Shipping & Marine Issue 125 October 2015

Issue: 125 2015

The magazine for maritime management

Focused on the

future Europort is one of the world’s leading maritime exhibitions, and 2015’s event is anticipated to attract approximately 30,000 maritime professionals from 84 countries

Also in this issue: u Container shipping u Staff relocation u Fuel focus

Issue: Autumn 2015

Editor’s comments The mAgAzIne for mArITIme mAnAgemenT

‘‘

The past ten months have seen a few changes in our schedules and print philosophy and our digital issues have been very well received

Focused on the

future Europort is one of the world’s leading maritime exhibitions, and 2015’s event is anticipated to attract approximately 30,000 maritime professionals from 84 countries

Also in this issue: u Container shipping u Staff relocation u Fuel focus

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

Business Development Director David Garner

Full steam

ahead

I

almost can’t believe we are already at our Autumn issue of Shipping & Marine! The past ten months have seen a few changes in our schedules and print philosophy and our digital issues have been very well received. More changes are afoot, as we are now working on a new look website for the magazine, something which we really feel we need.

As the New Year approaches I also have to start planning what subjects to cover in the magazine in 2016. It’s not easy to predict what readers would like to see in the pages of the magazine, so if you have some inspiration for me, I would love to hear from you.

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

Advertising Sales Joe Woolsgrove - Sales Director Tim Eakins Dave King Darren Jolliffe Mark Cawston Emma Kerton Andy Ellis

Editor: Libbie Hammond libbie@schofieldpublishing.co.uk

Subscriptions ikidd @ schofieldpublishing.co.uk

Follow us at: @ShippingMarine

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

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk.

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.

©2015 Schofield Publishing Ltd

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Features

4 News Updates and announcements from the shipping and maritime arena

6 Change is needed We need to recognise and address the effects that throwing away plastics has on our oceans and marine life

8 The weighting game doesn’t stack up According to Sue Terpilowski, it should not be the sole responsibility of the Port to check and verify that shipping containers are correctly weighted

10 Change is coming In 2016 changes will be introduced to The Insurance Act 2015 and the new provisions will have everyday relevance to the maritime industry

12 The fuel of the future The LNG supply landscape is undoubtedly becoming less ambiguous. Keeping informed about the latest developments in the market is essential

12

6 18 A controversial measure The transition to the use of armed guards has not been without resistance and the potential escalation of the use of force remains one of the bedrocks of the argument against their deployment

20 Riding out the storm Ben Clark talks about the challenges facing the international shipping and bunkering industries, and looks at how best to move forward

22 Focused on the future Celebrating its 37th edition in 2015, Europort, one of the world’s leading maritime exhibitions, is to take place from the 3rd to the 6th November in Ahoy Rotterdam

14 Online presence As we continue to witness day-to-day items connecting to IoE, the importance of digital identities is becoming increasingly clear

16 Where there’s a will...

While the subject is understandably overlooked due to its nature, staff relocating abroad really do need an up-to-date will

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22

Profiles 26 Mampaey Offshore Industries B.V.

95 Optimarin

29 Caledonian MacBrayne

100 Ronne Port Authority 103 Özata Shipyard

32

106 Oceanic Technical Solutions 109 Harland Simon UPS

112 Salzgitter Maschinenbau 114 Regatta 116 Cirimar Shipyard 118 Docking Solutions

33 Remontowa SA

120 The Kooiman Group

37 Port of Antwerp

122 Fiskerstrand Verft

40 Rederij Wantij

124 Load Line Marine

43 SeaStar Management

126 Sea2Cradle

46 Greenore Port

128 Doris Maritime

50 Österreichischer Lloyd

130 Port Latifo

Seereederei (Cyprus) Ltd

133 Port of Grenland

53 Höegh Autoliners

136 Brittany Ferries

56 Aluminium Marine Consultants

56

60 Clorius Controls 63 Port of Cork 66 ChartCo 70 B. Rekencentra NV 72 Wandfluh AG Hydraulics

+ Electronics

74 Jo Tankers 79 Stena Bulk

43

82 Drahtseilwerk 85 Lauritzen Kosan 89 Norsepower 92 Euronav NV

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Maritime news Sound contract win - aerial picture of the Cattewater in Plymouth harbour

New boat order uBoatbuilder Meercat Workboats of Hampshire, UK, has signed the major contract to build a 14m multi-purpose workboat for Cattewater Harbour Commissioners (CHC).

CHC is one of the harbour authorities at Plymouth in Devon – the largest port in the South West of the UK – and the civil pilotage authority for the entire civil Port of Plymouth.

The new workboat will be powered by twin Doosan L136Ti engines delivering a total of 460hp with a top free-running speed of eight knots. She also has a bow thruster and two foot-controlled one tonne CH-10 ‘North Sea’ capstans. Her Heila HLM 10-3S deck crane is capable of lifting 800kg at 10.4m metres, whilst her four-tonne ‘North Sea’ Tugger winch has remote control capabilities. Other features include a deck strength of nine tonnes/sq m, deck cargo capacity of 12 tonnes and a Sleipner hand hydraulic twin rudder.

Huge advancement uThe growing importance of Maritime Autonomous Systems will characterise naval activity of the future, according to the Global Marine Trends 2030 (GMT 2030) report launched in early September. Written and researched jointly by Lloyd’s Register, QinetiQ and Southampton University, the report looks at how future naval operations will be conducted, considering the application and integration of emerging technologies over the next two decades across Maritime Security, Warfighting and Humanitarian Operations.

Networks of unmanned surface and underwater vessels are set to radically change the nature of maritime operations, and will become integral to naval capability programmes from mine hunting and augmenting submarine operations to supporting humanitarian efforts by delivering vital aid safely. However, many of the naval vessels in service in 2030 have already been commissioned, and were designed without these concepts in mind. The principal challenge will therefore be the integration of these autonomous systems into current force structures and vessels.

The advancement in technology development is as much an opportunity for navies as it is a threat. The proliferation of disruptive technologies driven by demand in major consumer electronics markets will increasingly empower malicious individuals, terrorists and non-state actors to utilise these technologies as weapons, posing an increasingly serious threat to sophisticated naval forces.

Furthermore, the growth in interconnected intelligent systems will mean crewmembers of the future will become ‘data warriors’ rather than equipment operators, creating the need for a new training paradigm and skill set.

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Cable collaboration uTwo big names with a shared heritage in submarine cabling are collaborating on a new project for the Wikinger Offshore Wind Farm in the Baltic Sea. The Prysmian Group has chartered Global Marine Systems Limited’s cable-laying vessel, the C.S. Sovereign, from mid-2016 into early 2017. Her remit will be to install inter array cables at the German Offshore wind farm that is currently estimated to be providing power for nearly a quarter of a million European homes.

The C.S. Sovereign is the ideal vessel for the installation and burial of cables for this sector. For example, it is equipped with two, powered 2300 tonne ‘basket’ turntables, designed to operate at a maximum linear speed of 900m/hour, optimising the cost-efficiency of cable laying. Additionally, her open deck allows the deployment of a variety of subsea vehicles to assist in the process.

Historically, the multi-purpose DP2 vessel has been involved in many projects in the renewables sector, most recently Global Tech 1 with the installation and burial of 80 inter array cables, previously working on the Thornton Bank project off the coast of Belgium in 2011 and before that Horn’s Rev 2 working for Dong Energy at the windfarm off Denmark.

Guaranteed performance uParker Hannifin has announced that the AC30 series of drives has achieved DNV marine certification.

The certification emphasises the ability of AC30 to operate reliably and safely in even the most extreme of environments, including marine and offshore. Available in the power range 0.75kW to 75kW the certified AC30 can be specified in a wide range of applications including towing winches, cranes, hoists, compressors, propulsion and steering.

The only drive on the market offering environmental protection to class 3C3 and 3C4 (H2S), the AC30 features EMC filters and integral DC line chokes to ensure performance and reliability. The feature rich AC30, a modular and capable drive for control of AC induction or permanent magnet (PMAC) motors in both open- and closed-loop applications, is perfectly suited to the demanding applications of the marine industry.

Maritime news Fleet growth with new delivery

uArdmore Shipping Corporation has announced that its latest newbuild vessel, the Ardmore Seawolf, was delivered by SPP Shipbuilding from the Sacheon shipyard in Korea on 13th August 2015.

The Ardmore Seawolf is a 49,999 DWT IMO 3 product and chemical tanker. Her addition to the Ardmore fleet increases the number of Ardmore vessels on the water to 22. Technical management of the Ardmore Seawolf will be provided by Univan Ship Management.

Commenting on her delivery, Mark Cameron, Ardmore Shipping’s COO, said: “We are pleased to welcome the Ardmore Seawolf to the Ardmore fleet, where she will join her sister ships, the Ardmore Sealion and Ardmore Seafox. We extend our sincere thanks to SPP Shipbuilding for their diligence, commitment and excellence throughout the build process. The addition of the Ardmore Seawolf demonstrates our constant commitment to growing Ardmore’s fleet through the addition of state-of-the-art, high quality and efficient vessels to our fleet. With an average age of less than four and a half years, the Ardmore fleet is among the youngest in the industry.

“In keeping with her sister ships, the Ardmore Seawolf is a high quality eco-design Ardmore vessel, equipped with a variety of fuel-saving measures, including Skysails vessel optimisation software, and offering the highest standards of fuel efficiency and operational performance for our customers.”

Connected smart ships uHyundai Heavy Industries and Accenture are collaborating to design a ‘connected smart ship’ that will enable ship owners to better manage their fleets and achieve potential operational savings through the application of digital technologies.

Using a network of sensors that will be built into new vessels, ship owners will be able to capture a range of ship voyage information including location, weather, and ocean current data, as well as on-board equipment and cargo status data. By applying real-time analytics to new and historical fleet data and using data visualisation technology to present the insights, ship owners will be able to monitor their vessel’s status and condition in real-time to make data-driven decisions that support more efficient operations. Services are expected to include real-time alerts and warnings, predictive maintenance and more efficient scheduling.

The connected smart ship will be developed using a combination of Hyundai Heavy Industries’ shipbuilding and manufacturing expertise, and Accenture’s digital and shipping industry experience.

As ship owners seek innovative new ways to reduce vessel-operating expenses, this collaboration will deliver a range of real-time services to improve the efficiency of their ships, while simultaneously strengthening Hyundai Heavy Industries’ competitiveness.

Communication success uRohde & Schwarz has received an order from BAE Systems to equip the Type 26 Global Combat Ship (T26 GCS) with an integrated communications system for the British Royal Navy. The solution was selected based on its proven technology, usability and cost effectiveness. The core component is the R&S NAVICS, a new IP-based switching system with a unique security concept.

Bosco Novak, Executive Vice President of the Radiocommunications Systems Division, reported: “We are proud to be part of this project aimed at bringing further enhancements to this leadingedge platform. We bring with us our many years of experience in the naval sector and offer technological innovations for futureready, secure and efficient communications equipment.”

With this system, BAE Systems and Rohde & Schwarz will bring the advantages of IT technology to naval communications for the first time, while also helping with the issue of obsolescence. A common infrastructure will be set up for all services on board, named ‘shared network infrastructure’ and ‘shared computing environment’. The open architecture will facilitate connection of future technologies.

The contract to equip the most advanced T26 GCS is the latest in a series of successes for Rohde & Schwarz in providing naval equipment in the United Kingdom. These include communications solutions for the Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft carriers, Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s Bay Class Vessels.

International references include the equipping of the Australian Hobart Class Air Warfare Destroyers, the Royal Dutch Navy LCF Frigates and Landing Platform Docking ships (LPDs) as well as the F100 Class Frigates and LPD for the Spanish Navy.

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Marine pollution

The problem with

plastic

Plastic debris in the ocean - a global environmental problem.

By Professor Richard Thompson

Plastics have considerable potential to reduce the human footprint on our planet. However, to maximise the benefits plastics can bring it is essential that we address environmental issues associated with their production, consumption and disposal [1]. Globally in excess of 280 million tonnes of plastic are produced annually. A key benefit of plastics is their durability; yet around one third of production is of disposable packaging that is discarded within a year of production. As a consequence plastic debris are accumulating in the environment, as well as in regulated landfills [2].

Seventy-five per cent of all marine debris is plastic, which contaminates habitats form the poles to the equator and from shorelines to the deep sea [3]. It is apparent that the distribution of debris is not uniform; and that it can be transported to locations far from population centres [5]. This debris can persist for decades however patterns of abundance over time are far from clear; some studies show an increase while others show no clear trend. It has been suggested there may be as yet unrecognised ‘sinks’ where considerable quantities of plastic are accumulating [3].

Plastic debris is unsightly, has negative effects on the economy and can present a hazard to mariners [1]. As a consequence considerable expense is invested in removing debris from ports and shorelines [6]. There are reports of encounters between marine debris for over 660 species and 80 per cent of encounters are with plastic debris.

There is evidence of physical harm to individuals; with entanglement leading to lacerations and mortality. For species like the northern fulmar the majority of some populations (95 per cent of individuals examined) have plastic in their digestive tract [8]. While there is no evidence of population level consequences it should be noted that it is very difficult to link population level changes to single causative agents and so a lack of evidence does not necessarily imply a lack of effect.

In addition to physical effects there are concerns that ingestion of plastic debris could lead to toxicological harm either as a consequence of the accumulation of persistent contaminants from seawater, or the release of chemicals that were incorporated during manufacture (e.g. plasticisers, flame retardants and anti-microbials).

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Polyethylene and other plastics are known to sorb persistent organic pollutants form seawater and these can become orders of magnitude more concentrated than in the surrounding water [9].

These chemicals can then be released in the gut where desorption is facilitated by surfactants [10].

Mathematical modelling indicates that the role of plastics in the transport of contaminates to organism may be relatively small compared to other pathways [11, 12]; however recent work indicates simple modelling approaches may be inaccurate as a range of factors such as pH and temperature will influence the equilibrium of chemical between seawater, plastic and the tissues in an organism.

For example, a warm-blooded animal would have a greater potential to receive contaminants from plastic than a cold blooded organism. Further work to establish the relative importance of plastics as a vector under differing environmental and physiological conditions (temperature, pH) and in relation to uptake via other pathways including feeding and respiration is therefore required in order to more fully understand the potential for plastics to act as a vector in the transport of chemicals to organisms.

With respect to the impacts of plastic in the environment there are three important additional considerations: 1) From the perspective of sustainable use of resources, we use around eight per cent of world oil production to make plastic items, yet around a third of these items are discarded within a short time frame. Plastics are inherently recyclable, so by recycling end-of-life plastic it is possible to reduce the accumulation of debris while at the same time reducing our demand for fossil carbon [1]. 2) Plastic items are

important to society; however there is something fundamentally different between the problem of marine debris and other current societal dilemmas.

Unlike turning on an electric light or taking an aeroplane journey, the emission, in this case of debris to the oceans, is not directly linked to the benefit. So we can obtain the benefits from plastic items without there being a need for end-of-life plastics to accumulate as debris in the oceans.

3) Together with other scientists, representatives from industry, policy makers and NGOs, I frequently attend meetings focused on marine debris problems and solutions. While there may be discussion and sometimes disagreement about the relative importance of the various impacts; there is typically universal consensus to reduce inputs of debris to the ocean. So in summary, marine debris is damaging to the economy, to wildlife and the environment, it is wasteful and unnecessary and we are all agreed it needs to stop. That being the case, then what are the problems that retard progress?

In my opinion the problems that retard progress relate to prioritising solutions: who should take the action and if there are costs, who should pay?

The solutions are well known they principally lie on land rather than at sea and in decreasing order of merit are: 1) reduce material usage – any reduction in the amount of new plastic produced will reduce the quantity of end-of life material that results, 2) reuse items – this will directly reduce the need for new plastic items and so also reduce the quantity of end-of life material, 3) dispose of end-of-life items properly - ideally recycle them, 4) recycle, since turning end-of life material back in to new items in a closed loop will reduce the accumulate on waste and simultaneously reduce demand for fossil carbon, 5) energy recovery via incineration – where items cannot easily be re-used or recycled, should be considered as a poor alternative to 1 - 4. Finally, but because it is overarching potentially most important we need to redesign, so for every plastic product consider, at the design stage, the hierarchy of options above in order to maximise the overall environmental footprint i.e. reduce use of fossil carbon and reduce the accumulation of waste by designing so that the eventual end-of life products can readily be used as raw material for new production. Such principles are gaining momentum, for example within the EU there is considerable interest in the philosophy of circular economy. There is public interest and response from industry, for example some supermarkets in the UK have voluntarily opted to reduce use of single use bags. There are also actions that unless used appropriately could work against these goals, for example use

of bio-based carbon from agriculture is seen as a sustainable alternative to fossil carbon. However altering the carbon source does nothing to reduce marine debris, and where arable land is at a premium a more efficient solution is to supply the required carbon by recycling our waste. Similarly designing plastic products so that they degrade / disintegrate more rapidly, can compromise the potential for product re-use, contaminate recycling and lead to rapid accumulation of fragments in the environment [1]. What is needed is policy led coordination, supported by sound science, to utilise the measures above to achieve change as efficiently and rapidly as possible. This will involve voluntary actions, incentives, taxes and education [2 ]. In particular there is a need to re-educate. My lifetime has been spent in a world with rapidly increasing production of disposable short-term products and packaging, and of durable goods that cannot be repaired or renewed. In short we are

living in a growing culture of throwaway living; there is an urgent need to recognise there is no such place as ‘away’. n Professor Richard Thompson is a Marine Biologist at Plymouth University.

This article summarises the content of his presentation to the Royal Society of Chemistry for the Environmental Chemistry Group 2014 Distinguished Guest Lecture in March 2014. The text is based on his recent contribution to a perspectives article entitled: The challenge: plastics in the marine environment published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry earlier this year. Please refer to this article for a more comprehensive discussion on the topic and in particular the perspectives of those form Industry and Policy (see Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Vol. 33, No. 1, pages 5 – 10).

For further information, email Richard at: rcthompson@plymouth.ac.uk.

Figure 1. Solutions to marine debris include: (a) measures to reduce the production of new plastics from oil, here an example showing how small changes in product packing reduced the weight of packaging required by 70 per cent while (b) re-useable plastic packing crates have reduced the packaging consumption of the same retailer by an estimated 30,000 tonnes per annum; (c) recycling, here bales of used plastic bottles have been sorted prior to recycling into new items, such as plastic packaging or textiles. Measures to reduce the quantity of plastic debris in the natural environment include: (d) educational signage to reduce contamination via storm drains and (e) via industrial spillage together with (f) booms to intercept and facilitate the removal of riverine debris (photographs a and b, and associated usage statistics) courtesy of Marks and Spencer PLC; (c) courtesy of P. Davidson WRAP; (d and e and f) courtesy of C. Moore, Algalita Marine Research Foundation) (source: Thompson et al.2009)

1. Thompson, R.C., et al., Plastics, the environment and human health: current consensus and future trends. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 2009. 364: p. 2153-2166.

2. STAP, Marine Debris as a Global Environmental Problem: Introducing a solutions based framework focused on plastic, in A STAP Information Document. 2011, Global Environment Facility,: Washington, DC. p. 40.

3. Barnes, D.K.A., et al., Accumulation and fragmentation of plastic debris in global environments. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 2009(364): p. 1985-1998.

4. Ryan, P.G., et al., Monitoring the abundance of plastic debris in the marine environment. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 2009. 364: p. 1999-2012.

5. Law, K.L., et al., Plastic Accumulation in the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre. Science, 2010. 329(5996): p. 1185-1188.

6. Mouat, T., R. Lopez-Lozano, and H. Bateson, Economic impacts of Marine litter, 2010, KIMO (Kommunenes Internasjonale Miljøorganisasjon). p. 117.

7. Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel GEF, Impacts of Marine Debris on Biodiversity: Current status and Potential Solutions, 2012: Montreal. p. 61.

8. van Franeker, J.A., et al., Monitoring plastic ingestion by the northern fulmar Fulmarus glacialis in the North Sea. Environmental Pollution, 2011. 159(10): p. 2609-2615.

9. Mato, Y., et al., Plastic resin pellets as a transport medium for toxic chemicals in the marine environment. Environmental Science & Technology, 2001. 35(2): p. 318-324.

10. Teuten, E.L., et al., Potential for plastics to transport hydrophobic contaminants. Environmental Science and Technology, 2007. 41: p. 7759-7764.

11. Gouin, T., et al., A Thermodynamic Approach for Assessing the Environmental Exposure of Chemicals Absorbed to Microplastic. Environmental Science & Technology, 2011. 45(4): p. 1466-1472.

12. Koelmans, A.A., et al., Plastic as a carrier of POPs to aquatic organisms: A model analysis. Environmental Sciecne and Technology, 2013. 47: p. 7812-7820.

13. Meeker, J.D., S. Sathyanarayana, and S.H. Swan, Phthalates and other additives in plastics: Human exposure and associated health outcomes. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 2009.

364(2097-2113).

14. Oehlmann, J., et al., A critical analysis of the biological impacts of plasticizers on wildlife. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 2009. 364: p. 2047-2062.

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Container shipping

The weighting game doesn’t stack

up

Ports cannot be solely responsible for checking and verifying container weights “It should not be the sole responsibility of the Port to check and verify that shipping containers are correctly weighted. Everyone in the whole supply chain needs to take ownership,” says Sue Terpilowski, Chair of the Ports, Maritime and Waterways sector of the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport (CILT).

Sue Terpilowski OBE

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Commenting on new regulations to enter into force in 2016 which will see the mandatory certificated verification of container weights prior to loading onboard an export vessel, Sue says: “It cannot just be the Port since it has no contractual role to intervene and stop a box being loaded, although it can provide accurate data that can pinpoint irregular declarations. Everyone – shippers, packers, hauliers, and warehousemen – has to take ownership.”

The issue of overweight containers has been a key subject for CILT’s Ports, Maritime and Waterway since March 2013 when member organisation the TT Club invited cargo owners, shipping lines, hauliers and ports to a roundtable to discuss the controversial regulation.

Members supported and agreed with the need

for an early, accurate way of determining the actual weight of the container, since there have been some ‘freighting incidents’ where incorrectly declared container weights have resulted in capsizes, dead port handlers and significant RTAs. Over-weight and poorly stacked containers have been cited as the primary cause of a number of high-profile casualties, not least the MSC Naopli, which sank in 2007 off the UK’s south coast.

“That’s the stark reality. That is the fact. But what is less clear is at which point in the transport chain the mandatory weighing would take place, given that it is too late when containers are being loaded at the port as the law would have already been broken on the road or rail journey to the port,” Sue says.

She adds: “There is compelling evidence to why the accurate weighing of containers is necessary,

just take a look around nearly every container terminal and you will find a good number of damaged boxes after falling off lifting equipment, rolling off loaders or falling from great heights due to inadequate weight details. There is the also the very real risk faced by port workers who run the risk of either being killed or injured because of the incorrect declaration of container weight.

“So why does this practice continue?” she asks.

“Is it ignorance, poor supervision, poor policing, lack of training or simply too much paperwork? All of these are valid points but everyone has a part to play and all parties must be willing to upset their customers and refuse to the carry boxes of those who regularly miss-declare their cargo weights.”

Sue, who received an OBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list, says the big question is who takes ultimate responsibility for updating the paperwork and for verifying that the container weight is what is actually stated in the documentation given that the cargo changes hands so many times during the shipping process.

“An overweight box puts lives and vessels at risk the moment it starts on its journey to the port. The shipmaster compares the weight of the cargo stated in the manifest, but if the deadweight indicated by vessel draught marks points to an enormous discrepancy, it starts to make nonsense of his stability calculations.

“We can’t criminalise the haulier, the train operator, or the ship’s master for accepting it on-board when there are so many parties interacting with the container, each having their own view and all passing the buck onto someone else.”

Recalling ICHCA Technical Director Captain Richard Brough’s comment at Multimodal last year, where he estimated that up to 20 per cent of containers are misdeclared, Sue is not surprised that IMO has been mobilised into action to verify container weights prior to loading.

“But I strongly believe that it cannot be at the port – this has to be far too late. It has to be near the start of the process but cannot be laid at the door of the haulier who, unless they have to use a weight

bridge early in the journey, are already putting their and others lives at risk if they are taking a container heavier than they believe it to be. Should it not be the onus of everyone in the supply chain?

“The UK government favoured pre-verification, using the calculated weight method rather than physical container weighing but hopefully by 2016 technology will have caught up and something more reliable will become the favoured solution. We cannot continue putting lives at risk, on roads, ports and sea; this issue is far too critical for this.”

CILT with other organisations, see training as a vital element alongside finding the true weight of a container and will be offering training course to all concerned in the supply chain.

“The sector must see the need to educate their staff on the importance of making sure that the correct weight is declared as we must only accept a zero tolerance position on this otherwise we will be putting lives at risk on road, rail, port and sea and this is not acceptable. But again it should be stated that the port is too late, it cannot be where we put the onus on as it has no legal standing with the box as far as its origin is concerned and cannot stop it from leaving, though it can provide the data to help others make decisions on consignments and longterm behaviour,” says Sue. “Cargo owners, hauliers and shipping lines need to work together to make sure everyone really understands the importance of this issue not financial but safety and lifesaving. 2016 should not be the start - we should be making sure in 2015 we begin and implement the process. If we save one life it will be worthwhile.” n Sue Terpilowski OBE is CILT Ports, Maritime and Waterways Forum chairman. The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) is the professional body for transport, logistics and the supply chain. CILT is the focus for professional excellence, developing the most modern techniques in logistics and transport and encouraging the adoption of policies that are efficient and sustainable. www.ciltuk.org.uk

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Marine insurance

Change is

coming Changes to disclosure and warranties provisions under The Insurance Act 2015. By Tom Hodges For the past 109 years, the Marine Insurance Act 1906 (‘the MIA 1906’) has provided the statutory codification of the principles that underpin English insurance law, in terms of both marine and non-marine, consumer and business insurance. So entrenched are these principles that amendments to the MIA 1906 over the past 100 years have been very limited in their scope and effect, despite significant changes and developments in the way that the insurance industry, and the businesses that it services, operate.

Tom Hodges

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Over the past ten years, the Law Commission has been consulting underwriters, assureds and other interested parties on ways that English insurance law should be reformed, to make it more relevant and user-friendly for life and business in the 21st century. It was decided to divide the reforms into two Acts: one for consumer insurance, and one for business insurance (with limited areas of overlap). The Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012 came into force on 6th April 2013.

The body of law that which will apply to business insurance is the Insurance Act 2015 (‘the new Act’), which received royal assent on 12 February 2015.

The new Act makes several key amendments to

long-standing principles set out in the MIA 1906. This article focuses on two of these areas, in business and consumer contracts: l Disclosure; and l Warranties These points will have a real impact to businesses, the way they place their insurance and on the way that claims are dealt with.

1. Disclosure in business and non-consumer contracts Fair presentation of risk The existing law places an onerous duty on an assured to disclose to the insurer, before cover is agreed, every material circumstance, which the

assured knows of, or ought to know of. A ‘material circumstance’ is one, which would influence an insurer when considering whether to cover a risk, or when fixing a premium. The insurer is under no obligation to make further enquiries of the assured, even where it sees a clear gap in the information provided. As explained in more detail below, failure by an assured to disclose everything of relevance can have severe consequences.

The new Act replaces the relevant provisions in the MIA 1906 with a new ‘duty of fair presentation’.

Under the new law, an assured will still have a duty to disclose material circumstances about which he knows or ought to know (and not to make misrepresentations), or, failing that, ‘sufficient information to put a prudent insurer on notice that it needs to make further enquiries.’ In contrast to the ‘old’ position, there will now be an onus on insurers to make enquiries where they perceive there to be a lack of information, and in the absence of such enquiries, the new Act sets out a number of categories of information that an assured will not be obliged to disclose, for example information within the insurer’s knowledge, or that ought to be, or is presumed to be in their knowledge.

The new Act also gives a steer on the knowledge that an assured ‘ought’ to have, as being the ‘knowledge of senior management or individuals responsible for the procurement of insurance’.

The assured is required to carry out a ‘reasonable’ search of available information before presenting a risk to underwriters.

In summary, the new Act introduces a number of new points for a Court to consider when assessing whether an insurer’s liability under a policy is affected by an assured's alleged non-disclosure.

Proportionate remedies Arguably the most significant change of all under the new Act relates to the remedies available to insurers for non-compliance by assureds with their duty of disclosure under the MIA 1906. Under the current law, any failure by an assured to comply with its duty of disclosure will give rise to a right for an insurer to completely avoid the policy. The new Act provides a more proportionate remedy (unless the non-disclosure was made deliberately or recklessly) based on what would have been done had the presentation been fair. For example: l If the insurer would have agreed to cover, but charged a higher premium, it may reduce any pay out proportionately; and l If the insurer would not have agreed cover, it may not pay out but must return the premium to the assured (unless the assured has behaved fraudulently).

2.Warranties Warranties in insurance policies are promises made by an assured to an insurer. The consequences under the MIA 1906 for an assured that breaks a warranty promise are harsh and can lead to an insurer legitimately refusing a claim for a trivial mistake, even where the breach is subsequently remedied, or where it has no relevance to the actual loss giving rise to a claim. Once a warranty has been breached, an insurer ceases to have any liability under the policy.

Suspensive conditions Under the new Act, a breach of a warranty will result in the suspension of cover during the time that an assured is in breach. However, once that breach has been put right, cover will resume. In addition, an insurer will not be able to escape liability where the breach of warranty does not increase the risk of the loss that actually occurred.

Conclusion To summarise the key provisions: l The new Act imposes certain limits on the scope of disclosure that assureds are required to give before a policy is agreed (though where in doubt, it is safer to disclose than not to); l The remedies for failure to disclose a material circumstance are more proportionate than they were under the MIA 1906; l The same applies in respect of breach of warranties – cover will be suspended pending remedy, rather than cancelled permanently; and l Where the breach of warranty has no relevance to the loss, the assured will still be covered (subject to any other relevant circumstances).

This is a summary of two of the areas of reform under the new Act. There are several others. These provisions, and the other sections of the new Act most likely to have general, everyday relevance to the maritime industry, come into force in August 2016. n

Tom Hodges is an Associate at Birketts LLP. Birketts is a full service, top 100 UK law firm, ranked in the top tier by the Legal 500 for its shipping practice. Whether you are an insurer, a P & I Club, a shipowner, a charterer, a financier or a port authority, Birketts has specialists who can advise on a wide range of shipping and logistics issues. www.birketts.co.uk/shipping

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LNG

The fuel of the

future

LNG: Play the long game. By Grace Quinn

From January 1st 2015 all vessels traveling through Emission Control Areas (ECAs) are required to burn low sulphur fuels, such as Marine Gasoil (MGO) or Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as a replacement for Fuel Oil (FO).

Alternatively vessels will need to stimulate exhaust gas scrubbing. All compliance options will affect the bottom line but not all may be feasible for each vessel or fleet.

Grace Quinn

Many believe MGO to be the most viable solution to the tightening of sulphur limits, particularly in the near term, with LNG and scrubbers requiring greater capital investment and longer-term payback. Recent macroeconomic changes have altered the current investment proposition, particularly for LNG.

LNG as a marine fuel Drivers Firstly, the US shale gas revolution has contributed significantly to the rise of LNG as an alternative to oil as a global marine fuel. Australia, East Africa, the Middle East and Russia follow closely as the largest gas resourcesi. Supply security and availability combined with its price advantage relative to MGO have allowed LNG to compete effectively in this market.

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The appetite for LNG has undoubtedly been propelled by its positive environmental credentials, in light of tightening emission regulations. Potential restrictions on wash water from open loop scrubbers and tightening NOx emission limits from 2021ii have further served to escalate LNG’s profile.

Additionally, for those LNG Terminals that have witnessed a downturn in usage as a result of diverted cargoes to higher priced markets, the LNG bunkering market presents a new profit proposition.

Hurdles The biggest hurdle to LNG acceptance as a global marine fuel is the perception that there is a lack of infrastructure to support it. Ship owners have been reluctant to invest until they

LNG terminal, Barcelona

vessel serving the northwest European market.

Outside of Europe, Fujairah has the potential to become an LNG bunker hub on the back of the Emirates LNG project. Likewise, Singapore is well placed to capitalise on this emerging market.

China is also backing plans for a LNG bunkering network along the Yangtze River.

LNG is a buyers’ market. Proposed supply capacity is likely to far exceed demand and with the mounting number of suppliers and facilities coming to the game, creates an exciting opportunity to negotiate terms with those eager to secure demand.

The long game

can be assured such infrastructure is in place.

