Shipping and Marine Issue 117 Final Edition

ISSUE 117

The magazine for maritime management

Liquid

engineering The new sulphur emissions regulations have arrived – what are the implications for marine lubricant suppliers?

strength through flexibility Stevedores are skilling up to adhere to market expectations, but is the industry ready to meet the price of stricter compliance

spraying for time

Owners and contractors operating in marine environments are looking for corrosion protection systems with a longer life expectancy

size matters

Container vessels have grown beyond imagination in recent years, driven by the freight rate per TEU. But how large can they go?

If you don’t have the time to read it all, read what you need Health & Safety Monitor is the newsletter of choice for professionals across all industries because it is: Clear, succinct and brief: With case summaries, indexes and bullet points so you can easily pick out what’s relevant to you Practical, informative and comprehensive: Health and safety news reported and analysed, with full references supplied for your ease of use Unbiased, trusted and critical: Gives you the facts

Request the latest issue free of charge Subscriptions: £195 for 12 issues Contact: Doris Wells t: 01603 274280 e: dwells@schofieldpublishing.co.uk www.healthandsafetymonitor.com

ISSUE 117 Early

Editor’s comment ThE magazInE for marITImE managEmEnT

Liquid

engineering The new sulphur emissions regulations have arrived – what are the implications for marine lubricant suppliers?

strength throUgh flexiBility stevedores are skilling up to adhere to market expectations, but is the industry ready to meet the price of stricter compliance

spraying for time

owners and contractors operating in marine environments are looking for corrosion protection systems with a longer life expectancy

size matters

Container vessels have grown beyond imagination in recent years, driven by the freight rate per teU. But how large can they go?

Chairman Andrew Schofield Group Managing Director Mike Tulloch Sales Director David Garner Editor Libbie Hammond Art Editor/Design David Howard

Welcome to

2015!

Or is it welcome? January saw the arrival of the new sulphur emissions regulations, which are going to bring some challenges and rising costs to many operators this year and in the years to follow. Were you ready? Were fuel suppliers ready? I’d love to hear some feedback about the first month of

Profiles Editor Jo Cooper

operations in the ECAs.

Staff Writers Matthew High Andrew Dann Steve Nash

drawing their attention. The grounding of the Hoegh Osaka

Production Manager Fleur Daniels

must top the agenda for this year.

Production dhoward @ schofieldpublishing.co.uk studio @ schofieldpublishing.co.uk Advertisement Administrator Tracy Chynoweth studio@schofieldpublishing.co.uk

Marine operators and owners have also had some other stories was a high profile story, as was the tragic fire aboard the Norman Atlantic Ferry. Safety of both cargo and people surely Although we may only be a few days into 2015 (at time of writing) some landmark events have already been witnessed (did you see the world’s largest container ship, the 19,100 TEU CSCL Globe, call at the Port of Felixstowe?)

What else is 2015 going to bring?

Head of Research Philip Monument Research Managers Gavin Watson Rory Gallacher Editorial Researchers Mark Cowles Tarj D’Silva Jo-ann Jeffery Mike Chauser Nick Bochmann Advertising Sales Joe Woolsgrove Tim Eakins Dave King Darren Jolliffe Graham Allinson Mark Cawston

libbie@schofieldpublishing.co.uk

If you would like a digital version of Shipping & Marine magazine please contact Iain Kidd: ikidd@schofieldpublishing.co.uk

Subscriptions ikidd @ schofieldpublishing.co.uk

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

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk. ©2015 Schofield Publishing Ltd

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.

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 1

7

FEATURES 4 News Updates and announcements from the shipping and maritime arena

7 Redressing the balance What services are available to help tanker companies manage operating costs?

10 Strength through flexibility

10

Stevedores are skilling up to adhere to market expectations, but is the industry ready to meet the price of stricter compliance 


12 Home thoughts from abroad The issue of voice and broadband access to crewmembers is a big issue that is only getting bigger

14 Spraying for time Marine operators have been looking for long-lasting corrosion protection systems for several years – is thermal spraying the answer?

14

16 The waste collectors One company has used innovative technology to assist in the development of waste cleaning boats for different situations

18 ACCESEAS Navigating the North Sea Region into the Future

22 Liquid engineering Libbie Hammond spoke to Jonathan Hutchinson from Castrol, about the new sulphur emissions regulations and their implications for marine lubricant suppliers

24 Size matters Jan-Olaf Probst and Jost Bergmann take a look at what restrictions there are on continually increasing the size of container vessels

2 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

22

contents 29

profiles 29 Goodwin Steel Castings 35 The Port of Pori 38 Sea2Cradle 43 Ahrenkiel Steamship 46 Offshore Liftboats 51 IBIA 53 UN Ro-Ro

35

57 Westcon Group 59 Serco NorthLink Ferries 65 Tug Malta 68 Athus Container Terminal 72 Nimbus Boats 74 Mexico Natie 76 Port of Lisbon

38

78 MacDuff Shipyards Group 80 Drumarkon International BV 82 Frisia-Offshore 84 Secunda Canada 86 V.Ships USA

76 84

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 3

Set course for Asia E-navigation specialist NAVTOR has opened an office in Singapore. The move comes in response to growing regional demand for simple, efficient and cost effective ENC distribution solutions, as the IMO’s ECDIS Mandate continues its gradual roll out.

“Our philosophy of developing high-tech solutions to simplify tasks for navigators has underpinned our success in Europe, and its appeal will be equally compelling in Asia,” comments Tor Svanes, NAVTOR CEO. “The Asian market is diverse, sophisticated and receptive to innovation, and Singapore is the perfect base for NAVTOR to take advantage of the opportunities in this unique environment.”

NAVTOR’s new office is situated in Singapore’s dynamic central business district and will be led by Jennifer Lee, formerly the UKHO’s account manager for ADMIRALTY Nautical Products and Services, Asia Pacific. Lee’s first task will be to build NAVTOR brand awareness and demonstrate the benefits of proven e-navigation solutions in some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.

“Our products and expertise can help transform the duties of navigators and bring greater efficiency to the daily operations of shipping companies,” Svanes states. “We are involved in the SESAME project (Secure, Efficient and Safe Maritime Traffic Management in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore), so we know the regional shipping market and the unique challenges the industry faces here.”

Award winners A one-of-a-kind educational programme that enables professional mariners in the off-shore sector to study for a degree even when they are in the middle of the ocean has won a national award for Plymouth University. The Hydrographic Academy, which was launched in 2012 in partnership with global geosciences company Fugro, scooped the Outstanding Employer Engagement Initiative at the annual Times Higher Education Awards.

Dr Richard Thain, director of the Academy, received the award from guest host Jack Dee at the gala event at London’s Grosvenor Hotel.

Plymouth was the only university in the region to come away with a THE Award on the night.

Professor David Coslett, Interim Chief Executive, said: “For more than 150 years, our University has proudly served the marine and maritime community: it’s an intrinsic part of who we are. This award is testament to both that heritage and our innovative approach, working in partnership with others to open up new pathways into education.”

“It’s about meeting the needs of professional mariners, regardless of their location, and providing opportunities for career development and lifelong learning,” added Dr Richard Thain. “We’ve worked closely with Fugro, who’ve taken it forward on behalf of the industry, and we’re now looking to develop new programmes for the marine sector and look at other distance-learning opportunities.”

Expanding terminal Broekman Distriport is expanding its terminal in the Port of Rotterdam by 50,000 m2 to distribute goods to and from Western Scandinavia. By expanding the terminal at the Theemsweg in Botlek Rotterdam, one of the largest of Rotterdam’s seaports, Broekman Distriport is also extending its activities in the Port of Rotterdam. These include building a roll-on, roll-off ramp to tranship non-ferrous metal, oil & gas, offshore and forest products. These are important import and export commodities for Scandinavia. In addition, the company is investing in improving the location’s infrastructure.

The new ‘Continental Hub’ is going to play a substantial role for the Port of Rotterdam in its trade with Scandinavian countries, according to Broekman Distriport. Incoming goods from the Asian region can now be collected in Rotterdam and transported in one batch to Norway. It works both ways: the Port of Rotterdam is a strategic place for distributing Scandinavian goods to western and southern Europe and Asia. Not surprisingly, Broekman Distriport and Sea-Cargo have decided to enter into a long-term partnership, one in which Broekman Group invests in adapting and renovating the terminal.

4 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

Key stage A symbolic keel laying ceremony has taken place in Galati, officially launching the construction phase of DeepOcean’s new cable lay vessel.

The vessel, yet to be named, will be taken on a long term charter from Maersk, and will extend DeepOcean’s capabilities in the larger cable laying end of the market, representing a new focus on interconnector projects, in addition to the oil and gas and renewables sectors.

Tony Inglis, DeepOcean UK managing director, said: “This next generation cable lay vessel in combination with our survey and trenching capabilities will enable us to bundle our services for customers in the offshore power cable and umbilical markets. The versatile new vessel will be well suited for installation and burial projects using its 7000 tonne carousel from landfall to deepwater and also in remote geographical locations.

“The vessel is designed to meet the high standards demanded by North Sea Oil and Gas customers. We are delighted to be working with Maersk Supply Service and Damen to bring this high capability vessel to the market.”

MARITIME NEWS World’s largest containership CSCL Globe, the world’s largest containership and the first of a series of five 19,100 TEU containerships ordered by China Shipping Container Lines (CSCL) in 2013, has been named at Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) in Ulsan, South Korea. All of the vessels in the series will be constructed to DNV GL class.

“At DNV GL, we are very honoured to be part of this project.

CSCL Globe represents not only the largest, but also one of the most energy efficient containers vessels in the world.

I would like to congratulate both CSCL and Hyundai Heavy Industries on achieving this breakthrough in ultra-large containership development,” says Tommy Bjørnsen, DNV GL’s Regional Manager for Korea and Japan.

CSCL Globe measures 400 m in length, 58.6 m in width and 30.5 m in depth and is as large as four soccer fields. She will be deployed on the Asia-Europe trade loop after being handed over to the owner in November.

The CSCL Globe features a 77,200 bhp electronically controlled main engine that enhances fuel efficiency by automatically controlling fuel consumption to reflect the vessel’s current speed

and the sea conditions. As a result, the containership will burn 20 per cent less fuel per TEU in comparison to a reference 10,000 TEU containership.

Vessel naming

Technip has unveiled the name for its latest newbuild Diving Support Vessel (DSV), currently being built by Vard.

The state-of-the-art vessel will be known as the ‘Deep Explorer’.

The high-specification vessel will be equipped with the latest technology in terms of navigation (Dynamic Positioning class 3) and will feature a 24-man saturated dive system. With her large deck area, working moonpool, work-class ROVs and a 400Te offshore crane, she will also be able to deliver diverless construction activities.

Following the detailed engineering and design phase, construction of the ship’s hull commenced at Vard Tulcea in Romania. On completion of the hull, the vessel will be towed to Vard Langsten in Norway for final equipment outfitting and commissioning. She is scheduled to join the Technip fleet in 2016.

Responsive website

CSCL Globe is the world’s largest containership and will be deployed on the Asia-Europe trade loop.

Seaco, one of the world’s leading container leasing companies, has launched an overhauled website, planned and designed by digital agency Omobono. The new website is a significant move for Seaco, which has a fleet of around one million units and customers in over 80 countries, as the first responsive site in the industry.

The relaunch follows the agency’s appointment in spring this year. Omobono was briefed to overhaul Seaco’s website, ensuring it was mobile device-friendly and showcasing the company’s range of products. The site also directs customers to Seaweb, Seaco’s customer portal.

As part of the planning process, Omobono conducted extensive stakeholder research through in-depth interviews with senior staff in a range of locations, including Hamburg, Singapore and Miami. The website was completely redesigned by Omobono, including navigation, user experience and visual style, and built by MMT Digital.

See the new website at www.seacoglobal.com

Working together The Trident Alliance, the shipping industry initiative for robust enforcement of maritime sulphur regulations, has broadened its platform as some of Germany’s and Denmark’s most prominent shipping companies join its ranks together with new members from Chile, Greece, The Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Belgium.

Roger Strevens, chairman, is delighted at the level of industry engagement: “We are just a few weeks away from what will be a sea-change in the regulatory landscape for shipping, namely the introduction of the 0.1 per cent sulphur limits in ECA zones on 1 January 2015. It is reassuring to witness that so many companies want to make sure the new regulations are implemented in a way that ensures the intended environmental benefits as well as a level playing field.”

The Trident Alliance welcomes: Hapag-Lloyd, DFDS, Ionic Shipping, Euro Marine Logistics, Marinvest, Grieg Star, Wijnne Barends, Seatrade, Spliethoff, Transfennica, Biglift, Ultrabulk, Ultragas, and Ultratank. This brings membership to a total of 31 companies.

The member company CEO’s have each signed a Statement of Commitment, in which they commit to supporting robust and transparent enforcement of sulphur regulations as well as to complying with said regulations.

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 5

MARITIME NEWS Important contract Worth £13 million, a contract from DONG Energy for one of the largest seabed investigation campaigns in the history of the offshore wind has been won by Wallingford-based Fugro GeoConsulting, part of the Fugro Group.

It covers geotechnical investigation work in preparation for Hornsea Project One, scheduled to go into operation by 2020 when it will become the world’s first gigawatt scale far from shore wind farm. The park is located 120km off the Yorkshire coast and, when completed, will be able to meet the electricity needs of around 800,000 UK homes.

Hornsea Project One is being developed by Smart Wind - a consortium of Mainstream Renewable Power and Siemens Financial Services (SFS) - and DONG Energy. Currently awaiting a development consent decision, Hornsea Project One is one of three projects for which DONG Energy was awarded Financial Investment Decision Enabling Contracts for Difference by the Government in April this year.

Benj Sykes, DONG Energy Vice President Wind Power UK and Co-Chair of the UK’s Offshore Wind Industry Council, said:

“We are delighted to award this important contract to Fugro GeoConsulting who have been selected following an extremely competitive tender process.”

He added: “DONG Energy is committed to increasing the UK supply chain content in future offshore wind farm projects and this contract represents an important step in the right direction. It will also help us make significant progress on the journey to reduce the cost of electricity produced by offshore wind farms.”

Daniel Deen, Senior Project Manager at Fugro GeoConsulting added: “Our geotechnical vessels will undertake seabed cone penetration testing and borehole drilling as part of the detailed site investigation. Subsequent soil testing at our laboratory facilities will also support development of the project infrastructure at this site.”

Fugro GeoConsulting plan to use two of the largest and best equipped geotechnical vessels available on the market - M/V Greatship Manisha and M/V Bucentaur - to undertake the investigation work.

Robust real-time testing Trelleborg’s marine operation is in the process of building and installing a custom-made highspeed test rig, capable of testing both rubber and foam fenders. The rig is being built in Trelleborg’s new Berryville facility in Virginia, US, and represents a substantial investment for the business. When complete, it will be the biggest fender test rig in operation in the industry capable of testing fenders up to the largest commercially available sizes.

Richard Hepworth, president of Trelleborg’s marine operation, said: “Amongst quality conscious customers, in the US especially, there is a growing requirement for verification of fender performance through full scale, as well as materials, testing. We’ve found that more and more American contracts require local testing and wanted to make sure we responded to this need quickly, with in-house capabilities to reassure our customers.”

Trelleborg’s press is the largest in the world with the capacity for high speed testing. As well as the capacity to test commercial size fenders, the high-speed rig allows for real-time testing at up to 150 millimeters per second compression speed, using a decreasing velocity (DV) method, in line with PIANC’s 2002 guidelines. This will allow Trelleborg to undertake full scale testing of foam and rubber fenders at speeds that accurately reflect on site berthing conditions, without relying on extrapolated data from two to eight millimeters per second test speeds and applying velocity factors.

Hepworth continues: “Although the US is really leading the charge in demanding local quality control and full scale testing capabilities, we believe this requirement will become more important in other regions too – and rightly so.”

Trelleborg’s global marine operation will have access to the new equipment and customers will be invited to witness the testing of their own fenders first hand at the site in Berryville.

6 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

Repairs and refits Alewijnse Marine Systems is playing a significant role in a programme of electrical repairs and modifications to the Nordnes, a modern flexible fallpipe vessel, owned by Van Oord.

Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen, part of Damen Shiprepair & Conversion, has been awarded the contract by Van Oord to refit the Nordnes. The 166 metre vessel is used to position rock on the seabed for the protection and stabilisation of offshore structures such as pipelines, cables and offshore platforms.

Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen has subcontracted the electrical repairs and modifications to long-standing partner Alewijnse Marine Systems, which has a permanent presence at the shipyard. With just a five-week window in which to complete the project, Alewijnse has assembled a strong team of technicians to ensure that the work is completed on time and to specification.

The two primary tasks for Alewijnse are to renew all the steelwork that supports the electrical cabling and the upgrading of the Cargo Control System. Other important electrical repairs include the modification of the crew mess and the overhaul of the navigation light mast.

Alewijnse’s work on site started in November and was completed by mid- December 2014.

Alewijnse project leader Perry Eikelenboom is delighted to be working with Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen. “This contract gives us the opportunity to do what we do best; share our knowledge and expertise to create solutions that best meet our clients’ needs,” he said.

TANKER SERVICES

Redressing the

balance Ivo Verheyen looks at the services available to help tanker companies manage operating costs

For tanker companies, things are looking up. A sector that has suffered at the hands of high bunker prices, sustained low freight rates and vessel overcapacity has seen its fortunes change in recent months.

Bunker costs have fallen, freight rates are improving and some excess vessel capacity is being absorbed.

What’s more, lower global oil prices have led to an increase in shipping activity.

Strong market fundamentals This positive trend seems likely to continue into 2015. Should oil prices remain low, ongoing stockpiling of cheaper oil products is expected to continue to buoy the tanker market. Across Europe, strong market fundamentals are likely to provide a further benefit to tanker companies, given the start of the winter season and higher demand for oil and other bulk liquid products. Furthermore, the start-up of modern, larger-scale refining capacity in the Middle East should see higher demand for the long haul products trade, as well as a shift in trade patterns.

This is further bolstered by the demand for distillate fuels in Europe’s

Sulphur Emission Control Areas to meet the 0.1 per cent sulphur regulations from 1 January 2015. This requires significant quantities of distillates, which are not produced in large volumes in Europe. Across GAC’s network of offices in Europe, we expect that demand for tanker shipping services will continue to strengthen in key oil hubs, particularly Norway, Aberdeen, Cyprus and ARA (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp).

Other strategic locations have also experienced increased demand for a range of tanker services, such as Shetlands and Orkney for offshore operations in the North Sea. We also anticipate increased activity at our offshore shipping services hub in Cyprus, with a number of offshore projects due to come online in Greece, Cyprus, and Turkey.

Operating costs forecast to rise Of course, despite these positive signs, tanker owners and operators will not be complacent. They will continue to do all they can to maximise operational efficiencies, particularly given recent forecasts of increased operating costs in 2015.

A recent survey by Moore Stephens revealed that owners and operators expect vessel operating costs to increase in 2015, particularly

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 7

TANKER SERVICES

in Europe. The survey reports that overall costs are expected to rise by approximately three per cent in 2015, crew wages are expected to rise by 2.6 per cent and associated crew costs are expected to rise by 2.1 per cent.

Although these cost increases may appear to be modest, the impact is still significant, given that margins are already tight. Tanker companies

8 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

will continue to look for further efficiencies and a wide range of support services are now available to help them to achieve this.

Controlling crewing costs Crew wages are just one component of crew costs and ship agents can do a lot to control overall costs through the careful provision of a full range of husbandry services. For example, when it comes to crew travel, the task is to find the most efficient land, air and sea routes at the best cost, reducing unnecessary and costly layovers, finding the best value accommodation and ensuring the on-time arrival of crew.

Many of Europe’s main tanker ports have high accommodation costs, so the local knowledge of your agent can be invaluable.

Effective crew management is also about the efficient co-ordination of port services for crew changes in terms of accessibility, associated port costs, the speed and efficiency of immigration processes, access to offshore locations, the availability of supply vessels, and so on. Whether it is the costs of medical services, managing crew expenses or ensuring access to local currency at favourable rates, today’s leading ship

agents are adept at identifying the many opportunities to find efficiency savings during a port call.

Managing hull maintenance Ship agents are also able to assist tanker owners and operators in managing the costs associated with routine vessel maintenance. To take hull cleaning as an example, the recent Moore Stephen’s report suggests that hull maintenance costs are rising. However, at the same time, the latest technologies for underwater hull maintenance are delivering a more operationally efficient solution and better value for money for tanker companies.

