Shipping & Marine Issue 131 April 2016

131 April

The magazine for maritime management

The genuine

article

When it comes to safety at sea, the reliability of equipment is paramount

In this issue:

u Security u FLNG u PPE u Wi-Fi uTraining u Digital technology u Ballast water treatment u Innovation u 3D design

Spring 2016

Editor’s comments THE MAGAZINE FOR MARITIME MANAGEMENT

‘‘

The genuine

article

Access to reliable wifi broadband on vessels is becoming more important and while overall piracy attacks have decreased, the issue is still rife in certain sectors of the world

When it comes to safety at sea, the reliability of equipment is paramount

In this issue:

u Security u FLNG u PPE u Wi-Fi uTraining u Digital technology u Ballast water treatment u Innovation u 3D design

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

Operations Director Philip Monument Editorial Researchers Rory Gallacher Jo-Ann Jeffery Advertising Sales Joe Woolsgrove - Sales Director Mark Cawston Tim Eakins Andy Ellis Darren Jolliffe Jonas Junca Dave King Elliott Scales

Subscriptions ikidd @ schofieldpublishing.co.uk

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Hot

topics

W

elcome to the Spring issue of Shipping & Marine!

There is so much interesting content in here it is hard for me to pick out a few highlights.

The safety feature on page 22 is a good place to start. Talking to DMSS and Hammar about the issue of counterfeit and relabelled safety products was a real eye-opener and a topic I will be watching closely going forward.

LNG and ballast water treatment are subjects that never dip below the top of the agenda, and the same is true of training. Access to reliable wifi broadband on vessels is becoming more important and while overall piracy attacks have decreased, the issue is still rife in certain sectors of the world.

I hope you find something relevant to you in our pages, but please get in touch with suggestions – I’d love to hear from you.

Editor: Libbie Hammond libbie@schofieldpublishing.co.uk

@ShippingMarine

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

Please note: The opinions expressed by contributors and advertisers within this publication do not necessarily coincide with those of the editor and publisher. Every reasonable effort is made to ensure that the information published is accurate, but no legal responsibility for loss occasioned by the use of such information can be accepted by the publisher. All rights reserved.

The contents of the magazine are strictly copyright, the property of Schofield Publishing, and may not be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or reproduced without the prior written permission of the publisher.

©2016 Schofield Publishing Ltd

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Features 6 4 News Updates and announcements from the shipping and maritime arena

6 Keeping watch The close of 2015 brought significant changes to internationally recognised security policy in the Indian Ocean – what might the repercussions be?

8 A thorough approach Adapting the risks and safety concepts of land-based LNG developments is not the solution for FLNG design

10 Moving with the times Maritime security and international shipping the PPE available for marine security operatives

16

12 The sky is not the limit The growing requirement for broadband data in remote locations throughout the world’s oceans

14 Lots to learn The pivotal importance of correct training in the industry and the latest trends for 2016

16 Data aid It is becoming clear that big data will be a driving force behind the next generation of shipbuilding and ship operations.

18 Is the tide turning?

26

The issues facing ship owners and operators with regards to on-board ballast water management system installation

20 Looking forward According to Tim Schweikert, innovation is paving the way for the marine industry in 2016

22 The genuine article It is imperative for buyers of maritime safety equipment to remain vigilant and on the lookout for counterfeit or relabelled products

26 Dream factory Heesen Yachts use of 3D design software means it can create extraordinary luxury yachts for its clients

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Profiles 69 32 ME Solutions AB 35 P&O Cruises/Cunard 40 CTruk Boats 45 Garrets International 49 Wesal Shipping 52 Port of Antwerp

86

54 Bierens 56 Port of Hanko 59 Marine Technologies 63 Port of Torshavn 66 Navig8 Group 69 Orkney Ferries 72 Baltic Port Organization

92

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75 Yara Marine Technologies 78 Spunalloys 80 Kuenz 83 Wescon Group 86 Team Tankers International

49

89 Protection Vessels International 92 Port of Dover 95 Bogerd Martin 98 Alicat Workboats 102 Nimbus Boats 104 Vyborg Shipyard 106 Eric Thun 109 Factorius Vulcano

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Maritime news

Fleet agreement In a potentially huge deal for the business, Optimarin has signed a fleet agreement with UK shipowner and management company Carisbrooke for its market leading Optimarin Ballast System (OBS). The deal has the potential to encompass OBS retrofits on the firm’s entire fleet of 46 bulk and multipurpose vessels.

Maritime award The Isle of Man Ship Registry has won the Global Reach Award at one of the industry’s most prestigious events, the Mersey Maritime Awards. The Global Reach Award is presented to a business that is actively involved in international trade and has achieved global impact. Laurence Skelly MHK, Minister for the Department of Economic Development said: “The Ship Registry is often the first introduction to the Isle of Man for international clients who quickly recognise the strengths of the Island in offering tailored professional services. The Ship Registry is an essential tool for the Isle of Man.”

Lifejacket launch A lifejacket specially designed to safeguard workers in the harshest offshore environments has been launched by Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS). The Unitor Inflatable Lifejacket features class leading buoyancy, a Hammar automatic hydrostatic release system, and a design that is rugged, yet also light and comfortable to wear when performing demanding offshore tasks. Furthermore, the innovative design of the life jacket forms an effective wave barrier. This ensures that, regardless of whether the wearer is conscious or not, water is not channelled towards their face, protecting airflows.

£12 million contract In its biggest contract win since it was established, Next Geosolutions has secured a £12 million survey contract from Prysmian Group for the MONITA Project in the Adriatic Sea. Next Geosolutions is contracted to undertake a large geophysical, UXO and geotechnical survey in support of the cable route design and engineering in water depths up to 1200 metres. The scope will be completed using two DP Class 2 vessels: the DP Cirrus, currently fitted with a Schilling Robotics HD Work-Class ROV for the geophysical and UXO survey, and the Ievoli Grey for the geotechnical survey.

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Next Generation Marine Power & Propulsion Conference; Grand Harbour Hotel, Southampton UK - 26 to 28 April 2016 uThis unique event brings together an international group of experts armed with the latest knowledge to highlight the potential use of innovative power and propulsion systems. The objective is to identify a range of solutions for workboats, pilot boats, wind farm support vessels, survey vessels, scientific research craft, fishing vessels, superyachts, patrol craft, military and unmanned craft.

As conference organiser, John Haynes, explained hybrid is now a viable option and the focus is now on simple and feasible business cases for next generation vessels of all sizes. “It is great to have US Lithium-ion battery manufacturer XALT Energy and BAE Systems HybriDrive onboard, as their extensive expertise from automotive and land based applications highlights the capabilities of next generation electric, battery and hybrid technology,” he added. “It also makes sense to bring in aviation and other transport sectors to drive innovation and support relevant marine safety standards. This is not just green energy for the sake of it.”

The programme includes 20 expert speakers as well as a guided tour of the Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute (SMMI) facility located alongside Lloyd’s Register at the new £140m Boldrewood Innovation Campus at Southampton University.

The workshop day considers ‘new marine energy’. Presenters will highlight how fuel can be saved, maintenance costs reduced and engine life extended. The Hour Of Power concept enables vessels to run in and out of port for an hour on electric with battery power.

For more information visit: www.hybridmarine-power.com

The benefits of experience uSparrows Group has partnered with leading engineering and manufacturing firm INNOVO to provide the offshore industry with the first fully electric-drive flexible cable and pipe lay system for rental. The wider collaboration between the firms will see them deliver full back-deck equipment packages for sale and rental to suit both the oil and gas and offshore wind markets globally.

As part of the agreement INNOVO’s electric drive 700 Te multi-reel drive system will be rented alongside Sparrows Group’s wide range of electric drive tensioners as a fully packaged and managed lay system.

Stewart Mitchell, chief executive officer at Sparrows Group, said: “Combining an electric tensioner with an electric reel drive means we can offer the market a uniquely sophisticated system that delivers greater control and therefore better precision and accuracy than traditional hydraulic drive appliances which can dramatically reduce the risk of damage to the product. Both pieces of equipment are fitted with the same control systems, allowing easy system synchronisation, which also improves the control of lay operations.

“Compact in size considering its high capacity, INNOVO’s real drive is one of the most robust systems on the rental market which can be used with multiple reels if required. Combined with our 50 Te tensioner that works in both horizontal and vertical configurations, the system offers customers a high degree of versatility.”

Maritime news UK first

More time for standards

uIn March Lowestoft-based Sembmarine SLP Ltd (SLP) undertook a series of firsts at its Hamilton Road site. The company has been working with Siemens Transmission and Distribution Ltd (STDL) to build an offshore facility for the Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm owned by Statoil, Statkraft and Masdar. The facility comprises of a topside and jacket structure, the latter of which uses suction bucket technology, a first for a substation in UK waters, with around 6m of the 9m bucket height being sunk into the sea bed on installation.

In early March SLP took the project another step closer to completion by upending and jacking up the jacket. The jack up operation was the first of its kind in the UK and involved jacking up the 954 tonne (approx.) jacket to 14m high using a Mega Jack 800 jacking system provided and operated by global heavylift specialists ALE. The suction buckets were positioned under each of the jacket legs using SPMT trailers to manoeuvre them into place. The Mega Jack 800 then lowered the jacket and held it in place whilst the suction buckets were welded to the jacket by SLP operatives.

uThe IMO subcommittee on Navigation, Communications and Search and Rescue (NCSR) has extended the transition period for software updates to existing ECDIS for one year to 31 Aug 2017.

Tom Mellor is the Chairman of the IHO’s ENC Working Group and also the UKHO Head of Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Support & Digital Standards. He said: “By extending the time available for shipping companies to upgrade their ECDIS software to the new IHO Presentation Library edition 4.0 we have been able to alleviate the imminent pressure on the ship owner and the overall supply chain.

“Ship owners are encouraged to contact their ECDIS manufacturer to start the transition to the updated ECDIS Standards, in order to ensure a smooth switchover and to take advantage of the benefits that the new editions will bring to the bridge.

“Whilst there is more time available, the upgrade requirements will vary between different ECDIS makes and models, so it is important that owners work together with their ECDIS manufacturers to identify the steps that need to be taken for all ECDIS systems across their fleet.”

The UKHO will continue to offer guidance for ship owners, operators and managers through its global ‘Living with ECDIS’ seminars.

Further details and online booking for these free events can be found at bit.ly/ECDISSeminars.

Offshore windfarm win uPeel Ports Great Yarmouth has been selected as the port for construction and installation activities for ScottishPower Renewables’ £2.5 billion East Anglia ONE offshore windfarm. Up to £5 million will be co-invested, allowing the facility to be ready to support activities for the 102-turbine windfarm in 2018/19.

The announcement comes just over two months after Peel Ports announced the purchase of Great Yarmouth Port Company Limited (GYPC). The coinvestment will support the construction of primary infrastructure and groundworks. This includes the delivery of yard storage and marshalling, as well as the installation of heavy lift quay facilities. Components will be preassembled quayside and then loaded onto installation vessels, which will depart from Great Yarmouth to the windfarm site, 30 miles offshore.

ScottishPower Renewables has announced that East Anglia ONE will provide in the region of 3000 jobs, some of which will be created as part of the works at Great Yarmouth. Richard Goffin, Port Director, Peel Ports Great Yarmouth, believes the partnership will consolidate Great Yarmouth’s position as a leading offshore energy port facility in the UK: “This new partnership with ScottishPower Renewables will really strengthen our long term plans to grow and diversify our offering in Great Yarmouth within the energy sector.”

Construction is planned to commence in 2017 with the first turbines installed by 2019. www.shipping-and-marine.com - 5

Security

Keeping

watch

Gerry Northwood asks: is a relaxation of the security in the Indian Ocean the next big risk?

The close of 2015 brought significant changes to internationally recognised security policy in the Indian Ocean. In December, the maritime community scaled down the size of the Best Management Practice (BMP 4) High Risk Area (HRA) in the western Indian Ocean, followed closely by the Joint War Committee (JWC) at Lloyd’s of London reducing the area of the corresponding insurance HRA. These major changes to maritime security policy in the region would suggest piracy in the Indian Ocean is now less of a risk than previously thought. There are however arguments to the contrary.

Somali pirate attacks began to make a real impact on commercial shipping in the Indian Ocean in 2008 and prompted the drafting of the initial BMP in 2009. At its peak, piracy cost the global economy around $6bn in 2012 and dozens of vessels and hundreds of seafarers were held hostage off the coast of Somalia. This unhappy state of affairs resulted in hitherto unheard of levels of co-operation between the shipping community and various national authorities to implement a series of radical security measures. These included enhanced naval patrols and BMP4, and

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when these did not radically reduce the numbers of vessels being hijacked, ship owners resorted to armed guards on their vessels. At which point, the Somali business model started to unravel as their pirate action groups ceased to be able to capture vessels in the face of armed guards.

The decision announced by the Contact Group for Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (GCPCS) in October 2015 to reduce the size of the HRA in the Indian Ocean assumes that the Somalis no longer have the will, or ability, to conduct missions out to the eastern extremity of the original HRA. It should be noted, however, that the military reporting areas have remained unchanged and are no longer aligned with the BMP 4 or Insurance HRAs. This reflects the fact that NATO, EU and US military commanders have all cautioned that Somali

that illegal fishing is taking crucial revenues away from coastal communities, which in turn is fuelling resentment among Somalis who may once again believe that they have nothing to lose by turning to piracy.

Given the uncertainty over the resolution of the Yemeni conflict and the lack of tangible progress in developing Somalia this is a time when the shipping industry should be maintaining a firm grip on its security and preventative measures.

Business loss and ship damage caused by piracy attacks is ultimately replaceable, but the lives of crewmembers are not. While companies may be willing to take financial risks with their ships, there is an indisputable moral case that the industry should do all that is possible to protect crews. It would be ironic that the successful suppression of piracy in the Indian Ocean could lead to the same problems to resurface through complacency and over optimistic risk assessments.

Maritime crime is a problem that needs engagement and commitment from all players including governments, law enforcement, the shipping industry and its associates. With many countries under resourcing the policing of its territorial waters and economic zones, the maritime domain remains largely un-regulated and prone to piracy and illegal activity. Given the complex and uncertain environment, with threats shifting rather than disappearing, forward thinking companies, ship owners, managers and PMSCs need to be watchful for any form of criminal activity and should not tolerate those who cut corners.

Up to now, the Indian Ocean has become one of the safest oceans in the world. Lapses in security could easily reverse that situation. n piracy has been suppressed, not eradicated. By which they mean that the conditions ashore in Somali remain largely unchanged and that they are concerned that the Somalis could easily return to wide ranging patrols of the Indian Ocean in search of vessels to hijack and ultimately hold for ransom.

The obvious risk is that financially pressured shipping companies may see the HRA reduction as an opportunity to reduce costs through reductions in security measures, thus leaving themselves exposed to attacks by opportunistic pirate groups. Something which is possible in the Gulf of Aden where the coasts of Yemen and Somali spawn a steady stream of local boat traffic which can be configured for, say, human trafficking one moment, and piracy the next. At the same time, it is becoming increasingly apparent

Gerry Northwood, OBE

Gerry Northwood OBE, is COO of maritime security company MAST. MAST is a leading global security provider with the expertise and capability to provide comprehensive security advice, including the delivery of intelligence information, physical security solutions and technology. MAST is without doubt one of the pioneers in the maritime security industry, having been at the heart of development of the legal and operational standards that now allow clients to engage security services in the marine sector with confidence. With offices in the UK, USA, Malta, Oman, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Singapore and China, the company has the resources and the reach to provide clients with a complete solution. www.mast-security.com

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FLNG

A thorough

approach Simply adapting the risk and safety concepts of land-based LNG developments is not the solution when it comes to FLNG design, believes Suba Sivandran The emergence of the floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) concept has seen an unprecedented focus on development activity and has reinforced the commercial interest in these facilities. However, as the industry strives to make the concept a reality, in addition to the already formidable risks present in conventional projects, a plethora of distinctive risks associated with FLNG have now been added to the mix, with little industry experience to learn from.

In this feature, Suba Sivandran highlights the unique safety concerns which need to be considered and provides insight into the benefits of using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to complement physical modelling through Wind Tunnel Testing and ensure oil and gas operators have confidence that the design is fit for purpose in all operating conditions.

Growing demand for natural gas as a cleanenergy alternative to traditional fossil fuels has resulted in unprecedented innovation in the global offshore LNG industry. In the last ten years alone, producers have made rapid efficiency improvements within the value chain, first through

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the use of re-gasification vessels and then floating storage and re-gasification units (FSRU). FLNG represents the latest development in this fastmoving industry sector.

Floating above an offshore natural gas field, the FLNG facility will theoretically produce, liquefy, store and transfer LNG and potentially liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and condensate at sea before carriers ship the product direct to market. Although this approach has its benefits, it also presents its own challenges. When considering the design and construction of the FLNG facility, every element of a conventional land-based LNG facility needs to fit into an area a fraction of the size, whilst maintaining appropriate levels of safety and giving increased

flexibility to LNG production. Furthermore, the offshore environment and associated metocean conditions, including wave motions, can create significant challenges.

Advantages of FLNG units include a reduced use of materials, land and seabed and therefore, cost and a reduced impact on coastal habitats by avoiding pipelines, dredging activities and jetty construction. In addition, the flexibility of the concept allows for a gas field to be exploited and then theoretically, it can be simply moved to another location, rather than having to be decommissioned.

Owners must anticipate future requirements and deliver long-term performance, which in turn, places even greater pressure on ensuring optimum design and asset integrity management of the facility.

As the number of proposed FLNG facilities increase to meet the demand for transportation of gas reserves stranded in remote offshore locations such as South East Asia and Africa, it is essential that the safety risks are fully understood within the concept design phase. These risks relate to: metocean conditions; impact on marine environment; possible likelihood and consequence of fire and explosion; security and evacuation and in-service maintenance. The effective management of all of these risks should involve a quantitative assessment to help optimise the design, incorporate mitigation measures and devise hazard and management strategies.

The greatest opportunities to reduce risks are during the initial hazard assessment stage within the conceptual design phase whereby an inherently safer design can be achieved. Once a more detailed design has been agreed, there may be limited scope to apply hazard avoidance methods. The offshore oil and gas industry is increasingly moving towards a more proactive approach to risk mitigation and away from a reactive approach. A formal safety assessment or safety case approach is a structured way of handling risks. Through an initial hazard assessment, hazards are identified and measured qualitatively. Certain hazards that are deemed to have the potential to cause a major accident event (MAE) are then taken forward to the consequence assessment stage where these hazards are then assessed quantitatively. In the final stage, hazards are quantified in terms of risk to personnel, environment and asset through techniques such as a Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) so as to demonstrate everything has been done to ensure that risks are reduced to as low as reasonably practicable.

Within the consequence assessment stage, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) can be used as a design tool to achieve an inherently safer design. Through assessment of gas releases and fire scenarios and natural ventilation of the FLNG process topsides, recommendations can be made concerning process equipment arrangement and mitigation and prevention strategies. Optimisation

of the process topsides layout can be achieved to ensure less congestion and less confinement.

This can include physical separation of major components containing hydrocarbons and where necessary, the introduction of barriers (e.g. blast walls) to prevent the escalation of risk should a hazard be realised. CFD should be seen as a design tool used to design for scenarios that are credible whilst following a risk-based approach.

Wind tunnel testing can also help ensure we are designing for safety. Over the last six years we have carried out testing on seven FLNG designs to assist designers in understanding potential mean forces and moments acting on a FLNG vessel. Wind and current measurements can be combined to determine heeling moments for a stability analysis and wind forces and moments are also necessary inputs to analyses of the mooring and thruster systems. Similarly, operations within the offshore industry are becoming more complex and riskier due to ship sizes and vessels finding themselves in close proximity of one another. As such, it is important to understand the aerodynamic proximity effects associated with side-by-side operations through the use of wind tunnel testing.

Wind tunnel testing and advanced techniques such as CFD can play an integral role in helping to refine the design of an FLNG vessel. CFD should never be seen as a replacement to physical modelling, but rather a complement and the key is being able to interpret and understand the results of theory and experiment.

Bringing the two techniques together, the risks surrounding helicopter operations, which present another common MAE in offshore oil and gas, can be greatly reduced by using CFD and wind tunnel testing. Two of the biggest impacts to helideck environmental conditions are turbulence and hot turbine exhaust. Wind turbulence generated from airflow over obstructions such as the process topsides and turbine exhaust can significantly increase the risk involved with helicopter approach and landing.

Standards such as CAP 437 Standard for Offshore Helicopter Landing Areas and NORSOK C-004 Helicopter Deck on Offshore Installations provide guidance and a prescriptive approach to Helideck Operations and Helideck Design. Using

CFD and wind tunnel testing together we can optimise helideck location and determine the best compromise between conflicting requirements so as to identify helicopter operating limitations likely to be imposed due to turbulence, downdraft or hot gases. With the CFD model validated against the wind tunnel testing, we can then rapidly run simulations testing further scenarios and optimise the design such as estimating the likely helideck downtime.

Developing advancement and most importantly, commonality in the methodology that combines reliable testing and simulation-based prediction of 3D wind fields and forces acting on large scale offshore vessels and floating production systems is key. Such an approach will provide operators and designers of these structures with the opportunity to drive forward these designs with ever increasing reliability and efficiency.

In today’s current economic climate when it may seem tempting to take short cuts and save on capital expenditure, optimising design early on in a project can help to not only reduce risks to personnel, environment and asset but also reduce costs by avoiding conservatism. A thorough approach to design and a clear understanding of the risks present to an FLNG project can also be used to increase confidence with investors and financial institutions. Taking a risk-based approach to design will ensure there won’t be any nasty surprises further down the line. n Suba Sivandran is Head of Oil and Gas at BMT Fluid Mechanics, a subsidiary of BMT Group.

BMT Fluid Mechanics is internationally recognised as a leading independent specialist in the fields of computational modelling and wind engineering for the oil & gas and civil construction industries. The company uses its key skills in fluid dynamics, naval architecture, physical modelling and numerical modelling to help designers and operators optimise design, minimise commercial risk and maximise safety. BMT Fluid Mechanics is based in London, Houston, Kuala Lumpur, Abu Dhabi and Hong Kong. www.bmtfm.com To learn more about BMT’s work in oil & gas please go to: http://www.bmt.org/markets/oil-and-gas/

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PPE

Moving with the

times

Maritime security and international shipping a look at modern piracy. By Joshua Nash

Travel by sea has been an important aspect of human travel, and while technological advancements have brought about other methods of transport, shipping has remained important. It has been of particular importance to the world’s economy, which is why piracy has proven to be such a major problem throughout the years. Modern piracy continues to play havoc with international shipping, and has a massive economic and human cost. Attacks cost the international economy an unparalleled amount of money, which explains why crews and companies go to such lengths to protect themselves.

The impact of modern piracy Modern piracy is synonymous with Somali pirates, which are often featured in the media as being responsible for attacks. This is not unfounded, and Somali based piracy has cost the international community over $6bn in 2012 alone. Somalia is certainly not the only source of piracy either, which makes the impact of piracy on world shipping all the more serious. While the past few years have seen a decrease in pirate attacks, and particularly in Somali piracy, attacks are still a serious threat that need to be safeguarded against.

Eighty per cent of all world trade is undergone through international shipping, which explains

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somewhat why both pirates and the anti-piracy industry have been so successful in recent years.

Overall attacks may have decreased, but piracy is still rife and has even risen in areas of increasing trade and shipping. For example, there has been a dramatic rise in piracy in South East Asia. Similarly, the scope of attacks has widened, meaning pirates are increasingly attacking any and all ships.

Surprisingly, even warships can be targeted, with pirates attacking two separate warships in 2010.

As part of this increase in scope, attacks are becoming more and more deadly, with pirates increasingly using high-powered weapons. The ultimate aim of any attack is to board the target,

MILTAC body armour Camo Green

which happens in 75 per cent of all attacks. It is worth noting, however, that the very nature of modern piracy means that statistics are often difficult to ascertain, and the true threat of piracy may be far higher.

Protecting against boarding, however, has to be the main focus for crews.

While traditional methods of deterring pirates are still in common use, things like water hoses and barbed wire for example are struggling to combat the increasingly dangerous pirate threat.

Therefore, many crafts - including civilian vessels - have turned to private security.

comfortably for extended periods, and will certainly be no heavier than the rest of the equipment most security officers will wear.

They may be of particular use for MSOs, as pirates continue to appropriate high-powered weaponry to use in attacks.

On the other hand, it may not be firearms that are the only threat to MSOs, as handheld and closequarters weapons will be more prevalent in a boarding situation.

Kevlar vests cannot protect against edged or spiked weapons because the soft fabric, while incredibly strong, can be easily cut or bypassed.

Stab and spike proof vests therefore require additional materials, usually chainmail and/or laminated plastic. This provides a tough surface to stop penetration. n

Maritime security services Private security consists of armed guards, known as Maritime Security Operatives (MSOs), who are tasked with providing protection for ships of all sizes. However, their presence also serves as a show of strength, which provides a secondary method of defence; by having armed guards present on a ship pirates may be deterred from attacking. For shipping crews, similarly, their presence will help make them feel secure and put their minds at ease.

This presence is aided in part by their equipment, as protection and weaponry furthers the image of a professional and prepared security force. This equipment is, of course, vital for the MSOs, who need to be protected and armed in order to confidently perform in their role.

Body armour is absolutely necessary for these individuals, particularly as pirates increasingly use firearms and high-powered weapons in attacks.

Bulletproof vests are available in different styles, depending on the situations it will be worn in. An overt bulletproof vest, for example, is one that is worn over clothing or as part of a uniform. These are most appropriate for MSOs, as the sight of body armour further cements their preparedness and authority. Similarly, many overt vests can be customised with logos and insignia, high visibility covers, and even floatation devices, which are of particular interest to those working at sea.