Alternatively, suppliers have sought evidence of demand, which for many has progressed to a commitment of investment. Shell, for one, has said it will make LNG available where needediii.

LNG tanks take up around twice as much space in order to deliver the same degree of propulsive power that can be viewed as a hurdle by some.

The upfront and increased capital costs (15-20 per cent) required to invest in LNG fuelled vessels or challenge existing fuel oil systems may also be seen as prohibitive. However, a cost benefit analysis that considers all compliant fuel options, both now and post 2020, may present LNG as the more efficient investment model for your operations.

Who has jumped on board?

2014 saw some notable vessels enter the LNG market and notable progress in the integration of LNG as a marine fuel. For example; l Approval in Principle (AIP) of the draft International Code of Safety for Ships using

Gases or other Low-flashpoint Fuels (IGF Code), providing much needed clarity on certain areas of new build vessel design. l IMO’s efforts towards a standard LNG bunker delivery note (BDN) including gas quality specifications. l ISO’s commitment to develop standards for LNG bunkering connectors.

In Europe LNG fuelled passenger ferries and offshore support vessels have operated in Norway since the early 2000s. Rotterdam is now allowing ship-to-ship bunker deliveries, in addition to opening the LNG break-bulk terminal where bunker barges will be able to load. Antwerp already has the capability to refuel inland LNG barges by truck. Spanish, Finnish and Germany authorities too have endorsed various developments supporting LNG infrastructure. LNG demand is also growing in the Baltic region. Nordic LNG supplier Skangaas has confirmed a ship-to-ship bunkering deal with North European Oil Trade (NEOTT) and Shell has confirmed plans to build a sea-going LNG bunker

The global expansion of LNG trade will continue to facilitate the development of LNG bunker supply chains by capitalising on existing and future regasification and liquefaction terminals.

The LNG supply landscape is undoubtedly becoming less ambiguous.

For ship owners looking to make these decisions flexibility may be the answer. Choosing dual fuel engines that can burn both gas and fuel oil and can be converted to LNG will go somewhat towards risk mitigation. These are known as ‘LNG Ready’ ships.

What is certain, is that those who maintain their ‘wait and see’ approach too long risk losing margin and bargaining power in the short term.

Understanding how much value is at stake and keeping informed of the escalating LNG investments should provide some reassurance to those waiting for direction before investing in the future. n Grace Quinn is a Senior Consultant, Markets and Trading at Baringa Partners. Baringa Partners is an award-winning management consultancy specialising in: energy; financial services; telecoms and media, in the UK and continental Europe. It partners with organisations when they are developing and delivering key elements of their business strategy, as well as working extensively with government and regulators providing policy and advisory services. Baringa works with clients either to implement new or optimise existing business capabilities relating to people, processes and technology. www.baringa.com i Mckinsey.com, (2015). Capturing value in global gas: Prepare now for an uncertain future. [online] ii Mowat, I. and Buckland, A. (2014). Marine Fuel Regulations: LNG and scrubbing are long term solutions. Wood Mackenzie Insight, (March 2014), p.8 iii Bunkerworld.com, (2015). Bunkerworld News - ‘Chicken and egg’ conundrum for LNG bunkers development. [online]

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Securing your data

Online

presence Neil Chapman discusses securing digital identities amongst the Internet of Everything Back in January, at the almighty annual consumer electronics trade show that is CES, it became very clear that the one overarching theme connecting everything in 2015, from the latest wearable devices to home and lifestyle electronics, was the Internet of Everything (IoE).

Neil Chapman

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Samsung, Sony, Bosch, and LG were all there showcasing their home appliances and devices that connect to the internet and energy saving was a distinct theme. For instance, EchoStar showcased its Sage secure home automation solution, which works through a set-top box via a remote control to control heating or lighting in the home. This year’s show continued a trend set last year. Shortly after 2014’s CES, Google acquired Nest Labs for $3.2 billion to support its ambitions in smart home automation. Just one year later the list of smart thermostat systems and smart heating systems already on the market is vast.

Home automation services dedicated to keeping us warm and saving money include Nest, Hive, Tado, Heat Genius, Inspire, NetAtmo, Honeywell, PassivSystems and HeatMiser. That’s quite some list for such early stage technology. To complement this consumer drive, smart metering rollouts continue to advance on a global scale, driven in

large part by government mandates and stimulus funding.

However, whilst smart gadgets are big business, using each one to its full potential requires access to a ‘digital identity’. A digital identity is the data that uniquely describes you and contains personal information about you. For instance, it can comprise preferences, financial details, usage habits, and even relationships – all very personal details.

Businesses are beginning to use identity to transform and personalise users’ experience so that, for instance, a connected car remembers the preferences of each driver or a financial services portal offers customers a convenient overview of all their activities and accounts in one place. Digital identity is becoming vital for wearable technology too. Fitness trackers and healthcare monitors offer personalised functionality to support the user’s individual goals.

As we continue to witness day-to-day items

connecting to IoE, the importance of digital identities is becoming increasingly clear.

Future-proofing digital identities Identity is increasingly critical to the digital economy, protecting consumer privacy and providing enterprises with greater visibility into customer preferences. Historically, most businesses focused on managing the identities of their own staff.

However, businesses and organisations can’t properly take advantage of mobile, cloud, or Internet of Things (IoT) technologies without a scalable and repeatable customer-facing identity strategy. Without it, they have no ability to identify and engage with their customers in a meaningful way — whether it be through a laptop, mobile phone, tablet, connected car, healthcare wearable, connected home device, or the next great connected innovation.

In its simplest form, Identity Management (IM) is the creation and administration of users and things and the rules that govern what they can do online.

It answers the questions: Who (or what) are you?

What can you (or it) do online?

This may sound simple, but the number of applications, devices, and things involved in making these types of decisions are often quite complex.

It involves taking every application (on premises and off) and externalising the identity management capabilities in order to centrally manage users and things and their sign-on and authorisation policies. For some enterprises, this often comprises hundreds or thousands of apps interacting online that must be Identity Management-enabled.

As businesses transition to a digital marketplace where their goods and services are available online and via devices, companies and governments alike are realising that their ability to secure and manage the digital identities of every customer, every prospect, and every member of the public is a fundamental requirement.

Legacy identity management (IM) was based on monolithic platforms that used static rules to make decisions. It was not designed to easily integrate with any application (on premises or off), to provide device-agnostic access, to handle largescale populations, or to make decisions based on consumer context. In short, traditional IM is struggling to meet today’s business demands.

To connect customers and citizens to relevant goods and services in the digital age, businesses and governments instead require customerfocused identity management. The evolution from identity management to customer-focused identity

management has a name: Identity Relationship Management (IRM). IRM is equipped with unique capabilities that differ from traditional identity management requirements.

To protect customer identities, businesses need to implement a more robust, multi-layered security model, which uses context clues to decide whether to give access, and how much. Even with correct credentials, a login attempt from an unrecognised IP address or at an atypical time of day can trigger additional security precautions, asking security questions or texting verification codes to a user’s mobile phone, for example.

In order to protect an organisation managing an increasing number of digital identities, security officers should: l Think externally – authenticate external contacts and customers. As each user accesses systems with multiple devices, they expect an experience that is tailored to how, when, and where they access services. l Use a unified identity platform – which will allow a repeatable way to protect a growing number of devices. l Use open standards and technologies, supported by your identity platform – the platform must be reachable in a standardised way, whether the communication comes through a human or machine. l Analyse real-time behaviour and context – ensure data is encrypted and authenticated when it’s communicated between IoT devices Check the location, time, and device to ensure requests to connect are valid, warranted by legitimate business need, and consistent with past behaviour.

Whilst the purveyors of smart home gadgets at CES jostle to be the biggest, the best, or the first, they need to consider that the real winners and losers in today’s digital world will be determined by how they approach the issue of identity as they develop new offerings. Those that use the right identity platform can quickly respond to the needs of their business, reinventing themselves to roll out new services to any device or thing more quickly than their competitors - and seize a distinct advantage. n Neil Chapman is Senior Vice President & Managing Director EMEA, ForgeRock. The ForgeRock Identity Platform transforms the way millions of customers and citizens interact with businesses and governments online, providing better security, building relationships, and enabling new cloud, mobile, and IoT offerings from any device or connected thing. www.forgerock.com

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Staff relocation

Where there’s a

will

When an employee relocates, creating a will might not be something they consider. But as Tasnim Khalid points out, this document is essential when working overseas

There are many considerations to be made when beginning a new job in any sector, but those accepting overseas work often face additional complications. Understandably, their attention tends to be focused on the practical steps involved with relocating themselves and their families to another country on a temporary or permanent basis. Yet a concerning number of employees in the shipping and marine industry are often unaware of simple legal procedures that could save a great deal of time, worry and money in the long run. One of the most basic assets that is frequently lacking in such circumstances is an up-to-date will that clearly states an individual’s wishes for their money, property and possessions.

Sharia law It might not be the most uplifting topics to consider, but a will serves many purposes and is vital for people contemplating a temporary or permanent move overseas, as this can often lead to complicated circumstances surrounding that person’s assets. The situation can become even more complex for those travelling to countries governed by sharia law, which is common within the shipping and marine industry.

Sharia law governs daily routines, familial and religious obligations and financial dealings, and is observed by the majority of Muslim countries. Its nuances and regulations differ greatly from the British legal system and can introduce additional barriers if a person passes away and is lacking a will - known as dying ‘intestate’. This is well illustrated in the recent example of a British couple who were temporarily living in Dubai, a sharia-governed country, when the husband passed away suddenly. The man died intestate, leaving his wife as his successor and responsible for handling all legal affairs which followed. The man’s assets were split between the UK and Dubai, yet the funds held in Dubai bank accounts could not be released until the courts there had given somebody the legal right to handle the man’s property, money and possessions. Sharia law states that women do not have the legal right to represent themselves in court, so the man’s wife had to appoint a male attorney in Dubai to act on her behalf. A complicated legal process ensued in the UK and Dubai, incurring more than £15,000 in legal fees for the wife. An upto-date will (in both Dubai and the UK) which named

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the right individuals as the executors would have made the entire situation far simpler and quicker to resolve. The solicitor handling the will would have also ensured prior knowledge of all the man’s assets and the location of all bank accounts, making it much quicker for the courts in Dubai to complete the procedure.

Solo travellers While it is vital for married couples to educate themselves on the jurisdiction governing the country they are preparing to move to, it is equally important for individuals to do so. A person travelling overseas alone for work may well assume that he has fewer legal obligations than his counterparts who are travelling with partners and families, yet it is arguably more important for him to make a will or review existing wills. Individuals relocating overseas often handle their own financial affairs and set up bank accounts without informing anyone but their employer of their location. In the event of that person dying intestate, few individuals would have any idea of where assets outside the UK are being held - especially if people have been relocated on a semi-permanent basis and have more than one bank account, which is not uncommon. In these circumstances, the process (without an adequate will in place) can be costly, lengthy and a huge burden on the family. This may require them to travel abroad and deal with any assets held locally, which is a lengthy and arduous task if no official written record was kept of the person’s financial affairs. Again, a will would

guard against this, as the solicitor instructed to write the will would have a record of all assets and where they were kept, both in the UK and overseas.

Creating a will Creating a will is a simple procedure and can be done at any point in time. There are a number of options available, including at-home kits that enable people to write their own will with relative ease and inexpensively. In order to have absolute certainty that a will would be upheld in law, many people choose to instruct a specialist solicitor to handle the process, which also gives them access to legal guidance on the contents and terminology of the will in all jurisdictions necessary. The document itself can be as basic or detailed as the holder desires. Parents should include details of guardians to be appointed to care for any children under the age of 18 in the event of both parents’ death, as social services are legally obliged to assume responsibility for children whose parents have died intestate while probate is granted even if close family members survive. Wills should be updated every five years; more regularly so if there is a change in circumstances, such as relocation. Once a will has been witnessed and signed a ‘codicil’ can be created and witnessed to make any alteration to the existing document, but major changes in circumstances necessitate a new will altogether. In the event that an individual passes away overseas, the solicitor responsible for creating the person’s

will would make contact with their legal counterpart in the country in which the person was employed, typically by consulting the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. The two legal representatives would then work together to fulfil the wishes laid out in the person’s will.

While the subject is understandably overlooked due to its nature, the presence of a will makes difficult circumstances far more bearable for loved ones.

The process of creating a will introduces topics for discussion that can easily be overlooked, as well as providing an opportunity to take control of the money, property and possessions that have been hard earned. It has the added benefit of bringing peace of mind to individuals who are preparing to head overseas for a new role and have many other things to consider at this hectic point in time. n Tasnim Khalid is a senior associate at JMW Solicitors, based in Manchester. Tasnim specialises in wills, trusts, estates and tax planning and acts for clients across the globe with assets in both the UK and worldwide.

Established in 1978, JMW is one of the North West’s leading law firms, offering a comprehensive range of legal services through dedicated departments including: clinical negligence, commercial litigation, court of protection, industrial disease and personal injury.

For further information visit www.jmw.co.uk.

Tasnim Khalid

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Security

A controversial

measure Jonathan Moss takes a look at piracy and the role of armed security guards

Jonathan Moss

Back in April the Dongfang Glory, a Malaysian-owned tanker, was attacked by pirates.

After detaining the crew, the assailants offloaded fuel stored in the hold. After three hours of siphoning the cargo, the pirates destroyed the ship’s communications systems and escaped with around $100,000 worth of petroleum 1.

In light of such attacks vessel owners have to consider what measures are most effective for their protection and to repel such occurrences. In 2010 armed guards went from being a risky prospect to the industry standard for many of the world’s big shipping firms2. The industry has been dominated by British firms and guards who have had careers in the military, particularly highly experienced former Royal Marines and there are now hundreds of armed guards at sea every day.

However, the transition to the use of armed guards has not been without resistance and the potential escalation of the use of force remains one of the bedrocks of the argument against their deployment. Permitting the use of weapons also heightens the risk of serious injury to people, property, the ship itself and the surrounding area. Historically, the main concerns have been: l The fear of escalating violence; l Identity of the guards; l Issues of jurisdiction in foreign waters; and l The issues of control and who will have final say.

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Despite the associated angst and the armed guard option appearing particularly excessive when compared to alternative measures including; water cannons, lasers, foul smelling liquid deterrents and nets3, their use has proved effective4.

Certain issues The risks associated with the use of armed guards should in no way be underestimated. There are serious concerns about the potential for unforeseen accidents, the misuse of firearms, the escalation of violence and the subsequent criminal and civil litigation arising from any potential unlawful death or injury.

There can be complications with the use the firearms in foreign waters with countries often wanting to try guards who falsely use weapons and kill or injure their nationals.

The mistaken use of weapons can lead to jurisdictional complications, for example India's decision to use anti-piracy law against two Italian marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen in 2012 whom they claim they mistook for pirates,

which led to a diplomatic row with Italy.

The lack of clarity over regulations and standards brings with it uncertainty as to what armed guards have authority to do. There is also the risk that the pirates may adapt and enhance their ship-hijacking capabilities, which would bring forward new and more difficult challenges.

all reasonable steps to avoid the use of force. If force is used, it should be in a manner consistent with applicable law. In no case should the use of force exceed what is strictly necessary and reasonable in the circumstances. Care should be taken to minimise damage and injury and preserve human life.

Permission to operate?

Impact on insurance

Under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea every ship is subject to the jurisdiction of the country whose flag it carries.

The ships must also comply with the rules of the territories and applicable ports that they enter. Even if permitted to carry weapons by their flagged state, they will often be prevented from entering into certain waters with these weapons.

To bypass the complication and expense of certain international laws, certain maritime security companies use floating armouries. These allow ships to offload controlled goods onto the floating armoury before entering into territorial waters and to collect them once again when they return to international waters. But this method is not without risk. It brings with it the concern that the floating vessel may be used to store controlled goods and by doing so the ship could be acting illegally.

Before contracting with (or deploying) armed security, ship owners should consult their flag state to ensure that any statutory requirements are complied with.

The type of insurance required to cover piracy includes Hull & Marine, War, Kidnap & Ransom and P&I cover. When considering whether to deploy armed guards, shipowners should carefully check the terms of their insurance policies to determine whether their cover could be affected by the presence of such guards. If the use of armed guards is in breach of any law or regulation, cover could be prejudiced.

Shipowners must also contemplate any potential problems, which may arise out of the action taken by those guards. Many P&I policies exclude the use of ‘Weapons of War’, and cover could be prejudiced in respect of any damage caused by such weapons.

The IMO recommends that shipowners should verify and seek evidence that the maritime security company maintain insurance cover for themselves, their personnel and third-party liability cover as well as ensuring that their terms of engagement do not prejudice the shipowner’s insurance cover.

As can be seen any incident can have severe consequences and it is strongly advised that shipowners contact their insurers before contracting with security providers in order to assess the potential impact on their insurance cover.

The force they are allowed to use The scale of force permissible is largely dictated by individual country regulations. Under the law of England and Wales, the force used must be proportionate and reasonable and must be for selfdefence, protection of others, protection of property or prevention of crime .

According to maritime law, the ship’s Master has ultimate responsibility for the operation of the ship and for the safety and security of its passengers, cargoes and crew. It is essential that all armed guards fully understand the rules for the use of force as agreed with the shipowner and Master. However, there are questions as to how the Master's overall responsibility for security issues interplays with the need for a professionally trained security team to take quick and immediate decisions in the midst of an attack. It has been widely contended that armed guards have a right to use force in instances where it is necessary in their self-defence. As a result this is usually allowed for in the terms of security contracts.

It remains that the providers of maritime security should require their personnel to take

Conclusion By employing armed guards, vessel owners are making a calculated trade off: a perceived decrease in the risk of the ship being hijacked and the subsequent exposure to further risks it brings, against the possible chance of the vessel being damaged, cargo stolen and the crew harmed. If a shipowner chooses to station armed guards on a vessel, their role and function should primarily be to act as a deterrent to piracy attacks and to complement, rather than replace, existing security measures, and to prevent boarding using the minimal force necessary to do so.

What must be remembered by vessel owners however is that flag State jurisdiction and thus any laws and regulations imposed by the flag State concerning the use of private maritime security companies and arm guards apply to their ships.

MAST (a leading maritime security company)

acknowledges that any incident involving the lethal use of force will undoubtedly be scrutinised by third parties and maintain that the carriage, storage, handling and use of firearms should be carried out in a professional, discrete and safe manner at all times. Notwithstanding the divergent views, and despite a recent trend in users of armed guards potentially seeking a move away from their employment, it seems that so long as piracy remains an issue for shipowners, then so too will the debate remain live regarding the deployment of armed guards. n Jonathan Moss is Partner and Head of Transport, DWF. Jamie Hoffman carried out additional research. DWF’s Transport group brings together a national network of over 50 lawyers, offering a full range of legal services to government and private sector clients across the automotive, rail, maritime, and logistics industries. The firm helps its clients navigate the challenges of the dynamic national business environment, providing counsel on issues related to insurance, employment, asset finance, and government procurement, and advising on issues as diverse as intellectual property rights and supply-chain risk management. www.dwf.co.uk

1 http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2015/04/ petrol-pirates-proliferate-southeast-asianseas-150426115129085.html 2 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/culture/ captain-phillips-film/10367534/security-against-pirateattacks.html 3 http://www.marineinsight.com/marine/marinenews/headline/18-anti-piracy-weapons-for-ships-tofight-pirates/ 4 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/culture/ captain-phillips-film/10367534/security-against-pirateattacks.html 5 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asiaindia-26319402 6 http://www.clydeco.com/uploads/Files/ Publications/2011/CC000134_Piracy-security%20 measures_28_09_11.pdf 7 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15510467 8 http://www.idaratmaritime.com/wordpress/?p=386 9 https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/ uploads/attachment_data/file/204123/use-of-armedguards-to-defend-against-piracy.pdf. Para 5.

10 The Master’s authority is defined in SOLAS XI-2 regulation 8(1) which forms part of annex 1 to European Regulation (EC) No 725/2004.

11 http://www.standard-club.com/media/1557904/ imo-guidance-on-the-use-of-armed-guards-on-boardships.pdf 12 http://www.clydeco.com/uploads/Files/ Publications/2011/CC000134_Piracy-security%20 measures_28_09_11.pdf 13 http://www.maritime-executive.com/article/thedecision-to-stop-using-security-guards

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Focus on fuel

Riding out the

storm

In a fragile and unpredictable market Peter Hall, CEO of the IBIA, talks to Ben Clark about the challenges facing the international shipping and bunkering industries, and looks at how best to move forward

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The word ‘uncertain’ probably best defines the international bunkering industry at present, and indeed the shipping industry as a whole. With historically low oil prices affecting industries around the world, declining freight rates and ever tightening emission controls creating pressure on ship operators, challenges and opportunities are presenting themselves at every turn. Factor in sanctions being lifted on Iran and an uncertain economic situation in China, and it is clear the ability to forecast, and therefore plan, is severely affected.

“We are currently experiencing unprecedented times with a number of factors at play,” explains Peter Hall, CEO of the International Bunkering Industry Association (IBIA). “Fuel costs, freight rates and economic forecasts provide a roller coaster view. We have supply exceeding demand in terms of crude oil. Are we close to the bottom? Who knows? Forecasts suggest that these rates could last well into 2016 and beyond. With everything that is going on, confidence in shipping circles is fragile.”

At the time of writing Brent is trading crude oil at $40 a barrel, which is resulting in prices of $250 and $450 for IFO and distillate respectively.

“Because of this fall in oil prices, distillate has become the compliance choice for ECAs and the take up of alternative options, such as scrubbers, LSFO-hybrids and alternative fuels like LNG, methanol and hydrogen, has been relatively low,” says Peter. “This means that the market has not really changed and R&D has been kept in the ‘doldrums’.”

The key problem lays in the fact that ultra low-sulphur fuels such as distillates, which comply with global ECA restrictions but are traditionally more expensive, are currently more financially viable compared to alternative methods. For example, Peter highlights that despite the significant impact LNG can ultimately have on the shipping industry, the investment involved is putting ship owners off, especially in such uncertain times. “LNG is only growing in geographically isolated bases at present,” he says. “Because of the high capital investment costs, growth is limited to areas such as the EU ECA where financial support for LNG is growing. We are only seeing ports and ship owners investing in this technology where they have fixed trade patterns, but the current price differential between distillates and alternative methods is really impacting growth on a wider scale.”

With the new IMO regulations due to come into effect in January 2020, which will see ECA sulphur restrictions reduced to 0.5 per cent and the prospect of market prices recovering, Peter notes that financial challenges may face ship owners and operators as a result of this R&D ‘doldrum’.

For the bunkering industry, lack of confidence in the market is resulting in a number of financial strains and survival is a key part of many companies’ strategy. “One major challenge is the ‘fallout’ of OW Bunker, which is rippling though the market impacting both supplier and ship owners and charterers,” expresses Peter referring to the bankruptcy of OW Bunker in November last year, one of the world’s largest bunker oil traders. He continues: “This uncertainty is leading to a tightening of credit and this, combined with low prices, is impacting on suppliers. I will not be surprised to see more events like we saw at the beginning of September whereby companies file for ‘chapter 11 protection’.”

However, despite these challenges Peter is keen to point out that it is not all negative. “Clearly the fragile market presents opportunities as financially strong companies look to expand and acquire market share during such economic times as this,” he notes. “For the ship owners, keen building prices offer an opportunity to plan for the future with dualfuel vessels and eco-engines. For others it presents an opportunity to continue with R&D to develop the best options for the future. In terms of markets, new locations, like Mauritius, are offering up opportunities, which are geographically placed to take advantage of the non-ECA zones.”

It is obvious that the shipping industry is under pressure at the moment and whilst forecasts are difficult to put together on such a fragile and unpredictable situation Peter sees a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. “We are at the cusp of innovation where R&D is gathering pace to provide solutions to the finite resources of oil,” he says. “There are all sorts of potential technologies on the horizon, from renewable energy options like bio fuels and hydrogen cells to vessels designed like aircraft wings. Dual-fuelled engines are also promising.

When the cost of fuel amounts to 50-60 per cent of operational cost, any advantage can significantly impact the bottom line.

“There is also the other end of the scale where quality and quantity of fuel matters. In this respect the mandatory introduction in Singapore of Mass Flow Meters is paving the way for such advances as the Electronic Bunker delivery note, which allows for information to be transmitted to the owners or charterers office. The use of IT, with regards to fuel, is about to influence change in a significant way, as MRV reporting gathers pace, emissions sniffers become more common and engine management systems become more sophisticated.”

With the short to medium-term future of oil prices unclear it is important for the shipping industry and its associated markets to prepare for a future that is defined by these unpredictable price trends.

Therefore, companies must work together to find alternative solutions.

With falling freight rates squeezing business’s bottom lines even further it is a challenge to encourage investment, but as Peter has already pointed out R&D is still making progress. Inevitably increasing emission controls will also put pressure on driving innovation through the industry.

“Change is a part of life, but it is important to monitor and evaluate the impact of what is happening,” comments Peter. “Change has an impact on cost, both in terms of time and resources, and will be specific to vessel type, trade and location – one size will not fit all. In response to this, there is no time like the present to be united in order to influence and shape the future for the benefit of everyone in this industry.”

Acting as the voice for the international bunkering industry, the IBIA is committed to supporting the industry in moving forward through a period of such uncertainty. n www.ibia.net

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Focused on the

future With Europort 2015 coming up in November, Jo Cooper talks with Raymond Siliakus, exhibition manager at Europort, about the expectations for this year’s exhibition and the current issues within the maritime industry.

Celebrating its 37th edition in 2015, Europort, one of the world’s leading maritime exhibitions, is to take place from the 3rd to the 6th November in Ahoy Rotterdam and is anticipated to attract approximately 30,000 maritime professionals from 84 countries. The go-to place for anyone looking to stay ahead of trends in the international maritime market, Europort is unrivalled when it comes to the scope of topics and sectors covered; these include sea-shipping, offshore, inland navigation, naval, construction vessels and mega yachts. Bringing together companies operating in all business areas of the maritime chain, the exhibition provides a superior platform for those looking to showcase innovation and connect with the wider maritime community.

“Europort has a long history within the shipping industry,” begins Raymond Siliakus, exhibition manager of Europort. “Soon to be celebrating its 37th edition, the exhibition is the result of a merger between two big marine shows in the Netherlands, one of which was in Amsterdam and the other in Rotterdam. Since the two merged in 2005 Europort has grown exponentially to become one of the largest maritime trade fairs across the globe. The scope of our events tend to focus on technology, which involves special purpose ships, complex ships and the innovative technology required to stay ahead in today and tomorrows market.”

Indeed, one of the core topics of Europort 2015 will be technological leadership and complex shipbuilding; a theme that has been established with the goal of finding advanced technology that will open up new markets and stimulate sustainable solutions that will result in increased efficiency and profitability. Europort will showcase complex special vessels and innovative new concepts such as deep-water systems, retrofitting, IT systems, new materials, innovative ship design, heavy lifting and solutions for safety and compliance. “Technical leadership is mainly the result of new regulations within the shipping industry concerning sustainability,” explains Raymond. “As a result, a lot of new equipment is being Photographs from Europort 2014

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 23

developed for this, including safety solutions, retrofitting, IT systems, 3D printing for spare parts, R&D and so on.”

Aware of Europort’s role as the principal international forum for maritime technology, Ahoy Rotterdam – the organiser of Europort - has worked in close consultancy with the exhibition’s advisory board to define the key topics for this year.

Following discussions, the core themes for 2015 will be the aforementioned technical leadership and complex shipbuilding, as well as ship efficiency, new market opportunities and human capital. This range of topics will aid companies in finding new opportunities to understand and access state-of-the-art technology and innovative concepts, as well as create new business relationships and boost efficiency in all areas of operation, as Raymond notes: “A platform like Europort, which attracts approximately 30,000 people from all over the world and has 1100 companies presenting themselves in the exhibition, forms a perfect platform to explore the opportunities of co-operation and collaboration. This can be in various fields, of course. You often see big players such as blue chip firms buy young entrepreneurs’ products and put the innovations in their portfolio.”

To attract young businesses to the exhibition and also provide a stage for innovation, Europort introduced a special exhibitor package for companies that are new to the market place a few years ago. “This package allows young entrepreneurs to join us for a modest investment and stand out from the crow in this ‘new to market’ pavilion. The package has proven to be quite a successful tool as some companies that were new to the market now have big stands at Europort,” highlights Raymond.

In addition to this special exhibitor package, Europort is also focusing on the challenge of attracting young talent, while also maintaining skills within the maritime industry. “This is a key topic, not just for the Netherlands, but for Europe as a whole. If we want to stay ahead of the game and play a vital role in the maritime industry for years to come, we need to focus on the next generation to make sure we retain knowledge over the next few decades. Within Europort 2015 we will have a lot of activities highlighting the importance of human capital,” says Raymond.

The key topics of Europort will be discussed in six inspiring masterclasses, in which leading professionals will share their knowledge and expertise. On Tuesday 3rd November, the masterclass taking place will be Leadership through design; this will be followed by Leadership through technology on the 4th November, Leadership through efficiency on the 5th November and Leadership through people on Friday 6th November. An initiative of Ahoy Rotterdam and Netherlands Maritime Technology, each masterclass has its own theme and target audience. In addition, Europort also has an extensive conference programme that will run alongside the exhibition; conferences include the Mare Forum Ship Finance conference, Brazil Network Day, Energy Efficient Ships 2015 and CEDA Dredging Days and Exhibition.

However, its not all work for those attending.

After closing time of the exhibition, participants have the opportunity to enjoy good food and drinks and meet industry friends aboard the SS Rotterdam while overlooking the river Maas. Tickets to the Europort Cruise Party costs 99 euros and shuttle buses will be available after the exhibition closes.

For those interested in attending, hotel information, including the hotel booking service and hotel shuttle service, is available at www. europort.nl. Alongside Arrival and accommodation information, Europort’s website also offers a wealth of material with regards to floorplans, timetables and programmes for both exhibitors and visitors.

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Profile: Mampaey Offshore Industries B.V.

Ground-breaking

development

S

ince its establishment in 1904 by the grandfather of current CEO Gerard Mampaey, Mampaey Offshore Industries has become the leading supplier of innovative mooring, berthing and towing solutions.

Originally based on Quick Release Hooks for mooring applications, Mampaey has developed its product portfolio by extending it with a range of products that further improves the safety of mooring and berthing process. With in-the-house engineering and software development, Mampaey assures to fulfill client requirements for all of its products. Integrated systems like iMoor are developed to make the total of Mampaey mooring products more attractive than the sum of its parts, which makes iMoor a unique product that Mampaey is able to offer. The Innovative DNA of which Mampaey Offshore Industries consists, has led to the selection of Netherlands’ most innovative small and medium sized enterprise of 2007.

The mooring, berthing and towing solutions developed by Mampaey Offshore Industries are the result of 110 years of experience, driven by innovation and continuous

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design improvements. While its engineers are leading in their work field, it relies upon its customers for constant feedback on how to further improve their working situations.

The combination of actively working together with clients and partners and monitoring of market developments has led to Mampaey being the industry leader in its field.

Mampaey Offshore Industries wants to remain the worldwide preferred supplier of towing, berthing and mooring products. With constant innovation of the product portfolio, Mampaey strives to design, engineer, produce and install the best available systems that meet customer demands and expectations. With the high quality in engineering and used materials, all Mampaey products ensure a solid investment due to the total cost of ownership and offered services.

Previously featured in Shipping & Marine in June 2015, Mampaey has continued its efforts of innovating its products. A recent development is the automated magnetic mooring system called DockLock. DockLock is an innovative system which, instead of conventional mooring lines, uses semi-permanent magnetic pads for

docking. It is designed for ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore mooring connections. The first DockLock system has been installed a bunker ship owned by the VT-Group, called the Valburg. Mooring lines on the Valburg were no longer required. DockLock makes bunker operations not only safer but also much more efficient, as connecting and dis-connecting the ship only takes a few seconds. During operations the DockLock system is continuously monitored and while being connected it is able to control the ships’ motions. It allows free heave, pitch and roll movements and is able to control sway and yaw. It is a completely automated system designed with redundant and failsafe components. In terms of motions and forces during operations, DockLock has been designed to withstand the worst-case scenarios.

This includes severe environmental conditions e.g.: currents, winds, ocean swells and passing vessel motions.

DockLock can be integrated in the control sequence of the bunker process. In case of a critical situation, DockLock will immediately generate an emergency shutdown signal (ESD) to initiate the ships’ shutdown control sequence. The DockLock system collects data of the complete mooring process. This information will be used to enhance the bunker and mooring process making it safer and more efficient, leading to faster turnaround time and return on investment. It’s a true game changer for ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore mooring.