GAC EnvironHull’s HullWiper Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) is an unmanned hull cleaning technology that uses adjustable pressure sea water jets as the cleaning medium, rather than brushes or abrasives, resulting in minimal damage to the antifouling surface of the hull. The system does not require divers and can be used in port while a vessel is loading or unloading cargoes, which saves time and money. So, even though hull coating costs may be rising to meet higher technical standards and stricter regulations, significant efficiency gains can also be secured with the latest hull cleaning solutions.

The value of the ‘hub’ The ‘hub agency’ approach is increasingly popular with tanker owners and operators as a key tool in the challenge of managing operating

costs. The hub agency model collects and processes an array of relevant data and provides a platform for exploring voyage options, calculating costs, analysing KPIs and selecting the products, services and means of delivery that are most suited to the needs of a vessel and voyage. This includes port disbursement account checking, negotiation and validation, access to live information and updates on port activity.

Importantly, this can include control over currency exchanges and money transfers.

Cost savings through collaboration Although the fortunes of tanker companies are intrinsically linked to market conditions, working with the right ship agent can deliver a significant saving on vessel costs, in good times and bad. This isn’t just about shaving off a few dollars here and there, but about the tanker company and the ship agent working closely together to optimise every aspect of vessel operations, in order to save time and money. n

Ivo Verheyen is group vice president – Europe, GAC Group. GAC is a global provider of integrated shipping, logistics and marine services.

Emphasising world-class performance, a long-term approach, innovation, ethics and a strong human touch, GAC delivers a flexible and value-adding portfolio to help customers achieve their strategic goals. For further information visit: www.gac.com.

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 9

Strength

through flexibility

Stevedores are skilling up to adhere to market expectations, but is the industry ready to meet the price of stricter compliance asks Stuart Cullen?

When I was asked to write this piece, it set me thinking about the industry as a whole: the drivers of change, the pressures of competition, the state of the economy more generally, but I settled instead on a topic that I think has the potential to fundamentally reshape the face of the stevedoring industry in the United Kingdom.

The main driver, as I see it, actually stems from positive improvements that we’ve delivered as an industry. It’s the huge strides forward that we have made to the quality of the service that we offer, including adherence to stricter levels of compliance that come with it, which will be the catalyst for change. An odd thing to say you might

10 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

think, but with stricter levels of compliance in areas such as Health & Safety and environmental sustainability comes associated cost, and therein lies the challenge.

I can only speak for my own workforce, but what I’ve come to understand over my 20 years in the business is just how multi-skilled they have become through sustained investment. Stevedoring is a very practical business – it entails getting things from one place to another in an orderly manner – but the ability, and flexibility, of the team we have at Solent Stevedores is remarkable. It has to be, because that’s what our customers demand. Increasingly our customers expect us to adhere to such certifications as ISO14001: we accept that as a given. When I look at what’s happening in Europe,

STEVEDORE SERVICES

‘‘

Whether consolidation will have an impact on this remains to be seen, but there’s an interesting conversation to be had about how we work together to address these changes, when they come

where the market is dominated by the large, global businesses, I start to wonder how long some of the smaller operators in Britain can keep pace.

As a mature industry in the UK, we absolutely have the ability to compete. We have the knowledge base and the managerial expertise to remain at the very forefront of the business. A key question to ask is whether the market is willing to accept the associated charges that come with this increased expertise, and can smaller operators remain viable if the answer is ‘no’?

If the answer is ‘no’ then the outcome could be consolidation across the sector. Smaller operators would then be bought out by larger players looking to firm up their positions in ports around the country, or forced to amalgamate to remain viable. Pressure will increase on independent SMEs operating in the UK to withstand the costs pressures brought about by stricter compliance.

As an example, we estimate that our own management and training costs, which is an investment we make to retain our competitive advantage and keep us ahead of the expected compliance standards, have increased by 20 per cent in recent years. We employ managers in specific roles such as Compliance & Standards, and Environmental Sustainability to ensure that we have the requisite skills in place at a managerial level.

We also implement a continual training programme that rolls forward each year. It ensures that our employees can operate machinery ranging from 100 tonne Gottwald cranes down to 2.5 tonne forklift trucks, and it comes at a cost. However, this is an investment that we willingly make because we recognise that our customers value the level of quality that we provide. We have made the choice to improve our knowledge and level of accreditation in anticipation of everincreasing demands from the industry.

Solent Stevedores works hard to improve these standards in what remains a demanding market. We’ve grown our operations to take in new facilities and assets and we’re optimistic about the future, but we recognise that this isn’t a universal truth.

As I alluded to earlier on, one of the strengths of SMEs operating in this sector is their flexibility. It’s an attribute that the market values enormously, and it’s something that I think we should be rewarding our employees for. After all, it’s not just the men and women working on the docks that have to respond to these requirements; their families and friends feel the impact of irregular working patterns as well.

Whether consolidation will have an impact on this remains to be seen, but there’s an interesting conversation to be had about how we work together to address these changes, when they come. I for one think that it’s a debate we should be having sooner rather than later. n Stuart Cullen is chairman of Solent Stevedores Ltd. Solent Stevedores Ltd commenced operations in the February 2000 and since then the company has built up an excellent reputation as a proficient and professional cargo handling operator. In 2007 Solent Stevedores entered a 20-year agreement with Associated British Ports (ABP), owners of the Port of Southampton, to expand the multi-user bulk terminal and enhance facilities. For further information visit: www.solentstevedores.com.

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 11

Home thoughts from

abroad

Why connectivity is a vital issue for crew welfare. By Henrik Christensen

The modern marine and shipping industry relies on efficient network coverage for communications, connectivity and navigation. However, there is also a very human element to connecting the maritime industry. Ship crews can be away from friends and family for weeks and months at a time, so being able to stay in regular contact with those back home as well as use online media, banking and social networks is vital to maintaining high employee morale, satisfaction and productivity. It is also a legal requirement, due to the Marine Labour Convention (MLC) 2006, which came into full force in August 2013, that any vessel with voice and data communications operational on board must make these facilities available to all crewmembers welfare activities.

The provision of fast, reliable broadband for crewmembers is high on the agenda for many shipping companies and the demand will continue to rise. In this article, I’ll discuss the options open to ship operators looking to cope with the rising connectivity demands made by crewmembers and legislation.

12 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

Regulating communications at sea MLC-2006 outlines clear standards for seafarers’ living and working conditions, which must be adhered to by vessels of all nationalities and ownership. MLC-2006 applies to all ships, both publicly and privately owned, which are engaged in commercial activities. Ships engaged in fishing or in similar pursuits, ships of traditional build such as dhows and junks, warships and naval auxiliaries are the only exceptions.

Crew welfare and ship-to-shore communications are accounted for in the regulations.

The regulation applies to any seafarer who is employed by, engaged with, or works in any capacity onboard a ship to which the convention applies. As an international standard, it needed to be approved by at least 30 member states before implementation could go ahead.

As of August 2014, the convention has been ratified by 64 states representing 80 per cent of the world’s gross tonnage of shipping.

While vessels with operational voice and data communications on board are obliged to provide broadband services to crewmembers in some capacity, there is a growing expectation from crewmembers that 24/7 access to high quality, high speed communications is an essential part of their employment contact. This is mainly driven by the increasing reliance on connectivity from consumers in their everyday

communications

lives. According to recent NSSLGlobal research, 45 per cent of those surveyed expect their connection at sea to deliver the same or nearly the same level of quality as their home connection! Considering the challenge of providing the necessary network infrastructure to support such high speeds at sea, this statistic shows how expectation levels may soon be above and beyond the service shipping operators and satellite companies can provide.

While many ship operators are increasingly aware of, and provide, some form of internet facility, companies not ensuring suitable high speed global connectivity at sea risk damaging morale and potentially losing staff to competitors that are providing these services.

Recent NSSLGlobal research found that one in three crewmembers have three devices on board at all times. This shows how the rise in smartphone and tablet use in recent years has bled into life at sea and is also a good indicator of how satellite networks may soon be flooded by devices as the trend seeps into the commercial shipping sector.

There are two main options available to shipping companies looking to provide voice and broadband facilities to crewmembers onboard.

Numerous ship operators have chosen to use L-Band technology such as FleetBroadband or Iridium Pilot as their main satellite communication system, with many still operating on a traditional ‘pay

as you go’ basis. However, as data requirements have increased, along with the provisions of MLC-2006, this option has drawbacks with limited speeds and capacity if there are large crews.

VSAT, such as NSSLGlobal’s Cruise-IP, is a viable future solution to avoiding a maritime capacity crunch. Not only does installing a VSAT service provide reliable broadband facilities with sufficient bandwidth to satisfy both crew and business users, it allows ship operators to control usage levels and avoid unwanted issues such as excessive costs.

In summary, the issue of voice and broadband access to crewmembers is a big issue that is only getting bigger. Like most technology adoptions, as we see MLC-2006 continue to kick in and more ship operators provide their crewmembers with access to voice and broadband services, demand from personnel will only rise. As expectations for consistently fast connectivity rise, ship operators will have to look at ways of ensuring they can meet this demand. This will require moving away from traditional pay as you go FleetBroadband models and embracing technologies such as VSAT with Ku- or C-Band or Ka/GX. n Henrik Christensen is group maritime sales director at NSSLGlobal, an independent service provider of satellite communications and IT support. The company is committed to delivering high-quality voice and data services to customers anywhere in the world, regardless of location or terrain. Along with NSSLGlobal’s world-class VSAT network, the company brings together the best-in-class satellite solutions from key market providers such as Inmarsat, Thuraya and Iridium, to offer options across C-, L-, Ka- and Ku-Band networks.

For further information visit: www.nsslglobal.com.

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 13

Spraying for time

Maurice Walrave takes a look at if corrosion resistance lasting 20 – 40 years is a fairy tale, wishful thinking or reality For several years, owners and contractors operating in marine environments have been looking for corrosion protection systems with a longer life expectation than that offered by current, conventional systems. As well as increasing operational lifespan, the maintenance factor also plays an increasingly important role. However, such a system already exists and thermal metal spraying is the new hit in our industry.

Thermal sprayed layers have proven life duration of between 20 and 40 years, but naturally there are more criteria to be met than just the system itself. Therefore, a very thorough quality control system, as well as highly trained applicators, is essential to guarantee the highest standards. Applying a molten metal layer on a metal substrate with flame or ARC spray is the solution to many corrosion problems.

The metal layer, often consisting of zinc, zinc/aluminium or aluminium, works by reacting with the applied layer. When the coated substrate is exposed to a corrosive environment, such as marine and/or industrial environments, the anode layer will have a high degree of cathodic effect. This creates a very long and high quality protection of the metal substrate.

Today, thermal sprayed coatings are widely specified for the protection of steels from aqueous corrosion, including offshore structures and components that are exposed to seawater immersion, for example: risers, pipe components and ship structures, tidal and splash zone environments.

Thermal spraying can provide thick coatings (the approximate thickness ranges from 20 micrometer to several mm, depending on the process and feedstock), over a large area at a high deposition rate as compared to other coating processes such as electroplating, physical and chemical vapour deposition. Coating materials available for thermal spraying include metals, alloys, ceramics, plastics and composites. They are fed in powder or wire form, heated to a molten or semi molten state and accelerated towards substrates in the form of micrometer size particles. Combustion or electrical arc discharge is usually used as the source of energy for thermal spraying. The resulting coatings are made by the accumulation of numerous sprayed particles. As the surface area does not heat up significantly, flammable substances can be coated safely.

Coating quality is usually assessed by measuring its porosity, oxide content, macro and micro-hardness, bond strength and surface roughness. Generally, the coating quality improves with increasing particle velocities.

Thermal spraying is not a dangerous process if equipment is treated with care, and correct spraying procedures are followed. As with any industrial process, there are hazards, of which the operator should be aware, and against which specific precautions should

14 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

be taken. Ideally, equipment should be operated automatically, in enclosures specially designed to extract fumes, reduce noise levels, and prevent direct viewing of the spraying head. Such techniques will also produce coatings that are more consistent. There are occasions when the type of components being treated, or their low production levels, requires manual equipment operation. Under these conditions, a number of hazards, peculiar to thermal spraying, are experienced, in addition to those commonly encountered in production or processing industries. n

Manual application of TSC

by ARC-spraying

Maurice Walrave, BSc, is general manager Netherlands Exova B.V. and Exova RPC. With over 90 years’ experience, Exova is one of the world’s leading laboratory-based testing groups, specialising in a number of key sectors from health sciences to aerospace, transportation, oil and gas, fire and construction.

Headquartered in Edinburgh, UK, Exova operates 118 permanent facilities in 23 countries throughout Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Asia/Asia Pacific. For further information visit: www.exova.com.

Exova RPC provides independent inspection, certification and training for applicators. This includes the provision of high quality controls before, during and/or after applying the metallic layers.

The person applying the system can gain personal certification according to the current international recognised standard ISO 14918 and ANSI AWS C 2.16-92. Exova RPC is also working on a company certification programme to prove the capabilities of any company providing thermal metal layers. Company certification is carried out in accordance with ANSI AWS C 2.18-93.

offshore corrosion

Automated ARC-Spray production line

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 15

The waste

collectors

One company has used innovative technology to assist in the development of waste cleaning boats for different situations

Over 70 per cent of the earth’s surface is covered by water. It is one of Earth’s most precious natural resources. With globalisation placing increasing demands on maritime shipping, when accidents occur, the consequences to the environment can be catastrophic. Tankers leaking oil, vessels dumping their refuse inadvertently without regard for aquatic life or coastal residents; the negative environmental impact is real – for fauna, flora and humans alike.

An innovative concept As experienced during disasters such as Exxon Valdez oil spills in Alaska in 1989 or the Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, clean-up efforts are monumental tasks and their success depends on how fast authorities can intervene and whether they have the appropriate equipment to do the job.

From France’s Brittany, Eric Vial and Robert Gastaldi, co-founders of Ecoceane created in 2003, decided to boost the efficiency of vessels that are used to collect the liquid and solid waste floating in the water.

They realised that despite significant means and efforts employed to recover hydrocarbons after an oil spill, very few hydrocarbons were recovered at sea before reaching the coastlines and causing irreparable damage. They invested more than ten million euros

16 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

and seven years in research and development to come up with an innovative concept that would tilt the odds in favour of clean-up operations forever.

Their patented technology equips clean-up vessels that can collect more oil and waste per hour and with a capacity ten times that of traditional vessels. A revolution.

“Our customers are government agencies, harbour managers, shipowners and shipyards and their needs vary,” said Eric Vial, president of Ecoceane. “We therefore design and build waste-cleaning boats for different situations: from harbour, lake and river clean-up and coastal protection to out-of-port operations to recover all floating waste and oil spill monitoring and recovery in high seas. Our technology is unique and our boats are the only ones capable of collecting hydrocarbons at sea up to a wind and sea force of six or seven on Beaufort scale and at speeds of four to five knots. Our competitors are limited to a wind force level of three.” The company’s founders invented an innovative way to separate water from hydrocarbons that prevents emulsion. “With our technology, we avoid a mayonnaise-like emulsion when collecting hydrocarbons that would otherwise require a specific process to separate the hydrocarbons from the water before they can be stored in tankers. We gain in efficiency this way.” Its vessels transfer only pure emulsion-free hydrocarbons into tankers as they work. Once a tanker is full, another can take its place. “This continuous exchange of storage means our vessels have an unlimited 24/7 recovery

case study capacity during a clean-up operation,” Vial said. “More than 80 vessels have been sold in over 25 countries around the globe since Ecoceane was created. There is strong demand for our technology.”

Ecoceane provides its customers with end-to-end design to production services. “We tailor the design of each vessel to a customer’s specifications and then have the boat built at one of the shipyards we work with around the world, a solution that satisfies customers’ need for proximity,” Vial said.

Harnessing the power of integration To develop its vessels, Ecoceane uses Dassault Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCE platform, with CATIA for design, SIMULIA for virtual product simulation, DELMIA for digital manufacturing and 3DVIA for communication with shipyards and customers.

“For structural steel shipbuilding design, CATIA has built-in job-related features such as sheet metal and structural steel design, that save us a lot of time,” said Benjamin Lerondeau, Ecoceane’s naval architect. “As a result, we have more time for innovation.”

The link between CATIA and SIMULIA enables Ecoceane architects to seamlessly use the 3D Digital Mock-Up created in CATIA to run simulations of the boat performing under working conditions as it sucks up water and pollutants into the vessel. “We virtually simulate the vessel collecting water and hydrocarbons and visualise the flow of these liquids through the different compartments of the boat where filters separate the hydrocarbons from the water,” Lerondeau said. “The hydrocarbons are then eventually transferred to a tanker and the water released into the sea. We want to avoid releasing the pollutants into the sea instead of the water. With SIMULIA we can see if the vessel functions properly before it is built. The virtual simulations are so realistic and precise that we could eliminate physical prototypes, which are expensive and time-consuming to produce.”

Engineers use SIMULIA for stress analyses and the results are used to adjust the 3D design in CATIA if needed. “Working on the same platform means there are no gaps and no interruption in the development chain,” Lerondeau continued. “When the simulation and analysis phase is complete, we then transfer the 3D model to a virtual production environment in DELMIA to digitally prepare all manufacturing operations, including the sheet metal cutting plans and assembly procedures. We then use 3DVIA to create assembly instructions in 3D for the shop floor. With 3D, we eliminate misunderstandings that can lead to errors.”

Ecoceane’s sales force uses 3DVIA for their customer presentations and to allow future boat owners to experience their vessel before it is completed. “It has changed our relationship with our customers,” Lerondeau said. “They are excited to be involved in the design of their vessel and it saves us time since we know what they want from the early design stage, before it is too late or too costly to implement changes,” he added. “Enabling designers, manufacturing staff and customers, each with their own ideas, expertise and know-how, to participate on a project is the best way to create the most efficient design. With everyone working on the same integrated platform and digitally interacting and exchanging on the same master data, we have reduced project development time by up to 50 per cent.”

Latest line of pollution-cleaning vessels – ReverseGlop – designed with CATIA

SIMULIA virtually simulates the boat’s system collecting hydrocarbons on water Dassault Systèmes’ partner Keonys was involved from the very start of Ecoceane’s interest in the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform applications and was instrumental in helping Ecoceane implement the appropriate solutions for its development activities. “They began by assessing our installation and analysing how we could improve our productivity,” Lerondeau said. “They proposed the applications from the 3DEXPERIENCE platform that best suit our line of work and then provided the necessary training that would enable us to make the most of each application. Their expertise was essential to the success of our implementation.”

With its latest line of pollution-cleaning vessels – ReverseGlop – Ecoceane proposes a way for shipyards to incorporate its technology in the stern of any boat under construction that is more than 25 metres long. Its technique preserves the vessel’s normal functions in the aft and transforms it into an oil spill response vessel when the boat shifts into reverse. “This configuration means any service – military, cargo or even ice-breaking – vessel can be transformed into a pollution clean-up boat,” Vial said. “More than ever, we need a robust solution to help meet our development and sales objectives. The 3DEXPERIENCE platform is a fully-fledged part of our strategy and I believe that together with Dassault Systèmes, we can do great things for the protection of our earth’s waters.” n For further information please visit: www3ds.com

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 17

ACCSEAS:

Navigating the North Sea region into the future

The North Sea region is home to some of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, yet the demand in this stretch of water is ever increasing, leading to the navigable space becoming smaller. This is a popular region not only for shipping, but also for energy extraction – both wind and oil – and an area where many wildlife associations are looking to protect natural environments. These factors, in combination with a rise in larger vessels on the waters and a higher volume of traffic, lead to a real safety risk in the area, which could have an impact on shipping efficiency moving forward.

18 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

accseas Beyond the lab – taking e-Navigation to the bridge October 2014 marked a new milestone for the ACCSEAS project.

While a number of simulation tests and demonstrations have been conducted individually, ACCSEAS ran its first integrated demonstration on board a working ship in the area. ACCSEAS prototype equipment was installed on the bridge of P&O’s Pride of Hull vessel and at VTS Humber to demonstrate and trial ACCSEAS solutions with the operators at both sites.

A briefing was delivered to the ship’s Chief Officer, Joop Loonstra who would be using the equipment on the approach to Humber Estuary and participating in a live communication set-up between the ship and VTS Humber, where Deputy VTS Manager, Shane Winterton, was ready to test the equipment from a VTS centre viewpoint.

During the voyage, the crew tested a number of prototype technologies developed by the ACCSEAS project, including the NoGo Area Service, Resilient Position Navigation Timing (PNT), Tactical Route Exchange, Inter-VTS Exchange Services and Maritime Safety Information/Notices to Mariners Services (MSI/NM).

