “In relation to emission regulations within the marine industry, all of our engine brands are already focused on this, and are therefore ahead of the game. Nordhavn AS is very up-to-date in what happens when regulations join together with the demands of classification societies; each regulation with each different classification is a challenge, as there are different demands based on the customers requirement and the rules of classification.”

TECHNOFLEX Technoflex was founded on April 24th 2006. Within the shortest time, Technoflex developed into a successful supplier for quality components for the marine and offshore market. The company aims to be your partner in business.

A notable project for the company involved the delivery of diesel engines for the Navy in Denmark’s new vessel Miljo 103, which is now the only ship in the Navy that is able to collect oil on extremely shallow water as low as under one metre, thus fulfilling an important need in oil pollution readiness. In addition, Nordhavn AS, in co-operation with Hvide Sande Skibs, delivered a special designed propulsion unit, which meets all of the requirements for the vessel, including minimal long-term costs through Scanias’s low fuel consumption engines.

Viewing the diesel engine as the beating heart of Nordhavn AS, the 100 per cent Danish owned company has entered into partnerships with a number of global leading motor manufacturers and has the sole agency rights of Scania, Agco Sisu Power (Sisu), Diesel and JCB in Denmark,

With a vast amount of attention on the offshore European market over recent years, the organisation’s strategic plans for the future involve expansion within this booming industry, as Soren concludes: “Our focus has been on the European offshore market over the past few years; however, as the offshore industry has developed increasingly we have begun to look at opportunities to expand our reach in this industry on a global scale.” v

Nordhavn AS www.nordhavn.dk/en • More than 60 years of experience in diesel engines • Partner of world leading motor manufacturers • Offers a complete solution

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 41

A handy

partner

F

ounded in 2009 Load Line Marine SA is a relatively young company, however in only a few short years it has proven itself to be an expansive and dynamic player within the dry bulk sector. Under the guidance of its founders, George Souravlas and Costis Calfoglou the company has continued to grow and operate in a market dominated by the effects of the economic downturn. Managing director George Souravlas and his team are able to offer extensive experience in ship and project management enabling the business to deliver world-class ship management services.

The company began managing its first vessel during January 2010; the M/V ‘Alpha’ was a reliable 28,000 DWT bulk carrier built by Hitachi in 1984. Following the success of this vessel, Load Line was encouraged to expand its fleet.

The company invested in the construction of two 34,000 DWT bulk carriers, which were constructed by the Korean Dae Sun Shipbuilding and Engineering shipyard. During June 2011 it took delivery of the M/V ‘Charlie’, which is equipped with four 36 tonne cranes.

During July 2012 the M/V ‘Delta’ arrived, further expanding Load Line Marine’s fleet and capability as George elaborates: “The M/V ‘Delta’ is a 34,000 DWT bulk carrier with electric cranes based on the innovative technology of frequency converters by ‘Cargotec.’ It also features a

124 42 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

shallow draft compared to many other vessels of similar capacity that enables her to operate in restricted draft ports, which are often found in emerging economies therefore expanding the vessel’s employment potential. Another advantage of the M/V ‘Delta’ is that she is equipped with propeller boss cap fins (PBCF) that have shown remarkable results in relation to fuel efficiency. The result is that she has commercial preference with many first class charterers worldwide and has already been chartered by Bunge Latinamerica LLC in the US, Ameropa AG

in Switzerland and D/S Norden A/S in Denmark.”

Handysize dry bulk carriers are most often used in transporting commodities to and from some of the world’s less developed markets where port infrastructure makes loading and discharge a far slower process meaning that the vessels spend less time at sea. The decision to choose Dae Sun Shipbuilding and Engineering to construct the M/V ‘Charlie’ and M/V ‘Delta’ sister ships was taken due to the yard’s experience in designs featuring exceptionally low drafts.

Another recent addition to the Load Line Marine fleet was in September 2013 when the M/V Foxtrot was delivered, a 35,000 DWT geared dry bulk carrier vessel, built in October 2012 by SPP Shipbuilding Co Ltd of South Korea.

Furthermore, by the end of October 2013, Load Line Marine is expecting the delivery of a significantly larger Supramax (Ultramax) dry bulk carrier, the M/V ‘Copenship Eco’ with a DWT of 64,000 by China’s Jiangsu Hantong Ship Heavy Industry shipyard. Expanding on the vessel’s capabilities George says: “One of the most remarkable features of this new vessel is that her optimised hull form and propulsion system offers a 17 per cent larger carrying capacity, while at the same time offering a 15 per cent lower fuel consumption rate than its 56,000 DWT competitors. This means that a combined advantage of over 25 per cent reduction of fuel costs is gained per tonne during transportation.

Profile: Load Line Marine

It is also believed that the vessel will demonstrate the highest technological standards for economy, reliability and durability as a result of choosing the best possible equipment makers available at the time.” Presently the company manages three modern bulk carrier vessels and is scanning the market for new opportunities.

The company’s commitment to modern, fuel efficient and technologically advanced vessels means that it is able to boast a competitive advantage that makes Load Line Marine the preferred ship management solution for charterers compared to vessels of similar carrying capacity. The M/V Copenship Eco for example, has already generated a lot of interest with Copenship A/S of Denmark offering the vessel a long-term charter with superior terms compared to current market rates.

Load Line Marine’s ships transport a diverse range of dry bulk cargos including grain, coal, fertilizers, minerals, steel products, sugar and cement. However, despite operating in a broad range of markets, 2012 proved to be a slow year for the dry bulk sector in general. This was due to droughts across the US, Russia and

Ukraine resulting in crop failure and substantially lower volumes of cargo than usual during a time of record new building deliveries. This placed incredible pressure on the dry bulk market during 2012 and early 2013. However, Load Line has remained buoyant and dynamic and is well placed to service the market as it begins to show signs of recovery during the latter part of 2013 and into 2014. Commenting on the current market and on the company’s strategy moving into 2014 George states: “During these challenging times, Load Line has managed to find ways to be more efficient and dynamic and has developed by forming long-term relationships.

Doric Shipbrokers Load Line Marine is a valued client of Doric Shipbrokers. The high standards of quality, professionalism and integrity found in Load Line Marine have been the catalyst of this association.

Doric Shipbrokers, an established dry cargo broker offering chartering and consultation services, is proud to be part of Load Line’s continued success.

By positioning itself with leading ship owners and cargo charterers, Doric Shipbrokers is able to offer discerning advice, as well as the efficient execution of ship and cargo transport brokering.

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 43

Profile: Load Line Marine

are recovering from the crisis. We therefore anticipate that the dry bulk shipping market will recover in 2014 to levels similar to those seen in 2010.”

As Load Line Marine continues to grow it is committed to expanding and building a fleet of modern, eco efficient and technologically advanced dry bulk carrier vessels of various size classes to provide a high level of quality services to charterers worldwide. Commenting on the vision that drives the company forward, George concludes: “Opportunities always arise if you keep your eyes wide open and they materialise with hard work and strong focus, despite adversities that may appear along the way.” v It has also invested in innovation, skillful human resource management and advanced technology.

“The poor shipping market and the near absence of shipping finance for new building projects has reduced the number of orders

price of steel in combination to the poor charter market has pushed many ship owners to consider demolition of older tonnage, especially those vessels that are less competitive due to high fuel consumption. Finally, the commodity

for new vessels, as a result many shipbuilders have closed down. Furthermore, the strong

transportation requirements are expected to rise as the American and European economies

44 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

Load Line Marine www.loadline.com • Dry bulk specialists • New handymax vessels • Growing, modern fleet

Profile: Port of Liverpool (Peel Ports Mersey Division) Port of Liverpool

Significant asset

T

he Peel Ports Group is strategically located to serve the whole of the United Kingdom. Five major gateways from Clydeport to Medway handle a broad spectrum of international trade amounting to more than 65 million tonnes of cargo a year.

At the centre of the country and the heart of the Group are the Port of Liverpool and the Manchester Ship Canal, a continuous water highway forming a single facility of major strategic and economic significance. The Port of Liverpool is one of the busiest and most diverse ports in the UK handling over 30 million tonnes of cargo every year. Operations in Liverpool account for two thirds of the group’s total trade, and diversity is a key strength. The main sectors for Liverpool include containers, bulk liquids, biomass, petrochemicals, grains, animal feed and steel along with lo-lo- and ro-ro.

Already a significant asset to the UK in general and Peel Ports in particular, the Port of Liverpool is set to become even more

important, when Liverpool2, Peel Ports’ £300 million landmark deep-water terminal, becomes operational in 2015.

Gary Hodgson, chief operating officer of Peel Ports, explained that Liverpool2 will allow much larger vessels to call directly at the Port of Liverpool, meaning shipping lines will be able to operate some of the world’s largest vessels in close proximity to the UK’s central logistics hub and a population of 35 million consumers within a radius of 150 miles.

“This is the region’s most important infrastructure project for a generation,” he said.

“Work has already started on the container terminal, which will enable some much bigger ships, with capacity of up to 13,500 TEU, to call directly at the Port of Liverpool.

“So far in excess of 136,000m3 of material has been dredged from the bed of the Mersey to create the necessary approach channel and 16.5 m berthing pocket, and approximately three million cubic metres of infill will be needed to create the planned new container area,

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 45

Port of Liverpool

alongside 15,000m of steel piles (329 circular steel tube piles in total) weighing in at around 20,000 tonnes, 230,000 square metres of new surfacing, 6100m of new crane rails and 3500m of new roads. Steel piling operations are just underway, and are likely to last for 12 months.

“The construction programme for Liverpool2 will also feature an 854 metre-long quay wall with some 30,000 cubic metres of concrete required for the capping beam. The project will require eight ship to shore cranes and 27 rail mounted gantry cranes, and around 2500m of new fencing.”

Gary continued: “Liverpool2 will enable companies once again to use vessels that call directly into the northern half of the UK (capacity at the Port of Liverpool is currently limited by the size of its Victorian locks). It is anticipated somewhere in the region of 100 million – 150 million miles of land based transport could be saved as a result of the development of Liverpool2.”

One company that has already transferred much of its cargo to Liverpool is Typhoo. By shipping through Liverpool, Typhoo will save in excess of a quarter of a million kilometres of

46 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

road transport and around 200t of CO2 over the next year or so.

Another major benefit for clients working with the Port of Liverpool is its strategic alliance with the Manchester Ship Canal (which was actually originally constructed by the merchants of Manchester expressly to bypass Liverpool).

This relationship has created an innovative and sustainable Green Highway Network, which seamlessly links Liverpool’s deep sea offering with a string of hubs along the Manchester Ship Canal, with 12 terminals handling over seven million tonnes of cargo.