For some branches of maritime security, however, an overt vest will be inappropriate. Those serving on civilian crafts may need to remain discreet and present a more relaxed demeanour to passengers. This does not mean that they cannot be protected however, and it is unreasonable

to expect these individuals to perform without protection. Therefore, a covert vest would be ideal for these situations. Covert vests are worn underneath clothing and can offer the same levels of protection and comfort.

The protection available MSOs must be aware of the threats they will most likely face. Just as bullet resistant vests are available in different styles, so too are they available at different levels of protection. These levels conform to the standards outlined by the US National Institute of Justice, the world leader in ballistics testing. These NIJ Levels outline exactly what ammunition a vest can stop, with higher levels capable of preventing penetration by even armourpiercing rounds.

While the lower levels of protection are achieved by using soft and flexible materials like Kevlar, higher protection needs rigid panels of ceramics and/or polyethylene, which are inserted into a vest.

These panels are still light enough to be worn

Commander-black Joshua Nash works at SafeGuard, an international manufacturer and distributor of body armour. Its work in the research and development of ballistic protection allows the company to offer cuttingedge information to a variety of industries. It uses its knowledge of ballistic protection to help further the awareness of protective clothing and general safety. www.safeguardclothing.com

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Wi-Fi

The sky is not the

limit

For market players operating throughout the marine environment, access to reliable Wi-Fi broadband data is becoming increasingly important. Andrew Dann talks to Milano Teleport CEO, Umberto Gallo about the growing requirement for broadband data in remote locations throughout the world’s oceans On 6th August 1991 Tim Berners-Lee’s World Wide Web became publically available. It was the culmination of a series of technical developments that had begun decades before and more specifically, the result of research carried out by Berners-Lee at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) during the 1980s to find a way for physicists to share data across the globe without the need to each use the safe software and hardware.

Umberto Gallo

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At its core his resulting 1989 paper A ‘ large hypertext database with typed links’ was a study in efficient communication and today the development of networks that allow the rapid transfer of information has redefined what is commercially possible. Increasingly the internet continues to change the way individuals and organisations work, socialise, create and share information and organise the flow of people, ideas and commodities around the world.

Today the demand for high-speed internet connectivity extends to both onshore and

offshore clients in remote locations around the world. Milano Teleport represents a leading Italian satellite telecommunication services in C, Ku and Ka band, with three business lines comprised of enterprise networks, maritime very small aperture terminal (VSAT) and broadcasting. As the largest independent teleport in Italy, the company has established a keen understanding of the needs of the market and a trusted reputation as a leading solutions provider.

“Within the maritime sector Milano Teleport operates a trademark, which is a brand called

Milano Teleport headquarters Iseaglobal. This is not another company, rather it is a brand that identifies our internet service to offshore vessels, whereas Milano Teleport is the brand that supplies internet connections to land based applications. Iseaglobal provides internet connectivity to vessels through VSAT, which is a high-speed connection through a satellite. We only use VSAT satellite connectivity, while some other companies continue to use the old satellite system, which produces speeds of around 32432 kb/s whereas VSAT provides anything up to 100 megabits of connectivity to ships, making an effective form of connection service,” explains CEO, Umberto Gallo.

“We started to develop high-speed connectivity through VSAT technology at a reasonable price around ten years ago, using a technology platform called iDirect. This is an American company that develops modems, hubs and other technologies.

Milano Teleport purchased its first iDirect hub during 2005 and then began providing maritime services in 2006. In the beginning we were a very small company, providing services to a shipowner with a fleet of around five merchant vessels. After this we continued to grow in Italy and beyond and we are today a market leader,” he continues.

“Our success is based on the fact that we are a smaller company that can provide services that larger companies are typically unable to, because they are focused on providing standardised solutions. We provide a custom solution to meet each of our client’s requirements.”

The innovation of internet communication using VSAT technology has helped to bring the benefits of broadband communication to users operating within the offshore and marine environments and brought with it exciting opportunities for increasingly enhanced and efficient business solutions. Within the barge, bulk, cargo, merchant, offshore, rig, Ro-Ro and tanker sectors for example, advanced communication solutions via VSAT allow crew and passengers to connect to the internet through real-time transmissions allowing for applications such as telephone calls and video streaming. During navigation, satellite communication allows safety and vessel traceability, harbour operations, precision navigation, observation of currents, weather forecasting and fleet status. The same advantages exist within the cruise and yachting markets where telephone calls can be made anywhere at sea with worldwide coverage and services such as voice communication in fax and standard telephone, television, video on demand (VOD), global system for mobile communications (GSM) support and video conference are also available.

Maritime satellite communications are also increasingly important to marine operators active within the offshore oil and gas sector, where

satellite technology allows operatives to control vital operations in remote locations. This applies to communications between onshore and offshore teams and crew, as well as offshore drilling and production platforms, drill ships, exploration, survey and service support vessels. End-toend private network and VPN solutions via satellite enable secure operations management and assure timely delivery of data in the most remote locations. Furthermore satellite networks support real-time data exchange for exploration, inspection, repair, salvage and surveillance operations.

With such a diverse base of industry applications, the growth in demand for offshore and maritime satellite communications is a trend that shows no sign of slowing down over the coming years. According to analysis collected by the leading consultancy firm Euroconsult, the value of the global maritime satellite communications market is set to double over the next decade, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of six per cent in telecommunications terminals and eight per cent in revenue over ten years. While this increased requirement of highspeed connectivity is largely universal across the maritime market, in many areas, it is the cruise and leisure industry that is creating the largest demand. “Within the leisure and cruise markets the end user requires great levels of bandwidth.

Clients onboard a cruise ship for example, expect the same level of internet connectivity as they would experience at home,” Umberto agrees.

“Alternatively users on merchant vessels are typically more used to being onboard on ship for months at a time without the use of a high-speed internet connection. Merchant vessel owners also tend to be more focused on the costs as well, which is another factor to consider.”

In its 2015 report, Euroconsult revealed that despite an unfavourable economic environment brought about through over supply in merchant capacity and falling oil prices, the maritime

satellite communications market had maintained strong growth over the proceeding 12 months.

A combined effect of both the rapidly increasing communications requirements of marine vessels and aggressive marketing initiatives on the part of service providers, allowed the maritime VSAT market to grow by 15 per cent in telecommunications terminals and nine per cent in revenues between 2014 and 2015. As a result, the global maritime satellite communications market has grown to include an unprecedented level of 368,000 terminals, $816 million in revenue at the satellite operator level and close to $1.6 billion in revenue at the service provider level.

Furthermore a total of 7Gbps of C- and Ku-band capacity was utilised for maritime VSAT business, compared to less than 2Gbps during 2010. “The findings of Euroconsult certainly apply for 2016 throughout the wider industry, however over the past five years Milano Teleport has seen an yearly increase in demand of around 30 per cent.

This includes a growth in demand from existing customers as well as from new clients,” Umberto says. “Throughout the wider industry, it is harder to predict if this growth is driven by new or existing clients, however from our perspective the increase in demand from both new and existing clients is around 50 per cent each.”

As the availability of high-speed internet connectivity continues to become more pressing in increasingly remote locations around the world, companies like Milano Teleport will continue to work with satellite operators and fellow teleports globally to ensure that clients receive fast and reliable internet connections. With no sign in demand decreasing and an increase in market players, maritime internet connectivity is set to become stronger than ever over the coming years. “We are currently looking to create alliances with other teleports globally, because we operate in a global market. It makes no sense to talk about an Italian, Spanish or English business in a global economy, when teleports provide a service that must extend from India to the Caribbean.

However today clients are looking for services in the Antarctic or Australia, which are very far from where we are based and we cannot see the required satellites from Milan as they are on the other side of the planet. So we are creating alliances with teleports in Asia and in the US to create a global network that can leverage the strengths of teleports around the world,” Umberto concludes. “I expect that growth in demand will continue at a similar rate as we see today, while the average price per megabit will decrease as a result in an increase in satellites and market competition. This will ultimately be better for the end user.” n http://milanoteleport.com/

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Training

Lots to

learn Maersk Training’s Anthony Greener, Maritime Business Development Manager, discusses the pivotal importance of correct training in the industry and the latest trends for 2016 The UK’s offshore industries are set for significant growth over the coming years and skilled workers are becoming more sought after to fill the increasing number of roles within the renewable energy industry.

The continued rapid expansion of the offshore and wind energy sector means that high quality technicians are more in demand than ever. It has been estimated that an additional 70,500 skilled workers will need to be employed within the industry by 2023 so there are some fantastic opportunities for those seeking employment in the region.

With the North East region having a large employable workforce, it is important people can gain access to the skills and training required for employment within the growing industry.

Human element of resource management Human factors account for approximately 80 per cent of accidents at sea, which has sparked a lot of

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discussion surrounding current training standards of human element resource management. The aviation industry has used incidents to investigate causes and learn lessons from mistakes for more than 30 years. In comparison, the maritime industry needs to dedicate more training to these areas.

Maritime Human Element Training is also under the scrutiny of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and Flag States whose aim is to improve current training in order to reduce incidents within the industry. Leadership and communication skills encompassing stress handling, planning and managing resources are all essential to minimise incidents at sea. As well as this, providing officers with the knowledge and tools necessary to review their own departmental systems will ensuring a safer workplace.

Trends and technology – Simulators The importance of combining traditional training methods with new, technology such as simulators, has never been greater.

Communication barriers and lack of planning can amplify an already stressful situation and cause both large and small-scale problems.

Simulators are being introduced to the industry, which now make accidents in the offshore sector much easier to prevent than ever before.

These simulators are extremely sophisticated and coupled with traditional theoretical training are one of the best ways to make sure seafarers are equipped to deal, not only with resource management, but with people management too. n

what you have to lose, and then you can choose to do the right thing, the safe thing. It is your choice.

Correct training procedures and courses can help hone each of these points and minimise accidents and serious injuries. This is exactly why Maersk Training has launched a new Advanced First Aid course, which will help champion all these skills.

Anthony Greener is Maritime Business Development Manager at Maersk Training.

Maersk Training offers state-of-the-art facilities and specialises in training for the oil & gas, maritime and offshore wind sectors. As an independent A.P. Moller-Maersk company, Maersk Training has UK training centres in Aberdeen and Newcastle, alongside global training centres in Denmark, Norway, India, Dubai, the USA, Singapore and Brazil. www.maersktraining.com

Training case study: Jennifer Murley SHEQ Intern at EDF Renewable Energy

The correct training to avoid accidents Well firstly, you need to have the know-how for the job. If you don’t know what you are doing, don’t know your limits, then you are putting yourself and others at risk. You’re the hazard. So you need to be honest about what you know you can do safely.

Keep your skills up to date. Make sure you have the know-how for the job.

Secondly, you’ve got to co-operate with the people working alongside you. Be open, share your knowledge and experience, if something doesn’t look safe, then say so. Be willing to listen.

If a colleague has something to say to you about safety, then learn from them. That is called co-operation.

And finally, you’ve got to remember you always have a choice. Every day you can choose, to cut corners, to take risks, or you can chose to think safe. You can think about the hazards. Think about

In her previous role as a Maintenance Technician working in a large factory, Jennifer Murley from Whitley Bay often found herself wanting to ‘roam beyond the borders of the site and see more of the world’ and so in 2014 decided it was time to make some career changes.

20 year-old Jennifer has some strong engineering experience under her belt, studying the subject at Newcastle College and completing an engineering placement at Nissan.

Jennifer attended a Maersk Training open day in Newcastle hoping to be inspired about how she could put her engineering skills to good use in a health and safety role in the renewable energy industry.

Jennifer said: “I felt like this was the perfect opportunity to introduce health and safety into my career. I went to the Maersk Training open day to get some expert advice on what would be the best way to go about it and what training and qualifications I would need to work in the renewable energy industry.”

Jennifer was advised by the Careers and Employment Manager, James Costello, that the best way to go about working in health and safety in the renewables industry would be to begin with a technical role to gain experience. He recommended Maersk’s Level 2 Diploma in Staying Safe in the Wind Industry as the most beneficial.

The 12-week diploma covered all of the aspects required to work in health and safety offshore including Working at Heights and Rescue, Fire Awareness, First Aid, Manual Handling and Sea Survival.

Jennifer said: “My two absolute favourite things about the course had to be Working at Height and Sea Survival, which is odd as they were two of my biggest fears. The instructors were always diligent about safety, and very patient with all of us shaky newcomers.”

Following the diploma with Maersk Training, Jennifer completed a NEBOSH course (The National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health). James Costello worked with her to compile a tailored CV pinpointing her strengths in health and safety. In June 2015 Jennifer was accepted onto an internship with EDF Renewable Energy in the Health and Safety department.

“No matter what your background is, your level of experience or previous jobs, if you want to try and make a new career in renewable energy, or gain some impressive qualifications then I would definitely recommend Maersk Training,” Jennifer said.

“By the end of the 12 weeks, you’ll be more focused on what you want to achieve.”

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Digital technology

Data

aid

Big data delivers a bigger impact. By Esa Henttinen The idea of ‘big data’ has been around for years in many sectors, though the last year has seen significant debate on how it can and should be applied in the maritime industry. One of the difficulties with the concept is that many ideas now seem to be thrown under the ‘big data’ umbrella without much explanation. What is becoming clear, however, is that big data will become the driving force behind the next generation of shipbuilding and ship operations.

Big data has the power to improve our business decisions and the potential to make a dramatic difference in the day-to-day practices of the shipping industry. However, what can and will be achieved varies, as it is up to individual organisations to decide what data is collected, the tools chosen to perform analysis, and how that data is put to use.

The challenges of this decision making process arise when we consider the amount of pure data that is collected. The fundamental difference between data and information, is that data is unsorted, unanalysed and can come from hundreds of sources in huge volumes.

The process of translating this into a useable, manageable and meaningful format can

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sometimes be daunting for businesses. However, without this, the data has no value.

Translating raw data into valuable information can either be done in real-time or through analysis of previously recorded data that has simply been stored for future reference. The challenges around fuel efficiency provide a useful illustration.

Real-time big data analysis for active energy efficiency management is the core offering of the ClassNK-NAPA GREEN performance monitoring and optimisation solution. The software uses a huge range and volume of data collected onboard and from other sources to provide accurate and up-to the minute information about the current performance of the vessel. Parameters include weather and location data. In addition this data

Esa Henttinen

is then passed through advanced and highly accurate predictive algorithms to provide pathways to increasing energy efficiency aboard, all using current data in real time.

In an age of rapid technological development, the big data debate becomes entangled with the broader debate on innovation in the shipping industry. Forward thinking companies such as Norsepower are quickly gaining industry recognition and respect; for example being awarded Energy Efficiency Solution of The Year at the Ship Efficiency Awards 2015. Part of this stems from their commitment to proving and verifying technology benefits through rigorous third-party studies, ideally two or more that validate each other as Norsepower has done with results from both NAPA and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. In a conservative industry that is sceptical of the promises being made by the many clean tech companies flooding the market, proving the validity of new technologies through data analysis is now fundamental to market acceptance and therefore success.

Martin Stopford’s recent comments on the unwillingness of shippers to accept innovations, instead only being interested in achieving cheaper rates are not necessarily true for all. Many companies are paving the way for those in the shipping industry and have acknowledged that we need to keep up with the technological advances of other sectors. Rolls Royce, for example - this old industrial giant is placing itself at the forefront of innovation and the latest technology. With half a terabyte of manufacturing data collected on each individual fan blade it produces, the precise level of information being collected and learnt from will surely inform great advances in sustainability and performance.

Rolls Royce’s development of unmanned ships provides another illustration. The pros and cons may split opinion in the shipping industry, however these vessels represent a massive leap forward in terms of technology innovation and have the potential to realise a step change in improving safety, efficiency and sustainability.

NAPA’s involvement in this project demonstrates

our continued commitment to uncovering these important advances and shaping the future of the industry.

As automated reporting and real time data provides a greater volume and variety than ever, the challenge for business is how to leverage this for commercial gain. Fortunately, the tools to transform raw data into invaluable business intelligence have never been more accessible.

In an increasingly digital age, big data is steadily becoming a strategic driver at the heart of the business and shipping must continue to understand and embrace it. n Esa Henttinen is Executive Vice President, NAPA. In its 25 years of operation, NAPA has become a global leader in maritime software, services and data analysis for the maritime industry; providing best in class data-led solutions for safety, efficiency and productivity in both ship design and operations. NAPA operates globally, with ten offices across Asia, Europe and the Americas supported by its Helsinki headquarters. www.napa.fi

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Ballast water treatment

Is the tide

turning?

As legislation that is yet to achieve worldwide ratification, ballast water treatment regulations have a notably long, and sometimes stormy, history. Here Matt Granitto examines the issues facing ship owners and operators with regards to on-board ballast water management system installation

Since the early 1990s, marine biologists have been calling for ship owners and operators to install an on-board ballast water treatment system, something that first arose after a link was made between invasive species entering foreign water and ballast water (WWF, 2009).

Indeed, it is estimated that since the first case of invasive species being released into US waters via contaminated ballast water (at Lake Erie in the 1980s), zebra mussels have caused an estimated $1.5bn in damages in America alone (BBC News, 2012).

As a direct response to this threat, the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) drew up the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Convention on Ballast Water in 2004. Once ratified, this groundbreaking convention will require an IMO type approved ballast water treatment system (BWTS) to be installed on all new-build and existing vessels.

Despite the fact that the IMO Convention is yet to be ratified, ballast water treatment remains a political hot potato with a number of other maritime bodies – including the US Coast Guard (USCG) – which introduced their own regulations (USCG.mil, 2014). Under US federal rules, ships will require a USCG approved system to be permitted to discharge ballast water in US waters (Steamship Mutual, 2012).

The lengthy wait for ratification and the lack of USCG type approved systems on the market

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means the majority of operators are reluctant to install a solution. Understandably, operators are keen to ensure that their BWTS is a one-off purchase and that is not only compliant for now but will be for the full life of their vessel, rather than fitting a system that is no longer compliant when ratification occurs. Many operators are delaying this purchasing decision for as long as possible in order to wait and see which systems will receive the full USCG approval.

A number of companies are working to provide a solution to this impasse. One example, Evoqua Water Technologies’ SeaCURE system, is now approaching the later stages of USCG approval testing. Once this approval is granted, it will assist operators as they seek to move forwards with gaining compliance for their fleet.

Ratification and the road ahead But what happens post-ratification of the IMO Convention? It’s clear that time will be of the essence for ship operators looking to continue to comply. Hesitation to act may leave them vulnerable to penalties from ports, although ships already out at sea when ratification arrives will be

Matt Granitto

given a grace period until they are dry-docked.

Ships that have malfunctioning or broken ballast water treatment systems will also be classed as non-compliant. It is imperative that water treatment suppliers ensure they provide convenient and effective aftercare policies.

Whether that’s a guaranteed response within 24 hours or the provision of a round-the-clock helpline, it’s important that customers aren’t left high and dry when it comes to maintaining IMO Convention compliance. Indeed, the financial cost to operators for being non-compliant can easily outstrip the initial cost of purchase and implementation of an approved BWTS. Operationally, non-compliant vessels will be barred from using many ports - and those without USCG approval will be banned from US waters entirely. Non-compliance will not only limit the usage of the vessel, in terms of potential voyages and contracts available, but will also have a significant impact on the asset value of the vessel.

But what of the future of ballast water treatment solutions? It is quite possible that we could see additional legislation introduced that will

continue to influence the design and performance of ballast water treatment systems. The ongoing need for better efficiency and size constraints will also influence the evolution towards smaller, but more productive, systems.

A global network As an issue that affects shipping routes worldwide, it’s no surprise BWTS suppliers are striving to build global network partners who are able to aid operators at every step of the process.

Evoqua has established relationships with a raft of companies worldwide, most importantly Damen Shipyards and Drew Marine - who collaboratively provide services to ensure ongoing vessel compliance from commissioning and installation at locations across the globe, to maintenance through partners in a multitude of territories.

In an ever-changing regulatory environment, operators will come to expect more than just base compliance and demand a return on investment. Ensuring vessels are compliant now, and in the future, makes sound operational and business sense and can ensure that needless financial penalties are avoided. n

Matt Granitto is business manager at Evoqua Water Technologies, a leader in water and wastewater treatment products, systems and services for industrial, marine and municipal customers. Its comprehensive, cost-effective and reliable treatment systems and services reduce fresh water demand, ensure uninterrupted quantity and quality of water and enable regulatory and environmental compliance. www.evoqua.com

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Innovation

Looking

forward According to Tim Schweikert, innovation is paving the way for the marine industry in 2016 From the price of oil to environmental regulation, 2015 was a year of turmoil and uncertainty for the marine sector. Despite this, there were some common global trends that will define 2016.

The environment the MRV[3] framework in April 2015 which will In December 2015, world leaders met at the COP21 conference to discuss climate change. The event’s outcome marks a decisive move towards a low carbon future focused on achieving the agreedupon world target of 1.5 degree climate change ceiling. Indeed, despite being the most carbonefficient form of commercial transport[1], the scale of global shipping means it emits around 1000 million tons of CO2 annually, and is responsible for 2.2 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore the industry has a strong role to play in meeting this target.

While no targets were specifically mentioned for the shipping industry during the COP21, the UN’s IMO[2] regulations have already established and imposed challenging regulation around emissions and fuel efficiency. Additionally, the EU introduced

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require large vessels calling at EU ports to collect and publish annual data on CO2 emissions, starting from January 2018. With more scrutiny to come, the maritime industry will need to implement solutions that will help limit their emissions’ impact on the environment.

Fluctuating economic conditions The overall decline in global shipping, timed with an increase in megaship deliveries, results in industry overcapacity. Consequently, ratings agency Fitch has revised its outlook for global shipping to negative for 2016, from stable in 2014, although long-term seaborne trade and fleet are both forecast to grow between three per cent and 3.5 per cent on average per annum to 2025[4].

The offshore industry remains particularly

vulnerable. Rising costs, program delays, a large backlog ($390 billion) leading to oversupply, volatile oil prices and corruption scandals in the oil & gas industry in Brazil have created the perfect storm. Capital for building new offshore vessels is estimated to be $15 billion in 2015, down 75 per cent from $68 billion in 2013[5]. We have seen exploration and extraction activities slow down and offshore owners and operators are under great pressure to meet cost challenges.

The volatile state of the industry and stricter environment regulations mean we need to change the way we operate. Companies must rely on innovation using new technologies to increase productivity and meet the new environmental regulations on existing vessels, as well as taking a fresh look at new possibilities to cost effectively produce new vessels.

Innovations driving cleaner marine environment To meet the new demand driven by strict environmental regulations, GE Marine offers its Combined Gas turbine Electric and Steam (COGES) system for various commercial marine

applications, including LNG carriers, cruise ships and container ships. The COGES system enhances conversion of energy available in the fuel to produce electricity and power for all ship needs, including propulsion. GE’s marine gas turbines can operate on various fuels including LNG boil-off gas or marine gas oil (MGO). No additional emissions reduction equipment is required to meet IMO Tier III or US EPA Tier 4 requirements.

Restrictions became even more stringent as of January 1, 2016 for diesel engines around the world. The United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Air Act began enforcing ‘Tier 4’, for diesel engines built after January 1. For vessels governed by IMO’s MARPOL Annex VI, more stringent nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions requirements, known as IMO III, come into effect for vessels built after January 1, 2016 and operating in the designated environmental control areas (ECAs).

These regulations will impact both the environment as well as the engine manufacturers.

Advanced engine technology is needed to make sure new ship engines meet the stricter emissions requirements, and cause as little impact to the vessel design and operations as possible.

GE Marine’s latest Tier 4 Engine meets the new EPA Tier 4 and IMO III emissions standards, reducing nitrogen oxide by more than 70 per cent compared to EPA Tier 2 and IMO II emissions standards, while still maintaining world-class fuel efficiency and service intervals. Its in-engine solution is based on exhaust gas recirculation technology, reducing the formation of NOx at combustion, thus eliminating the need for a ureabased after-treatment system.

Because the engine does not need a ureabased selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) aftertreatment system, it requires only about 25 per cent of the engine room space versus other market solutions, reducing the need to make significant design changes on the vessel. This technology also eliminates the incremental operating expenses for urea use, catalyst replacements and maintenance on a SCR after treatment system.

Moving to a digital marine mind-set With all eyes on operational expenditures in an uncertain market, technology will play a vital role in making marine operations as efficient and costeffective as possible.

To meet this demand, more shipbuilders will build vessels with technology at the forefront of the design process, using advanced modelling software, which analyses a vessel’s anticipated operational profile, and optimises the design from the offset.

Using digital tools, vessels will also become greener, more efficient, and increasingly productive.

GE’s SeaStream* Insight, for example, provides operators with a holistic view of their ships, allowing them to spot anomalies and other data which lead to better operational decision making and therefore fuel efficiency.

With Predix* at its core, SeaStream Insight allows preventative maintenance to be carried out before a failure occurs, thanks to early warning signs made visible through data-driven analytics.

This level of visibility allows operators to switch from a scheduled maintenance model, to a condition-based one, reducing downtime and offering significant cost-savings.

SeaStream Insight also particularly benefits the offshore industry, where vessels are operating in remote locations, as its remote monitoring capability allows engineers to assess issues from anywhere in the world, reducing third party cost, and help solve problems faster.

With belts being tightened across the industry, the cost-savings that digital technology can deliver can’t be ignored.