More responsive safety information

ACCSEAS is a three-year project funded by the European Union’s Interreg IVb programme, which aims to improve maritime access to the North Sea Region by minimising navigational risk. ACCSEAS believes that e-Navigation will eventually make the mariner’s job easier by taking information from several different systems and platforms and displaying it in an easy to use and integrated way. The project comprises organisations from Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands and the UK. This group has pooled knowledge and resources to develop a prototype portfolio of services and solutions to make navigating the North Sea safer, simpler and more efficient. These technologies have been developed by the project members and trialled in a number of simulations and test environments to date.

The main source of safety information for mariners is currently NavTech, which provides good quality information, but often takes time to send to vessels. It also requires a lot of labour from the crew to process and address any concerns that are highlighted from notices as it is not integrated with any other system on the bridge.

ACCSEAS’s MSI/NM service allows this information to be captured and delivered to mariners in an electronic form for quick display on an ECDIS or e-Navigation display. The solution was developed to harmonise Maritime Safety Information (MSI) and Notices to Mariners (NM) and provide timely and relevant information. The information could be prioritised according to the vessel’s position – or uncertainty regarding its position – and helps the mariner to improve their situational awareness and reduce the chance of mistakes that could lead to collision or grounding.

During the Humber testing exercise, Chief Officer Loonstra preceded with his standard procedure, calling VTS Humber from the bridge of the ship to provide standard information on location, number of passengers etc. During this call to the VTS centre, he was alerted to the fact that there had been an oil spill in the area and that a new route would be provided by the VTS manager. On return to the navigation system, safety information of the incident could be seen clearly on screen, along with a suggested alternative route, allowing plenty of time to re-plan his navigation.

The process was quick and easy to navigate. “Although there are systems in place to alert mariners of live safety issues in the area, these are often not as responsive as we would like, they take time to use and require time to plot information against maps,” explained Loonstra. “This software brings it all together in an easy, usable way for mariners and marine pilots.”

Tactical Route Exchange Although many ships will be taking the same routes frequently and crews are likely to know the area in which they are travelling, this cannot account for the fact that information and circumstances can often change in minutes. With 24/7 transportation and natural incidences happening, it can regularly be the case that routes will need to change.

Route Exchange allows mariners to communicate their intended routes with each other and Vessel Traffic Services. It also allows

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 19

the VTS centres to suggest the most effective or safe routes to the vessel. It works as part of the ECDIS/VTS screen and appears as an overlay – allowing mariners to read the information and compare before accepting. This could be used for ship-to-ship communication, allowing one vessel to let another know its intended path, or for shipto-shore communication where VTS operators can advise mariners of a route using information of what lies ahead.

Route Exchange is complemented by the No-Go Area service.

This is another virtualisation technique that appears as a layer on the main ECDIS screen and provides a live picture of where it cannot safely go along its intended route, or routes that are being considered.

The No-Go Area service uses current hydrography information; it considers tidal data and water depth, then automatically applies this to the information it has on the dimensions of the ship, creating a personalised map of access points. The tool can be turned on and off as needed and can save mariners from making complicated calculations or navigating difficult areas by sight and creating a risk of grounding.

As the Pride of Hull neared the Humber Estuary, a high-traffic warning was delivered to the ship from VTS Humber, stating that the canal that was intended to be used would no longer be accessible.

Chief Officer Loonstra received a recommended route from VTS Humber and was able to check over the route, using the No-Go software to take in the full picture of the path ahead.

“It was great to be able to see the route planned out ahead and integrated with the other software such as No-Go Area Service and Safety Information,” said Loonstra. “Being able to use the route planner at any time to change the route while in motion is very helpful and allows easier adjustment to the surroundings and live issues. The topology data that is used traditionally is often quite old; knowing that this data is from the most recent couple of months makes it easier to trust, safer and more reliable.”

Critical back-up for navigation These technologies have been developed to enhance the navigation experience, but they are all under-pinned by a need to know the whereabouts of the ship in the first place.

While GPS is the most common source of position navigation and

20 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

timing (PNT) information, it is open to vulnerabilities, which could lead to outages. Issues of GPS jamming are becoming more frequent, for example North Korea has staged a number of GPS jamming attacks on South Korea in recent months to cause malicious impact to their infrastructure.

Another common cause is motor vehicles that are driving close to the water using GPS jammers – perhaps a delivery driver blocking the signal so his company doesn’t know that he is using the van for private use. Such vehicle issues are more common around ports, a time when a ship’s positioning is critical.

There are also natural causes affecting service – the Sun can knock satellite systems offline too. During solar storms, the Sun starts to transmit radio noise so intense that it either sends GPS positions off-track or causes GPS to be lost across any sunlit areas of the Earth.

Previously there has been no backup system for GPS and during an outage the ship’s positioning would usually just disappear from the map. ACCSEAS is developing a number of supplementary sources of positioning collected into a bespoke receiver. This receiver detects a GPS failure and switches seamlessly into the most accurate alternative source of positioning. eLoran, a low-frequency terrestrial navigation system, was the back-up to GPS used in this demonstration. The eLoran system provides a signal around one million times more powerful than those from satellite signals.

While there were no GPS outages on this particular trip, Chief Officer Loonstra clarified that, although not an everyday occurrence yet, the ship had experienced one just days before this voyage, while on its way into Rotterdam. In order for Loonstra to experience an outage for testing the eLoran technology, the GPS signal to the system was deliberately removed and the eLoran system automatically took over.

Loonstra was impressed, stating: “The transition from GPS to eLoran was seamless, with just a small message on screen alerting you to the changeover of input. I think this would cause less panic on the bridge as it meant there were no alarms and you don’t lose your positioning on the map.”

Last week, the General Lighthouse Authorities of the UK and Ireland (a partner on the ACCSEAS project) announced the initial operational capability of UK maritime eLoran, with seven differential reference stations now in operation along the east coast of the UK. Any vessel fitted with an eLoran receiver will benefit from this service when navigating in the North Sea Region. This is a step that other countries are looking to follow, and one that will further boost the capabilities of eLoran for navigation.

Calculating the success of real-life testing The real-life simulation testing has served as a key stepping stone for the ACCSEAS programme, bringing the solutions into the field

accseas and allowing a working crew to experience them. The tests onboard the P&O ferry Pride of Hull and at VTS Humber have shown that the technology that has been developed is a key opportunity to transform the way data is delivered to mariners.

The suite of solutions will not only increase the efficiency of navigation, but also allow better interaction with VTS centres. Shane Winterton, Deputy VTS Manager, Humber said: “ABP Humber Estuary Services has been proud to assist ACCSEAS in the development and testing of their new electronic navigation system here upon the Humber. ACCSEAS have created a well designed and resilient system, with valid functions of real worth to the wider navigational community.

The enhanced safety of vessel movements within confined waters provided by the system is achieved through a thoughtful process of route exchange and dynamic no go area under keel clearance modelling.”

He continued: “ACCSEAS should be congratulated on the very successful trial of their system which they tested in real world scenarios between the P&O ferry Pride of Hull and VTS Humber on one of the busiest and most important estuaries in the UK.” On board the Pride of Hull, the crew particularly appreciated the integrated design of the technology and the speed at which the information is channelled. Chief Officer Loonstra said: “The system is easy to use and was easy to pick up in around ten minutes. Although we would continue to use our normal charts and tools, this is a great addition and provides very useful information, that is delivered straight away right to your system and saves a mariner having to go and look for the information themselves. With the added support of eLoran

there will be less need to worry about systems failing and more options for how our navigation is supported.”

Taking ACCSEAS forward The results of this testing show a successful outcome for the ACCSEAS project, which will be showcasing its results at its final annual conference in Rotterdam’s World Trade Centre, 17-19 February.

The conference will address the navigation challenges in the North Sea, demonstrating how these solutions can provide practical e-Navigation options for mariners. As the conference marks the close of the current ACCSEAS project, the event will also look at who will take these solutions forward and how they will be made available to the industry.

Improving navigation in the long-term Although technology has come a long way, it is often easy to overlook where some of the simplest improvements can be made. ACCSEAS is making use of existing ideas and infrastructure, but adding new intelligence and operability improvements.

These solutions will make any mariner’s job of navigating the North Sea, or indeed any region, a much safer, more efficient task. The future of e-Navigation is upon us and by supporting the ACCSEAS project, mariners will be helping to ensure a safer, better future for all. n For more information about ACCSEAS and to register for the ‘Navigating the North Sea Region into the future’ conference, visit www.accseas.eu

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 21

Liquid engineering

January 2015 – a month that has been on the radar of shipping and marine companies for a long time - is finally here. Libbie Hammond spoke to Jonathan Hutchinson from Castrol, about the new sulphur emissions regulations and their implications for marine lubricant suppliers By the time this feature is published, new emissions legislation will have come into effect, which aims to ensure a substantial reduction in marine sulphur emissions around North America and over a large geographic area extending from the English Channel to the Baltic Sea, termed as the Emission Control Areas (ECAs).

The ECA legislation means that vessels operating in the ECAs from the 1st January 2015 will be allowed a maximum sulphur content in their fuel of 0.1 per cent compared to the previous limit of 1.0 per cent.

Alternatively, the use of an exhaust gas cleaning unit can be used to obtain an equivalent reduction.

Clearly a significant change, this new legislation is adding further pressure to a challenged market, which is already seeking optimum fuel efficiency and the most streamlined operations possible. This has led to the development of new approaches such as slow steaming and more efficient engines for large vessels, and this in turn has created the requirement for a whole range of new products, including engine lubricants.

Of course, lubricant suppliers have been anticipating the new legislation changes and introducing products designed to meet the

22 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

needs of the slower, more efficient engines, and reduced sulphur fuels. For example, Castrol, one of the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of high performance lubricating oils, has been developing its marine engine oils offering over the past ten years in light of changing environmental regulations, and furthermore, the 1st January 2015 represents another development for Castrol, in that it will complete its transition to become the sole brand for BP group’s marine lubricant offering. The decision to consolidate the marine lubricants offerings that were provided under both BP Marine and Castrol Marine brands creates a single product and service portfolio that will provide greater simplicity and efficiency for customers.

The main change is simply the name under which products and services are supplied. Jonathan Hutchinson, Castrol Marine marketing director explained that Castrol’s reputation in the market will help to assure clients that the rebranded products remain of premium quality: “The Castrol brand is already recognised by marine customers in over 820 ports and in 82 countries worldwide and has built a reputation over 100 years that is synonymous with first-class service and innovation,” he said.

“We tend to concentrate on providing very high technical and service levels and we do have some unique products of which we

MARINE LUBRICANTS are very proud. Our reputation in the market on the technical service side is such that we see ourselves as the market leader and people tend to come to us for an opinion on changes within the sector, and there has been a lot going on over the past decade or so.”

He added: “Ten years ago our business was relatively simple, but the advent of legislation such as these fuel sulphur regulations has introduced a lot of technical requirements that customers must adhere to.”

But as Jonathan highlighted, there is still a lot of uncertainty in the industry, even at this late stage. “I’m talking to you with only a month to go before the 0.1 per cent limit arrives and things are still evolving in that area,” he stated. “I think it will take some time for things to settle down because of the cost of testing the new lubricants with distillate fuel has been very expensive and not a lot of trialling as been done. This means that when it comes into effect in January, it will be very much a case of learning as we go along.”

He went on to explain the implications of the new fuels for Castrol: “Traditionally main engines and generators have used heavy fuel oil (HFO), which is very viscous. Now when vessels come into European waters they will have to switch fuels to a much less viscous low sulphur distillate, which is a rather dramatic change and will require different lubricants for some engines.” This is especially true for new engines, which include electronic transmission and super long stroke and all the other technology that has been introduced to reduce fuel consumption.

As a result of these new, more complex requirements, Castrol has expanded its range: “Ten years ago we had one cylinder oil that was pretty much used for every slow speed engine on the market. Today we have to have a high 100 BN cylinder oil to accommodate the latest long stroke engines that enable slow steaming, we still have the traditional Cyltech 70 BN because there are a lot of older engines out there and also have a low BN lubricant, Cyltech 40 SX, that meets the new sulphur requirements.

“So owners are faced with the situation where vessels that have only ever used one cylinder oil may need two or three different lubricants, and these would have to be ready on-board. But to be frank, there is a wide range of opinion over whether or not it is necessary to change the lubricant, depending on the type of engine and how long the vessel will be in the ECA. If the vessel is only in the area for a few days then it may not be necessary to change the lubricant on certain engine types, however for a prolonged period in an ECA then it will more than likely be necessary to change.”

It is a complicated area and Jonathan agreed that shipping companies would like nice, clear advice on what lubricants they need but there are currently lots of opinions and uncertainty, even from the two main OEM engine manufacturers in the market, MAN and Wärtsilä. “They supply the vast majority of marine two stroke engines, but they also have different opinions about what to do!” he said. “This naturally poses a challenge for us and shipping companies. There hasn’t been a huge amount of trialling of these engine lubricants, so it will be a few months into next year with lubricant manufacturers and OEMs monitoring the situation fairly closely to see if the effects are as predicted - or worse or better. I think the advice will be revised next year with experience.”

He added: “It seems that the industry is shooting towards one standard lubricant for operation in the ECAs. But we are not yet entirely convinced that is the right approach and we think that we need to wait before nailing our colours to the mast in support of one lubricant. I think that in time requirements and OEM advice will evolve so we will have to wait and see if we are right or not because we are all in new territory.”

Going forward, Castrol has its eye on another deadline, this time in 2020. “Our focus will remain on the two stroke market as we believe this

will take up a lot of our resources, so we need to be ready to react if the goalposts move,” agreed Jonathan.

“But we’re also aware that there is another major change coming in 2020, where the global cap on sulphur content, used outside ECAs, is going to come down to 0.5 from today’s 3.5 per cent. Again shipping companies will be putting pressure onto us to have one lubricant that works from 0.1 to 0.5 and that will be easier to do but it will take a while, and a lot of investment, to get the OEM approvals passed – probably around two and a half years.

“This focus on the environment will also continue to progress – for example the VGP regulations that were implemented in the US about a year ago. We were the first lubricant supplier to launch what we call bio-lubricants, and we have got half an eye on the next generation of that as there will no doubt be further legislation. The EU has introduced its Eco Label standard, and some of the bio-lubricants that meet VGP criteria today don’t necessarily meet Eco Label as the Europeans have a different set of standards. Future legislation is not clear yet so again we will have people focused on that over the next two or three years, on trying to produce the next generation of lubricants as I am sure we can find ways of improving the performance of those bio-lubricants.”

As Jonathan spoke the price of marine fuel was dropping with the cost of crude, and he indicated this would help the market a lot. “The industry is still in a difficult place, with too many ships chasing the available cargoes out there. The reduction in fuel price will help, as it is their biggest operating cost; so with crude price down, a bit of pressure will be taken off.

“But as ever, their focus is on operating as efficiently as possible, and that’s where our technical expertise and service can help. A really big container ship can consume 450 tonnes of lubricant year at full speed, so that is a big expense and they want to reduce that as far as possible.

So our focus will remain on providing the best technical expertise and service, as our customers are global and they need us to be able to supply their lubricants pretty well anywhere.” n

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 23

Size matters Jan-Olaf Probst and Jost Bergmann take a look at what restrictions there are on continually increasing the size of container vessels

Container vessels have grown beyond imagination in recent years, driven by the freight rate per TEU. Vessels capable of carrying close to 18,000 TEU are in operation, and 20,000 TEU giants are under development. Will the trend continue, or is there some kind of natural limit beyond which they would simply break apart?

The answer is much more complex than that. First of all, today’s giant vessels can only sail on certain routes because factors such as the present and future widths of the locks in the Panama Canal, draught and length limitations in South American ports or the air draught limit in the Port of New York would make it impossible for them to travel to those locations. Then there are physical criteria to consider before attempting to build bigger ships.

It takes some in-depth investigations to determine where the limits are.

Parameter no. 1: ship length The length of a standard container defines the incremental steps for the potential enlargement of containerships. The clearance in the cargo hold and the typical transverse bulkhead width are further factors. All these structural characteristics increase the wave and still-water bending moments caused by the enlargement by a power of two. This in turn has consequences for the steel plates used in the upper hull girder because of the open, U-shaped cross section of containerships. In the case of an 18,000 TEU vessel, the material scantlings are 80 to 95 millimetres thick. However, there are technical limits for the possible thickness of high-tensile steel plates, and global strength rules for the bottom area limit the use of 470 N/mm2 steel.

Assuming an 18,000 TEU containership with a single main engine, four 40’ bays behind the funnel, and 11 40’ bays between the funnel and deck house, a practicable elongation would be to add one 40’ bay forward of the engine room. Combining this with the small cargo hold above the engine room would form two standard 40’ cargo holds. This arrangement would result in a vessel with 25 40’ bays and a length overall of approximately 411.50 metres. This could still be achieved based on standard practice. To exceed this length one would have to develop and investigate an innovative cross-sectional arrangement.

Furthermore, a ship of such dimensions might not be able to berth or turn around in some ports.

24 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

ship size

Parameter no. 2: ship breadth For today’s slow-steaming ships the engine power considerations limiting ship breadth in the past are no longer a concern, and new length-to-breadth ratios are now feasible. Many yards have begun building shorter, wider ships while maintaining the nominal capacity. This cuts the building costs, an important factor considering today’s cost pressures. Again, the dimensions of a standard container including the cell guides and clearances dictate the increment for widening the beam: 2.5 metres. From a strength perspective the influence of the enlargement on the wave and still-water bending moments would only be linear. In other words, widening an existing design has a much less significant impact on global longitudinal strength than elongating the vessel. Besides, widening a vessel increases the nominal capacity more than stretching it.

However, there are setbacks: widening the vessel will worsen its so-called warping deformation, which occurs on both sides of the vessel but in different longitudinal directions. It intensifies the movements of the hatch covers, and thereby the wear and tear on the bearing pads, which in turn increases maintenance costs or requires stronger hatch panels. In addition, warping deformation affects the containers in the cargo hold as well as the interaction between the containers sitting on top of the hatch cover and the lashing bridge. To curb this effect, designers have shifted the deckhouse to the forward area so as to achieve a closed strength member below the deckhouse, resulting in a twin-island design.

Compared to present, elongated designs, widening is a more feasible solution from a strength perspective.

The rolling and transverse acceleration forces occurring on a container ship depend on the width of the vessel. They affect the permissible loads on the lashing equipment as well as the crew required on the bridge deck. Designers have therefore increased the height of lashing bridges to either allow heavier containers to be stowed in higher tiers or reduce the racking loads on lower containers caused by transverse forces during rolling. Increasing a ship’s beam ultimately means that the nominal container intake is not the same as the number of containers that can actually be taken in. Furthermore, the gantry cranes in some container terminals have an outreach of 60 metres, a fact to remember before widening current designs, especially for the Asia-to-Europe trade where very large vessels are deployed.

Parameter no. 3: ship depth The depth of a vessel depends on the number of containers it carries in the cargo hold, the height of the hatch cover and the space between the top of the containers and the lower side of the hatch cover. In addition, a passageway at least two metres high must be kept free above the upper deck and on top of the hatch cover. A

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 25

ship size ECONOMIES OF SCALE – WHERE IS THE END? Size is the key: The table on the right shows the scale effects of containership size and capacity utilisation in terms of cost per unit of cargo. The reference is a 14,000 TEU vessel loaded to full capacity (100%, top left). The economies of scale increase steadily across the capacity range. A 21,000 TEU vessel at 90% utilisation operates more profitably than the reference vessel at 100% utilisation.

modern 40’ high-cube container is 9’ 6” tall, but the 8’ 6” standard size is still most common. More importantly, the nominal container capacity of a containership is always expressed in 8’ 6” tall TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). There are consequently two possible container arrangements: either ten tiers of 9’ 6” high-cube containers with a combined height of 28.96 metres, or 11 tiers of 8´ 6” standard containers rising to 28.50 metres. The resulting difference in side depth is as little as 459 millimetres, which means that most designs could accommodate ten tiers of high-cube containers in the cargo hold.

According to ISO 1496/1, the lowest container in the hold may be over-stowed by 192 t (based on a maximum vertical acceleration of 1.8 grams), which would result in an average container weight of around 31 tons for 40’ containers, or 28 tonnes in the case of 11 tiers, which is equivalent to the typical 14-tonne homogeneous loading condition. However, this loading condition is typically a key item in contracts between shipowners and building yards. Therefore yards and designers are hesitant to enlarge the number of tiers in the cargo hold or the ship depth because that would cause the maximum container load to differ from the maximum 14-tonne homogenous loading condition in the cargo hold, leading to interpretation difficulties.