In 2013 the Manchester Ship Canal container shuttle service will move in excess of 20,000 containers across a distance of 44 miles between the ports of Liverpool and Manchester.

That’s 20,000 fewer trucks making the journey to Manchester on the region’s road network.

As an illustration, trainers manufactured in the Far East can hit the shelves of the Trafford Centre with only a handful UK road miles in their supply chain. The carbon and cost benefits for customers are clear.

Gary added: “In 2013, 2500 TEU of containerised Kellogg cereal products will be

transported on the Manchester Ship Canal between the company’s manufacturing plant in Manchester and their international markets in Ireland and Iberia. The containerised product is transhipped at the Port of Liverpool onto shortsea services that operate to Dublin, Belfast and Bilbao.

“Their use of the shuttle service will equate to an 85 per cent reduction in road miles for the Liverpool to Manchester supply chain: a reduction of 40,000 road miles and 61 tonnes of CO2 in the coming year as they get products like Cornflakes and Rice Krispies into shopping baskets and onto breakfast tables.”

Such is the confidence that Peel Ports has in this Alliance that it is investing another £200 million in the development of a series of logistics hubs that will incorporate inland water, rail, major roads and warehousing solutions along the canal at Ports Bridgewater, Warrington and Salford which will add further capacity and benefits to the service.

“With ten motorways within ten miles of the water as well as on-site branch line connections to the West Coast Mainline, the Port of Liverpool and Manchester Ship Canal have unrivalled

Profile: Port of Liverpool (Peel Ports Mersey Division)

multimodal connectivity, and our assets in terms of the integration of the Manchester Ship Canal and the Port of Liverpool is one of our main strengths,” said Gary. “We can also provide a real diversity of commodities and capabilities, and added value services (whether provided by us or by partnering with third parties) enable us to provide differentiated offers to our customers, such as multi user/flexible warehousing, for example.”

Going forward, Gary and his team are not resting on their laurels and have more ambitious plans for the Port of Liverpool. In the short

term, these include entering into a partnership with Liverpool John Moores University and the City of Liverpool College to create the UK’s only low carbon SuperPort University Technical College (UTC). “Peel Ports wants its investment in Liverpool2 and the wider port estate to be sustainable,” explained Gary. “The UTC will operate with an employer-led curriculum and will specialise in maritime, low carbon and superport qualifications for 14-19 years olds alongside a mainstream curriculum.

“Our priorities include investing in people, as well as processes and technology. We’re

confident that we can continue to grow our market share in a number of our traditional sectors, and we also have some exciting plans in the automotive and renewables sectors, and we need to bring these to a point of being investable projects during the rest of 2013.”

He concluded: “With the investments we are making and planning over the next few years the Port of Liverpool will be transformed into a modern logistics hub for a number of key commodities, therefore the focus for us is really on delivering our very ambitious business plans.” v

Port of Liverpool (Peel Ports Mersey Division) CareGo Improving warehouse optimisation by as much as 40 per cent, creating a safer workplace and having complete control over inventory are among the benefits of CareGo’s patent-pending technology.

The innovative Canadian company installed its optimisation/automation technology at the Liverpool Steel Terminal in April 2013 and is now fielding interest from steel, aluminum and paper industry players world-wide.

CareGo operates warehouses in Canada, including the nation’s largest steel transload facility, and tests its products at home first before offering them to the marketplace. With knowledge grounded in experience, CareGo can identify ways to make a facility or warehouse work harder, making better use of the space available and reducing operating costs. The proprietary technology was created for steel coils but is equally effective for pipe and tube, or aluminum and paper rolls.

In Liverpool, CareGo automation systems and optimisation technology have increased the throughput of the Steel Terminal.

http://peelports.co.uk • Work commenced on new £300m container terminal • Alliance with Manchester Ship Canal • Invested £3m in steel terminal upgrade at Gladstone Dock

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 47

As one of the shipping industry’s leading partners for emission reduction, we are well positioned to grow considerably

Ship

shape Nils Høy-Petersen, CEO, Clean Marine

“C

lean Marine is dedicated solely to emission cleaning and offers a proven, unique Exhaust Gas Cleaning System (EGCS), which has been designed for the maritime industry. The company was founded in 2006 and has had more than $25 million invested into development and extensive testing of the EGCS,” says Nils HøyPetersen, CEO of Clean Marine, introducing the innovative marine scrubber that can be fitted on both existing and new ships. “Our EGCS is the only system currently on the market with true multi-stream exhaust gas handling.

This means that all exhaust sources onboard, including boilers, are served by one common EGC unit without encountering an increase in backpressure.”

124 48 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

The multi-stream exhaust gas handling is achieved by integrating two fans and a gas recirculation mechanism into the EGC unit, ensuring that pressure at the common gas meeting point remains at an ambient level regardless of the amount of exhaust going into the system. The EGC unit’s Advanced Vortex Chamber (AVC) further offers outstanding separation efficiency and achieves high particulate matter (PM) and sulphur trapping.

“Clean Marine offers a proven, hybrid system that can operate in both open and closed loop mode,” enthuses Nils. “It differs from other systems in that it uses caustic soda in both modes, so the vessel can operate in all types of water, including low alkaline and saline water, in either mode without loss of efficiency.

Furthermore, the use of caustic soda enables

the Clean Marine EGCS to meet the current pH limit for washwater discharges with good margin.”

With regulations to reduce sulphur oxides (SOx) inside the established Emission Control Areas (ECAs) - the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, North American waters and parts of the Caribbean sea - coming into effect in January 2015, Clean Marine has noted an increase in demand that looks set to continue, as Nils highlights: “Naturally, owners who operate their vessels inside the ECA are more likely to install a SOx scrubbing system during this year and the next as the limit of 0.1 per cent SOx is effective less than 15 months from now. These owners to a large degree are based in the US and Europe, while the major yards are found in China, Korea and Japan.”

Easy to operate and monitor, the Clean Marine EGCS is a cost-effective option, particularly for vessels with many exhaust sources, as the EGCS unit can serve several combustion units simultaneously. With an assumed USD300 per metric tonne price difference between marine gas oil and high sulphur fuel oil, a vessel operating 100 per cent inside an ECA would have a payback time of

Profile: Clean Marine

approximately one year. “We are specifically targeting the merchant fleet of bulk carriers, tankers, container vessels and ro-ro vessels.

Further, medium and large vessels with high fuel consumption will naturally see a better payback time of their EGCS investment than smaller vessels,” says Nils.

As an independent company Clean Marine can offer flexibility and close working relationships with its customers to tailor-make the best solution for their unique requirements.

Furthermore, the company benefits from three well-reputed investors; Klaveness Invest AS, Nanga Limited (advised by Smedvig Capital), and AS Atlantic Vest (controlled by the Rieber family), who together control 87 per cent of the firm. With a long-term commitment to Clean Marine and focused aims to contribute to a sustainable maritime industry, the three

shareholders have recently shown their confidence in Clean Marine’s position to capitalise on the market by injecting further investment into the firm.

A Clean Marine EGCS is fully operational and certified on the Torvald Klaveness owned bulk carrier MV Balder. Balder was recently the first vessel in the world to successfully operate this type of system inside the US ECA. Clean Marine will also shortly be supplying EGCS for two shuttle tanker newbuildings being constructed at Samsung Heavy Industries for global owner and operator of modern petroleum tankers American Eagle Tankers (AET). “AET has entered into a long-term contract with Statoil to operate two specialised DP2-type shuttle tankers; the two vessels will serve oilfields in the Norwegian sector of the North/Barents Sea, which is inside the ECA,” says Nils. “The Clean

Marine system supplied to AET will clean both SOx and PM emissions from two main engines, five auxiliary engines and three boilers. In total, a single Clean Marine unit will manage ten exhaust sources.”

Noting that cruise and ferry operators/owners have been the first to change their exhausts and emission levels in time for 2015 legislation, Nils anticipates an increase in demand from all vessel segments in 2014. “Market analysts estimate that some 8000 existing vessels will be affected by tightened regulations from 2015, seeing as they spend a large portion of their time inside the ECA. Many owners would need to install EGCS during vessels’ special survey/ dry dock next year, however for new buildings being delivered in 2014 and 2015 the decision must be made now for design with EGCS or alternative design with LNG/dual fuel engine.

“As one of the shipping industry’s leading partners for emission reduction, we are well positioned to grow considerably over the next few years and are preparing for supply of a large number of EGCS to both ship owners and yards globally,” Nils concludes. v

Clean Marine www.cleanmarine.no • Provides a competitive, hybrid Exhaust Gas Cleaning System (EGCS) • First system in world to operate in US Emission Control Area • Offers true multi-stream exhaust gas handling

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 49

True

luxury W

ith a rich ship building history dating back close to a hundred years, it is perhaps unsurprising to learn that Hakvoort has earned a prestigious reputation for building luxurious yachts ranging from between 25-30 metres to vessels of up to a stunning 63 metres. What may be surprising to learn though is that the company began with the construction of wooden fishing boats then moving into the construction of steel fishing vessels before finally beginning the construction of yachts during the 1980s.

However unlikely its beginnings may seem, Hakvoort was founded on a solid keel and has intrepidly advanced ever since.

The company’s history in Monnickendam, North Holland began in 1919 when entrepreneur Albert Klzn Hakvoort purchased a local shipyard that had launched its first vessel in 1780 and the company has remained in the family’s hands ever since. Over the years the company has

124- -www.shippingandmarine.co.uk www.shippingandmarine.co.uk 50

constantly invested in its production facilities, gradually increasing the size of vessel that it is able to produce. Today the shipyard maintains a main workshop that is able to produce vessels of 45 metres and over and a smaller workshop that caters for yachts of up to 40 metres.

Despite a challenging market since the financial crisis following 2008, Hakvoort has manage to maintain a steady stream of orders and is now in a position where is able to look to the future and further expand its business.

To get into this position it has remained true to its promise of offering the finest levels of quality even while competing with tough market conditions and pressure to keep prices low. This dedication to the high standard of its output and the gradual investment in its facilities over the years have been important contributing factors in the company winning several highly important contracts that have helped it to meet the challenges of the recession. At present the company is working on a 61 metre super-yacht

(YN248) for which the hull arrived in August of this year and in January Hakvoort won a contract for the largest super-yacht it will have ever built, which is currently called Zeus. These contracts alone mean that the shipyard’s main workshop will be full for the next four years, which represents a significant income that will carry the company while the market continues to improve.

Hakvoort has a number of strengths that have enabled it to win these prestigious contracts.