Furthermore Mampaey has developed a new product called ‘intelligent Multi Safety Link’ (ship-toshore link). The intelligent Multi Safety Link (iMSL) is a safety communication system applicable for the LNG and LPG market. The primary function

of iMSL is to communicate the safety status between ship-to-ship and shipto-shore, its secondary function is to facilitate voice communication and data transmissions. Usage is mandatory for LNG/LPG cargo transfer operations between ship-to-shore and ship-to-ship. Steven Groenewold, Product Manager at Mampaey, states: “The intelligent Multi Safety Link is not only designed for the global LNG/ LPG distribution market but is also applicable for the emerging LNG bulk breakdown market e.g.: LNG bunker stations and LNG bunker ships.” It can also be integrated with the DockLock system. iMSL is an innovative solution with new design elements and new functionality compared with existing ship-to-shore safety link products currently available in the market. iMSL is a multi-link solution bridging the gap between the global bulk LNG distribution network and the downstream market. It is ready to meet and challenge future customer demands. Mampaey is very excited to introduce iMSL in the market at the end of 2015.

All Mampaey products are tested

according to specified design conditions under supervision of classification authorities. Mampaey products always undergo Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) and Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) where required. These tests are part of its design philosophy and verification process to assure product quality. Elaborating on the testing process, Gerard states: “Testing is not only to ensure ourselves that our products meet the highest standards of the marine industry, but it also ensures our customers the quality of Mampaey products.”

With innovations and new products, the time comes to unveil all of the developments that has been unseen until now and that will certainly enrich the market. Steven Groenewold, Product Manager Mampaey notes: “New developments need a platform to be heard and seen, so in order to see and talk with our customers, Mampaey Offshore Industries will be attending both the Gastech Singapore exhibition as the Europort exhibition in Rotterdam this fall. The Gastech Singapore will be the first opportunity this year to see the iMSL system which

will be presented on stand B20.

Our stand will facilitate a live demo and consultation with our specialists. Instead of just communicating about our new product, we want the audience to experience the added business value of iMSL. We think it’s vital for a new product to be test driven by its future consumers, that’s why we keep communication transparent and open. With iMSL being introduced in a rapidly changing market, we have to select the right opportunities on the right platforms. The Europort exhibition in Rotterdam offers a strong audience and a great platform, which gives Mampaey the opportunity to present and demonstrate iMSL on booth 7404.”

Mampaey Offshore Industries B.V. www.mampaey.com

• Leading supplier of mooring, berthing and towing systems • Launched innovative new product, DockLock in 2014 • Launching of the intelligent Multi Safety Link (Ship-to-Shore link) end of 2015

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

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

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

Mampaey Offshore Industries B.V. Caledonian MacBrayne Remontowa SA Port of Antwerp Rederij Wantij SeaStar Management Greenore Port Österreichischer Lloyd Seereederei (Cyprus) Ltd Höegh Autoliners Aluminium Marine Consultants Clorius Controls Port of Cork ChartCo B. Rekencentra NV Wandfluh AG Hydraulics + Electronics Jo Tankers Stena Bulk Drahtseilwerk Lauritzen Kosan Norsepower Euronav NV Optimarin Ronne Port Authority Özata Shipyard Oceanic Technical Solutions

Harland Simon UPS Salzgitter Maschinenbau Regatta Cirimar Shipyard Docking Solutions The Kooiman Group Fiskerstrand Verft Load Line Marine Sea2Cradle Doris Maritime Port Lafito Port of Grenland Brittany Ferries

Profile: Caledonian MacBrayne

service A superior

T

he islands of the west coast of Scotland from the Clyde to the Minch vary wildly in size , population and character, and despite their remote location, have long had living communities which continue to thrive on the outer perimeter of Europe and today are also a magnet for tourists and visitors drawn to the stunning, unspoilt landscapes. With the exception of Skye, which now possesses a road bridge connecting it to the Scottish mainland, the most reliable method of reaching the islands is on ferries

run by Government-owned operator Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac).

“We are a multiple award-winning company and operate as the largest ferry operator in the UK in terms of vessels and routes operated. We cover a 200-mile stretch of the west coast of Scotland, which has some of the most challenging sea conditions in Europe.

CalMac’s main activities are providing lifeline ferry services and operating 24 ports and harbours around the west coast of Scotland and all that entails, but it is also actively involved in the training of seafarers and pursuing new business opportunities,”

begins Martin Dorchester, Managing Director of CalMac Ferries Ltd. CalMac has a history reaching back 160 years, when paddle steamers emerged as the primary method of transit for passengers and freight along Scotland’s west coast, with David MacBrayne Limited and Caledonian Steam Packet Company being two of the region’s most important shipping companies.

Nationalisation in the mid 20th century eventually saw the Caledonian Steam Packet Company enter the hands of the Scottish Transport Group and, following the acquisition of

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Martin Dorchester, CEO Caledonian MacBrayne

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David MacBrayne Limited in 1973, Caledonian MacBrayne was formed and became responsible for almost all the essential routes to and between the islands. Today it runs between the mainland and 24 island destinations as part of a six-year public services contract that commenced on 1st October 2007. “Services are provided through the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract (CHFS) which is awarded by the Scottish Government.

The original contract for 2007-2013 was extended to 2016 by Government and the next contract is now out to tender,” confirms Martin.

He continues: “Our customers fall into two broad groups; the communities of the rural and remote areas we serve as they go about their day to day business and visitors and tourists who travel to these areas for business or leisure purposes.

The first group is extremely diverse and covers everyone from children and students travelling to school or

college, to farmers taking livestock to market and the hauliers bringing in the animal feed their flocks and herds rely on. The west coast of Scotland is renowned for its fresh seafood, shellfish and other produce, all of which relies on ferries to get to markets whether on the Scottish mainland, the rest of the UK or the Continent and beyond.” Islanders also rely on ferries to bring to them a broad range of produce and products as well as for transportation for routine medical appointments or conduct their business with bank managers or lawyers, for example.

The company today operates a fleet of 31 vessels and provides 130,000 sailings a year to its diverse customer base, with an average of 385 departures a day. Within the fleet are a variety of different sized ships, from small vessels such as the MV Eigg, which can carry only five cars each journey, to the brand new £42 million MV Loch Seaworth, which is capable

Profile: Caledonian MacBrayne

Horsebridge Network Systems Horsebridge Network Systems Limited, a leading-edge technology company with offices in England, Scotland, UAE, Kenya and Malaysia has been awarded a multiple year contract to enhance and manage CalMac’s digital communication networks. Spanning CalMac’s entire network of 57 ports and 34 vessels covering the West Coast of Scotland and the Western and Hebridean Isles, the network will support the delivery of enhanced communications services to improve CalMac’s corporate communications and enhance CalMac’s customers travel experience. Utilising an innovative mix of technologies and services, Horsebridge has provided a future-proof network capable of supporting CalMac’s IT requirements today and into the future.

of carrying approximately 140 cars.

“In 2014 alone, 4.65 million people, 1 .1 million cars, 93,000 commercial vehicles and 11,000 coaches travelled on a CalMac ferry,” says Martin. To further improve services, CalMac is in the middle of a major transformation programme, which includes massive investment in technology both onshore and at sea. “Included in the overhaul are the ticketing and online booking systems and vessel and port

communications which will enable us to provide Wi-Fi to customers wherever they are,” explains Martin.

Despite being named the Best Ferry Company in the UK Transport Awards and also Best Ferry Company in the Guardian/Observer Travel Awards for the fifth consecutive year in 2015, CalMac refuses to rest on its laurels and instead strives to provide vital ferry links to its customers while also delivering a unique service that

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Profile: Caledonian MacBrayne

benefits both tourists and locals. “CalMac is a customer of local businesses in its own right. It has been teaming up with specialist producers from across its network to sell their goods on board the company’s vessels. In 2014, CalMac’s supplier spend across its network totalled £5.188 million and, recently, all ten of the company’s onboard restaurants achieved VisitScotland’s Taste Our Best accreditation for commitment to serving Scottish produce,” says Martin.

A provider of extensive support to islanders and remote communities, CalMac supports a total turnover of almost £270 million in companies across Scotland and has paid a total of £41 million in salaries to CalMac’s Scottish employees. Moreover, the company remains the largest advertiser and marketing organisation for West Coast destinations and events, as Martin notes: “The Fraser of Allander report estimated that CalMac enables 3,247 jobs in island tourism and enables £53.4m worth of wages in island tourism.”

With the CHFS contract due to end in the final quarter of 2016 and the £1.3 billion contract to operate the service for the next six to eight years out to tender, CalMac’s current primary aim is to win the bid by meeting and listening to customers and adhering to Scottish Government targets. Cautiously confident, Martin concludes: “Our primary focus is on winning the next CHFS contract and ensuring the service improvements and innovations that we have started on this side of the tender are seen through to completion.”

Caledonian MacBrayne

www.calmac.co.uk • The UK’s largest ferry operator • Named the Best Ferry Company in the UK Transport Awards in 2014

• Investing in technological enhancements to improve the customer experience

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Profile: Remontowa SA

In demand T

he Gdansk Shiprepair Yard Remontowa SA, part of the Remontowa Holding capital group, has developed a reputation for excellence since its inception in 1952.

Privatised in 2001, Remontowa SA today is a leader among European ship repair yards and has become a major player on the world market thanks to its long-term expertise in ship conversion and repairs, financial stability and coveted facilities. Indeed, Remontowa SA currently has the largest repair and conversion yard in Poland; it is also one of the biggest in the world.

Since it was previously featured in Shipping & Marine magazine in November 2014 the shipyard has remained busy, with 17 projects being worked on simultaneously at the start of 2015. Although this number of projects posed challenges with regards to limited resources that could be put into the work, with careful planning and optimising operational activity of virtually every working hour, Remontowa has continued to successfully deliver high quality services to its diverse customer base.

Discussing the company’s expansion into the Canadian market, Jan Paszkowski, director of commerce at Remontowa, begins: “We were awarded the contract for construction of three new, intermediate class modern car-passenger ferries that were offered by a Canadian owner – the largest passenger ferry operator in North America and the second largest in the world. In the race to obtain the contract, Remontowa beat rivals from Norway, Germany, Canada and Turkey; beyond doubt, a vital factor in us winning this contract was Remontowa SA’s vast experience in building car-passenger ferries. So far we have built more than 50 vessels of this type, half of which are powered

by LNG. Thanks to this order by our Canadian client, this amount will increase by three state-of-the-art units soon.”

Designed from scratch by the Design Office Remontowa Marine Design & Consulting, part of Remontowa Holding, the vessels will each be capable of holding 150 personal cars and 600 passengers. This contract includes not only the design, construction, outfitting and carrying

out of complete trial programmes, but also the delivery of the vessels to their home port; the first vessel is due for delivery in the third quarter of 2014.

Another major contract for Remontowa SA involves the construction of two double-ended modern car-passenger ferries for the Port of Tallinn. The ferries will be the most advanced diesel-electric vessels to operate in the Baltic Sea and will be prepared for future upgrades for LNG or dual fuel propulsion. “The low operating costs will undoubtedly be an advantage for these ferries,” highlights Jan. “The optimised hull’s shape will cause lower fuel consumption and NOx and SOx emission to the atmosphere, while the high level of automation will allow for minimum manning. Furthermore, the 114 metre long vessels will each accommodate 150 passenger cars and 600 passengers. Remontowa was selected for this project due to our experience in constructing passenger ferries as well as our strong reputation we have gained by European and American owners.” The ferries will be delivered to the owner in 2016.

Focused on diversifying its www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 33

Profile: Remontowa SA

operational activity, the shipyard is proving its capabilities in building all types of technically advanced vessels by also working on building a special supply vessels for oil drilling and oil mining rigs, the construction of a Sail Training Ship for a customer in North Africa and an anchor handling tug and supply vessel for a Canadian/Norwegian joint venture.

“The AHTS is destined for serving in harsh environment conditions and

Norwegian Electric Systems Norwegian Electric Systems had the pleasure of working with Remontowa Shipyard Gdansk, supplying two ferries with diesel electric solutions, owned and operated by Port of Tallinn. In addition, it equipped Siem Offshore’s CLV01 with a complete diesel electric system, also built at Remontowa.

NES is an innovative, high-tech electrical company, which delivers diesel electric and hybrid electric systems for the global marine market. The diversity of its products opens up for the markets for: l Ferries l OSV l OCV l CLV l Jack-up rigs l Large tankers l Cruise vessels

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will be used for a charter to one of the largest oil companies in the world – ExxonMobil. The AHTS is being built according to a Rolls-Royce design and is destined for satisfying the general demands of the offshore industry; primarily this means ice management such as monitoring of freezing levels, and, if necessary, correcting the course of moving icebergs to protect offshore installations in the region of Labrador

and Newfoundland,” states Jan. Moreover, the vessel will be used for passenger transport and evacuation, oil recovery and fire-fighting protection, all of which will be carried out around Hibernia, one of the biggest offshore platforms. Features of the vessel include a water monitor, the Rolls-Royce wave piercing hull and a robust hybrid propulsion system that will increase operational flexibility and

minimise fuel consumption.

Meanwhile, the special vessel that Remontowa SA is building for the oil drilling and oil mining sector is the first supply vessel to be powered by an LNG fuelled engine and has already been contracted for maintenance of a Shell oilfield in the North Sea. The vessel will also be fully constructed in Gdansk, from preparing workshop documentation to performing sea trials; during the complete outfitting of the vessel, it will be equipped with cutting edge navigation systems, such as an advanced dynamical positioning system DP2, gas-electric propulsion, firefighting system Fi-Fi 2 and facilities for containment of oil spills.

“Remontowa Shipbuilding SA has been a well-recognised supplier of ships supporting the oil mining industry for many years, however, this time the supply vessel being built will be the first to use LNG propulsion.

This project therefore combines our experience in building ships with LNG propulsion as well as our experience in the offshore sector. We are convinced that the successful completion of such an innovative project will result in subsequent orders from clients within this highly demanding market,” highlights Jan. The 89 metre long vessel will be capable of carrying up to 5400 tonnes and will be served by a 25-man crew; it will also meet the highest standards of environmental protection and safety of navigation and fly under the most reputable Norwegian flag.

Due to the diversity of vessel types and number of simultaneously carried out projects at the shipyard, Remontowa SA opened a new assembly line with modern gantry crane in May 2015. With 18 vessels being built at the time, the company

felt it necessary to develop a new line that is designed for mounting and moving vessels, as well as launching ships up to 130 metres long.

As the adaptable firm continues to break new ground with its diverse range of projects, Jan sees opportunities for growth across the globe as ship owners and operators search for fuel-efficient solutions in high quality vessels. Although Remontowa has been placed in a

technically challenging environment with strict schedules, it is in an enviable position as an in-demand shipyard operating in a turbulent industry.

Remontowa SA

www.remontowa.com.pl • Leading European shipyard • Working on a diverse range of vessels • Full order book until 2017

The shipbuilding & offshore specialist for copper and nickel products.

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Seawater cooling Bilge & Ballast Sanitary Deck steam Cargo tank heating Hydraulic & Pneumatic chiller Fire fighting

Contact us: Tel: +49 (0) 421 / 520 25-0 Fax: +49 (0) 421 / 520 25-99 Email: eucaro@eucaro.de

For more information go to: www.eucaro.de

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Profile: Port of Antwerp Deurganckdok - Antwerp Gateway Terminal

Bold

B

investments

oasting a long and rich history dating as far back as the 12th century, the Port of Antwerp has developed its infrastructure and activities to grow from a humble river port to become an indispensible link in world trade and a market leader in maritime, industrial and logistical services. Taking over an area of 12,068 hectares, the Port of Antwerp has a quay length of 166 kilometres, a railway reaching 1061 kilometres and roads covering 409 kilometres, which thus ensures a wide connection to the worldwide foreland and hinterland.

In fact, through these routes the port has direct services to 1400 ports across the globe and has become a leader in container shipments in the Middle East, North and Latin America, India and Africa and has the largest concentration of regular breakbulk sailings per month. Surrounded by highways, the port also has direct connections to the neighbouring countries, which has resulted in 925 barge calls to 350 European destinations and 210 container shuttles to 85 destinations

over eight countries being made every week.

“In 2014 we handled almost 200 million tonnes of goods and almost nine million TEU; we expect to exceed this in 2015,” begins Port of Antwerp’s head of communication Annik Dirkx. “Being located inland means we are based by a river but can still offer all over the benefits of a sea based port, which is a real advantage.

We have three main pillars of activity, these are maritime, which involves handling all kinds of goods, but mainly containers and liquid bulk, and industrial activities, which includes the huge petrochemical cluster we have in operation here at the port’s terminal.

In fact, we have seven out of ten of the biggest petrochemical companies here on site; these include Total, ExxonMobil, Oiltanking Stolthaven Antwerp nv and Vopak. Our third and final activity is logistics; for this part of the business we have the most extensive range of logistics services, from storage, packaging and testing to cleaning, weighing, sorting, labeling and maturing. This ensures all goods

are delivered to the end customer in the best possible state.”

Today almost 150,000 people are involved in the port’s success story, working in close co-operation to ensure continued prosperity and sustainability; these major players include private companies, the Antwerp Port Authority and a number of government departments. Comprised of 1650 employees, the Antwerp Port Authority focuses on port functionality and ensuring continued growth; the team manages and maintains the docks, bridges, quay walls and grounds, and is also responsible for the safety of shipping in the docks, bridges and locks. On top of this, the authority also works on the sustainable development and innovation of the port and is currently working on a 1.6 billion euro, 15 year investment programme that began in 2010.

“Major investment projects within this 15 year programme include improvements to infrastructure, for example, we are currently building a second lock on the left bank of the Scheldt. We have six locks on www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 37

Havendok - Seatank terminal Berendrecht

Special cargo heavy lift

the right bank and only one lock on the left, which is now old and too small for the demands of ship owners with increasingly larger vessels.

We are building a second access between the Deurganckdock and the Waaslandcanal, with this new lock anticipated to be fully operational on the 24th March 2016. This project is costing approximately 382 million euros and has been financed by the Flemish government, with the Port Authority paying 25 per cent of this amount,” says Annik. With growth in freight handling activities on the left bank, the Deurganckdoklock is an essential development. It will also offer greater operational security as there will always be at least one lock available to customers.

In addition to this integral project are renovation works, modifications and further preparation for larger vessels.

More recently, the Port Authority has been focused on plans for a new investment zone on the left bank, as Annik explains: “The reason behind the new dock, which will be our second tidal dock, is to meet the expected increase in traffic and demand for capacity by 2021. In relation to this, we want to create an investment zone that will combine industrial and logistical and maritime activities for either new customers and companies or current ones looking to grow. In the beginning of 2016 one of our shipping companies will move to the existing dock on the 38 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

left bank, taking its operational activity of almost five million containers. This development means we need to invest further, not only in new infrastructure, but also in connections towards the hinterland so all of these goods don’t have to be transported via truck to their final destination.”

To prepare for this development, the Port Authority has strengthened its hinterland routes with two new rail connections, the Swiss Xpress, a fast rail link between Belgium and Switzerland, and higher frequency rail links between Antwerp Gateway and DIT terminal in Duisburg. Indeed, since the beginning of 2014 the Duisport Agency GmbH, a subsidiary of Duisburger Hafen AG, has offered a direct daily departure to Duisburg from a deepsea quay (at the Deurganckdock) in the Port of Antwerp. The two port authorities have worked closely for many years with the goal of further developing this integral logistical corridor; a commitment that has been underlined with the Port of Antwerp’s decision to participate in the rail shuttle route for a period of five years. The

shuttle offers a direct daily connection between the Deurganckdock in Antwerp and logport in Duisburg, which thus assures a trimodal link between the two locations and a fast, efficient handling of increased freight flows.

“Duisburg is of major importance to the Port of Antwerp as it is situated in a region that has a high concentration of industrial activities, and thus represents a high import/export power, which is why we invest heavily in maintaining a strong relationship with this region.

This railway connection will be an effort we are making to get the goods on the left bank moving towards their final destinations quickly and efficiently,” notes Annik.

With these major investments ongoing, the Port of Antwerp is looking to find new clients and companies to establish themselves in its newly developed or refurbished sites and is focusing its attention on China and its ‘One Belt, One Road’ strategy.

Launched in the final quarter of 2013, the strategy focuses on connectivity and co-operation among countries that

Profile: Port of Antwerp are primarily based in Eurasia; it has two key components: the Silk Road Economic Belt, which is land-based, and the ocean-going Maritime Silk Road. Seeing opportunities to play a significant role in both routes as a trading hub, the Port of Antwerp has applied to join the Asian Infrastructure Development Bank, which will offer great potential for significant growth in its market share in China.

“We are market leaders for five out of six sailing areas, but we are not market leaders in the Asian continent so we are investing heavily to change this. We have set up a task force to gather information on this huge project so we have a comprehensive understanding of what it entails. One way we will try to position ourselves as a valuable asset to the ‘One Belt One Road’ strategy is through our historical relations with the African continent. We are active in the Congo, West Africa, while China is looking more towards East Africa, but with our history of expertise, knowledge and history within this continent we believe we can play a role as a hub towards the

growing African market.”

Another major development for the port was announced in May 2015 when Saudi Arabian energy waste recovery pioneers Energy Recovery Systems Company Ltd (ERS) was given the go-ahead by the Port of Antwerp to negotiate exclusive concessions on 150 hectares of land at Delwaide dock. The land will be used for the construction of a waste to chemicals factory, costing 3.7 billion euros, that will offer work for 900 people and will process 3.5 million tonnes of waste materials to obtain 1.2 million tonnes of green urea and 645,000 tonnes of green ammonia once at full capacity. With the concession not yet awarded, three years are now required to develop the project on site and to acquire necessary permits. “This is possibly the first time that this type of innovative technology will be used on such a large scale, so once the contract has been signed this will be a newsworthy development at the Port of Antwerp,” says Annik. “We now have to look into the technical and financial feasibility, with negotiations expected to close in September so

concessions can be signed soon after.”

Wholly dedicated to have the Port of Antwerp prepared for any future demands or challenges, the Port Authority is focused on continued heavy investment and increasing capacity over the coming years. However, progression and improvements at the port come with their own political and societal challenges, as Annik concludes: “We are investing heavily in the new dock and development zone, however this is a difficult project on a human and jurisdictional level in the sense that some local people will have to relocate.

We have to fight this because we believe these developments will secure the future of the Port of Antwerp; if we are not able to offer extra capacity by 2021 we are essentially missing the boat.”

Port of Antwerp www.portofantwerp.com • Largest port area in the world • Handles all types of cargo • Massive investments ongoing

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Profile: Rederij Wantij

World-class

service

E

stablished in 1982 by Mr Koch, Eleveld, Verdoorn, Veenma and Berends, Rederij Wantij BV has developed over the years to become a world-class partner in the delivery of cargo. Primarily focused on trade within Northern Europe, the Baltic and Mediterranean since the delivery of its first vessel, mv Maas, in 1983, the company has remained committed to its strategic decision of single vessel ownership, choosing to invest in larger, more modern vessels 40 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

every six to seven years.

In 1991 Rederij Wantij ordered the 3000 DWT, mv Donau, which was constructed at the Turnu Severin shipyard in Romania; the vessel was delivered in 1993, the same year the company sold the mv Maas.

From 1998 to 2002 Rederij Wantij went through an important period in its history, with the majority of the business being acquired by new owners, brothers Jan and W.H van Veen and John Hartman. In 2002 Jan and W.H van Veen divided their companies, with all shares of Rederij Wantij being sold to current owners Jan van Veen, John Hartman and Naftali Blokzjil. Following this company defining process, the three owners ordered a new vessel from the Rousse JSC shipyard in Bulgaria in 2005; this became the second ship

to carry the name mv Donau when it was delivered in 2011.

Flying the Netherlands flag, the ice class, 8000 DWT general cargo ship mv Donau is managed and operated

by Rederij Wanmar BV and Nednor BV and is Germanischer Llloyd 100 A5 E3 classified. She has a length of 128.45 metres, a breadth of 15.87 metres, depth of 9.90 metres and can reach speeds of 14 knots.

Moreover, the vessel has a 500 kilowatt bowthruster fitted, a bunker capacity of 470 cubic metres IFO and 60 cubic metres MGO; she also has a freshwater capacity of 40 cubic metres and ballast water capacity of 4.250 cubic metres. Furthermore, the vessel always has one owner onboard operating as captain, which ensures high quality operations, shorter lines of communication and faster decision making.

Wholly capable of transporting a diverse range of cargo, the mv

No one expected oil prices to fall so dramatically. It doesn’t make sense to invest a great deal of money at the moment, so we have instead invested in ULSF (ultra low sulpher fuel) Donau has successfully completed many projects for major oil and gas companies and shipping firms. Bulk cargo that the vessel has moved include coil, hot briquetted iron (HBI), containers, steel products, offshore equipment and stones; it has also transported discharging reels from Norway, loaded copper and nickel from Murmansk, Russia, loaded steel plates from Ust Luga, Russia, loaded a new crane and transported it from Gdansk, Poland and loaded and transported woodchips from Riga, Latvia.

Like many shipping firms, Rederij Wantij was hit by the economic downturn, nevertheless, thanks to its strategy of focusing on organic

growth and investing in larger and better equipped vessels, the company has been able to weather these volatile market conditions.

Previously featured in Shipping and Marine magazine in November 2014, Rederij Wantij witnessed a strong start to the year, as managing director Jan van Veen

notes: “Things were going well at the start of the year, with a number of projects coming into play for the transportation of all kinds of cargo. However, our activities have quietened down since April and we are now waiting for the market to pick up once again.”

Alongside the depressed shipping

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Profile: Rederij Wantij

The Dutch Kooiman Group The Dutch Kooiman Group has shipyards in Zwijndrecht, Dordrecht and Yerseke. Being an important supplier of Rederij Wantij and other national and international shipping companies, Kooiman is offering a wide range of services, including repairs and making Class for coasters and other seagoing vessels.

Over the course of the years, her customers and vessels have grown in size. The Kooiman Group makes a similar move and increased her dry docking capacity up to 4200 tons and maximum length 150 metres.

market, the company has also been under pressure to tackle the issue of complying to SECA by January 1st 2015. However, as fuel prices have continued to fall, Rederij Wantij made the decision to invest in ultra low sulphur fuel (ULSF) when it operates in SECA regions.

“No one expected oil prices to fall so dramatically,” Jan explains. “It doesn’t make sense to invest a great deal of money at the moment, so we have instead invested in ULSF; at this time it makes no sense to invest in a scrubber or LNG, so we will wait and see what changes happen in the future.”

Although times are challenging, the company has a number of strengths to ensure continued growth and success. For example, by operating a single vessel capable of managing several cargo types, the company is thus able to be incredibly agile in its dealings and respond to opportunities quickly. Presently Rederij Wantij operates on the spot market, where company’s small size may be utilised to offset some of the challenges that remain in place following the global financial crisis, as managing director Jan discussed: “When you only manage one vessel you can only offer one trip, when you have additional vessels it is possible to close new deals before the vessel arrives and make the trip using another ship. As such it is important for us to operate on the spot market or look for a charter, however it is currently better to remain on the spot market as charter rates are relatively low.”

Moving forward, Jan is cautiously optimistic for the future of Rederij Wantij and sees potential for expansion with a similar small company to increase competitiveness.

Alongside these plans, the company will also look into acquiring a new, preferably larger vessel that will enable it to continue offering customers a unique solution of exceptional quality.

Rederij Wantij www.wantij.nl

• Family owned business • Operates a general cargo vessel • Over three decades of experience

42 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

Profile: SeaStar Management

sea

Welfare at

F

ounded in 2009 as a subsidiary of global leader Wrist Ship Supply, SeaStar Management has grown to become one of the leading global providers of provision, service and budget management to the international shipping community.

Based in Denmark, and supported by worldwide distribution offices in key locations, the company predominantly serves the catering requirements of a variety of vessels from tankers and bulk carriers to more specialised seismic and navy ships.

Over recent years, despite an economic dip in the global maritime industry, more and more ships owners are turning to supply companies to outsource their catering handling needs. A particular driver for this is

the state of global regulations, such as MLC 2006, which provides a standard for seafarers to receive good, healthy and varied meals on board. “There’s an increased focus on welfare and ensuring proper working conditions on ships,” explains General Manager Niels Snog. “One of the great benefits of outsourcing is that customers can ensure that ships are in accordance with these restrictions and standards that have been introduced.” With this in mind, it is no wonder that in just over six years SeaStar is now serving more than 500 vessels, with a growth rate of around 100 per year.

However, it is not just the state of the market that has afforded SeaStar with its success. “Being part of Wrist Ship Supply means we have a really strong supply value chain,” says Niels

Snog. “As part of this group we are therefore really strong at negotiating prices, offering quality service, uniform products and ensuring that the customer gets the best regardless of their position/location.” As the world leader in ship and offshore supply, Wrist Ship Supply has established a position of unrivalled buying power and supplier relationships across a global network. This means that SeaStar has a wealth of support and resource available to it in order to best serve its customers. As Niels Snog continues: “Fifty per cent of our volume can be covered by our internal supply chain through Wrist. Those of our competitors that also offer shipping supplies in their family of companies can perhaps manage ten to 20 per cent, and they don’t all cover www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 43

44 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

Profile: SeaStar Management

as globally as Wrist does.” Not only is quality fed down to the end user from this supply chain, but also at a leading price.

Despite SeaStar being relatively new to the market it is aware of the amount of competition that exists and will continue to emerge as the innovative provider of catering services in a sector that is expanding.

“SeaStar has positioned itself as one of the strongest in the market, but there are a small number of companies that are about 30-40 per cent bigger than us. However, the strength of our service means that we can compete equally with these.”

Indicating the successful level of quality service it can supply and its ability to serve a range of needs to its diverse customer portfolio.The portfolio includes vessel types such as tankers, bulk carrier, navy vessels and seismic/offshore vessels. Seastar is an approved supplier to the German, Russian, Australian and Danish Navy and as Niels Snog explains: “To be approved as a supplier to a navy requires very high standards and certified operational procedures, we have been approved in four, which says a lot about the service quality and reputation of SeaStar.”

What is particularly advantageous for the company is the ability for it to grow organically in a quick and efficient way thanks to the skills and knowledge that already exist in the Wrist group. “Whereas other companies need to bring in brand new employees and train them, we’ve been able to bring in experienced people from within our own ranks.

As such, going from two to 19 employees hasn’t slowed down our

United Shipchandlers Being an appointed major ship suplier to Seastar Management at the port of Hong Kong, we thank them for their continued support. Moreover, it was due to Seastar Management’s expertise in the marine field, that we gained more knowledge through the way they handled requisitions/orders as well as their comments/ feedback hereafter, thus benefit us with further improvement.

We wish Seastar Management the successful future that it deserves.

Henry To, Managing Director of United Shipchandlers Ltd. Hong Kong

growth,” points out Niels Snog.

As the market grows and demands more from supply companies, so SeaStar continues to respond. One major innovation that has only recently been released to market is a series of videos to promote and educate on best practice within the on-board catering department. These short films cover everything from waste management and hygiene to how to make a good cost-effective order to a ship. To accompany this by the end of 2015, the company will also be releasing an online maritime cookbook. This will help and support the Chefs and Chief Stewards onboard, in order to accommodate for the growing variety of nationalities among the seafares while still ensuring the welfare of these. Alongside the publication will be an online portal for customers to share new recipes and ideas across the industry.

Another apt diversification for SeaStar is also evident in the company’s recently established stores catering division. “With stores catering, we’re expanding our concept to also include the purchasing of general consumer goods. This can be everything from tools to work wear, kitchen equipment and non-skid mats,” outlines Niels Snog. “A yearly budget is compiled, and we will then help the ship stay within this budget.

Prices can differ upwards of 400 per cent from port to port, but when shipping companies outsource the management of all purchases, they don’t feel the price difference as we have agreed on a fixed budget. This means peace of mind for the shipping companies, knowing that we can guarantee a consistent quality on the ships, regardless of where they are in the world.” Initial reports of this new service offering are positive, and the growth looks set to continue over the next couple of years.

Having been established by a global leading supply company at the right time to serve an ever-emerging market, SeaStar is a company that has experienced substantial growth in a short amount of time. Not only is this attributable to the support it has behind it, but also to the

unfaltering dedication it commits to serving a range of customers across the world with a wide variety of individual needs. With little sign of the market slowing down the future looks positive, yet Niels Snog is also keenly aware that new competitors are appearing on the market everyday making it more and more challenging.