Three different draught concepts can be evaluated for a containership: the design draught, the scantling draught or the operational draught. Traditionally, the design draught is used for contractual items such as speed and cargo capacity, while the scantling draught is the basis of all international regulations and class rules. Today the different operational draughts are used to calculate the specific fuel oil consumption at various loading conditions. The design draught of a 13,000 TEU container ship is between 14.0 and 14.5 metres, while the scantling draught is in generally 15.5 to 16.5 metres.

However, widening the vessel while maintaining its depth and draught will reduce the additional freeboard. This could make it necessary to install weathertight hatch covers, which in turn would cause extra maintenance work and costs. Shipowners should carefully consider whether a large scantling draught is needed or whether the same deadweight could possibly be achieved by reducing the draught and having a larger block coefficient typical of a fatter vessel. Another aspect to be considered when contemplating various draught-to-beam ratios is the specific limitations imposed by the Suez Canal. A draught of 16.8 metres would allow for a maximum beam of 60 metres, which is consistent with current designs. However,

26 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

should the beam increase to 65 metres, then the corresponding draught limitation to 15 metres could compromise the flexibility of new designs.

Parameter no. 4: air draught The maximum number of containers above the hatch cover is restricted by the strength of a container, similar to the depth of the vessel. The major difference is the racking load due to the rolling action of the vessel – which does not exist within the cargo hold because of the cell guides. This effect can be compensated by higher lashing bridges, which are today up to three tiers high, and different stowage devices.

Over the years the number of tiers on the hatch cover has increased stepwise to eight, nine and ten, respectively, by installing one-, two- and three-tier lashing bridges. It is important to note that the total stack load can only be slightly increased due to the limited strength of the lowest container, but the weight distribution in the stack can be influenced. There are designs and ships waiting to be delivered that have 11 tiers on the hatch cover. Another factor is that the number of tiers on the hatch cover will further raise the deckhouse and therefore the height of the bridge deck.

This will have an impact on the transverse acceleration and therefore on the safety of the crew. It may be necessary to install protective structures for the conning position as used on VLCCs. Port restrictions such as the bridges in Osaka, Hong Kong and Hamburg, as well as air draught limitations below the gantry cranes of some harbours on the Asia-to-Europe trade, may also be limiting factors that should be taken into account.

While there is a demand for container liners exceeding 20,000 TEU, technical challenges remain, in particular those relating to the maximum steel plate thickness in the upper hull girder. Present designs could be elongated or widened within certain limits. Further enlargements would require an innovative layout. In addition, port facilities and canal limitations are important criteria to consider. n Jan-Olaf Probst, executive vice president and Jost Bergmann, business director container ships, are experts at DNV GL. DNV GL is the world’s leading classification society and a recognised advisor for the maritime industry. It enhances safety, quality, energy efficiency and environmental performance of the global shipping industry – across all vessel types and offshore structures. For further information, visit: www.dnvgl.com.

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.

Goodwin Steel Castings The Port of Pori Sea2Cradle Ahrenkiel Steamship Offshore Liftboats IBIA UN Ro-Ro Westcon Group Serco NorthLink Ferries Tug Malta Athus Container Terminal Nimbus Boats Mexico Natie Port of Lisbon MacDuff Shipyards Group Drumarkon International BV Frisia-Offshore Secunda Canada V.Ships USA

28 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

Profile: Goodwin Steel Castings

Main pic: Suite of 12” and 16” Super Duplex valve bodies Below: CNC gantry saw with cutting portal of 3m x 3m and 7m travel

Heavy

metal G

oodwin Steel Castings Ltd is an integrated manufacturing company whose high integrity steel and nickel alloy castings have been manufactured since 1883 in Stoke-on-Trent, UK. First established to service localised industry with basic cast iron it now exports to growth markets such as India, China and Korea. In recognition for over three years of exporting finished machined and pressure tested steel casting assemblies for steam turbines it received the Queen’s Award for outstanding achievement in international trade.

Progress has led to the business today supplying casting solutions for critical duty applications in a range of alloys to nuclear class one quality standards as Europe’s foremost foundry and machining facility. Equipped with EAF steel making and AOD refining facilities, production of single castings to 18,000kg is possible, with casting fabrications www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 29

30 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

Profile: Goodwin Steel Castings

Main pic: 5000kg kingpost castings for carousel on cable laying ship Left top - 1 of 16 off chainstopper castings manufactured in Norsok M122: G420.

Left below: On site Norsok approved, 10 tonne, water quench heat treatment furnace

European Heathyards

European Heathyards is well established in its 110,000sq ft workshop and storage facility in Brownhills.

It has supported Goodwin Steel for over a decade offering expertise in casting upgrading and fabrication in all material grades. With facilities to work with castings from 10kg to 100,000kg it is able to support Goodwin Steel with all their fabrication requirements. European Heathyards offers welding processes such as TIG, MMA, FCAW, MIG/MAG and SAW bringing with it expertise gained from fabricating high integrity items such as boiler panels, burners, large land and marine water tube boilers, heat exchangers and ASME U Stamp pressure vessels.

up to 50,000kg, serving primary sectors such as power generation, petrochemical, nuclear, defence, civil structural, marine and offshore.

Involved in such a broad range of sectors for a number of years, the business has laid witness to a number of changes.

Discussing market development Bernard Goodwin, production director, provides a brief analysis: “Given the global demand to reduce greenhouse emissions, OEM’s within power generation sector strive to produce higher efficiency turbines, resulting in higher operating temperatures (7000C+) in which the conventional steel grades can no longer operate. Goodwin has participated in various international research programmes over the last ten years to become the market leader in the supply of heavy section nickel alloy based casting alloys.

(Goodwin Alloy 130 – a strengthened nickel alloy for 7000C+ operation), “Within the petrochemical sector the number of high profile material failures within recent years has seen customer material specification requirements increase and the level of third party witnessing increased significantly.

Goodwin has addressed this with the introduction of an on www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 31

32 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

Profile: Goodwin Steel Castings

site, independent laboratory, where material can be certified by a third party, saving time. Finally, as offshore projects pushed into colder waters the requirements for high impact materials has increased and as such we have utilised our AOD technology to produce proprietary ultra high strength grades of steel such as Goodwin 410+, which offers excellent yield and impact strengths whilst retaining weldability.”

Long-term relationships with tier one suppliers and large original equipment manufacturers, has historically secured work, but flexibility has been a key element to Goodwin’s success. “More recently, we have acted on opportunities to supply technically advanced castings to growing companies such as Maats Tech Limited and Monobuoy SRL who meet our corporate customer mandate of profitable companies seeking long-term relationships. Typically we supply large orders in the range of half a million to £20 million and have gained many years of experience in the supply of machined and fully assembled valves from two to 98 inch across the globe, as well as offshore and marine castings for a wide range of projects,” says Bernard. The buoyant energy market sector has allowed the organisation to invest in equipment at both Goodwin Steel Castings and Goodwin International Ltd. Offering a ‘one stop’ solution, Goodwin excels in project based work in which there is tight integration between the foundry and its sister machine shop. Throughout the production process there is only one point of contact for the customer to interface with, which is unique given the complexity of larger project requirements. The business represents the most state-of-the-art and comprehensive machining company attached to any European foundry, meeting the requirements for proof and finish machining, fabrication, overlay and assembly requirements. The facility can handle assemblies and fabrications up to 100,000 kg with large scale five-axis machining and robotic welding facilities.

“Intercompany integration between the foundry and machine shop naturally achieves value-engineered products from the outset of any project,” explains Bernard. As the first European foundry to be accredited to ISO 9001, it has since attained environmental quality management, the new occupational health and safety management and accreditation as a material organisation for nuclear class one components. With the addition of the laboratory any in-process third party witness requirements are quickly addressed to ensure that the product conforms to customer specification or international standards such as ship class.

As part of recent a facility expansion which includes the laboratory, an apprentice school, pattern manufacturing facility, a large radiography facility and CNC gantry saw

Rowe Precision

Rowe Precision is a leading supplier to businesses where there’s a reliance on challenging machining work being undertaken within short timescales. These include the petro-chemical, power generation, automotive and small arms manufacturing industries.

Since being founded in 1979 Rowe has enjoyed a good professional working relationship with The Goodwin Group and its subsidiary companies, manufacturing parts from a range of materials including ferrous & non-ferrous, carbon & alloy steels as well as more specialist materials with difficult machining properties such as Duplex, Hasteloy, Titanium & Stellite.

Rowe has been awarded ISO 9001 certification from Bureau Veritas.

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 33

Profile: Goodwin Steel Castings 1 of 256 off flotilla brackets made to Norsok M122: G420 for Hebron GBS

were installed. Currently under consideration is yet further investment in our melting and heat treatment facilities, which would not only increase the net weight of castings manufactured to 20,000Kg but would also offer the latest technology in terms of hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen control within the steels and nickel alloys produced.”

The laboratory supporting the foundry and other third party customers in the testing and inspection of material using the latest CNC machining technology reduces the lead-time of specimen preparation. Commenting, Bernard says: “The

34 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

gantry saw has optimised the process time and process risk of removing excess material from the net casting geometry.

Without this facility Goodwin would not be able offer the range of advanced alloy grades or complex casting geometries.

Conducting large-scale pattern manufacture and dimensional inspection of patterns in-house, reduces the overall lead-time of new and modified pattern equipment required to produce the sand moulds. Round the clock operation through the facility ensures an efficient turn around of casting fabrications such as ships ‘A’ brackets which make use of the new facilities.

Over 130 years experience manufacturing fabricated, finished machined, pressure tested and assembled castings, combined with a non-stop determination to attain cost reduction in the manufacturing techniques employed, ensures the business remains competitive, and enables the company to deliver superior products in a reduced time - on time. As an example, Bernard points out: “We recently completed two high value and demanding orders for use in offshore applications, with 230 Flotilla Brackets for use on the Hebron GBS project and 16 Chain Stoppers for an offshore mooring system. We also completed delivery of 40 large, heavy section Super Duplex valves for the petrochemical industry.”

Providing the next generation of highly skilled engineers, the apprentice school is considered to be an invaluable part of the organisation. A four-year formal training programme, with tuition at the bespoke training centre, and at various group facilities, has seen over 100 apprentices employed over the last four years. “We are mandated to grow in order to support the investment in new facilities, technologies and products.

Moving forward it is necessary to employ the most cost effective technologies in order to maintain competiveness in the global market place whilst meeting our customers requirement for higher quality and more complex castings,” concludes Bernard. l

Goodwin Steel Castings Ltd

www.goodwinsteelcastings.com • Part of Goodwin Group • One of ten oldest companies listed on UK stock exchange • Major investments in facilities

Profile: The Port of Pori Ltd

Superlative T

service

he Port of Pori is a sea port located on the western coast of Finland. It is a general port handling all kinds of cargo. As a result of its dedication and investment the Port of Pori is today one of the leading Finnish ports as far as the quality of operations, services and environmental protection are concerned. This solid foundation will serve the company well, as in 2015 new EU regulations are due that will result in all Finnish ports becoming limited companies, rather than municipally owned enterprises. This will mean that decisions can be made more quickly and in a more business-orientated way.

Consisting of two different harbours, Mäntyluoto and Tahkoluoto, Port of Pori also benefits from the fact it is one of the few Finnish ports with the possibility of flexible expansion. It is located more than 20 kilometres from the city of Pori, and there are not permanent settlements nearby the harbours. More than 200 hectares of free land surrounding the two harbours are available for further development as and when demand requires it. This will be essential in the years to come as space-intensive sectors such as oil, gas, chemicals, mining and metal clusters increase their presence.

The port also benefits from its close connections to the M20 Industrial Park, which offers diverse sites for industrial

companies, international trading and logistics businesses utilising the services of the Port of Pori. Several international industrial companies have already settled in the Park and the efficient premises in the logistics area are used by some of the field’s most experienced and highly specialised companies.

In order to ensure that it’s ready for the future, for several years the port has been investing in an ongoing major development project designed to upgrade, expand and extend its facilities. A new quay, new port entrance and better fairways have already been installed – and a major component of these improvements occurred in 2011 when the Port completed a dredging project to deepen the fairway inside the basin of Mäntyluoto harbour from ten to 12 metres. The fairway to Mäntyluoto was deepened by the state. Now for example third- generation container ships with the capacity of 35,000 TEUs are able to call Mäntyluoto. In Tahkoluoto there is a 15.3 metre fairway, which is the deepest in the Gulf of Bothnia area.

One reason that the upgrading was significant is the arrival of the 0.1 per cent sulphur in fuel directive. This came into effect in January 2015, and was introduced by the European Union based on International Maritime Organization

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 35

SAL Heavy Lift

SAL Heavy Lift owns and operates a modern fleet of 17 vessels with a combined crane capacity of up to 2000 mtons SWL. SAL assists amongst others 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.

36 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

regulations. The Port of Pori is anticipating this new legislation will attract new, bigger ships into the harbour, because sea transportation needs energy-efficient ways to tackle the side effects of these new environmental regulations, and those of the future. The new low sulphur emission limits have been at the top of the agenda for the Port of Pori and it was ready to support its clients as soon as January 2015 arrived.

Another advantage that the Port of Pori possesses is that there is no archipelago near the harbours. Archipelagos collect ice in winter time, and the lack of one means that Port of Pori is one of the very best winter ports in Finland and doesn’t require much in the way of icebreaking. It also has excellent hinterland connections, with well-maintained roads and a rail network extending across the country and all the way to Russia. The biggest cities and industrial areas in Finland are within three hours transportation time.

Another highlight of the investment programme was the installation of a new crane (a Liebherr mobile crane LHM 550 with a maximum lifting capacity of 144 tonnes, the most powerful new crane in Mäntyluoto). Clients have been keen to use this new addition and it has helped the Port to become one of the leading locations in Finland for handling heavy and large pieces. Today the port has excellent lifting capacity supported by trained and experienced staff, and this means it is able to handle a multitude of heavy transports including project cargoes and heavy machines.

A prime example of this crane in action occurred in August 2014 when a new cruise ship, m/s Silver Sky, belonging to the shipping company Suomen Hopealinja Oy (Finnish Silverline

Profile: The Port of Pori Ltd Ltd) was lifted to the low-bed trailer in the Port of Pori, ready to be transported by road to the lake-district near the city of Tampere. The ship was built in Turkey and it sailed to the North Sea using the European inland waterways. After arriving Amsterdam it took the course to the port of Pori through the Kiel Canal.

In Pori the vessel was lifted to the trailer by using the Port’s Liebherr mobile crane and another Liebherr-crane. Port operations were done together with Oy Hacklin Ltd, which is a port operator with its headquarters in the port area of the Port of Pori. The road transport was exceptional due to the size of the vessel – it weighed 157 tonnes and was almost seven metres wide.

This successful operation highlights how the Port of Pori has earned its reputation for quality. This is supported by world renowned, certified standards - ISO 9001 for quality management, ISO 14001 for environmental management and OHSAS 18001 for occupational health and safety management.

Thanks to the name it has made in the sector, as well as the new developments, convenient location and easy access, the Port is has become very popular with wind farm contractors, and the energy sector overall is an area that holds exciting opportunities. Indeed, in September 2014 energy subsidies for an LNG terminal in Tahkoluoto were awarded to Skangass Oy

by the Ministry of Employment and the Economy. The decision ensured the construction of a terminal at Tahkoluoto Harbour in the Port of Pori. The Pori terminal will have an LNG storage capacity of 30,000 cubic metres. It is set to be up and running in autumn 2016. The LNG terminal will serve both industry and shipping.

This development in LNG follows a previous gas-related contract that was announced in May 2014. Gasum Oy and chemicals producer Sachtleben made a deal on the delivery of natural gas to the titanium dioxide plant via the M20 Industrial Park. The plant is now owned by Huntsman Corporation. The gas will be delivered to the plant using a gas pipeline from the Skangass liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal being built in Tahkoluoto harbour. Skangass is a subsidiary of the Finnish company Gasum Oy. When the 12 kilometre long pipeline is completed, it could also serve other potential industrial users of gas situated in the M20 Industrial Park.

The Port of Pori heads into 2015 with a confident lookout to the future. Its careful investments and dedication to keeping an eye on customers’ demands means that is ready to overcome any challenges and maintain its superlative service record. l

The Port of Pori Ltd

Visy Oy

Visy is a leading port and terminal access control and advanced logistics security provider in Nordic countries. We have long term cooperation with Port of Pori providing security tools to several port areas with large variation of port customer traffic types.

www.portofpori.fi/en • Handles a diverse range of cargoes • Ready for the new low sulphur regulations • Energy subsidies announced for Tahkoluoto

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 37

Circle of

life

F

or owners looking for a hassle-free way to recycle their equipment in the most responsible manner Sea2Cradle is there to manage the entire ship recycling process, from brokerage to dismantling and documentation. With a history that dates back to 2000 the business was first established as part of P&O Nedlloyd, which undertook a ‘green recycling’ project. Over a decade of trading it has gained a vast degree of experience, resulting in the company establishing itself as a leader in its field.

Whilst ownership of the business changed during this period, the team dealing with ship recycling stayed essentially the same. “We are strong believers in the concept of HSEQ ship recycling and quickly built-up a customer base, which wanted to use our services. That is why, with the support of my team we started Sea2Cradle as an independent company.

Our customer base is still growing and we look forward to many years ahead with our expanding business model,” says Tom Blankestijn, managing director.

Offering a full cycle service, projects generally start with the production of an inventory of the vessel, highlighting both

38 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

hazardous and non-hazardous materials. Particular attention is also paid to the evaluation of valuable items, which could positively influence the sale. Sea2Cradle is then responsible for selecting a yard capable of dealing with the specific hazards of the vessel, forming the basis of the ship recycling facility plan.

Profile: Sea2Cradle

Acting as a broker, the business is able to complete the sale of the vessel in a proper fashion, creating a ship specific ship recycling plan, and assisting the owner with the last voyage and operational handover of the vessel to the ship recycling facility. By being present on a supervisory level during the recycling and dismantling stages, the company is able to ensure the entire process runs smoothly right through to the final waste disposal providing proof of proper waste handling throughout.

Oesterbaai

Oesterbaai has surveyed over 1500 vessels globally in the last decade. Both Asbestos and Inventory of Hazardous Material Surveys (IHM, according to MEPC.197(62)) have been conducted to full satisfaction of its clients. The current co-operation between Sea2Cradle and Oesterbaai is a good example of using expert HazMat-knowledge throughout the entire lifespan of a vessel.

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 39

“There are not many companies dealing with these services,” points out Tom, continuing: “Our experience of well over 100 projects, dealing with all kinds of size and types of vessels, including oil drilling units, has strengthened our accepted and recognised services. Dealing with companies of name and fame, the topic of confidentiality is also important, and we ensure this is respected. We believe in the product of change and taking care of hazardous materials in a proper way and as such implement the highest safety standards possible. A robust structure of procedures of management and control can turn the industry from a dangerous industry into a safe industry.”

In offering end-of-life and green optimised solutions, one of the main challenges is the waste management and downstream waste disposal. Each project is dealt with in a unique way, never copying and pasting information from one ship to another, as Tom explains: “These are different structures and you have to treat each ship on its own. They have their specific difficulties and need different solutions. As an example, two sister ships built in the same period differed with one holding 200 m2 asbestos polluted paint, while the other had about 12,000 m2 of steel polluted paint, which made a big difference in the associated safety and health risks.”

Projects have inevitably drawn the business onto Asian shores where the industry is at its strongest. However, not only is Sea2Cradle assisting owners in recycling in China, it also has

40 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

projects in Turkey and Belgium, with present projects including the recycling of LNG vessels, a car carrier, two oil tankers and one dredging vessel. “We are also focusing on the oil rigs sector and some general marine structures which need to be handled and disposed of.

“Over the years in the industry we have developed some strong partnerships, assisting with university projects on how ship recycling can assist in ship building, and for four years have worked together with the Delft Technical University in

Profile: Sea2Cradle

supervisors and inspectors trained internally, the processes are undertaken swiftly and with a high degree of quality. As the business moves into the future, Tom comments on the path ahead: “We expect that the market will slowly grow during the next years. As such, we are screening every opportunity we can to extend our workforce with quality and flexible staff members. The only challenge we see is that if the market for green recycling would accelerate enormously, is that we have to adjust in quantity and quality supervisors at the same speed.