At the heart of the business is its dedication to quality, which it maintains in a number of ways. Firstly the company has a long history of vessel construction and has been able to refine this process so that shipbuilding is of both a high standard and efficient. All of its production facilities are fully moisture and temperature controlled to protect the vessel’s paint and also, crucially to avoid any warping of the yacht’s wooden interior caused by expansion due to moisture. This is made all the more important by the fact that interiors are produced while the hull

Profile: Hakvoort

is delivered and the vessel’s pipe work is installed.

For YN248 for example, work is progressing quickly and in the next four to five weeks the first wooden floors will be laid at which point the pre-constructed interior will be broken down into sections and installed. While this process is incredibly effective in lowering build times it leaves no room for error, potentially warping of wooden interiors could cause serious problems compromising the vessel’s quality, build time and the company’s reputation.

That Hakvoort maintains such a highly regarded reputation is testament to how hard the company has worked to ensure its yachts

are second to none. Although the shipyard is in robust strength it has had to weather the same storm as its competitors as Albert Hakvoort Jr, mananging director explains: “What we are finding is that a lot of clients are looking at the moment but the pressure is always prices. We do not make a huge amount of money at the end of a project but that is OK as long as you survive at the moment.

“We see a lot of shipyards still struggling; it’s probably about 50 per cent of them who are getting out of the crisis. Since the recession started in 2008 we have not taken on any new people so with the crisis taking around four years my staff are now all four years older. Every year three or four employees retire in the shipyard so you need to hire and train young guys to take their place. One thing that we will be focusing on over the next few years is hiring new guys and training them ready for the future. With the large Zeus order we are able to do that.”

As 2014 approaches, Hakvoort is strongly placed to be able to engage with a resurgent market in luxury vessels. As financial conditions improve the company fully expects orders for

smaller vessels as well as for larger 60 plus metre vessels to increase. Adding a final comment on Hakvoort’s commitment to quality Albert concludes: “A lot of shipyards will compromise quality to keep their prices lower but we do not.

You can notice the difference in the final product and customers cannot be fooled, which is why they choose Hakvoort.” v

Hakvoort www.hakvoort.com • Luxury yacht construction • Almost a century of experience • Uncompromising quality

Van der Velden Marine Systems Recognised as being state-of-the-art, our manoeuvring systems are dedicated to the specific needs of the yachting industry. Our activities include the engineering, construction and installation of manoeuvring systems. Van der Velden is specialised in customised solutions with regard to steering gear, rudders and propulsion optimisation. Both customers and yards benefit from an easy to install and integrated solution, a unified overall design and one project co-ordinator for the manoeuvring system. We offer half a century of smart maritime solutions.

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 51

Profile: Scorpio Group

Moving

forward

T

he history of the Scorpio Group shows a company that has moved with the tides.

Established in 1971 as Scorpio Ship Management, for three decades the company owned and operated dry bulk, tanker, and OBO (oil/bulk/ore) vessels within the market cycles – buying low and selling high.

Then in 2003 new activities were added to the Group in the form of Scorpio Commercial Management, which offers third party commercial and technical management, pooling, bulk logistics, and private equity investments. A change in the market though brought Scorpio Group back to its early activities when in 2010 it established an independent subsidiary, Scorpio Tankers Inc. This publically-held tanker company owns and operates its own fleet, with commercial and technical management remaining with the Group.

Scorpio Tankers Inc. currently owns 18 tankers (one LR2 tanker, four LR1 tankers, one Handymax tanker, 11 MR tankers, and one post-Panamax tanker) with an average age of 3.9 years, time charters in 27 product tankers (eight LR2, four LR1, eight MR and seven Handymax tankers), and has contracted for 60 newbuilding vessels (25 MR, 12 LR2, and 14 Handymax ice class-1A product tankers, and nine VLGC), one of which is expected to be delivered to the company by September 2013, 40 within 2014 and the remaining 19 by the end of 2015.

In September 2013 Scorpio Tankers announced that it has agreed with certain unaffiliated third parties to issue shares in exchange for the transfer of ownership to the company of four MR product tankers currently under construction in South Korea. The newbuildings are expected to be delivered in the

first and second quarters of 2014 and are similar to the company's newbuildings that are also under construction at the same shipyard.

The purchase price of the four vessels, in aggregate, is approximately $151 million. In the region of 30 per cent of the consideration for the vessels will consist of newly issued common shares of the company having a valuation based on the fair market value of the shares at the time of issuance. The new common shares will be issued to Ceres, Valero and a group of institutional investors advised by J.P. Morgan Asset Management; the remainder of the purchase price will be paid to the shipyard from cash-on-hand and bank debt.

The transaction also includes a time charterout agreement for each of the four vessels for a fixed daily revenue amount at current market levels plus a profit sharing scheme whereby earnings in excess of the base time charter rate

TEAM TEC The new ad-on feature for TeamTec’s Marine Incinerator has become a great success worldwide. The new technology enables the ship to handle the bilge water onboard rather than deposit in ports at a high cost. By injecting the water while incinerating the sludge oil, the capacity of the incinerator increases by 20 per cent, the NOx emission is lowered and some 1-2 m3 of water can be destructed. The injection of the atomized water is fully automatic, controlled by the incinerator’s advanced PLC. Retrofitting is possible for existing TeamTec incinerators to integrate the Bilge Water Injection system.

Scorpio Tankers has chosen to include the Bilge Water Injection system in all of the new builds, like many other ship owners worldwide.

The system is IMO approved and comes with certificates from all the major class societies.

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 53

Profile: Scorpio Group

will be split between the company and charterer, Valero. The first vessel delivered will be time chartered-out for a 24-month period, and the remaining three will each be time chartered-out for 12-month periods.

The transactions will be completed by way of novation of the existing shipbuilding agreements and remain subject to final documentation.

Another very significant development for the Scorpio Group has been the formation of a new independent company, Scorpio Bulkers Inc, which is a dry bulk company completely separate to the tanker operations.

Although a freestanding corporation in its own right, with separate financing and shareholders, the commercial and technical management of Scorpio Bulkers will also be delivered through the Scorpio Group. This is due to the benefits offered in terms of economies of scale and synergies in post fixture administration, IT, technical management and planned maintenance that come from managing those vessels alongside the tankers.

In July 2013 Scorpio Bulkers announced that it had reached agreements with three yards in China to construct newbuilding vessels for its fleet. The company has reached agreements with ChengXi Shipyard CO. Ltd, Dalian COSCO

54 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

KHI Ship Engineering Co. Ltd, and Nantong COSCO KHI Ship Engineering Co. Ltd for the construction of a minimum of 11 and up to 14 dry bulk vessels for approximately $27 million each. The vessels are from 61,000 to 64,000 DWT (Ultramax vessels) and designed for the carriage of dry bulk commodities.

Of the first 11 vessels, two will be delivered in the first quarter of 2015, one in the second quarter of 2015, five in the third quarter of 2015, two in the fourth quarter of 2015, and one in the first quarter of 2016. The additional vessels, if confirmed, would be delivered two in the second quarter of 2016 and one in the third quarter of 2016.

The addition of Scorpio Bulk to the Scorpio Group may have grown the organisation to four divisions, but Scorpio Ship Management is still a very important part of the overall business. It is still actively involved in advancing the agenda of sustainable and quality practices in the shipping industry, and to this effect the company has adopted and implemented policies and procedures to the latest ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001 and ISO 50001 standards which have been audited by ABS and found to meet the requirements of the ABS Guide for Marine Health Safety Quality Environmental and Energy Management (April 2012 Ed).

In the four decades that Scorpio Ship Management has been in business, it has learned important lessons and accrued years

of knowledge and experience. It has also put together a mission statement, designed to highlight the values it holds dear, and the targets it has for the future.

Safety is a top priority - providing safe and reliable services to clients; continuously improving through the creativity and commitment of its professionals and partners; and advancing the agenda of sustainable and quality practices in the industry are all foundations of the company.

Its stated goals feature both health and safety and the environment – they include maintaining ‘Safe Ships’ with ‘No Incidents’ and ‘Clean Seas’ with ‘Zero Spills’ - all within a performance atmosphere that strives for commercial success.

The company strives for continual improvement, which is verified by periodical measurement and analysis of the company’s performance against various key performance indicators.

In 2010 when the chairman and CEO of the Scorpio Group Emanuele Lauro spun Scorpio Tankers out of the Group as an independent owner of product tankers, he took a brave decision. But from that point to the present day, Scorpio Tankers and the Scorpio Group have continued to pursue a leadership position in their fields, investing in modern tonnage and managing them to best advantage in a challenging market environment. v

Scorpio Group www.scorpiotankers.com/ www.scorpiogroup.net • Strong group structure • Ordered new build vessels • Over 40 years in business

Profile: Port of Pori

No minor

developments

“S

ince the beginning of 2013 up to the end of September, the total volume has gone up around 12 per cent in comparison to 2012, which was of course a challenging year for us and difficult for the shipping industry worldwide,” says Pekka Sundberg, port development manager at the Port of Pori.

“However, in 2013 we have seen volumes are going up; coal has gone up by 71 per cent over the course of the year when compared to 2012.

We have had some 700,000 tonnes coming to the port this year and we also had the MS Nordic Orion, the first bulk carrier to traverse the Northwest Passage through Canada’s Arctic waters, arrive at the port on October 7th; this is another indicator of the north gaining importance.”

Carrying coal for Ruukki Metals, a Finnish steel producer, the 75,000 dwt MS Nordic Orion was no challenge for the Port of Pori, which is popular with larger vessels due to the deep fairways. Tahkoluoto harbour offers the

Mäntyluoto. Photo courtesy of Port of Pori

deepest fairway in the country at 15.3 metres and benefits from an excellent location for port operations. In Mäntyluoto harbour the fairway has been recently deepened to 12-metres. Port of Pori has the best crane capacity in Finland. The Masa crane in Mäntyluoto is the most powerful harbour crane in Finland with a maximum lifting capacity of 200 tonnes. It has been crucial to the harbour’s core general bulk activities. In addition to this, the potential for increasingly larger ships has been supported by the LHM550, a Liebherr mobile crane with a maximum lifting capacity of 144 tonnes; as the most powerful new crane in Mäntyluoto, the LHM550 complements Masa and helps cement the Port of Pori as one of the most flexible ports in the country.