However, the strength and reputation already acquired by SeaStar will make it robust and able to weather any threats these may pose.

SeaStar Management www.seastar.dk • Owned by leading supply company

Wrist Ship Supply • Recently reached 500 ship milestone • Diversifying to serve a growing market

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Profile: Greenore Port

In the

green

C

onstructed in 1873 by the London and North Western Railway (LNWR), which recognised the area’s natural port characteristics in terms of shelter of its approach and its natural water depth, Greenore Port has since played a vital maritime role in Greenore for more than 140 years. With both the ferry and railway connection ceasing operation in the 1950s, the port went onto become the first port in the Republic of Ireland to handle containerised traffic before playing a vital role in the export of live cattle and frozen beef to the Middle East during the 1980s and 1990s.

Today the port is capable of handling 250,000 MT per annum and provides both outdoor and covered storage; the main cargo handled includes bulk animal feed, fertilizer, coal, steel, timber and general cargo.

“Greenore Port offers an extremely high quality of service and a good testament of this is our long-term relationship with the majority of the port’s customers who use Greenore as their preferred port. Many of the customers have been using the port’s

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services for decades and it is the number one port of choice for steel customers in Ireland due to the high quality of service provided,” says Niall McCarthy, General Manager at Greenore Port.

Previously owned by One51 and the state-owned Dublin Port Company, Greenore Port became the first major port to be 100 per cent privately owned in Ireland when Burke

Shipping Group, the main operating subsidiary of family-owned Doyle Shipping Group, acquired it in late 2014. Discussing the reasons behind this acquisition, Niall states: “The port is situated on the east coast of Ireland just inside the entrance to Carlingford Lough on the eastern end of the Cooley Peninsula and connected to the M1 motorway by 15km of uncongested roadway. It is located in a key economic corridor, approximately 100km from both Belfast and Dublin.

It is also a deepwater port, giving it better opportunity to compete with Ireland’s major ports.”

Niall continues to highlight the benefits of today being a wholly owned subsidiary of the Doyle Shipping Group: “The Doyle Shipping Group have been servicing the shipping industry since 1886 and have great knowledge and expertise of the industry. They are Ireland’s leading shipping and logistics provider and have offices in all of Ireland’s major ports. This is of major benefit to Greenore Port as with the backing of the Doyle Shipping Group can now offer a complete logistical solution

for customers including agency, stevedoring, warehousing, chartering and forwarding. The Group can offer all these services not only to our clients in Greenore but throughout all of Ireland’s major ports.”

In addition to this enviable flexibility, Greenore Port is also benefiting from investment in port infrastructure to further enhance its competitiveness, with a significant investment spent on an extensive dredging project, which enabled the port to handle a visit from the 38,900 dwt, 180 metre-long MV Smart Tina, which arrived from China in June 2015. “Dredging commenced in February 2015, and by mid-May we had removed more than 7000 tonnes of rock from our harbour bed,” says Niall. “This is to cater for a growing trend in the industry for larger, more efficient vessels which provide customers with economies of scale. Since dredging berth 1 we are now taking vessels in excess of 50,000 dwt.”

Following this investment, Niall notes that the Doyle Shipping Group will next be looking to create a steel terminal on un-used land that is owned by the port: “The port owns a lot of land that is currently not being used for port related activities. We are currently in the process of resurfacing some additional land with the intention of creating a ‘steel terminal’.

This will free up some quay side storage and allow the port to compete for other products which the port does currently not handle.”

These investments show the

confidence Doyle Shipping Group has in the potential of Greenore Port after years of extremely challenging conditions due to the economic climate in Ireland. “In 2006 the port had a record year for throughput and by 2012 the port’s throughput had fallen by more than 50 per cent.

This is something we are currently addressing to increase business.

Despite this difficult time, there are many opportunities ahead for the port. The Irish economy is recovering strongly with GDP expected to grow by between three per cent and four per cent per annum for the next few years,

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Profile: Greenore Port

Essentially we are trying to build a port for the future so all investment will be carefully scrutinised to ensure our clients get the maximum benefit which will have hopefully see imports and exports grow; we hope that Greenore Port will have a significant role to play in this recovery.”

In addition to these market expectations, Niall also sees opportunities for the port to become more active in the logistics of renewable energy products, due to storage constraints at some of Ireland’s larger ports. “The port is home to a company who manufacture tidal turbines and we hope to handle a wind turbine for the first time at the port in the second half of this year,” he explains. Moreover, with growing

HANLON TRANSPORT LTD Haulage, Storage & Logistics

Over 30 years experience in the Transport Logistics Industry Muchgrange • Greenore • Co Louth Telephone: 00353 42 9373136 • Fax: 00353 42 9373308 Email: management@hanlontransport.ie • www.hanlontransport.ie 48 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

demand for Ireland as a location for cruises, there is also opportunities to attract cruise liners to the port thanks to Greenore’s unique and picturesque location.

With further investments in the pipeline, the future looks positive for Greenore Port as it continues to upgrade its current systems and work practices while also focusing on delivering a competitive package that can meet the needs of its loyal customer base. “Essentially we are trying to build a port for the future so all investment will be carefully scrutinised to ensure our clients get the maximum benefit,” concludes Niall.

Greenore Port

www.greenoreport.ie • Ireland’s only privately owned commercial port • Deep-water port on Ireland’s East Coast • 2.5 million euros invested since January 2015

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Profile: Österreichischer Lloyd Seereederei (Cyprus) Ltd

Steaming ahead since

O

riginally founded as a shipping company in 1836, family-owned Österreichischer Lloyd Seereederei (Cyprus) Ltd (OL) has remained adaptable to the challenges of an evolving global shipping industry with its re-inception as a ship owning firm in 1951 and the establishment of a ship management subsidiary in 1991. Developed to serve both in-house and third party vessels trading from Limassol in Cyprus, the subsidiary operated in this manner until July 2008, when OL undertook a strategic conversion of its operations; a move that resulted in the withdrawal of its services as a third party manager and a core focus on ship ownership.

It was at this key point in the company’s history that it changed its name from Österreichischer Lloyd Shipmanagement (Cyprus) Ltd to 50 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

1836

Österreichischer Lloyd Seereederei (Cyprus) Ltd and all shares of the company were transferred to Captain Eberhard Koch’s holding.

Proud to be steaming ahead in the competitive container market, the company benefits from experience in a broad spectrum of vessel types, from container ships, bulk carriers, reefer vessels, chemical and oil tankers, to cruise vessels, PCCs and multipurpose vessels (MPP). Taking the strategic decision to specialise in MPPs, OL today boasts a young and solid fleet of five multipurpose geared vessels with two main engines and fuel-efficient operations as well as two multipurpose general cargo vessels that are operating in a range of projects involving cargo, dry bulk, container and general cargo.

Committed to quality management, OL exclusively recruits from its part owned organisation, MED CREW

Ltd, Malta to ensure all officers and ratings are highly experienced, well trained and possess all required national and international licenses and certificates. As such, careful consideration goes into crew selection, with the majority of staff boasting long and loyal service records.

Since it was previously featured in Shipping and Marine magazine in December 2014, the internationally recognised company has witnessed strong growth in its container market segment thanks to an increase in charter activities and charter rates. “The supply and demand outlook for our specific segment, multipurpose containerships below 1000 TEU is very favourable due to a surge in demand for smaller ships on intra-Asia trades and with other regional trades like East & West

Photos: Opposite page: MCP Villach aft, below: MCP GRAZ cranes lifting cargo

offering extensive management skills to not only our own vessels but to those of other shipowners sharing our philosophy. We are further considering increasing our own tonnage under in-house management for which our present shore based compliment can accommodate with ease and without the necessary of immediate future recruitment. The considered tonnage increase would more than certainly be registered under Cyprus, a reputable white flag!”

Appointed to the board of directors of the Cyprus Shipping Chamber in 2015, Captain Koch also holds the post of Vice President of the Cyprus Shipowners Employees Association (CYSEA), is chairman of the CSC Labour Affairs Committee and an active industry member of the Cyprus Shipping Promotion Working Group. “I am a passionate advocate

Africa. The container markets are closely linked to GDP so demand is expected to increase, especially in our company’s fleet main trading areas of Asia, South Africa, East & West Africa, Australia and New Zealand,” begins Captain Eberhard Koch, chairman, CEO and partner of Österreichischer Lloyd Seereederei (Cyprus) Ltd. “Meanwhile, the future for feeder services looks good, with an Index of +10 per cent. However, the 2500 / 2800 TEU sector has calmed down considerably since mid June 2015 and is on its way southward; this trend has become quite clear and significant,” he adds.

Operating in a market that is ripe for opportunity, OL refuses to rest on its laurels and instead is looking to increase its tonnage under inhouse management, as Captain Koch notes: “We are in the position of www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 51

Profile: Österreichischer Lloyd Seereederei (Cyprus) Ltd

Below: Capt. Koch

and collectively working very hard to not only extend the maritime cluster overall in Cyprus but to equally encourage and ultimately convince owners, globally, to direct their fleets and / or additional tonnage under the Cyprus Flag,” he highlights.

Advantages of registering under the Cypriot flag, which ranks 10th in size internationally and represents the third largest fleet in the EU, include the strategic location of Cyprus, which is based at the crossroads of three continents; low ship registration fees, low annual tonnage taxes, no tax on dividends received by a ship owning company and no income tax on emoluments of officers and crew.

With the majority of its vessels outperforming the Moore Stephens Operating Cost benchmark annually for the last seven years, OL and its team of 200 loyal seafarers is proud to be steaming ahead in a competitive market. However, to

retain a leading reputation, Captain Koch says the company is investing in its internal systems upgrade and also anticipating partnerships with equity investors, with the objective of elevating its already established platform and capture significant value through investing in feeder container tonnage. “Global indications show that few owners or investors will order new feeder container tonnage and the projected feeder supply shortage is due to the need for more container feeder vessel. As the vessel size on main lane river trades have increased, more containers per voyage are being transported; this is an ideal time to invest!” he concludes.

Österreichischer Lloyd Seereederei (Cyprus) Ltd

www.oelsm.com

• Cypriot Resident Shipowner • Young, solid fleet • Looking to partner with like-minded investors

variety of important and trending matters on an international shipping level with regard not only to regulatory / legislative issues but also, operational, commercial and market demands,” says Captain Eberhard Koch, chairman, CEO and managing partner of Österreichischer Lloyd Seereederei (Cyprus) Ltd.

T

aking place in Limassol on September 13th to 16th, Maritime Cyprus 2015 is a biennial international shipping conference that has grown to become one of the most significant of its kind in the world. This status has given Maritime Cyprus a prominent position in the calendar for those connected to the shipping industry; an impressive list that includes shipowners, shipmanagers, charterers, international maritime organisations, bankers, brokers, lawyers, accountants and delegates from other shipping services entities.

First organised in 1989, Maritime Cyprus operates with the goal of enabling important and current issues in the international shipping industry to be presented by distinguished speakers and discussed by the international shipping community. “Such prestigious and important events are necessary for all shipping industry professionals to ‘get together’ and openly and honestly discuss all facets of shipping under one roof. As an Owner, resident in Cyprus, I feel proud that this global forum is hosted bi-annually on this beautiful island and covers a

52 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

“This year’s conference will address the topic Shipping: Game Change, and we expect that it will also focus on the vital matters that concern the international shipping industry. Issues that need to be discussed include policy and regulatory, economic and environmental matters, as well as, geopolitical and energy developments and the forecasting of the economic recovery within the shipping industry.

Purely from an owner’s position, excessive pressure is exerted toward us (owners) and indeed felt from international, bodies such as IMO, ILO, ICS and so on. Whenever new legislation is released, we are usually burdened economically, commercially and operationally; ballast water management and scrubbers are two prime example of this.”

Other issues that will hopefully be highlighted upon include the rescue at sea crisis in the Mediterranean, the use of low sulphur fuel and the upcoming deadline for compliance by 2020, and the efforts to bring in further CO2 emissions despite the shipping industry already reducing its total CO2 emissions by more than ten per cent between 2007 and 2012.

With a diverse range of significant and current issues relating to the maritime industry ready to be discussed, Maritime Cyprus is certainly not a conference to miss.

Profile: Höegh Autoliners Höegh St. Petersburg

Investing in the

future

H

öegh Autoliners has been a pioneer in the international shipping industry since it was founded as Leif Höegh & Co by Mr Leif Höegh in 1927. Originally operating as the owner and operator of oil tankers, the company went through a transitional period and diversified into new activities such as transporting cars with lift on/lift off vessels in the 1960s. This development resulted in the formation of a joint venture with Ugland in 1970 and the establishment of Höegh Ugland Auto Liners (HUAL). This integral part in the company’s history was the basis for it becoming a world leader in ro/ro operations.

Restructured into two separate

entities in 2006, Höegh Autoliners and Höegh LNG, with Leif Höegh & Co Limited as the common holding organisation, the owners went on to relocate Höegh Autoliners shipowning activities from Bermuda to Norway in 2008; the same year that the company acquired a fleet of 12 car carriers and six newbuilding orders from AP Moller – Maersk (APMM) and agreed to APMM becoming a minority shareholder with 37.5 per cent of the shares in Höegh Autoliners. In 2009 APMM purchased a further 1.25 per cent of the company, taking its shares to 39 per cent.

“Höegh Autoliners engages approximately 50 vessels, owned and chartered, in a global deep sea trading pattern, and another 17 in regional

short sea operations through joint ventures. We came from a port-toport PCTC (ro/ro) operation, to now diversifying into short sea, terminals and logistics, but still sticking to our vehicle and break bulk roots. We have a diversified customer portfolio, and carry about two million car equivalent units annually in deep sea, whereof approximately 60 per cent are factory new cars and pickups. The rest is made up of high and heavy, break bulk and used cars. Among the largest customers in volume are General Motors, Renault Nissan, Daimler, Ford and BMW,” explains Øyvind Ervik, Head of Short Sea and Logistics at Höegh Autoliners.

Aware that regionalisation or localisation of manufacturing is one

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Profile: Höegh Autoliners

Höegh Target

Höegh Shanghai

Loading of a crane on theHöegh Africa

54 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

of the clear trends of today thanks to usage of trade agreements, protection from currency fluctuations and environmental regulations, Höegh Autoliners made the strategic decision to invest in short sea, terminals and land based logistics services. “Our response to these trends is to try to capture some of the regional growth through short sea, and joint venture has been the model we have chosen. We also see that increasing regionalisation and complexity in the supply chain leads to more transshipments, and we are engaging in terminal work both to capture growth, but also to ensure a high quality of transport also when transshipments are taking place,” says Øyvind.

Within the short sea business segment the company witnessed relatively strong growth in Europe until the slow European economy and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine caused a sluggish market; however, areas such as the Black Sea show opportunities for growth.

“Outside Europe, Mexico to US is growing, and we are quite hopeful also for both North East Asia and South East Asia. Additionally, there will be increasing coastal business both in China and India,” says Øyvind. Further discussing issues within its business sector, he continues: “The global PCTC market is not very strong at the moment, and a lot of the global indicators point towards very limited growth this year. The exception seems to be the US market, which is still going strong.

“We counter these challenges on several fronts, by increasing focus on break bulk, adjusting our trade systems with focus on maintaining good cargo balance and high utilisation in our systems, as well with the aforementioned focus on short sea, terminals and logistics.”

A key part of these efforts is the company’s investment in a New Horizon class post panamax vessel. The first vessel, Höegh Target, was delivered in June, and another five will be delivered in the next 18 months, as Øyvind highlights: “The Horizon Class is the largest PCTC in the world due to its Post Panamax width of 36.5 metres. As the expansion of the Panama Canal will be complete towards the middle of 2016, the 32.3 metre width restriction becomes obsolete, and this we intend to take advantage of. The vessel also boasts the latest innovations in fuel economy, cargo handling and impact to the environment.

This vessel class will be the next workhorse in our global trading systems, and as such be part of our core fleet for many years to come.” The first in a series of six Post Panamax vessels, the Höegh Target has a car carrying capacity of

Cargo waiting to be loaded

competing with other Gulf ports as it is competing with ports on US West Coast and East Coast,” says Øyvind.

Having made these strategic investments, Höegh Autoliners can look to the future with confidence as it continues to focus on operational efficiency and phasing in its new vessels. “With the new Horizon class coming into our fleet we will grow in market share in the breakbulk segment, and our short sea and terminal engagements will grow significantly, but again in line with a more rapid growth in those markets,” concludes Øyvind.

8500 and is estimated to emit 50 per cent less CO2 per car transported than a standard car carrier.

In addition, the company has also invested in a new terminal and vehicle processing centre in Freeport Texas, which is a wholly owned subsidiary,

Horizon Terminal Services. “We see changing competitiveness between rail, truck and ocean which we believe will create a renaissance for the US Gulf ports as a gateway to and from the US central and southern states. As such this new facility is not as much

Höegh Autoliners

www.hoeghautoliners.com • Leading global provider of transportation and logistics services • Operates a fleet of PCTCs • Will take delivery of six ground-breaking new vessels in next 18 months

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Profile: Aluminium Marine Consultants

A collaborative

approach

E

stablished in Cowes, the Isle of Wight, in January 2007, with the aim of providing a high quality service to the commercial workboat market, Aluminium Marine Consultants (AMC) has since gone on to manufacture more than 30 aluminium windfarm catamarans and a number of aluminium hovercraft for both commercial and military markets. “AMC was formed by two directors, Steve Holbrook and Nigel True, who originally started the company with the intentions of working as consultants using their combined 60+ years in the boat building and hovercraft industry (hence the name) but soon after were asked to go back to their 56 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

roots of manufacturing by making hovercraft for Hoverworks Ltd now part of Griffon Hoverworks. These projects included the building of two very large ap188 type 30 metre plus hovercraft for the Canadian coastguard,’’ begins Rob Stewart, commercial director at AMC. “After starting manufacturing again with the hovercrafts, AMC was approached by South Boats to supply the completed aluminium hulls and deck houses ready for fit out for approximately 35 South Boat vessels; this has given us significant experience in the wind farm industry. I believe around that time 30 per cent of the wind farm fleet’s hulls and deck houses in the UK were made by AMC, which was

an impressive feat for a company that was not a familiar name in the market. Following the demise of South Boats we were owed a great deal of money, but chose not to wallow in self pity and instead continued to make boats. This decision was supported greatly by Turbine Transfers, who gave us two boats to build; one of these vessels was Trearddur Bay, which has become known as one of the most advanced wind farm vessels on the market,” he continues.

Collaborating with BMT Nigel Gee, a subsidiary of BMT Group Ltd, the designer of Trearddur Bay, and Voith, the developer and manufacturer of the Voith Linear Jet (VLJ), AMC successfully

constructed the highly innovative 21 metre vessel that is already being recognised for its excellent fuel economy and seakeeping abilities.

Trearddur Bay benefits from high efficiency and minimised fuel consumption thanks to the Voith’s combination of an advanced ducted propeller with a stator positioned in the duct aft of the propeller, which thus creates similar capabilities to that of a waterjet but much more efficient. As the first vessel in the world to have the VLJ installed, Trearddur Bay and those involved

in her creation have generated a significant amount of attention from the increasingly energy efficiency conscious shipping industry.

“This was a great collaboration, which involved AMC working closely with Voith and BMT Nigel Gee to make this vessel first-class.

She is phenomenally economic and her results so far have been stunning; in fact, she is far more economic than any other boat of its size on the market at present. This type of propulsion system had never been constructed before, so this led to challenges for us. However, we worked together to solve engineering issues while we made all of the systems and integrated all of the electronic control systems with the VLJ, gear boxes and engines; I am enormously proud of this project.”

With the vessel successfully built at AMC’s former facility on the west bank of the River Medina, the company went on to work on

the safe movement of Trearddur Bay from its small shipyard to her Isle of Wight launch site alongside heavy transport specialist Kingswell Haulage Ltd. The challenging project was awarded Job of the Year at the first annual Heavies Awards, which was launched by Heavy Torque, a heavy haulage industry’s magazine due to the millimetre perfect placement of Kingswell’s 90 tonne, four axle extendable trailer and the maneuvering out of the tight confines of the West Cowes yard.

“We do a lot of work with Robbie Kingswell,” says Rob. “This time we devised a way to move the boat successfully into the water. However, now that we have relocated, we benefit from a new 70 tonne lift, which means we can now wheel vessels in/out of the water quickly.”

Indeed, coinciding with the launch of Trearddur Bay, the company’s relocation to new facilities at Venture quays has resulted in a larger working environment that will enable it to deliver projects from large commercial workboats to more

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Profile: Aluminium Marine Consultants

GLOBALINSUL ATION EUROPEAN (LTD)

00 44 (0)23 9246 2113

SPECIALISTS IN MARINE AND INDUSTRIAL INSULATION

contact@globalinsulation.co.uk

Marine and Industrial Insulation Installations

A leading thermal insulation contractor to major UK and European companies 58 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

Global Insulation (European) Ltd Global Insulation (European) Ltd are one of the UK’s leading insulation companies, especially to the marine industry. We are situated on the south coast of the UK. With our vast experience we can supply you with our technical expertise to specify the most appropriate insulation solution to comply with your standards and regulations. We are fully compliant with A60, A30, to either aluminium, steel or composite structure, regarding high temperature work, such as exhaust systems. We are proud to be associated with Aluminium Marine Consultants to name but one of our many marine clients.

custom-made vessels. In addition, the new shipyard will be suitable for the company’s increased workload and employee level, as Rob highlights: “We now have a very large build hall that is clean, light and relevant to our uses. It is here that we have extended our workforce by some 35 new employees; we have taken on staff in all trades, including welding, fabrication, electrics and electronics and have also taken on two apprentices, one in electrical engineering, the other in mechanical.

“We are currently looking for more apprentices, which is not only good for us, but also good for the island. The reason behind this expansion is that we anticipate further growth due to the positive response from Trearddur Bay and from CWind; it is fantastic that people are coming to us and that we haven’t had to seek work.”

Announcing that it had placed an order for four new crew transfer

vessels from AMC in April 2015, CWind is keen to boost its fleet’s capability and meet customer demand through diversification of its vessels. The order comprises of two 21 metre aluminium catamarans and two 23 metre aluminium catamarans; it is the first time the company has ordered aluminium vessels.

Looking ahead, Rob says he is positive about the future of AMC and sees plenty of opportunity for further growth in the wind farm sector: “The outlook is very good for the windfarm industry and there is a growing tendency for developers to ask for local content, which means operators are encouraged to acquire UK vessels.” With a diverse team of competent, quality conscious employees, nearly a decade of expertise as a company and an innovative, collaborative approach to challenging projects, AMC is the go-to company for clients requiring a shipyard that has the capabilities and capacity to deliver superior solutions, both on time and to budget.

Aluminium Marine Consultants Ltd.

www.aluminium-boats.com • Shipbuilding and consulting company • Constructed the ground-breaking Trearddur Bay

• Four vessels under construction for CWind

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Profile: CLORIUS CONTROLS

Keeping

control F

ounded at the start of the last century, Danish company Clorius Controls has had over 100 years experience developing equipment for monitoring, controlling and regulating heating, cooling and ventilation for a range of shipping and industrial applications.

Serving the needs of an ever-evolving industry, Clorius Controls remains committed to continuous innovation and development to offer an up-todate product range to match today’s requirements regarding advanced technology, user-friendliness and reliability. The company’s core product range includes valves, thermostats, pressure difference regulators and electronic controllers. Testament to the company’s depth of experience and reputation in the shipping industry is the fact that about 75 per cent of all vessels sailing today have a Clorius temperature control valve installed.

The strengths of the business not only stem from this ability to react to an ever-changing market, but also in the level of service that Managing Direct Anders Haugard has fostered into the company. Speaking to Shipping and Marine back in September 2014, he highlighted the important role that positive teamwork plays in the success of Clorius Controls’ business strategy, listening to customers’ needs and using their demands to fuel research and development programmes and innovation. Below this customer service is a technical service supported by a network of technicians available 24/7/365 offering adjustment and error detection as well as checkups, analysis

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and general support for all types of regulation equipment.

It is clear that Anders’ direction since assuming the leading role in 2012 has had significant effects on the performance of Clorius Controls. It was announced in the last feature that the company had increased its sales by 40 per cent in 2014 compared to the previous years, and this trend looks to have continued into 2015 as the company reports that business is going very well. One major highlight in 2014 was the successful growth in the company’s Asian markets, the centre of global shipbuilding and again the successful continuation of this growth has been reported with more orders received for shipyards in the region. Operating globally can throw up some issues for a manufacturer operating in an industry that demands reliable and time effective delivery. Therefore, Clorius offers buffer stock of valves and

regulating equipment according to maritime specification, and ensures reliable delivery to harbours where equipment is needed.

Adding to the successful growth currently being achieved by Clorius is the successful bringing on board of MAN as a client. The global engine manufacturer for shipping represents a significant customer for Clorius as it opens the door onto new, much larger potential companies on the same level as MAN, such as Caterpillar and Wärtsilä.

Innovation plays a major role at Clorius Controls. Designed for the regulation of cooling water, sea water and lubrication oil in an integrated temperature loop, the company’s three-way control valve, G3CM-T with grooved joints has been developed specifically with the high demands of the marine industry in mind. Able to facilitate large liquid flows, the valve replaces conventional flanges with grooved

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Profile: Clorius Controls

joints to enable a further weight reduction of approximately 20-25 per cent and also helps to reduce noise, vibration and stress levels.

Couple this to the strong and simple design with only few moving parts, and the G3CM-T is a robust and hardwearing component with a reduced need for costly and time consuming repair and maintenance work. Speaking about the valve back in September Anders highlights: “The product has generated a great deal of interest in the market.

The ease of installation, combined with the reliability and control characteristics has made a lot of shipyards and shipowners shift from traditional control valves to our rotating type.”

Other innovations accompanying the product range include Clorius’ self-acting temperature controllers, which are reliable to withstand even the most extreme conditions. Also its differential pressure controllers, which ensure a suitable and constant differential pressure under all circumstances to reduce high and fluctuating pump heat in large 62 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

heating networks.

Currently, 70 per cent of Clorius Controls’ sales are to the marine sector with the remaining in the industrial markets. However, as the company looks forward, expanding its industrial presence is a particular focus and Clorius Control will be attending ACHEMA in Frankfurt, as well as a number of other exhibitions, to help achieve this growth. More generally, it is clear that the future of Clorius Controls will continue to be founded upon the committed drive for innovation and development that has so defined its past. With growing markets in China and South East Asia, this will remain a focus, as will the desire to maintain its reputation across the rest of the world in order to retain its leading position in the market.

Clorius Controls

www.cloriuscontrols.com • Continuing to achieve positive levels of growth • New major client, MAN • Looking to expand its industrial presence

Profile: Port of Cork

Reaching its

potential

T

he key seaport in the south of Ireland, the Port of Cork has developed its infrastructure and services over the years to become one of only two Irish ports capable of servicing the requirements of all six shipping modes: lift-on, lift-off (lo/lo), ro/ro, liquid bulk, dry bulk, break bulk and cruise. Facilities and operations are located primarily in five areas of Cork’s natural deepwater harbour, with bulk and general cargo operations taking place at City Quays; lo/lo, ro/ro and bulk services in Tivoli; ro/ro, lo/lo and bulks at Ringaskiddy, oil importation at Whitegate and cruise operations in Cobh. To ensure optimum efficiency and safety, the Port of Cork has undergone investments of €72 million over the last decade, with approximately ten million euros invested in enhancing cruise operations and the majority going on improving infrastructure and facilities in the commercial area.

Reaching as far as St Petersburg and Central America, the Port of

Cork has an average of ten scheduled departures in a week. This includes Grimaldi Lines’ ro/ro and lo/lo vessels departing from Cork Ringaskiddy to Southampton and to the Mediterranean on a Sunday, Maersk Shipping’s lo/lo vessels departing from Cork Ringaskiddy and sailing to Tilbury, Rotterdam, Bremerhaven, St Petersburg and Central America, scheduled lo-lo vessels to Rotterdam, Le Havre, Antwerp and Brittany Ferries link from Cork to Roscoff.

In addition to serving the shipping industry, the Port of Cork has also been at the forefront of meeting the exploration and development needs of various multi-national firms since offshore exploration first began off the south coast of Ireland in 1970.

The benefits of choosing Cork as a supply base include a well-located deep water port, 24/7 unrestricted access, availability of bunkers, a secure area for hazardous material, a wide range of competent and experienced engineering service companies, a substantial open and covered storage

capacity and Cork International Airport in close proximity.

Alongside shipping and offshore activities, the Port of Cork also offers cruising and ferry services and is the only port in Ireland with a dedicated cruise berth in Cobh. Moreover, the port can also handle cruise liners in Ringaskiddy Deepwater Quay and the City Quays. Offering passengers a unique experience, Cobh passengers disembark directly onto the quayside alongside the Cobh Heritage Centre, which provides an interesting illustration of Irish history over the last two centuries. Meanwhile, the town of Cobh is located within 100 metres of the cruise terminal and offers passengers a fascinating combination of history, archeology, flora and fauna, a visit to Fota Wildlife Park, shopping or simple relaxation.

Although Cobh welcomes more than 50 cruise liners every year, few cruise visits generate as much anticipation by locals and passengers alike as the annual visit of the ‘Sea Princess’, which arrived on Tuesday www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 63

Profile: Port of Cork

14th July 2015 with 1500 Australians and 400 Kiwis as part of a roundthe-world cruise from Sydney to Sydney. Departing on 22nd May, the vessel had visited over 20 ports by the time its reached Cobh, which went above and beyond to welcome both passengers and crew. Discussing this major visit, commercial director of the Port of Cork and chairman of Cruise Europe Michael McCarthy says: “It is a fantastic event and the Australians are really fond of Irish activity and up for the craic. We had a broad range of activities taking place and everyone involved is absolutely delighted with how the day went.”

Elaborating further on the benefits for passengers visiting the Port of Cork, he continues: “What is unique about this port environment is that you step off the vessel and the nearest shop or pub is within 200 metres. The cruise industry is very important to us and we have nurtured it over the last 20 years, which has really paid dividends as we are now on the minds of cruise executives and itinerary planners when they look to Britain and Ireland at the start and end of the season. Alongside our Australian and Kiwi passengers, who have been visiting for Australia day since 2009, we also have American, British and German passengers visit us; these customers take up around 70 to 80 per cent of our passenger group, with French, Spanish, Italian, Canadian, Australian and so on taking the remaining 20 to 30 per cent.”

With more than 100,000 passengers and 30,000 crew visiting Cobh every year, the cruise industry contributes greatly to the local economy and helps provide employment to the region, as Michael states: “If you look at a whole Photos: Aidan Fleming-Cork Harbour Pilot

season, where we anticipate 100,000 passengers and 30,000 crews will arrive and depart at the terminal, the investment into the local economy is going to be approximately 15 million euros. This is a phenomenal amount and, with indications that around 30 per cent of people that visit come back for a land-based holiday, a fantastic opportunity to showcase what Cobh and the greater CorkMunster area has to offer.”

Aware that cruise liners and cruise companies are further investing in bigger and better ships, Michael is keen for the Port of Cork and other ports in Ireland to capitalise on this exceptional growth. “With 44 ships on order over the next seven years, ports in Ireland that are serious about staying in the cruise industry need to invest to be able to cater for these ships,” he confirms.

Committed to preparing for future demand in all areas, the Port of Cork has also received planning permission for a 100 million euro investment at Ringaskiddy Port. ‘Phase One’ of this major project will include the construction of a multi-purpose berth at Ringaskiddy East, which will ensure Cork Harbour remains a key trading port that can accommodate large ships carrying a range of cargoes. Ringaskiddy East will also accommodate unaccompanied ro/ro freight as it will include a 200 metre long berth, a new container yard and marshalling yard. With ‘Phase One’ anticipated to be complete by 2018, the overall project will also facilitate the transferring of cargo handling activities from Tivoli and the City Quays on a phased basis, as Michael notes: “This project will have a cascade effect on the whole

development of the harbour as it will accelerate the move of ships from the city, where we currently have three quarters of a million tonnes of cargo, to deeper waters, which will allow the city to breathe and develop.

“Ultimately, the Ringaskiddy Port redevelopment project will ensure Cork Harbour can handle the increase in container ships’ size and capacity over the next 30 to 40 years,” says Michael. “Unless we invest to accommodate the short, medium and long term needs of the region we will be left behind. We need to be a multi-modal port that allows us to be sustainable and flexible and reach our potential as a key player in the whole economic promotion and development of the South of Ireland and indeed the whole of Ireland,” he concludes.