2016 – a year of opportunity The year ahead presents an opportunity –increased environmental regulation paves the way for wider use of hybrid energy solutions, which are not only cleaner, but also offer significant leaps forward in efficiency. This is good news for operators across the marine industry, who will be looking to work as cost-effectively as possible in 2016. Operating in a leaner, greener manner is the future of the marine industry, and 2016 will be a defining year. n Tim Schweikert is President & CEO, GE Marine.

GE’s Power Conversion business, a business unit of GE Energy Connections, applies the science and systems of power conversion to help drive the electrification of the world’s energy infrastructure by designing and delivering advanced motor, drive and control technologies that evolve today’s industrial processes for a cleaner, more productive future. www.gepowerconversion.com

* Indicates a trademark of the General Electric Company and/or its subsidiaries.

[1] International Chamber of Shipping [2] United Nations International Maritime Organisation [3] Monitoring, Reporting and Verification [4] Clarkson [5] Clarkson Apr’15 offshore seminar (multi-source consensus), GE O&G leading indicators Aug’15 (Barclays, TR consensus), Evercore ISI’s 2015 Mid-Year Global E&P Spending Outlook (20%), FT 18/05/15 (25%)) , IHS Industry Resets July ’15, top 18 exploration companies

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Safety

The genuine

article When it comes to safety at sea, the reliability of equipment is paramount. Libbie Hammond spoke to Chris Feibusch and Henrik Pålsson about dealing with the dangerous issue of counterfeit safety products

Left: Genuine Hammar H20 HRU

When I first started to look at this article, it was because I’d seen some research done in 2015 by the International Life Saving Appliance Manufacturer’s Association (ILAMA). The study was raising awareness of the fact that customers were ordering specific equipment from the IMPA (International Marine Purchasing Association) catalogue but being supplied with substitute products (in good faith.)

The organisation was receiving increasingly frequent reports of inferior or incorrect items of safety equipment being delivered to buyers. This was resulting in costly and time consuming delays from unwanted purchases being returned to the supplier, as well as the risk that key components are provided that fail to meet the purchaser’s necessary performance standards. If these are supplied and fitted it could have serious repercussions. While the products supplied may appear comparable to the product intended, in practice they may fail to function in the way the purchaser expects, if at all, and this can have serious consequences when crew or passenger safety is at stake.

CM Hammar, the company behind the life saving H20 hydrostatic release unit (HRU) is very keen to raise awareness of this issue and as Henrik Pålsson, Managing Director at CM Hammar, told me, the company is aware of several cases where people have purchased ‘Hammar HRU’ using article numbers from the IMPA catalogue but received HRU’s of another brand. “We do know for a fact that there are different quality levels even for approved products (some even sub standard), and if you order a specific product you should receive exactly you have ordered,” he said.

Customers must make sure that they are vigilant and check what they receive is what they are expecting and what they need. “It is important that those in procurement know what they order, that the goods received at the ship correspond to the requirements of the

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vessel and of course that all necessary documents are at hand,” emphasised Henrik.

Recent research also highlighted the fact that counterfeiters could be taking advantage of this ‘substitution’ policy to supply rogue products to unwary buyers. This is of particular relevance to Henrik as typical targets for unsafe product substitution are HRUs, which are used extensively in liferafts, EPIRBs and voyage data recorders.

CM Hammar is renowned for manufacturing the highest quality, state-of-the-art HRUs, and Henrik acknowledges that the company has had its products counterfeited. “They copied the design, our logo, everything apart from the function!” he said. “We have also seen numerous ‘refurbished’ Hammar products on the market. This is where someone takes an old product and puts a new date label on it and then sells it again.”

This might sound a small issue but these life saving products are designed to last for a certain amount of time. They can be exposed to rough conditions at sea and their shelf life is carefully designed and tested by the OEM to ensure they are going to work if needed – by their very nature, if that’s the case, this is likely to be in a life or death emergency at sea.

Henrik believes that these redated and copied products are finding their way onto vessels because purchase services are today outsourced to countries where wages are low, for example India. These buyers then ‘scan the internet’ in order to find the

Below: A relabelled/dated product cheapest possible product for a specific task, and have no personal background or experience in safety at sea products. “It does seem that a high proportion of these ‘refurbished’ products seem to be coming from scrap yards in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh,” he said and he wasn’t alone in highlighting India as a market where re-dated products are a problem.

Chris Feibusch, Head of Global Marketing at Drew Marine Signal & Safety UK Ltd, the producer of Pains Wessex and Comet brands, also noted that DMSS has experienced re-dated products from certain markets, with India being a prominent one. He also made the point that these products are not all cheap-looking fakes – they can be sophisticated and not always easy to spot: “We have seen products where they have almost exactly copied our label printing capability and completely re-labelled over the top of an old one.

They call it ‘spurious pyroing’ in India and I’m sure it goes on in other areas as well. We have been sent images by customers asking if a product is authentic and we can cross reference the lot numbers to confirm or not. Sometimes it is obviously wrong because it is a product that we have not produced for a number of years!”

“Keeping in mind that these products are designed for a certain life time – extending the date is taking a huge risk with lives,” added Henrik.

In fact, such was the situation in India that Pains Wessex Indian distributor, AS Moloobhoy, lobbied the Indian Government against this practice and tried to improve import procedures for life saving equipment. Indeed, AS Moloobhoy, which has been a Pains Wessex supplier for 75 years, has conducted a 30-year campaign against redating and relabelling expired marine distress signals in India.

“Nafeesa Moolobhoy has really been pivotal to this campaign, and at her behest we wrote to the Director General of Shipping asking him to ‘take the necessary steps to address and eradicate this shameful practice, which continues to grow and flourish.’ The Indian Government sent out a notice to all marine surveyors to say that it had been brought to their notice and to reiterate the sanctions in place regarding this, while asking surveyors to be on their guard, and this was seen as a victory of sorts. They have also increased sanctions on life raft service stations and notified surveyors,” stated Chris.

He continued: “I think we have stamped out a lot of it, but a lot of old vessels are scrapped in India and people go aboard and tear out everything that they think they can sell - not just in pyrotechnics but other safety equipment too.”

While India may be a hot spot for redating, China was also mentioned by both Henrik and Chris as another market where buyers of safety products need to use caution. “Part of the problem is that

our brand name has become generic for HRUs, and our company has had to spend a lot of money in order to prevent Chinese copiers selling their units as Hammar products. For the time being the situation on sites like Ali Baba has become much better for our brand thanks to our efforts, but it remains to be seen for how long time that will last,” said Henrik.

Chris added: “What we at DMSS focus on is making sure that our products are the most available across the world, and spread the message that vessel operators need to specify our products and nothing else will do. But if they can’t be that specific they can state more generally, such as no Chinese products for example.

“I have been to a Chinese factory and seen the differences in production between our state-ofthe-art German facility and their methods. For example in China we were allowed to walk around with cameras and no safety equipment, whereas in Germany they use anti-static devices and do not allow mobile phones. But this is why they can create cheaper products – their costs are so much lower. It’s even clear when the products are disposed of, as we have a disposal site in Spain that deals mainly with pyrotechnics from the region and destroys them. The waste is burned and filtered in a complicated process that is very controlled. When they destroy some Chinese pyrotechnics, its very volatile – it’s just not the same standard of material.”

The DMSS facility in Germany mentioned by Chris has recently gone live with a €2 million, fully automated line to produce red hand flares, with a capacity for approximately 1.4 million red hand flares a year. “We use automation to contain costs,” he said. “But also automation allows for greater quality control and also it is much safer for staff. So for example, the explosive composition is automatically fed into the machine from an outside process shed, where it is pressed. It is a huge piece of equipment that takes up two big

rooms and in between is a blast wall and a small aperture that is always closed. This means that if anything goes wrong in the process shed, it doesn’t damage the production line. It really is an extraordinary piece of German engineering – to give some sort of comparison, when I was in China, the explosive powder was literally spooned into the flare by a person at a production line!”

It is this established quality and reliability that clients who demand the Comet, Pains Wessex and Hammar names rely on – they are not only buying into years of research and development expertise but also the most sophisticated manufacturing techniques available. Chris gave the perfect example: “With our parachute rocket we have recently changed the silicone cap – the end that is designed to break. The rocket is in a plastic tube and previously it had a frangible head that would blow when the rocket was ignited. The thickness of this plastic head was critical, as it had been precisely worked out to break at a specific pressure.

“As a result, the moulding of that particular component had very low tolerances for error and we were experiencing a high rejection rate.

We can’t take chances with something that is safety critical, so we discontinued that design, and created a silicone cap, which requires less pressure build up and does not fail because the cap will blow off.”

Fake or cheap replicas of these products just can’t have this level of quality built in. “At the forefront of everything we do, is the fact that these are life saving devices and cutting corners and regulations puts lives at risk,” agreed Chris.

“This is always the terrible risk of counterfeits,” concluded Henrik. “While their creators can replicate everything, they can’t reproduce the precise high quality functionality of the product – and it is this that is directly lifesaving if a ship is sinking. It is so important for clients to always purchase products from approved distributors or authorised service points, and to make sure that they receive the correct manuals, labels, documents and so forth. While a fake product may look exactly as it should, if it doesn’t perform the end result could be catastrophic.”

“Until we can eradicate this problem, our seafarers’ lives remain in jeopardy, with tampered life-saving items being used/reused without care or conscience for their safety in distress or emergency situations,” agreed Chris. “It is imperative for buyers to remain vigilant – never accept safety at sea equipment if you have any doubts about its authenticity. It could literally be a matter of life and death.” n For further information on DMSS products visit: www.signalandsafety.com For further information on CM Hammar products visit: www.cmhammar.com

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D

rew Marine Signal and Safety (DMSS) is the world’s leading supplier of SOLAS, MED & USCG approved marine distress signals.

A prime example of the specific requirements of SOLAS are those on liferafts - six Red Handflares, four Parachute Rockets and two 3’ Smoke Signals are required to be carried inside the liferaft as part of the mandatory safety equipment. DMSS provides all these products, as well as a number of other products in the range for various applications, such as collision warnings, illuminating flares, man overboard markers and line throwing systems.

As Chris Feibusch, Head of Global Marketing, Drew Marine Signal & Safety UK Ltd explained, the products are also used in other environments – 12 Parachute Rockets are required to be carried on the bridge of all commercial vessels (over 300gwt) for example.

“The Red Handflare is used by recreational boaters and search and rescue organisations as a pinpoint location marker. It is also used in the aviation industry and outdoor markets.

Orange Smoke signals are highly visible location markers particularly favoured by search and rescue pilots as a visual wind indicator,” he said.

DMSS’ products are also reliable, lighter, smaller and have less nett explosive content than those of competitors.

Case study

Dream

factory When it comes to creating a dream yacht for a client, Heesen Yachts utilises the most modern 3D design software Sailing in a luxury yacht is an extraordinary experience. And the experience begins in its owner’s imagination. Luxury yachts are vessels customised to unique and precise specifications, so when Frans Heesen founded Heesen Yachts in 1978, he had one thing in mind: to create exceptional sailing experiences with yachts built to superior engineering standards and meticulous attention to detail. “The first yacht he built was a 24 metre aluminium high-speed motor yacht, which has since become part of the company’s DNA,” said Mark Cavendish, director sales and marketing at Heesen Yachts. “Since then, we’ve become well-known for our high speed aluminium high range luxury yachts.”

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Heesen Yachts adopted Dassault Systèmes’ solutions including 3D modelling application CATIA to allow naval architects to create, analyse, modify and optimise the interior design of the Galactica Star more rapidly and accurately, accelerating the pace of innovation. Image courtesy Dassault Systèmes

walk through the door to years after they’ve taken possession of their new vessel. “Our number one challenge when a client orders a yacht is to make their dream come true,” said Peter van der Zanden, general manager for design and development at Heesen Yachts. “We work closely with them throughout the design process to incorporate their desires while ensuring the highest level of quality even if this means making changes late in the design process.”

Building such dreams is an extraordinary and unique privilege, requiring expertise, commitment and professionalism, combined with cutting edge technology, build technique and quality anchored in tradition. It comes at a considerable investment, however, requiring perfect planning and execution at every step.

More of everything except time

Heesen’s yachts are fully customised 30 to 80 metre luxury vessels. In the past 30 years Heesen Yachts has designed, built and delivered over 170 yachts. No two of them are alike but all of them have one thing in common: they were all delivered on time. From the very first concepts and naval architecture to the interior design, the challenge is to always remain focused on the final product, keeping the owner’s wishes at heart. Heesen Yachts clients are considered family from the day they

In a demanding luxury yacht market, flexibility and the ability to collaborate with clients from the earliest stages are extremely important. “Our old 2D design methods and tools were just not up to scratch when it came to dealing with the complexities of large custom-built luxury yacht design,” van der Zanden said. “Everything must be more: more room, more comfort, more amenities, and more luxury except when it comes to delivery times.

This always has to be less. All this makes things very complex for us. We needed more power from our software solutions and Dassault Systèmes’ solutions, including CATIA 3D modelling applications, (elements of the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform) was the answer.”

Multidiscipline collaboration Luxury yachts are like floating five-star hotels requiring the collaborative effort of many disciplines to design the structure, engines, piping, interior and exterior layout and amenities. “Our design, engineering and production people collaborate in a common environment, exchanging ideas and making modifications on the fly,” van der Zanden said.

Working in 3D is a major advantage. “Designs are clearer so people can more easily express their ideas,” van der Zanden said. “Our different departments depend on each other to come up with the best designs and working in 3D gives everyone a clearer understanding of the requirements of each discipline. Moreover, we can show our production department the most optimised assembly sequences with instructions generated using the interactive 3D visualisation and animation capabilities. CATIA also helps us to optimise the use of space inside the vessel. Since every discipline works on the same model in real time, they can make any necessary adjustments before sending the designs to production saving valuable time all around.”

Space inside any yacht is limited and must be shared between the various disciplines that need to work together to position their equipment. “This includes all mechanical engineering systems, ventilation, sanitary systems, fresh water lines, electrical, window wipers and pneumatics,” said Piet van der Linden, mechanical engineering department manager. “Our role in mechanical engineering is to ensure that all systems are positioned and

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Case study

is managing the vessel’s many designed and assembled parts,” said Jos Verbruggen, manager shipbuilding engineering at Heesen Yachts. “Every part has its own strength, stiffness, and vibration requirements, which makes it unique but also very complex to design and manage. We can’t just take a part from another boat and use it in this yacht. To assemble all these parts, CATIA helped ensure a smooth assembly sequence by enabling us to first verify in a virtual environment that parts fit together without interference. It was a clear illustration of successful interdisciplinary collaboration, working simultaneously in 3D to produce the optimum design before releasing it to production.

“In essence, it was right the first time,” Verbruggen said. CATIA was also used to create flattened views of the aluminium sheet metal for the hull, which was then passed on to the DELMIA digital manufacturing applications to cut the contours. “For the Galactica Star’s hull we had complex curved forms – single and double curved plates – which are normally very difficult to work

The revolutionary Fast Displacement Hull Form, designed in 3D with Dassault Systèmes’ solutions allows Galactica Star to perform more efficiently over a wider range of speeds than any other yacht in her class.

Image courtesy Dassault Systèmes

functioning correctly, and that we make efficient use of the space we have available. CATIA is used to design all the systems, and with the digital 3D mockup, we are able to verify that everything fits and that there are no interferences before finalising the routing assembly drawings.”

Setting new performance standards Dassault Systèmes’ integrated software environment has been a valuable asset for the design of Heesen Yachts’ award-winning luxury superyacht. “The Galactica Star is a revolutionary 65-metre luxury yacht,” Cavendish said. “She’s a very important yacht for us and the first vessel of her kind based on the innovative Fast Displacement Hull Form (FDHF) patented concept. The most striking feature of this impressive vessel is her phenomenal speed. She has a top speed of nearly 30 knots, which really sets her apart from the world’s top 200 largest yachts. Beyond speed, another advantage of the FDHF is its exceptional performance. The Galactica Star performs more efficiently over a wider range of speeds using 20 per cent less fuel than any other yacht in her class.”

Complex customisation Building a one-of-a-kind yacht like the Galactica Star poses many challenges. “One of the biggest

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with. CATIA automatically generated the flattened views from the 3D design parts, which were then cut out with extreme precision,” Verbruggen said.

The Galactica Star has ample outdoor living spaces including a big open sundeck, a large open foredeck and a fully equipped duplex beach club with a swimming pool in the half deck. “The openings for these facilities, which were serious challenges during construction, were easily designed and planned for with CATIA. This helped to avoid running into problems, which would have set back delivery of the yacht to the client,” he said.

Client experience The interior design department is Heesen Yachts’ ‘dream factory’ working closely with clients to transform their desires into reality. “Our job is to create a pleasant atmosphere for the owner and we usually have to walk a fine line between what they want and what is feasible,” said Perry van Hirtum, manager of interior engineering at Heesen Yachts. “We can present the client with a virtual 3D mock-up of their future yacht interior, which helps us understand what the client wants, and for the client to clearly visualise what we propose in response.” n Over the last 30 years, Heesen Yachts has been transforming its clients’ dreams into reality with yachts built to exceptional engineering standards. While the company has made a name for itself over the past few decades, Heesen Yachts intends to keep pushing the limits of yacht design innovation, efficiency and performance and continue to make dreams come true. http://www.3ds.com/industries/ marine-offshore/yachts-workboats/

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.

ME Solutions AB P&O Cruises/Cunard CTruk Boats Garrets International Wesal Shipping Port of Antwerp Bierens Port of Hanko Marine Technologies Port of Torshavn Navig8 Group Orkney Ferries Baltic Port Organization Yara Marine Technologies Spunalloys Kuenz Wescon Group Team Tankers International Protection Vessels International Port of Dover Bogerd Martin Alicat Workboats Nimbus Boats Vyborg Shipyard Eric Thun Factorius Vulcano

Your partner towards green shipping World wide engineering, project management and turnkey installations “Imagine what you know tomorrow”

Sustainable

H

Anders Sjostrom

eadquartered in Sweden, M.E. Solutions AB (MESAB) was established in 2009 with the aim of providing turnkey environmental solutions to the shipping and shipbuilding industry worldwide. Offering ballast water treatment, exhaust gas cleaning, fuel consumption reduction and other energy and environmental solutions, its mission is to actively contribute to technological solutions that minimise emissions to air and sea, and, which deliver tangible cost savings to shipping companies as well as environmental sustainability.

In 2014, the company witnessed a five-fold increase in sales thanks to a vast increase of orders for

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growth

scrubber integration in line with the implementation of the IMO sulphur restrictions; this growth continued throughout 2015 as more customers became aware of the company’s abilities in laser scanning and 3D and increased numbers of customers sought out energy solutions. In response to this growth, the company opened a manpower supply company in Poland in 2014, which enhanced its provision of crew and office training and thus enabled MESAB to successfully increase the level of personnel within the business throughout 2015.

Discussing the onsite training programme to Shipping & Marine magazine in July 2015, Managing Director of ME Solutions AB Anders

Sjostrom commented: “We demand that all the installers are certified for plastic glass reinforced epoxy (GRE) pipes as well as undergoing our own specific training on how this should be done. It is vital that they are able to read drawings and interpret the instructions provided through the 3D modelling. This commitment has turned out to be very successful for the business, and the difference achieved by the labour being able to visualise the design is very clear. We are very busy with survey work, carrying out laser scanning on board vessels and producing proposals that highlight the restrictions, and the problems that may be encountered when installing a scrubber.”

Following the installation of a

scrubber on a cruise ship as well as the integration of systems on four RoRo vessels operating in the Baltics in 2015, the company has continued working its way through its busy order book, as Anders highlights: “Since we last spoke MESAB has seen an ongoing order intake increase; this is with the same customer as the previous article, but a new brand: Princess Cruises. We are pleased to have received continued confidence from this long-term customer.”

Alongside delivering solutions on Princess Cruises ships, Anders notes that the company has also been involved in other notable projects such as the installation of four scrubber systems on the Queen Mary 2: “This project encompasses approximately 800 metres of GRE pipes in sizes DN350 and 400. This project has been challenging as the system had to be started before any equipment was installed, such as pumps, overboards or scrubber towers. This means that we had to start building with floating fixed points, which was almost like starting in the middle of a pipe system. While work continues on the Queen Mary 2 we are also currently underway with an extremely challenging project fitting three scrubber systems to a ship while sailing. The challenge here lies in that there is absolutely no space to install a pipe system, at least not to the surveyor’s eye. However by using laser scanning we have found routing options and actually already completed the most difficult part of this project.”

The company’s ability to find solutions to the most challenging of customer demands has not been ignored by the market, with MESAB

enjoying enquiries and orders from customers via reference, says Anders: “We have a lot of customers that contact us by reference nowadays.

They say things like: ‘We heard you did such a great job on this and that ship and can you therefore take a look at my project?’ It is a very positive market for us.”

In response to this increased demand, MESAB made the strategic decision to expand into the US market with a warehouse in Miami, Florida, with plans to further expand with a warehouse in Seattle. “A local presence in Miami is very important to us as it will enable us to visit ships faster and also cut our costs for projects,” explains Anders. “We want to deliver reverse engineering offices such as laser scanning of existing pipes, for example; we also want to manufacture pipes onshore and then go onboard and replace the same pipes. This is a quick and cost-effective way of working that will significantly minimise a ship’s downtime.”

Not only expanding its geographical reach, the company has also increased its product portfolio after establishing a partnership with NK Group, a South Korean specialist developer and manufacturer of ballast water treatment products. Within NK’s portfolio are shipboard fire control systems, shipboard ballast water treatment systems; high pressure gas cylinders, natural gas vehicle (NGV) cylinders and environmental protection technologies. Furthermore, the company is also branching into new IMO products and markets that include green energy.

“NK, a South Korean ballast water treatment product maker has selected MESAB as a partner in the

EU; following this agreement, we are now selling NK products and are also providing the full scope of services we can offer for shipowners: engineering and installation plus after market services,” says Anders.

With an expanded portfolio and strengthened presence in the US, MESAB is in a strong position thanks to its unrelenting commitment to quality in all areas of a project, as Anders explains: “By continuing to focus on the quality of systems that we deliver and by solving issues for owners, we ensure a long life time of our installations. It may sound a contradiction, but delivering a high quality service is actually more costefficient than delivering a standard service. The high quality of our systems is guaranteed due to a focus on engineering before any work is undertaken onboard; moreover, this guarantee is strengthened because as much fabrication of components as possible is made onshore in workshops suitable for this type of production.”

Looking ahead, the company will use these impressive capabilities to make its goal of global expansion a reality, as Anders concludes: “We believe reverse engineering will be in demand over the coming years once its potential has been realised, so this is an area of the business we will certainly focus on. We will also support NK products as well as the engineering, sales and developments of our client base over the coming years.”

ME Solutions AB www.mesab.eu • Provider of turnkey environmental solutions • Working on the Queen Mary 2 • Established new office in Florida

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Profile: P&O Cruises/Cunard Britannia

A great

escape

A Solent Stevedores Solent Stevedores specialises in the provision of baggage handling, stores handling, and other turnaround services to cruise ships visiting the Port of Southampton, UK. As key partner of Carnival UK for the past six years, Solent Stevedores understands the importance of delivering an outstanding passenger experience.

It puts safety at the forefront of everything it does, and in 2016 its highly experienced team will serve 1.6 million passengers, handle 2.4 million suitcases and load 70,000 tonnes of stores across 325 cruise ships, making the company the UK’s number one stevedoring supplier to the cruise industry.

s the UK operating company for P&O Cruises and Cunard, Southampton headquartered Carnival UK is part of the leading global cruise company, Carnival Corporation & plc and provides world-class cruise holidays.

Passionate about delivering exceptional experiences to guests, Carnival UK’s two brands derive their differentiation from British heritage but each is distinctive in its own right, with P&O Cruises holding the crown as Britain’s cruise line of choice.

P&O Cruises provides a holiday experience in step with the Britain of today reflecting topical tastes in food, service and entertainment. It is more than just a holiday, offering guests the chance to experience ‘this is the life’ moments. Cunard, meanwhile, epitomises luxury on a grand scale

with its legendary transatlantic heritage. It too offers a quintessentially British experience but it’s delivered with a worldly sophistication for its international audience and promotes a theme of elegance, style and tradition.

All the vessels operated under both brands deliver extremely high quality accommodations and facilities; one of the standout vessels in the fleet is Cunard’s globally renowned, 1968 passenger Queen Mary 2. Cunard’s flagship vessel is a magnificent ocean liner, offering a vast amount of space on board and state-of-the-art facilities such as a 3D cinema, planetarium and spa. This spring/summer, it is being remastered to deliver a new look and levels of luxury. This major refurbishment includes elegant suites and staterooms, new restaurants and a re-imagined Grills experience.

While the magnificence of the Queen

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Profile: P&O Cruises/Cunard

Marine Firewatch Services

Marco Pierre White

Marine Firewatch Services is a Southampton based company headed up by: Andrew Moulding - a marine occupational safety advisor and firewatch trainer / manager with many years experience in this field. He holds the NEBOSH general certificate, advanced fire watch certificate, the UK Fire Protection Association responsible person certificate, and is a registered fire marshal trainer.

Ian Morgan – of Baymarine Services, which has specialised in surface preparation cleaning and coating on marine vessels for many years, and has many years experience in the industry.

Having both worked with many other firewatch teams over the years and experiencing a variety of problems, they decided to combine their experience and knowledge to offer a professional, dedicated firewatch service.

Below: The Britannia Atrium

Top: James Martin Below: Eric Lanlard

Mary 2 cannot be underestimated, there is now a new vessel in the P&O Cruises fleet, which is bringing a new level of high quality dining and entertainment options to the brand.