Based overlooking the Gulf of Bothnia, at the northernmost region of the Baltic Sea, the port’s proximity to countries such as Russia and Sweden ensures that the Port of Pori will be one of the most active ports in Finland in the future as well. These logistical advantages are certain to benefit the port over the coming years, particularly when the 0.1 per cent sulphur

in fuel directive is introduced in 2013, as Jaakko Nirhamo, port director at Port of Pori, highlights: “There are only 14 months until the Sulphur Emission Control Area (SECA) regulations will come into force; this is the biggest challenge the shipping industry has ever had to face and is a challenge for all ports. Nevertheless, we are positive about the future because SECA will result in less small vessels and more large, newbuilds.

With our deeep fairway and excellent facilities, we have the space, capacity and ability to serve all types of vessels.”

In the process of a major 2011-2014 investment project to upgrade, expand and extend port facilities, it has already built an entire new quay, a new port entrance and installed improved fairways. “We made our big investment in 2011 when we dredged our fairway to 12 metres, so that was a major investment of around 30 million euros. The next thing we plan to do, starting this year, is to update our chemical harbour and renew our fire fighting system. We have other plans in the pipeline, but it is too early to discuss these,” says Jaakko.

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 55

56 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

Profile: Port of Pori All photos courtesy of Port of Pori

Tahkoluoto

Committed to continuous improvement and customer satisfaction through enhanced logistical networks, the port has been integrated with the Bothnian Green Logistic Corridor and its extensions. Running along the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia in Finland and Sweden, the Logistics Corridor combines the northernmost parts of the EU to its central parts to create connections to Russia and Northern Scandinavia; it also offers the port the opportunity to improve both sea and land connections, as well as enhance co-operation between connection points on the corridor in different countries. “The BGLC project is part of the EU Baltic Sea Region Programme; the target of the project is to find and develop new traffic solutions such as new routes to facilitate and speed up transport and passenger traffic in the Bothnian corridor.

We are contributing to the project through developing a study on re-opening the PoriParkano-Haapamaki railroad line and using that line for Finland’s mining sector. Furthermore, the new track could open a new route for cargo to Russia,” explains Pekka.

Having served the metals industry successfully for several years, the port is now benchmarking itself as the best ‘mining port’ for the Finnish

SAL Heavy Lift SAL Heavy Lift owns and operates a modern fleet of 16 vessels with a combined crane capacity of up to 2000 mtons SWL. SAL assists, amongst other areas, in offshore subsea installations and in the transportation of heavy and unconventional cargo. It works together with multiple international ports and has a great outreach across the globe.

Port of Pori, in the Gulf of Bothnia, is one of its trusted ports, which it has worked with for many years. It always strives for excellent and innovative solutions in terms of heavy lift shipping and offshore installations for its clients around the world.

mining industry. With experience in undertaking domestic transit duties that see it taking in large shipments of raw materials, transferring them onto several smaller feeder barges and sending those to the industry, the port has the capabilities and expertise to expand its service offering. In the previous article of Shipping & Marine, Jaakko discussed the opportunity further: “We have the strongest harbour crane in Finland and have extensive experience in project cargo, all of which are good preparation for the mining industry.

We could take in raw materials by barge then send them out, much like with metals. It means that more investments will be needed in our rail connections, but I believe the Government will be reasonable and make the right decisions to improve our capability.”

According to the initial estimate, the required investment for the re-opening of the PoriParkano-Haapamaki track is approximately 250 million euros; therefore, the re-opening of the track depends on finding transport flows strong enough in quality and volume to market the track, alongside its extension connections, as a solution that replaces the huge investments going into the main railroad network. The future role of the port as the transporter of minerals and chemicals from

the new and existing mines is an integral factor in the re-opening of the track, as is the benefits of increased function of railroad traffic within the country as a whole.

Boasting a 200-hectare site around the port, in the immediate vicinity of both the Mantyluoto and Tahkoluoto harbours, the Port of Pori’s current focus is on the development of this land through attracting major commercial partners to adopt/lease parts of the site. Aiding in this strategic aim is the port’s promotional website, www.m20.fi, which advertises the benefits of setting up shop in the M20 Industrial Park, these include efficient and uncongested roads that connect companies with the rest of Finland and Russia. With these exciting long-term prospects in development, it is certain that the Port of Pori’s position as an integral location for industry will continue to grow. v

Port of Pori www.portofpori.fi/en • Second largest dry bulk port in Finland • General port handling all kind of cargo • Development opportunities • Has excellent facilities for mining industry

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 57

Float

on

F

loating hotels, or ‘floatels’ are used as accommodation for maritime workers, and are especially popular in the offshore oil and gas industry. They offer several benefits, not least because they allow employees to remain on or very near to site, lessening travel time and increasing efficiency.

However, Chevalier Floatels believes that a floatel is in fact much more than just accommodation. Ultimately Chevalier appreciates it is the personnel working on site who determine the success of any project.

Preventing seasickness and fatigue and keeping them comfortable and happy is a way to increase productivity and to bind engineers to their organisation. As a result of this mindset,

124- -www.shippingandmarine.co.uk www.shippingandmarine.co.uk 58

the company’s new five star floatels have been specially designed to offer exemplary accommodation for those working on installation and maintenance projects in the offshore wind, oil and gas industry.

Several other crucial areas have also been considered in the new vessel design. This type of work is being done on or near expensive installations, and keeping these safe and undamaged is critical. In addition, the projects undertaken are expensive and budgets are significant. Keeping within budgets depends for a large part on having the equipment working reliably during the project.

Fuel costs form a large part of any offshore budget, so fuel-efficient vessels significantly reduce overall costs. In addition, environmental

criteria and social responsibility require organisations to think about the impact of their activities on the area of the installations. Low exhaust emissions are therefore key in these modern times.

With all of these views in mind Chevalier Floatels has, with its vessels DP Galyna and Gezina, developed a new concept for the offshore wind and offshore oil and gas industry that is much more than just floating rooms.

Chevalier believes this concept sets a whole new standard in terms of reliability, efficiency and comfort.

The vessels feature a large number of innovations. For example, top spec navigation and bridge equipment from Sam Electronics with planned maintenance, integrated automation and

Profile: Chevalier Floatels

monitoring systems warrant a safe and reliable voyage. Rolls Royce stabilisers make the voyage as smooth as can be, while Schottel azimuthing thrusters ensure the high manoeuvrability of the vessels.

Ureum cleans all the exhaust gasses from the vessels, which ensures a clean and healthy environment for the staff on board and gives the vessels a low carbon footprint. Fit for purpose design and Volvo Penta diesel electric engines keep the fuel consumption as low as possible.

On the DP Galyna an Ampelmann heave compensated gangway with a reliable DP2 system transfers the engineers to the windmills or platforms, making sure both crew and the windmills or platforms remain safe under all circumstances. For milder circumstances boat landings for windcats and support vessels increase the versatility of these ships.

And last but not least, Chevalier’s experienced and well-trained crew understands that it is not only their job to make the stay on board safe, but also realise that there is more – they need to make this floatel a real home away from home.

Such is the attention to detail that Chevalier has put into the Galnya and Gezina, they are already prizewinners - their design has been recognised with an award (the Exterior ShipPax Design Award 2008).

Chevalier is not limited to five star options though, as alongside the Galnya and Gezina, Chevalier’s fleet also includes worker accommodation barges and floating prisons for governments. For example, in its most recent project Chevalier Floatels provided a fleet of five floatels for the oil industry in Kazakhstan.

These vessels accommodated about 300 guests each and were employed in the demanding circumstances of the Caspian Sea. Outside air temperatures were ranging from -40 degrees Celsius in wintertime up to plus 40 degrees

Celsius in summertime, which meant ice in the winter and extreme heat in summer. Apart from this, there were strict environmental and hygienic regulations to deal with; the Kazakh Statutory hygienic regulations are among the strictest of the world. The Kazakh oil fields are located in a protected area and the vessels of Chevalier Floatels were completely zero discharge.

Despite these strict regulations and harsh conditions Chevalier Floatels was able to

convert vessels to meet client specifications in three months and build completely new accommodation barges in just four months. Tight management and innovative building techniques kept the projects on the right track in order to aid its customer in achieving their tight schedule.

This project perfectly illustrates the dedication Chevalier Floatels delivers when dealing with clients and their needs. The company believes in focusing on doing what it does best: developing and owning floatels. By outsourcing the vessel management, catering and maintenance with reputable companies, it can ensure that the satisfaction of its customers remains a top priority at all times. v

Chevalier Floatels www.cfbv.com • State-of-the-art floatels in the fleet • Wants to expand in the barge sector • Ten years of experience

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 59

Taking care of

business

B

altic Transshipment Center Ltd (BTC) is a subsidiary of a large Swedish agriculture co-operative (Lantmannen) and Danish agriculture co-operative (Dansk Landbrugs Grovvareselskab). It offers a full range of services for ships’ handling and the loading/discharging of vessels directly from/into wagons or via warehouse (storage).

Furthermore, as Morten Hoel, managing director of BTC explains, with support from its experienced cargo forwarding agents the company can provide transportation of goods to or from all destinations inside the Baltic States – Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, EU countries and the former Soviet Union countries. “BTC takes care of all the necessary paperwork, including customs formalities,” he added. “It is able to handle various products including oil cakes, oilseeds, grain, fertilizers, other goods in bulk, as well as wood by-products, wood logs, palletised goods and goods in big bags, but it is not limited to this list – BTC is always open for negotiations

124- -www.shippingandmarine.co.uk www.shippingandmarine.co.uk 60

related to all kind of goods handling.”

In co-operation with local ships agents, forwarding agents, railway authorities and approved GAFTA/FOSFA superintendant and surveyor companies, BTC also offers a full service package for any transportation from place of commodity origin to final consumer.

All of the aforementioned activities take place from BTC’s facilities at the Port of Liepaja in Latvia. Morten explains that the terminal itself is relatively new - built in 1999 according to best Scandinavian standards, it is equipped with a comprehensive range of loading/discharging equipment and machinery, including a crane, and loading and unloading facilities for ships, railway wagons and trucks. “BTC has rented an area of 84,500 m2 and constructed a warehouse complex of 11,000 m2 for the storage of about 36,000 mt of goods in bulk as well as a covered storing area of 2500 m2 for bags, pallets and big bags,” he said. “BTC has also created an area with asphalt for the storage and handling of goods that do not require to be under cover,

which measures approximately 8000-10,000 mt.”

BTC also has its own quay of about 130 m in length with a draft up to seven metres. This allows the company to perform cargo-handling operations in a ‘direct way’ – from/to ship into/ from wagons.