Port of Cork

www.portofcork.ie • World-leading multi-modal port • Invested 72 million euros over the last ten years • Further major developments planned

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Profile: CHARTCO

Top of the

charts O

perating under the helm of Kelvin Hughes Group, a world leader in the design and supply of navigation and surveillance systems, ChartCo Limited has grown over the years to become the world’s longest established and largest distributor of nautical charts, navigational data, marine technical publications and digital products. An integral part of the shipping industry, the company, alongside Kelvin Hughes, is responsible for an impressive range of innovations that have assisted captains at sea to safety over the past two centuries.

“Kelvin Hughes began in the 18th century as a clock manufacturer for the nautical industry before progressing into paper charts in the 1940s. Ship sailing around the world was originally through paper charts that needed to be updated by those on vessels every week. To update the charts, ship owners and captains

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required a printed booklet that would be sent to approximately 1000 ships across the globe; to eradicate the risk of not receiving the vital information, ChartCo came up with the idea to send this update via electronic means.

Originally the information was broadcast via satellite and received by a ChartCo system. From there we progressed into sending this information via email or internet, so ships can connect to our server and pull off the data they require. Around this basic service we have since added on further software and services to provide our customers with optimum solutions,” begins Robert Corden, ChartCo Limited’s Head of Sales.

For customers requiring innovative solutions with a global footprint, ChartCo is the go-to company thanks to its ability to deliver market-leading solutions to the most demanding of fleets. In fact, by using its longterm knowledge and expertise in digital products and services, the

company today delivers weekly digital navigation data to more than 6000 vessels at sea.

The company’s flagship software, PassageManager, is supplied to all subscribing vessels and integrates all ChartCo products and services in one easy viewer. Other benefits include ‘at a glance’ monitoring of product status for any route, which, once plotted, can be filled in with the required paper or digital products. Moreover, PassageManager uses a simple colour code to automatically provide the status of each product and has a passage planning facility so customers can not only identify the products that are not currently in the ship’s outfit, but also the electronic products that do not have a valid permit. These required papers can then be ordered from the vessel’s supplier of choice.

Alongside these benefits, the key features of PassageManager include an automatic overlay of products on to the route, import and export

Photos: Opposite page, top left: PassageManager-MetManager Top right: PassageManager-NavArea-Warnings Bottom right: PassageManager-Port data Left: PassageManager-Route Robert Corden

Everlux routes to and from ECDIS; easy management of both paper and electronic data and comprehensive passage planning in a much shorter time frame in comparison to more traditional methods. “Because all vessels are required by IMO regulation to produce a passage plan

for every single voyage they make, our software now allows a vessel to produce a comprehensive passage plan in mere moments, which can then be standardised across fleets. The software also comes with a range of additional data that the customer can choose to subscribe to; this includes

ChartCo are an authorised distributor of Everlux photoluminescent maritime safety signs.

Everlux are recognised as a leading manufacturer of photoluminescent safety signs which can be found globally through authorised distributors.

Notable amongst these are ChartCo Ltd who have been distributing Everlux safety signage since 2013. The Everlux range includes complete maritime safety signage solutions compliant to all IMO Resolutions, SOLAS Conventions and ISO Standards. The Everlux catalogue allows ship chandlers, suppliers, builders, owners, operators, safety officers and purchasing managers to understand the technicalities of safety signage systems ensuring compliance with relevant legislation and standards to provide a safe on-board environment.

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Profile: CHARTCO Left: PassageManagerRegs4ships

weather forecasting or a routing service that gives information on 8000 ports across the globe,” says Robert.

“PassageManager is the most widely used software of its type in the world; we probably have two to three times as many ships installed with this software than our competitor and we are currently at approximately 6500 ships,” he continues.

To further strengthen its service offering to customers including the world’s navies, merchant ship owners and pleasure craft operators, ChartCo made the strategic decision to acquire Regs4Ships, a specialist in the provision of digital regulations, technical information and IMO material to ships and shore infrastructure, in September 2014. As the operator of the only database in the world that is capable of providing up-to-date, accurate resource of shipping regulations and technical information, which is then utilised to provide customers with an extensive range of products and services, Regs4Ships is certain to play a key role in ChartCo’s ongoing growth strategy.

“Reg4Ships has a unique offering,” says Robert. “All commercial ships are required by IMO regulations and flag states to carry documentation, legislation and regulation on board, some of which is relevant to the flag state, while others are down to international regulations and law.

Should a flag come up with a new

circular, all vessels flying under that flag are required to get a copy of that onboard their vessel, which was originally done through sending paper. To make this process easier, Regs4Ships has come up with a digital database, which it developed over the last 15 years; this contains all of the relevant flag state documentation for up to 23 of the major flag states.

As Reg4Ships is accredited by those various flag states, this certifies that the CD’s are equivalent to carrying paper publication.”

As the shipping industry adopts digital navigation, ChartCo sees opportunities for continued growth as it focuses on delivering high quality digital products and digital services. “In addition to this, we will be looking to find complementary digital products that can be added to our current offering and are also continuing to develop our services within PassageManager to add value for our customers,” concludes Robert. “There is no other package that even comes close to integrating all the requirements to make Voyage Compliance Simple.”

ChartCo

www.chartco.com • Largest distributor of navigational data, charts and digital marine products • Supplies the world’s navies, merchant shipping and craft operators • Part of the Kelvin Hughes Group

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Profile: B. Rekencentra NV

Logical

logistics

F

ounded in 1983, family run Belgian company B. Rekencentra develops software for logistics management across a range of sectors including container terminals and aviation. “At the start we were specialised in developing tailor-made software solutions,” begins Karel Tavernier, Technical Director and son of the original founder. “However, slowly but surely we have developed a range of standard products in the field of logistics and over recent years we have seen an increase in demand from aviation and the container terminals.” The company’s goal is to establish and maintain collaboration based on mutual trust, which in turn enables it to provide innovative and efficient solutions to the variety of business challenges faced by its customers. Its services encompass the entire trajectory from conception and analysis to design, development, implementation and integration.

Rekencentra is a small company with currently around 35 employees and as such is able to offer an unrivalled service to its customers, of who include global names such 70 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

as DHL, Cathay Pacific and Atlas Air. “We are more flexible than our competitors,” highlights Karel. “We only have two levels of management, which means we have very short decision circles. Our after sales service is what we really concentrate on, as we want to be the best in this area. We have to be able to react to demands and questions immediately, so for each project there is a single point of contact, most often a project leader, who knows the product and client inside out. Therefore, if a request comes in for an enhancement or modification within a couple of days we can give the client a concept of the changes and a price offer. This has lead to some really good customer relations, some of which have lasted for over 20 years. I don’t see the way we work as a classic client-supplier relationship, but as a common effort to reach a common goal.”

The core software product for container terminals from Rekencentra is Interman, an integrated and user-friendly terminal management system that allows the operator to follow units and wagons across the whole cycle from entry to exit. As

with its entire offering of standard programmes, the company has the vast knowledge and experience to develop a bespoke solution to any needs. “The product is very flexible,” explains Karel. “We have a general rule base that can be configured by either us or the client, but sometimes there are a lot of requirements that we cannot just configure and demands some additional development. We always start with the standard implementation and then we look at the requirements of that specific site and find the answer for those problems. To some extent then, the majority of our projects become customised in some way.”

One such project of recent note is for the ATO Antwerp container terminal, which posed a particular challenge for Rekencentra. As Karel outlines: “It is a complex terminal with complex truck movements so we were working on it for over a year to make sure everything ran as it was supposed to. It went into operation in June and has gone well.”

With 45-50 per cent of its turnover coming from the aviation industry, 35 per cent from container terminals and

the rest from tailor-made projects, the markets at the moment are tough for Rekencentra. With an increase in fuel prices and a general slowdown in the markets that it operates in, Karel is finding that customers are being more patient when it comes to spending capital. Despite this, however, he is generally positive: “I have been travelling around the world to the Far East and China to get new contracts, and whilst companies are interested it just takes a little longer for them to get the capital expenditure approved, but I am confident that contracts will come in. Particularly in the airline industry competition is tough on the world stage, but companies do recognise that for cargo we have the best product available.”

Over the remainder of 2015 Karel is optimistic about bringing more airlines onboard for its Sable system, the Weight and Balance software package designed for air cargo, as well as developing more systems with Interman. “For the Interman project we are currently working on the implementation of two terminals in France and a brand new terminal

in Luxembourg,” he says. “The Luxembourg terminal is probably going to be the biggest in Europe and is looking to specialise in l’autoroute ferroviaire (‘the rail motorway’), which involves having special wagons for road trucks to sit on, reducing their actual travel distance. It is particularly challenging because it is very big and the way of planning the loading of wagons is more complex than usual. This project must be ready for the first quarter of 2016.”

It is through these special projects and its continual process of development that Rekencentra drives innovation through its industries, and continuing to do so is top of the company’s focus as it looks forward.

With a number of developments in the pipeline for both the aviation and container terminal you get the impression that no challenge is too big or too small for Rekencentra to solve. It is not just its world-class knowledge of software development, but also the in depth understanding it has of the industries it serves and the problems that face its clients that makes it successful. Coupled with the

positive attitude that emits from Karel, a steady commitment to this approach looks set to secure the company’s successful future.

B. Rekencentra NV www.rekencentra.be

• Develops specialist logistical software for container terminals and aviation • A strong commitment to innovation • A committed focus on customer relations

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Electronics for stationary and mobile hydraulics

M

odern machines and work equipment are subject to steadily increasing requirements. Ever more functions are needed. On the one hand, machines can be deployed in a greater variety of duties, but on the other hand their development is also more complex. More than ever, solutions for the simplification of complexity are in demand. These have to support a modern control structure and enable flexible, adaptable use. Therewith, the development of a machine should become clearer, more modular and hence simpler.

The decentralisation of control tasks is one of the most important approaches in finding solutions that comply with the demand for simplification and modularity.

It allows the ‘outplacement’ of technology-specific knowledge – such as hydraulic control tasks – to third parties. Thus the strain on the developer’s and designer’s task is relieved, and they can concentrate on the core tasks of the machine – which also has a positive effect on the time-to-market factor.

The SD7 control for stationary systems with control cabinets, and the MD2 control for mobile hydraulics were developed by Wandfluh particularly from this point of view. Sub-processes can run decentrally. For example, SD7 or MD2 can take over the task of controlling the position of an axis ‘on site’. Thus the central control system is freed of specific control tasks, less computer capacity is needed and less attention has to be paid to control cycle times. The communication with the main control system can take place via analogue or digital signals, or via a field bus.

The digital MD2 amplification and control module was specifically developed for the control of hydraulic valves under extreme environmental conditions. The use of this module is particularly appropriate for wet conditions, where there are vibrations, extreme temperatures or fluctuating supply voltages. By the robust and compact design, it is excellently suited to mobile applications.

The operation of control electronics has to comply with a range of different demands. It must be easy to adjust and allow tools for quick and easy commissioning. These requirements can be fully met through the digitalisation of the Wandfluh control, using the options of graphic display of the process data flow and the analysis and diagnostics tools.

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Roger Waldburger, Product Manager, Wandfluh AG Hydraulics + Electronics, Frutigen, Switzerland

Figure 1: PASO operating software

The units are available purely as amplifiers, for the control of proportional and switching valves or also in combination with control functions. In this way it is possible to simply and rapidly build up a range of controllers such as pressure, volume flow or position controllers. A standard-conforming CANopen and Profibus DPinterface is available for communication in a modern field bus system.

The modules have digital inputs and outputs as well as powerful PWM outputs for the operation of the solenoid valves. In addition, the digital inputs can process frequency or PWM signals without any problems. Up to four analogue inputs with a maximum resolution of 16 bits are available for processing the analogue process signals. The allocation of inputs and outputs to each other is variable. This allows optimum utilisation of the existing hardware and guarantees flexible adaptation of the application without any programming knowledge.

The parameterisation is carried out via a software called PASO, which is very easy and intuitive to use. The connection between computer and SD7, or computer and MD2, takes via well-known and proven USB interfaces. The amplification and control modules have a new concept for illustrating the entire signal process path – from uploading the command value via various additional functions through to the valve flow calculated from these. The user will see at a glance the condition of his control system at any point in time. If needed, the individual process parameters can be displayed on the

Figure 2: The signal recording as valuable adjustment aid Bottom right: Figure 3: MD2 amplification and control module

screen in real time. If the module is used as controller, it is practical in many cases to view for individual or groups of process data at exactly the same time. This is the only way to optimise efficiently deviations from the rule, and hence the overall control behaviour of the system. For this purpose, the SD7 and MD2 are capable of recording and graphically displaying up to four freely selectable process data simultaneously. This oscilloscope function provides the commissioning engineer with the tool to quickly find potential improvements for the controller settings and to visualise the result of the correction in a simple manner. In this way, the parameters can be easily changed and saved without losing the overview. Simply a brilliant matter! n

Wandfluh

www.wandfluh.com Wandfluh was founded in Switzerland in 1946 and originally produced production machines for the Swiss watch-making industry. In the early 1960s, the firm started to develop and produce high-quality hydraulic valves. To this day, innovation, quality and precision are the key factors for worldwide success. Branches in Great Britain, the USA, Germany, France and China as well as representations in all important industrial nations provide worldwide support for Wandfluh products.

In addition to its complete range of hydraulic valves for mobile and industrial applications and a wide range of electronic control systems for the hydraulics, Wandfluh, together with its worldwide distribution partners, provides extensive engineering and service support.

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Profile: jo tankers Jo Cedar arriving in Philadelphia

A century of

quality

P

rivately owned, fully integrated chemical and product tanker owner and operator Jo Tankers’ history dates as far back as 1915 with the foundation of Skibsaksjeselskapet Hassel. Officially founded in the 1980s, the company today is wholly owned by Johan Odvar Odfjell, the fourth generation of the Odfjell family, and is known as one of the pioneers in the global trade in chemical shipping. In fact, Jo Tankers operated the third largest chemical tanker fleet during its first two decades in operation before it disposed of older tonnage and thus gradually reduced the size of its fleet and global exposure.

Maintaining its tradition for handling chemicals and acids, the most demanding 74 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

cargoes that also tend to have the highest and most stable rates, Jo Tankers is committed to quality and has a consistent focus on reliable transportation as well as safety for its 700 seafarers through compliance in all areas of operation. Core values for the company are safety and environmental care, with zero incidents and zero spills and an uncompromisable commitment throughout all operations. To ensure this, Jo Tankers uses risk analysis procedures and generates an environment of continuous improvement. Moreover, the company views human resources as its most important asset, and, as such, is committed to recruiting and training the highest quality personnel to ensure those operating within Jo Tankers are the very

Safe and reliable any liquid Hydraulically driven cargo pumps

Framo AS

Tel. +47 55 99 90 00

marine@framo.no

framo.com

Profile: jo tankers

Garrets International

Garrets International has been a strategic partner of Jo Tankers since the early 1990’s. The relationship between both organisations has been built on trust, transparency and close collaboration. Jo Tankers has been a great supporter of Garrets International.

Garrets International is the leading outsourced marine catering management company, established in 1991. From offices in Romford and Singapore the company provides victualing and catering management services to a fleet of 1000+ merchant ships with a crew of over 20,000. The services provided by Garrets International to the ships entrusted in its care help the ships’ owners and managers maintain and improve the welfare of their crews and adhere to international regulations.

Garrets International’s mission remains: ‘To enhance the welfare of seafarers by raising food quality and hygiene standards at sea’.

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best in the business. In line with superior competence and efficiency, those working for Jo Tankers are expected to follow its published Code of Conduct, act within the law at all times and deliver integrity in all business dealings. These strengths enable the firm to be a valued part of its customers’ supply chain through the delivery of safe, reliable and costeffective transportation.

This dedication to following regulations and legislation as well as a vision of integrity and optimum competence has proven fruitful for the organisation, which boasts a global presence thanks to its headquarters in Norway, its crewing office in the Philippines. As one of the world’s main providers of deep-sea transportation services for chemicals and high value liquids, the company boasts a fleet of 14 chemical vessels, including the 30,000 dwt chemical tanker Jo Larix, which was delivered from Mingde Heavy Industry on

SCANJETIntelligent Tank Management Scanjet Marine AB of Sweden is a world leading company for tank cleaning solutions and today also supplies tank management equipment and P/V valves. The sophisticated P/V valves ensure that tanks are not exposed for over or under pressure as well as minimising the venting during voyage.

Scanjet’s tank management with the Surveyor platform enables the operator to have constant monitoring of what is the situation in the tanks in respect of level, temp and pressure. The tank cleaning installations are always carefully designed to give the operator fastest possible turn around between cargoes.

Friday 23rd January 2015.

The Lloyd’s registered vessel boasts a length of 183.00 metres, a breadth of 28.40 metres, and a double hull, as well as 28 stainless steel cargo tanks.

Built in accordance with the highest industry standard, she can carry IMO one, two and three cargoes as well as oil products. Moreover, due to

her eco design, the Jo Larix will use approximately 20 per cent less fuel than similar sized vessels.

The sister of the Jo Lotus, a 30,000 dwt stainless steel chemical tanker with a length of 183.00 metres, a width of 28.40 metres and in draft of 10 metres, which was delivered in 2014, the Jo Larix loaded a full cargo of vegetable oils in a number of Malaysian ports before setting sail for Europe.

Alongside this new addition to Jo Tankers’ fleet, the company also confirmed its largest ever order in October 2013 with the order for eight 33,000 dwt stainless steel chemical tankers from China’s New Times Shipbuilding. Deliveries for the new vessels are expected throughout 2016 and 2017 at a cost estimated to be around $320 million. Once completed, the new vessels will join Jo Tankers joint venture with Tokyo Marine, Milestone Chemical Tankers, which was established on

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 77

Profile: jo tankers

Below: Jo Larix

Right: Jo Kiri moored inAntwerp

1st September 2013 with the aim of integrating the chemical tanker businesses of both parties.

Jointly established in Singapore with 50/50 per cent shareholdings, Milestone Chemical Tanker acts as commercial managers of the pool vessels. Set up under a mutual goal to meet the changing needs of customers through the provision of a frequent global service, the two firms operate as a single entity to improve services and deliver a more diverse range of options with regards to vessels. Looking forward with the same vision, the pool is certain to continue to grow.

As Jo Tankers celebrates its centennial year in 2015, the future looks positive for the company as it continues to develop its services to meet the needs of customers, both now and over the coming years.

Jo Tankers

www.jotankers.com • Operates one of the world’s largest chemical tanker fleets • Provides deep-sea transportation services for chemicals and high value liquids

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Profile: STENA BULK

Innovation and

performance S

tena Bulk is one of the world’s leading tanker shipping companies. It provides its customers - major oil and chemical companies – with safe and cost-efficient transportation of crude oil and refined petroleum at sea. As a result of its long history, Stena Bulk has accrued years of experience in a wide range of areas and it can now handle tasks ranging from developing and building tankers, to manning and chartering them out.

These diverse activities have resulted in the growth of Stena Bulk’s fleet. The vessels in which the organisation invests utilise the most modern of technologies, and reflect its continued dedication to the creation of more sustainable shipping and passing cost savings onto its clients.

The most recent realisation of Stena Bulk’s green vision is the IMOIIMAX – a vessel that combines a more sustainable shipping concept with a

flexible design to offer customers better business solutions at competitive rate.

The IMOIIMAX chemical tanker is a 50,000 DWT MR tanker designed to transport vegetable oils and chemicals as well as clean and dirty petroleum products. The vessel is equipped with 18 tanks of the same size, each with a capacity of 3000 m3, for greater cargo flexibility. A large number of innovative technical solutions have been implemented, which together, when sailing at service speed, result in ten to 20 per cent lower fuel consumption compared with other vessels of the same size.

Hull lines, engines and the propeller have been extensively tested, which resulted in an extraordinarily well performing design. No stone has been left unturned to ensure reduced bunker consumption, as the vessels are equipped with the latest concepts in main and auxiliary engine designs.

These engines are optimised to be

the best in their segment for overall performance and reduced fuel consumption. Less emissions from reduced fuel consumption decreases the environmental impact.

“Flexibility has been a key consideration during the development of the IMOIIMAX concept,” noted Erik Hånell, CEO of Stena Bulk. “The configuration of several small tanks provides for considerable flexibility in regards of cargo combination, something that fits in very well with our existing logistics system. The fact that the concept, with its many innovative technical solutions, will result in energy savings is naturally a major advantage,” he added.

Stena Teknik has developed the concept together with the Chinese shipyard Guangzhou with which Stena Bulk placed an order for ten IMOIIMAX tankers in 2012. The first tanker – the Stena Impression – was delivered in January 2015, followed www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 79

Norsafe

Norsafe has been a proud supplier of advanced lifesaving systems to Stena Group for decades.

Norsafe is the global market leader in marine life saving systems. Lifeboats, rescue boats and davits are integrated into a total safety solution for the merchant shipping- and for the offshore industry. The company’s wide product range covers requirements for conventional and free-fall lifeboats, rescue boats, daughter crafts, workboats and professional and military boats including davits – all giving reliability in case of emergency. Norsafe also offers 24/7/365 worldwide service on life saving appliances and certified training through Norsafe Academy.

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by the Stena Image in April 2015 and the Stena Imperial in July 2015. At the naming ceremony for Stena Imperial, Erik noted how pleased Stena Bulk was with the vessels so far: “They have already fulfilled all our expectations,” he confirmed.

The new fleet of IMOIIMAX vessels is operated by Stena Weco, the joint venture created between Stena Bulk and Weco. Established in 2011 with 50/50 ownership between Stena and edible oils carrier Weco, this agreement saw the two companies pool parts of their fleet – 15 oil and petroleum MRs from Stena, and 15 medium-term chartered edible and palm oils and caustic soda carriers. As such, each parent was able to establish a presence within a new marketplace.

The following four years has seen considerable expansion for Stena Weco, with the JV today offering a fleet of approximately 50 first-class vessels with the objective to build up an operation with more than 70 vessels over the next couple of years. With offices in

Europe (Copenhagen, Denmark), the US (Houston, Texas) and Singapore, its large and flexible MR fleet will have coverage 24/7 with a focus on worldwide cargo requirements and servicing customers. “The best thing about Stena Weco is the never ending strive to perform better whether we are looking at day-to-day vessel trading or building the most efficient MR fleet the world has seen,” noted Fredrik Eriksson, Chartering at Stena Weco.

Another of Stena Bulk’s new ventures was mentioned the last time the company appeared in Shipping & Marine in 2013, when Erik discussed how the business was putting down roots in the LNG market. This was through the formation of new sister company Stena LNG, which maintained a fleet of three LNG vessels at that time (the 145,500 cbm Stena Blue Sky (built in 2006) and the two 173,000 cbm sisters the Stena Clear Sky and the Stena Crystal Sky (built in 2011).

Sharing his outlook on this area of

Profile: Stena Bulk

the industry at the time Erik said: “We saw a very strong market for 2011 and the start of 2012, but this has now weakened a little as many projects around the world have been delayed.

We also know there will be quite a lot of new build LNG vessels coming out in the next year or two, which may have an impact. However once these projects start to come on stream we are sure to see this pick up again. There is no question that LNG will be the future and take over a lot of the growth in energy requirements that we see in the world today.”

As one would expect from this exciting and dynamic company, since that interview Stena Bulk has made further inroads in LNG, and in April 2015 the company signed an agreement covering the charter of the LNG carrier Stena Blue Sky for the North West Shelf Project in Australia. The duration of the charter is up to three years with a possible further extension as a goal.

The tanker will sail between Australia and Japan as well as other countries in the Far East.

The North West Shelf Project is Australia’s largest oil and gas development and has delivered more than 4000 LNG cargoes to customers predominantly in the Asia Pacific region since 1989. “We are pleased with the charter signed with the North West Shelf Project, which we view as a key strategic partner within a market with tremendous growth prospects. As always, we take the long-term view and are looking forward to developing the potential we see here,” said Erik.

“Since 2011, we have very quickly become established in the

transportation of liquid natural gas and we have developed a good reputation in the market where quality and safety are paramount. We regard the LNG segment as a continuing and long-term investment where, additionally, our successful technical management plays a prominent role,” he added.

Stena Bulk

www.stenabulk.com • World-leading bulk tanker operator • Fifteen per cent market share • Dedicated to creating more sustainable shipping

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Profile: drahtseilwerk

Strength in numbers

H

The company’s commitment to quality and innovation has also been essential to our longevity

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aving been in the steel rope industry for more than 80 years, Drahtseilwerk GmbH has become an expert in delivering durable, high quality products to its customers. Indeed, the firm was established in 1934 when parent company and wire manufacturer Vom Hofe purchased a rope factory located in Bremerhaven. It was here that Vom Hofe developed Drahtseilwerk to be its business segment within the maritime sector; at first the company was mainly active in the fishing industry, but today its work can be seen throughout harbours, as well as the shipping, cruise, and offshore sectors.

“Operating within all of these different industries gave us the knowledge to get to where we are today. The company’s commitment to quality and innovation has also been essential to our longevity; for example, all other manufacturers are producing ropes with a plastic protected core, while we use high tensile fibre yarns,” begins key account manager at Drahtseilwerk, Claas Seedorf.

He continues: “Drahtseilwerk produces ropes for all types of ships and marine applications. We manufacture highly sophisticated ropes for deck cranes, lifeboat falls, RO-RO hanging decks, and

other vessel applications. There are also many products for land-based roles too including harbour cranes, container ports, and mooring. We work with major lines and ports.

German company AIDA Cruises has adopted the DURA-float ropes, which float at the surface of the water rather than sinking, for example. Containers, ferries and RO-RO ships are also big users of our ATLAS® rope and winch lines.”

Developed in the 1960s in conjunction with Bayer AG, which today is known as Perlon Nextrusion, the ATLAS® rope is made of Perlon wires and yarn to give it an incredibly strong yet flexible body that makes it ideal for mooring. The quality has made it a standard in the industry.

However, the downside of creating this innovative product is that ATLAS® is the most copied mooring rope across the globe. To ensure optimum safety and peace of mind throughout operations, customers should remain vigilant as fake ATLAS® ropes reach only 60 per cent of the minimum breaking load (MBL).

Meanwhile, the DURA-Winchline is produced to the same principle as ATLAS® and boasts specific properties such as high breaking load, good elongation, optimum spooling on winches and easy handling; it also has very good abrasion resistance, is maintenance free, can be stowed

while wet and is designed for use on automatic winches.

The range of options available for any rope including ATLAS® is significant due to Drahtseilwerk’s firm belief in working with the customer to meet the demands of their situation.

Discussing how this commitment to meeting customer requirements has progressed over recent years, Claas notes: “Two years ago Drahtseilwerk got a new CEO, Olaf Heimann, since then we have been working on different topics to get closer to each customer. With a new philosophy and new marketing Drahtseilwerk has reached a milestone and set the course for the future.” The company’s varied portfolio means standard ropes are available in sizes between 0.9 and 84 millimetres made from uncoated, stainless, galvanised, heavy galvanised, Galfan-coated or nonmagnetic steel wire and specialised fibres respectively.

Furthermore, Drahtseilwerk is able to respond to special enquiries within a short period of time in comparison to its competitors.

Recent projects for Drahtseilwerk include delivering innovative new ropes to the Port of Hamburg and other major ports. The application was in straddle carriers at the port, which are essential to the transporting of carriers from ship to dock. Because of their importance in the logistic chain, it is essential www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 83

Profile: drahtseilwerk

that the carriers experience as little downtime as possible. Aware of this issue, Drahtseilwerk’s solution was to deliver a special wire rope with the promise of 8000 hours problemfree functioning. As the benchmark hour approaches, the ropes have so far stayed true to their promise. In addition, Drahtseilwerk produces ropes for the ship to shore cranes and is focusing on reducing the cost of operation for customers by working

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with them and listening to their unique needs.

To remain at the forefront as a developer of good ideas, Drahtseilwerk undertakes its own research and development to meet the growing and unique demands of clients. This process takes place inhouse and brings together the people on the workshop floor, designers, and clients in order to produce an end product that has a practical purpose in the market. In fact, innovation and quality have been two core aspects of Drahtseilwerk’s success through the years. Today these skills are joined by the efficiency in which it can manufacture ropes.

Speed and quality have been essential in making the company stand out during unpredictable times.

“There are always ups and downs in the market and at the moment we feel shipping is not that buoyant,” Claas says. “To tackle this, we have been providing value added services by, for example, talking with customers to explain the pros and cons of our different types of ropes.We also give customers assistance with their

mooring arrangement, even when they do not buy our mooring ropes, just to give them a second opinion. A well sorted stock of products makes us able to supply next day, or else use our facilities to produce new ropes within a relatively short time. This has been our recipe for years and I don’t see any change in that formula in the near future.”

Despite operating in an industry that has been turbulent over recent years, Claas is positive about the future of Drahtseilwerk: “Being a German producer, quality is of course first and foremost. We make good choices with regards to design and material care, and support this with a skilled workforce, many of who have been with us for many years now. Together, these attributes are the key to the ongoing success of Drahtseilwerk.”

Drahtseilwerk GmbH www.drahtseilwerk.de

• Over 80 years’ experience in the steel rope industry • Developed the ATLAS® Rope with Bayer AG • Focused on R&D to develop new innovations

Profile: lauritzen kosan

25

years strong

T

s

he Kosan story begins during the 1950’s during which time the company constructed the first ever purpose-built gas carrier.

The company was eventually acquired by J. Lauritzen during 1989 but as an innovative and trusted brand, the Kosan name has continued to endure. Today LK operates as one of several

Leonora Kosan

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Profile: lauritzen kosan Victoria Kosan

divisions of the J. Lauritzen group, which is comprised of Lauritzen Bulkers, which deals with dry bulk cargos; Lauritzen Kosan, focusing on petrochemical and liquefied petroleum gases and finally; a part interest in Axis Offshore Ltd., which provides high specification flotels

O

servicing the offshore oil & gas industry.

Presently LK controls a combined fleet of 39 semi-refrigerated/ ethylene and fully pressurised gas carriers, ranging in capacities from 3000 cbm to 10,000 cbm. The company has incorporated some of

ur business relationship with Lauritzen Kosan dates back to 2008, when J. Lauritzen made their first ever shipbuilding order in China with a series of six pressurised LPG carriers for Lauritzen Kosan.

Northstar Marine was involved in almost every aspect of the project and saw through from the conceptual phase to final delivery of the vessels. As a new entrant to the shipbuilding supervision and consulting business, Lauritzen Kosan carefully scrutinised our organisation and engineers leading to a contract for the project, a definitive vote of confidence.

From the get go, Northstar Marine were involved in the design, contract negotiation with shipyard, classification society and recommendation and selection of various suppliers. For four years, Northstar Marine worked closely with Lauritzen Kosan’s technical and commercial teams with the common aim to produce the best work of the day. Working on any company’s first shipbuilding order in China was never easy.

The differences in corporate cultures and quality perceptions were aplenty. It was doubtlessly hard work. But Lauritzen Kosan demonstrated enormous patience, willingness to adapt, exemplary professionalism, making this challenging endeavor a rewarding one for all parties involved. The series of six vessels were delivered to the satisfaction of Lauritzen Kosan, Shipyard and Classification Society. It is indeed with honour and gratitude that Northstar Marine were selected by Lauritzen Kosan, and are

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the most technically advanced and environmentally friendly vessels into its fleet in line with its marketleading reputation and long history of innovation. Furthermore, LK readily communicates with clients to discuss the requirements of new ships before beginning construction.

“Some of the company’s vessels are getting older, so they have to be renewed,” Thomas elaborates. “But instead of simply building the same ship again, we consider the changing needs of LK customers. They may want different ships now. The world is changing around us with new regulations, especially in Europe and the US, coming into force. Therefore we engage in close dialogue with our customers to get a commitment from them before we consider building.”

“In terms of brand, the Kosan name is here to stay. It is well-

proud to have played an integral part in the process.

Northstar Marine went on to many other projects, and J. Lauritzen entrusted us with more, getting Northstar Marine involved in four other projects on different types of vessels for its other business units and joint-venture. Northstar Marine is pleased that our philosophy of building trust with counterparts, being service oriented, projecting transparency and clarity, doing things systematically, all these are markedly acknowledged and endorsed by all of our clients. This is further evident in Lauritzen Kosan’s continued strengthening of relationship with Northstar Marine. We are now rendering our services to Lauritzen Kosan in spare parts procurement and dry-dock assistance.

Striving for win-win and giving good support among counterparts are always good approaches to business. This approach adopted within the relationship between Lauritzen Kosan and Northstar Marine will persist and it is the solid foundation we can build on for years to come.