Ordered in 2011, Britannia was built by Fincantieri at its shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, and officially began operations in March 2015. At 143,000 tonnes, she is the biggest ship built exclusively for Britain and has just celebrated one year in the P&O Cruises’ fleet. During the maiden year, Britannia has played host to more than 116,900 guests, over 43 cruises and sailed 88,000 nautical miles, travelling to 31 countries and visiting 61 different ports. Featuring a 308 foot Union Jack flag on her bow, the largest of its kind

in the world, Britannia’s name has a historical importance to P&O Cruises, which has had two previous ships with the same name connected to it. The first of which entered service in 1835 for the General Steam Navigation Company, while the second, which entered service in 1887, was one of four ships ordered by the company to mark the golden jubilee of both Queen Victoria and P&O Cruises.

Britannia offers guests the luxury of a five-star hotel, with the excitement of cruising to new and different destinations. The dining options are also of major appeal, with the cream of UK culinary talent having input onboard via the brand’s ‘Food Heroes’ – these include James Martin, www.shipping-and-marine.com - 37

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Profile: P&O Cruises/Cunard

Left: Azura and below the Oriana

Marco Pierre White, Atul Kochhar, Eric Lanlard, wine expert Olly Smith and cheese expert Charlie Turnbull.

These celebrity chefs and experts are represented in the restaurants, menus, bars, the new Market Café and Cookery Club, a 24-person state-ofthe-art cookery school. Furthermore, the Food Heroes will also be travelling on board cruises in 2016, thus giving P&O Cruises guests a real opportunity to get up close and personal to the stars.

Food Hero cruises offer cookery classes, hosted dinners, Q&A sessions and book signings. Additionally, celebrity chef Marco Pierre White will be overseeing celebrities as they battle it out this year with some good-hearted cooking rivalry on Britannia for TV cookery programme Battlechefs.

Other highlights of Britannia include an impressive atrium with illuminating star burst sculpture, a spa, a Great British Gin Menu with 20 artisan gins in the Crow’s Nest and Great British Beer Menu with 70 UK bottled beers, ales and ciders in Brodie’s Bar, as well as a state-of-the-art theatre with LED wall, four pools, gym and a multi-million-pound art collection.

Viewed as a game changer, not just for P&O Cruises but for the cruise industry as a whole, Britannia is stylish, elegant and contemporary, as Christopher Edgington, vice president of marketing at P&O Cruises discussed with Shipping & Marine in June 2015: “She celebrates the very best of British talent - whether that is the design of the cabins or three-tier atrium, the

art collection on board, the food and restaurant choices, the best British chefs or world-class entertainment, it’s all in the detail.”

Britannia is also the most fuel efficient ship in the P&O Cruises fleet, designed to deliver much greater levels of environmental efficiency. The ship can produce 1500 tonnes per day of drinkable water from seawater using waste heat from the ship’s diesel generators. Two of the ship’s four engines are each fitted with an exhaust gas cleaning system, to remove oxides of sulphur from the gas stream.

The ship is fully compliant with requirements of the emission control areas (ECAs) in which controls on exhaust gas emissions are particularly stringent.

Following the major success of Britannia, Carnival made an announcement in March last year that it has ordered a total of nine cruise ships, five from Fincantieri and four from Meyer Werft. These new ships are anticipated to be delivered during the four-year period between 2019 and 2022, with Fincantieri building five of the vessels at its shipyards in Monfalcone and Marghera in Italy; Meyer Werft, meanwhile, will be constructing the remaining four ships at both its German yard in Papenberg as well as its new Finnish yard in Turku. In June 2015 it was announced that two of the vessels being built by Meyer Werft will be for AIDA Cruises, while the remaining two will be for Costa Cruises.

As new build vessels such as

Britannia become increasingly bigger in capacity, P&O Cruises and Cunard both anticipate a 25 per cent increase in guest volume at ABP Southampton over the next two years. In line with this expected growth, the Queen Elizabeth II cruise terminal, which is often home to Cunard’s fleet, has been redeveloped and re-opened in February 2016. The more than £5 million worth of refurbishments at QEII included the installation of a state-of-the-art shipto-shore walkway, which will ensure a broader range of cruise ships can now use the terminal, while also enhancing passenger flow and experience. This investment by ABP Southampton coincides with its goal of delivering multi-million pound refurbishments at all four of the port’s cruise terminals, which will enable it to cater for the world’s largest cruise vessels.

With congestion reduced and guest numbers certain to increase, P&O Cruises and Cunard will continue to cruise along nicely as they provide guests with luxury, adventure and culinary delights, all aboard its stateof-the-art vessels.

P&O Cruises/Cunard www.pocruises.com www.cunard.co.uk • Brands owned by Carnival UK, part of Carnival Corporation & plc • Offer formal and relaxed cruise options • Carnival Corporation & plc has ordered nine cruise ships to be delivered between 2019 and 2022

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Profile: CTRUK Boats

A fresh

approach

F

ounded in 2010 in Brightlingsea, Essex, CTruk Boats began operations with a vision to take the design of offshore wind farm support boats to a new level. Discussing the company’s developments over the last six years, Sebastian Shillaker, Managing Director at CTruk Boats, begins: “CTruk Boats was founded in 2010 by Andy White and has since found a niche within the Offshore Windfarm Market for multi-purpose vessels. Since 2010 CTruk has become the UK’s second largest Wind Farm Service Vessel Supplier and specialises in advanced FRP composite construction; we also utilise vacuum resin infusion, which is one of the reasons CTruk is so innovative.

Key to our success is the fact we have continually strived to meet the demands of the offshore wind market by developing and improving vessel designs throughout the years.

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“We currently build a range of FRP composite multi-purpose catamarans for the Offshore Windfarm, Security/ Military and Survey sectors. However, we are always looking to stay ahead of the competition and regularly partake in research and development activities; we also focus on finding new sectors and ways in which we can improve creating the best vessels possible for our clientele.”

This commitment to delivering a higher standard of support to those within the offshore industry resulted in the creation of the CTruk MPC19 multi-purpose catamarans, which boast the company’s bespoke, patentapplied flexible pod system. Offering incredible versatility, the flexible deck pod system enables the boat to be reconfigured in a matter of hours, thus enabling it to carry out a variety of tasks and be used for projects such as crew transfer, blade inspection, paint inspection, generator refuel and

With such features as full ballistic protection including bullet resistant glazing, internal crew and troop shock mitigating seating this vessel is a revolutionary step in the maritime patrol and military vessel market.” Based on a proven offshore support vessel design, the CTruk THOR11 can be configured as a force protection craft, with a remote weapon system controlled within the craft, a troop carrier, with a focus on the safe and efficient transport of troops to other vessels or beaches or riverine, a patrol vessel that provides extra fire power with quick response and high maneuverability features.

Meanwhile, in January 2015 the company announced it had signed

D.B. Marine (Essex) Ltd Based on the east coast D.B. Marine (Essex) Ltd was originally formed 35 years ago, carrying out marine engineering on commercial fishing and privately owned vessels. Over the past years it has diversified into the wind farm industry and has carried out the installation of the main propulsion system for C Truk boats supplying generators and equipment. D.B. Marine is also a dealer for the Beta Marine range of both propulsion engines and generators and the Seatite range of deck hatches.

the examination of turbine integrity.

“CTruk is also able to create bespoke pods for their clients suitable for many different applications such as dive, scientific, fishing, survey, leisure and so on,” adds Sebastian.

In the first two years of business alone, ten of these boats were delivered to operate on offshore wind farms to provide support throughout projects around the UK. Today, a team of more than 50 technicians strive to build safer, faster and more enhanced composite high-speed vessels that are more cost-effective and innovative than before. These vessels will not only have applications in the offshore wind market, but also the military, security, expedition yacht and commercial sectors.

Elaborating on a recent military contract, Sebastian highlights: “In 2013 we built THOR11 which is a prototype vessel that was designed specifically for military purposes. www.shipping-and-marine.com - 41

a deal with the Port of London Authority (PLA) for a new purposebuilt hydrographic survey catamaran named Maplin, which was delivered in February 2016. The 17 metre CTruk vessel, which boasts a hydro-dynamically optimised twin hull design for smooth passages through the water, replaces the PLA’s Yantlet and will continue the PLA Hydrography team’s vital survey work that ensures safe navigation on the Thames. Able to accommodate up to 12 people (two crew and ten passengers), the vessel’s features include water-jet propulsion, a multi-beam sonar platform, a cruise speed of 18 knots, a survey speed of two knots; top-of-the-range echo sounding systems and ancillary survey equipment, a deck that can take loads of up to one tonne per square metre and a foldable knuckle crane.

Integral to delivering optimum quality, cost-effective and cutting edge vessels is the company’s forward-thinking approach to design and production. For example, CTruk Boats uses an innovative vacuum infusion process that ensures composite boats are built to the highest possible standards while also saving up to 40 per cent on weight. Not only giving the CTruk range of vessels a smoother, more hydrodynamic shape when 42 - www.shipping-and-marine.com

Profile: CTRUK Boats

underwater than aluminium boats, the resin infusion composite also gives CTruk’s boats a strong and robust structure that reduces overall vessel weight while also providing significant time savings during operation and maintenance routines. Moreover, the resin infusion composite also offers cost savings in lifecycle maintenance and servicing.

Overall, the reduction in weight provides customers with a greater payload, range and speed, while the closed process of manufacture virtually eliminated potentially harmful volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions.

To maintain optimum quality throughout production, the company has developed a modular manufacturing process, which not only increases production efficiency but also reduces build time.

Complementing this development in manufacture are the company’s

effective working practices, which are at the very core of its ethos alongside the delivery of safer, faster, better and more cost-effective solutions.

By merging all of these strengths together, the ISO 9001:2008 certified company ensures customers receive marine craft and systems that are fully compliant with their operational requirements while also meeting their unique needs.

Always seeking out a fresh approach to the design and build of vessels, CTruk will continue to up the ranks against competitors in the production of composite high-speed marine craft while also identifying market spaces where it can improve an existing product to offer customers a safer, better, faster and more costeffective solution. “Over the next 12 months we will be focusing on the survey and security market to further develop our vessel portfolio,” concludes Sebastian.

CTruk Boats www.ctruk.com • Designs and builds high-speed marine craft • Uses a cutting-edge vacuum infusion process to save on weight • Launched a new class of military workboat in September 2015

Scott Bader Scott Bader is a €237 million global chemical company with over 60 years’ of technical expertise. While Scott Bader’s headquarters is based in the UK where it has purpose-built, state-of-the-art technical facilities that provide R & D as well as complete evaluation, testing and application support - it has manufacturing facilities in Europe, the Middle East, India, South Africa, Canada and South America.

More recently, Scott Bader has established a close working relationship with CTruk Boats Ltd. To further reduce weight, increase productivity and cut labour costs, Crystic Crestabond and Crystic Crestomer 1152PA structural adhesives are specified in all of CTruk’s composite marine craft for structurally bonding in hull stringers and bulkheads, transom sections, engine beds, deck sections and for hull to deck joints.

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Profile: garrets international

mover

Prime

O World Wide Wrist

Wrist is the world’s largest ship and offshore supplier and co-ordinates global activities through regional centres in Europe, Far East, Middle East and North America.

It provides a 24/7/365 service for every marine, offshore and navy operation, including land operations.

It is a full service provider, including handling of owners’ goods, shipping, airfreight and related marine services, that can meet the demands of both multi-national organisations as well as small local businesses.

The company takes pride in making it easy for its customer to receive their supplies, wherever they are needed, efficiently and at the best possible price - this is encapsulated in its mission: Expert Care to Each Ship & Offshore Location!

perating as part of the wider Wrist Ship Supply, Garrets International represents one of the marine industry’s largest and most accomplished provision and stores management companies. Garrets became part of Wrist as of 28 January 2016. SeaStar operates as a business unit within Wrist and was established in 2009 to specialise in the handling of consumable budgets and the delivery of consumables to ships all over the world. With the support of Wrist, the company quickly established a strong reputation and a customer platform of 600 ships.

Garrets International was founded in 1991 to facilitate full co-operation between ship owners and managers, crew and suppliers by providing a complete provision management service. By 2015 Garrets was recognised as a world-leading marine provision management company with a fleet of over 1000 ships of all types and sizes under supplying them in

ports around the world. Today both companies operate as a single entity under the Garrets brand with offices located within Denmark and the UK, as well as a dedicated sales office within Singapore. “If you consider the legacy of the business, SeaStar had organic growth of around ten per cent during 2015 and with the acquisition of Garrets the company collectively has in excess of 1600 ships under management,” explains CEO, Niels Snog. “Our ambition is to be the best, and this acquisition provides optimum conditions for just that.”

Following the acquisition the former SeaStar and Garrets continues to operate as a leading supplier of provision and stores management solutions for the marine industry that combines the expertise of Garrets with the global presence of its new parent company. Wrist represents the largest ship supplier in the world, offering Garrets a strong professional base from which to continue to develop its service offering. Garrets sources from the best suppliers www.shipping-and-marine.com - 45

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Profile: garrets international

Straits Ship Supply Pte Ltd Established in 2003 Straits Marine is a leading ship supplier and food importer in Singapore. Straits Marine commenced its operation with a goal to holistically serve clients and crew with specific and refined requirements.

The needs of clientele pushed the boundaries and made the company excel in all aspects with items supplied and service provided. Straits is praised as a sole supplier for its ability to supply food in accordance to crews’ nationality. Straits greatly values food culture and habits, as it understands the importance of healthy food, as well as having native products on board the ship.

United Ship Chandlers

Professional shipchandlers at the Port of Hong Kong since 1980 Provisions We offer a complete range of fresh, frozen and dry provisions. Our provisions department sources food products locally and worldwide with quality assurance.

We constantly import dry food items, fish, sausages, cheese, vegetables as well as many others from Germany, Holland, Spain, Singapore, China and etc. for the exact requirement of vessels.

Bonded Items Being a bond licence holder, we can provide our customers with a wide range of beers, spirits, cigarettes, soft drinks and snack foods with direct purchase from importers at cost.

Stores We are able to offer general stores from cabin stores, stationary, nautical equipment, flags, charts, safety equipment, tools, bolts, screws to electrical equipment, advanced electronics and computer accessories as well as others to our customers to satisfy their needs.

worldwide. Last year Garrets made supplies throughout 712 ports across 113 countries, for each ship’s specific provisioning needs, screening quotations from multiple suppliers on its customers’ behalf.

Its experienced staff co-ordinate on-board deliveries with the ship and their appointed agent, always looking for opportunities to consolidate with other deliveries to optimise logistics, alleviating customers’ purchasing departments of time-consuming purchase and logistics tasks.

Since becoming part of Wrist Garrets has also taken on the diversified services of SeaStar, which had introduced a new stores management edition as of January 2014. Today the implementation of this stores division compliments Garrets’ provision of consumable items and provision management solutions by providing year-round solutions in non-consumable stores for ships globally. “With provision management, 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,” Niels outlines. “A yearly budget is compiled, and we will then help the ship stay within this budget.

Prices can differ upwards of 200 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.”

While Garrets is a proven industry player in the field of ship supply, the company is also a prime mover in the training of chefs onboard and the introduction of the highest standards of food quality within the marine industry. During 2015 for example, Garrets was awarded a Good Egg Award by Compassion in World Farming in recognition of its commitment to source only cage-free eggs across its European operation.

Garrets represents the only maritime company in the world to have received this award. “Presently the improvement that has been achieved in products sold in supermarkets on www.shipping-and-marine.com - 47

Profile: garrets international

Adamar

We, as Adamar Int Ship Supply Co, Turkey, are proud of having been the preferred supplier of Garrets for many years with our high quality goods & 24hr/seven day service and professional team at all the ports, straits & shipyards of Turkey.

The key factors that maintain and strengthen our long-term and good co-operation are sharing the same business ethics and cost effective and customer oriented attitude, as well as providing quick and efficient problem solving and the best price policy without compromising quality.

We always and only invest into the ship supply sector and focus on our business. Our main goals are to gain customer satisfaction with our expert care and represent our partners in the best way possible.

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land in terms of quality and ethics is generally ahead of what is supplied at sea,” Niels explains. “There are many countries around the world where it is hard to be able to meet these standards and we would like to be part of trying to drive those changes throughout the marine sector. Being a market leader, we would like to try to set the tone and while we accept that we cannot do this alone, we feel that we have a responsibility to drive some progress in this area and sometimes to be the first mover in the industry.”

As part of its commitment to quality and co-operation with customers, Garrets also operates training courses for ship’s crew in association with a local school in Manila and is in the process of setting up a similar facility in Mumbai.

Further to delivering expert training on land, the company also maintains a core of first-rate chefs who act as superintendents that can operate aboard customer’s ships to train staff and identify areas of improvement.

During the next 12 months, the company will focus on further establishing these services inline with the company’s wider activities to deliver a fully comprehensive marine supply solution. “We are currently working to develop the stores management division to the same level as the provisions management part of the business,” Niels concludes.

“Over the next five years we intend to continue to grow organically above market rate, and we continue to seek acquisition possibilities, while ensuring a good quality of service in terms of both provisions and stores and to act as a prime mover in bringing new services to the market.”

Garrets International www.garrets.com

• Part of Wrist • 1600 managed ships • Provision and stores management specialist

Profile: Wesal Shipping

A safe

port S

ince the company was established during 2003, Wesal Shipping LLC has built a proven reputation as a leading provider of both onshore and offshore services within the UAE, with offices within Dubai, Fujairah and Khor Fakkan. Wesal Shipping was formed according to an aim to serve vessels on the eastern and western coasts of the UAE, with its Dubai office servicing vessels calling at the Dubai, Jebel Ali, Sharjah, Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah ports, while its full fledged branch office at Fujairah meets the needs of vessels sailing within Fujairah and Khor Fakkan waters. “Our offices in Dubai, Fujairah and Khor Fakkan are are well equipped with modern communication facilities to provide round the clock services to our valuable customers. We also have a fleet of nine crew boats manned by efficient and experienced crew

capable of rendering smooth and uninterrupted services,” elaborates Wesal Shipping CEO, Captain Yazdan Panah. “Our boats working at Dubai, Fujairah and Khor Fakkan for agency and offshore activities sail under the UAE flag with Dubai as the port of registry. The vessels are classed by reputed classification agencies and are certified for operating within UAE waters by the UAE government organisations.”

Wesal Shipping presently serves in excess of 1200 vessels calling at UAE ports under its agency each year that use the company’s crew boats for port services. The broad base of typical activities undertaken by Wesal Shipping can include services such as acting as vessel agents within UAE ports; crew handling; the supply of provisions and stores; clearing and forwarding of ship spares; supply of bunker and fresh water; medical assistance to ship www.shipping-and-marine.com - 49

Profile: Wesal Shipping

personnel; organising ship repair; the arrangement of under water cleaning; surveys; and ship-to-ship cargo transfers, fender jobs and anchoring jobs. Further to its activities within local waters, Wesal Shipping also charters its crew boats for offshore work at ports within Persian Gulf countries including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and Iraq while assisting both small and international oil companies such as McDermott, Saipem and Technip.

The company’s current fleet is comprised of nine vessels that include both crew boats and multi-purpose

The Wesal fleet has provided services to almost all of the oil and gas fields in the Persian Gulf region and we currently intend to try to win further work in Iran now that sanctions against the state have been lifted 50 - www.shipping-and-marine.com

fire fighting and utility vessels.

The crew boats are handled by professional crews and incorporate modern amenities, as well as a carrying capacity of 60 tonnes of cargo and 60 passengers. These allow Wesal to provide its comprehensive range of offshore services and each vessel is designed with performance in mind. “Our crew vessels are made using aluminium so they are light and can achieve good speeds.

We currently have seven crew boats based at Dubai, Fujairah and Khor Fakkan that provide agency services and two new crew boats specifically for chartering roles. We have recently placed an order for a new offshore vessel, which should be ready for operation by the end of 2016,” Yazdan reveals. “The Wesal fleet has provided services to almost all of the oil and gas fields in the Persian Gulf region and we currently intend to try to win further work in Iran now that sanctions against the state have been lifted. It is likely that Iran will represent a new market with plenty of work that could not previously be done due to the sanctions.”

Although the drop in the cost of oil has slowed activity in oil and gas exploration and production, there remains a need to carry out maintenance operations and scheduled servicing operations.

This has allowed Wesal Shipping to continue to work with oil and gas clients looking for an agency partner that is able to deliver services quickly and efficiently as operators look for cost-saving solutions. “All of the nations within the Persian Gulf region have abundant oil and gas reserves, with oil and gas installations that require maintenance and further development, so clients are all in need of servicing and renovation of their installations,” Yazdan says. “The companies dealing with the above jobs are in need of offshore vessels, they need speciality crew boats for transporting technicians, tools and provisions as quickly as possible. This is the reason that new crew boats have come into the market in order to travel quickly with a large number of passenger seats as well as large deck space for transporting materials and goods.”

While the price of oil remains low the level of activity within the oil and gas sector will inevitably remain slow as operators look to make savings until confidence in the market returns. Despite the challenges resulting from the slowdown of oil and gas operations, Wesal Shipping continues to provide vital services to its clients and is confident that the market will gradually stabilise resulting in greater opportunities in the future. “As far as the present situation regarding offshore work is concerned, it is true that the low cost of oil has had a negative impact with some offshore projects being put on hold. The present situation will not remain indefinitely and we think it will improve, although not in the short term. It is unlikely that the industry will see an oil price of above $100 per barrel but process may stabilise at between $60 and $70 per barrel in 2017,” Yazdan concludes.

“Wesal have been present in Dubai for the last 13 years carrying out the same jobs, with a dedicated staff and crew that are capable of providing professional services and operational vessels with very good technical specifications. Our aim is and will continue to be to satisfy customers by providing the best level of service possible.”

Wesal Shipping www.wesalshipping.com • Port agency services • Nine crew vessels • Services throughout UAE ports

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Profile: Port of Antwerp 4th dock, port view

A global

getaway

B

ased 80km inland along the River Scheldt, the Port of Antwerp is able to trace its roots back the Middle Ages and is today one of Europe’s most important ports.

Located in the heart of Belgium, the port is the continent’s most central seaport, regularly playing host to the world’s largest seagoing container ships and acting as a major global gateway to Europe with routes connecting to over 500 international destinations. Embedded deep within Europe’s land based infrastructure with major rail, road, barge and pipe links all easily accessible, the 12,068hectare port has its sights set on further expansion following a strong period of success.

“One of the most significant successes of recent months is the fact that we ended 2015 with an historical growth record,” begins Head of Communications at the Port of Antwerp, Annik Dikx, who last spoke with Shipping & Marine back in August 2015. “For the first time ever we exceeded 200 million tonnes of handled goods, eventually topping out at 208.4 million tonnes.

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This included 9.6 million TEU of containers, making us the second largest port for container traffic in Europe, a 7.5 per cent growth over 2014, and also saw a 6.1 per cent rise in liquid bulk. Compared to other ports in Europe, this growth is very strong.”

Two key drivers are responsible for most of this growth. Firstly, is the notable rise in liquid bulk

handling, and secondly are its increased trade relations with the Far East. In December 2015, the port signed a twinning agreement with the Port of Guangzhou in China – the eighth biggest port in the world – to collaborate more closely commercially. This followed a collaboration agreement in 2010, which saw Antwerp’s APEC maritime training subsidiary supply key skills and know-how to the Chinese port. In fact, APEC has been the only European institute recognised for maritime training by the Chinese Department of Foreign Affairs since 1979 and provides a strong foundation for the continued development of commercial collaboration with the market under China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ strategy to re-establish key silk road trade routes.

“In addition to this our strong inland location is very positive for access to the European market and thanks to our daughter company, Port of Antwerp International, we have established key partnerships in regions where this ‘One Belt, One Road’ strategy will have big interests,

Deurganck and Saeftinghe dock

such as the Port of Azerbaijan in Baku, with whom we signed an agreement last year,” explains Annik.

As well as this, a recent partnering with the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and the 2M agreement signed in 2014, which saw MSC and Maersk opting to include Antwerp as a key port in its sailing schedule from the Far East, will both be central to continued trade growth between the two regions.

However, with such growth set to continue, in-depth studies have shown that assuming only moderate growth the Port of Antwerp, in its current guise, will reach full container capacity by 2021. As such, it is currently undergoing a major 15-year 1.6 billion euro investment programme to expand. Meanwhile, the port is facilitating the move of its biggest client, MSC, from its existing location on the Delwaide dock on the port’s right bank, to the Deurganck dock on its left. “MSC indicated a couple of years ago that they wanted to consolidate their activities in Antwerp and create their hub for the North West of Europe here, but had run out of room to grow,” highlights Annik. “The most viable solution was to move them to the new dock, giving them the space to grow.”

The move leaves the Delwaide dock available for new companies to move in and invest in the port, and is set to establish the Deurganck dock as the main container-handling site. Annik notes that maritime needs are dictating that access to terminals is faster and more efficient, so the future of container handling will be in front of locks. Investment is also

being put into the creation of the new tidal Saeftinghe dock. Phase one of the project, which comprises of a 1400-metre quay on each side and surrounding industrial zone, will be completed by 2021/2022, before market conditions are assessed to determine the need for a second phase.

Discussions are also ongoing with Saudi Arabian energy waste recovery pioneers, Energy Recovery Systems Company Ltd, (ERS), who are looking to locate a three billion euro, state-of-the-art facility at the port.

Looking ahead, Annik points out that one of the growing challenges facing the port industry is the evergrowing nature of cargo ships, which is putting logistical management pressures on both the port authorities and the surrounding infrastructure systems. “The impact of bigger container ships doesn’t end at the terminal; it goes much further than this,” she says. “I think it’s the port’s

responsibility to be able to cope with this growth in a sustainable way whilst also managing an efficient operation during these peak times.”