“Our location has many benefits,” Morten emphasises. “Liepaja’s town and port infrastructure is perfectly located and developed for receiving or sending goods by rail or road from or to Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaidjan, Kazakhstan and all other CIS countries as well as EU countries. In addition BTC has its own direct railway line onto site and has both a combined railway wagon and truck weighbridge as well as a weighbridge only for trucks. All of this added together means that the transshipment of transit goods from or into vessels is daily practice at BTC. All kinds of goods can be imported into/exported from the EU via this port, and BTC is already working in close co-operation with local clients as well as Russian and EU customers.”

Profile: Baltic Transshipment Center

He adds: “BTC has also obtained Liepaja Special Economic Zone Company status and Customs Free Zone status, which means we can store transit goods without any additional State dues and charges. It is also an ice-free port, which gives it a benefit that we can always operate in the winter months.”

BTC has also recently completed construction of a new storage warehousing facility, which features separate storage areas for bulk cargo, freight bags and pallets. “These new facilities will be equipped with additional discharge equipment, transport bands and they will increase the actual storage capacity by round 2000 mt as well as increase discharge speed of trucks, and increase the drying capacity for grains,” Morten highlights. “BTC is also equipped with grain drying equipment which, in grain season, means it can handle not only dry grain but also wet.”

Going forward, into 2014 Morten will be focusing on increasing contracts linking European Union countries, and he is keen to arrange daily transhipments of transit goods for import and export from the EU into BTC. “I believe that BTC’s investment into more drying and storage capacity gives it opportunities in the future,” concludes Morten. “But the keyword is flexibility as the company is able to handle both bulk cargo and goods on pallets or in bags. BTC also has the facility to bag for clients, and this offers them added value compared to just having a berth. The company also has a biological grain storage licence, as well as a flexible approach, dedication to high quality standards and the back up and support of both its parent company’s knowhow and experience. These are what differentiate the organisation from the competition.” v

Baltic Transshipment Center www.btc.lv • Developing major transport hub • New storage facility completed • Part of Special Economic Zone

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 61

Meeting the

targets

S

ince it was last featured in Shipping and Marine magazine during May 2012, Anangel Maritime Services has powered ahead at full steam to complete its aggressive fleet expansion programme and ensure that it is on target to meet the requirements of 2015’s upcoming environmental regulation targets. Operating as part of the Angelicoussis Shipping Group (ASGL), its fleet stands at 46 ships including one vessel that is expected for final delivery by January 2014 at the latest. ASGL has a track record in shipping that dates back to 1947 and is headed by John Angelicoussis. The group maintains a fleet of over 100 vessels, making it the largest in Greece, and the company is currently regarded as one of the largest privately owned businesses in the world. Anagel services the dry bulk arm of the group’s activities and exemplifies its parent’s commitment to worldclass quality and customer service.

The strong portfolio of services that Anangel provides includes technical management,

124- -www.shippingandmarine.co.uk www.shippingandmarine.co.uk 62

newbuild supervision, financial services, crewing, risk analysis and overseeing safety protocols.

Its tonnage is made up largely of capesize vessels but also incorporates several minicapes. Of these, the majority were constructed at Korean and Chinese shipyards under the mindful supervision of Anangel supervisors, who ensure that they have been constructed to the exacting specifications that are required. Its latest round of fleet expansion has been serviced by a variety of shipyards including DSME Korea, STX Korea, Shanghai Shipyard and Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipyard China, who have each worked hard to ensure that the delivery of the new vessels has been achieved in a timely fashion to the highest quality standards. The Group’s philosophy is that money is best spent during a vessel’s construction.

All of Anangel’s ships fly the Greek flag and are operated by Greek officers.

Coinciding with the company’s fleet expansion is a dedicated programme of development and

preventative maintenance. With new emissions regulations on the horizon for 2015 the company is redoubling what has always been its vision of operating an environmentally responsible and efficient fleet. “We continuously strive to improve the efficiency of our operations and improve on our fuel consumption. For many years we have proactively implemented a large number of measures to achieve that goal,” explains technical director Leonidas Zissimatos.

“We are also looking at a new water ballast treatment system, which is something that will be increasingly important in the future. We have already installed the system in three of our new cape constructions as a trial and we are currently testing and monitoring them to give us a good insight on whether we have made the right decision on the system, or whether we need to

Profile: Anangel Maritime Services make changes to ensure that each and all vessels of our fleet are equipped with the most suitably optimised system in the near future.”

Other areas that the company focuses on to improve on the performance of its vessels include the implementation of derated engines, slide type fuel valves, Alfa lubricators, exhaust gas by pass and other mechanical and electric-electronic systems. “We are presently testing a system for on line ‘real time’ data transmission from vessel to office so that the ‘total’ performance of the vessel can be maintained in detail at any time.

On top of the above we have very carefully and selectively adopted in a number of our vessels, devices to improve the hydrodynamic efficiency of our vessels. Furthermore specialised propeller coatings have been applied to some vessels and hull - propeller condition of all vessels is being continuously monitored and properly maintained.”

This philosophy of preventative maintenance and responsible operation is permeated throughout the company so that it extends to the officers and crew on board its vessels. “Our belief is that you can get more out of your ships through how you run them as compared to solely through technical application,” Leonidas says.

“So this is not necessarily through technical application but by the mentality of the crew.”

All of its vessels are in the process of being fully certified to ISO 50001 standards and registered with the Energy Efficiency Index. In addition to this the company ensures that a rigorous ship energy efficiency management plan (SEEMP) is in place for all of its ships. Its fleet also benefits from being part of ASGL, which includes fellow Athens-based Maran Tankers Management and Maran Gas Maritime, London-based Agents Maran UK, Seaways Maritime Services, a representative/support office in Houston, an office in Singapore with chartering activities as well as technical operations and representative offices in Shanghai and Tokyo. Furthering its commitment to training its crews for optimum efficiency, the Athens-based Delphic Maritime Training Centre is a DNV approved in-house training centre equipped with full-scale bridge cargo handling and engine room simulators exclusively serving the Group companies. Beyond training, emphasis of the Group to the human element is extended to recreation, entertainment and amusement of officers and crews serving on board.

Telemedicine and quick internet are among the relative facilities available onboard.

Despite the challenges faced by shipping markets in the wake of the global recession, Anangel has managed to pass through the stormy waters relatively unscathed. Commenting on this successful navigation Leonidas says: “Yes, it was challenging, during the past three years it has been very bad. Especially for companies who have ordered very expensive vessels, are relatively

new to the market and are not necessarily the right size and/or equipped with the necessary ‘qualities’ to meet these challenges. We are a very big group and we are sometimes a little more conservative in our attitudes, but we have managed to get through these challenging years without too many problems because we’ve had a number of vessels on long-term charters with well known operators.

“Normally, when markets are challenging, it is wise to avoid at taking on new long-term charters. This is because when the market is looking low, like the cape market for example which had recently reached four or five thousand dollars per day, it does not make sense to look for long-term deals. Anangel had diversified by this time and was tendering pre-existing longerterm charters. Of course the vessels that arrived during that bad period were subsidised so it was hard to be successful in the market. However, our company has a very good reputation and I think we were able to get a better range than many others.”

As a privately owned company Anangel is able to operate without the constraints that often impact businesses operating on the stock market. This flexibility makes it ideally suited to

face the challenges that are often part and parcel of the volatile shipping industry, and ensures that it is well placed to make excellent headway in the coming years. v

Anangel Maritime Services • Recently expanded fleet • Part of the largest Greek Shipping Group • Environmentally committed • Dedicated to ‘absolute’ quality and efficient operations

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 63

Grand designs

I

t has been a productive and innovative 12 months since Northumberland based boatbuilding firm Alnmaritec last appeared in Shipping & Marine magazine; priding itself on delivering practical, original and cost-effective solutions for commercial workboat applications, the company has signed a number of strategic agreements to further enhance its designs and products. One such agreement, involving a new, exciting and exclusive alliance with the Italian design firm Studio Sculli, was announced in June 2013.

“We have signed a couple of new agreements over the last year, one of which is an agreement with Studio Sculli to develop a range of designs for us. The company has previous expertise of working in the super yacht industry and we have teamed up with the firm to bring some of its knowledge in that industry into the workboat industry. This is an exciting development for us,” says Chris Millman, managing director of Alnmaritec. “Studio Sculli has been working on some fast patrol boats, our new Horizon range, which is going very well and has generated a lot of interest. We are currently working on three or four different designs at the moment.”

The exclusive partnership is an innovative development for the two companies, as the often widely different worlds of commercial boats and super yachts have been merged together to create the new Horizon range of benchmark workboat designs for the marine market. “I think the two sectors haven’t really been known for their close ties before but there is a lot of excellent technology that is used in the super yacht industry that is applicable to commercial work boats. This is something we are keen to bring into our new range of boats; the super yacht industry does seem to be more open to innovation than we do in the commercial boat building market, which is more conservative. In the future we hope this openness to new ideas will rub off on the work boat industry a bit more,” highlights Chris.

Three Horizon boats are currently on the company’s website; the ALN HZ 003, which boasts a smooth interceptor design that provides high speed comfort, express response capability and multirole functionality and the ALN HZ 002, a distinctively designed wind farm service vessel that has a low resistance hull to provide a stable platform and a unique modular system within the lower wheelhouse that houses fully serviced accommodation pods. Meanwhile, the ALN HZ 001 fast patrol boat will provide rapid response capability; she can carry up to six pax and boasts a sleek and striking design.

Viewing itself as a design lead organisation, Alnmaritec has its own experienced design team working in-house, with naval architects, marine engineers, electrical engineers and design draftsmen working with a customer throughout the concept design stage and production phase; this ensures that the client is completely satisfied with the end product. To further deliver game-changing capabilities to its customers in the future, the firm has signed a collaborative

124- -www.shippingandmarine.co.uk www.shippingandmarine.co.uk 64

Profile: Alnmaritec

agreement with Norwegian company Effects Ship International (ESI), which gives Alnmaritec the rights to the manufacture and sales of vessels utilising air supported vessel (ASV) technology in the UK, with the potential to market and sell the vessels globally. “This agreement enables us to exploit ESI’s air supported vessel technology, which increases speed and reduces fuel consumption,” explains Chris. “It was principally developed with the yacht industry in mind, but we see a lot of beneficial applications for it in the work boat market and are looking at the technology alongside our other design developments.”

Proud to deliver tailor made design solutions for each and every client, the UK’s premier specialist builder of work boats currently has more than 150 of its boats operating all over the world. With a skilled work force that has been building boats for 25 years, Alnmaritec has a comprehensive understanding of how workboats are used and can therefore customise each vessel to the specific needs of even the most challenging request.