Sun Yuxin NorthStar Marine Engineering & Service Co., Ltd Unit 1808, Founder Tower, No.1122 New Jinqiao Road, Pudong Shanghai 201206, P. R. China Email: info@northstar-marine.com, Website: www.northstar-marine.com

Tessa Kosan

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Profile: lauritzen kosan

known and respected by customers,” says Lauritzen Kosan (LK) president, Thomas Wøidemann while commenting on the 25-year anniversary of LK as part of the J. Lauritzen group, which was celebrated on 26th June 2014.

“However, it is also very important to let customers know that our name is also Lauritzen, because this name comes with an even longer history dating back to 1884. J. Lauritzen has

demonstrated that it can last, even through tough times and I think that this is a very important part of the story.”

Operationally LK has a presence within Europe and Asia, which it manages from its head office in Copenhagen as well as in offices in Singapore and another in Shanghai, which is shared with other divisions within the J. Lauritzen group. At the same time the company has grown

its relationship with Shell in Asia, expanding on a firm relationship built on LK’s reliability and proven track record. As the maritime market continues to evolve and LNG becomes a more vital factor in day-to-day operation, LK will continue to serve its clients and strive to maintain its place at the forefront of industry development. “We have to be proactive and provide our customers with ideas of what we think they need, as well as listen to them closely,” says Thomas. “The close relationship with our customers is demonstrated by the fact that many have renewed their contract with us every year for more than 20 years.”

Lauritzen Kosan

www.j-l.com/lauritzen-kosan • Celebrating 25 years in operation • Global provider of ocean transport solutions for liquefied gases • Lead market position in Europe and the Mediterranean

Henrietta Kosan

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today

EUROPE

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

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Profile: Norsepower

sail

Setting

E

stablished in November 2012 with the vision of becoming the global market leader in cargo vessel auxiliary wind propulsion systems, Norsepower Oy has spent the last three years developing and bringing to market the Norsepower Rotor Sail Solution.

“Product development and research for the first pilot customer started in 2012,” begins Tuomas Riski, CEO at Norsepower Oy Ltd. “In 2013 Norsepower came to an agreement with Bore Ltd to pilot the first Norsepower Rotor Sail Prototype on its RoRo vessel, MS Estraden. In May 2014 the land testing of the first prototype began, a development that was followed by the installation of the Norsepower Rotor Sail prototype onto MS Estraden in November 2014. After a successful trial period that lasted six months, Norsepower was able to publish that the first small prototype of Norsepower Rotor Sail had been verified to save approximately 2.5 per cent of the fuel costs of MS Estraden.

Norsepower is currently delivering a

second similar Rotor Sail unit to the same vessel.”

Indeed, following two independent trials by NAPA and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, it was confirmed in June 2015 that a single small Rotor Sail on a route in the North Sea delivered fuel savings of 2.6 per cent. This groundbreaking moment for Norsepower suggests that when its technology is implemented at scale, it can produce up to 20 per cent net savings in fuel costs. The tests also reported that the rotor is able to produce large amounts of thrust force, which further proves that there is a valuable gap in the market for modern wind technologies in the mainstream marine market.

Key to this major innovative development within the shipping industry was financial support; having gathered nearly $3 million in funding from investors including Lifeline Ventures Oy, Finvera Oyj and Wate Oy as well as Tekes – the Finnish funding agency for technology and innovation, Norsepower has come up with the only renewable energy

double digit fuel saving technology on the market. Discussing this innovative product, Tuomas explains: “The operation principle of the Norsepower Rotor Sail solution is the same as the original Flettner rotor – the Magnus effect. The key difference between Norsepower’s technology and earlier Flettner rotor implementations are that Norsepower’s Rotor Sail has been manufactured from modern composite materials. The composites enable costefficient manufacturing of a very well balanced rotor, which can be rotated faster than any of the earlier designs with a very low energy consumption and no disturbing vibrations.

“Additionally, Norsepower has developed an automation system that controls and monitors the Rotor Sails; this is very easy to use and requires no significant crew training requirements. We have also proven that the technology can be retrofitted without any off-hire costs; the premanufactured Rotor Sail foundations were installed during an ordinary docking and the final installation of the Rotor Sail took place at the end

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Successful solutions for vessels in distress Rotterdam Ship Repair B.V. Ophemertstraat 56 3089 JE ROTTERDAM Pier 8, Port no: 2520 - 2521 T: +31 10 820 8749 info@rotterdamshiprepair.nl www.rotterdamshiprepair.nl

90 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

Profile: Norsepower

Lloyd’s Register In the past decade, a cleaner, safer and more fuel-efficient shipping industry has emerged and fostered a new approach to ship design – alternative fuels and propulsion technologies are leading the way. Each design is literally moulded to the vessel that will use it, taking into account its range, capacity, speed requirements, carrying needs and daily water conditions.

Whatever technology or solution you’re exploring for your fleet, Lloyd’s Register can help you assess it, understand it and make it safe

of November 2014 during a normal seven-hour harbour stay, after which the Norsepower Rotor Sail solution was instantly fully operational.”

As mentioned, the Magnus effect is the principle on which the Norsepower Rotor Sail operates. In more detail, when the wind meets the spinning Rotor Sail, the sail then accelerates air flow on one side of the sail and restricts air flow on the opposite side. This resulting pressure difference results in a lift force – a force that is perpendicular to the wind flow direction. Because more lift is producted in a much smaller sail area, the Magnus effect-based solution can be up to ten times more efficient than a conventional sail.

Moreover, because of its simplicity as a ‘push button wind propulsion from the bridge’, the solution requires no reefing or crew; this allows the main engines to be throttled back, which thus saves on fuel and emissions while also providing the power required to maintain speed and voyage times.

“With typical configurations of

the technology, fast roro vessels and passenger ferries can save up to ten per cent in their fuel costs, while slower steaming tankers and bulk cargo vessels can save up to 20 per cent without any negative influences or change requirements to their day-to-day operations,” highlights Tuomas. “On route areas with good enough wind conditions, the payback period for this technology can be close to three years with the current fuel prices.”

Mainly designed for tankers, bulk carriers, ro-ro vessels and ferries that spend a high proportion of time at sea and benefit from favourable prevailing wind conditions; vessels must also have the required installation space available on deck and cranes and cargo handling equipment that do not hinder the installation of the Rotor Sails. The essential components of the solution include two or more Rotor Sails, which deliver the forward thrust, wind and GPS sensors, which provide the automation unit with real-time direction information and wind speed as well as ship speed and course data; the solution also includes a control panel, which provides the captain with full operational and performance control, as well as a power supply from the grid of the vessel, which travels to the electric motors that power each Rotor Sail onboard.

The required number of

Norsepower Rotor Sails and the size of each sail are based on the speed, size and operational profile of each vessel. To meet the needs of its broad customer base, Norsepower has produced Rotor Sails in three sizes, with heights reaching 18, 24 or 30 metres. To ensure optimum customer satisfaction, the company delivers the Rotor Sail solution as a complete service, which includes both delivery and maintenance.

While it continues to deliver a second similar Rotor Sail unit to Bore Ltd, Norsepower has also generated strong interest from those within the marine market since the results of its successful tests were announced; it is now in several discussions for potential projects. Although it is early days for the innovative company, it looks like it will be plain sailing ahead, as Tuomas concludes: “Our vision is to become the global market leader in cargo vessel auxiliary wind propulsion systems; we aim to deliver this technology to 200 vessels over the following five years.”

Norsepower Oy

www.norsepower.com • Developed the revolutionary Norsepower Rotor Sail solution

• First unit installed on MS Estraden • Can save vessel owners and operators up to 20 per cent in fuel costs

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Profile: EURONAV

way

Leading the

W

ith roots that can be traced back to 1989, Euronav NV has more than three decades of vessel ownership and management experience focusing on the global tanker market. Euronav is the successor to the tanker-owner European Navigation Company Ltd, an Isle of Man company that was incorporated by Compagnie Nationale de Navigation (CNN), which was at that time a member of the Worms Group. During the mid-1990s European Navigation Company sold vessels, subsidiaries, crewing and technical operations, management companies and goodwill to Euronav Luxembourg NV to form a joint venture between CNN and Compagnie Maritime Belge (CMB). Later during 1997 CMB acquired CNN’s stake and transferred Euronav Luxembourg NV into the full ownership of CMB, making Euronav a wholly owned tanker division within the holding.

Further to becoming a wholly owned division, 1997 also saw Euronav take the decision to order a series of six double hull very large crude carriers (VLCC), built by Daewoo. This was 92 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

the start of Euronav’s focus on larger ship sizes as well as the most modern assets.

To fully take advantage of such large, high quality vessels the company opted to pursue the formation of a VLCC pool, which was achieved in January 2000 with several pool partners. Today, Tankers International (TI) is still responsible for the spot trading of Euronav’s VLCC and formed a joint venture with Frontline in October 2014 in order to create VLCC Chartering, responsible for the commercial management of the largest VLCC fleet in the market. Since October, this joint venture has become the largest provider of spot VLCC tonnage in the world and provided Euronav with further benefits in terms of knowledge and flexibility to market demand, as Hugo de Stoop, Chief Financial Officer at Euronav NV notes: “Any form of consolidation – be it active M&A or commercial consolidation with larger tanker pools for instance - is warmly welcomed

by Euronav. The joint venture with Frontline created bigger exposure for our vessels and consequently we have access to more market information.

More market information means that we are able to respond better to changes in the tanker market and service our clients more efficiently.”

A pure-player and market leader in the crude oil tanker shipping industry, Euronav today is listed both on Euronext Brussels and on the NYSE; this generates more liquidity for the shares and should attract more investors towards the company’s stock, which thus ensures very good access to capital in a capital intensive industry.

This strength has proven fruitful for the company, as it has continued to further enhance its fleet through strategic sales and acquisitions since its previous feature in Shipping & Marine magazine in October 2014, as Hugo notes: “The Suezmax Cap Isabella (2013 – 157,258 dwt), which the company had on bareboat charter, was delivered to its new owners in the final quarter of 2014, booking the company a profit of $4.3 million.

We also took delivery of the 15th and last vessel of the acquisition of 15 VLCCs announced in January 2014: the Sandra (2011 – 323,527 dwt) and signed a new $340 million senior secured credit facility comprising

Left: FSO Asia, Right: Famenne

of a $192 million term loan facility and a $148 million non-amortising revolving credit facility for the purpose of partially financing the acquisition of four VLCCs announced on the 8th July 2014 and refinancing four existing Suezmax vessels. Following this development, Euronav took delivery of two VLCCs that were part of the acquisition announced on the 8th July in December, these were the Hojo (2013 – 302,965 dwt) and the Hakone (2010 – 302,624 dwt).”

On 26th February 2015 Euronav took delivery of the VLCC Hirado (2011 – 302,550 dwt) before the last of the four vessels, VLCC Hakata (2010 – 302,550 dwt) was delivered on the 9th April 2015.

Despite presently operating a fleet of 53 vessels, the company is committed to seeking out opportunities for the tenacious expansion of its fleet and struck again in June 2015 with the acquisition through resale of newbuilding contracts for four

VLCCS, which are currently under construction at Hyundai Heavy Industries. Amounting to $384 million in total, or $96 million per unit, the vessels are due for delivery as early as September 2015, then January, March and May 2016. Discussing this new acquisition, Hugo states: “This acquisition is consistent with three

core company principles. Firstly, these vessels are ex-yard resales, which do not add supply to the market and therefore meet our stated aim to only add existing vessels to our fleet and not to order new ships. Ordering new vessels only reduces the value of the existing fleet globally. In addition there is the benefit of buying such vessels in

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Profile: euronav Below: Flandre Right: Cap Lara

series with the synergies of sister ships.

“Secondly, the time lag between the purchase and the deliveries to the company will be very similar to buying a fleet on the water, therefore allowing the capital deployed to be rewarded by the freight market imminently. Lastly, Euronav actively looks to regularly rejuvenate its fleet and enhance its operational strength. This will be achieved as these four vessels are of the latest design and similar or better to the ones acquired in July 2014.”

The features of these four LNG ready 300,000 dwt vessels, which all boast

a draft of 21.60 and length of 333 metres, include enhanced hull lines, a star propeller, a mewis duct by HHI, improved auxiliary engines and a ballast water treatment system and Tier II engines to comply with the latest regulations on NOx and SOx. The latter of which of course coincides with the company’s longterm commitment to responsible and efficient fleet management, as Hugo discussed with Shipping & Marine in October 2014: “The energy conservation and improvement of vessels’ fuel efficiency is a continuous effort for the whole organisation.”

Other ways the company has improved its energy efficiency is through acquiring double hull vessels exclusively and burning very low sulphur fuel when in the ECA zones.

Moreover, Euronav is appraising its vessels’ fuel systems and upgrading where needed.

As new shipping routes continue to expand and drive tonnage and sea miles higher, Euronav is in a comfortable position as the tanker market is likely to remain strong and sustainable over the coming years.

With demand robust and lower oil prices leading to economic growth, Mr. De Stoop believes the company will continue to play an industry leading role within the tanker market, while finding ways to innovate where possible. “On top of this, we will continue to look to rejuvenate our fleet and find new opportunities in the tanker market. However, we will never expand for the sake of expanding,” he concludes.

Euronav NV

www.euronav.com • Tanker owners, operators and managers • Fleet of 53 vessels • Global leader in the shipping of crude oil

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Profile: Optimarin

Never mind the

ballast A

pioneer in the ballast water treatment industry since its inception in 1994, Stavanger based Norwegian firm Optimarin AS made the strategic decision to develop an exceptionally environmentally friendly solution for purifying ballast water.

Indeed, although the dynamic firm recognised that there were various chemical and environmentally friendly methods for purification, it chose to pursue a solution that uses no chemicals and leaves no residual products that are harmful to the ocean or environment. Following six years of developing its system, the company was given the honor of installing the world’s first ballast water treatment system on board the cruise ship Regal Princess in 2000. Since this major milestone, the company has sold more than 350 systems and installed more than 240 of them.

Further testing, developing and

patenting of new technology followed over the years in accordance with the IMO’s recognition that the issue of non-indigenous oceanic species in different areas of the ocean needed to be addressed. This resulted in the IMO adopting the Ballast Water Management Convention in 2004, which was set up with the aim of preventing harmful aquatic organisms spreading from one region to another.

Focused on adhering to these stringent standards, Optimarin obtained type approval for the Optimarin Ballast System (OBS) in 2009, which was in accordance with guideline eight and the IMO’s ‘International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004’.

Discussing this key period in the company’s history with Libbie Hammond in Shipping & Marine magazine in December 2014, Tore Anderson, CEO of Optimarin www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 95

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Profile: Optimarin

Elcor Optimarin’s supplier of electrical panels Elcor is recognised as one of the leading suppliers in Scandinavia of electrical panels and control panels to the maritime industry. Optimarin has been a customer of Elcor since 2010, and Elcor supplies both manufacturing and assembly of the control panels for the Optimarin Ballast System.

Elcor regards Optimarin as an exciting, high-tech and futureoriented business, and the close collaboration regarding adaptations of the different control panels is very good.

Elcor is proud to be a supplier to Optimarin and looks forward to a continued good co-operation.

IHB ShipDesign One year ago Optimarin has found an entrusted partner in Bulgaria – IHB ShipDesign. Since then the two companies signed a frame agreement and developed several projects.

IHB ShipDesign develops skid solutions, containerised solutions and spread arrangements for Optimarin OBS. Concept design of size range from 334 to 1000 m3h OBS was designed for container installation. The concept was presented at Nor-Shipping. 3D laser scanning is offered to Optimarin potential clients as a part of the case studies.

Bulyard offers complete prefabrication and installation of skid and containerised Optimarin BWTS as an addition to IHB ShipDesign design.

said: “We did our first commercial installation in 2000, then the Convention arrived in 2004 and the system we had at that time didn’t quite meet the IMO’s criteria, so we went back to the drawing board and changed some parts of the system.

This evolved into an improved version, which was type approved by DNV on behalf of The Norwegian Maritime Directorate in 2009. This is in principle still the system we are selling today.” The Optimarin Ballast System (OBS) also has assured approval from a range of classification organisations, such as Lloyd’s, Germanischer Lloyd, Bureau Veritas, MLIT Japan, American Bureau of Shipping and AMS/USCG. As one of the very few ballast systems that doesn’t use or generate chemicals or biocides during

treatment or cleaning processes, the operational capability of OBS was based on the company’s idea that these systems should be environmentally sound, simple to use, flexible and easy to install; moreover, it should be usable on both newbuilds and existing vessels. Features of the OBS include a fully back-flushing filter with 40 micron screens that is fully automatic and self cleaning; it can also remove large sediment particles, phytoplankton and zooplankton under heavy sediment load conditions.

The filtered ballast water is then directed to a disinfection chamber where ultraviolent lamps deliver UV radiation for 100 per cent disinfection. Moreover, Optimarin’s flexible modular construction provides customers with efficient use of space and power as well as easy integration www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 97

with the ship’s systems.

Having successfully developed a product that exceeds its ideals, Optimarin today uses its two decades of experience and knowledge to provide a superior service to customers, as Tore highlights: “We know each system is tailor-made into the integration of the ship and, thanks to our 20 years of experience in this business sector, we are able to provide advice to our customers on how they should operate their vessels once the OBS is installed. For example, you can’t just go up to the river and pump ballast as you did previously; you need to think about where your vessel is operating and how high or low the water level is and what the levels of sediment are in that area. Our experience is beneficial to them.”

These strengths have resulted in the strategically located Optimarin developing an impressive customer base that includes the Royal Navy, Technip and Saga Shipholding; the latter of which provided Optimarin

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Profile: Optimarin

with a NOK 100 million fleet retrofit contract in 2012. This major contract launched Optimarin to the forefront in ballast water treatment (BWT) systems supply for the global shipping industry and covered complete BWT systems, including engineering and service agreements for 24 open-hatch bulk carriers; it also called for large-scale OBS that are capable of handling all seawater salinities and fresh water in accordance to the IMO’s convention.

“The Saga Shipholding contract has given us a boost in retrofit as well as a lot of experience in providing gulf and stream ballast water treatment technology to large organisations; the contract has also led to us gaining contracts with other companies.

“Furthermore, because customers such as Saga Shipholding and Evergreen have our systems onboard their operating vessels, we are both gaining experience in how these systems operate and how we can operate our systems. This experience will open up doors for us when customers see that the OBS works as our customers will tell other companies and we will gain further work through word-of-mouth,” says Tore.

Although Optimarin is gaining contracts through a number of shipping operators and owners taking a prudent approach to meeting upcoming global BWT regulations, the firm is still awaiting the surge in work that will come following the IMO’s approval of the Ballast Water Management Convention. This will only happen 12 months after ratification by 30 States, representing 35 per cent of world merchant shipping tonnage. As of April 2015, 44 countries representing a combined

tonnage of 32.86 per cent of the world’s merchant fleet have ratified the convention. Further accelerating IMO ratification is the US Coastguard’s type approval for BWT systems, which is anticipated to take place in 2016, as Tore notes: “With the US Coastguard approval coming into play next year, 30 per cent of the market will be going to the US, which means companies within that market will have to move forward with BWT systems anyway.”

Aiming to distribute more than

2000 systems in the first five years after ratification, Optimarin is optimistic about the future as more than 50,000 vessels will require the system once IMO enters the convention into force. “With the US Coastguard enforcing type approval a lot of customers have dived into the retrofit market and are asking for fleet contracts involving OBS installation in 2016. We have also witnessed an increase in willingness from bigger companies to plan for implementation.

We are positive about the future and feel next year will be good for us, absolutely,” concludes Tore.

Optimarin

www.optimarin.com • Pioneers in the environmentally friendly purification of ballast water

• Obtained type approval for the Optimarin Ballast System (OBS) in 2009

• Fully operational OBS test facility

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Profile: Rønne Port Authority

A vital

role

The key market sectors for the port are dry and liquid bulk and ferry traffic; there is also the cruise market as well. On top of these business segments, we have also witnessed increased activity in the growing offshore industry around Bornholm

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S

ituated in Bornholm, a Danish island at the entrance to the Baltic Sea, the Port of Rønne is the municipality’s only remaining commercial port and, as such, is crucial for the delivery of all maritime services in the area. Having served as the gateway to the island since the 1200s, the Port of Rønne today is visited by more than 3000 ships annually, with a total cargo volume of 1.4 tonnes; meanwhile, more than 1.5 million passengers and nearly 345,000 cars passed through the port in 2014 alone.

Indeed, with approximately 40,000 people living on the island and more than 500,000 tourists visiting Bornholm every year, the port’s

infrastructure and services ensure that daily life continues and tourists have an enjoyable and stress-free visit.

The Port of Rønne is spread across four sections, the first three of which are home to the port’s primary businesses: North Harbour, containing ten quays; South Harbour, containing 15 quays; West Harbour, containing four quays; and the Southern Boat Harbour, which provides mooring and docking services for personal vessels. They cover a huge area including three kilometres of quay at a draft of five to seven metres. As well as being of importance to the island’s goods and oil import, the three main harbours are also essential to Bornholm’s

exportation economy.

Because Bornholm is a farming island, a lot of produce is shipped overseas; however, the port also exports special products such as sand, which is processed for a range of applications, and gravel. The port is also the second largest cruise port in Denmark, with 54 calls at its terminal in 2012. “The key market sectors for the port are dry and liquid bulk and ferry traffic; there is also the cruise market as well. On top of these business segments, we have also witnessed increased activity in the growing offshore industry around Bornholm,” explains Thomas Bendtsen, Port Director at the Port of Rønne.

In line with these growing opportunities within the offshore industry, the Port of Rønne joined a strategic co-operation known as ‘Offshore Centre Bornholm’ that was constituted in October 2014. Created with the goal of creating growth and more jobs - as well as to market Bornholm as a player in the offshore wind turbines and wind power segment - Offshore Centre Bornholm has grown in the short time since its inception as more companies on the island see the potential of creating a

strong alliance that boasts members with a diverse range of skills.

While the Port of Rønne‘s offshore operations and export business have grown steadily over recent years, with ferries particularly growing in volume, the port has witnessed a drop in its cruise market segment as its infrastructure has struggled to handle these larger ships.

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Profile: Rønne Port Authority

been keen to make the quays and infrastructure at the port suitable for future operations, particularly within the cruise industry. To do this, the organisation has focused on increasing the port’s financial results through a number of strategies, as Thomas highlights: “Over the last two years we have been improving our financial situation so we can develop the port for the growing cruise industry. However, the challenge for us is that due to our geographical position, the cost for infrastructure developments are two to three times as much as other infrastructure projects elsewhere. This is due to the fact the port faces west, which leaves us very exposed to large waves; the ground at the port is also more or less rocks.

“For the last three years we have been working very hard to improve the quality of our services and made an active decision to improve in four areas of the business: quality management, environmental, occupational health and social responsibility. We had a Classification company come in an audit our actions for a period of time, which resulted in us being awarded certifications in all four of these areas of operation. This development has led to two goals: to improve our processes so we can enhance our financial results and develop our infrastructure, and also to provide the 102 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

best possible service to our customers while also maintaining a commitment to continued improvement.”

Impressively, the Port of Rønne managed to set new standards for Danish ports in only five months; the approval was made by Det Norske Veritas GI and was brought to the port on 24th April 2015. In more detail, the quality management certification means that Rønne Port Authority will focus on workflow and business processes that can be optimised, which will thus minimise mistakes and accidents, while the environmental certification means the port will keep pollution to a minimum and focus on how to handle waste and chemicals when ship’s dock. The work environment certification will ensure physical safety and job satisfaction, while the social responsibility certification means a focus on community involvement and awareness of all stakeholders in and around the harbour.

Elaborating on these groundbreaking certifications further, Thomas says: “For the developing offshore wind farm industry, we already have bunkering facilities, airport services and are in close proximity to engineering and electrical specialists should an issue on a customer’s vessel arise. If you combine these strengths with our recent certifications, we are even

more prepared to assist the offshore segment in and around Bornholm.”

On top of this, the Rønne Port Authority has focused on long-term investment of management and employees, with a number of training initiatives.

So far these developments are proving fruitful for the port, with the Interim report announced in July 2015 showing that Rønne Port Authority’s decision to lift profitability and thus enhance the company’s ability to invest has been strategically correct. Indeed, in the first quarter of 2015, the port’s management forecast earnings for 2015 to around 10 million crowns, however since the positive trend has continued into the second quarter of this year, the full-year forecast has been increased to approximately 11 million crowns.

As Rønne Port Authority continues to develop a solid foundation for future growth, the future looks positive for the Port of Rønne as it continues to play a vital role for the people of Bornholm as well as its broad customer base.

Rønne Port Authority www.roennehavn.dk • Bornholm’s largest traffic and commercial port • Growing wind farm activity • Planning new cruise terminal

Profile: Özata Shipyard

edge

Competitive

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ith a history that rivals the complexity of its name, Özata Tersanecilik ve Gemi Inşa Şirketi (Özata Shipyard) was founded in 1985 in Tuzla, Istanbul.

Operations began with the company performing steel sheet processing and piping works of newly and rebuilt ships; this service continued until 2002, when founder Özata Shipyard’s founder, Özdemir Ataseven made the required investments to bring the company forward into shipbuilding.

Through discussions with government authorities the business acquired a 46,000 square metre site in the Altinova area, Yalova, where it has remained since.

Today the shipyard operates on an extended area of 60,000 square metres, where it has developed a strong reputation for building fully equipped yachts, passenger boats, Sar Boats for special purposes and carbon fibre catamaran ferries. On an annual basis, Özata Shipyard is able to process over 20,000 tonnes of steel and has the capabilities and facilities to build ships up to 30,000 DWT. Committed to quality, the shipyard works in compliance

with international standards and classification regulations and is regulated by ISO standards 900114001-18001, operating with the best possible facilities and working on groundbreaking projects in composite aluminium steel and reinforced plastics.

Focused on its goal of making leading initiatives for its country and industry, as well as continuing with projects through innovation, the company currently has a competitive edge in the industry, as it is the only yard capable of producing carbon fibre in Istanbul. As a requirement for this kind of production, the business has wood processing shops, fibre cutting shops, carbon fibre storages, a 2000 square metre factory with air conditioning system and a 10,000 square metre indoor production facility. The shipyard has expanded significantly over the last few years to reach the size it is today. Just three years ago the indoor production facility was no bigger than 2000 square metres, however, following the construction of two additional buildings, it is expected to reach 14,000 square metres in the next two years.

In more detail, facilities at the shipyard include 2600 KVA electricity transformer and power capacity, 700 square metres of pre-manufacturing workshop, 12x60 metres biaxial CNC cutting machine, a bending press with a capacity of 600 tonnes, 8000 square metres of block manufacturing area, 2000 square metres of storage area and 1000 square metres for a social facility area. Additionally, the yard has a wide range of cranes available to ensure quick and efficient services, this includes three cranes with a capacity of 15 tonnes, one crane with a 2x50 tonne capacity, one crane with 2x25 tonne capacity, one crane with 7.5 tonne capacity; three cranes with ten tonne capacity, one forklift capacity with five tonne capacity, one forklift with ten tonne capacity; one mobile crane with 35 tonnes capacity, one mobile crane with 30 tonnes capacity, two indoor area overhead cranes with ten tonne capacity and two indoor overhead cranes with five tonne capacity. Özata Shipyard offers a wide range of workshops that support different aspects of repair, construction and conversion projects, including a 3000 square metre steel shop that www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 103

Profile: Özata Shipyard

prepares and constructs steel using ultra-modern steel cutting and shaping equipment. Able to fabricate all structural sections, either for repair, conversion or newbuild, the shipyard utilises its fully equipped mechanical workshop and experienced personnel to dismantle, inspect and repair the complex components of vessels. As all modern vessels are equally highly dependent on electrical power, Özata Shipyard employs a team of electrical engineers that can check, test and maintain all equipment on board.

Recognising the complexity of the skills within the company, the order books continue to grow in a healthy way.

One example of this is the shipyard’s major project for Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, which it was awarded following a highly competitive tendering process. Having bid 117 million TL for the contract to build 15 passenger ferries in June 2013, Özata Shipyard has worked on the delivery of the 39 metre long and 11.6 metre wide catamaran type ferries, which will have 420+6 passenger capacity and 18 miles service speed; meanwhile the last two ferries to be built will serve at speeds of 30 knots.

The environmentally friendly vessels, which boast a longer life expectancy, lighter construction in comparison to steel and also consume less fuel, were built through the use of carbon composite materials and have

catamaran type hulls that ensure fuel saving when sailing at high speeds.

The hulls will also provide ergonomic criteria such as high and comfortable maneuverability, comfortable and spacious passenger halls and ease of boarding and landing. With operational efficiency ensured, the fuel and similar costs will be minimised.

Manufactured through the utilisation of cutting-edge technology, the vessels were built with the goal of being environmentally and handicappedfriendly, while also delivering the highest level of passenger comfort and safety.

Referred to as ‘Ships of the Future’, these vessels are launched with the purpose of easing transport congestion into the city centre and kick-starting the new age of Turkish shipbuilding.

The first of the 15 carbon composite type passenger ferries, Çakabey,was completed in just eight months and was launched as the biggest carbon fibre ferry in the world in the first quarter of 2014. The first voyage of Çakabey, between Konak and Karşıyaka generated a great deal of attention, with the media, public and businesses alike being drawn to the environmentally friendly, disability friendly, catamaran type hull ferries, which provide stability, maneuverability and large and comfortable rooms for passengers.

Following this ground-breaking delivery, the second vessel was received

by Izmir Metropolitan Municipality

in July 2014, with the remaining 12 vessels set for delivery over the next three years. Constructed for final use as sea transport vehicles, all 15 ferries are anticipated to be commissioned by the final quarter of 2017.

In addition to this ground-breaking project, the shipyard is also working on the construction of four passenger ferries for Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, each at 42 metres in the length. These unique double ended modern passenger ferries will operate in the Marmara region, mainly on the Istanbul Strait, and will have 700 passenger capacity, a shelter divided into sections to allow for the transport of pets and will also have access for pushchairs and wheelchairs.

As the shipyard celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2015, the future looks positive for Özata Shipyard as demand for its carbon composite based vehicles continues to grow and further contracts are added to its strong order book. To remain competitive, the business will focus on developing the skills of its employees, while also looking exhibiting its capabilities at events such as Europort Istanbul, which took place in March this year.

Özata Shipyard

www.ozatashipyard.com • Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2015 • Strong order book • Only yard in Turkey capable of building full carbon fibre vessels

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Profile: Oceanic Technical Solutions Rob Chesters

Expert

S

service

upported by nearly three decades of experience within the marine refrigeration sector, Oceanic Technical Solutions was established in December 2014 to provide high quality refrigeration service, inspection, compressor overhaul, spare parts and refrigerant retrofits to all kinds of vessels on a global scale. Having not only developed internationally renowned expertise from decades of working for Wilhelmsen Ship Service and other world leading refrigeration organisations, the UK headquartered company has also earned a thorough understanding of its customers business concerns.

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“Although we are a fairly new company, having been founded in December 2014, we are not new to the industry. In fact, with Dave Lloyd joining Oceanic Technical Solutions as our Technical Director in January 2015, we have 28 years’ experience of marine refrigeration expertise from his time working for Dobsons, Unitor and later Wilhelmsen Ship Service. At one point Wilhelmsen had a large global coverage when it came to refrigeration engineers, however, for one reason or another, a decision was made to reduce the size of that service network. A number of these engineers now work solely for us, while others are working for us on a subcontractor level as well. We have

been fortunate to acquire the skills of these quality engineers; the challenge going forward will be replicating this quality,” begins Rob Chesters, Managing Director at Oceanic Technical Solutions.

With more than 20 years’ experience in the international maritime sector, Rob is keen to use his skills in service operations, sales and marketing, business management and business development to further establish Oceanic Technical Solutions as a globally renowned refrigeration specialist that is fully prepared to meet customer demand. “Based upon where we saw market trends and customer requirements, we segmented the business into five business areas:

marine refrigeration inspections, refrigeration compressor overhauls, refrigeration spare parts and equipment, refrigerant retrofits and compliance and general refrigeration services,” explains Rob. No matter how challenging a customer’s requirement, Oceanic Technical Solution’s expert team is capable of finding the optimum solution; ready and available, its engineers can fly out from the company’s service hubs in Europe and Singapore to ensure a fast response.

“Our marketplace is entirely global,” says Rob. “In fact, we have just signed a two-year service agreement with MOL LNG Transport (Europe) Ltd to service its fleet of 15 LNG vessels on an annual basis; this includes a complete inspection of each vessel’s system and a full analysis and leak testing of the plant.”