Over the course of 2016 and beyond the immediate focus will be on the development of Saeftinghe dock. In the longer term, whilst the strategic vision is currently being discussed for the period to 2030 and 2050, it is clear that expanding the Port of Antwerp’s physical capacity as well as its commercial and cultural relationships with all corners of the globe will be a defining factor.

Ultimately, by remaining competitive amidst a pressurised market, the port looks set to experience continued success for years to come.

Port of Antwerp www.portofantwerp.com • Record levels of growth in 2015 • Improved trade routes to and from the Far East • Sights set on continued expansion plans

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Profile: Bierens

Changing

gears

F

ounded in 1880, the Bierens Group of companies has been the leading gear specialist for more than 70 years; this coveted position has been held thanks to its ongoing care and passion for the manufacture of gears, gearboxes, mechanical drives, special machines and overhaul work.

Indeed, key to the group’s ongoing success is its focus on the development of new and innovative gear shapes, as well as the optimisation of existing tooth shapes and the diversity in production possibilities.

Within the group is Bierens BV, a specialist in manufacturing gears and gearboxes; Defawes NV, a Ghentbased sister company that specialises in the design and manufacture of mechanical drives; HPG Nederland BV, the go-to partner for firms requiring innovative, high-precision gears, and Blom Tandwielen, which fully specialises in the production of

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drive components. Within the market of gearbox production, both Bierens in Tilburg and Defawes in Ghent have gained strong reputations as large players. “Bierens is located in Tilburg and Ghent, with 50 and 30 employees respectively. The Tilburg location is more focused on the marine market, with the specialism on spiral bevel gears, while the Ghent location is more focused on the industrial market, with the overhaul of gearboxes,” explains Henk Meijer, CEO of Bierens Group. “Of all spiral bevel gear manufacturers, Bierens is the most technology driven as we focus on technology in the design of the product, as well as technology in spiral bevel gear manufacture. Through our drive for innovation, we created a new era in manufacturing of spiral bevel gears in 2002 and, although there are many followers, Bierens is still the only one who uses the mathematical basis for the manufacture of gears.”

Indeed, a major milestone for the group took place in 2002, when it developed the five-axis free form milling methodology that could produce a range of gears. This innovation, created by the technology and development department of Bierens, further ensured the group remained competitive as multiple tooth shapes could then be milled on one machine. Moreover, this technology can develop tooth shapes or corrections that can’t be manufactured with standard tools, it is also applicable to all gears for which a mathematical description is developed; this includes cylindrical gears with straight, helical or V-shaped teeth, conical gears with straight of curved teeth, worms and wormwheels, crownwheel and racks.

The technology is particularly suitable for finishing milling products that have specific surface requirements or gear quality; the most revolutionary

example of this is the Bierens S-Shape, which is known as the ‘golden solution’. The benefits of the unique Bierens S-Shape include a 30-35 per cent increase of power transfer, less heat and noise, increased efficiency and the possibility of accuracy up to quality class DIN class 1 (AGMA 15).

In addition, there is no need for axial fixation and there is also the possibility of using alternative materials.

Discussing in more detail the bespoke solutions that Bierens delivers to its customers, Henk highlights: “New technology naturally leads to new solutions and benefits for our customers; for example, free form milling makes any tooth profile possible and also ensures more power transfer and enhanced design solutions. Meanwhile, free form crowning ensures an enhanced contact pattern, a longer-life cycle of the product, increased efficiency and less noise and head. Free form profiling also delivers benefits as it makes smaller designs possible.”

Due to the high accuracy of the gears that Bierens creates, the requirement for gears to be individually adapted to one another is eliminated. As such, the company has earned the trust of blue chip organisations that operate in the most demanding of industrial environments. Business segments that the company produces gears and gearboxes for include the maritime sector, infrastructure and structures sector, the mining industry, industrial applications, the heavy machine construction sector, glass industry, steel industry and the transport industry.

Despite this impressive diversity, approximately 60 per cent of sales come from maritime applications.

“The main customers within the shipping industry are thruster companies such as Wärtsilä, RollsRoyce, Schottel, Veth Propulsion and ZF Marine,” says Henk.

To stay ahead of the competition and ensure ongoing quality to its clients, Bierens began building new premises in December 2014. The new factory provides a new logistic plan that has boosted efficiency in the manufacturing process, as Henk notes: “In this new ‘smart industry’ setting

we have created, we can achieve more machine hours per man-hour, so the whole chain of production can be less costly. In addition, the factory has also been air-conditioned so accuracies of 1.2 micron are now possible. These developments also mean the S-gear is now tested for high-speed trains

and that the company as a whole is delivering more sustainability by using less energy, which has led to a smaller environmental footprint. Furthermore, we have invested in two new DMU 210P machines and one Mazak Integrex 670II, which have been added to the fleet of five-axis milling machines, as well as a new horizontal bevel gear tester.”

Keen to exploit the strengths of the new factory, Bierens is certain to have a prosperous future as it looks to expand into locations such as Asia and Brazil, where the benefits of using high quality and innovative marine technology are yet to be fully understood.

Bierens www.bierens.com • Specialists in manufacturing gears and gearboxes • Sixty per cent of sales are in marine applications • Continuously invests in machinery

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Profile: port of hanko

Positive

growth

F

ounded in response to Finland’s industrialisation to export goods to the global market, the Port of Hanko has a history that dates back to 1873. Situated in the south of Finland, ice-free Hanko is the most southerly of all ports in the country and with external pressures rising on the shipping industry is most ideally placed to take advantage of a changing market. Currently the seventh largest port in Finland, and the largest for German Ro-Ro traffic, the Port of Hanko predominantly handles export of Finland’s paper products and import of consumer goods, demonstrating a healthy 52:48 balance between export and import, respectively. Amongst its most significant activities is its relationship 56 - www.shipping-and-marine.com

with the automotive industry, in which the port holds an 80 per cent market share for the import of new cars – around 100,000 units every year. Historically it has handled these volumes from two main harbours, the Western Port, for liner traffic, and the Outer Port for PCC vessels. However, with the recent acquisition of a former industrial port in Koverhar, 20km away, the port is set to expand significantly over the coming years.

With shipping partners such as Transfennica, SOL, Finnlines and Navirail, the Port of Hanko currently facilitates a number of daily calls from Europe. As of October, the port has so far received 1405 vessel calls during 2015 from many of Europe’s major ports. This includes 15 daily departures to Germany with

Transfennica, Finnlines and SOL calling at the ports of Lübeck and Rostock, and eight to Estonia, Port of Paldiski, and subsequently Eastern Europe, with Navirail.

“We have seen an increase in cargo volumes every year for the last three years,” begins CEO of the port, Anders Ahlvik. “By the end of this year we would have handled around four million tonnes, an increase of 15 per cent on 2014.” However, despite this positive growth at the Port of Hanko, Mr Ahlvik goes on to explain that this is not due to an overall increase in a European market that is showing little signs of activity growth. Instead he attributes it to the competitiveness of the port and the resulting increase in customers using Hanko over other Finnish Ports.

Koverhar harbour

“The key strength is our location,” he continues. “We are the closest to the rest of Europe over the Baltic Sea, and therefore can often provide the best gateway for the European market. With the sulphur directive coming into force, which will see the fuel price rise, shorter distances are going to become much more economical for shipping operators so they will benefit from our location.

We then make sure to support this with a highly professional offering of port services around the harbours and we are unusual in Finland in that the port is open 24/7 all year around.”

Part of the strategy to cope with rising demand for the port has been realised with the acquisition of Koverhar harbour. Covering more than 600 hectares and with an excellent fairway, Koverhar provides the opportunity for the Port of Hanko to increase its dry bulk cargo volumes. “We have started to market

this new harbour throughout 2015 and there has been a lot of interest in the space available,” says Mr Ahlvik. “It gives new customers new possibilities, and opens the port up even more to the global market. As the area becomes more and more popular for operators we are seeking to handle several million tonnes of cargo to double the volume of the

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Profile: port of hanko

Port of Hanko over the next ten to 15 years.”

By utilising the naturally deep fairway and by dredging the port area, Koverhar will eventually offer a complete 15.3 metre sailing depth, meaning it can accommodate any vessel within the Baltic Sea. Significantly, Mr Ahlvik comments on the new harbour’s location and the opportunities it represents to a far

larger market: “The Russian market is not far away at all and we are confident that once today’s situation with Russia is over we will be able to work very closely with that market and start seeing some key growth in terms of both import and export volumes.”

Keen not to focus all its attention on the establishment of Koverhar however, the Port of Hanko has also

been investing heavily into its two existing sites to increase capacity.

“We are planning to deepen the fairway to the outer port to a sailing dept of 9.2 metres and are investing into the repair and upgrade of our quay there to handle up to 200 metre vessels – it currently stands at 160 metres. This will start over the coming months to be finished in 2016,” Mr Ahlvik explains. “Also as we are dredging we hope to use the collected sand to build and rebuild new spaces in the western port to give us more land to handle lorries and trailers, which is the main volume for liner traffic.”

With potentially challenging market conditions in its favour and a strong service capability supporting its growth, outlook for the Port of Hanko looks positive. “The future will be focused on increasing volumes,” adds Mr Ahlvik. “It will be about carrying on with business as usual and making sure we continue this strong offering. We have a new customer coming on board at the beginning of 2016 and this relationship alone will significantly increase our steel handling volumes at the port, for instance. In the longer term it is difficult to predict, but everything is heading in the right direction at present and we are confident that this will continue over the coming years.”

Port of Hanko www.portofhanko.fi • Most southerly port in Finland • Largest Finnish Ro-Ro port serving the German market • Plans to increase capacity with the opening of a third harbour

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Profile: marine technologies llc

In control

F

ocused on providing superior vessel control solutions to the international offshore and commercial shipping industries since its establishment in 2002, Marine Technologies LLC (MT) has become a world leader in the development of vessel control systems and a onestop-shop resource for clients operating in the shipping and offshore industries.

Having equipped its first vessel with an improved dynamic positioning (DP) system 16 months after its formation, the company went on to deliver more than 300 type-approved DP systems of all IMO classes alongside less complex DP and joystick solutions.

Based on a distributed architecture that focuses on both redundancy and segregation, the company’s Bridge Mate DP concept boasts a robust design with distributed operator stations, DP control computers and distributed thruster and sensor interface units. Each interface can be placed close to the thrusters, www.shipping-and-marine.com - 59

Profile: marine technologies llc

reference systems and sensors to be interfaced, while the interfaced units design makes the Bridge Mate system highly suitable for retrofit and upgrades.

Three systems are available to clients: Bridge Mate DP 1, DP 2 and

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DP 3. The first system is based on a fully distributed concept and has a single control computer, one operator station and separate IO units that interface the sensors, power source, positioning reference system and thrusters. The DP 2 system has the same modules as DP 1, but instead uses three control computers and two operator stations to comply with Class 2 rules. Using three control computers makes majority voting possible between the computers and also for a computer to be rejected, should it break down or fail. Meanwhile, the DP 3 system has an extended hardware configuration and consists of a triple redundant DP controller, three IO units to interface components and a physically separate, fire-safe compartment where one control computer, one operator station and one sensor IO unit are to be located in order for the system to comply with Class 3 requirements.

Since it was previously featured in Shipping & Marine magazine in July 2015 the company has responded to the challenges that are currently taking place within the offshore oil and gas industry by expanding into new markets; these include yacht, cruise, windfarm, fish farming and general maritime industry. This has

proven to be a judicious decision for the firm, which today boasts a healthy order book thanks to a new contract to supply new windpower vessels that are being built by Ulstein as well as a number of other large contracts for clients within the offshore and commercial shipping industries.

“Over the last nine months we have mainly been operating on windmill support vessels,” says Sveinung Tollefesen, Managing Director & R&D manager of Marine Technologies LLC. “We have delivered a number of complete bridges for the windfarm support vessels. Based on the feedback we have received and the requirements for the next delivery to Ulstein on the Windea vessels we are now in the stage of delivering the first vessel that has extended functionality for windfarm support vessels. This includes functions to minimise the time used to get the vessel ready to connect the gangway and automatic sailing from one windmill to the next. The MTECDIS have also added special functions like drawing the vessel and gangway to the windmill in exact dimensions, time to other windmills and so on.”

He continues: “We have also been involved in specialised DP operations

and delivered the first two cable lay and anchor assisted vessels in March 2016, which means special functions for cable lay and anchor/towing assistance are now available in the system. This is also able to be used on the external force environments.

Furthermore, we have added more applications to the yacht specific market to our integrated solution; this is for navigation light, search light and other small bridge functions to get them available in the integrated solution.”

While it is presently in the process of starting to commission the first of the two Windea vessels on the Ulstein yard, MT is also focused on delivering high quality solutions to Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (RCCL) – the company’s first entry into the cruise market. “MT got the first contract with RCCL for an upgrade of the DP system on one of their Cruise vessels.

This is an important step into this company and market for MT and we hope to demonstrate our products successfully here so more Cruise vessels can be added to our project list,” highlights Sveinung.

Having taken a step away from more traditional markets, the company is currently enjoying a wave of success.

While it is presently in the process of starting to commission the first of the two Windea vessels on the Ulstein yard, MT is also focused on delivering high quality solutions to Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (RCCL) – the company’s first entry into the cruise market.

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Profile: marine technologies llc

Fugro Satellite Positioning AS Fugro Satellite Positioning AS (part of Fugro N.V.) offers a wide range of positioning services to the global offshore DP market.

Fugro Satellite Positioning is known to be a first mover in the market and one of its later innovations is the Seastar G4 service, an all-new positioning service that combines GPS/GLONASS/BeiDou/Galileo in one complete solution.

Seastar G4 utilises PPP technology, a method that calculates orbit and clock corrections individually for all satellites, taking ionospheric and tropospheric errors into account.

Seastar G4 is available on Kongsberg Seatex DPS 432 and Fugro 9205 receivers.

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However, not a company to rest on its laurels, MT has also maintained its focus on the development of new products and enhancement of existing products; a trend that will remain at the forefront of its operations, as Sveinung explains: “The upgraded MT-BB100 VSAT antenna has been in the market for almost a year now and we have received very good feedback on it. So we have extended this upgrade also to the MT-BB125 and MT-BB150. On top of this, we are also in the process of upgrading our IBS

solution with several new or improved features and functions, including a new radar basis, a new chart radar, new navigation support applications as well as preparations for INS approval.

Overall we believe this will make our total integrated bridge solution one of the most comprehensive and user friendly in the market.”

Keen to stay at the forefront of innovation in the maritime technology sector, both within the DP segment and with regard to integrated solutions for navigation, automation and communication as a whole, Marine Technologies’ goal of steady growth in all business segments is certain to continue as further opportunities in a diverse range of markets open up to the dynamic firm over the coming years.

Marine Technologies LLC www.marine-technologies.com • World leading developer of vessel control systems • Expanding into new markets such as cruise, windfarm and fish farming • Enhanced newest broadband system in 2016

Profile: Port of Tórshavn

Nordic

influence

F

rom its prime position among the Faroe Islands, located northwest of Scotland and halfway between Iceland and Norway, the Port of Tórshavn (Tórshavnar havn) represents a vital hub to the island’s inhabitants as well as to various industry players within the region. The Faroe Islands are comprised of a unique archipelago of 18 islands, with its capital and largest city of Tórshavn representing one of the smallest capital cities in the world. Throughout its history Port of Tórshavn has enjoyed great success as a base for North Atlantic fishing vessels, a centre for the countries container and Ro-Ro ferry traffic and an increasingly popular summer destination for cruise ships.

The Port of Tórshavn takes its name from ‘The Port of Thor’, after the Nordic god and has existed since the arrival of the first early settlers to the Faroe Islands. While the harbour dates back for more than 100 years, the port has seen several important evolutions and in recent years a process of consolidation has led to the Faroe municipalities of Kollafjørður, Nolsøy, Kirkjubøur, Hestur and Koltur being absorbed into Tórshavn. As a

result more than 40 per cent of the Faroe Islands population lives within Tórshavn and its extended municipal boundaries. A further consequence of this process of municipal enlargement was the significant widening of the operating area of Port of Tórshavn, which today also includes facilities at Sund and Kollafjørður.

Tórshavnar havn is owned by Tórshavn Municipality, meaning that the port is subsequently not in private ownership, however it operates in the same way as a private enterprise and is therefore constantly looking for ways to improve and expand its turnover.

“Port of Tórshavn is self-financed and lives off the income that it generates for itself. That means that we need to provide infrastructure and business opportunities for both our customers and the port directly,” explains CFO, Annfinn Hjelm. “The Faroe economy has been relatively positive over the past few years, which is demonstrated by the port’s import figures. Almost 100 per cent of the countries import goods in terms of container cargo arrive through our facilities, while goods like heavy fuel oil (HFO) are shipped to bunker stations around the Faroe Islands. The port also deals with

significant exports, mainly of fish and fish related products and although this is not necessarily a growing market, it has remained strong and at high levels in recent years.”

Tórshavn is by far the largest port in the Faroe Islands for containerised cargo and routinely services vessels sailing links between Tórshavn and Iceland, Scandinavia, Continental Europe and the UK. When Tórshavnar havn was previously featured in Shipping & Marine magazine during March 2015, Annfinn discussed how analysis into the port’s operations and capacity revealed that the port would require further space to grow and ensure that the facility can continue to serve newer and larger vessels. “Our main focus area at Port of Tórshavn is to provide infrastructure primarily for cargo and passenger traffic. The capacities that we have at present have really been stretched recently, especially if you consider the size of modern container vessels and the increasing draft of ships. We are operating at the maximum of this range and the evolution of ships shows us that these vessels are growing in size, thus we need more quay space and greater draft dept,” he elaborates. “Today we www.shipping-and-marine.com - 63

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Profile: Port of Tórshavn Left: Proposed new harbour

have a maximum draft of around nine metres and the container vessels that arrive today have drafts of just below nine metres, so there is absolutely no possibility to receive larger ships.”

As a result of this analysis Port of Tórshavn announced the implementation of a significant expansion project in 2015, which is currently in its tender stage and due to begin construction during Summer 2016. The development of the port will allow it to better serve clients within the cargo sector and also offer promising advantages to cruise and passenger shipping. “The expansion project will add a further 700 metres of quayside to the port and a greater draft depth of 15 metres. That will most likely futureproof the port for the next couple of generations of container ship,” Annfinn details. “Since cargo is a much larger part of the business, it has been the driver for development. However the passenger and cruise side of the business will also yield some benefit from the project, because in addition to the extra quayside we will add around 95,000m2 of harbour area that can be used for warehouses, container storage and the other facilities. Today passenger traffic in terms of cruise and ferry

operations share berths with container vessels. When the expansion is completed, we will be able to separate these two business areas, thus making life better for all of our customers in the passenger and cargo markets.”

During the rest of 2016 Port of Tórshavn will continue to prepare for the development of its port expansion project. Looking to the future of the port, Annfinn is confident that continued investment in the facility will allow Tórshavnar havn remain as an important hub for years to come.

“Obviously the expansion project will take up all of our time during this year and the construction period will be around three years. We are presently in the tender period and in late March we will open up the envelopes and know the price. There may be some negotiation and then we hope that the expansion project will start in the summer,” he concludes. “In the next five years I hope to see the new port area filled up with cargo and transit goods, while the existing facilities will be filled with passengers.”

Port of Tórshavn www.portoftorshavn.com • Port operates around two thirds of the import and export of Faroes • Significant expansion project planned for 2016 • Ideal location halfway between Iceland and Norway

Articon A Solid Foundation Articon is a fully integrated contractor able to undertake and successfully conduct all projects within: • Harbour and road construction • Planning and landscaping • Ground and sewer construction • Concrete work • Timber and joinery work • Shipwright work A combination of dedicated and skilled employees, the most modern equipment and financial strength enable Articon to undertake building and construction works in Europe.

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Profile: Navig8 Group

Fleet of

Navig8

T

he world’s leading independent pool and commercial management services provider, the Navig8 Group boasts the most diverse trading fleet, from clean and dirty tankers, to chemical tankers and dry bulk. With an unrivalled fleet size, the versatile company merges this strength with leading commercial and operational teams with extensive market knowledge and a customer-orientated, flexible approach to business. Believing customer relationships are at the core of its operations and ongoing success, the group focuses on reliability and responsiveness throughout projects.

It has also accumulated a powerful network of charterer relationships and works with leading players daily. In addition, the group has the broadest pool member base, which has grown from one to 58 members since inception and encompasses partners 66 - www.shipping-and-marine.com

from 18 different countries around the world.

With 13 offices located across the world, Navig8 is able to provide close customer support on a 24/7 basis.

Moreover, by being local, the group is in closer proximity to its customers and regional markets. Meanwhile, by operating globally, the group is also able to assess wide trends and maximise on arbitrage opportunities when they arise.

To ensure it delivers a comprehensive, high quality service to its customers in all of the sectors it serves, the group has divided its operations into separate business lines; these include Navig8 Tankers, Navig8 Bulk, Integr8 Fuels, Navig8 Chemicals, & Navig8 Ship Management.

The Group also leverages the information flow generated through its commercial management activities as well as its in-house research team to identify key inflexion points in the

shipping market. The Group formed Navig8 Product Tankers, Navig8 Crude Tankers and Navig8 Chemical Tankers (separate and distinct asset owning companies) in order to take advantage of favorable acquisition opportunities during a low point the shipping market cycle.

Navig8 Chemical Tankers Inc. was formed in 2013 as a joint venture between the Navig8 Group and Oaktree Capital Management to capitalise on significant structural changes in the petrochemical industry and the continuing development of long-haul chemical trades.

Navig8 Chemical Tankers has put in place a cost-effective operating structure that it anticipates will enable it to grow the fleet efficiently over time while also managing any operating expense. To do this, the company has entered into a series of contracts for the provision of commercial, corporate and technical administrative services

by affiliates of the Navig8 Group; all of whom have the expertise to allow them to deliver reliable and safe operations under close supervision.

By entering into and maintaining such agreements, the division believes services will be obtained in a transparent and cost-effective manner.

Also within its strategy is a focus on optimising the employment of its fleet by deploying vessels in the spotmarket orientated commercial pools of its commercial manager. The division anticipates that, by operating within commercial pools, it can improve its TCE rates through increased vessel utilization and thus earnings. The final part of the company’s strategy is to operate a modern, high quality fleet while focusing on reliable and safe operations; to do this, the division will ensure its fleet meets stringent industry standards and continuously complies with customer requirements.

To do this, Navig8 Chemical Tankers

will maintain a comprehensive maintenance programme.

The company began operations with a fleet of 36 high specification fuelefficient newbuildings with exclusively modern eco-designs: including 18 x 37,295 dwt Interline-9001 coated chemical tankers, eight 25,000 dwt stainless steel chemical tankers, nine IMO II 49,000 dwt interline-9001 coated chemical tankers and two 49,080 dwt epoxy coated chemical tankers. The fleet features a complementary mix of coatings allowing for greater trading flexibility given their ability to accommodate multiple specialised cargoes with different grades and parcel sizes and providing an enhanced cargo resistance, reduced cleaning requirements and fewer cycling restrictions.

To ensure optimum quality, all vessels in the initial fleet have been, or will be constructed by leading

DA-Desk Since 2008, DA-Desk has been providing disbursement account (DA) processing services for Navig8’s port calls. As the largest and only independent port cost management services company, DA-Desk has supported Navig8’s impressive growth by pushing compliance with Navig8 policies, introducing process efficiencies, delivering economies of scale, and enabling better decision-making through analytics – right from agency appointment, pro-forma screening and advance funding, through to checking, closing and reconciliation of the final DA. With full VMS integration, a mobile app for their busy operators and an unyielding commitment to innovation, DA-Desk provides Navig8 with a scalable solution for the years to come.

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Profile: Navig8 Group

Port2Port Maritime Port2Port Maritime provides embarked maritime security for Navig8 Group.

It has now successfully delivered well in excess of 1250 armed transits.

Port2Port Maritime remains an industry leader in compliance, recently becoming the only UK PMSC to be certified to provide armed security on board French Flagged vessels. Through Port2Port West Africa, it provides bespoke services in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea High risk Areas (HRA). It is unique in the sector in that it can provide mitigation services for both East Africa and West Africa HRA’s.

Japanese and Korean manufacturers such as Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD), Fukuoka Shipbuilding, STX Offshore & Shipbuilding, Kitanihon Shipbuilding and Hyundai Vinashin Shipyard.

The vessels have been arriving swiftly over the last year, with Navig8

Chemical Tankers announcing the deliveries of initial vessels Navig8 Victoria and Navig8 Almandine in January and February 2015. Navig8 Victoria is the first of two ECO 49,000 dwt chemical tankers to be constructed at Hyundai Vinashin Shipyard, while Navig8 Almandine is the first of 18 ECO IMO 37,000 dwt chemical tankers to be contracted at HMD. Both vessels entered Navig8’s pools, with Navg8 Victoria entering the Chronos8 pool and Navig8 Almandine entering the Delta8 pool. More recently, the company announced that it had delivered the 18th IMO2 interline-coated 37,000 dwt chemical tanker from Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in January 2016; the vessel then entered and operated in Navig8 Group’s Delta8 pool.

Meanwhile, in December 2015, the company announced it had exercised an option to acquire another 49,000 dwt ECO IMO II interline-coated chemical tanker, which is to be built at STX Offshore & Shipbuilding to the same technical specifications as Navig8’s pre-existing orders with the shipyard and is anticipated to be delivered in mid 2017 before being deployed into the Chronos8 pool.

Today Navig8 Chemical Tankers Inc has 20 vessels in operation under the Navig8 chemical pools and has an additional fleet of 17 high specification chemical tankers on order; taking the total fleet to 37 units. The remaining vessels are due for delivery by September 2017. Delivered vessels have been employed in the spotmarket oriented commercial pools of the Navig8 Group.