The procedures and company structure is as such that we can face that challenge. Next to our existing business, we will be focusing on the platforms of the oil industry and other marine and offshore structures. Our vision is to serve all companies in the maritime sector who take green recycling seriously and provide them with a guarantee of zero pollution and zero accidents, based on evidence gained across our portfolio of contracts.” l

Sea2Cradle

www.sea2cradle.com • Provides a ship recycling service • Produces ship specific plans • Achieved a zero accident rating

the Netherlands and Tianjin in China. Sometimes we also work with specialised companies such as Oesterbaai, which have good experience in asbestos detection on specialised projects.

It is important for our reputation that we select and use trustworthy laboratories and have established strong links with suitable centres,” highlights Tom. Sea2Cradle works to maintain its aim of zero pollution, accidents and incidents, using standard procedures and strict guidelines within the handling of its projects. In any circumstance the business holds an agreement with the yards, where if there is deviation from the ship recycling plan or that procedures are not followed or if circumstances or materials, which were not detected or described in the planning stage arise, then work can be stopped. Such a process is an example of the high standard of service the businesses clients have come to expect. Commenting Tom says: “We have site offices at the yards we operate, and a strong team of specialised supervisors and inspectors. But in undertaking this type of work it is our flexibility to follow the vessels and evaluate throughout the pre-planning stage without causing disturbance to the vessel operation that attracts clients time and again. The team is small and flexible. We can have experts on the project within one week, wherever in the world, and the confidentiality and expertise on any size and type of vessel is a real asset to our company.”

With just seven permanent staff and an additional five www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 41

Steaming

C

ahead

reated in April 2014 through the merging of Christian F Ahrenkiel Group with a joint venture established by the MPC Group, Ahrenkiel Steamship is a newly formed shipping group that boasts the expertise and history of three integrated organisations – MPC Steamship, Thien & Heyenga and Ahrenkiel Shipmanagement. Operating under the traditional Ahrenkiel banner, the group pools the fleet of the three companies and its focal activities include ship management and ownership of maritime assets, for which each of the companies has decades of maritime experience.

“We are essentially three streams of history merged together under one roof; the name Ahrenkiel was chosen because it is a well regarded and international, while MPC and Thien & Heyenga are more German players. However, in order to also reflect the ‘new coating’ of the structure, we added Steamship because it is the history of the MPC Group, who were the driver throughout the merger. Although we are a brand new organisation we have the long term expertise of all three wholly independent companies, which we aim to combine not only to our benefit, but to the benefit of a challenging and demanding market,” begins Constantin Baack, managing director of Ahrenkiel Steamship GmbH & Co. KG. “MPC Group began as a trading house in the 19th century, however, in the late 1990s, the group established its own ship management entity to fuel the requirements of the German

42 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

markets in terms of KG capital. This was the driver for MPC Steamship, which means that quite a number of ships that were financed through capital raised by MPC Capital and the German banks have been subsequently managed by MPC Steamship. Meanwhile, Thien & Heyenga was established in 1977 and has decades of experience in managing vessels, mainly container vessels, but also reefers and Ro-Ro vessels. In the early 2000s the company had a fleet of 40 to 50 vessels under management, while MPC Steamship had approximately 30 vessels under management. Beginning with the economic crisis in 2008 until today all ship management companies lost some ships; it was then that MPC Steamship and Thien & Heyenga began to pool certain activities in order to not only gain some synergies, but also meet tougher market requirements such as increased cost pressure, quality pressure and innovation.”

The commercial activities of Thien & Heyenga and MPC Steamship were put together under the roof of Contchart Hamburg/Leer GmbH & Co KG, a German commercial shipping management entity that was founded by Thien & Heyenga in March 2012. Established with the aim of gaining a stronger market position, Contchart’s goal of boosting its global presence and enhancing efficiency was strengthened further when MPC took a 50 per cent share of the company in October 2012. Subsequently, GB Shipping & Chartering GmbH & Co KG became a new partner of the joint venture in November 2012, with all three partners as equal shareholders.

Profile: Ahrenkiel Steamship

“In 2012 MPC Steamship and Christian F Ahrenkiel agreed to jointly market their vessels through Contchart; however, by then the Ahrenkiel Group was already in a severe financial situation. A substantial restructuring was required, so we at MPC, along with Thien & Heyenga took part in that process as well as a bidding process that involved up to six parties. In the end we were the successful party because of our restructuring plan for the Ahrenkiel Group and the strategy to consolidate all three entities under one roof, not only on the commercial side, but also the technical management side. This strategic development has thus created a player that overall has in excess of 60 ships under technical management and through Contchart about 120 ships under commercial management.

Moreover, this new ship management group is completely free of any contingent liabilities or big debts as a shipping entity; we see this as a unique selling point, particularly in the German market, but also the global market following the economic crisis,” highlights Constantin Baack.

The acquisition of Ahrenkiel Group has not only resulted in the pooling of Ahrenkiel Shipmanagement, MPC Steamship and Thien & Heyenga’s fleets, but also led to creation of a new, financially stable shipping group that ranks among the top 15 managing owners in the global container sector. Furthermore, the merger will integrate long-term shipping experience and leverage economies of scale, which will boost the group’s competitiveness in a challenging market and safeguard jobs in Hamburg.

“The establishment of Ahrenkiel Steamship means we have the opportunity to start with a blank sheet so we can set up a structure that matches the challenging market requirements of today. So far the integration process has progressed beyond expectations,” says Constantin Baack. “For example, we have a large sized fleet that gives us good negotiating powers with suppliers who have supported us as separate entities so far and will navigate through the difficult markets with us in the future by offering competitive prices so we, in turn, can be cost competitive moving forward. In addition to this, we also are specifically focused on asset quality and asset value; since 2008 ship managers have managed their ships with the aim of offering cost savings, but this can really run down a ship in five years.”

One way the group aims to be cost effective is to focus on fuel efficiency through measuring the consumption on board www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 43

Profile: Ahrenkiel Steamship

Steamship Mutual

Steamship Mutual is one of the world’s leading P&I Club’s, providing protection & indemnity cover for over 100 years to owners, managers and charterers of vessels. Its membership is drawn from countries all around the World and from every type of vessel. From VLCCs to bunker barges, from the largest bulkers and containerships to small inland craft and from cruise vessels to yachts. Steamship Mutual is dedicated to providing its members with the best possible cover and the greatest level of service and expertise available. Steamship Mutual is proud to be one of Ahrenkiel Steamship’s insurers of choice.

44 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

its ships; so far a third of its vessels have onboard measurement fuel systems installed, with the rest being upgraded with enhanced fuel efficiency in 2015. Another way the group aims to strengthen its service is through the implementation of DNV GL’s ShipManager software, which will be installed on its entire fleet of 60 plus vessels. Following an in-depth tendering process, DNV GL’s ShipManager software was selected as it will enable the group to streamline systems and benefit from industry best practice. Moreover, it will enable to company to consolidate its legacy systems with a common, centralised, cutting edge ship management solution that fulfils all technical, procurement, crewing and QHSE requirements.

Moving forward, Ahrenkiel Steamship faces a challenging yet positive future as it establishes a quality focused and cost efficient organisation that meets the changed requirements of a slowly recovering market. “We have more than 80 highly qualified employees ashore and around 1200 crew members at sea, who are all having to follow a new set of rules and procedures; this is something we are working on keenly because this is not just an issue in Germany, but in fact spreads globally to all ships we have under management,” says Constantin Baack. “Overall our growth outlook is very positive – we have already executed new projects and together with investment partners seek to expand our fleet. Further acquisitions are in progress, and we are looking forward to developing further.” l

Ahrenkiel Steamship

www.ahrenkiel-steamship.com • Asset owner and leading provider of ship management • Established in 2014 from a merger between three shipping firms • Aims to meet specific requirements in challenging market

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 45

On the S

rise

ince previously being featured in Shipping and Marine magazine in January 2014, family run liftboat operator Offshore Liftboats has enhanced its services through the implementation of a fleet wide maintenance and safety programme as well as investments into new technologies. On top of this, the company has been transitioning itself for the addition of a new Class 230 liftboat and the upcoming change in leadership, as company founder Michael Melancon steps down and his daughters, Vanessa Melancon Pierce and Lauren Melancon Cheramie, take over as chief executive officer and chief financial officer respectively.

“On January 1st 2015, our father announced our new titles, which are a direct result of an ownership change that Offshore Liftboats underwent in December 2012. As such, we are now the first liftboat organisation to be owned by women who are also involved in all daily operations,” explains Lauren. Promoting itself as a female-owned business in a predominantly male industry, Vanessa notes that Offshore Liftboats is a prime example of an evolving industry, particularly with regards to equality in the work force: “This is not just about the liftboat industry but the oil and gas industry as a whole; Lauren and I being accepted as female leaders demonstrates the evolution of this industry. For a very long time the oil and gas industry in the US was a predominantly male business and still is in some ways today; however our acceptance as female leaders in a male industry shows respect to all women operating in these sectors.”

With the third generation of the Louisiana-based firm now in control of daily operations, Offshore Liftboats not only benefits from leadership with long-term experience within the liftboat sector, but also values commitment to adaptability in a changing industry. “Vanessa and I have been involved with liftboats since

46 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

we were children and have always been around liftboats and the industry. Now it is our turn to take the lead and continue our family’s legacy the way we were taught, while also evolving with the industry to benefit our company,” says Lauren.

With two class 175s and two class 200s in its fleet, Offshore Liftboats is soon to expand with the launch of the largest vessel it has ever built, the class 230 Lauren Frances. Able to accommodate a total of 43 persons (seven crew, two VIP and 34 PACS), the L/B Lauren Frances has 6500 square feet of deck space, 230 foot legs and a maximum working water depth of 180 feet. This vessel will also provide customer office space which is new to Offshore Liftboats’ vessel design. The vessel’s main feature is a 250 tonne primary crane with 100 foot boom and a secondary 60 tonne crane with 100 foot boom.

The 250 ton crane for the Lauren Frances

Profile: Offshore Liftboats

Lauren Frances under construction

“We are truly excited about this vessel; it is the first vessel that Vanessa and I have worked on together as business partners, we were involved from beginning to end and it has been a fantastic learning experience for us. We believe that a vessel of this size with a 250 tonne crane will present us with new opportunities within our industry; it is one of a kind and the first 230 class liftboat to be built in our competitive market of the Gulf of Mexico region in ten years,” highlights Lauren.

“As this was the first vessel build overseen by Lauren and I, we really leaned on our team, most notably Mr Gary Callais, who was

named chief operating officer on January 1st. He began working on liftboats when our grandfather was still in the liftboat industry.

He still holds his captain’s license and his experience has been invaluable to us. Gary has a real knowledge of liftboats and having him as part of our staff supplies our customers and crew with highly experienced personnel who are available 24/7 to answer questions and provide advice. We have a great team of people here, which has made the transition to our new positions much smoother,” says Vanessa.

“Another example of how we have evolved is through the implementation of a maintenance programme in our fleet,” she continues. “It has streamlined the way we handle the maintenance of our vessels and ensures that nothing gets overlooked. This programme aids us in avoiding future breakdowns, by tracking the moving parts of these large pieces of equipment. The more efficiently we maintain these vessels, the better product we provide to our customers. However, this maintenance programme has created an abundance of new paperwork, so we have equipped our vessels with technology, which has enabled us to go paperless. All of the paperwork is now done on a tablet, which completely eliminates filing and scanning and maintains constant communication between our vessel crews and land based staff.”

Driven by continuous improvement in safety, quality and efficiency, Offshore Liftboats has continued with the expansion of its safety programme, a strategic development that has been supported by its working relationship with Halliburton and Chevron. “Our business relationship with these two companies

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 47

30 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

Profile: Offshore Liftboats Price Forbes & Partners

The marine team at Price Forbes & Partners Limited handles an international portfolio of direct and reinsurance business, placed with underwriters in all the major insurance and reinsurance markets worldwide.

Clients range from a wide variety of maritime nations and industries, and the marine team has the breadth and depth of expertise necessary to respond to clients’ needs.

Team members at Price Forbes & Partners Limited have enjoyed and developed a strong relationship with Offshore Liftboats, LLC. for over ten years. We look forward to continuing to consolidate this relationship further, being always responsive to their needs and insurance requirements.

As a specialist marine division we have continued to recruit key individuals and develop our industry specific products in order to provide our clients and producers with the most comprehensive and competitive solutions to their continually changing world.

Each customer has unique requirements which we always seek to fulfil. This is particularly true of the Liftboat business. Offshore Liftboats, LLC. emphasis on safety and service mirrors the Price Forbes & Partners Limited philosophy. Their professional approach and willingness to embrace robust risk management plans means Price Forbes & Partners Limited can deliver the broadest wordings, optimal premiums and deductibles which are right for Offshore Liftboats, LLC. Price Forbes & Partners Limited’s independence means we have no local conflicts, nor are we constrained by market agreements. We are free to work with the world’s markets to find what is best for our clients.

has been a major focus for us this year,” confirms Lauren. “We are involved in a long term project with these two prominent companies; this business relationship and particular job has aided us in realising the expectations of larger oil and gas organisations as far as safety is concerned. Halliburton and Chevron have a very high standard for who is allowed to work with them and we have accomplished this. Now that we have reached this level we will continue to grow in whatever areas necessary to ensure we stay in compliance with companies of this calibre.” The technology that

Offshore Liftboats introduced aboard the vessels has also helped in the streamlining of these new safety implementations.

“By installing all of these new improvements we will be able to work with oil and gas companies at all levels. Our priority has always been the safety of our crews, the safety of the environment and the safety of equipment. The combination of the maintenance programme, improvements of our safety programme and the technology that has been added to our vessel fleet has made us a safer and more efficient liftboat operator,” adds Vanessa.

Having set the foundations for the company’s future success and ongoing growth, Vanessa and Lauren will spend 2015 focused on continuing to study the market to ensure optimum efficiency while also readjusting its operations in line with the delivery of L/B Lauren Frances in February. “This is our ninth build in 14 years; we want to provide our customers with the newest equipment and our plan is to continue to do so. It is difficult to be strategic in a changing market, but ultimately our goal is to evolve and be open to change. Although our current operation is highly efficient, we have to remain open to further improvements, and this is something we will strongly emphasise this year,” concludes Lauren. l

Offshore Liftboats

www.offshoreliftboats.com • Family run liftboat operator • Under third generation female ownership • Newbuild to be completed in February 2015

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 49

Strong

links T

he International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) celebrated in 2014 21 years as the voice of the marine fuel supply chain - ‘from the wellhead to the engine’.

Indeed, since its inception in 1992, the association has steadily grown to accumulate a global membership of more than 660 organisations and members across 67 countries; these comprise of ship owners, charterers, bunker suppliers, brokers, traders, barging companies, storage firms, surveyors, port authorities, lawyers, P&I clubs, credit reporting companies, shipping journalists and marine consultants, and fuel testing companies, and the list continues to grow.

Not only operating as a representative of the industry in discussions and negotiations with international and national policy makers legislators and other stakeholders, IBIA also reviews, clarifies, improves, develops and endorses industry methods, practices and documentation; increasing the professional understanding and competence of all who operate in the industry and provides services and facilities for members and others. For example, at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), IBIA represents the industry as a consultative, nongovernmental organisation and attends all meetings particularly the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) and the Bulk Liquids and Gases (BLG sub-committee). IBIA has also been granted ‘liaison status’ with the International Standards Organisation (ISO), which thus enables the organisation to contribute in discussions regarding ISO 8217 and ISO 13739.

Furthermore, as an association that is committed to educating and informing, IBIA provides both in-house and third party courses to its members. In Singapore the association has a

50 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

Profile: IBIA

dedicated training facility to meet the requirements of local and regional companies; however, training can also be carried out worldwide. In November 2014 the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) accredited IBIA’s new mass flow meter training course, which will provide information on mass flow meters as well as how to install and use them.

Previously featured in Shipping and Marine magazine in March 2014, CEO Peter Hall discusses IBIA’s developments over the last nine months: “In 2014 IBIA’s key message to the industry was that ‘The association would aim to improve quality and quantity issues across the marine fuel supply chain.’ After lobbying hard at IMO we were successful in gaining agreement to establish a ‘Fuel Quality correspondence group’ to look at establishing ‘draft guidance’ - (Guide to good practice for the quality of fuel on board ships). It was further agreed to look into the adequacy of the current legal framework of MARPOL annex VI.” With the quality of bunkers delivered to ships facing increased scrutiny, the IMO MEP67 agreed to the establishment of a correspondence group in November 2014; IBIA then proceeded to launch its port charter scheme at the IBIA Annual Convention in Hamburg the same month. The scheme will improve bunkering standards across the globe as signatories will be required to demonstrate a licensing scheme for bunker suppliers in their port that proves they are not only able to regulate and enforce these regulations with regards to bunkering operations

but they have qualified personnel operating in the bunker supply chain and effective testing regimes in place.

“The port charter scheme emerged after some leading ports contacted IBIA enquiring how IBIA could support them in improving quality, quantity and transparency,” says Peter. “The charter compliments IBIA’s policy with regard to continuous improvement, and the adoption of best practice. IBIA will continue to increase interaction with other key ports across the world throughout 2015.”

During the association’s convention IBIA received news of OW Bunker collapse, following OW Bunker Group filing for bankruptcy on 7th November 2014. In the wake of this collapse, IBIA announced a series of measures to ensure companies and individuals impacted received support; these included dialogue sessions with MPA Singapore, support from European ports and career support for employees, all of whom received membership to IBIA. “As the OW Bunker scenario unravelled before us, it was clear that this was an unprecedented occurrence. IBIA’s primary concern was with the very large number of competent hardworking ex-employees who now urgently needed support.

IBIA’s second concern was to facilitate dialogue across the supply chain providing a forum and guidance to address the typical questions wanting to be answered. A third objective was to ensure an uninterrupted supply of bunkers,” explains Peter.

“With regards to the first concern we made available IBIA resources for career support to the employees impacted. I am

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 51

Profile: IBIA

pleased to say that IBIA member companies have employed ex OW employees in significant numbers. There does remain, however, a significant number still looking for opportunities.

The second aspect was to facilitate dialogue and answers, which we did in a number of ways through experienced IBIA members within the legal field and in conjunction with key port authorities,” he adds.

Focused on the continuous improvement of standards across the marine fuels supply chain and providing support to its members in a developing industry, Peter notes that the association has ‘building on strong foundations’ as its theme for 2015: “The International Bunker Industry Association was built on a community of like minded individuals with diverse views but a passion to see communication, education and best practice information disseminated throughout the industry. As we go through 2015 our aim is to build upon these principles.

An objective being to help improve standards across the marine fuels supply chain. Also to support our members and the industry develop. Key to this vision is our ability to embrace change, influence change and adapt to change.”

As Darwin said - it is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change. In the struggle for survival, the fittest win out at the expense of their rivals because they succeed in adapting themselves best to their environment. l

IBIA

www.ibia.net • Works closely with members on industry issues • Focused on quantity and quality fuel supply issues in 2014 • Holds Non-Governmental status with IMO • Has representation at ISO, CIMAC and Energy Institute

SMIT Amandla Marine Lewis & Co AARPI

Lewis & Co AARPI is a shipping law firm with lawyers qualified as solicitors in England and Wales and as avocats at the Paris bar. The firm acts in mainstream shipping and international trade litigation, and is well known for bunker disputes and ship arrests, particularly where the charterer debtor is unable to pay, or the shipowner has disappeared, when associated arrest may be necessary.

The firm deals with cases not only in England and France, but the French overseas departments and territories, and Francophone jurisdictions such as those in North and West Africa.

Legal 500 2014 – “Lewis & Co AARPI provides ‘rapid responses and thorough services’ to trading companies, lenders and shipowners on a broad range of matters including litigation and ship arrests”. .

52 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

As a long standing IBIA member, SMIT Amandla Marine has been operating in the competitive bunker barge market in South Africa since 1996, meeting the challenges of delivering an efficient, safe and environmentally responsible service to the shipping industry. With two bunker barges in Durban and a third in Richards Bay that function on a 24/7/365 basis, the need for intelligent planning requires a dedicated shore side team that complements the performance of the crew.

It’s a logistical labyrinth, but it helps that Business Unit Manager, Gerad Singh hails from a ship operating background. “I know how important it is to turn around a container ship quickly so I make sure that my clients are not delayed by unforeseen circumstances. Planning is crucial and scheduling is vital”, he says adding that they are constantly checking berthing plans, monitoring weather conditions and communicating with the port.