In more detail, one way the company can prevent plant downtime, lost provisions and, in some cases, lost cargo and off hire charges is through its compressor overhauls service. With specialists available in strategic locations, Oceanic Technical Solutions provides schedules and guidelines for overhauling even the most complex screw and reciprocating compressors. This service includes a complete strip down and clean of the compressor as well as a thorough check for damage; following this, all tolerances are recorded and checked in accordance with manufacturer’s recommendations.

In addition, Oceanic Technical Solutions provides refrigeration inspections to customers with the aim of driving down refrigerant consumption and introducing a preventative plant maintenance ethos, which is focused on helping customers deal with the next phase of environmental laws and regulations with regards to refrigerant gases.

Indeed, since the phase out and complete ban of CFC Refrigerants more than a decade ago, and subsequent ban on HCFC refrigerants such as R22 from January 2015, attention has shifted towards HFC Gases with particular focus on high global warming potential (above GWP 2500). www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 107

Profile: Oceanic Technical Solutions

“Approximately 75 per cent of the world’s fleet is using HFC refrigerants such as R404A & R507 which are the focus of the latest reduction of High GWP refrigerants placed on the market. This reduction has already started, so what you will see now is

that the cost of that refrigerant will dramatically escalate. Furthermore, from January 2020, there will be a service ban on plants that contain those refrigerants, which means it won’t necessarily be illegal to have those plants, but it will be illegal to work on those plants and illegal to top up. This regulation is just four years away and most vessels are going to need to be retrofitted to a more environmentally friendly refrigerant,” explains Rob. To ensure compliance, fully qualified and experienced engineers at Oceanic Technical Solutions can evaluate a system and recommend the most economic solution for changing the system refrigerant while maintaining performance and meeting environmental legislation.

Proud to understand the needs of its customers, Oceanic Technical Solutions has also used its long-term knowledge to develop a complete solution for a range of multibrand spare parts and accessories.

Furthermore, if the required product is no longer available, Oceanic Technical Solutions is able to offer an alternative solution.

Although still in its infancy, the future looks positive for Oceanic Technical Solutions as it continues to deliver expert advice and high quality solutions to customers operating in a challenging and increasingly environmentally focused industry.

“Moving forward, we will target our skill set to ship owners globally whilst sharing our expertise with the more complex systems found onboard LNG vessels and refrigerated cargo ships. Another key focus for us is to raise awareness on regulations while also helping our customers to reduce the amount of refrigerants they are consuming,” concludes Rob.

Oceanic Technical Solutions

oceanictechnical.com • Marine refrigeration service providers • Service hubs in the Europe and Singapore • New two-year service agreement with MOL LNG Transport (Europe) Ltd

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Profile: Harland Simon UPS

W

ith a history dating as far back as 1915, when Harland Simon Plc was founded in Milton Keynes, the Harland Simon UPS division was established in 1995 in recognition of Harland Simon Plc’s need to diversify into new market areas.

Following three years of success and continued expansion, Harland

Power up!

Simon UPS was officially founded as its own independent organisation in September 1998. “Harland Simon Plc and Harland Simon UPS are two separate trading companies operating under the same family ownership. We operate as manufacturers and resellers of uninterruptible power supplies that allow a user’s equipment to keep functioning for a prescribed period of time if the mains are interrupted.

With Harland Simon Plc established in 1915, the group is now celebrating its centennial year; meanwhile, the UPS division began in 1995, so we are also celebrating our 20th anniversary in 2015,” begins Phillip Smith, Proposals Manager at Harland Simon UPS Ltd. Since its inception, the company has sold hundreds of installations, both in the UK and on a global scale and also operates as a supplier for the main UPS manufacturers; including Eaton; a leading worldwide power management company. A recent project involving

Eaton took place when Electro Flow Controls (EFC) required a specialised company to provide modified off-theshelf UPS products, for which Harland Simon UPS provided a number of modified marinised Eaton 1.5kVA and 3kVA EX AC UPS to support the communication systems on board jack-up rigs and ships. The project resulted in EFC successfully gaining a reliable and practical solution through the utilisation of a world-renowned OEM COTS UPS, which has extended the life of the system and thus provided added value.

Further growth of the company resulted in a move to larger premises in June 2008 as well as the launch in 2014 of the Harland ProtectUPS®; a range of rugged power protection systems that has been specifically designed and produced to provide protected uninterrupted power to support critical equipment applications in harsh conditions. www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 109

Suitable for the defence, industrial, marine, transport and utilities markets the Harland ProtectUPS® comes with a wide range of options that are specific to the end application; products within this range also incorporate special form, fit, function features and modifications through the utilisation of globally supported rugged modules and components that are available on a commercial scale. “A number of our systems integrate with Eaton’s UPS products, the central part being the Eaton power module. This system takes up between 20 per cent to 40 per cent of the cost; so we sell Harland ProtectUPS®, but at the heart of that is the Eaton UPS, an extremely reliable, well manufactured and proven technology in the IT environment that, once integrated with our product, gives the same level of reliability in a much harsher environment. The Eaton UPS is an integral part of the Harland Protect UPS®,” highlights Phillip.

In-house design, manufacturing and testing takes place in Harland Simon UPS’s ISO 9001:2008 approved Milton Keynes based factory, which boasts 2D and 3D electrical and mechanical CAD design, as well as facilities for customer demonstrations 110 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

and acceptance testing to take place.

Customers have the option of choosing an existing model from an extensive portfolio, or an assembled to order system that is specifically designed and installed to meet specific legislative requirements such as IACS-E10 for the marine industry.

In fact, in 2015 Harland Simon UPS announced that it has covered the highest standards set by all 12 approval authorities within the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) to become the only UK manufacturer of IACS approved marine integrated UPS solutions; a major feat for the firm considering the notoriously poor environments on board a vessel.

To meet these stringent standards, the company tested all of its equipment to the harshest rules and regulations set by each authority with regards to shock, vibration, temperature, EMC and standard IACS-E10. “The approval authorities state that those operating in these harsh environments in the marine and offshore industries must have a UPS system on board. Because of the challenging environment, the UPS is a critical insurance policy that ensures a

ship can operate safely, can manoeuvre and communicate at all times; if a UPS isn’t working then a ship can’t sail. We want customers to want the Harland ProtectUPS® - M, not just a commercial, non-certified product; this way we can ensure safe sailing for our customers for a long period of time,” explains Sales Director at Harland Simon UPS Andy Parfitt.

Used to offer comprehensive power protection and battery backup for a wide range of marine based applications on vessels including commercial ferries to oil rigs, the Harland ProtectUPS® - M has been manufactured to withstand high levels of vibration, shock and extreme temperatures. Typical applications that it is used for include critical IT equipment, thrusters, drilling drives, control and monitoring systems, communications, gas and fire detection, emergency lighting and on board security equipment.

“Within the shipping industry, our main customers include people who are either supplying or integrating systems for platform management systems, which is where suppliers and integrators merge all of the control functions of the ship. We are supplying the UPS systems to ensure all of these key management systems are up and available. We are also providing UPS systems to ensure consistency with manoeuvres and thrusters and so on,” says Phillip.

“We have also been doing work in the security arena and have a DC UPS system that is designed to maintain emergency communication in the event of a pirate invasion on the ship. We have seen a massive increase in antipiracy and resultant security measures over the last two years as well as for platform management systems, which allow the whole ship to be centrally managed.”

A project involving these innovative systems took place recently, when Ferguson Shipbuilders Ltd. won a competitive tender contract worth £20 million to build two new build diesel/electric hybrid ferries for CalMac Ferries Ltd. Following this win, Harland Simon UPS used its experience in custom system design to provide two AC UPS systems from the Harland ProtectUPS® - M range for each vessel and leveraged the

Profile: Harland Simon UPS

benefits of using COTS UPS products from the Eaton product family.

These products were packaged in Harland Simon’s own manufactured IP54 marine enclosures to ensure the marine system was capable of achieving Lloyds marine approval. Once the units were manufactured and the Lloyds Approval Certificate was acquired, the company shipped the units to Port Glasgow. The first ship was in operation by mid-2013, with the second vessel following suit in 2014.

With the Harland ProtectUPS® brand now well established, Harland Simon UPS will focus on educating its customer base on the benefits of purchasing marine approved products over similar looking, noncertified items that are less robust and will require replacement. “We are working with customers to get the spec. right, the pricing right and to get the right commercial and technical solutions for each of our customers’ unique requirements. Looking further ahead, we will continue to develop our solutions and type approved products, however our overall objective is to ensure Harland ProtectUPS® becomes a recognised brand and is viewed as a high quality solution,” concludes Phillip.

Harland Simon UPS

www.harlandsimonups.com • Specialist independent suppliers of rugged uninterruptible power solutions • Only UK manufacturer of IACS approved marine integrated UPS solutions • Can provide standard or customised products

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Grabbing

opportunities G

lobal manufacturer and supplier of cargo handling and waste disposal grab equipment Salzgitter Maschinenbau AG (SMAG) can trace its roots back to the year 1919. Founded by the engineer and pioneer in modern drilling technology, Anton Raky, the company followed a strategic path of acquisition to grow into a world-leading group. Today, SMAG is a specialist in grab solutions, mining equipment, special-purpose vehicles, control cabins as well as mobile antenna masts. A particular milestone for the group, in terms of its presence in the shipping industry, came in 1986 when it acquired the grab technology division of Peiner AG, which today sits as a major subsidiary of SMAG following a strategic reshuffling of the group’s company portfolio.

Peiner SMAG Lifting Technologies (PSLT), as it is now known, is SMAG’s leading grab technologies subsidiary and provides a range of standard and bespoke solutions to a variety of industries. Currently its portfolio consists of motor, rope, hydraulic and special-purpose grabs, as well as slewing units designed to overcome a host of bulk handling challenges. To 112 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

strengthen its position in the global shipping industry, in 1995 SMAG and its Peiner brand established the grabs business in Shanghai to serve the large port industry in China. This proved to be a significant move in SMAG achieving its world leading vision and the group now leads the Chinese grab market. In relation to this, a particular focus for the SMAG group at present is to further strengthen its position in the shipping industry through an expanding product offering. Part of this strategy has been to reinforce its robust presence in areas of high demand such as China and India and much of this alignment is being achieved through acquisition.

As such, in December 2014 the company announced the acquisition

by PSLT of RAM Spreaders, itself a member of the NSL Engineering Ltd group. “Both companies hold a top ranking and will develop further in their market segments to become a leading multi-channel provider,” highlights Sebastian Brandes, CEO of SMAG and MD of PSLT. With its roots in blacksmithing extending back to 1876, RAM is today the world’s leading independent spreader manufacturer with a range of products designed for every type of container-

handling application. These include ship-to-shore, yard gantry and mobile harbour operations with a number of hydraulic and electric solutions.

Illustrating its leading position, RAM products can be found in ports and terminals in all five continents and are present in the world’s top ten ports.

“We are excited about this merger,” says Executive Director of NSL Ltd Oo Soon Hee, echoing Sebastian’s comments. “The complementary strengths of both companies will generate significant synergies and serve as a strategic competitive advantage for PSLT to seize further growth opportunities and, at the same time, provide rewarding and exciting careers to existing RAM employees.”

The merger brings together world leading expertise and experience to form the world’s leading bulk cargo and container lifting device organisation and will bring a renewed focus on solutions for port operators and crane manufacturers, as well as having implications for wider industry applications. The combined product portfolio of the group now includes a wide range of solutions designed to meet all possible logistic challenges faced by its target industries.

Importantly for SMAG, the move

Profile: Salzgitter Maschinenbau

significantly improves its global sales and production network as all parties now have access to much closer customer relationships across the world with outstanding delivery and maintenance services. CSO of SMAG and joint MD of PSLT, Jürgen Bialek explains: “Through this merger we are able to extend our marketability in several regions and provide enhanced order performance, delivery and customer service.” The group now has dedicated manufacturing facilities in Germany, China and India, as well as a comprehensive global sales and support network.

Following last year’s merger, the SMAG group has been focusing closely on marketing its wider offering under both the PSLT and RAM brands across the world. Of particular note, RAM exhibited at the TOC Europe 2015 show in Rotterdam in August, using it as a strong launching platform to inform the industry and customers

of the newly formed relationship.

With both SMAG and RAM sharing a history of innovation, the show was a good opportunity for the group to showcase its new RAM ‘SingFlex’ twin headblock connection for use on single hoist ship-to-shore cranes.

This unit allows multiple containers to be lifted in one operation and thus results in quicker and more efficient container handling. Alongside this was the launch of the Ram ‘revolver’ bulkhandling machine, which plays a key part in the dust free, handling process of moving commodities from the mine to the ship in a more cost effective and environmentally friendly manner.

In addition, PSLT will be attending a number of shows throughout China, India, USA, Korea and Europe in 2015 and 2016 to continue cementing its world leading position in the market.

Whilst acquisition can offer an obvious route into new markets the process of merging two well-

established and leading organisations has to be managed carefully. By remaining true to the values and objectives of both parties, SMAG appears to have undertaken a successful market expansion as it looks to strengthen its position in the global shipping industry. Only time will tell of its long-term success, but internal confidence and a continued focus on driving innovation at the cutting edge of its markets, combined with the long history behind the group is showing early signs of a positive future.

Salzgitter Maschinenbau AG www.smag.de • World’s leading cargo handling and grab equipment producers • Current focus on strengthening position in the shipping industry • Recent acquisition of RAM Spreaders showing positive results

Since 1919

C.u.A Heiderich GmbH • •

Your reliable partner for rope sheaves and bottom hook blocks.

Ihr zuverlässiger Partner für Seilrollen und Unterflaschen.

C.u.A Heiderich GmbH Breckerfelder Strasse 196 D-58256 Ennepetal

Tel: +49 2333 79000 Fax: +49 2333 790079 E-mail: info@cah-heiderich.de

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Profile: Regatta

A buoyant

S

market

ince its establishment in 1950, Regatta has been working with buoyancy products, and today is one of the leading producers of lifejackets and buoyancy aids in Europe.

Headquartered in Alesund, the capital of fisheries in Norway, the company has benefited from its close proximity to the sea and also shipping companies and fisheries in the area, as this has enabled it to develop high standards of competence as well as high quality floatation products.

Indeed, Regatta’s expert knowledge has been honed over the years as a result of new developments and inventions in line with updated legislative requirements. For example, the company created a working suit with built-in buoyancy – the Regatta Combisuit – in the mid 1970s.

Other innovative milestones for the organisation include a buoyant sweater that was launched by Regatta in 1991 and the first thermal lifejacket 114 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

in the world, the Regatta Thermo Cruise, which was approved by the Norwegian Maritime Directorate in 1996. This ground-breaking product was the created following the tragic Estonia accident in 1994, which led to the Norwegian Maritime Directorate encouraging all producers of floatation items to develop a lifejacket with thermal properties.

The key features of the Regatta Thermo Cruise includes protection against initial cold-shock, protection against drowning, insulation that prevents hypothermia from loss of body heat via the head, neck, waist and groin and a design that protects vital organs and thus gives a feeling of safety. Moreover, the lifejacket, when worn correctly, is impossible to slip out of, and also provides freedom of sight and movement. Following this development, the Thermo Cruise Baby, an easily adjustable lifejacket that protects vital body parts and is suitable for babies up to 15 kgs, was

approved in accordance with IMO requirements in 2002.

Having been in operation for 65 years, Regatta has developed a diverse customer base within the leisure and professional market. The company’s professional portfolio is extensive and varied and includes life jackets, inflatable lifejackets, floatation suits and immersion suits; these products are ideal for cruise companies, shipowners, shipyards, the offshore industry and fisheries.

Dedicated to ongoing product development, Regatta maintains a strong focus on safety, comfort and freedom of movement under all conditions and has a close cooperation with test and approval organisations across the globe.

Meanwhile, the production of SOLASproducts takes place under controlled environments, in accordance with the European Maritime directive.

This commitment to delivering optimum quality with regards

to safety, comfort and ease of movement has proven itself within the professional sector, with a number of lives being saved thanks to Regatta’s products. Most recently, an Irish lobsterman was fortunately wearing a pair of Regatta Fisherman oilskin trousers, with buoyancy built into the front and back bibs, when his boat capsized and sank in Cork. Although the lobsterman was not wearing his Regatta jacket, as is recommended

by Regatta as it increases heat conservation and reduces the risk of hypothermia, he was able to swim to safety and retain his body heat until he reached land.

The features of the built-in buoyancy approved Regatta Fisherman Oilskin trousers include floatation material in soft, lightweight PVC, ventilation on both sides, functional pockets with zipper and flap, reinforced and tailored knees, reinforcement on lower part of legs, adjustable suspenders, insulating qualities, and a weight of 1.7 kg.

The trousers come in sizes small to extra extra large, are approved in accordance to EN 393 50N and ISO 12402-5/50N and are fluorescent yellow and grey in colour. The jacket’s features include an adjustable hood with string in breem, reinforced and tailored elbows, double buttoning on the front and fleece in the neck. This product also comes in sizes small to extra extra large, fluorescent yellow

and grey and weighs 1.3 kg.

Elsewhere, Regatta’s top-of-the-line range of floatation suits, Active 911, has been further enhanced with inner suspenders and Cordura padding on the most exposed surface areas.

Indeed, this development of the suits, which protect again hypothermia in an emergency situation, will ensure the floatation suit is perfectly fitted as the suspenders are fitted inside the suit at waist height.

Meanwhile, within its sport and leisure sector, Regatta has launched the Regatta Marina Quilted Jacket and the Regatta Marina Quilted Vest for those who like the classic heritage look. The Marina brand is light and comfortable and boasts a classic design, meaning those that wear it will feel fashionable as well as safe both ashore and at sea. With discrete safety in the built-in buoyancy, Marina has fleece inside the collar for warmth and comfort, two lower patch pockets with

opening at the top and sides, a D-ring for attachment to emergency stop and a crotch strap that can be stored in the wearer’s own back pocket when not in use. Furthermore, reflective piping is at the front, collar and cuff to ensure high visibility. Available in unisex sizes small to XXXL, the jacket comes in dark navy, while the vest is available in dark navy or vaporous grey.

As the company continues to improve its products and ensure optimum safety, freedom of movement and comfort in all conditions, its customers can rest assured that Regatta has got them covered for many years to come.

Regatta

www.regatta.no • Leading designers and manufacturers of floatation products • Supply to the leisure and professional sectors • New buoyancy suit staves off hypothermia

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Profile: Ciramar Shipyards

The whole

nine

yards F

ounded in 1984 by Naval Architect and Marine Engineer, Mr Luis Contreras Pena and son Mr Luis E Contreras Brea, Ciramar International Trading Co., Ltd. Shipyards (CITCL) today is recognised as a well-reputed marine facility that specialises in afloat repairs, new construction, marine engineering and conversions. A Dominican Republic company, Ciramar, which stands for Construction, Engineering, Repair and Marine Rentals (acronyms in Spanish), focuses on the naval and maritime industry that operates under the Free Zone regime. Capabilities include repair, maintenance, ship conversions, design, shipbuilding for ships, platforms, yachts, barges and naval craft in general.

Focused on its vision to become the leading facility for ship-repairs and shipbuilding in the Caribbean Region, Ciramar Shipyards strives 116 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

to continuously improve facilities and enhance its working practices to ensure an optimum service to customers. Moreover, to remain competitive and highly efficient, the shipyard also constantly looks to renew and modernise its logistical, technological and human resources, which thus projects a strong industry of corporate pride and prestige for the Dominican Republic.

Having grown over the years to approximately 450 staff, Ciramar Shipyards can handle routine dry dockings and specialised machine repairs with a prompt, efficient and high quality level of service; key values that the company has retained for more than 20 years. Other benefits for customers include Ciramar Shipyards providing the most competitive rates in the area and its strategic location, based just 800 miles from Panama. In addition to this, the shipyard boasts excellent weather conditions that have

only a few days of rain per year on average.

Regardless of a project’s size, Ciramar Shipyards goes above and beyond to ensure customers receive the best service possible.

With 20 years of experience in ship repairs, the company has strived to gather a team of well-trained and competent employees who are flexible in their abilities to handle almost any customer request in a quick and efficient manner. Meanwhile, Ciramar’s department of engineering and design offers services in naval architecture with detailed and innovative designs that meet the requirements and specifications of customers as well as classification societies. Certified by America Bureau of Shipping (ABS), American Welding Society (AWS) and approved by Germanischer Lloyd (GL), Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RMRS) and Bureau Veritas (BV),

customers can be confident in their expectations of receiving security, quality and efficiency.

With facilities including floating dock DF-I, which has a length of 61 metres, width of 14,02 metres, depth of four metres and lifting capacity of 960 tonnes; floating dock DF-II, which has a length of 155 metres, width of 24.6 metres, depth of seven metres, lifting capacity of 7.200 tonnes and crane capacity of 2x6 tonnes; floating dock DF-III, with a length of 173.66 metres, width of 33.1 metres, depth of 8.5 metres and lifting capacity of 20,000 tonnes, the shipyard is ideal for new construction projects and conversions. As such, Ciramar Shipyard has worked on projects including patrol boats, barges, landing crafts, floating hotels and tugs. Other facilities at the shipyard include a pontoon berth, at a length of 138 metres and width of 13 metres, and a floating crane, at a length of 44.2 metres, a width of 14.2 metres, a depth of 2.3 metres and crane capacity of 30 tonnes.

To ensure optimum quality, the company uses the most advanced techniques in engineering and design and merges these advantages for customers with a competitive cost in comparison to other shipyards in the region. In addition, because the Dominican Republic is a signed member of CAFTA (acronyms in Spanish of Free Trade Agreement Central America – Dominican Republic), materials imported from the US are at a lower price due to being free of customs duty. As a shipyard that is authorised by the government of the Dominican Republic to operate under the free zone regime, Ciramar is thus able to export duty free to anywhere in the world. Another benefit for customers is the strategic alliances that the shipyard has with organisations including Damen Shipyards, in the Netherlands, for consultancy and technical support.

Other services available at the shipyard include sandblasting, steel renewal, painting, shaft seal replacement, mechanical propulsion,

sewage systems, pump repair or replacement. In addition, Ciramar Shipping offers emergency repair services in any port around the country.

To further enhance its presence, Ciramar signed an agency agreement with Del Mar Marine Corp. in May 2014, which will allow the firm to promote Ciramar’s docking and facilities in the Dominican Republic as well as the shipyard’s services on a global scale. The agreement was signed during the Maritime Week Americas (MWA) event at Riu Hotel, Panama City, at Ciramar’s booth.

Following this development, Ciramar Shipyards became a member of ISES Association, Ltd. (International Ship Engineering Service Association), which has an objective to unite a quality worldwide service network of members who can provide

electrical, mechanical, electronic, manufacturing and specialised services to the merchant marine and offshore industries across the globe. As part of the ISES Association, Ciramar will provide its high quality services in the Dominican Republic, while also supporting the Caribbean area.

With long-term expertise and a firm belief in ‘good marine practices’, the future looks positive for Ciramar as it continues to deliver customer satisfaction through cost-effective, high quality solutions, on time, every time.

Ciramar Shipyards www.ciramar.com

• Twenty years of experience in servicing the maritime community • Offers full service, from design to outfitting • Strategic location

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Profile: docking solutions

In the

D

dock

evon based Docking Solutions has produced bespoke pontoons, bridges and access systems to meet the specific needs of its clients for almost two decades.

Since its establishment in 1998, the innovative company has developed strong relationships with its diverse customer base, which includes port and harbour authorities, marina owners, consulting engineers and other organisations such as the Ministry of Defence (MoD), RNLI and National Trust. Able

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to offer market leading durability, sustainability and cost-effectiveness, Docking Solutions also adheres to the latest ISO standards to ensure optimum quality.

Highly capable of offering a complete solution to customers, Docking Solutions benefits from the long-term expertise of its design engineers, fully trained fabricators, knowledgeable installers and naval architects who all work at the company’s site in Totnes. All workshops are located in a large undercover fabrication facility, which has its own integral blasting and painting enclosure; the site also provides access for pontoons up to 30 metres long and has direct access onto the River Dart.

With 17 years of experience under its belt, the company has developed its own ‘signature’ design pontoons, which are constructed of a spiral welded twin steel tube to ensure a robust platform for both industrial and commercial use.

These high quality, low maintenance pontoons have a design life of 25 years and are manufactured

with an emphasis on recycled materials. For heavier designs, welded tubular floats are used to provide both strength and stability; these can be constructed in sections that are typically up to 30 metres long, with a range of fixed or flexible joint options also available. Bridges of both steel and aluminium are built to the same high standard. Light weight pontoons have been created to form the company’s modular range, which was developed in response to market demand for a more economic pontoon. The modular float design consists of steel box floats that are positioned in each corner of the pontoon deck frame.

The majority of Docking Solutions’ pontoons are constructed from thick wall, large diameter tubular steel, which, when arranged in a catamaran configuration with welded cross tubes, provides an extremely rigid and stable platform. This strength and versatility allows the company to design for buoyancy, loading and geometric demands, without having to rely on the deck frame for strength.

In Docking Solutions’ warehouse, the

floats are fully welded then fully grit blasted to meet the internationally accepted Standard SA2½ and finished in a two component high build solvent free epoxy coating to 440 microns. All floatation components are previously pressure tested to guarantee they are watertight. Should customers require a longer life cycle for the product, Cathodic protection is an option.

Alongside pontoons, the company’s product porfolio also includes bridges and bank seats, fender panels, wave screens, boat storage cradles and special applications for customers including water authorities, fish farmers or energy generators in need of a unique solution. One example of this is the company’s work with energy giant EDF in the first quarter of 2014, which involved the supply of two transfer stations at Hartlepool.

For this contract, Docking Solutions delivered a 38 metre long, three metre wide pontoon and access bridge, which enabled two 20 metre support vessels to be serviced at the same time.

Through its ability to deliver high quality, long-lasting solutions, the company has developed an excellent reputation in the market, with between 30 per cent to 40 per cent of its order book coming from repeat business. A recent contract was announced in the first quarter of 2014, with Docking Solutions tasked to supply the MoD with two gangways to ensure access to vessels from the shore. The contract followed a previous MoD project at Devonport Dockyard, which involved Docking Solutions manufacturing four floating maintenance platforms.

In August 2014 Docking Solutions won a prestigious contract from the RNLI, as part of the charity’s

Coventina project in Poole. The work consisted of the design, manufacture and installation of galvanized steel pontoons and aluminium access structures at the RNLI’s North Quay and West Quay lifeboat construction site. The pontoons reached a total length of 70 metres at North Quay and 40 metres at West Quay, with each pontoon up to 23 metres in length and 3.5 metres in width.

The Coventina Project is a major investment for the charity, which involves the complete demolition of the existing lifeboat maintenance centre and construction of a new cutting edge shipyard and lifeboat centre.

As many of the company’s previous contracts come from networking and exhibiting, Docking Solutions was

back at Seawork International in June 2015, where it showed attendees the benefits of its two main products, medium-heavy pontoons and gangways. With harbour masters returning time and again for new pontoons that can be custommade or replacement programmes, Docking Solutions could exhibit these highly recommended products with confidence.

Proud to play an integral part in major contracts across the UK, Docking Solutions is certain to remain afloat in a market that requires high quality, bespoke results.

Docking Solutions

www.docking-solutions.co.uk • Industry leader in tubular steel structures • Manufactures bespoke solutions • Recently exhibited at SeaWork International

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Profile: The Kooiman Group

Grand designs

C

omprised of three Dutch shipyards and a further five qualified subsidiaries that are active in the marine sector, the family owned The Kooiman Group is involved in a diverse range of services such as ship design, shipbuilding & repairs, conversions, major overhauls and ship operations. With extensive building capacity, the medium sized business focuses on developing customer requirements and turning them into a competitively priced design at its three different new-building and repair shipyards in the Netherlands. The Kooiman Group’s main facilities are Scheepswerf Gebr. Kooiman, which is situated in Zwijndrecht and has been founded 130 years ago; there is also Scheepwerf Hoebee in Dordecht and

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the smaller shipyard, Scheepswerf an Os, which is based in Yerseke. The two main yards benefit from an open connection to the Rotterdam harbour area and the open sea.

Since its foundation, The Kooiman Group has developed significantly and is today able besides ship repairs, to offer a diverse range of services, such as new buildings and extensive modifications. Capable of processing steel, stainless steel and aluminium, the shipyard is modern and well equipped to ensure any project within the marine sector can be executed successfully. Facilities in Zwijdrecht include slipways up to 110 metres and a maximum capacity of 1700 tonnes, outfitting quays of 150 metres and two docks; one of which has a lifting capacity of 1000 tonnes and a width

between the dockwalls of 19 metres.

In Dordrecht, the slipway is capable to drydock vessels up to 150 x 25 metres.

The Kooiman Group also has its own design department, carpentry workshops and machine shop; as such, it can perform a wide range of work, including the installation of engines, shafts, rudders, piping and complete pipe systems. It also specialises in the design and manufacture of unloading and conveyor belt systems, as well as other dredging related equipment.

As a result of these modern facilities and the group’s commitment to efficiency and accuracy, Scheepswerf Gebr. Kooiman was awarded a new contract with ASL Shipyard Pte Singapore for the design and construction of three sets of towing pins with unique features in September

2014. ASL Shipyard Pte is currently building three infield support vessels for KT Marine Services that are based on the Rotortug ART 100-42 class design; in line with this construction work, Scheepswerf Gebr. Kooiman has created a revolutionary design for a retractable stainless steel deck chock, known as the Omega Pin. Elaborating on the project, Jos Blom, Business Development Director at The Kooiman Group states: “With the Omega-pin it is possible to have the towing point above the thruster(s) to ensure optimum manoeuvrability whilst towing. The shape of the Omega-pin makes it possible to perform towing operations with the towing line at an angle, which can reach up to 135 degrees from centre line and 45 degrees from deck. When the Omega-pin is not used it can be retracted. This way the deck will be clear for hose handling or other towing operations.The Omega-pins are designed for a SWL up to 160 tons (design load 400 tons) and a SWL of 100 tons (design load of 250 tons), both with LR Appraisal. Stainless steel and the smooth finishing make the pins ideal for use with synthetic towing ropes. Different executions can be developed on client’s request.”

The company also combined the Delta pin with the wire catcher/chain stopper to create a safe working environment aboard an anchor handling vessel for the project, as Jos points out: “Both the pins and the wire catcher are hydraulically retractable into the deck. Positioned on the centre line of the ship the direction of horizontal pull is 60° to both sides of the ship. In vertical direction the max angle of pull is 30°. This is a simple and clean design resulting in a safe work environment aboard every anchor handling vessel.”

More recently, the shipyard launched the hybrid tugboat Sil-Jeske B in advance of the vessel’s delivery in mid October 2015. This was the first hybrid tug boat built by the Kooiman Group, which proved itself to be a challenging but interesting project for the company; work included extending the width of the vessel, the construction of a new deckhouse and

wheelhouse, raising the foredeck and making new bulwark; the shipyard also constructed and installed a stainless steel stern roller and performed the complete outfitting.

Meanwhile, at Scheepswerf Hoebee, the company has been working on the conversion of a sea-going dredger, as Jos notes: “The vessel was drydocked at Scheepswerf Hoebee’s new slipway, which is where we completed underwater repairs, changed the drive of the dredge pump e-motor into a diesel engine; completed related installations and supplied and installed two diesel driven jet water pumps with related pipe installations.”

Although the market has been somewhat stagnant over recent years, The Kooiman Group has continued to stay busy thanks to its ability to meet the needs of its customers through close working relationships and the delivery of tailor made solutions.

Looking ahead, Jos believes these customer centric values will continue as The Kooiman Group seeks out new and exciting projects. “Our main focus will be on finding demanding customers with specific requirements, which we can convert into a vessel. We aim to do this for a big variety of types of vessels, without limiting ourselves in respect of dimensions. Our strategy is to expand in both new building and repair projects, on basis of a controlled but marginal expansion growth,” he concludes.

The Kooiman Group

www.thekooimangroup.com • Comprised of three Dutch shipyards and five companies • New contract to design and construct three sets of towing pins • Working on the conversion of a sea going dredger

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Profile: Fiskerstrand Verft

Optimum

solutions

I

t has been a busy time for Fiskerstrand Verft AS since it was last featured in Shipping and Marine magazine in August 2014, with the family-owned company enjoying an increasing order book and working on challenging projects. Proud to be part of one of the most progressive maritime clusters in the world, the Norwegian company refuses to shy away from a challenge, and instead merges its longterm expertise with new technology to devise optimum solutions for its clients.