A recent example of this flexibility was proven in the successful completion of two hose and line handling boats one of which was completed in just 16 weeks in September 2013, the boats were then delivered to Singapore. “The line handling boats are one of our standard products and we have a good reputation in the market for these; in this situation one of our customers was converting an existing FPSO and needed a new line handling boat urgently, so we took on the project and completed it in half the time we would normally take. We did this successfully, even with the added complication of some of the systems on the boat to be intrinsically safe due to the potentially hazardous location of the workboat on the FPSO. However, our personnel pulled out all of the stops and managed to deliver on time, which was excellent,” enthuses Chris.

Looking ahead, Alnmaritec will continue to focus on improving its design portfolio through bringing in new lines and developing its range of designs to create a more broad and cutting-edge spectrum of workboats, as Chris concludes: “We want to be seen as the most innovative, modern and forward-thinking boat building company in the business, both with the designs we can offer our customers and the techniques we use to build these designs. Our view is that the commercial boat building world has for too long had a very conservative approach to new designs and new technology; we want to keep pushing the envelopes in both of these areas to bring a fresh approach to our sector of the industry.” v

Alnmaritec www.alnmaritec.co.uk • UK’s premier specialist work boat builder • Huge reputation for innovation • Developing new range of workboat designs

Robush Limited Robush Limited supplies vibration solutions, and genuine Trelleborg anti vibration mounts to the marine industry. It has been supplying the Cushyfloat to Alnmaritec since 2009.

This is a low compact, low profile mounting, which is easy to install, and combines three-way control of suspended equipment with relatively large static deflections where the rubber is loaded in shear and compression. This mount is ideal for marine applications.

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 65

Built for

P

growth

art of the Waalhaven Group, Barge Terminal Born BV (BTB) can be defined as a transport company of containers based on an intermodal concept. This is a new way of transporting goods which offers lower costs, less pollution, and containers closer to load sites and therefore improve logistic possibilities and reduces traffic in the seaports.

“Making use of this concept also requires a mental shift for the customer in terms of planning their logistics,” notes Jos van Diest, operations manager. “BTB is located in the heart of the Euroregion serving the area between Eindhoven and Liege, and Genk to the west side of Cologne. We have three long-term chartered barges that travel between the seaports of Rotterdam and Antwerp, and the terminal in Born, with weekly capacity of 2400 TEU. For the last mile BTB can make use of more than 35 trucks and approximately 80 container chassis.

“Our customers include major global shipping lines such as Maersk, K-Line, and CMA, forwarders like DHL and Kühne & Nagel, and

124- -www.shippingandmarine.co.uk www.shippingandmarine.co.uk 66

warehousing companies including Mitsubishi, Sappi, and Sabic. The fact that the cargo or containers of the customers are so closely located to the loading and discharge sites means that a tight schedule is easy to manage.

Our up-to-date IT system gives us the tools to easily manage bookings, and our low price transport for large batches of containers is attractive to companies from local operators to global players,” he continues.

Operating out of an 18 hectare site, BTB has 390-metres of quay, two gantry shore cranes, one stack crane, and three reach and empty stackers at its disposal. Furthermore BTB has recently signed a contract for the lease of an extra four hectares of terminal space and 150 metres of quay as Jos explains: “This new port facility is based on our belief that the transport of containers to and from Rotterdam and Antwerp will grow over the coming years, and the increase in flows through our service areas as a result. Since terminal space is one of our main selling points we need to expand now to meet demand in the future. Likewise if extra barges

are added to the fleet we will automatically need more quay space.”

Over the years the range of services offered

by BTB have increased beyond the handling and transportation of cargo. Increasingly major shipping lines use the terminal as an empty container depot, which saves them being unnecessarily transported empty, and ensures they are available at short notice for export customers. “On both the import and export side companies are using BTB as their external warehouse,” adds Jos. “Starting with imports, large batches of containers enter the terminal and are called off on a just-in-time sequence. Then for export companies load various batches at the same time, which are then organised and shipped to the seaports. More and more shipping lines are also making use of the opportunity to have container cleaned or small repairs made here at the terminal. In this way, containers which are unloaded can be used for export again without the need to move empty ones back and forth to the seaports. We’ve also seen a new custom

Profile: Barge Terminal Born

growth is on the horizon: “As to the future, various new developments close to our terminals such as a new warehouse for a large wholesale company and the start-up of the new Mini factory, will lead to increased activity at the terminal.

Furthermore the focus is on keeping improving the quality of our service, and

managing new customs regulations, technical solutions and IT systems.

“This all helps us to reach our goals in terms of growth, as we believe the terminal is now ready to expand by over 50 per cent. This can only be achieved by focusing on the wishes of our customers and keeping the quality of service high,” he concludes. v

Barge Terminal Born BV www.waalhaven-group.nl • Logistics services • Barge and truck combination • Growing operation

concept known as extended gateway, which enables paperless transport of containers till in transit, increasingly being used from Rotterdam and Antwerp,” he continues.

BTB has also been focusing heavily on environmental issues. Since May 2012 the company has worked with Van Tienen Milieuadvies to offer gas measurement and container de-gassing services at the terminal.

“Containers may contain toxic gases and to prevent these from having a negative impact on the health of personnel, some of our customers insists on measuring these gases. New EU regulations have seen the number looking for this kind of service increasing. This can happen at the unloading site, but also at our terminal, which helps to keep the schedules at warehouses. In the event of a high concentration of gas, units can stay at a special area of the terminal to be de-gassed, which saves on costs and avoids disruption,” explains Jos. In addition, BTB has been awarded Lean & Green status for its work to reduce the CO2 emissions of its logistics services by at least 20 per cent. The programme includes various measurements such as turning off lights, new equipment, improved planning for barges, and new lighting. As well as benefiting the environment, the work has also reduced BTB’s fuel consumption, and therefore costs.

Describing how BTB’s focus will shift for the coming years, Jos notes that significant

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 67

MHPA Twin berth

Welcoming investment

A

natural deepwater port based in Pembrokeshire, South West Wales, Milford Haven is the third largest port in the UK, and the biggest in Wales. Widely recognised as an energy hub, Milford Haven handles over 29 per cent of Britain’s seaborne trade in oil and gas, handling large amounts of petroleum and crude products in association with the refineries, LNG terminals, and fuel storage depot located at the port.

Operating as a trust port, Milford Haven is overseen by the Milford Haven Port Authority (MHPA), which strives to maintain excellent service levels, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “Although we’re a trust port, and therefore effectively an independent organisation that doesn’t distribute its profits outside of the county,

124- -www.shippingandmarine.co.uk www.shippingandmarine.co.uk 68

we still have to operate like a business,” notes Alec Don, CEO of MHPA. “All ports have to liaise closely with their local communities, but as a trust port we do that intensively with annual consultative meetings and regular sessions with councillors and community leaders to ensure an open dialogue.

“We see a completely smooth link between being a successful commercial business, and doing things which therefore help the community and strengthen the local economy. There are over 5000 jobs in Wales that are associated with the port and wouldn’t be there if those businesses weren’t able to exploit its deep waters. Likewise, the two refineries located in Milford Haven, alone account for 25 per cent of Wales’ economic exports.”

As well as offering a range of marine services

such as cargo handling, ferry operations, and cruise calls, the Port of Milford Haven also owns and operates Pembroke Port and Milford Dock.

“We’ve concentrated a lot on these assets, and in association with that about a year ago we merged our ship repair business with Mustang Marine, of which we are a shareholder,” explains Alec. “In further support of that, we have invested £1 million in the construction of a dedicated highbay, covered fabrication hall at Milford Haven for Mustang, and they are setting out to exploit that investment and build their business.”

He continues: “They directly employ around 100 people and will be a major driver of the growth in the engineering and fabrication business around Milford Haven. This includes their engagement on the new tidal energy project, which will see the first trial device installed in the

Profile: Port of Milford Haven Mustang Marine

waters of Milford Haven. Overall Pembrokeshire has the prospect of being a strong resource for wave and tidal energy, and we have the facilities and organisations with the skills for Pembroke Port to be a significant player in that.”

Pembroke Port is also handling growing volumes of other cargoes, alongside its ferry terminal, which is particularly attractive for freight movements to the south of Ireland. In addition, Milford Haven’s location outside of the sulphur zone, and closer position to Manchester than Dover, presents the opportunity to further develop the ferry trade through the port.

“On the north side of the river at Milford Dock we are preparing planning applications for developments to increase its critical mass, and make it a vibrant centre for fishing, marine leisure and tourism,” reveals Alec. “There are over four million visitors a year coming to Pembrokeshire, and Milford Dock is going to be one of the stand-out destinations with a mix of shopping, restaurant, boating, and other activities.

“In support of that we’ve placed a £6 million investment into our lock facilities, which means we can operate these faster and more frequently.

Essentially it offers boat users rapid access in and out of year-round safe mooring facilities with good onshore storage 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This investment was supported by a European Regional Development Fund grant.

This increased access and our subsequent planning application, which envisages the construction of over £60 million of development, are core elements of Milford Dock emerging as a vibrant marina and fishing port,” he adds.

The natural traits of the Port of Milford Haven have been key to it achieving the position that it holds today. Rapid access to the Atlantic trade routes without locks, and deepwater that can accommodate any size of ship, underpin the economic structure of the businesses operating in the vicinity. “Our key strategies revolve around concentrating our management efforts on the growth and investment in Pembroke Port and Milford Dock as the trading assets we own,” states Alec.

“We have to do that at the same time as maintaining a strong balance sheet, and we are seeking to work actively with the Welsh government, the Milford Haven Enterprise Zone and Pembrokeshire County Council in relation to some key deepwater sites for the creation

of a new part of the port. We also support our customers when they seek to make investment in their own activities such as the refineries and gas terminals, which are trading in challenging international markets. They need to invest in projects that enhance their profitability and improve their business model, and we set out to play a strong role in facilitating that.

“For example the plans for the construction of a new 500 MW power station associated with the South Hook LNG terminal are well advanced, and this will be another major new investment for Pembrokeshire that will strengthen the trading position of the business. So we are seeing forward investment coming over time, both from ourselves, and others in those major driver areas of the economy in Milford Haven,” he concludes. v

Port of Milford Haven www.mhpa.co.uk • Third largest port in UK • Investment into lock facilities • Marina development plans

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 69

Bold developments

F

ounded in 2009, All Marine and Offshore Enterprise (AMOE) officially consists of two firms: AMOE Ship Management Pte Ltd. and AMOE Pte Ltd.; both of which share the same infrastructure and comprise of the same 65 employees. Offering one-stopshop solutions, the core businesses within the enterprise are own vessel operations, ship building, ship management, project management and consultancy, commissioning and engineering services for shipbuilding projects, supervision, crew supply for all vessel types and vessel mobilisations.