Profile: UN Ro-Ro

On

track

S

ince its establishment by international transport organisations in 1994 to meet demand for an alternative mode of transport to land routes, Turkey based UN RoRo Isletmeleri AS has grown to become one of the fastest growing freight Ro-Ro operators both in the Mediterranean and across the globe. Boasting 20 years of experience in providing reliable and safe sea journeys through high-risk or politically challenging locations, the company maintains its commitment to developing lines that provide an alternative mode of transport to land routes for Turkish companies that would otherwise struggle to deliver their cargo, particularly in Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Despite its success, the owners and operators of 12 ro-ro vessels have maintained a core focus on further enhancing its strengths and capabilities with strategic expansions and acquisitions. For example, the company has completed a five-year 260 million euro investment in its fleet in 2014, which has resulted in capacity to meet a 60 per cent increase in truck transportation to Europe and is fully prepared for Turkey’s foreign trade target of $1 trillion by 2023.

Previously featured in Shipping & Marine magazine in April 2014, UN Ro-Ro has witnessed further developments and expansions over the last eight months, the most notable example of this being the acquisition of Kohlberg Kravis Robert’s (KKR) shares of the business, as CEO of UN Ro-Ro Isletmeleri AS Sedat Gumusoglu states: “A recent core development for UN Ro-Ro is the change in shareholders. Since 2008 we have been owned by

KKR, a US based private equity fund, however, they decided to exit UN Ro-Ro in the beginning of 2014. By September 2014 the acquisition of KKR’s shares in the company by two Turkish groups was completed. With these new shareholders behind us, we have a newly strengthened focus on increasing our market share and establishing a wider investment for our customers by connecting our services with additional train and modal services, which will thus capture more market share from our land routes.”

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 53

88 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

Profile: UN Ro-Ro

2014 has also been a year for transition for the adaptable firm, particularly with regards to the implementation of UN Ro-Ro’s long term strategy of becoming an intermodal infrastructure provider. “Instead of being a ro-ro operator, we decided to strengthen our lines with new train services and connections with ports in Europe,” explains Sedat. “ As part of this aim we acquired 60 per cent shares in the port of Trieste’s Samer Seaports terminal in Italy in December 2013. Because we now operate this terminal we have reached a decision to invest in trains that will connect Trieste with several destinations in Europe. So far our strategy has worked out very well; we have a layout programme in place and our long term target is to load all units that are discharged from our ships onto trains that will go onto several destinations in Europe.”

Indeed, by investing a majority stake in the Trieste terminal, the company has provided itself with a platform for growth opportunities through investment into ro-ro and rail systems, as Sedat noted in April 2014: “By investing approximately eight million to ten million euros, we will not only be operating Ro-Ro lines, but will also have the capacity to handle six trains per day with approximately 200 trailer capacity per day. Both arriving and departing this will total a capacity of 400 trailers per day being diverted to several destinations in Europe.”

Key to strengthening its expanding network is the company’s successful partnership with Rail Cargo Group; beginning in 2005, the two organisations work together to connect all lines and export destinations in Turkey with Europe wherever it is possible to help meet Turkey’s aim of bringing 25 per cent of the heavy goods road vehicles onto the railway. This development, either directly through railway utilisation or a combination with Ro-Ro, would result in an extra 30,000 trucks per year and 1000 additional block trains per year.

The first step in this partnership was established in November 2013 when the two companies launched the UN Rail Austria Shuttle, a joint sea-rail service, which connects Trieste with Wels.

Implemented with the innovative semi-trailer handling unit (ISU), the shuttle service can transport non-craneable semi-trailers by rail and handle all common semi trailers with ease. With a delivery time of four days, the UN Rail Austria Shuttle is one of the quickest connections for those wanting to transport goods from Istanbul to Germany. “This is a more efficient option for

our customers as they are using less trucks and less drivers; we started with three trains per week going to Wels, but it is now a daily service. We aim to increase this to three trains a day in the long-term, which will serve up to 100 units and 100 trailers per day from Trieste to Wels and Wels to Trieste; in the long run this will be a much more environmentally friendly option as there will be less trucks and less road congestion. On top of this, because Turkey is a non EU country, our customers faced driving restrictions because of permit issues in these countries, but with our train service they will be able to load their cargo onto the train and pick it up in their final destination with ease,” highlights Sedat.

With its Trieste to Austria service in place, the company is now focusing on train transfers from Trieste to Germany and Luxembourg, which will enable customers to pick up their trailers close to their chosen final destination. Coinciding with this mission is UN Ro-Ro’s focus on further expanding its foothold in Egypt and Africa via its Egypt line. However, due to political conflict between Egypt and Turkey, this line has been closed following the Egyptian Government’s cancellation of an agreement to allow Turkish trucks to transport through the area. Despite this, Sedat believes there are massive opportunities in the mid term once the agreement is established once again.

Moving forward with plans to strengthen its presence in Europe, the company will invest in adding two new trains to its Wels route and one train to the Luxembourg terminal as well as a new ship on its Pendik to Toulon line, which will increase the number of daily sailings to three in 2015. “This will be a big advantage for truckers going to France, Spain and Benelux countries because delivery programmes and fleet turnaround will both be improved. We are also working on a train system at this port, with the cargo being transported to Marseille before it moves onto Lyon and Paris. On top of this, because many lines go from Marseille to Tunisia and Libya, we are aiming to attract some North African traffic on this route too,” concludes Sedat. l

UN Ro-Ro

www.unroro.com.tr • Converting into an intermodal infrastructure provider • Plans to strengthen presence in North Africa • New shareholders in 2014

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 55

Profile: Westcon Group

Simply the

west

Above: Westcon yard, Florø, Left: Westcon yard, Ølen Photographers: Øyvind Sætre and Harald Valderhaug

W

ith a history that stems as far back as 1963, the Westcon Group of companies has become a leading provider of superior innovative solutions, services and products and a trusted partner in activities such as shipbuilding, vessel repair, power and atomisation and lifting services. Regularly achieving turnovers of two to three billion NOK, the group employs approximately 1100 personnel at its sister companies Westcon Yards, Westcon Power & Automation, Westcon Florø and Westcon Løfteteknikk.

Playing a vital role in the group’s history and current success is Westcon Yard, which first began operations within the marine industry. In 1994 the yard expanded into the oil and gas industry by providing offshore rig services and modifications; following this development, the yard has become a leader in this market.

Previously subsidiaries of Westcon Yard, Westcon Power & Automation and Westcon became joint sister firms with their parent company in 2011 when Westcon Group established itself as a group of companies. Operating under one umbrella, the companies have further combined their expertise and thus provided customers with increased benefits.

Not a group to rest on its laurels, Westcon Group acquired all shares in the shipyard STX Norway Florø as well as the design company STX Norway Design Florø in the first quarter of 2013. The acquisition has cemented Westcon Group’s position

as a leading provider of yard services in the North Sea thanks to a highly skilled workforce readily available in the acquired companies, a bigger dock, modern plant and a strategically located yard.

Since it was previously featured in Shipping and Marine magazine in May 2014, Westcon Group has invested 430 million NOK in infrastructure, HR development and project management tools, with the former resulting in major improvements at its Westcon Florø Yard and Westcon Yards in Ølen, as head of ship repairs Georg Matre begins: “At the Westcon Florø Yard we have now increased the depths on one of our quays, enabling us to service several larger vessels at the same time. We have also developed a division to perform subsea construction work, building structures for installation at the sea bottom for the subsea companies; this means we now have improved flexibility to load onto ships over quay constructions built at the yard. At the same time we are also building a new quay with water depths at approximately 20m to accommodate any oilrigs that are in need of a repair berth.

“Meanwhile, at the yard in Ølen we are putting up different halls to prepare for future jobs; one such hall will be used for washing, blasting and painting. This will not only save working time and boost quality, but will also be more environmentally friendly. We are also building indoor storing facilities for oil spills and other types of fluid waste; the total size of this complex will be approximately 3600m2. In addition, we are also making a new hall for assembling including two 80 ton cranes with 20m lifting height; this hall will also contain storing facilities and a new machining store and will make 3100m2 extra floor area. Furthermore, in some www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 57

Profile: Westcon Group

Above: Georg Matre

Right: Deep Energy.

Bottom right: Maersk Intrepid at Westcon Ølen

of the old halls we are putting up heavy pipe-bending machinery.

This will reduce the amount of expensive welding in piping on all types of vessels.”

As activity in the North Sea slows, the group is not only increasing its competitive edge through investments, but is also increasing its focus on capturing a greater share of the technological evolution within the marine and offshore monitoring market. Key to this strategy is the joint venture between Westcon Power & Automation and Last Mile Communication, which will see both organisations working together to offer open solutions within the market for maritime vision systems. Based on an open IP software platform that uses COTS IT hardware, the maritime vision system offers customers flexibility to secure future integration possibilities as well as easy installation, operations and services. Furthermore, when compared to traditional CTTV systems the quality of the images and interface is far superior.

No stranger to innovation, Westcon Power & Automation was awarded a contract with Dolphin Drilling in October 2014 for the use of the Westcon IRM Ex system on board three of its drilling rigs: Borgland Dolphin, Bideford Dolphin and Bredford Dolphin. Following years of development Westcon has developed the optimum support tool for offshore maintenance inspection with its system that can offer periodic inspection, repair and modification (IRM) on Ex equipment, without making changes to the existing maintenance systems. “We experience that rig owners and operators have a strong focus on safety and complete documentation of Ex equipment on board of the oil installations.

This agreement is a confirmation that our solution is found to be attractive for meeting these requirements,” said Kåre Topnes, sales manager Oil & Gas at Westcon Power & Automation.

The system enables inspectors to perform work on Dolphin Drilling rigs with a tablet computer and a continuous transfer of data, which thus provides a detailed status from the rig at any location. “We are now experiencing a great interest for the solution from Asia – especially from FPSO operators. The

58 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

feedback is that our system fits well into their life-cycle philosophy.

That we have put the PDAs away and use tablet computers gives us new opportunities, such as updated drawings at site as an integrated part of the inspection. The system gives, in other words, an unique digital maintenance tool for the offshore market, and we look forward to work together with Dolphin Drilling on this,” added Kåre.

Continuing with plans to further invest in the development and expansion of its existing facilities, 2015 looks to be a positive year for Westcon Group as it maintains its focus on becoming the core provider of integrated services for shipping and offshore companies operating within the North Sea basin. “We want to maintain a leading position as a provider of classification, upgrading and maintenance of ships and drilling rigs in the North Sea as well as strengthen our position within areas such as operational, continuous survey and international projects,” concludes Georg. l

Westcon Group en.westcon.no

• Family owned and run business • Big investment plans in place • Awarded contracts with oil majors in 2014

Profile: Serco NorthLink Ferries

Great

Scots S

ince taking over the operations of NorthLink Ferries in July 2012, which provides crucial ferry services from the Scottish mainland to the Orkney islands and Shetland islands, Serco has worked towards its pledge to ‘overhaul catering, seating and onboard entertainment’ on NorthLink Ferries’ vessels.

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 59

60 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

Profile: Serco NorthLink Ferries

Operating three passenger vessels on the Orkney & Shetland routes: the MV Hjatland, the MV Hrossey and MV Hamnavoe, the company also operates two freight vessels: MV Hildasay and MV Helliar. Supporting its operations are the company’s offices in Stromnes, Kirkwall, Lerwick and Aberdeen, as well as the ferry terminals at Hatston and Scrabster.

Vessels operate 363 days per year and provide a vital lifeline service to the Northern Isles, not only for islanders and visitors, but also suppliers of goods such as cattle and

agriculture. In fact, the company transports approximately 25,000 cattle and 30,000 sheep per year, and retains close working relationships with agricultural stakeholder groups.

Designed with comfort as a priority, Serco NorthLink Ferries offer customers lounges and bars, dining facilities and menus that boast a number of local products. Vessels travel daily from Aberdeen to Lerwick and regularly make calls at Kirkwall, the ships also provide services from Scrabster to Stromness, Orkney.

An internationally renowned service company, Serco combines commercial expertise with strong public service values to successfully improve services by managing people, processes, technology and assets in a more effective manner.

Awarded six-year the £243 million contract over two years ago, Serco has been working on behalf of the Scottish government, local authorities and UK government, to deliver a number of improvements on NorthLink’s vessels. Among these enhancements, the company has made investments in a revamped catering service, including a new café bar and restaurant in 2013, as well as additional seating and enhanced WiFi access.

To coincide with its new café bar and restaurant, the company launched a brand new menu, complete with a number of eating and drinking options on board. This includes an all you can eat breakfast for £9.95, a continental breakfast

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 61

62 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

Profile: Serco NorthLink Ferries

for £6.95, breakfast light bite alternatives such as bacon softie for £3.40 or cereal and milk for £2.50. The majority of the food is locally sourced from businesses in the area, with fresh Shetland salmon and a premium Orkney burger available from the lunch or dinner menu, as well dishes such as lasagne made with Orkney beef and a side of garlic bread for £9.95 or premium Orkney ‘gold’ eight oz rib eye steak with salad, onion rings and fries or potatoes. Meanwhile, all bars serve a number of Orkney and Shetland Beers, such as Red Macgregor, Northern Light and White Wife in addition to the wide range of draught beers, continental lagers, teas, coffees, wines and spirits that are also available.

With thousands of visitors using NorthLink’s services annually, the company has set up strong working relationships with local businesses following a special meet the buyer event in April 2014. This event not only gave local suppliers the opportunity to become official suppliers, but also gave Serco NorthLink Ferries the chance to explain their own requirements for high quality local items, not only in its bars and restaurants, but also in its onboard shops. By working with first class producers based in the Shetland Islands, the company not only benefits from cost benefits such as shorter supply chains and greater predictability of delivery times but also allows customers to sample fresh produce and buy quality items from local businesses.

Furthermore, customers on the MV Hrossey and MV Hjaltlane ferries, which operate on the Orkney & Shetland routes alongside MV Hamnavoe, will benefit from the option of using cost-effective and comfortable sleeping pods. Serco NorthLink Ferries is the first ferry operator in the world to

offer the sleeping pods, which allow customers to lie and sleep on reclining seats without intruding on the space of the person behind. Offering passengers a comfortable alternative to a cabin, the fee charged for a sleeping pod includes a blanket, pillow and eye mask as well as a token for a free shower in the exclusive facilities next door.

For passengers wanting peace and quiet onboard MV Hjaltland and MB Hrossey, there is the Magnus Lounge; costing £18.50 for adults and £9.25 for children travelling from Aberdeen or Lerwick and £14.00 for adults and £7.00 for children travelling from Kirkwall, the lounge offers customers complimentary tea, coffee, soft drinks, snacks and two vouchers for beers or wine. Open until 1:30 am, the lounge provides breakfast in the morning, with a complimentary continental breakfast on arrival into Aberdeen or Lerwick.

Tickets can be purchased online or onboard.

Recently launched on board MV Hamnavoe, the Magnus Lounge provides passengers with complimentary teas, coffees, soft drinks, nibbles, newspapers and a bacon roll on morning sailings. During the afternoon passengers will receive a voucher for the bar. Costing £7.50 for adults and £3.75 for children, the Magnus Lounge is open from six am until 8:30 pm.

At the helm of NorthLink Ferries’ ongoing improvements is Stuart Garrett, formerly operations and human resources director at the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company (the oldest continuously operating passenger shipping company in the world) who brings a wealth of experience in shipping. Today the managing director at Serco NorthLink Ferries, Stuart has also worked at senior management and director level in the European ferry industry for over 25 years. Previous employers include major ferry companies Sealink, Stena Line and Sea Containers.

Committed to their goal of providing customers with a stress-free journey, Stuart and the team at Serco NorthLink

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 63

Profile: Serco NorthLink Ferries

Ferries have focused on the rebranding and development of the vessels with the aim of enhancing passenger satisfaction. In June 2014 Serco unveiled a brand new online booking system, which offers added features and increased user-friendliness. In fact, customers can now book a number of services that were previously unavailable online, such as meals, cots and kennels; moreover, the new system also recognises concessionary rates for senior citizens, students in full time education and disabled passengers.

In addition to internal enhancements, Serco NorthLink Ferries welcomed the MV Hamnavoe back to service in

January 2014 following a major external transformation that involves a huge Viking image of the company’s mascot Magnus the Viking. The MV Hjaltland was the second vessel to be rebranded, leaving it out of service for a few weeks in February, while MV Hrossey came out of the dry dock in March 2014. So far the Norse imagery has been well received by passengers and is anticipated to boost interest from new customers looking to experience the Northern Isles on high quality vessels.

Following an impressive two years of enhancements, Serco NorthLink Ferries has continued to make strong progress since taking over the contract. Moving forward, it aims to listen to the needs of freight customers, while also introducing a more customer focused fares system.

By building on the strengths of the existing NorthLink Ferries operation, as well as introducing a variety of improvements to the services, the company is looking forward to transporting an increased number of passengers from all areas on a voyage of discovery around the Northern Isles. l

Serco NorthLink Ferries

www.northlinkferries.co.uk • Merged with Serco in 2013 • Focused on rebrand and development • Provide local produce to passengers on board

64 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

Profile: Tug Malta Grand Harbour port, La Valletta - Malta Island

Safety, security and

quality

T

ug Malta, a leader in the field of port services and a strong niche player in the Mediterranean offshore segment, is a company that is proudly dedicated to serving its customers. Based on the island of Malta the company is always ready to carry out and meet the towage and service requirements of the shipping industry, as well as offering a range of offshore support services to the contracting industries that work in the oil and gas, salvage, environment and pollution control sectors.

The organisation commenced operations as a state-owned company with just three tugs in 1980, using vessels that were initially acquired from two private towage operators. These operators became private shareholders when their businesses later were taken over and consolidated under the new company. The business continued to develop over subsequent years, replacing its fleet with new, more modern and powerful tugs, which allowed it to expand its operations. Whereas previously this had been largely limited to the Grand Harbour in Valletta, where the company’s ship repair facilities are located, the company established a transhipment hub for the Mediterranean at Marsaxlokk, which brought on an increased

demand for towage services from Tug Malta.

More recently, in 2007 the Rimorchiatori Riunti Group acquired the Maltese Government’s shareholding in Tug Malta and in January 2008 the Group became 100 per cent shareholder in Tug Malta after acquiring all remaining shares.

Having the Rimorchiatori Riuniti Group, which is a leading maritime services provider offering harbour towage services, offshore services, ship management and international trade shipping, as a parent has brought considerable advantages to Tug Malta. For example, it has enabled the company to make further vessel acquisitions, adding newly built tugs to its existing fleet and has allowed it to move its activities into the offshore sector. Today the business is a member of the International Salvage Union (ISU) and the European Tug Owners’ Association (ETA).

Tug Malta operates with a simple, yet very effective mission – to provide reliable, safe and efficient towage services in the harbours and the territorial limits of the Maltese Islands and to render towage, salvage and environmental response services in the Central Mediterranean. It achieves this by providing four key services of harbour towage, offshore towage and

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 65

Ship in Grand Harbour, Valletta, Malta

The offshore industry in the central Mediterranean and in North Africa has grown significantly in recent years, and this has provided a new source of business for Tug Malta. The company offers towage and related services to the offshore oil and gas companies working in this sector, offering rig moves and support, support to FPSOs, barge towage, and assistance during heavy lift operations

salvage, environmental response, and other activities.

The former is at the heart of the business, with it having a proud tradition of towage services in the local area. The company has built this reputation through the use of reliable, powerful and state-of-the-art tug vessels that, when combined with the skill and expertise of its crew, permit safe and high quality services in the two principle harbours in Malta. Malta is a busy and important stop on the Mediterranean shipping

66 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

routes, and as such Tug Malta provides competitive harbour services to global shipping companies, regularly assisting and working with all types and sizes of vessels. This includes the latest generation of container vessels at Marsaxlokk, which houses the third largest container transhipment terminal in Europe.

Aside from Marsaxlokk; the company provides services to conventional and bulk cargo vessels in the Grand Harbour at Valletta. In the field of harbour towage Tug Malta has a broad portfolio that encompasses berthing, unberthing, escorting, docking and undocking, and standby and safety services.

The offshore industry in the central Mediterranean and in North Africa has grown significantly in recent years, and this has provided a new source of business for Tug Malta. The company offers towage and related services to the offshore oil and gas companies working in this sector, offering rig moves and support, support to FPSOs, barge towage, and assistance during heavy lift operations. The company is able to offer a competitive advantage in this field in that it can leverage the capabilities of its parent company, significantly enhancing its overall service portfolio and all enabling co-contracting work with other offshore service providers. In the scope of

Profile: Tug Malta

an emergency Tug Malta is also available to provide salvage assistance and emergency response to oil and gas operators.