With a strategy for success in place, financial security and a wealth of vessels that continues to increase in number, Navig8 Chemical Tankers and Navig8’s commercially run chemical pools are on a direct route for success within the chemical tanker sector.

Navig8 Group www.navig8group.com • Provider of shipping management services • Unrivalled combination of fleet scale, diversity and vessel quality • Vast number of new build vessels on order

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Profile: Orkney Ferries

first

Community

O

perating from the archipelago of the Orkney Islands in the Northern Isles of Scotland, Orkney Ferries has represented a vital community transport link to the islands since the 1800s. It was originally established in 1960 as the Orkney Islands Shipping Company. In 1995 the company was taken over, in its most modern iteration, by the Orkney Islands Council, and changed its name to Orkney Ferries Ltd. Today Orkney Ferries continues to serve the local community by carrying cargo and passengers between the Orkney mainland and surrounding islands.

In all the company’s ferries sail from the Orkney mainland and 13 smaller islands and during the financial year ending in March 2015, its ferries carried some 321,000 passengers and 84,000 vehicles.

The Orkney Islands boast a range of features and events that make them an attractive destination to visitors throughout the year. The Islands have a fascinating history extending from as early as 5000BC to the turbulent years of World War 2, as well as an exciting opportunity for archaeology.

They also offer picturesque scenery, a diverse base of wildlife and birds and a welcoming experience of island life with arts and crafts and music events, including the Orkney Folk Festival and the St Magnus Festival. “Orkney is a popular destination during the summer tourist season, but also in the shoulder months, particularly Christmas and Easter,” reveals Ferry Services Manager, Fraser Murray. “In addition to tourists who travel to Orkney independently, Orkney is now the most popular cruise ship destination in the UK, with circa 110 port calls due during 2016, delivering 110,000

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passengers and worth an estimated £5.8 million in economic benefit to Orkney.”

The islands are also increasingly an important destination owing to the on-going development of renewable energy solutions. The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) Ltd. was established on Orkney during 2003 as the first and only centre of its kind in the world. EMEC was founded with the intention to provide developers of both wave and tidal energy converters with purpose-built, accredited open-sea testing facilities.

Orkney represents an ideal base for the facility, with an excellent oceanic wave regime, strong tidal currents, established grid connection, sheltered harbour facilities and the renewable, maritime and environmental expertise that is present within the local community. “A new development in this area has been the Surf n’ Turf project on the island of Eday, which is expected to be operational by late 70 - www.shipping-and-marine.com

2016,” Fraser elaborates. “This uses spare renewable electricity generating capacity to convert energy into hydrogen, which is then stored and eventually used to convert back to electricity when other renewables cannot meet demand. In this research phase, it will be transported to Kirkwall Harbour where a fuel cell will convert it back to electricity to provide shore power to Orkney Ferries vessels and other harbour users. It is also being utilised as a marine training exercise in the handling of hydrogen.”

As a vital transport link to Orkney and the surrounding community, Orkney Ferries work in close collaboration with the local authority and residents to fully understand and meet the requirements of the local population. “We have no other competitors, as we are the sole provider of ferry services in the area under a service level agreement with Orkney Islands Council, which owns the company,” Fraser explains. “We

meet with travel representatives from each island twice a year to discuss future timetables and service issues.

We are also in regular contact with Community Councils and other organisations that host local events, where we often change our regular timetable to accommodate people wishing to attend.”

In terms of the operation of its ferries, Orkney Ferries is the first in the world to host a new novel communications technology on its vessels in collaboration with CloudNet IT Solutions. TV whitespace is being operated under license from OFCOM in Orkney using the TV frequency spectrum to deliver high-speed internet out to sea and has a proven ability to work out to 30 nautical miles.

CloudNet is currently extending its trial network and is operating a network in the region of 1000 sq km of coastal waters surrounding the Orkney Islands. The Orkney vessels MV Earl Sigurd, MV Earl Thorfinn and MV Varagen have been using the technology since 2014 to provide the ship’s company and crew with internet

Profile: ORKNEY FERRIES

access to assist in the ship’s business needs, proving up-to-date weather forecasts, shipping information, charts, company email and welfare services to the crew. This is an exciting time for the company. “We see the further trial of this technology as potentially offering a cost-effective solution to enable our customers to have Wi-Fi access during their journeys in the future,” Fraser exclaims.

Throughout the coming year, Orkney Ferries will continue to serve the local community by providing a vital transport and logistical link. In doing so the company will seek to address the diverse needs of the local population in the face of logistical challenges and volatile weather conditions. “The exceptionally bad weather in 2015 has affected farmers severely through poor grazing and inadequate production of forage and fodder for livestock over the winter of 2015 and spring of 2016. As a result large quantities of straw had to

be imported and shipped out to the islands. To date this has been circa 30 articulated lorries and is likely to have an on-going impact over the coming months,” Fraser concludes.

Orkney Ferries www.orkneyferries.co.uk • Fleet of nine inter-island ferries • Routes to 13 islands around Orkney • Wi-Fi technology investment

Orkney is now the most popular cruise ship destination in the UK, with circa 110 port calls due during 2016, delivering 110,000 passengers and worth an estimated £5.8 million in economic benefit to Orkney

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Profile: Baltic Port Organization

Vital

support E

Julian Skelnik, chairman of BPO

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stablished in Copenhagen in October 1991, the Baltic Ports Organization (BPO) has remained true to its mission of strengthening the global competitiveness of maritime transport and the port industry within the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) by contributing to its economic, social and environmental developments. Keen to facilitate cooperation among the ports, BPO also monitors and improves the possibilities for shipping in the region while supporting its members and working pro-actively with relevant partners.

Registered in Estonia and headquartered in the Port of Tallinn, BPO operates in accordance to the Estonian law on non-profit associations and is well recognised within the BSR, EU bodies and other European regions. Working in these areas at a governmental level, BPO encourages trade from other European countries and represents

the interests of the Baltic Sea ports towards EU institutions. Moreover, the organisation contributes to maintaining a clean environment within the Baltic Sea and promotes environmental management in member ports; to further enhance its role in environmental sustainability, BPO is actively involved in international discussions, notably via the BPO Environmental Working Group.

Although the organisation itself has witnessed little change since it was last featured in Shipping & Marine magazine in June 2015, BPO has come across new challenges within the Baltic shipping industry, as Julian Skelnik, Chairman of BPO and Foreign and Public Relations Director of the Port of Gdansk, discusses: “First of all, the Baltic Sea is in a Sulphur Emission Control Area (SECA) and there needs to be a lot of improvements when it comes to controlling these emissions;

this is a problem for us as we would like an equal playing field for all ports in the Baltic Sea. Another issue is that the SECA policy is only in one part of Europe, while the other side doesn’t have to comply to these regulations; we therefore think there should be one law when it comes to controlling sulphur emissions in Europe.”

He continues: “The next challenge is the evident concentration of capital in the logistics chain, which consequently means there will be a smaller number of bigger ports in the logistics chain.

Furthermore, there are many small ports of fisheries and so on that aren’t in the logistics chain as they aren’t loading and unloading goods; this means that small and medium sized ports in the Baltic are struggling as they have less cargo. These ports are important for local societies and local economies, which is why BPO is trying to come up with a solution to this problem. With new challenges coming up approximately every three months it is important that BPO carefully monitors situations and tries to respond quickly.”

One way the organisation stays ahead of the game when it comes to the transport sector is through research and science. For example, from 2007- 2013 the organisation

studied the TEN-T (Trans-European Transport Networks) programme, which involved 32 motorways of the Seas (MoS) projects; 20 of which involved Baltic countries, with 13 of these 20 projects involving Baltic countries only, while the remaining seven involved joint action with other EU countries. With figures showing that previous TEN-T programme recognised the Baltic Sea as a maritime highway, BPO is now focused on initiating multiport projects for the new framework, which is lasting from 2014 to 2020 and based on interest expressed by ports in the region.

At the time of releasing the study, BPO had already identified opportunities with regards to projects involving environmental challenges, an area the organisation is strongly focusing on following the first implementation of sulphur limits that came into effect in January 2015.

Since then, five ports in Sweden and Finland have decided to join forces to collaborate on port infrastructure development and environmental services, which will result in enhanced port infrastructure and a reduction in shipping’s impact on the environment.

“When it comes to environmental standards, the Baltic is currently in a leading position, which is a great

Port of Helsinki, Finland

Port of Gdansk, Poland

Port of Liepaja, Latvia

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Profile: Baltic Port Organization

Port of Tallinn, Estonia

MEP Merja Kyllonen

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achievement,” highlights Julian. “We will have 11 new LNG powered ships going to Helsinki this year. One can predict, we will soon have a network of fuelling stations too in line with this growth in demand for LNG.” Another way BPO finds solutions to issues within the Baltic Sea Region is through organising dedicated conferences, seminars and study visits, which enable members to share and gain valuable information when it comes to port operations and management as well as the environmental impact of port activities. The organisation will also soon be involved in a debate with MEP Merja Kyllonen, former Transport Minister of Finland, in European Parliament. Taking place on 5th April 2016, the debate ‘Baltic ports in TEN-T network – meeting the future’ will discuss a number of important subjects, including trends in the Baltic port market, investment needs in transport infrastructure and the Baltic as a green shipping region.

Moving forward, BPO will continue to inspire and support its members

through the turbulent changes of the port industry in the hope of contributing to the establishment of strong trading relationships as well as positive economic, social and environmental developments within the BSR. The organisation will also be celebrating 25 years in operation and using this long-term experience to benefit its 48 existing members as well as any other ports that would like to join. “Our 25th anniversary is this year and it is the perfect time to start a new chapter,” says Julian. “With this in mind, we will be promoting our region and the stringent standards we adhere to show what we can offer to potential new members and port communities in other regions of Europe.”

Baltic Port Organization www.bpoports.com • Regional ports organisation • Celebrating 25th anniversary in September 2016 • Aims to monitor and improve shipping opportunities in the Baltic Sea

Profile: YARA MARINE TECHNOLOGIES

A greener

way

We were the first into the market with inline scrubbers, now there are no other inline scrubber manufacturers in the market with the same level of experience as us in terms of operational hours

Y

ara Marine Technologies came into existence in 2014 following the acquisition of Greentech Marine, founded in 2008, by global industrial chemical corporation Yara International. With scrubber technology relatively new to the shipping industry Yara Marine Technologies occupies a global position amongst the top flight of manufacturers, and is often seen to be leading the way. “We were the first into the market with inline scrubbers,” begins Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Kai Latun. “Now there are no other inline scrubber manufacturers in the market with the same level of experience as us in terms of operational hours.”

In a burgeoning and ever-evolving market such as marine scrubber technology, being able to drive innovation and cost effectiveness into its products is crucial for Yara Marine

Technologies to maintain this leading position. However, there are three areas where Yara Marine Technologies offers competitive advantages. “Firstly we have a scrubber system that has been proven to work since 2011 and have therefore developed a lot of experience and understanding,” he says. “Secondly, is our emphasis on lifetime durability of the scrubber tower.

“This is a system that is exposed to an extremely aggressive environment in terms of corrosion because it sees large temperature variations from ambient right up to 400 degrees Celsius and is hosting a combination of alkalis and acids mixed with sea water. We use fairly sophisticated stainless steel materials to provide long term durability in line with the actual vessel’s lifetime, reducing the risk of corrosion breakdown and expensive replacement costs.

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Profile: YARA MARINE TECHNOLOGIES

Being the largest supplier of marine NOx emissions abatement equipment (SCR reactors) we are the only complete onestop-shop for all required emissions abatements equipment to marine customers magnesium oxide (MgO) as the alkali in closed-loop applications, as opposed to caustic soda (sodium hydroxide – NaOH), which other manufacturers use.” When operating in zero discharge areas a vessel’s scrubber systems automatically switches to a closed-loop cycle, reusing the seawater with an alkali ensuring the scrubbing process continues as required. “There are two reasons why we use MgO over caustic soda here,” explains Kai. “Firstly, caustic soda is hazardous in use for the ship’s crew, whereas MgO is completely harmless. Health and safety always features very heavily in everything Yara Marine Technologies commits to, so this consideration is important.

“The second advantage is that MgO has a far lower operational cost. The price per tonne is more or less the same as caustic soda depending on variations, but the volume of MgO required in a scrubber system is only approx. one quarter of your corresponding caustic soda requirement. Being this much more efficient, the cost per system is far reduced in comparison, both in terms of alkali consumption cost and with respect to required storage space onboard.”

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tough with many other players quickly adopting similar designs and innovations. Pressure is further increased in a global shipping economy where – thanks to such low oil prices – ultralow sulphur bunker fuels are still providing cost effective solutions to overcome ECA (emission control area) challenges. Despite this he remains confident that by continuing to push on with innovation Yara Marine Technologies will be able to remain on top. “One of the good things about having an international corporation such as Yara as our owner (one that employs over 12,000 people across 150 countries and turns over USD 15 billion), is the vast research and development capability it gives us,” Kai adds.

In October 2015, cruise ship M/V Norwegian Escape set sail for the first time with the world’s largest scrubber system installed onboard. The system, which is made up of five Yara Marine Technologies scrubbers – one for each engine – is reducing the sulphur emissions of a combined engine power of 76.8MW. “The market has been somewhat hesitant to make the move to scrubber technology mainly because of the low price differential between heavy fuel oil and marine gas oil,” says Kai. “However, despite the challenges this is creating, the response

to this announcement has been positive. I don’t think everyone in the industry truly realised that you could successfully operate a scrubber system of that magnitude.”

In addition to its scrubber offering, Technologies is also the world’s largest supplier of marine SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) equipment, following the acquisition of German manufacturer, H und H in 2013.

“As of January 1st 2016, IMO now regulates nitrogen oxides as well as sulphur oxides emissions,” Kai notes. “Being the largest supplier of marine NOx emissions abatement equipment (SCR reactors) we are the only complete one-stop-shop for all required emissions abatements equipment to marine customers.

Competitors either offer SOx scrubbers or SCR reactors, we do both.”

With such a strong platform already established for itself, the future for Technologies looks set to be fruitful

and Kai reflects this sentiment as he looks towards the company’s future.

“Quite simply the vision is to grow – knowledge grows,” he says. “To maintain our large market share and to continue developing new products to bring value to our customers.” He is also confident that more and more opportunities will open up and market uptake of scrubber technology will increase as time goes by. “The IMO is currently evaluating whether it is feasible to implement a global 0.5 per cent sulphur limit on fuel in 2020,” he notes. “They are looking into whether there are sufficient levels of lowsulphur fuels or alternative solutions like scrubbers available for such a regulation to be possible. However, my opinion is that with the current economic and political environment surrounding global climate change as it is, it would be unfeasible for them not to bring in such standards and it will be interesting to see what opportunities this brings for us.”

Yara Marine Technologies www.yaramarine.com • Formerly Greentech Marine • Now part of Yara International • Recently installed the largest scrubber system in the world

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Profile: Spunalloys

Centrifugal

engineering E

mbodying over 50 years of industry experience, Spunalloys has built a trusted reputation as a leading supplier of quality centrifugal castings. The company is today part of the foundry and engineering consortium Westley Group Est., 1800, which has provided strategic investment that has seen Spunalloys expand its traditional copper, iron and nickel-based material range to include stainless steel,super duplex and bespoke customer driven exotic alloys.

The wider Westley Group serves clients operating within a broad base of applications across the pollution control; food processing; pump and valve; architecture; desalination; oil and gas; chemical and petrochemical; fire equipment; aerospace; nuclear; general engineering; marine and defence; stockist and distributor; power generation; and mining and quarrying sectors.

The Group supplies precision components to the maritime and naval sectors as the parent company of five divisions specialising in the manufacture and supply of heat, wear and corrosion-resistant components.

The company’s five operating divisions are comprised of Westleys, Francis W Birkett, Walter Frank, J.T. Price and Spunalloys.

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Spunalloys is the UK’s leader in the supply of centrifugal casting solutions for all manner of applications and industries. It provides flexibility of size, quantity and rapid turn-around, which makes the company an excellent choice for even the most demanding of clients. Spunalloys produces ferrous and non-ferrous centrifugal castings up to 2750mm in diameter and 4500mm in length and proof machines all of its components, as well as routinely machine finishing and assembling components in its on-site machine shop.

The company has access to a wide range of equipment, including horizontal and vertical spinning

machines that are supported by 13 induction furnaces, with a maximum total cast weight of 13,000kg. Its extensive range of steel dies come in a comprehensive selection of shapes and sizes to allow the production of straight, flanged and tapered rings and tubes and near-net-shape castings.

The centrifugal process creates a very tight and defined grain structure due to the management of directional solidification of molten metal under high pressure. Spunalloys’ dies are rotated at extremely high speeds, creating a centrifugal force, which throws the dense liquid metal to the outside diameter, where it cools against the die wall from the outside in. Less dense impurities ‘float’ to the bore and are subsequently removed during proof machining.

The Spunalloys manufacturing process has received approval and class society licences from several industry bodies and leading industry players, including Lloyd’s Register, DNV, GL, ABS, RINA, BV, FM Approved, Agusta Westland, NES and Rolls-Royce.

Its highly efficient manufacturing process enables the company to produce premium quality products ranging from rings, tubes and bushes; naval shaft liners; bearing ship sets; and column pipes and rising mains;

to seal components; safety critical equipment for the marine sector; engine trim in the aerospace market; special shapes; and finish machining and assembly.

With an all-encompassing range of destructive and non-destructive tests, Spunalloys provides quality assurance that is compliant with the most stringent of supply parameters.

The company’s quality procedures are approved to ISO 9001 standards and it holds approvals for numerous institutions, organisations and third party assurance bodies. Spunalloys technical and laboratory teams include fully trained and qualified metallurgists that are responsible for metal analysis of its alloying processes or to check certified melt stock. This ensures that all material meets not only the chemical requirements of its customers’ orders but also provides traceability through to the furnace batch itself. All melts are given their own unique melt number and the company’s quality department keeps records of all melts and orders.

Within the marine market Spunalloys has established a long history of supplying defence standard safety-critical components to the world’s navies. The company provides components in a variety of copper and nickel based alloys that support the structural, nuclear and propulsion requirements of marine build programmes. Its leading position in the delivery of complete supply solutions in machined, assembled, pressure tested and witnessed hardware has made Spunalloys a solutions provider of choice with clients including the UK Ministry of Defence and BAE Systems, as well as their first tier supply chain partners.

Spunalloys also supports many of the world’s navies with the provision of equipment for surface and subsurface propulsion systems.

Naval shaft liners for example, are traditionally built at very long lengths and require a heavy poured weight.

This means that the successful supply of such units requires the company’s entire experience and comprehensive infrastructure. Spunalloys is able to supply naval shaft liners in various anti-seawater corrosion resistant alloys including gunmetal, tin and phosphor bronze, nickel aluminium bronze and

lnconel alloys. The company has inhouse machining capabilities enabling liners to be supplied either proof or finish machined. Finish machining of these items is generally carried out in the bore, but ‘split’ liners can also be provided proof or finish machined as required. Spunalloys has developed several unique solutions to meet the stringent acceptance criteria demanded by naval shaft liners. It carries approvals for many major first and second tier organisations including UK MoD approval to manufacture DEF STAN 02-830 (LG4) shaft liners, in accordance with DEF STAN 02-304 part one.

Over the next few years it is anticipated that the UK MoD will be awarding major contracts for the construction of several new vessels, representing a significant opportunity for Spunalloys and the wider Westley Group in the provision of marketleading and specialised components.

Over the coming 12 months and beyond, the company will continue

to serve clients old and new, while cementing its reputation as a trusted supplier of quality centrifugal castings.

Spunalloys Ltd www.westleygroup.co.uk • Leading supplier of quality centrifugal castings • Part of the Westley Group • Global clients including the UK MoD and several Navies and their prime contractors

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Profile: Kuenz

First-class

technology

F

ounded in 1932 by Hans Kuenz, family-owned company Kuenz started out as a manufacturer of tower construction cranes before shifting its focus towards the production of container cranes; a development that was followed by progression into the manufacture of hydro power equipment. “In our early days we were more or less a German speaking company, however, over the last decade we have become more of an international company as a result of demand from Europe and North America. Although these markets are where you will mainly find our container cranes and hydro equipment, our products can be found all over the world; in fact, we are one of the few European companies to be selling cranes to China,” begins Michael Geiger, Sales Director at Kuenz.

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Today viewed as one of the oldest and most prestigious mechanical engineering companies in the western region of Austria, Kuenz has built a solid reputation for offering first class products and services from one source and boasts a turnover of e100 million. By acting as a one-stopshop, Kuenz is able to control the entire process from design, production, installation and commissioning, to after sales support; all of which are delivered while following best practice standards to ensure optimum quality and reliability. Meanwhile, the company boasts a high number of qualified and competent engineers, who are dedicated to ensuring the stringent standards of the firm as well as the expectations of each customer are met. These capabilities, alongside the fact it has its own in-house design, engineering and manufacturing departments, means Kuenz is able

to provide accurate, high quality solutions in an efficient and timely manner.

Benefiting from decades of experience in crane construction, Kuenz has gained strong expertise in the delivery of first-class quality products and has developed a broad product portfolio to meet the needs of its global customer base. Split into four segments, the company’s portfolio includes container cranes, tankhouse cranes, heavy lift cranes and custom cranes. On top of this, the company provides customers with a range of products within the hydro sector; these include high pressure gates, weir gates, powerhouse cranes and trash rack cleaning machines.

“Key to our competitiveness is our ability to come up with innovative ideas and solutions that we try to combine to stay one step ahead in the market,” explains Michael. “For

Left: CTA Container terminal Altenwerder Right: Michael Geiger, sales director at Kuenz

example, over the last 30 years, particularly in Europe, it has become clear that each container crane cannot be built like the next as our customers have different requirements. When it comes to the rail mounted container gantry cranes, which are designed as a two-girder bridge, some customers may have different sizes of land or be dedicated to different operations; some have gateway terminals and others have small terminals. In response to changes in the market, we have come up with a lot of different designs, ideas and innovations to ensure we have the right product available. When it comes to this market you can’t have a one system fits all mentality,” he adds.

Proud to deliver smooth connections to the hinterland, Kuenz has further enhanced operations for customers through its patented technology – the rotating travelling gear. This innovative solution enables all wheels to run on the track, which reduces

wear reduction of the wheel flanges and thus increase the lifetime of the wheels significantly. Furthermore, the company’s in-house developed and supported crane management system (CMS), completed with integrated remote fault finding function, guarantees optimised support throughout maintenance and operation. Also available to customers within this segment are the intermodal barge cranes, sophisticated automated container stacking cranes and spreaders. As one of the few crane suppliers to manufacture its own spreaders, the company is able to provide customers with a perfectly co-ordinated total package that ensures a high level of safety.

These strengths have resulted in a number of notable contracts for the company, with GCT Canada announcing its order of eight electric, wide-span cranes (WSC’s) from Kuenz in November 2015. Selected for their

SEW-Eurodrive Innovative strength, tradition and customer focus – these are the cornerstones of SEW-EURODRIVE’s success. This has not changed in 85 years and is as important to us as ever. With commitment and passion, our over 16,000 employees make sure that the machines and plants of our customers worldwide are reliably driven. With a comprehensive project portfolio and a wide variety of customer-oriented service modules, SEW-EURODRIVE offers its customers added value and measurable benefits. These benefits are clearly visible in our high-performance drives, top quality standards and customised solutions for customers.

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Profile: kuenz

Top: GCT Deltaport Vancouver Left: CSX Norwest Ohio Right: BASF KTL Ludwigshafen

proven reliability, productivity and sustainable innovation, the 41-tonne lift capacity, state-of-the-art cranes will increase train handling speed at GCT Deltaport and streamline equipment maintenance procedures.

Alongside this project, Kuenz was also awarded a contract for the supply of 12 automated stacking cranes for the Container Terminal Burchardkai (CTB) by long-term customer Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA). Boasting a lifting capacity of 42 tonnes, the ASC’s will be 82 - www.shipping-and-marine.com

delivered in Spring 2016. “In the past we delivered 52 ASC’s to HHLA’s Container Terminal Altenwerder (CTA); because the customer was pleased with the performance given at CTA they have returned to us for phase two of the Burchardkai transformation project,” explains Michael.

Well-renowned for providing specific solutions for clients, Kuenz aims to maintain this solid reputation by continuing to work closely with terminal owners, which will not only ensure customer satisfaction but also enables the firm to stay ahead of the competition when it comes to upcoming trends and demands in the

market. “Over the coming years we will develop our products in-house in accordance with customer needs while also increasing our market share and expanding more internationally. As equipment becomes increasingly more intelligent it is important to have our R&D and manufacturing operations in-house; if we didn’t it would be difficult to have a continuous process of innovation,” concludes Michael.

Kuenz www.kuenz.com/en • Manufactures intermodal cranes • EUR 100 million turnover • Control entire production process

Profile: Westcon Group

A flexible

service R

enowned as a leading provider of innovative solutions, services and products as well as a trusted partner in activities such as shipbuilding, vessel repair, power and automation and lifting services, the Westcon group established itself as a group of companies in 2011, with Westcon Yards, Westcon Power & Automation (WPA), Westcon Florø and Westcon Løfteteknikk all operating under the same umbrella.

This way of working has further combined the expertise within each division, which has naturally provided customers with increased benefits.

Consisting of four modern shipyards, each of which is equipped to carry out the most demanding vessels and rig contracts, Westcon Yards is defined by its efficient mobilisation of personnel and its resources as well as its ability to

complete projects on time. The group has three rig quays in Olen, one in Florø and one in Helgeland, which means it has plenty of space to accommodate many rigs at the same time and ensure optimum reliability to customers. However, capacity is just one part of its strengths; Westcon Yards also has strong expertise in project management and engineering as well as a tradition for dealing with challenges, which means the yard can deliver what it promises to customers.