With its inception during the throes of the economic crisis, a time that was wrought with difficulties and challenges for the shipping industry as a whole, AMOE Ship Management has proven its resilience by developing a respectable niche for itself in the local market. Its

124- www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk 70

ongoing success has led to branch offices being opened in Indonesia and more recently Myanmar, where the company foresees strong growth over the coming years.

Delivering comprehensive management solutions to the marine and offshore industries, the results driven company strives to develop excellent relationships with its global client base by providing reliable, efficient and cost-effective services. Respecting individual customer needs, the company’s mission is to remain attentive to all niche areas in the marine industry and watch for opportunities to penetrate into new markets, thus delivering continuous improvement to its wide range of services.

Fully managing a fleet of seven vessels, two general cargo ships, one crane barge and four anchor handling tug supply (AHTS) vessels, some of which have been contracted to Shell for projects in Malaysia as well as the supply of

crew for vessels trading both globally and in the UAE. Meanwhile, its most recent contract with TCO Marine Nigeria started in October 2013; managing a crane barge and an (AHTS) in Nigeria AMOE Ship Management’s services will support TCO’s contract with Chevron. Having worked on more than 75 projects in just four years, AMOE has achieved a solid reputation for itself and returned profit annually.

Supplying qualified and competent crew to all vessel types, AMOE Ship Management screens all candidates to find out their level of expertise to match vessel specifications and exceed the owner’s requirements. Seafarers are assessed continuously and upgrade their skills regularly through relevant training courses on subjects such as safety standards and environmental pollution. Furthermore, the company provides in-house training to the crew on technical, operational and safety aspects before each

Profile: AMOE Ship Management

Far left: AMOE Victory Left: ASL Pisces at ASL shipyard, Singapore

departure to ensure a high quality and safe service.

Boasting more than 150 years of combined experience in the marine and offshore sector, AMOE Ship Management’s management team has long-term expertise in working with several different owners, charterers, shipyards, shipbuilders and a wide range of vessel types. Dedicated to delivering an effective and safe performance from all vessels under its management, the company believes competence and professionalism are key to effective, efficient and safe operations.

Despite the difficult marketplace AMOE Ship Management is continuing to enjoy steady growth and has strategic ambitions to become a regional hub for a complete range of maritime services.

In line with these plans, the company had its first owned vessel constructed; the 2500 dwt landing craft tanker (LCT) has a draft of just three metres, making it ideal for operations in shallow waters across the globe. It is suited for the transhipment of aggregate, sand, cement, logs, bulk cargoes and project cargoes.

However, the LCT is just one part of AMOE Ship Management’s grand future plan; currently in development is a joint venture with a large shipyard in Burma to create an ‘integrated yard facility’ in Myanmar. Following changes in Myanmar politics, which has a long history of sanctions and embargoes, the country has opened up to international developments and enjoyed accelerated growth in the region’s markets. Seeing an opportunity to set up a yard that offers a range of services, such as shipbuilding and repair facilities, storage warehouses, workshops and offshore equipment, AMOE Ship Management is keen to continue strengthening its business by developing the first offshore supply base in Myanmar.

Having discussed the potential for a yard to offer shore support, storage facilities, base supplies and repairs with offshore contractors, operators and directors, the company is keen to offer more efficient logistics to new customers

in Myanmar waters who must currently travel to Thailand for relevant yard facilities. On top of this, there are also plans to further grow the business by establishing management services for the super yacht market.

Until these exciting developments come into fruition, AMOE Ship Management will continue strengthening the business while working hard to generate support from banks and financial institutions, a challenge the company has faced since the beginning. Although there have been difficulties in obtaining financing facilities, the

prospects for the company appear positive as the Singapore market remains busy and many sectors of the marine industry witness increased growth. v

AMOE Ship Management www.amoe.com.sg • Global client base • Fully manage a fleet of seven vessels • Deliver one-stop-shop solutions

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 71

Manoeuvring

into the future

Z

F Marine Krimpen B.V. is part of its larger parent company ZF and was initially formed in 1973 as Holland Roer Propeller (HRP) before the company was purchased by ZF in 2009. By 2010 the company had been fully integrated with its parent and was renamed ZF Marine Krimpen B.V. ZF was founded in 1915 for the development and production of transmissions for airships and vehicles. At present ZF has 121 production locations in 26 countries and employs over 75,000 people with its headquarters located in Friedrichshafen, Germany.

Based in The Netherlands, ZF Marine Krimpen is primarily responsible for the production and development of marine thrusters and thruster control systems. Thrusters are designed to increase the ship maneuverability in all conditions. The product range of ZF Marine Krimpen includes azimuth thrusters and transverse tunnel thrusters up to more than two MW.

72 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

Within the azimuth thruster range ZF Marine Krimpen produces various types like wellmounted, retractable, deck-mounted and shallow draught thrusters. Thrusters can also

be produced with twin propellers, rotating in counter directions, which can provide an increase of thrust in all operational ranges.

Tunnel thrusters can also be supplied with controllable pitch propeller.

The units can be provided with electric, diesel or hydraulic drive systems and steering controls are advanced and can be interfaced with global positioning systems and dynamic positioning systems. ZF Marine’s range of thrusters can be applied to almost any craft including pleasure vessels, defense craft and commercial vessels, however at present ZF Marine Krimpen’s customers are traditionally located in the commercial sector.

Complementing its strong product range, ZF Marine is able to offer an extensive supply network and dedicated aftersales service. “We have a good service network and we are able to send engineers to locations where they are needed,” explains Reiner Viebahn, managing director at ZF Marine Krimpen. “We have service engineers here in The Netherlands, the US, Asia and all over the world. We are proud of this

Profile: ZF Marine Krimpen

first changes was the implementation of the ZF production system, which brought with it a higher level of standardisation and efficiency.

In keeping with its commitment to supporting its staff as well as its expanding client base, the introduction of the new system also meant an improved working environment. Inclusion in the ZF Group means that the Krimpen operation is able to draw on the synergies of a larger business while being able to operate independently enough to focus on developing its dedicated product range.

“We develop the products by ourselves here in Krimpen and we also use the synergies that ZF group is able to offer,” Reiner says. “After all, ZF is a large company with more than 75,000 employees. In Friedrichshafen there is a huge development centre which has services we can benefit from. If there is a need for further knowledge or we need to carry out e.g. stress testing we always have possibilities to make use of the expertise of the development centre in Friedrichshafen.”

ZF Marine Krimpen shares its parent

company’s reputation for providing high quality products and excellent aftersales service.

In only a few short years it has proven more than capable of meeting and exceeding the expectations of its wider partner and is set to make further waves as it thrusts forward into the future. v

ZF Marine Krimpen www.zf.com • Steerable azimuth thrusters • Global supply network • In-house design

strength in our company that means we can provide services worldwide.”

Underpinning the company’s operation is its long-term vision and commitment to providing the highest standards in quality and service.

“To be a major player in the thrusters solutions,” begins Reiner, “you have to take care of your customers, to be flexible and able to address your customers’ needs. Therefore this is also reflected in our mission statement, as well as looking after our employees and providing a safe and motivational workplace. We make sure we are on track with the exceptional standards of our parent company and continue to provide quality products and services,” he elaborates.

In perusing the company’s mission Reiner takes what he sees as a less traditional approach in operating the business. “It’s not just about making money. Naturally being profitable is important, but for me this is a side effect which comes automatically,” Reiner says.

“What I mean is that if you provide a high quality product, good service and meet the customers’ expectations, then the business comes in by itself. It’s a different approach to be focused on the process and the quality to bring in business rather than just focusing on the money. It is a kind of philosophy, which has proven itself in other markets as well.”

Since HRP became ZF Marine Krimpen in 2010 it has been focused on applying this vision to every part of its business and has continued to grow in strength and reputation. One of the

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 73

Piet-Hein Kolff

A vital

maritime centre

2

013 and beyond represent something of a milestone for the Netherlands Port of Den Helder. In a significant changing of the guard for the port, it has recently changed from public ownership to become a private entity. As a result of this shift the way is now clear for a host of new opportunities supported by the emergence of new business opportunities and an empowered spirit of cooperation. Ownership of the port was transferred to the municipal port authority on 1st January this year and its current CEO, Piet-Hein Kolff was appointed in July. Since then the port authority has showed no sigh of slowing down as it moves to revitalise the port as a centre of industry.

Even before it came under private ownership the Port of Den Helder represented a dynamic economic hub with varied and industrious sectors working within it. Today the port is

124 www.shippingandmarine.co.uk 74 -- www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

focused on four main strands that offer a unique blend of products and services that greatly strengthen the port’s reputation as a vital maritime centre. Den Helder is perfectly located to service Holland’s offshore oil and gas sector as it the closest port to the country’s offshore fields, making it an obvious choice for operators looking to install or maintain offshore infrastructure. While representing the first strand in the port authorities strategy, the offshore market in the region is a dynamic one and is currently set to change drastically over the coming years. The sector is in a state of transition as many of the topside rigs in the area are approaching their 30-year lifespan and are soon to be decommissioned.

Rather than representing a fall in business, the decommissioning process will bring a lot of activity to the port as operators work to remove the equipment safely. These recovery operations will also be complimented by the industries move

into subsea operations, which Den Helder is ready to facilitate.

Encouraging the move into the subsea sector are the port’s training and development pool and supporting facilities, which offer both offshore/ subsea operators and naval contractors the opportunity to develop how they explore the surface of the ocean. The ability to offer these facilities represents a second important area of focus for the port. The mutual benefit of this for it and its customers is that it encourages long-term co-operation between the port and operators and represents a vital source of future development.

Likewise, these facilities strengthen the relationship between Den Helder and Holland’s Navy, which has been based at the port since the end of the Second World War. The relationship between Den Helder and Holland’s Navy has been long and cordial, but much like other sectors in the port it is a

Profile: Port of Den Helder

in providing the kind of services its clients require.

With its curious blend of tradition and inspired forward thinking the waters ahead are clear for the Port of Den Helder. v

Port of Den Helder www.podh.eu • Ideally located offshore base • Diverse industry portfolio • Continued investment

relationship that is set to change. Changes in funding have meant that the Dutch Navy has had to scale back, resulting in even closer co-operation between the port authority and the Navy then ever before. Previously, naval operations were a vital if almost segregated part of the port’s business, however with its operation scaled back the Navy is able to offer shared use of its cutting edge facilities and berthing space. Also, as some of the space in and around the port that was previously used by the Navy becomes disused it is quickly being adapted for commercial use. This way the port authority can ensure that none of its infrastructure is left idle.