In fact, environmental protection and pollution containment is an additional service that the company offers. As the authority responsible for maritime affairs Transport Malta is mandated to implement and maintain the National Marine Pollution Contingency Plan. It does this through its Pollution and Incidence Response Unit (PIRU), whereby it has the duty to maintain and operate offshore oil response equipment such as containment booms, surface skimmers and pumps. Under this agreement Tug Malta is contracted to provide emergency services including transport, handling and operating of the equipment that will be deployed in an emergency. As such, it is on standby 24/7 with tugs that are equipped with fire fighting capabilities and other pollution prevention equipment.

Tug Malta has built a reputation for excellent service and superb seamanship in throughout its history. Providing a broad range of services the business plays a key role on the Mediterranean’s shipping industry, with Malta being a key

The Falzon Group

The Falzon Group has been a leader in Malta’s petroleum industry for 60 years, offering a comprehensive solution on land and at sea. Its marine services extend to vessels at berth or in anchorage areas around the Maltese Islands, and include the supply of fuel bunkers and lubricants, the collection of oily waste and tank cleaning services. Its integrated operating resources and experience in the petroleum sector ensure it will continue to be frontrunners in the industry’s energy requirements.

central hub in the region. As the shipping industry continues to grow, and oil and gas exploration in Africa looks set to expand significantly in the near future, there is little doubt that business can continue to be a leading name in the Mediterranean shipping industry. l

Tug Malta

www.tugmalta.com • Leader in the field of port services • Regularly updates fleet • Growing presence in the offshore oil and gas industry

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 67

Getting in on the

ACT 68 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

L

ocated in the geographic and economic hinterland of Europe, with links to Belgian Lorraine, France, Luxembourg and the German regions of the Saar, Athus Container Terminal (ACT) is over 250 km away from the three principal North Sea ports – Zeebruges, Antwerp and Rotterdam, which it reaches in an efficient and profitable manner thanks to its rail-road transport solution.

Indeed, to and from Arlon, Reims, Nancy, Trier, Saarbrucken or Luxembourg, the company can provide a rapid service straight to the destination port.

Active since 1979, the terminal’s establishment was the result of a common drive for success from local entrepreneurs

Profile: Athus Container Terminal

B.Rekencentra

Back in 1998, Terminal Athus was the first to purchase the package INTERMAN. The terminal operations system was implemented with few modifications but a whole new module was developed for their transport activities.

During 17 years of collaboration, B.Rekencentra has had the single goal of delivering a software package that is perfectly aligned with the activities. The success of Terminal Athus is a result of the company’s philosophy and innovating ideas that always have been supported by the INTERMAN software.

and various players in the transport sector following a major economic crisis in the region, which resulted in approximately 3000 job losses. “We were the first organisation to be created after this disaster,” explains Alain Rysman, general manager of ACT. “Since then we have continued to witness strong growth in the maritime container transport business through the provision of a bi-modal transport solution.”

Originally handling containers in a working area of 1.5 hectares, the terminal increased its surface area over the years, which resulted in the terminal’s surface area increasing to 15 hectares and its container handling capacity reaching 120,000 containers per year by 2006. “Today we have 18 hectares of surface area and 4000 metres of usable rail tracks to receive trains that we then unload and reload; to provide this service we have dedicated equipment such as six reach stackers with a 40 tonne capacity, three GPS guided mobile gantry cranes on tires and one crane for empty containers,” highlights Alain.

Not only committed to using cutting edge technology, the company ensures rapid and effective transport of containers for customers through the continued development and improvement of the terminal. A recent example of this is the last mile project, which involves towing cargo trains deeper into the container terminal for the last mile. “This is a vital development for ACT as we are able to pull or push our trains

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 69

Profile: Athus Container Terminal

from the station to the terminal, which means we are no longer linked to one precise rail operator, but are now independent; this is something we view as critical for our future,” says Alain.

He continues: “On top of this, we have a new business growing now; previously we were only transporting the containers, but we began loading and unloading items inside the containers two years ago. Because of this diversification in our service offering, we have enhanced the skills of our personnel to ensure we give an exceptional service to our customers. We have all that is needed and more to provide our personnel with the knowledge and skills they require; most recently this has involved extensively training new locomotive drivers for the last mile project.”

Divided into two segments, the highly experienced team at ACT work on either the management of the terminal by focusing on activities such as handling, reception, container storage and repairs or on the management of transport, which involves organising the road and rail transport of containers. The skill, flexibility and efficiency of these teams mean customers are fully confident that their containers are transported in a safe, secure and timely manner.

Using a rail and road operating system, the ACT organises daily round trips to and from Antwerp, Rotterdam and Zeebruges; for the former it used to use the National Rail Container Network (NaRCoN) system. However NaRCoN was stopped in September 2013 and ACT launched a new rail organisation system. It can now offer direct trains to/from main quays of Antwerp and it can connect to Zebrugge and Rotterdam by barge or truck from these quays.

Previously working in partnership with rail firm ERS on its Rotterdam route, the independent terminal is currently

70 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

looking to develop greater business connections with the Port of Rotterdam as it continues with its expansion. “We are beginning to put plans into place with a connection via Antwerp, from which we anticipate to have a direct train connection to Rotterdam with as much frequency as possible,” notes Alain. In addition to enhancing its relationship with the Port of Rotterdam, the terminal will also focus on developing connections with ports further south; a strategy that is anticipated to involve investments into 1.5 km of infrastructure in the south.

With investment plans in place to ensure future growth, the adaptable terminal will focus on finding a new solution for the mobility issues surrounding the use of trucks in towns and highways, while also maintaining consistency in controlling its relatively new ways of operating. On top of this, it will be paying close attention to upcoming opportunities in the market, as Alain concludes: “We see opportunities in Rotterdam and also Zeebruges, following the partnership between Maersk and MSC; this means a number of our clients will be moving to Zeebruges too. We will be going with them, to continue providing solutions for their containers. However, I think the connection to the south will really bring up some more opportunities for us to expand our services in both directions.” l

Athus Container Terminal

www.tca.be • Maritime gateway of the Saar-Lor-Lux region • Offers an efficient and profitable bi-modal transport solution • Looking to develop connections with ports further south

Luxurious leisure

A

s Scandinavia’s leading manufacturer of leisure boats for cruising and sport, Nimbus Boats is one of the most respected and highly reputed boat builders in Europe. For many years the company has been at the forefront of leisure boat design, with the Nimbus name recognised throughout the boat and yacht building industry for its quality and innovation.

The company’s history can be traced to the early 1970s, when Volvo Penta required a new kind of boat that would suit the engine they had been developing. This boat, the Nimbus 26, was the first built by Nimbus Boats after a small group of innovative designers seized the challenge from Volvo Penta.

It was an immediate success, heralding the beginning of one of the industry’s leading brands. Innovation remained key to the development of Nimbus Boats, as the company continued to build on the success of the Nimbus 26, designing and developing a range of boats that demonstrated perfection in design and beautiful craftsmanship.

This was particularly evidenced in the 1990s when, in 1998, the company’s work caught the attention of famous Italian designer Nuccio Bertone, who is responsible for designing many famous models of Ferrari cars. This partnership produced the Nimbus 26 DC, which was developed a limited edition and has since become one of the most sought after boats in the history of Nimbus.

Today the company builds all of its boats at its own yard in Mariestad, and it also operates a permanent exhibition and full service marina in Royal Gothenburg Yacht Harbour in Gothenburg on the west coast of Sweden. While the

72 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

Nimbus range has expanded from the original Nimbus 26 the philosophy remains the same – to produce boats of award winning design that appeal to all the senses. Nimbus Boats believes that for the customer it is all about enjoying life onboard, whatever the occasion, activity or destination. That is why the company utilises high-tech production facilities such as vacuum infusion technology and sandwich laminate in combination with its traditional craftsmanship to ensure that on a Nimbus boat there is something to enjoy for every client, whether it is aesthetics, functionality or a combination of both.

At the top of the Nimbus range is the Nimbus 405 Coupe, the company’s flagship design that combines timeless beautiful lines with strict design and clever functionality. Nimbus has been building its Coupe series since the late 1960s, meaning that through years of refining and tweaking the 405 Coupe is a culmination of everything that is exceptional about the Nimbus philosophy. The 405 Coupe is designed for the customers that enjoy social activities and comfortable living, but who also want to undertake long-distance cruises and other activities. Alongside luxurious two berth cabins, a panoramic glass roof and a clever dashboard hideaway, the vessel features a unique side-walk design concept consisting of an asymmetrical deck layout where the side deck along the starboard side is extra wide to provide additional freedom of movement and space on board.

In fact, so innovative is the Nimbus 405 Coupe that it was nominated for European Power Boat of the Year 2015.

Considered by industry insiders as the ‘Oscars of Watersports’,

Profile: Nimbus Boats

marine accessories and boat parts to a selection of Nimbus accessories to satisfy every customer’s needs.

Since its very first venture into boat design Nimbus Boats has successfully managed to produce beautiful, expertly crafted and innovative boats that suit every client demand.

For customers who require a boat that offers superior design, functionality and a luxurious setting to enjoy offshore activities the choice is simple, choose a Nimbus boat. l

Nimbus Boats

www.nimbus.se • Manufactures boats of award winning design • Range includes Coupe Cruisers, Nova and R-series • Philosophy of putting customer first

the European Powerboat of the Year award is judged by an expert panel who each year nominate 23 new boats in five length classes for powerboats.

Alongside the Coupe Cruisers series, the Nimbus portfolio consists of the Nova and R-series boats. The former is a range of boats that provides unrivalled and endless usability based on Scandinavian design philosophy where functionality is the most important aspect. The Nova 34, for example, has a generous, social and comfortable after deck that features an extra-large L-shaped sofa, aiming it the perfect vessel for weekend and holiday activities. Furthermore, it comes with a range of roof options depending on client requirement and is designed with a number of luxurious features as standard such as a wet bar, barbeque, fridge, hot and cold water, and the Simrad NS12 12’ – the most advanced chart plotter on the market.

The R-series of boats is the smallest is the Nimbus range, but nonetheless still provides the same levels of design and features expected by Nimbus customers. The R-series retains the Volvo Penta power plant, albeit a newer version, that was used in the original Nimbus 26. The R-series vessels offer clients superior performance and handling characteristics due to their air lubricated hull design and have extra wide side decks and open layout for maximum moveability on board.

The Nimbus philosophy is about putting the customer first, understanding their needs and designing the best possible boat for their requirements. This attention to detail extends beyond simply delivering the boat, as the company also offers a wide selection of spare parts and accessories. This ranges from www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 73

Storing success M

exico Natie is the leading stevedoring company in Belgium, having operated with the Port of Antwerp for the last 143 years. For the most part, the company handles general cargo, containers and some ro-ro deliveries, and utilises local transport and logistics companies and links via trucks for delivery within a 400-500 km radius of its operations. The company offers various modes of transport to connect to sea going vessels, including its own freight traffic, inland navigation and railways. Its vehicle fleet includes 25 trailers, deep loaders and multifunctional container frame.

Its stevedoring services at Scheldekaai 9 commenced in 1995 and that year also saw the start of a co-operation with the shipping companies Grimaldi, European Caribbean Line, Frota Amazonica, Sloman Neptune, Bro intermed, company Maritime du Congo, Van Uden and CNAN. The services offered through Quay 301 through Quay 321 include handling general cargo, containers and ro-ro, with the ability to track stock data through barcodes. Quay 301-321 covers a surface area of 180,000 m2. It has two Gottwald cranes, with a capacity of 100 tons, one Gottwald of 60 tons, four container stackers, ten forklifts ranging from three to 35 tons, a railway connection and two terminal pullers. It also has a 1600m open quay.

Stevedoring services are also offered from Antwerp Euro

74 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

Terminal (AET) on the left bank of the river Scheldt for the loading and unloading of vehicles for the car industry. This is part of a joint venture with Grimaldi and construction began in the year 2000. For the next eight years the AET was expanded from an initial 20 ha to its current 100 ha. It has an impressive quay length of 1.7 km (the capacity to handle more than six oceangoing ships simultaneously) and has two warehouses with 8000 m2 each. It has four railway connections, two Gottwald cranes with a capacity in excess of 100 tonnes; five reach stackers, a 60 metre wide wharf, parking for 25,000 vehicles and a pre-delivery inspection centre.

Alongside these stevedoring services, Mexico Natie also offers storage, warehousing, and inland storage for local waterways.

The company has three warehouse locations in Antwerp – Warehouse Altamira, Warehouse Mexico and Warehouse Tijl.

Construction of the Altamira site began in 1986 at Transcontinentaalweg 8 in Antwerp, with 7200 m2 of closed storage and transhipment space. After a strong start, just a year later, the decision was taken to expand the location, with another 6300 m2 and another diversification – this time into IMDG products (dangerous goods).

Altamira continued to be expanded, with the years 19901992 seeing an addition of 12,500 m2, creating a total surface of 26,000 m2. Today Warehouse Altamira has a total surface

Profile: Mexico Natie of 32,500 m2 of which 15,000 m2 is allocated to IMDG and 17,500 m2 for non-dangerous goods. It focuses on chemicals, dangerous goods, general cargo and stuffing/stripping containers.

For the safe storage of chemicals Mexico Natie ensures that the facility is fully burglar proof, and is equipped with sprinklers and divided into compartments separated by firewalls in order to provide a safe storage environment. It features compartments for dangerous goods, and the floors are equipped with clay mats to prevent penetration of dangerous products into the soil. Further benefits of the warehouse include fluidtight tanks and storage tanks, covered loading docks, a variety of forklift sizes and capabilities, silo storage, bag filling and installation palletisation machines.

The Altamira warehouse location was further expanded in 2009 when Mexico Natie purchased the adjacent buildings at Transcontinentaalweg 6. This opened up new avenues of opportunity for the organisation. New offices, warehouses, open grounds and silos for storing PVC and polyethylene grains were all added to its facilities. Since 2011 Mexico Natie has been permanently located at Transcontinentaalweg 6, with a new co-ordination and administrative centre next to the Altamira complex.

Kalmar Belgium

Kalmar offers the widest range of cargo handling solutions and services to ports, terminals, distribution centres and to heavy industry. Kalmar is the industry forerunner in terminal automation and in energy efficient container handling, with one in four container movements around the globe being handled by a Kalmar solution. Through its extensive product portfolio, global service network and ability to enable a seamless integration of different terminal processes, Kalmar improves the efficiency of every move.

Moving onto Warehouse Mexico, which is located at Luithagen Haven 13 – 2030 Antwerp, this facility has varying capabilities and equipment. It has a surface area of 20,000 m2 and a height of 6.5 metres. It has a dry; all weather covered loading dock and offers ten forklifts, a container stacker and has a railway connection. It can handle general cargo, steel, paper and wood products, grouped shipments, stuffing/ stripping containers, and storage follow up and info (AS 400).

Warehouse Tijl is slightly larger, with a surface of 26,000m2. It has 12 loading docks and can handle general cargo, steel, and is equipped with pallet racks.

All of these locations share Mexico Natie’s dedication to excellent service, and this is illustrated by its certification as an Authorised Economic Operator (AEO). Obtained in 2013, this is an internationally recognised quality mark that indicates that Mexico Natie’s role in the international supply chain is secure, and that its customs controls and procedures are efficient and compliant.

When looking over the history of Mexico Natie, it shows almost a century and a half of development, growth and success. The company is entering 2015 with its usual energy and commitment to quality and by applying all the lessons it has learned over the past, it should surely continue to thrive. l

Mexico Natie

www.mexiconatie.be • Leading name in Belgium for stevedoring • Also offers warehousing, road transport and more • History goes back 143 years

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 75

Tons of opportunity

L

ocated between the River Tagus and the Atlantic Ocean in a deep water basin of 32,000 ha, the multifunctional and natural Port of Lisbon is a large European base that offers vessels of all types and sizes the best navigating conditions. As the leading port in Portugal for container and solid bulk handling, the Port of Lisbon also deals with break bulk, cruise ships and roll-on/roll-off vessels and also has a marina for recreational boating.

Playing a key role in the Portuguese economy, the port is readily accessible, large, sheltered and offers superior conditions for multipurpose trade. Based in a prime position for sea traffic, the bar of the Tagus estuary the port presides in ensures easy access for vessels 365 days a year, while the ease of navigation inside the estuary is unrivalled. In fact, thanks to the geostrategic position of the Portuguese coast, the port is not only at the crossing of the main maritime routes for international commerce, but also on the first European Atlantic front; an advantage that has resulted in it attracting direct transatlantic traffic that requires terminals with great depths. Moreover, as it is integrated in the transeuropean tranport network, the port is an integral multimodal logistics infrastructure, which thus

76 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

renders it a key meeting port for maritime, railway and road transportation.

Indeed, the main railway lines to serve the Port of Lisbon are at the Northern Line, on the North bank of the River Tagus and the Southern and South-eastern Line, on the South bank, which offers access to the Algarve. Meanwhile, access to the port from other countries on the European Continent is established through the Northern Line, which is joined to the Minho Line to reach Northwest Spain and the Beira Alta Line, to reach the Centre and North of Spain and the rest of Europe. This line also provides access to the branch of Cacares, with a direct connection to both the Spanish border and Madrid.

Road transport operates via the internal port road on the Northern bank of the Tagus, where a range of freeways such as the Eixo Norte-Sul, CRIL, CREL, Segunda Circular, IP7 and IC32 divert traffic from urban traffic. On top of this, the port is equally connected to the main itinerary roads, which then link up with the international connections via the A3, IP4 and IP5 for access to the North, the A6 for direct access to Madrid and IC1 for access to the South. Meanwhile, the goods flow through various freeways on the South bank, which brings the main

Profile: Port of Lisbon

terminals closer to the main national highways; for example, the A1 flows cargo to the North, while the A2 serves the South of Portugal and the A6, which expands the port’s reach to the Spanish border.

Following a 20-year transfer from the previous owner, the Port of Lisbon is now run by the Port Authority, which is governed by the board of directors – chairman Marina Ferreira and members of the board Andreia Ventura and Nuno Sanches Osorio. Standing by its mission to render the port multifunctional and customer focused, the port authority also adheres to operational and economic-financial rationality as well as social and environmental efficiency in line with the best practices of maritime and property safety. To ensure its mission becomes reality, the port authority maintains a core set of values that include loyalty, ethics and respect for the effort of others, transparency as well as a shared global vision in accordance with critical capacity, creativity and capacity to innovate for the development and longevity of the company.

An important multimodal logistics platform, the port has witnessed growth in both bulk solids and container traffic over recent years, with a 5.7 per cent rise in the aggregate values of bulk solids handles registered in September 2013 and an 18.3 per cent increase in the number of containers handled in 2013 compared to 2012. Because container traffic is of particular importance for Lisbon, the port features three specialised terminals for this market, modern infrastructure and a global

capacity of around one million TEU. These strengths thus ensure the port is the preferred choice for the transportation of containers in the Lisbon and Vale do Tejo region. Furthermore, the Port of Lisbon benefits from exceptional facilities for the handling of bulk solids, with a diverse range of specialised terminals and the capabilities to handle local cargo as well as deep sea and transhipment services.

Also featured at the Port of Lisbon are two cruise terminals, Alcantara and Santa Apolonia, which allow the port to receive all types of ships in a safe and efficient manner. On April 26th 2014 the first Cruise Day Lisbon, a day exclusively dedicated to cruise tourism, took place; set up as the first initiative promoted by the Lisbon Cruise Club (LCC), a project initiated by the Port of Lisbon, the event celebrated the importance of cruise activity for Portugal and the 16 per cent increase in this market in 2013.

Showing remarkable growth in all areas of operation over recent years, the Port of Lisbon’s commitment to delivering optimum quality service and client satisfaction is certain to ensure ongoing success. l

Port of Lisbon

www.portodelisboa.pt • Recently completed a 20 year transfer from port owner to port authority

• Leading port for handling solid bulk and container tonnage • Witnessed a 16 per cent increase in cruise activity throughout 2013

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 77

Building success T

oday the Macduff Shipyards Group comprises Macduff Shipyards, Macduff Profilers, Macduff Crane Hire and Macduff Precision Engineering.

Now a European leader for the construction of high quality commercial vessels, the organisation has been through several changes and acquisitions to get where it stands today.

It began life in 1940 as John Watt and Sons, building a large range of clinker lifeboats and motorboats in Gardenstown before moving into building larger carvel boats. Fifteen years after it was established John Watts acquired the yard of Stephen's of Banff and after a transitional year of building both large and small boats, it decided to concentrate on building 55/65' fishing vessels.