Furthermore, Westcon can perform complete engineering, maintenance and modification projects on drilling rigs even if they are not in its yard; its success factors include strong rig awareness, excellent implementation ability and advanced use of 3D methods. Meanwhile, as Norway’s leading provider of cranes and heavylift services, Westcon Løfteteknikk offers access techniques, control and

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Profile: Westcon Group

certification, courses and training.

Westcon Power and Automation offers expertly tailored solutions that meet each customer’s unique needs, while Geo is the group’s site for its several seismic vessels; these offer cutting-edge seismic technology.

Westcon also has a Subsea department that produces and supplies advanced constructions for the subsea market. It sets high standards for the execution of its projects, something that ensures that the customer receives a finished product that is in accordance with their expectations regarding quality, costs, and delivery time.

All these departments benefit from a comprehensive, well integrated IT system called WIN (Westcon Information Systems). Introduced in 2014 WIN is a system for data collection, processing and control. Its objective is to document and provide an accurate overview of everything relevant to ongoing projects. It will also handle wage documentation and payment certificates, and generate the financial reports needed. WIN also includes systems for inventory and logistics, accommodation and dining, personnel, QA and HSE, document control and IT control system. “WIN brings significant advantages for our customers and 84 - www.shipping-and-marine.com

meeting the needs of our customers is crucial. The feedback we have received after the implementation of WIN is unanimously positive. Our customers can now receive reports in more varied formats that are better tailored to their own IT systems. In general, WIN provides customers with a far better overview than previously,” states Arne Birkeland, CEO of Westcon Group.

Continuing a tradition that has been in place since its inception in 1963, the Westcon Group of companies has continued to evolve in line with market trends and customer demands since it was previously featured in Shipping & Marine magazine in February 2015. For example, the group invested in two pipe bending machines during the year, with the smaller of the machines delivered in March and the world’s largest machine arriving in the summer from Unison. “Now that we have the largest electrical bending machine in the world operating at our site, we are now heavily involved in bending pipes and can cold bend up to ten inch pipes resulting in much shorter delivery time and cost than before,” adds Arne.

Indeed, the ground-breaking larger pipe-bending machine is able to bend pipes up to ten inches in diameter in approximately half an hour; this is in comparison to a bend that previously

took 16 hours of cutting out parts, bending and welding; the smallest machine, meanwhile, can bend pipes in under a minute. With lasers and computers controlling all parts of the pipe bending process, accuracy is at such a level that piping can be delivered to the subsea and aerospace industries.

Determined to succeed in a challenging market, Arne says the group has also invested in other areas of the business: “We have also invested in fabrication halls and new equipment and have a large hall for upgrades and modifications for BOPs and thrusters for the drilling rigs that we can do completely in-house as we have significant lifting capacity and height. As we speak we have a BOP maintenance job ongoing, which is going well and are also preparing to add drilling rigs at our yard in Florø.

We already have a quay side, cranes and an access system available, so we are ready to roll when the market picks up.”

Other major contracts within the group include WPA being contracted to deliver the innovative energy storage system to Eidesvik Offshore’s LNG fuelled vessel Viking Energy.

Developed by WPA and based on its e-SEAMatic platform with associated power electronics, the battery system

solution will reduce fuel consumption by 15 – 20 per cent. “The battery concept is due for delivery in 2016 and has been developed to store energy to ensure customers use it in the most efficient way. These systems are now coming onto the Norwegian market from several players so we are extremely pleased that we were chosen to provide this system. We also see opportunities for this system in the ferry business in Norway so our initiative is ongoing,” notes Arne.

Not a company to rest on its laurels, WPA announced in January 2016 that it had signed a four-year operating agreement in electrical and instrumentation with Statoil, which applies to projects at processing plants for gas at Kårstø, and also contains options for five times two years. No stranger to working with Statoil as a group, the business Westcon Løfteteknikk has also been awarded a frame agreement with Statoil for the delivery of lifting

equipment containers in addition to the competent control of non-complex lifting equipment. Discussing why Westcon Løfteteknikk was chosen for this project, Arne states: “We have been working on these solutions for many years and have finally been successful in entering this frame agreement with Statoil.”

Although the market is currently challenging for many in the shipping and oil and gas industries, by investing in new equipment and facilities Westcon Group has helped cement its leading reputation while also ensuring it is ready to support larger and heavier vessels and rigs when they come into the market.

Westcon Group http://westcon.no • Family owned and run business • Awarded contracts with oil majors such as Statoil • Invested in the world’s biggest electrical pipe bending machine

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Profile: Team tankers INTERNATIONAL

Built on

tradition

T

he Team Tankers International that exists today can look back on a long and proud tradition in the shipping industry to origins as far back as 1883 with the foundation of Camillo Eitzen & Co. Through a continual process of acquisition and restructuring the company has developed over the years to become one of the world’s leading chemical tanker businesses.

Formerly known as Eitzen Chemical, as of January 2015, the company began operating under its new name following a global reorganisation that saw the firm’s international headquarters move to Bermuda, and operationally managed from subsidiary offices in Singapore in Norway. In February 2015, Team Tankers International was listed

Hempel Hempel is a world-leading coatings supplier for the decorative, protective, marine, container and yacht markets. From wind turbines and bridges to ships, power stations and homes, its coatings protect man-made structures from the corrosive forces of nature.

With a focus on R&D, advanced production techniques and professional advice, it works around the globe to keep its customers’ investments safe and beautiful. Its concept is simple: it is curious, creative and self-critical, and aims to create extra value for its customers.

on the Oslo Stock Exchange and a successful year followed.

Being amongst the top ten largest chemical tanker operators in the world, in terms of both fleet number and average vessel size, Team Tankers has established over a long history a reputation for leading operational capabilities, an insatiable appetite for growth and an exemplary attitude to delivering value to its customers. Its main cargoes range from organic and non-organic chemicals to clean and dirty petroleum products, vegetable oils and lubricant oils. At present the company has a fleet of 43 active ships with an average age of ten years making Team Tankers’ fleet one of the youngest and most modern in the world. These include 32 owned vessels and 11 charters between 3500 dwt and 46,000 dwt, with a 42 per cent to 58 per cent split between stainless steel and coated, respectively.

Manned by 1250 experienced crew members and supported by 80 onshore employees in seven strategically placed offices around the world, in 2014 Team Tankers carried 48 different cargo types for 189 different customers. This translates into 9.1 million tonnes

of cargo across the entire year with 787 voyages between 2833 ports in 97 countries. Offices are currently located in the USA (two), Bermuda, Norway, Denmark, Spain and Singapore. Operating on such a global scale, Team Tankers’ main trade lines bridge all the key chemical supply markets in the US, Northwest Europe, Singapore and the Middle East to the main importers in Europe, Asia and North America.

The strategic focus for Team Tankers continues to be on organisational growth and a look at its activities for the past year clearly demonstrates this. Company President and CEO, Hans Feringa joined the team in September 2015 and Executive Chairman, Morten Arntzen commented at the time on the ambitions of Team Tankers under Hans’ leadership: “We are delighted that Hans will now be leading the company as it focuses on growth and expansion. He brings unequalled industry experience and an outstanding track record of success. His insights and experience will drive Team Tankers’ strategy to excel at serving our clients and their markets in the years ahead.” www.shipping-and-marine.com - 87

Profile: team teankers INTERNATIONAL

The new livery of Team Tankers

Hans himself followed on by saying: “The employees of Team Tankers have a long and proud tradition in the shipping industry, and I am honoured to uphold this tradition while leading the company into new areas of opportunity. The company’s commitment to providing value to its customers will establish it as a market leader in the market segments in which we will compete.”

Following this move and illustrating this refined strategy of growth, a month later the company 88 - www.shipping-and-marine.com

announced that ABN AMRO Bank had joined its existing loan facility increasing Team Tanker’s loan by $50 million to $150 million. In the same month, the company announced that it would be time chartering two 13,000 dwt coated vessels for one year, which are expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2016. Further committing to fleet expansion, in November the company took delivery of one MR IMO II vessel for a time charter of one year, and announced the purchase of one 8900-dwt stainless steel vessel, also to be delivered during the first quarter of 2016. Keen to maintain the upto-date fleet and focused operational strategy this coincided with the sale of two of Team Tanker’s oldest vessels, the Sichem Houston and the Sichem Fumi, which were both no longer a fit for the fleet’s focus.

This assertive effort to stimulate growth and expansion in the market correlates with present market forecasts. These see regions in

the Middle East, India and North America becoming even more prominent in the chemical trade industry as a result of growth in chemical plant and petroleum refinery capacity within them. The company also foresees the US’s increased shale gas development having a positive effect on the demand for long haul chemical tanker transportation.

Operating successfully in the international market however, does not purely mean operating in a financially streamlined and strategically focused way for Team Tankers. Alongside this runs a dedicated set of values, which are neatly summed up by its strap line: ‘Superior commitment to customers and quality creates value.’

Under these ambitions, the global organisation focuses on safety and the environment, the quality of its service, its commitment to both its customers and people, as well as the encouragement of new thinking and proactive development. Central to the way it conducts its business under these commitments lay the three integral values of respect, commitment, and honesty, which are directed both towards its people and the environment in which it operates.

Team Tankers International www.teamtankers.com • Amongst the top ten largest chemical tanker operators • 2015 seen a major organisational restructure and new leadership • Clear plans for growth with new vessels added to fleet

Profile: Protection Vessels International

Threat

protection S

hipping and Marine last featured Protection Vessels International Ltd (PVI), the world’s largest private maritime security service, back in April this year. Over the months that followed the company, which is a part of Protection Group International, has made significant progression in terms of growing its business and providing critical services to an industry that faces ever present threats in the world’s shipping regions.

“Over this time PVI has had a successful year in which our top line sales and volume have grown quite pleasantly at a time when the industry as a whole is shrinking,” begins MD, Matthew Parker. “To start with, we have implemented a lot of efficiencies across the business to make sure our standards of compliance are still the highest in the business, whilst ensuring that our

profits continue to increase so that we can re-invest in the business. We have also strengthened our supply chain, which we own ourselves, so we have vessels in the Red Sea that enable our re-supply and ongoing operations, and we also have a significant hub in Galle in Sri Lanka. This really sets us apart – recent changes in Galle with ongoing political instability in the region has been really significant as we have invested heavily there, whilst others have not.

“We have also developed our intelligence product, which includes a free risk portal providing users with a geopolitical risk analysis tool enabling them to measure and understand risk in different areas of the world.

From this we can generate bespoke reporting and monitoring of events in specific jurisdictions.”

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Profile: Protection Vessels International

months the company has successfully passed its ISO audit and reapplied for its German Flagged licence. Matthew puts this down to the people it recruits and the continual training programme they are put through.

“The screening and vetting of any applicant wanting to work for PVI is extremely stringent and the bar is high,” he says. “Not only do we want lots of relevant military experience but also private sector experience.

Our refresher training and ongoing programme to bring people up to speed on the threats they will face and the changing environment in the specific geographies they will operate in is second to none.”

Outside shipping, the two areas of offshore oil and gas and telecoms have also been key markets for PVI over the last year. Despite challenges from the current oil price putting pressure on the company’s operations in the offshore sector, PVI has established strong and long-lasting relationships with clients who call upon its security services all across the globe. “In terms of telecoms we have made a big push into this market recently and are working a lot with subsea cable layers as well as onshore installation builders and suppliers across Africa,” says Matthew.

Its ability to offer such a professional and responsive service to the international market is absolutely key to PVI’s success when considering the volatility of global politics. “It is always a rollercoaster ride because we are constantly responding to 90 - www.shipping-and-marine.com

global macroeconomic events, including events in Syria, which are reverberating across oil prices, and therefore the shipping industry,” he adds. “We are constantly cutting the cloth to listen to the pressures that our customers are under and try to respond to those as best as we can, whether they be new threats from cyber security or traditional threats at sea. Piracy, for instance, is constantly changing in form, so we try to respond to that, listening to our customers and what their needs are and providing them with a solution or service to fit.”

One such event, which has required PVI’s flexible response, is the ongoing migrant crisis in the Mediterranean.

Not least has this caused issues for many of the company’s clients who have had to divert or delay course to avoid getting caught up in the problems, but PVI has also played a significant role in ensuring the best support can be provided to the situation. “Some vessels have taken several thousand migrants onboard at a time and that can be a massive headache for operators,” Matthew explains. “Our services revolve primarily around training in the first instance to prepare crew for the event of picking people up, so things like vetting and screening people coming onboard, having safe areas, reception centres and making sure they are properly equipped with medical supplies and other things that will make life onboard more bearable in the situation. We also do a lot of

medical training to make sure the crew are fully up to speed with the sorts of things they will encounter, and this extends to post-traumatic stress management so that we can look after the crew and support crew who may not be psychologically prepared to deal with this type of situation.”

Other geographies of particular focus for PVI are the Indian Ocean, although India’s west coast has become less of a risk more recently, the Persian Gulf, South Africa, Red Sea and Sri Lanka. “We’ve also been quite active in the US, where we deal with a lot environmental activists and the threat from NGOs,” says Matthew. “For example, we have been supporting the exploration activities of oil companies and making sure we can help them maintain their business continuity from some of the softer threats such as Greenpeace, who we have previously dealt with on Arctic exploration projects.”

As PVI looks ahead, it is keen to help build resilience in the market towards terrorism, which Matthew notes doesn’t have to be a major worry but is important that the crew are trained and confident to deal with worst-case scenarios. It also sees developing issues in South East Asia with maritime crime becoming an increasing problem for which PVI is prepared to deploy guards and provide training to overcome.

Elsewhere the company will be looking at expanding its footprint

complacent however, as piracy and other dangers continue to evolve and emerge. Ultimately, we will be prepared to assist them whatever their need be, as we are a company that is here for the long term. I also think there is a major opportunity for us in the cyber domain where we have become preeminent amongst UK cyber security companies and we are well poised to take advantage and support new and existing customers as and when the need arises. This is both in terms of pre-empting a cyber attack or in the wake of an increasing number of attacks happening.”

in telecoms as cable upgrade and extension projects become busier, as well as preparing itself to react as soon as the oil and gas market picks up and increased exploration activity will demand more security.

PVI’s parent company, PGI, has also made significant progress with its cyber security division over the last year, which has developed its reputation inline with the growing success of PVI. “We are a cyber security consultancy and solutions provider as well and we have been able to up-sell this through the shipping and offshore industries,” Matthew says. “The services that we provide here can be anything from awareness training for senior executives and operatives to understand how to protect themselves from cyber attacks and malicious software, through to monitoring software and hardware systems. This is supplemented by a response service, so forensic investigations of cyber breaches in order to take appropriate steps to protect against future threats to commercial activity. This business is going very well and there is a growing need to protect against this across the world in all industries.”

In terms of the future Matthew continues: “PVI will continue to adapt to the changing environment in the Indian Ocean. I think in the maritime security industry we will see consolidation in the market place forcing a lot of smaller companies to close their doors. This will create opportunities for us, being a

financially stable organisation with very strong investor backing, to either bring these companies on board or support customers when these businesses shut down.

“I don’t think it is a time for the shipping industry to become

Protection Vessels International Ltd www.pviltd.com • The world’s largest private maritime security service • Demonstrates unparalleled compliance within the industry • Has a successful and growing cyber security arm

Your agent for Suez Canal transit and operations calls in Egypt

A.G.T. Shipping Agency and Marine Services is a joint venture between A.G.T. as the Egyptian partner and Naxo Group as our French Partner.

The idea of creating this company came after many years working separately in the shipping business in Egypt. Our activites extend to attending all types of ships using the Suez Canal and calling at Egyptian ports for cargo oprations and tourism purposes.

Aiming at satisfying our customers, we always provide our clients with accurate estimations both for Suez Canal transit and for cargo operation calls. We are equipped with a modern communication system enabling our customers to contact our staff 24/7 when urgent matters require speedy reaction.

Services include: • Crew change • Spare parts delivery • Ships store and provisions • Fresh water supplies • Repairs • Medical assistance • Bunker nomination • Cargo and hull surveys • Lube nomination • Stevedoring • On/Off hire survey • Custom clearance • Attendance to passenger ships, Tramp and Liners Covering the ports of: Damietta, Alexandria, Dekheila, Abu kir, Sokhna, Suez, Safaga, Shar El-Sheikh, Al-Tour, Hurghada, Arish, East Port Said, Port Said and Nuwaiba.

For more information contact us on: +20663249815 • +2063321937 Email: operations@agteg.com • www.agt-eg.com

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Profile: PORT OF DOVER Britain and Northern Europe’s busiest ro-ro ferry terminal

The s

An international

F

rom its strategic location on the South Eastern tip of England in the closest proximity to the Continent, the Port of Dover operates as Europe’s busiest and most successful ferry port.

The history and origins of the port can be traced back as far as Roman times, however today the port is owned and operated by the Dover Harbour Board, a statutory corporation that was formed according to a Royal

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driver

Charter by King James I during 1606. The port caters to ferry, cruise, commercial, cargo and marina traffic and during 2014 carried 13,295,492 passengers, 2,456,817 tourist cars, 96,576 coaches and 2,421,537 road haulage vehicles.

As one of Europe’s busiest ports, the Port of Dover represents a major driver for business both nationally and internationally. Since the port was previously profiled in Shipping &

Marine magazine during September 2014, it has recorded consecutive years of record-breaking freight figures. During December 2014 it was announced that the port had handled a total in excess of 2.4 million freight vehicles, representing the highest levels of freight to flow through the port at the time since 2007. Levels of freight traffic using the port continued to grow during 2015, with an increase of 4.2 per cent in freight traffic recorded

More freight than ever is passing through the Port of Dover

Dover is the shortest, most efficient and cost effective crossing to mainland Europe

The second most popular cruise destination in Britain

in September, comprising some 9000 more freight units carried than compared to the same month in 2014.

“August is historically a quieter month for freight, whereas June and July have notoriously higher freight peaks. However, the port is having busier days and has carried more freight in the last two months than it did in the equivalent months of 2014 and all of that has been with fewer vessels on the route,” says Port of

Dover CEO, Tim Waggott. “In the last 12 months we have carried more freight than the annual total in 2014.

Over the last 20 years, the number of freight vehicles travelling from the UK to mainland Europe has increased by 83 per cent. This growth is expected to continue with predictions for the average daily demand increasing to between 14,000 and 16,000 per day in the next decade. This is why the Lower Thames Crossing is crucial in

keeping Britain connected with the port. The road network needs the resilience to cope with the demand.”

During January 2016 the Port of Dover stated its support for the Lower Thames Crossing, saying that the delivery of the project will be crucial as the nation seeks to build on the success of the ‘Southern Powerhouse’ and support the building of industry within the North as well as the Midlands, ensuring timely delivery of materials to and from the Continent.

Presently around half of the traffic passing through the Port of Dover is in transit beyond London between the Midlands and the North. “Alongside the need to increase productivity and deliver transformation of the Thames Gateway regeneration area, the Lower Thames Crossing must be seen as a strategic investment to improve the resilience of UK-European trade flows.

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Profile: port of dover Dover Western Docks revival

operate and this will damage UK plc,” Tim reveals.

“The Port of Dover continues to handle record volumes of freight vehicle traffic with strong projected growth and no substitutable capacity elsewhere. The existing Dartford crossings are already a major bottleneck, operating at over capacity and acting as a break on national productivity,” he adds.

“The Port of Dover is investing in infrastructure for the long term. We

need the Government to do the same by following through with a firm strategic decision to be the builders of prosperity up and down the country through delivery of a new Lower Thames Crossing.”

Infrastructure projects taking place at the Port of Dover include ongoing development of the Western Docks revival project and its recently completed Traffic Management Improvement (TMI) programme.

TMI delivers 4km of additional lanes

to provide a holding capacity for as many as 220 freight vehicles and is designed to remove bottlenecks in the port by re-routing and intelligently managing traffic flows with variable lane messaging and lane control. TMI will also reduce congestion on the surrounding road network, reduce air pollution and improve the visual impression of the port.

The transformation of the Western Docks has the potential to support the wider agenda of having the port and town working in unity; a goal that is already being championed by the Port through its Dover waterfront regeneration project alongside Dover District Council. The Western Docks development project has been developed with key input from Dover based Hartwell Architects and in June 2015 the Port of Dover signed a major contract with the nationwide contractor GRAHAM. In its role the company has been working with the Port of Dover team as part of a PreConstruction Agreement to finalise the design and cost plans for the marine civil engineering works for the development. A successful outcome from the Pre-Construction Agreement should lead to an award of the principal construction contract with a view to commencing on site in early 2016, and opening the Western Docks cargo terminal in 2017. The agreement with GRAHAM demonstrates the port’s dedication to serving the local and national community, as well as its commitment to create high quality jobs for local people and safeguard existing port jobs. “Dover is currently seeing an unprecedented level of investment and it is great to see that there is now a shared vision to take the district forward for the benefit of its residents, businesses and visitors,” Tim concludes. “The Port is committed to playing its part in making Dover a place to shout about and celebrate.”

Port of Dover www.doverport.co.uk • Europe’s busiest and most successful ferry port • Dover Western Docks Revival project • Traffic management improvement programme

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Profile: Bogerd Martin

Top of the

charts

W

ith roots dating back as far as 1911, Bogerd Martin has achieved over a century of proven experience in the supply of charts and nautical publications to the marine industry.

The company has developed a leading reputation in the field of critical navigational data and today operates as one of the largest global distributors of charts and nautical publications in both digital and print formats.

With a strong global presence, Bogerd Martin is able to respond to customer requests for printed and electronic charts that ensure vessels receive critical navigational data wherever they are in the world in a rapid, accurate and efficient manner.

From its headquarters in Antwerp the

business has strategically expanded its presence with offices in Shanghai and Tianjin in China, from where it not only provides charts, but also technical and safety equipment to bustling shipyards, including a significant quantity of electronic chart display and information systems (ECDIS) developed by PC Maritime.

Furthermore, during January 2014 the company established a new office in the heart of Hong Kong’s shipping community to help it meet the needs of its clients in the region. Additionally in September 2015, Bogerd Martin opened a new sales office in Athens in support of the Greek market.

“We opened up our sales office in Athens to be closer to the Greek region, which is a very large market.

Certainly when it come to trends

such as the transition from paper to digital charts, it is necessary to have a local presence so that we are able to support our customer base,” explains Managing Director, Michael Martin.

“Our previously opened Hong Kong office has progressed extremely well.

We have enjoyed a very positive year during 2015 and clients are aware of our presence, which has led to strong business.”

Since the company was last profiled

by Shipping and Marine magazine during March 2015, Bogerd Martin has released the latest edition of its Chart Track Navigator tool for the managing of inventories, orders and corrections on board ship.

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Profile: Bogerd Martin

inventory, to activate or deactivate geographical areas depending on the ship’s route, as well as to download vessel-specific notices to mariners and tracings via email. Chart Track Navigator software further allows crew to visualise paper chart holdings on a digital catalogue and easily select charts that are required for the coming voyage. “Chart Track is a programme has existed for around 12 years now and we have recently upgraded the programme to provide clients with a completely different look, an improved interface and a new catalogue that can be used to select specific charts and publications,” Michael elaborates.

“With the ongoing transition within the maritime industry from paper to digital charts, there is a need to have a simplified platform with which to manage all the data that requires updating. The principle difference between electronic navigational charts (ENC) when compared to working with paper charts is that when clients buy a paper chart, they will use it for two to three years or whenever an updated version is released. The use of ENC means that users are actually renting the chart data for specified amounts of time, which can

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be anything from three to six or 12 months as required.”

By allowing clients to purchase navigation data for specific routes and timescales as required, Chart Track Navigator offers an effective and cost effective solution when compared to traditional paper charts. Previously when ship owners and vessel managers acquired new tonnage, they would supply the new vessels with all of the required paper charts for the foreseeable future. The ability to digitally purchase charts as required, as well as to effectively manage vast chart catalogues represent significant strengths that have enabled Chart Track Navigator to establish itself as a trusted navigation solution within several maritime sectors. “Chart Track Navigation is very well suited to the tanker trade for example, because these kinds of vessels are very carefully vetted. One of the issues that always checked by oil majors and industry regulators is the correction of charts.

Consequently electronic solutions for managing those charts are very popular in this sector,” Michael says.

“Additionally, we are also active across the entire field of vessels and have a very large number of offshore

can help them manage all of the data that needs to be installed and maintained,” Michael concludes.

“We have an entire digital team that is dedicated to this project and this will be something that we will continue to focus on. We are keen to increase our penetration into the digital market as paper charts become less common. Paper charts will not disappear completely, but certainly there is a migration to digital solutions and Bogerd Martin is at the forefront.” clients. Although offshore vessels have a limited number of charts on board, they often operate within areas where it is not easy for them to receive parcels and supplies, so it is much more convenient for them to receive charts and corrections electronically.”

Through its commitment to on-going product development, incorporating its vast base of industry experience and close attention to the needs of its clients, in addition to a dedicated aftersales support team, Bogerd Martin has enjoyed a strong history of success. This was typified throughout 2015 by an extremely positive year for the company, as Michael reveals: “This year has been a remarkably good year for us, after two or three years of relatively flat sales, we have had a huge boost this year. In fact sales are up by almost as much as 40 per cent when compared to 2014. We have seen an increase in turnover with a number of our existing customers because a number of them have acquired new vessels or in the case of ship management companies, they have taken more ships into management. I think that the fact we do offer an extremely high level of service and have done so for a long time means that customers are aware of us and know that we will take care of them. In this business it is important that clients come back to us every day with lots of small orders and it is only possible to do this with excellent client service.”