This will propel this section of the port to make it an even more integral part of port life, able to offer overflow and support services to commercial shipping, while retaining its traditional naval presence. Commenting on the facility Piet-Hein Kolff says: “These facilities are a unique selling point for the port. We like to think of ourselves as a ‘greenhouse’ for knowledge and we are trying to grow the expertise of the offshore and naval sectors and bring this to the subsea market. We are able to offer operators the opportunity to test and operate subsea submarines and we are very keen to encourage the sharing of experience between all of these sectors.”

The forth strand in the Den Helder port authority’s business is found in its small, but traditional fishing fleet, which has consistently been a staple player in the port’s activities.

Maintaining its values of tradition and cooperation, the Port of Den Helder also operates a Museum Port, which features workshops for construction and restoration and facilitates ferry operations to the island of Texel, which are carried out by the Teso ferry company.

As the port transitions from its public beginnings into an exciting private enterprise it

brings with it a host of strong industry sectors.

What is more impressive is that while each of these sectors are likewise in a liminal phase, none of them are in a state of decline. Where operators is changing their focus and reorganising to address changing markets, Den Helder is skillfully adapting to ensure it remains at the cutting edge

Holland Safety Holland Safety BV is a specialist in the inspection and maintenance of fire fighting and life saving equipment for the shipping and offshore industries. It has more than 20 years experience and is proud to be an importer for brands such as Hansen Protection (lifejackets and immersion suits), Desautel (portable and wheeled fire extinguishers), Draeger (personal protection equipment) and Spencer It (emergency stretchers).

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 75

Paragon 31

Riding the

wave

P

reviously in Shipping & Marine magazine in October 2011, leading boat manufacturer Nimbus Boats is enjoying increased demand and an expanding customer base following a challenging 2012.

“Prior to 2012 we were owned by a private company, however the market was so bad and the financial set up of the company became so heavy that Nimbus Boats went bankrupt in June 2012. On a positive note we had no outstanding debt to our customers, so it was very easy to start up again with our new owner. The last year has been fantastic for us, particularly because the Coupe 335 and 365 models were developed very late in the old company and helped launch our successful start as a new business,” explains Jonas Gothberg, commercial director of Nimbus Boats. “The Coupe model segment was launched at the last boat show we participated in and the interest in Nimbus and our brand has been very high since. We have been a new firm for a year now and we are already showing black figures, which is fantastic for a shipping firm in this economy.”

Following a triumphant return, Scandinavia’s leading manufacturer of leisure boats for cruising and sport has a core focus going forward: to further develop the market and its relationship with existing dealers while also enhancing

124- www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk 76

the Nimbus group’s product development efforts under the brand names Nimbus Boats and Paragon Yachts.

“Our existing or previous customers absolutely embraced our new developments and new series of Coupe boats, which Nimbus has been famous for throughout its history. However, we have noticed that our newer boats, particularly the Nimbus 365 Coupe has generated a new customer base that is at least 15 years younger than it was before. It is every designers dream to create a product that attracts a new and younger audience and we see these customers coming back for our new product, the Nimbus 405 Coupe, which has been introduced at the Hamburg Boat Show,” enthuses Jonas.

Winner of the European Powerboat of the Year award in January 2012, the Nimbus 365 Coupe has been tried and tested in extreme conditions and meets all safety standards by both professionals and private owners. “Our core values when we design a boat are safety and aesthetics; if you buy a Nimbus boat it will still look beautiful in ten years,” says Jonas. “This has been the Nimbus promise since the 1980s and we have succeeded in delivering this. We build

Nimbus 34 Nova

for people who spend a lot of time out at sea so a lot of time goes into the design and testing of boats to ensure our products are truly functional, aesthetically attractive and comfortable.”

Created for customers that use their boats for long periods of time, the Nimbus 365 boasts features such as an electrically operated toilet, shower cabin, fridge/cooler box, cooker with gas oven and a large galley with two sinks.

Aesthetically, the boat is striking, with a marine varnished mahogany interior, a leather steering wheel, Nimbus designed pillows and a skylight on deck with curtain. More importantly, the Nimbus 365 Coupe, alongside all other vessels in Nimbus Boats’ diverse range, are manufactured using vacuum infusion at the company’s state-ofthe-art shipyard in Mariestad.

A completely closed production method that ensures the best possible quality end product with minimum impact on the environment, vacuum infusion is a composite process that

Profile: Nimbus Boats Paragon Ranger Nimbus 34 Nova

creates superior products out of fiber-reinforced plastics that are extremely rigid, strong and low in weight. Both the skeleton and headliner of Nimbus Boats’ products are built entirely of glass fibre, which ensures easy maintenance and smooth surfaces; this policy, alongside the high quality wood joinery, provides customers with a boat interior that retains a high standard year after year. On top of this, to further ensure the best possible quality of the boats and efficiency of production, every boat and all of its components are manufactured by the Swedish based firm.

Having wholly refit its shipyard in early 2013, the company has been looking to penetrate rapidly developing markets, as Jonas highlights: “A major market for us right now is Turkey, where the people are very well off and willing to pay for good quality boats. In Turkey they use their boats an enormous amount, around 700 to 900 hours annually, compared to other markets that use their boats between 50 and 250 hours a year.

The people buying our boats are well above the capacity to buy 100 feet yachts, but instead they are acquiring 40 feet Nimbus Coupe and using them every day. This is the best possible grade I can get. We have also made progress in China and are slowly starting to sell boats in Russia, with two sold in the past few months.”

Despite developing its market presence in new areas, Nimbus Boats is still mainly focused on Northern Europe, where its boats operate in harsh and challenging conditions. “This is a key strategic area for us because we know that if our boats can operate in the roughest conditions they can be used anywhere in the world. Looking ahead, we have a big focus in our mind that when we make these types of boats we can’t compete with price but we can compete with quality and customer service; we have had a very good year and we are on track but to continue our success our plan is simple: less volume, but a more high end product,” concludes Jonas. v

Nimbus Boats www.nimbus.se • One of the most respected boat builders in Europe • Launching its largest ever boat • Completely refit its factory/shipyard in 2013

Nimbus 405 Coupe

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 77

Traditionally

F

built

rom foundations laid in 1919, Factorias Vulcano began its long tradition in shipbuilding in 1940.

Initially working as a shipbuilder and repair yard, the company continued to expand and grow its facilities at Vigo, Spain in order to take on newbuild projects. At the same time over the years Factorias Vulcano has moved away from standard vessel types such as cargo and fishing trawlers to more demanding specialist ships such as seismic, offshore construction vessels, oceanographic and research vessels and chemical vessels.

Explaining the reasons behind this shift, general manager Jose Luis Mendez says: “There is a lot more competition in general vessel construction, such as container and cargo ships, from shipyards in Korea and China, which can produce these vessels more cheaply. As a European shipyard, we have concentrated on niche buildings such as seismic, chemical, and offshore construction vessels and oceanographic

124- www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk 78

and research vessels, which typically are more sophisticated and employ much higher levels of technology.�

Factorias Vulcano uses a block building technique for vessels, delivering everything from design through to pre-fabrication, and ultimately assembly, in-house. State-of-the-art technologies are applied during the construction including computer assisted design, numerical control cutting, automatic welding, and laser controlled sizing. This means that Factorias Vulcano is able to build vessels with a high degree of advanced outfitting and quality.

The total area of the yard is 79,283 m2 and is divided into key areas, including an external 2300 square metre prefabrication and assembly support area, a central prefabrication area of 7500 square metres, including 3000 square metres undercover, and a second similar sized prefabrication hall to the south. This is complemented by a 1000 square metre block painting shop. Rounding off the site is the

170-metre long slipway, and a north and south quay.

In 1993 Factorias Vulcano became the first private shipyard to achieve ISO 9001 accreditation. The company had maintained this quality focus, and as of 2013 has reached the DNV’s Certification of Integrated Management System for the design and build of steel vessels and offshore installations, in compliance with

Profile: Factorias Vulcano

ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001.

“The shipbuilding market has always gone up and down, and with this we have changed the way we build vessels,” describes Jose. “In the past we had a lot of on-site workmen, but now we have a core staff of 110 personnel, who are all high-level management responsible for delivering the shipyard’s activities. This includes commercial managers, engineering managers, purchasing staff, head of production, human resources, and financing staff, so all at the top of these departments.

“We then subcontract in 99 per cent of the remaining labour that we need to build the vessels,” he continues. “The advantage here is that if we have a lack in the volume of work we are able to manage this better by having a smaller staff, and likewise the subcontracted staff are able to take on work elsewhere whilst we secure new orders.”

Currently Factorias Vulcano is working on a number of projects for clients throughout the world. This includes chemical tankers for customers in Spain, Sweden, Chile, and Italy, as well as three 30,000 dwt tankers for a client in Russia. The latest deliveries of Factorias Vulcano were a seismic vessel for a major Norwegian entity, and a deep sea offshore construction vessel for another client in Norway.

“In addition, we are also working on a ferry boat that had its hull were stopped in Sevilla Shipyard,” adds Jose. “We sent some of our team to the yard where the vessel was based, and finished the hull by installing all the steelwork in the fore and aft parts, before launching and towing it to our facilities in Vigo. We’re now looking to sell the vessel into the market, and are in contact with several different owners to discuss the opportunities for it such as using it as a cruise vessel.”

With the shipping market remaining unstable and activity levels staying low, Factorias Vulcano is sticking to its strategy of high technology developments. This enables it to be much more competitive against low cost manufacturers that

may not have the skills to deliver these more complex vessels.

“It’s a very specialist market, but there is always a niche for these kind of ships,” agrees Jose. “We have a very long tradition in shipbuilding, but as a smaller private entity we need to be able to survive in the market so having that added value of technical expertise is vital.

Likewise, the company has a very strong spirit at all levels to ensure that we can keep on delivering vessels to the sector,” he concludes. v

Factorias Vulcano www.factoriasvulcano.com • Long shipbuilding heritage • Focus on niche sectors • High technology vessels

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 79

Shipping &MARINE

The magazine for maritime management

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk Editor: Libbie Hammond libbie@schofieldpublishing.co.uk Sales manager: Rob Wagner rwagner@schofieldpublishing.co.uk

Schofield Publishing Schofield Publishing Limited Unit 10, Cringleford Business Centre, Intwood Road, Cringleford, Norwich, NR4 6AU, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1603 274130 Fax: +44 (0) 1603 274131