Indeed, since the Sula Municipality based business was first established more than 100 years ago in 1909, Fiskerstrand has focused on developing the experience and expertise of its 140 strong workforce as well as consistent expansion and upgrades; this ensures the company can meet new challenges and remain a leader in innovative equipment and good working conditions.

Such an attitude is vital to ensure its competitive edge and safeguard efficiency; it also enables the firm to attract the highest calibre of

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personnel, ready to devise solutions using some of the most specialised processes.

With these core values in place, the company has grown a reputation for specialising in new buildings and the repair of passenger ships and ferries and is currently working on two new LNG ferries for Boreal Transport Nord AS, following a contract win in 2014. Due to be in operation from 1st January 2016, the two ferries will operate between Oksfjord to Hasvik, and Oksjfjord to Bergsfjord to South Tverrfjord in Finmark County. Ordered by Finmark County Councils, the ferry services will be operated by Boreal Transport Nord.

The gas ferry solution was chosen by the county council as Norway, and particularly Finmark, is a major gas producer.

Having worked together on the construction of four previous ferries that were completed in 2013, Fiskerstrand and Boreal Transport Nord are anticipating repeat success for the two new vessels. The features of these double ended car ferries include a length of 62.6 metres, a

width of 13.5 metres, a passenger capacity of 100, 40 passenger car units and a motor power of 1340 kW. With the hulls delivered in May and June 2015 from Turkey, Fiskerstrand is enjoying overcoming the technical challenges of this project by finding solutions to issues such as the fabrication of an LNG fuel tank that is small enough to fit the moulded vessel hull, yet large enough to deliver the required capacity.

Originally awarded contracts for three new double ended car ferries with an option for a fourth vessel, the company’s previous contract from Boreal Transport Nord was upped to the maximum of four ships in 2013.

The new build contract represented a significant capacity increase on Boreal Transport Nord’s crossings, with each vessel able to accommodate 50 passenger car units and up to 249 people. To boost efficiency and ensure environmentally friendly operations, the vessels used diesel engines in combination with highly efficient hull shapes. The ferries were designed by Fiskerstrand owned naval architecht Multi Maritime AS, while

the hulls were built abroad and towed to Fiskerstrand for outfitting and commissioning.

While Fiskerstrand continues its positive relationship with Boreal Transport Nord, it has also been busy competing for new contracts, with three signed in June 2015 for one new ferry and two new well boats to be used in the fishing industry.

The contract with Froy Rederi will cover Norwegian seafood company Marine Harvest’s well boats needs and also result in 30 new jobs in the area. Moreover, it is an exciting development for Fiskerstrand as it looks to pursue the aquaculture industry by using its strong expertise in shipbuilding. Designed by More Maritime Kristiansund, the well boats will reach nearly 85 metres in length and will be delivered in 2016 and 2017 at a cost of NOK 600 million.

This contract follows Fiskerstrand’s delivery of two gas operating advanced feed-freighters for Marine Harvest in 2014; together the delivery of all four boats amounts to approximately one billion kroner.

Meanwhile, the company is also staying true to its roots with the new ferry contract with Torghatten, which it won despite strong competition against a Turkish shipyard. The ferry will have extensive environmental and sustainable technology systems, such as a hybrid power system. There is also the option for two further vessels to be awarded in October 2015 and early 2016.

Another pioneering delivery from Fiskerstrand this year was the battery hybrid solution for the Fjord1 ferry m/f Fannefjord, which was upgraded with a battery package and became the first LNG-Battery hybrid ferry in Norway. Additionally the repair

and maintenance department has had busy times, servicing and docking a lot of large fishing vessels, ferries and other type of vessels for a multitude of domestic and international customers.

As Fiskerstrand continues to deliver high quality vessels to an increasingly diversified customer base, the future looks positive for the company as it looks for opportunities to expand into the growing aquaculture industry. On top of this, the company will naturally continue its tradition of consistently

upgrading and expanding its wellequpped yard, while also maintaining a highly competent and expert team to stay ahead of the competition.

Fiskerstrand Verft AS www.fiskerstrand.no

• Designs, builds and repairs passenger ships and ferries • Three new contracts signed in June 2015 • Currently working on two new ferries for Boreal Transport Nord AS

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Profile: Load Line Marine

A heavyload

F

ounded in 2009, Load Line Marine S A is only in its sixth year of operation, but the team at the helm of this flexible and innovative company has managed to prove that the company is an expansive and dynamic player.

Holding extensive experience in the areas of ship and project management, founder George Souravlas and cofounder Costis Calfoglou combined their expertise in order to be able to deliver the best service possible under Load Line Marine’s banner. To do this, the company decided to focus on managing ecotype geared bulk carriers from Handysize to Ultramax, equipped with greener and economic engines and an innovative design.

Since it was previously featured in Shipping & Marine magazine in December 2014, Load Line Marine has spent the last nine months scanning the market for business opportunities that have surfaced due to the extremely low prices in the S&P

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market and in June 2015 the company added to its fleet M/V Top Trader, a 52,403 DWT geared dry bulk carrier. “The Top Trader was built in Japan and is the second largest vessel in our fleet. She is in the Supramax category and is geared with four cranes of 30 tonnes each and grabs which facilitate the loading and discharging of cargo at ports. She is now on a long term time charter with Cargill, a major grainhouse that controls global movement of grains. We are very happy to be working with Cargill as they are very selective about their counterparts and the tonnage they use for the transportation of their grain cargoes,� George Souravlas, Managing Director and Founder of Load Line Marine highlights.

Beginning with the management of its first vessel in January 2010, the company grew steadily over the first four years, with two Handysize newbuild dry bulk carriers as well as a third Ultramax newbuild added to

its fleet by 2013. Following further acquisitions, the majority of which took place over a period of less than six months in 2014, the company today manages seven bulk carriers: M/V Charlie and sister vessel M/V Delta, M/V Golf and sister vessel M/V Foxtrot, M/V Horizon, M/V Top Trader and M/V Eco which was added in October 2013. Boasting a fuel-efficient and eco design, the Ultramax M/V Eco offers huge benefits to customers as it carries 15 per cent more cargo and consumes 17 per cent less fuel in comparison to an average Supramax vessel. That means a combined advantage of 25 per cent of reduction of fuel costs is gained per tonne.

With its fleet doubled in less than six months, Load Line made the strategic and inevitable decision to relocate; as of October 2014 the company began operating from its new premises Athens, Greece. Designed

by AK Praxis, the new premises have

enhanced internal communication and helped promote the company’s vision.

Despite these positive developments for Load Line Marine, the turbulent shipping industry and extremely poor market conditions have resulted in new challenges for the firm, as George continues: “We have faced problems due to the bankruptcy of a operator company called Copenship of Copenhagen, which has been in operation since 1978, but has now been liquidated. As a result of this, the charter party we had with this company was terminated before its completion; this was a major drawback for us all as the vessel we had built and delivered in 2013 was based on the five-year charter we had with this firm. The financing we got for the vessel from HSH Nordbank was also based on the strength of the long term charter, however, with the company going bankrupt in the first quarter of 2015 we had to pick up the bills and pay for Copenship’s expenses, such as port dues and bunkers.”

Far from the only casualties within the shipping industry, many organisations have fallen through the net due to the worst ever market for dry bulk shipping taking place in early 2015. Commenting on the market George says: “Current dry bulk freight rates are also significantly affected by the low cost of oil; with the oil prices falling, consumers are buying the cheapest and most convenient form of energy. Because of this, a lot of firms are moving to oil over coal; I read that in the first six months of this year 42 per cent less coal has been imported to China. Moreover, the Chinese economy has significantly reduced its growth, resulting to a further decrease of imports. As a result of the dry bulk crisis, the scrapping of vessels reached an unprecedented amount in

the first six months of 2015.”

On top of this, the financially challenged industry faces further costs as the ratification of Ballast Water Treatments looks to come into force in early 2017, as George notes: “This is a major expense that not many companies can afford right now, however, by 2017 or 2018 these systems will need to be installed on all vessels.”

Although the market remains incredibly challenging for those in the dry bulk market and despite all the adversities Load Line Marine

faced along the way, the company managed not only to survive but even to expand further, based on its excellent reputation, high quality vessels and strong relations with first class charterers that were built on trust, professionalism, hard work, advanced technology and an unrivalled service.

Load Line Marine S A www.loadlinemarine.com • 53,000 supramax vessel now under management • Seven vessels managed • Specialise in operating and managing dry bulk carriers

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Profile: Sea2Cradle

Platform for

W

ith over 15 years of experience and more than 100 successful projects under its belt, Sea2Cradle is the go-to company for owners looking for a hassle-free way to recycle their equipment in the most responsible manner possible.

Able to manage the entire ship recycling process, from brokerage to dismantling and documentation, to asbestos and radiation surveys, Sea2Cradle has developed a reputation as a specialist in its field thanks to the vast degree of experience it has accrued since its establishment in 2000.

Projects undertaken by Sea2Cradle generally start with the production of an inventory of the vessel, highlighting both 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 126 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

growth with the specific hazards of the vessel, forming the basis of the ship recycling facility plan. Committed to zero pollution, zero incidents and zero accidents, Sea2Cradle adheres to the most stringent of standards and only operates in demolition yards with an accident-free working environment; the company also disposes of hazardous materials in a manner that eradicates exposure to workers and recycles more than 95 per cent of all material; it aims to reach 100 per cent in the near future.

Elaborating on how Sea2Cradle has held this zero accident safety record throughout the recycling of more than 100 vessels, Managing Director Tom Peter Blankestijn states: “This record has been retained mainly through planning and control. When dealing with ships, the risk of an employee falling down is heightened as more parts of the structure are removed.

You can’t put safety railings in place on a constant basis because you are

operating in a constantly changing environment, so the challenge for us is ensuring each of the people working on the structure - which could be up to 60 employees at a time - are all fully aware of the dangers and understand what the risks are when working on a recycling project. Because we can’t have 66 supervisors next to 66 employees it is imperative that they operate with a focus on their own safety.”

Having created the inventory, Sea2Cradle works with green recycling yards across the globe to effectively broker each vessel and will find a yard capable of executing the ship specific ship recycling plan to the best possible standards while negotiating a competitive price. Key to negotiations is the evaluation of valuable items, which could significantly influence the sale. Moreover, the company assists 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, Sea2Cradle is able to ensure the entire process runs smoothly right through to the final waste disposal, all while providing proof of proper waste handling throughout.

Although Sea2Cradle’s history is entrenched in the shipping industry, it has spent the last 12 months developing a presence in the growing offshore sector by delivering the same high quality solutions to platforms in the oil industry. This is a natural step for the company, which is likely to result in significant growth as many oil and gas platforms coming to the end of their lifecycle will need to be decommissioned over the coming years.

“Having completed a drilling unit for Shell, we recently took delivery of a jack-up rig for Maersk; these two projects have given us valuable experience within this industry and also shown us the dangers and challenges of recycling these structures. This development follows our involvement with big FPSOs from Brazil and the west coast of Africa that were recycled in Turkey and China,” says Tom. “These structures have their own risks because the oil industry is challenged with dealing with natural radiation and mercury. These products need to be identified and dealt with in a responsible manner and, because we have the expertise in green recycling operations, we feel we can assist the oil industry in tackling these challenges during the disposal of these units.”

He continues: “Within this new business area we are aware that every company is running a risk when dealing with big structures and if you don’t aim for zero incidents and accidents you are already compromising safety. The huge legs on jack up rigs are up to 150 metres, so we are working at extreme heights and need to be looking out for dangers constantly. Each project needs to be a controlled process to prevent pieces of the rig falling down and causing fatal injuries. We recently worked on a project in China and it was a simple drilling unit without radiation or mercury risks, which meant the project was based around height and the removal of pieces in a safe manner.”

As the markets it operates in are

anticipated to grow significantly over the next three to five years, Sea2Cradle anticipates that the number of projects it undertakes will double during this period, particularly within the oil and gas industry. “There are a lot of drilling units, jack up rigs, platforms and FPSOs that will need to be dismantled. With our experience and passion for what we do I think we

could easily make these jobs a lot easier for a lot of people within the industry,” concludes Tom.

Sea2Cradle

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

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Profile: Doris Maritime

Feeding the

T

aking its name from Doris, one of goddesses of the sea in Greek mythology, Doris Maritime Services SA (DORIS) is a Geneva Switzerland based company specialising in the management of ocean-going vessels. DORIS was established during 1983 by Mr. Nicolas Wirth, the company’s present CEO, a graduate in maritime studies with a considerable amount of expertise in both the technical and commercial management of ships, as well as sales and purchase activities, chartering and other financial and operation aspects of ship management and ownership.

Presently DORIS is primarily focused on the provision of ship management services to the bulk carrier and container ship markets.

Within these sectors it provides a comprehensive spectrum of services comprised of crewing; technical management; inspection and survey to recognised industry standards; sales and purchase; newbuild supervision; floating structure management; back office support; chartering and postfixture; and operational and technical

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market

risk assessment operations.

DORIS differentiates itself by providing all of its products and services on an intimate and personal level, which promotes long-term relationships between the company and its clients and crew. “DORIS has a competitive edge because it is a small and very hands on company, where everybody is involved in making sure the business runs smoothly,” Nicolas explains. “In a smaller company it is much easier to have better control over operations and a stronger team of employees, whereas in a large business it is harder to have close control over the managed ships and operations at sea. We are also able to have a much more personal relationship with clients and crews, for example I personally know many of the top officers and many of those have been with us for around 25 years.”

Indeed, the company has established a proven tracked record and speciality in crewing, where it works in concert with Naess Ship Management in Amsterdam, Pearl Grace in Manila as well as with agents in Shanghai, Malta, Mumbai and Odessa. As such DORIS can currently count on more

than 750 qualified seafarers on its roster. Furthermore, from its offices in the Philippines, the Sub-Continent and Eastern Europe the company trains crew to the levels required by customers and management. This is a top priority since the safety and health of those working ‘at the sharp end’ affects the products and services DORIS provides. The company recognises that only by employing seafarers who have the right calibre and possess the right qualifications and professional attitude can the ‘best’ products and assured services be provided, as Nicolas explains: “We have a roster of crewing agents that have worldwide coverage and we prune crew when we think individuals are not adequate. As a small company we are able to maintain contact with our crewmembers when they are on holiday and onboard ship. We also split these services into two groups of ten vessels. In the first of which we fully crew and manage as if we own the ships, while the next group we do the crewing only. So we have two crewing teams – one for each group of ships.”

Through the company’s years

of experience and its shape focus on efficient operation, DORIS has acquired an in-depth knowledge of the container shipping and bulk carrier sectors. As such while the global financial crisis beginning in 2007 had far reaching implications, leading to the extreme depression of the container shipping market, DORIS proved to be both diverse and agile enough to navigate this volatile period and continue to grow in anticipation of the inevitable return to buoyancy of container shipping.

Therefore in responding to these challenging market conditions DORIS has increased its fleet in the bulk carrier sector and worked to increase efficiency across the business in recent months. “During the beginning of 2015 we made investments into several newbuilds, which represent an increase in volume. Recently we have done a little less consultancy work and concentrated more on reshuffling the company’s management structure, implementing various improvements, such as new software. We are also increasing our drive into acquiring new tonnage for specific customers,” Nicolas says.

“The four vessels that were delivered at the beginning of 2015 were built in China and we have a fairly substantial amount of warranty and claim works in place,” he expands. “We have also have had to double up substantially our claim department because in contrast to the container trade, the bulk trade meets a lot of claims from shippers looking to find fault with the ship, whereas in the container sector you very rarely receive a claim.”

As the company looks to the latter months of 2015 and beyond it will seek to consolidate on its recent vessel deliveries and further investments down the years, while using its relatively strong market position to manage further growth, as Nicolas concludes: “Presently we are digesting the growth we had in the bulk side and in recent months we have taken over the management of or built eight new ships. The effects of the crisis are still being felt, but we are lucky to not have loans to worry about, we just have to pay for the company’s running costs. This is a fairly comfortable position to be in and it gives us a

little time to check the market for extraordinary prices for good bulk ships. I would also like to increase our fleet of container feeder ships of 1800 TEU by around ten to 12 vessels and to keep good sea staff - that will remain the most important thing.”

Doris Maritime www.doris.ch

• Ship manager specialising in container vessels and bulk carriers • Growing market presence • Four new vessels delivered in 2015

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Profile: Port Lafito

Important

steps

I

n a national effort to boost economic activity and provide employment opportunities to thousands of people, Haiti is currently in the process of establishing a number of Global Integrated Economic Zones. As part of this effort Haitian investment company GB Group (Gilbert Bigio) has set about developing Lafito Global, a region that will comprise of Lafito Industrial Free Zone and Port Lafito in a bid to create 25,000 new jobs by 2020.

When completed, the zone will include the international port and terminal, an industrial free zone, a business park and residential area. It will

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also provide the area with a vibrant economic social centre, establish attractive regional logistics and become an international hub for the Caribbean. With an overall strategy to open Haiti’s economy up to the world, the centrepiece of the economic zone is Haiti’s first Panamax port.

Opened for operation in July 2015 and located 20 kilometres north of Port-au-Prince, the multi-million dollar site boasts the nation’s deepest draft of 12.5 metres with a current quay length of 450 metres. Ongoing construction will see this extend to 900 metres by June 2016. Speaking at the opening of the port on July 2nd, CEO of GB

Group Reuven Bigio announced: “Port Lafito will breathe new life into Haiti by creating new jobs, training for skilled labour, and encouraging foreign investment and development. This project will have a significant impact on the national economy and have a beneficial impact on the more than ten million people that live here.”

Developed in partnership with private, public and international financial institutions, Port Lafito sets itself the mission of providing the most comprehensive commercial experience in the region with the latest technologies, modern equipment and unparalleled customer service

at competitive rates. Operationally managed by SSA Marine, the world’s largest independent, privately-held marine terminal operator, the port and terminal have taken important steps to becoming an important part of the global shipping network. It has signed an International Sister Seaport agreement with Port Miami in order to collaborate on the exchange of information and ideas with the aim to increase cargo and trade between the ports. It has also successfully finalised agreements with Evergreen Marine and King Ocean Services to include Lafito as a port of call.

Part of ensuring the port is able to compete on an international scale in the shipping industry is implementing modern state-of-theart technology. This begins with the partnership formed between the port and Tideworks Technology Inc., a full service provider of comprehensive terminal management and planning

software solutions with more that 40 years experience. Using Tideworks’ expertise, Port Lafito will be able to implement container terminal management solutions that help it to maximise productivity with tools such as real-time inventory management, flexible workflow tools and instantaneous communication with customers and partners. Project manager for Port Lafito, Pierre Liautaud said of the Tideworks partnership: “We knew we would need a comprehensive Terminal Operating System to help us manage what will be Haiti’s first modern container terminal, and we couldn’t be happier with our selection of Tideworks. Its solutions fully map to our envisioned operations and will provide us with the tools we need to be productive and efficient.”

In June 2015, the port took delivery and put into operation two cutting edge Liebherr LHM 420 mobile harbour cranes. The first of their

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Profile: Port Lafito

kind in the Caribbean, the cranes were selected by Port Lafito for their high levels of efficiency with the capability to make over 30 moves an hour. Boasting a whole host of industry-leading characteristics, the diesel powered cranes are equipped

with remote wireless monitoring to keep track of systems status’, key statistics and alerts, which will allow the port’s operators to keep each crane functioning at full capacity. “There was no compromise made when selecting the cranes we would use to

develop this critical infrastructure project,” commented Reuven. “In our effort to bring Haiti to the forefront of modern logistics, we want nothing but the best and most efficient equipment for Port Lafito.” In addition to the cranes the port is also home to two Taylor toploaders and two container handlers, as well as an array of logistical equipment to ensure maximum operational efficiency across the 130,000 square metre operational site.

As part of the port forming part of a national logistical network designed to boost the Haitian economy as a whole, a second terminal has been established in Port-au-Prince. Currently in operation, the inland terminal was put in place to ensure that the highest quality customer service is delivered to the port’s clients. Located at the heart of the city’s traditional industrial centre and five minutes from the international airport, the terminal boasts 50,000 square metres of yard space, customs clearing capabilities and a 30,000 square foot customsbonded warehouse.

Port Lafito is one significant part of a hugely important programme to rebuild Haiti’s international and domestic economy. Accompanying the port in the Lafito Global project is the Lafito Industrial Free Zone, which will provide 100,000 square metres of manufacturing space, a fibre optic network and 25 MW of competitive and reliable power. The zone aims to revitalise foreign investments that promote job creation and long-term economic opportunities, which provides benefits to outside investors, local businesses and economy. In addition, a business park, residential areas and a number of leisure facilities will be developed to improve the area’s quality of life and boost tourism to Haiti.

Port Lafito

www.portlafito.com • Owned by GB Group • Part of a $145 million investment into boosting the local economy • Phase one of the port’s development completed in July 2015

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Profile: Port of Grenland

A hub of

S

success

ince last being featured in Shipping & Marine back in October 2013, the intermunicipal Port of Grenland has taken major collaborative steps to increase its cargo volumes and develop the local industry. Equipped to handle most types of cargo, including dry bulk, liquefied gas, petroleum products, petrochemicals, cement and process industry products, the port is currently experiencing a record year, exceeding 11 million tonnes of handled cargo. In addition, it has continued its dedicated focus on local collaboration to help generate and boost activity for both new and established local businesses.

“Firstly, following an investment of more than 100 million NOK, we have completed our ferry terminal in Langesund,” explains Port Director, Finn Flogstad. “This means that for the first time, in 2015, we have a daily ship call for passenger ferries. Operated by a company called Fjordline, the route goes from Langesund to Hirtshals in Denmark, and to Stavanger and Bergen.”

Over the past year, Port of Grenland has seen a total cargo increase of approximately ten per cent. In closer

detail, this is down to a 25 per cent increase in general cargo, 20 per cent in containerised cargo, 1.3 per cent in dry bulk and 10 per cent in wet bulk. Ship calls at the port have also increased by nine per cent, with an increase in passenger and transport volumes also noted. Overall increases in volume have been offset slightly by a 50 per cent decrease in personal vehicle cargo and a six per cent fall in lorried cargo.

“Another focus for us at the moment is working with the local communities to develop a new business area,” says Finn. “The region is dominated by the process and petrochemical industries, so it is an area that generates a lot of export cargo. This means that the industry is always on the look-out for new opportunities and also new businesses and industries to share energy costs and synergies with.” The plan for Port of Grenland, collaborating with the local Bamble municipality, is to establish an area of ten square kilometres of land for industrial use called Frier Vest. In addition, the already established Herøya Industrial Park is up for sale, and Finn is hopeful that a new buyer will look to further

develop the site to attract more businesses.

“We are a port that is very dedicated to the industry around us,” highlights Finn. “Industry here has a very high level of competence; we have land available, good utilities, low pollution levels and a much improving infrastructure.” It is in its infrastructure that the region around Port of Grenland is making significant strides, and the port is playing a key role in facilitating this. Finn continues: “There is a political ambition to transfer cargo from the road to rail and sea, and we are working tirelessly to achieve this goal,” he says. “Between 2016 and 2017 the Norwegian Coastal Administration will be constructing a new port entrance to reduce the risk of ship collision as demand and capacity increase in the area. In September, a brand new rail connection was introduced from Brevik to Bergen, which we implemented with Norway’s main cargo rail operator, CargoNet, and DFDS. This is a weekly connection and we will soon be starting one to Trondheim as well.”

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Profile: Port of Grenland

applications, as the county is currently investing heavily into both road and rail upgrades to reduce the distance between the port and its main consumer areas, in terms of both time and cost. “There is an ongoing project to develop the main roads from Oslo to Stavanger, which pass through this area,” explains Finn. “This means that road capacity is increased and time spent on it is reduced. There is also an eight billion NOK investment being pumped into rail improvements within our county until 2018.”

Other comparative advantages for the port’s collaborative efforts to attract new industries are the wealth 134 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

of opportunities present in the region.

Finn points to the occurrence of a number of raw materials, such as rare earth elements and thorium, and he believes that the Norwegian timber industry may be approaching a new era of growth. With global companies, such as fertiliser manufacturer Yara and solar panel component producer Elkem Solar, all established and investing in the area, the port and region are enjoying a large amount of export activity. However, this does also bring its challenges. Finn explains: “We have to try to balance the flow when it comes to unitised cargo as there is a lack of 20ft containers.

Demand for the containers is far exceeding the supply and we have to bring in empty containers to cope.

Therefore, we want to look into attracting more import activity to balance this out, it will also make the operational running of the port more efficient.”

Port of Grenland’s approach to future growth and success is to work collaboratively with its neighbouring areas to encourage economic growth and to present opportunities to potential new businesses. Further demonstrating Finn’s approach to working relationships, the port is soon to hold discussions on its future

strategic plans and investments, and he is confident that these will be fruitful. He is also keen to promote the area as a tourist destination in order to increase the port’s cruise calls, of which it has only had one this year. “We are very optimistic when it comes to this region’s activity,” Finn concludes. “We are in good shape with our infrastructure improvements, we are creating more employment opportunities and we are looking to work closely with other ports to improve market and cost positions in such a way that more cargo can be transported by sea.”

Port of Grenland

www.grenland-havn.no • The port has seen a ten per cent increase in cargo during 2014 • Looking to develop a new industrial zone • Infrastructure developments make the area more attractive

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Profile: Brittany Ferries Port-Aven sailing from Plymouth

Strong

roots

C

elebrating 40 years in the business in 2013, wellestablished ferry operator Brittany Ferries has spent the last four decades developing an exceptional fleet and highly competent team of employees to ensure absolute efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Offering the widest choice of ferry crossings to France and Spain, the company departs from Portsmouth to locations in France such as Caen, St Malo, Cherbourg, and most recently Le Havre. For journeys to Caen, it uses its cruise ferries Mont St Michel and Normandie and to St Malo it uses Bretagne and its luxury flagship Pont-Aven. Moreover, the company provides three-hour fast craft options to Cherbourg thanks to the Normandie Express, which is also currently used to provide fast sailing routes to Le Havre.

Additionally Brittany Ferries offers routes from Plymouth to Roscoff and St Malo; the former uses the

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Armorique and Pont-Aven vessels, while the latter offers overnight ferry services during the winter months. The route from Poole to Cherbourg has the Barfleur ferry available for four anda-half-hour services, while its luxury cruise ferry, Cap Finistère operates Portsmouth-Santander & Bilbao.

Pont-Aven operates PortsmouthSantander & Plymouth to Santander.

In March 2014, the company made the strategic decision to expand its services and launched the Brittany Ferries économie brand. Aimed at customers who wish to cost-effectively travel to France or Spain without the cruise-style experience that Brittany Ferries normally provides, Brittany Ferries économie offers one-way fares for a car plus two from just £70 to France and £209 to Spain. Although facilities and space on board are limited in comparison to Brittany Ferries’ popular and well-reputed cruise-ferry services, the économie branded ship Etretat still includes a

bar, boutique, café and restaurant, alongside free Wi-Fi access and a reading lounge.

Following noticeable demand for its no-frills service, Brittany Ferries added another ship, the Bay de Seine, to its économie fleet to boost capacity and provide clients with a wide range of sailing times. Launched in May 2015, the Bay de Seine also brings the total number of services to Spain up to seven a week; altogether, the company now has ten routes and up to 142 weekly sailings, which provides customers with unrivalled flexibility and choice. “The Baie de Seine is on a medium term charter and, much like Etretat, she has less onboard services in comparison to our standard vessels but offering a competitive price. Over the last 15 months I would say the économie service has been going much better than we ever anticipated; one reason for this is that DFDS has closed its Portsmouth and Le Havre service, which has vacated a market and port

that was already in existence. We have also found that having a second ship and night rotations on certain days of the week has really helped the freight market to consolidate and utilise this line,” says John Napton, Managing Director of Brittany Ferries UK Operations.

“We have noticed heavy freight and more price-conscious clients have used this line heavily, some of which were even existing clients, however, this means we now have more capacity to sell more tickets to Spain on our standard fleet throughout the summer, which is great,” he adds. “Five years ago we were travelling to Spain twice a week; we are now travelling there seven times a week, which really provides flexibility to people’s itineraries.”

While business has remained positive for Brittany Ferries since it was previously featured in Shipping and Marine magazine in November 2014, the company has been affected

by MARPOL legislation, with an ongoing three-year £50 million improvement plan currently in place to upgrade six vessels and install sulphur scrubbers. “We began embarking on our scrubber refits for three of our vessels in November 2014; these have since been completed and the vessels are back in service. The scrubbers cost in the region of £10 million pounds per vessel and it means we can burn the same fuel we were burning previously, so it is essentially a lot of money spent to stand still, but rules are rules.

“Another important issue from our point of view is how long each vessel is out of service to have these refits, it takes approximately ten to 12 weeks, which means we have had a reduced commercial offering to our clients. This is the invisible cost to this process and we will be thankful in March 2016 when the upgrades and installations are completed and we can get our schedules back in place.”

Etretat

PK OEM Parts For more than eight years, PK OEM Parts has been a stable business partner of Brittany Ferries, supplying their fleet with high quality OEM parts suitable for Wärtsilä engines and Westfalia separators. PK OEM Parts understands that reliability, speed, service and availability are crucial elements in today’s shipping. Its warehouses hold thousands of different high quality spares that are fully interchangeable with the original and ready to be dispatched worldwide. PK OEM Parts provides quality and has a team of dedicated professionals at your service, 365 days a year, seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

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All Brittany Ferries’ ships are manned by highly-trained French personnel

Once the scrubbers are installed, the ships’ exhausts will be cleaned and 90 per cent of the sulphur dioxide will be removed, thus ensuring Brittany Ferries will comply with the new MARPOL VI limit of 0.1 per cent sulphur emissions.

In March 2015 the company announced the return of its Poole to Cherbourg ferry, Barfleur, and marked the special occasion with three great-value holiday offers to Cherbourg. This included a one night ‘Cruise & Stay’ hotel break from £64 per person to Cherbourg, a one night ‘Gourmet Break’ from £89 per person to Cherbourg and a ‘Cruise & Stay’ hotel break from £89 per person to Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue, just east of Cherbourg. “The refit and return of Barfleur gives some assurance to our clients that she is here to stay for a period of time. The port of Poole is right in the middle of our Portsmouth and Plymouth offering, so it is very important to regain confidence that we are going to continue operating on the western channel,” explains John.

Following these major investments and developments, Brittany Ferries now has the biggest fleet it has ever operated; as such, it is now focused on boosting efficiency, as John notes: “We want to generate new turnover on roughly the same overhead, which is where efficiency comes in. We aren’t talking about cutting costs or people, but instead maintaining what we have 138 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

Profile: Brittany Ferries Fine onboard food and service are integral to Brittany Ferries’ philosophy

and pushing for more turnover. To do this we will maintain our premium brand for our clients and deliver a fantastic experience, and the only way to do this is by matching their expectations as best you can in what has been pretty rough trading over the last six years.�

Despite facing the challenges of the economic crisis, Brittany Ferries

is currently enjoying the benefits of sterling being very strong and France and Spain becoming affordable destinations. In addition to this, oil prices have remained low, which is further going to create a financially positive year for the company that could potentially result in a new build being announced over the next 12 months.

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Profile: Brittany Ferries Normandie complete with remodelled funnel

Moving forward, Brittany Ferries will focus on consolidating the recent changes that have taken place, most notably with regards to DFDS closing its Portsmouth to Le Havre service and the resulting added exposure to Northern Spain. “We want to make sure we continue to deliver an effective service and maintain our brand. With the scrubbers completed in March 2016 we will have our full fleet back, which will mean we have the most extensive schedule we have ever had; this is what we wanted and we are looking forward to reaching this point in our history,” John concludes.

Barfleur departing from Poole

Company flagship Pont-Aven

Brittany Ferries

www.brittany-ferries.co.uk • Operates a luxurious fleet of cruise ferries • Undergoing a three-year £50 million improvement plan • Launched Brittany Ferries économie in February 2014

Steve Warner On the 17th February 2015, following a very short illness, Steve Warner died.

This was a great shock and loss to all who knew him, especially to his family who were as close as can be imagined. For Brittany Ferries and its’ clients and suppliers that knew him, we lost a friend and a leader who was a company man through and through. In his time as Director of the UK and Ireland, he embarked on shaping the company to his vision, which he had cultivated in close to his 30 years in the company before his appointment as Director.

These changes are his legacy and leave an indelible mark on the company from his period at the helm. He will be truly missed by all those that had the pleasure to know him.”

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