As the company prepares to navigate into 2016, Bogerd Martin will continue to support clients in

the transition from paper to digital charts, while continuing to ensure that accurate paper charts and nautical publications remain available. “The transition from digital to paper requires a lot of effort from ship owners and ship managers, in terms of implementation, training and so forth.

Therefore they require a partner who

Bogerd Martin www.martin.be • One of largest distributors of charts and nautical publications • Recently updated the Chart Track Navigator programme • Strengthened foothold with new office in Hong Kong and sales office in Athens

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Profile: Alicat Workboats

E

Shipshape

stablished in May 2009 as a subsidiary of shipbuilding firm Richards Dry Dock and Engineering Ltd (RDDE), Alicat Workboats was originally a designer and constructor of workboats that would operate as crew transfer vessels for the offshore wind sector. Based at Richards Dry Dock on Southtown Road, Great Yarmouth, UK, Alicat has focused on developing close relationships with its customers and researching working conditions, different sea states, operator requirements and state-ofthe-art technology; a strategy that has resulted in the company developing a leading reputation in the design and construction of vessels.

Since previously being featured in Shipping & Marine magazine in April 2015, Alicat Workboats has enjoyed another eventful year, complete with company firsts, new ventures and further diversification, as Business Development Manager David Blake highlights: “Throughout 2015, the company’s 200 tonne boatlift has been kept busy, and anyone regularly travelling along Southtown Road

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will have seen a yard full of different vessel types and a hive of activity as boat repairs, modifications and servicing is carried out. In fact, our boatlifting service has continued to grow throughout the year, with investments put into improving facilities to the crew, such as water and electricity supplies, access to stairs, lifting equipment, scaffolding and fixed toilets and showers.”

He continues: “From our giant sheds a production line of new aluminium catamarans have been delivered throughout the year, but this year was the first time Alicat have also built boats designed by our sister boat builder South Boats IOW Ltd, which is based on the Isle of Wight. The first of these vessels was delivered to local success story Iceni Marine Services, who took delivery of two Alicat built vessels within two weeks during the first part of 2015. In addition to this, a newly designed catamaran made from composite GRP material was unveiled at Southampton’s Seawork Exhibition in June and was created as a result of a joint venture with local boat

builder Goodchild Marine Services.

In July, the company announced an agreement had been reached with Florida based Tampa yachts, enabling Alicat to build Tampa’s proven range of military and para-military vessels; in return, Alicat workboats will be built by Tampa in the US.” The agreement will help each company develop a stronger presence in markets that would otherwise be difficult to access, while also offering benefits such as the sharing of technical and manufacturing expertise. Both companies see the agreement as a significant advancement when it comes to the development of customer support and services as well as business growth.

Alongside these developments, the company has also continued its close working relationship with long-term customer Trimline Ltd on a project that involves carrying out a complete electrical refit of the customer areas on The Spirit of Tasmania I and II passenger ferries. “For this project, approximately 30 of the Alicat Marine electrical team spent around 16 weeks onboard the two vessels

Aalco

while berthed in Sydney, Australia.

The project was highly successful and was a continuation of our great working relationship with Trimline,” says David.

A more recent project for the

company involves the building of a brand new 26 metre wind farm service vessel (WFSV) for longterm customer Dalby Offshore; the aluminium catamaran will be the eighth vessel that Alicat Workboats

Alicat is one of the most respected names in the marine workboat industry through a dedication to high standards of design, engineering and careful consideration given to all aspects of performance and safety. The company’s strong track record of product development means that it is continually developing new technologies and improved manufacturing techniques. With this in mind Aalco was a natural choice for Alicat to provide its aluminium and stainless steel material requirements for its vessels. Along with its stringent quality process, Aalco’s ability to provide a flexible and reliable service supports Alicat’s demanding build schedules. Aalco has already supplied more than 70 boat kits for vessels operating in the demanding off-shore environment.

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Profile: Alicat Workboats

will have built for Dalby Offshore and will add further diversity to the company’s fleet.

“This will be the first 26 metre South Boats IOW design to be built by Alicat Workboats,” says David.

“The class certified vessel will feature Twin MAN V12-1650 main engines coupled to Hamilton HM721 water jet propulsion for speeds up to 30 knots and class leading bollard pull; this 26 metre WSFV also offers low noise levels combined with reduced vessel motions, which ensures that the vessel can operate in the harshest of environments and deliver technicians fit and able to fulfil their tasks offshore.”

Highlighting its ability to deliver high quality services to a range of sectors, Alicat Workboats’ adaptability has ensured it remains profitable despite challenges in the oil and gas industry. “Challenges within the energy sector has further demonstrated the need for

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diversification, however, this is an area where Alicat prides itself. 2015 saw an increase in non-energy related vessel enquires, which is very pleasing for us as we would rather be known as hugely experienced boat builders that can offer a diverse service than a company that is exclusively connected to a particular sector,” says David.

Playing an integral role in this diversification is the company’s commitment to strengthening its engineering capabilities, which in turn has enabled it to take on new and challenging projects, as David discusses: “Our engineering side has been strengthened significantly over the last 12 months, with BS EN 1090-1 Execution Level 4 (EXC 4) certification and PED 23/97 Module D added. As of 1st July 2014, under the Construction Products Regulation (CPR), CE marking of structural steel to BS EN 1090-1 became mandatory for products sold on the EU construction market; this means anyone designing and/ or manufacturing stel frames or steel components for the UK must comply.

Alicat Workboats recently achieved EXC 4 certification, the highest EXC level, which has opened up additional construction marketplace opportunities, both on and offshore; it has also validated the steel departments welding management system.

“On top of this, Alicat Workboats was recently awarded Module D, which will allow us to produce pressure vessels within the scope of fabrication and/or give confidence for present and potential clients in our management systems to manufacture them. With this certification, Alicat Fabrication, trading as Alicat Workboats, has opened up additional manufacturing opportunities for pressure vessels up to 500bar, which is approximately 7250 psi, in carbon, stainless or exotic steels from 1.25”NB up to 36”NB (DN32 up to DN 900).”

Not a company to rest on its laurels, Alicat Workboats has introduced a new line of modular lightweight containers; designed by Alicat Marine Design and built by Alicat Workboats, the Aerobox™ line

has attracted the attentions of a range of industries for multiple applications.

In addition to Aerobox™ Alicat Marine Design has also been busy developing a new fender system, V-Grip™, which has been designed to increase the performance and capability of workboats operating in the harshest conditions. In line with these investments in product development and compliance, the company has also invested in a new slipway to assist with the launches of the larger South Boats design vessels. Based at the end of its main workshop, next to the dry dock, work on the new slipway was completed at the beginning of 2016.

While each division with Alicat continues to enhance its capabilities and strengths, Alicat Workboats will focus on product development and increasing growth through diversification to keep its order book full.

Alicat Workboats www.alicatworkboats.com • Specialises in boat building, small craft maintenance and repair • Major investments over the last four years • Recently received a major order from Dalby Offshore

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Profile: nimbus boats

Beautiful

R

ecognised throughout the boat and yacht building industry for its quality and innovation, Scandinavia’s leading manufacturer of leisure boats for cruising and sport Nimbus Boats is one of the most respected and highly reputed boat builders in Europe.

With a history dating as far back as the early 1970s, the company has been at the forefront of leisure boat design thanks to its involvement in a successful contract from Volvo Penta to develop a new kind of boat that would suit the engine it was creating. This project, which involved small group of innovative designers working together to create Nimbus 26, was an immediate success and was the catalyst for Nimbus Boats as it pushed forward to design and develop more boats that demonstrate qualities such as impeccable design and beautiful craftsmanship.

Four decades on and Nimbus Boats is still going strong in the world of boat building, with the company 102 - www.shipping-and-marine.com

boats

manufacturing all of its boats at its yard in Mariestad under the same philosophy – to produce boats of award winning design that appeal to the senses. Nimbus Boats believes that for the customer it is all about enjoying life onboard, whatever the occasion, activity or destination.

That is why the company utilises high-tech production facilities such as vacuum infusion technology and sandwich laminate in combination with its traditional craftsmanship to ensure that on a Nimbus boat there is something to enjoy for every client, whether it is aesthetics, functionality or a combination of both.

The most recent example of this philosophy can be seen in the creation of Nimbus 305 Coupé; launched at the 2015 Boot Dusseldorf boat show in January 2015, the Nimbus 305 Coupé is the latest hardtop model to be revealed by Nimbus Boats and is the smallest model in the company’s renowned Coupé range. Offering excellent fuel consumption and top speeds of up to 22 knots, the 6.85

metre Nimbus 305 Coupé is fitted with smaller Volvo Penta D3 engines and has a 32 foot hydrodynamic hull shape to ensure the planing threshold is eliminated.

Based on the same concept as the frequently award nominated 405 Coupé and the award winning 365 Coupé, the Nimbus 305 Coupé was built though a vision to create a classic, highly functional Coupé boat that boasts obvious Nimbus genes for families and experienced seafarers that are quality conscious while also prioritising comfort, simplicity and functional design. Built to run comfortably regardless of speed, thanks to its entirely re-designed and optimised hydro-dynamic hull shape, the Nimbus 305 Coupé is the perfect option for those seeking an enjoyable time at sea.

Features inside the Nimbus 305 Coupé include the ‘sidewalk’ design, a layout that optimises walking space to starboard and enhances the simplicity in which passengers can get off and on the boat to spend

time on deck; the boat also has a generous amount of space available in the cockpit and cabin. Moreover, the 305 Coupé boasts a modernised design, glued windows with a large, curved windscreen, opening, flush fitted sliding doors to starboard and generous light and opening roof hatches in the saloon. Other features include a maximised helm instrument panel to provide optimum flexibility and a large after-deck that is fitted on the same level as the swimming platform and the light, airy and cosy saloon.

Following the months of hard work that were put into developing the highly functional and beautifully designed Nimbus 305 Coupé, the boat has been nominated for the European Power Boat of the Year 2016 at the Dussedorf Boat Show, one of the core events in the boat building business that is held in midJanuary annually.

It has been a busy year for Nimbus Boats, with the company also making the premiere appearance of its Nimbus 405 Flybridge in February 2015. Based on the 405 Coupé flagship, the Nimbus 405 Flybridge has been constructed to wholly harmonise with the design of the new Coupé series and thus features a roof with light, sweeping lines and the characteristic folding mast; it also has a large fixed skylight to ensure the saloon remains light and airy despite the superstructure. On top of this, the Flybridge features several functional and social spaces and has been designed to pass beneath bridges following a few simple adjustments.

Thanks to these attractive features, the Nimbus 405 Flybridge is a strong choice for knowledgeable boating people who enjoy comfortable living quarters, ease-of-handling and excellent long distance cruising properties.

Not a company to rest on its laurels, Nimbus Boats launched a new and improved version of its largest model, the Paragon 31 Cabin, in Autumn 2015 following a remodeling of both the interior and exterior of the boat. Now better equipped for all day, all year-round use, the

new Paragon 31 Cabin is now 40 cm longer and has the capacity to carry more powerful engines; she also has more room for tools, system installations and safety equipment.

With a full order book in place, the company has increased the number staff at its production facility by 15 per cent over the last 12 months as it continues to produce expertly crafted and innovative boats that suit all demands. Indeed, customers that require superior design, functionality and a luxurious setting to enjoy activities at sea need look no further than a Nimbus boat.

Nimbus Boats http://nimbus.se • One of the most respected boat builders in Europe • Manufactures boats of award winning design • Increased staff in production by 15 per cent in 2015

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Profile: Vyborg Shipyard

In demand

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ith more than 65 years of experience in shipbuilding, Vyborg Shipyard PJSC today is one of the largest shipbuilding companies in the North-Western Region of Russia. Since its foundation in 1948, the company has built more than 200 vessels with a deadweight of up to 12,000 tonnes, with a total displacement of 1,550,000 tonnes. To ensure its impeccable reputation continues, the company employs more than 1500 personnel, many of which are specialists that are certified by the leading international classification societies such as Lloyd’s Register of Shipping, Bureau Veritas, RINA, Germanischer Lloyd and the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping.

Core activities of Vyborg Shipyard are the construction of small and medium tonnage vessels, a service that began more than 50 years ago when the company began building and trading vessels such as timber carriers, cargo ships, container vessels, and special

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vessels. Well-equipped for constructing vessels to the optimum levels of quality and safety, the shipyard is able to perform the full production cycle, from the issue of working documentation, to planning, calculations, procurement, fabrication, testing and, finally, the handing over of a completed vessel to the customer both on time and at the agreed contract price.

In addition, the company has gained a leading reputation for building drilling platforms for open seas in Russia over the last 35 years.

Indeed, since entering the oil and gas market in 1978, Vyborg Shipyard has been involved in major projects such as building offshore facilities for the Caspian Sea block-modules and pontoons for six semi-submersible drilling rigs along with four ‘turnkey’ built drilling rigs. Moreover, during the period of 1994 to 1997, the company performed modernisation works on two semi-submersible drilling platforms in order to allow them to work in the Atlantic at a sea depth of up to

2000 metres. To extend columns and pontoons of the platforms during this project, a unique lifting operation was performed. The capabilities and expertise of the company within this sector has not gone unnoticed in the industry, with Vyborg Shipyard being recognised as the best company in the construction of floating drilling rigs and supply vessels at the tenth annual Neftegazshelf 2015 conference.

Alongside operations within these areas, the versatile Vyborg Shipyard is also able to take on special projects, ship repair and modernisation and steel production. Special projects include the production of a power distribution module for the first sea ice-proof stationary platform in the world, which was delivered on June 4th 2006.

More recent projects for the shipyard include the construction of two project 21900M icebreakers, Vladivostok and Murmansk, under the Federal Target Programme for the Development of the Transport System of Russia (2010 – 2015). In comparison to the

older project 21900 class icebreakers, the newer project 21900M vessels boast higher performance characteristics and has been classified by the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RMRS) as the ice class, Icebreaker6.

Intended for operations in the Baltic Sea and the Northern Sea Route along the Russian Arctic coast, the vessels will have a maximum icebreaking capability of 1.5 metres.

With Vladivostok fully constructed in mid 2015, the official ceremony of lifting the National Flag onto the vessel took place on September 23rd where it was announced the most up-to-date and most powerful of all diesel-electric powered icebreakers in operation within the Russian Federation. Following the ceremony, Vyborg Shipyard completed sea trials of the icebreaker in October 2015; these trials included testing the vessel’s speed and maneuvering characteristics, performance and compatibility of ship systems and equipment as well as operation capacity of the propulsion plant alongside electrical, radio and navigation equipment. Confirmed to be in compliance of all technical characteristics of the icebreaker technical design by Vyborg Shipyard specialists, the vessel was then delivered to the customer.

Hot on the heels of its sister vessel was the Icebreaker Murmansk project 21900M, which was delivered to the Federal Agency of Marine and River Transport on 25th December 2015.

With a full range of design and turnkey construction works completed on these projects, the icebreakers 21900M will ensure optimum winter navigation assistance in the Baltic Sea as well as the Arctic region. As part of the commemorative event, the icebreaker Murmansk also had the flag of the Russian Federation hoisted onto it.

Both vessels will offer independent ice escorting of heavy tonnage vessels, as well as towage, fire fighting on floaters and other facilities; additionally, they will offer salvage and assistance to distressed vessels as well as the

transportation of cargoes.

Following the hand over of Vladivostok and Murmansk, the company is now focusing on the construction of the third serial build Icebreaker Novorossiysk project 21900M. With the solemn launching ceremony taking place on October 29th, the company has since been busy performing further outfitting works in advance of sea and ice trials before the vessel will be delivered as part of the development of the Russian transport system (2010 – 2020).

With the keel-laying ceremony of the icebreaking support vessels for Gazprom Neft taking place in November and December 2015, the company has enjoyed a fruitful 2015 thanks to its dedication to quality, safety, efficiency, innovation and punctuality. As it moves forward, this proven reputation is certain to result in continued success for Vyborg Shipyard as major shipping and oil and gas firms increasingly rely on the company to deliver the very best solutions to their ever-evolving requests.

Vyborg Shipyard vyborgshipyard.ru/en/ • Leading shipyard in Russia • Recently constructed icebreaker 21900 M Vladivostok • Preparing to construct another vessel currently

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Profile: ERIK THUN ab

Sailing into the

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hen Shipping & Marine last spoke with Erik Thun back in March 2015, Deputy Managing Director, Henrik Källsson, discussed the company’s ambitions to reduce its environmental impact and help improve Sweden’s internal infrastructure through the use of inland waterways. Nine months on and the family-run ship owner has 106 - www.shipping-and-marine.com

begun to make progress in realising these objectives.

“First of all we have taken delivering of ‘Greenland’, which is a dedicated cement carrier for dry bulk with LNG propulsion,” Henrik highlights. “This is our first LNG powered ship and one of the world’s first dry bulk cargo vessels to use dual fuel propulsion, so it is a really big step for us.” Launched in October ‘M.V. Greenland’, was built by

This is our first LNG powered ship and one of the world’s first dry bulk cargo vessels to use dual fuel propulsion, so it is a really big step for us

shipyard, Ferus Smit BV for the joint venture, JT Cement, a co-operation between KG Jebsen Cement and Erik Thun. Significantly, the new ship will meet the most stringent emission criteria, as well as any new norms that might come into force in the future.

“It was a big challenge developing the vessel before the actual rules came into play but together with our strong partners we have come a long way and she is finally running on LNG power,” says Henrik.

Keen to continue the development of its fleet with LNG-fuelled vessels, in November 2015, the company announced the order of its second dual fuelled vessel from Chinese shipyard, AVIC Dingheng Shipbuilding, with delivery due in 2018. Aside from LNG solutions, Erik Thun has also been looking closely at how it can improve the environmental impact across its whole fleet and a number of options have been investigated. “We are always looking into new ways of reducing our bunker consumption for instance,” explains Henrik. “We have looked into scrubber technology but have found that this wouldn’t be the best investment on our fleet so right now we are focusing on how we can use less bunker fuels. This is being achieved with technology that enables

the engine to decrease its revolutions and increase propeller performance, as well as by continuously monitoring our consumption and looking at new ways of improving that.”

Erik Thun is also looking at implementing ballast treatment solutions across its fleet to meet new regulations. However, as Henrik explains, there are many challenges in rolling this out effectively. “We currently have two systems installed but we are finding that their reliability is not as good as we expected,” he says. “We are presently going through a process of testing to make sure they can work properly, before we introduce it to the rest of the fleet.”

As part of Erik Thun’s offering to its regional market in Sweden, the company has been focusing over the course of 2015 on improving seabased logistics. In May, in partnership with Ahlmark Lines AB and Verenigde Tankrederij, it appointed Johan Lantz as the new CEO of JV company, Avatar Logistics AB to manage solutions for the inland waterways in Sweden. “We really believe that there is potential for development of seabased logistic solutions both in Lake Vänern and in Lake Mälaren, because the regulations for traffic on the Swedish inland waterways are now about to be adapted so that shipping www.shipping-and-marine.com - 107

Profile: eriK thun ab

can become more competitive,” says Henrik.

“Additionally, we also see that the new types of sustainable maritime solutions that we will offer in the long-term, can replace road transport in highly congested and environmentally affected areas. We hope to see things really moving with this by the second quarter of 2016.”

As far as the next year is concerned, continuing as it has done will be key to Erik Thun realising its visions of greater market share and environmentally sound operations. At the end of 2015, the company took ownership of the 8000dwt m/t Nordic Trine vessel from Nordic Tankers to expand its footprint in the European 5000-10,000 dwt small product tanker sector. Bringing the company’s total tanker fleet up to 16 vessels in operation and 14 under its ownership, the acquisition puts the company in good stead as it looks to achieve these objectives over the course of 2016.

With global market challenges placing pressures on many of Erik Thun’s operations at present, ensuring that it can perform in the best way possible to support its clients is also central to the company’s strategy as it moves forward. “There will also be lots of focus on reducing costs across our different businesses and implementing best practice throughout all of these,” outlines Henrik. “Of course, we will also be looking further into many environmental aspects of the business, looking particularly at more LNG options. Then, in the longer term we will be looking at expanding our presence across Europe through JV partnerships, and beyond that considering international growth.”

Erik Thun AB www.thun.se • Established 1938 • Vessel owner and management company • Fleet of over 40 modern vessels

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Profile: Factorias Vulcano Seismic vessel: Polar Duchess

Technology

at sea

W

ith roots dating back as far as 1919, when the company was founded as a boiler repair shop in the Spanish city of Vigo, Factorias Vulcano has a rich tradition of shipbuilding that began during 1940. Initially the business operated as a shipbuilder and repair yard and gradually continued to expand and develop its facilities in order to allow it to tackle newbuild projects. Over the years Factorias Vulcano has moved away from the fabrication of ‘standard’ vessel designs such as cargo and fishing trawlers and applied its specialist knowledge to the production of complex niche craft including

seismic, offshore construction vessels, oceanographic and research vessels and chemical vessels (coated and stainless steel).

Factorias Vulcano was last profiled by Shipping & Marine magazine during November 2013 when Managing Director, Jose Luis Mendez explained the shift of production from standardised to specialist vessels as linked to the increase in competition in general vessel construction. Shipyards based in Korea and China for example are able to engage in the production of uniformly designed ships including cargo, container and fishing vessels more cheaply than other yards around the world. As a European

shipyard, Factorias Vulcano has concentrated on the development of niche vessels that are typically more sophisticated and employ much higher levels of technology.

Throughout the construction of its complex vessel designs, Factorias Vulcano employs market-leading technologies to ensure that the yard is able to manufacture craft to highest standards of reliability and quality.

This was demonstrated during 1993 when Factorias Vulcano became the first DNV’s private shipyard to achieve ISO 9001 accreditation.

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Profile: Factorias Vulcano

Mobile Ro-Ro ramp for Spain’s Port of Vigo

SENER SENER is a multidisciplinary engineering company, 100 per cent private, with activities in the aerospace, defense, civil engineering, energy and marine sectors. SENER’s Marine Business Unit provides a broad range of services to shipowners, yards and other marine organisations, with special relevance in the area of concept design of vessels and offshore structures.

SENER develops and markets the FORAN CAD system, the state-of-theart computer application for ship design, used in more than 100 yards and design offices worldwide.

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Management System for the design and build of steel vessels and offshore installations, in compliance with ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001.

Factorias Vulcano uses a block building technique during the construction of its vessels, delivering everything in-house from innovative design through to solid pre-fabrication activities and ultimately final assembly. Stateof-the-art technologies are applied during the construction including computer-assisted design, numerical control cutting, automatic welding, and laser controlled sizing. This means that Factorias Vulcano is able to build vessels with a high degree of advanced outfitting and quality. The Factorias Vulcano yard encompasses an area of 79,283m2 and is divided in several key areas, including an external 2300m2 metre prefabrication and assembly support area, a central prefabrication area of 7500m2 , including 3000m2 undercover, and a second similar sized prefabrication

hall to the south. The yard’s facilities are further complemented by a 1000m2 block painting shop, as well as a 170-metre long slipway and a north and south quay. Additionally Factorias Vulcano has further enhanced its production capacity through the investment of new roofing on its steel workshop and a new cover and lighting facility since 2013.

During its history, Factorias Vulcano has provided vessels for clients throughout Europe and around the world. In recent months the company has completed a number of projects for customers, including the completion during June 2015 of a large steel structure to be installed on a Baleària Group ferry to accommodate a natural gas generator.

The generator represents the first of its kind in Spain and will be fitted to the Baleària Group ferry, Abel Matutes, which currently sails the company’s Barcelona-Palma line. The generator is designed to supply power

Offshore construction vessels: Boa Sub C and Boa Deep C

Shipyard’s aerial view

to the ship while it is docked at port to maintain heating, electricity and air conditioning services, allowing the crew to disconnect the vessel’s diesel engines.

The construction of the structure containing the generator was subsequently loaded onto a barge for transportation to Navantia Repairs in Cádiz for installation.

The construction of the structure accounted for two months work and employed 35 workers. For the purpose of installation, 20 Factorias Vulcano workers travelled with

the structure and installed pipe connections between the generator and the ship’s boiler over the course of around 15 days.

In November 2015, Factorias Vulcano also launched a new mobile Ro-Ro ramp for Spain’s Port of Vigo. The launching ceremony of the mobile Ro-Ro ramp was held on the 27th November 2015 and will ‘increase the range of potential customers on the motorway of the sea’ between Vigo and Nantes, France. The new Ro-Ro system was implemented to significantly increase the operational windows of Ro-Ro operations at the Vigo port, where previously loading operations had depended on the state of local tides for the loading and unloading of trailers. The relief of what had previously been described as a ‘great problem’ is of significant benefit to logistical firms, particularly those associated with refrigerated loads and fisheries and will ultimately allow for greater flows of traffic through the port, resulting in significant economic benefits.

With the shipping market remaining highly competitive and activity levels staying low, Factorias Vulcano is committed to its strategy of delivering high technology developments. This enables it to be much more competitive against low cost manufacturers that may not have the skills to deliver these more complex vessels. Further to this focus, Factorias Vulcano announced in December 2015 that it has entered into a joint venture with AIMEN Technology Centre. Under the name Innflexion, the partnership will focus on the development of intelligent manufacturing techniques and high productivity for the shipbuilding industry. Through the development of innovative market technology and the provision of technically advanced vessels, Factorias Vulcano is set to remain a leader in innovation afloat.

Factorias Vulcano www.factoriasvulcano.com • Niche vessel design • New Ro-Ro craft for 2015 • Strong industry experience

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Shipping &MARINE

The magazine for maritime management

www.shipping-and-marine.com

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

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