Another evolution occurred after the purchase of the building yard and the engineering facilities of Macduff Engineering Co in 1966, on the retirement of the owner Mr Paterson. This move enabled the yard to build vessels up to 80' in timber. The name of the yard was changed again – this time to Macduff Boatbuilding & Engineering Co. The company was incorporated in 1985 to create Macduff Shipyards Limited, and due to increasing demand for steel vessels the directors decided to construct a building shed for steel ships. In 1987 the first steel boat was turned out, the Heather Sprig for John Smith & Partners, Buckie.

Now almost in its 30th year, Macduff Shipyards Group is

78 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

no longer family owned, but is owned by the four directors who all work in the yard, and who share 160 years experience in shipbuilding and repair. The company has also expanded its offering – in the early days of its operation, it was almost exclusively employed within the fishing industry, building and repairing fishing vessels. “Although the fishing industry is still a major part of our customer base, we now also build other types of craft, such as commercial vessels, fish farm vessels, and vessels for the oil industry,” explained Bill Farquhar, technical director. “We can now handle diverse projects including new builds, conversions, modernisations and repairs as well as the design, manufacture and installation of complete deck machinery packages for all types and sizes of vessels. We also offer stern gear and seals, thanks to our acquisition of the trading assets, stock and equipment of Henry Fleetwood & Sons Ltd in Lossiemouth.”

Macduff Shipyards also refits oil related vessels and ferries providing full service docking, painting, engineering, fabrication and fitting out. The most recent vessels it completed were trawlers for local owners and a tug for a repeat customer in Northern Ireland. Currently under construction are a 27m workboat built to class for a repeat customer, a scallop trawler for the Western isles, and fish farm feed barges and workboats for the salmon farming industry.

Bill gave some more details about how the company is

Profile: Macduff Shipyards Group

North east of Scotland and Aberdeen. Macduff Profilers was established in 1999 originally to assist Macduff Shipyards with its ongoing projects. It produces CNC profiled carbon steel, stainless steel and aluminium for many manufacturers including a full cutting service for ship kits. Finally, Macduff Precision Engineering was established in 2011, and offers comprehensive machining facilities at competitive prices and a quick turn around. All three of these divisions continue to develop and Bill noted that future enquiries are encouraging in all areas.

Moving into 2015, Bill is very positive about the future of the company. It is committed to further developing its offering, as well as its staff, and continues to roll out an apprenticeship programme on a yearly basis. All of its divisions share a deep commitment to quality and customer satisfaction and this creates a firm foundation on which to build further success. l

Macduff Shipyards Group

www.macduffshipyards.com • Recently completed a number of important UK projects • Very positive for the future • Reputation throughout Europe for quality

organised: “Macduff in Aberdeenshire is our main base where we have our office facilities and slipway. We currently employ 170 people at this location, and we also have repair facilities in Fraserburgh,” he said.

Fraserburgh harbour is operated by Fraserburgh Harbour Trustees and has facilities for larger vessels with a modern dry dock providing a working area of 66m long x 14m wide, a new ship lift system capable of storing six vessels up to 33m long and weighing up to 900T, and a deep water harbour where it's possible for vessels of 95m long x 16m beam x 6.5m draught to sit afloat at all times. “In addition we recently built a new shed right next to the ship lift and have 24hr access to vessels situated there,” he added.

In addition to Fraserburgh, Macduff also recently took over part of the Buckie Shipyards facilities, and Bill highlighted the benefits of this: “We have invested in developing the fabrication capacity in Buckie where presently a fish farm feed barge is under construction. Our workforce is flexible in that we can move labour between Macduff, Fraserburgh and Buckie as work dictates.”

The experience and facilities that Macduff has developed over the years have also been channelled into some specialist divisions - precision engineering, profiling and crane hire.

Macduff Crane Hire offers full crane hire and cargo handling services to a wide-ranging customer base throughout the www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 79

The next

level A

ll businesses over the past two years have experienced economically tough conditions, and this has been no exception for Drumarkon International BV, for which 2015 represents its significant 30-year trading anniversary. Importantly however, it is the experience and aptitude gained over this time that has equipped the business with the ability to push through challenging climates and position itself as one of the leading suppliers in the manufacture and supply of marine accommodation materials and interior components.

Fire protection, sound reduction, and weight reduction are key words in the marine industry today, and Drumarkon has dedicated its interests to ensuring it is able to meet requirements in this sector. “Over the past few years within the Drumarkon organisation we have placed a progressively stronger emphasis on the development of new products, which are very much application orientated. In rolling out a number of new products, we have achieved a high degree of success.

Fully dedicated and orientated on the maritime market, we are true specialists in the field, and whilst a number of our competitors hold a broader focus, with interests in land-based applications, they also have less expertise and less specific product development for marine applications, which further promotes our unique position,” says Bert de Jonge, managing director.

A specific and high degree of application, material, and regulation knowledge within the organisation, has clear practical benefits, which are further supported by an everimproving level of customer service. “It is becoming more

80 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

noticeable that we are taking more steps than other businesses in providing that service. Through our commitment to focus, we have gained the trust of buyers, be that shipyards or installation companies, trusting us with their assets. That relationship also gives us a head start and puts us in a very good position for developing new products. If a customer has a problem, they will approach us to develop a solution,” Bert explains.

As ships continue to increase in size, and regulations become stricter, weight distribution and reduction must be carefully considered to ensure stability of the vessel, whilst fuel economy continues to be an important factor. Increasingly, clients look to use materials that meet sustainability requirements, and all these elements play a role for the business as it seeks new solutions for maritime applications, as Bert points out: “Whilst we are a small company, we have a lot of expertise on board, from an applications and regulations

Profile: Drumarkon International

been able to increase our market share, mainly due to the development of these new products. We have a very practical approach to our product development and work hard to build up and maintain the confidence with customers to incorporate new solutions into their builds,” says Bert.

Concluding, Bert looks towards the future, and how the changes in the market will inevitably act as a catalyst for future growth: “We are in a period where we expect to be able to harvest from the investments we have made so far, and the exceptional developments achieved within our flooring range particularly. With three different types of floors in various fire classes, we have a solution for a number of different applications, and all those applications are in growth markets.

Generally we see that shipbuilding is moving more towards Asia, in respect of general tonnage, so we are really focusing on applications for more complex and luxury vessels, which is still being built in the European quarter. Over the next five years we will continue to enhance our existing products as well as developing new ones.” l

Drumarkon International BV

www.drumarkon.com • Manufacturer and supplier of marine interior materials • New range of flooring products • Committed to developing products for the future perspective but also from a production perspective. The ability to certify products ensures we are able to provide a full IMOcertified package for floors, bulkheads, ceilings and furniture materials.”

Its top-of-the-range floating or elevated floor has proved an early success, securing substantial orders, even at the earliest stages of the development process. The Drumafloor NC/ SR, is an IMO B-class certified floor, with great mechanical and sound reduction (Rw=34 dB) capabilities. This floor has been recently expanded with a B-15 certified solution for inspection hatches. An integral part of the B-class Drumafloor NC/SR system involves a newly developed IMO-certified range of vibration dampening foams called BISCO Marine. The unique properties of BISCO Marine strongly contribute to the vibration and sound reduction properties of the flooring solution. The floor has been designed in such a way that it is easy to install, thus reducing the cost of ownership.

For less demanding flooring applications alternative floating floor types have been developed, based on the same principles as above: mechanical properties, low system weight, IMOcertified and green passport.

The total range involves Drumafloor NC, a noncombustible floor with a low system weight and thickness and very suitable for a wide range of vessels (i.e. work vessels, guard vessels, pilot vessels, supply vessels).

The Drumafloor Light completes the flooring range.

Drumafloor Light is an IMO-certified floating floor, with a system weight of only 7 kgs per square meter. This floor has been developed for high speed crafts (i.e. catamarans, tenders, WindCat).

“Even though the market conditions have become more difficult, and the overall volume has decreased, we have www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 81

Valuable

experience

F

risia-Offshore provides offshore services from its base on the North Sea coast of Germany. Having tendered for its first contract in 2008, just seven years later the company has the longest track record of a German company within the German offshore wind industry, and can draw on years of experience on a variety of projects.

The company was last featured in Shipping & Marine in June 2014, and the following six months have borne witness to two major developments. As Stefan Goldbach, project manager highlighted, the first of these was the winning of a long-term crew transportation charter for the offshore windfarm RIFFGAT (a co-operation between EWE Vertrieb GmbH and ENOVA Energiesysteme GmbH & Co. KG.) “The contract secures one of Frisia-Offshore’s crew transfer vessels (CTVs) for two and a half years, which is a long time for one of these charters,” he stated, before going on to highlight what set Frisia-Offshore apart from the competition in the tender process. “I think we had several advantages, not least of which is that we had already worked with EWE on RIFFGAT in 2012, when it first began to install turbines, and already had a very good relationship with the organisation.”

He continued: “During the tender process itself I think it

82 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

was a big advantage to be one of just a few operators of CTVs that can provide 24 passenger (PAX) capacity on one vessel.

We were the first operator in Germany to provide 24 PAX and while some others have now appeared, not many of them have vessels available. The ability to transfer 24 passengers was one of the criteria on the tender and as we can do it with one vessel means our costs are lower. A competitive financial offer is a big part of a tender as the charter rates can dictate about 50 per cent of the award decision. So our price had to be good value as well!”

Another reason for Stefan and his team to celebrate is the imminent decision by the Frisia-Offshore board to build a new CTV vessel, the Wind Force III. “It looks like we are building this third CTV completely on our own, partly financed by the yard but with no other shareholders or anyone else, just investment from the company,” said Stefan. “I think this illustrates how we are looking forward to the future and standing on solid ground as a business.”

The Wind Force I and II have already proven themselves in the field and perform above average in comparison to other vessel designs. “Being catamarans means they are more stable during harsh conditions, and of course the 24 PAX capability

Profile: Frisia-Offshore

such as RWE, EWE, ABB, and E.on were building their wind farm projects we were supporting them, even with measurement equipment and so forth. In fact, there is not a single project in the German Bight where we weren’t involved, which we regard as an incredible achievement.”

The new vessel and contract will require new staff, and Stefan noted that the company directly employs all crewmembers, which can be a challenge. “We can find people with experience at sea, but not always on smaller vessels like ours,” he said. “We also like to use crew who are fluent in German and English, as some projects require German as the project language. Also we like to use local crew, as knowledge of the Wadden Sea is so valuable. Experience of these waters can’t be gained from sailing any other seas across the world.

Finally, of course wages are a consideration so meeting all these criteria can be a challenge, but one we are confident we can address.”

As we go forward into 2015, Frisia-Offshore has an exciting 12 months to look forward to. Alongside the new tender and vessel, Stefan noted there are other tenders on the table and he is confident that the company will be exploring many new opportunities in the future. l

Frisia-Offshore

www.frisia-offshore.de • Recently signed new long-term CTV charter contract • New vessel in planning stages • Looking forward to further developments

is also a huge bonus. The design was also targeted to the weather conditions in the North Sea, and this has performed very well in practice.”

The new Wind Force III will be very similar to its sisters, with a few tweaks and improvements based on FrisiaOffshore’s experience with the vessels at sea. Stefan added: “From the outside there will not be very much noticeable difference, but there are bound to be changes needed to meet the requirements of Class and Flag as well as a new offshore code in Germany, which was only introduced very recently and is something we might have to align with.”

While the new charter and vessel are at the top of the agenda for Frisia-Offshore, the company is serving five major contracts, for both CTV and guard vessels. “Wind Force I is working as a CTV on the Alpha Ventus project, on a contract which runs until Spring 2017, while we have another vessel working for E.on,” said Stefan. “We also have a contract with DONG for a guard vessel, as well as a consulting contract with another client.”

Guard vessels are another area where Frisia-Offshore has years of experience. “We have served a lot of projects, beginning with the first one ever in Germany. As companies www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 83

Support in

seconds

B

oasting more than two decades of Canadian and global expertise in serving oil majors, Canada based offshore vessel operator Secunda Canada LP manages a harsh-weather fleet of seven vessels that today primarily operate in the east coast of Canada. With all vessels able to carry out a number of duties in-field, the fleet supports the oil and gas industry mainly through resupplying offshore installations with equipment and or supplies as well as acting as rescue vessels for installations with personnel on board. “Our vessels are equipped with a cargo deck for containerised cargo and have a large system of tanks below deck, which carry fuel, water, various drilling fluids and dry bulk products such as cement. To support the rescue role they are equipped with fast rescue crafts (high spec rigid bottom inflatable boats), rescue nets, and survivor facilities, equipment and supplies for 200-400 persons,” explains director, business development Chris Pitts.

“Our vessels support repositioning of mobile installations with anchor handling and towing equipment. The same deck machinery is used with iceberg management ropes and nets to alter the course of threatening icebergs away from fixed offshore installations. Other duties include transferring offshore workers to the platforms, supporting subsea

84 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

inspection maintenance and repair activities and diving operations,” he adds.

Discussing how the company has enhanced its services and reputation for excellence over the years, Chris states: “At one time Secunda Canada operated 18 vessels on a global scale and operated as a division of McDermott International.

Today, however, our business operations consist of seven vessels all dutifully deployed in Canadian waters. In early 2013 investment activity in the Canadian offshore market accelerated, which led to the Secunda leadership team and Birch Hill, which purchased Secunda Canada in March 2012, anticipating the need for better, more sophisticated solutions for the Canadian market. The two organisations sought out a partner company that could bring the best of the world to Canadian waters and in 2013 Siem Offshore, a global leader in the offshore industry, acquired a 50 per cent equity stake in Secunda.”

Following the CAD 16.25 million acquisition of Secunda Canada, Siem Offshore’s 50 per cent ownership of the company will give it a strategic position in Canada’s east coast offshore sector, while also enabling Secunda Canada to grow.

In line with its aims for fleet renewal and growth, Secunda Canada has been awarded a five plus 15 year charter contract

Profile: Secunda Canada

to support Hibernia Management and Development Company Ltd (HDMC) and ExxonMobil Canada during operations at the Hibernia and Hebron fields in offshore eastern Canada.

Coinciding with this contract, Chris notes that Secunda is in the process of constructing a high-spec Rolls-Royce UT 782 WP design AHTS offshore support vessel at Poland’s Remontowa shipyard: “With our existing fleet mostly booked on multi-year contracts with blue chip customers, we are currently building a high spec vessel at Remontowa Shipyard in Poland and continue to look at growing the fleet to meet market needs. Designing a vessel for Canada and operation in the sub-arctic was a great experience. We put together a team of experienced seafarers and shore-side personnel with offshore experience and with the help of our vessel designer, Rolls Royce, we optimised the vessel in every aspect for operation in the harsh environment of the North Atlantic.”

He continues: “The hybrid propulsion system was our answer to operating in pack-ice, obtaining a bollard pull of ~150T, and having a high degree of redundancy to mitigate any out of service time while on its five-20 year contract.

The vessel can be operated in 16 different engine-propeller configurations, optimising the fuel consumption in each of the vessel operating modes whether it’s towing icebergs, transiting to the field or discharging cargo alongside a platform.”

Operating in an industry with high expectations, strong competition and challenging environmental conditions, Secunda is cementing its role as the go-to company for support services in offshore Canada. Maintaining its values

of pride, integrity, innovation and respect, the dedicated firm has become the partner of choice through the cultivation of a quality and safety conscious work place. “We never forget we’re in the service industry and continuously working to find our customers valuable solutions is our mainstay; this has resulted in a healthy market share and a reputation for operating safely. In 2014 we did not have a single recordable incident across the fleet and our vessels operate in one of the harshest environments in the world. Our working environment is constantly pitching and rolling, 40 per cent of the time in five metre seas and five per cent of the time in ten-25 metre seas; we managed to do this safely.”

As Secunda Canada continues with plans to enhance services over the coming years, Chris anticipates growth in the healthy Canadian market and opportunities for expansion into new areas. “We’re back at the drawing board designing vessels and looking for opportunities to expand our primary business while continuing to look at new ventures in the marine business. The market outside Canada is very different and we see opportunities in the North Sea and off Greenland,” he concludes. l

Secunda Canada LP

www.secunda.ca • Manages a fleet of harsh-weather offshore support vessels • Currently building a high-spec vessel at Remontowa Shipyard • Primarily operates in Eastern Canada

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 85

Strength in

numbers O

perating under V. Group, Fort Lauderdale based V. Ships USA LLC is part of the world’s largest technical ship manager and, as such, complements its parent company’s aim to be recognised as the first choice global supplier of the highest quality services to the shipping industry with absolute regard for Safety and the Environment. To do this it focuses on the delivery of technical services that are ‘best in the industry’ alongside a global network of 18 ship management offices that are supported by the group’s Glasgow based divisional team.

A major benefit of operating as part of a group is the

86 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

Profile: V.Ships USA

integrated use of technology, which allows for virtually live data to be seen for each ship by every member of staff within the group. “The superior IT system ‘ShipSure’ that is used and owned by V. Group is second to none as it provides almost instantaneous information throughout the company, including the sea farers on the ship; they see the exact same screens we do and utilise the same system. The use of live data enables us to efficiently extract information such as trends for analysis; for example, we can take safety data from in excess of 1000 vessels so we can trend ship inspection results or oil major vetting for quick analysis and interrogation,” explains managing director of V. Ships USA LLC, Neil McNeil. The utilisation of high-tech equipment is just one way the company ensures that its clients’ goals are achieved in a safe, reliable, efficient and compliant manner.

Moreover, as members of MARCAS, the Marine Contracting Association, V.Ships USA LLC can obtain significant discounts for ship owners through aggregating purchasing volume to obtain maximum value for goods and services. Thus providing clients with a service that delivers both cost and quality benefits.

Since previously being featured in Shipping and Marine magazine in May 2014, the company has witnessed ongoing growth in line with market recovery and anticipates an

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 87

Profile: V.Ships USA

increase in the vessels it currently has under management, as Neil begins: “In the first quarter of 2015 we will expand our office in Fort Lauderdale, before continuing with further expansion throughout the year. We have enjoyed steady success over the last three years; our business has slowly increased at the same rate as the overall market as it recovers from the downturn that began in 2009 and 2010. With the office enjoying positive growth thanks to our extreme efficiency in daily operations and client recommendations, we are receiving new enquiries and believe we are beginning to see the results of our continued efforts.”

Indeed, the combined efforts of the V. Ships team recently led to a major historical event for the group, as it surpassed the 25,000 barrier for onboard seafarer positions for the first time since its inception more than 30 years ago. “V. Ships has been growing organically for the past three to four years and one of the major milestones happened in 2014 when the company successfully tendered for a major ship owner’s outsourcing.

This resulted in around 40 vessels being transferred into V. Ships as well as the incumbent seafarers, who came with the vessels; these additional personnel tipped V. Ships from the 24,000 mark to over 25,000,” says Neil.

With almost 30 tankers and bulk carriers currently under management, V. Ships USA LLC benefits from a diverse work force, which enables it to take on any vessels that are currently in the market place. “We have tanker, dry bulk, containership and gas experience and are fully prepared for taking on any type of vessel, with a significant fleet expansion of approximately 20-25 per cent expected throughout 2015. It is likely that we will be fully managing a fleet of around 35 ships fairly soon in Fort Lauderdale, a number that we would like to see rise to at least 40 by the end of the year.

“When I first came here in 2008 we had approximately 30 ships, however when the financial crisis hit that same

88 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

year we felt the impact of the downturn the following year with vessel numbers dropping due to a decline in ownership and ship management requirements. Our progress has been long and slow, however we have kept pace with market conditions within the shipping industry, but now we are fully concentrated on expanding at a steady rate.”

As the market continues its gradual recovery, a notable development for the shipping industry has been the change in the ownership base and ownership structure for a lot of companies. “With private equity moving into a controlling ownership role it is sometimes more difficult to identify who ship owners are or who the ship owners major lenders are as it is no longer the large banks,” explains Neil. “There has been a period of adjustment where the network of people involved in ship management and ownership has changed; now we are all getting a bit more comfortable with each other we anticipate some movement in terms of ship management across the globe.”

Keen to grow organically and through acquisitions, V. Ships USA LLC aims to further boost its reputation in the market through the utilisation of other companies operating under V. Group’s ownership, as Neil concludes: “Through bespoke companies that offer ancillary marine services to the ship owner, such as SeaTec, which specialises in high quality consultancy services, and Underwater Marine Contractors (UMC), a specialist in underwater engineering, we aim to be the number one supplier of marine services for the shipping industry.” l

V.Ships USA

www.vships.com • Provide comprehensive management of all vessel types • Aim to be the number one global marine supplier to the shipping industry

Shipping &MARINE

The magazine for maritime management

www.shippingandmarine.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

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