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Class Societies
Bureau Veritas delivers world’s first approval in principal for offshore floating solar technology to SolarDuck
Bureau Veritas (BV), a world leader in testing, inspection, and certification (TIC), has delivered an Approval in Principle (AiP) to Dutch renewable energy company, SolarDuck, for its offshore floating solar solution ‘King Eider’. This is the first time such an approval has been granted to an offshore floating solar technology, marking the beginning of a new era for this form of renewable energy.
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Launched in April, SolarDuck’s first pilot ‘King Eider’ consists of four triangular shaped units, which are mounted by 156 solar panels and deliver a combined electrical output of 64 kWp to the grid. The project was deployed in IJzendoorn, in the Netherlands. The structure holds the solar panels more than three meters above water level. The platform is designed to handle coastal sea conditions and hurricaneforce winds. It is also optimized for offshore sites in estuaries, natural harbours, as well as near-shore sites.
The project was born from the ambitions of a group of maritime and energy engineers, who founded SolarDuck in order to play an active role in getting the world to net zero. Upon realizing that solar energy is the cheapest and most efficient form of renewable energy for many cities, islands, and regions around the globe, but inaccessible to many of these regions due to land scarcity constraints, the team initiated the project to make solar panels float offshore.
Bureau Veritas was involved in the project from the design stage. The AiP covers the design methodology of the unit’s structure and validates the relevant parts against guidance note NI631 on the Certification Scheme for Marine Renewable Energy Technologies, and NI572 on the Classification and certification of floating offshore wind turbines. These guidance notes provide the requirements to certify novel marine renewable energy technologies.
Don Hoogendoorn, CTO of SolarDuck, commented: “In my decade in the maritime industry, I have learned how to optimize design for reliability, ease of maintenance and safety, while keeping them cost efficient. At SolarDuck, we aim to design systems that will last over 30 years, as I was used to doing when I built ships. Getting external official validation that our system performs as it should makes me proud of my team.”
ClassNK is committed to providing comprehensive services to support the industry’s efforts for the transition to zeroemission of shipping business.
In support of measures for GHG emissions reduction, ClassNK has released “Guidelines for Ships Using Alternative Fuels”. They are the updates with safety requirements for ships using ammonia as fuel on previously issued “Guidelines for Ships Using Low-Flashpoint Fuels” covering LPG/Methanol/Ethanol, and provide comprehensive information on requirements for alternative fuel ships.
Ammonia has captured attention as a zero carbon fuel. Appropriate safety measures are required for ammonia as it is toxic to humans and corrosive to materials, while specific international standards for the use of ammonia as a marine fuel have not yet been established. ClassNK has described
the requirements for installation, controls, and safety devices of an ammonia fueled ship to minimizing risks for the ship, crew, and the environment, and added it to the guidelines.
In addition, ClassNK has revised the existing “LNG-Ready” notation to “Alternative Fuel Ready”, and outlined the requirements for the new notation indicating that a ship is designed and partially equipped for future use of alternative fuels.
The guidelines are reflecting the current technology trend and will be updated regularly along with developments of new technologies and research.
DNV’s new ‘decarbonization stairway’ model helps shipowners navigate newbuild dilemmas
Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen Linda Sigrid Hammer
DNV, the world’s leading classification society recently launched its latest Maritime Forecast to 2050, part of the Energy Transition Outlook (ETO) suite of reports. Conceived to help shipowners navigate the technologies and fuels needed to meet global greenhouse gas (GHG) targets, the report features an updated carbon risk management framework, including a new ‘decarbonization stairway’ model to help owners map a path to sustainability.
The 80-page report aims to assist an industry facing the dual challenge of increasingly stringent climate change targets and regulations coupled with uncertainty over future fuel choices, technology, and supply.
It is, according to DNV Maritime CEO Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, “the grand challenge of our time.”
“Choosing the right fuel today for operations tomorrow is a daunting task that all owners must face up to,” said ØrbeckNilssen. “The business environment is changing in line with the natural one, leading not just to increased regulatory requirements, but also to new cargo-owner and consumer expectations and more rigorous demands from capital investors and institutions.
“A misstep today in newbuild fuel strategies can have damaging consequences for businesses and assets in the future. So, owners need practical, expert advice and smart solutions to ensure vessels stay competitive, compliant and commercially attractive over their lifetimes. This is where the Maritime Forecast to 2050 can help turn strategic uncertainty into confident decision-making.”
The report maps the shifting regulatory landscape, provides a status update on technology and alternative fuels, and views the energy transition from a wider perspective – investigating the financing of green onboard investments, as well as the need for rapid development of supply-side capacity for new fuels.
To support shipowners, DNV provides an updated framework for managing carbon risk in newbuilding designs, a techno-economic evaluation of fuel strategies, and the vessel design implications of those chosen approaches. The ‘decarbonization stairway’ is introduced to show how individual owners can adapt to stay below the required GHG emission trajectories.
Linda Sigrid Hammer, DNV Maritime Principal Consultant and Maritime Forecast to 2050 report lead author, said: “With between 1,000 and 2,000 ships expected to be ordered annually through 2030, there’s a real need for informed decisions that consider a diverse array of factors; from cost, to fuel storage and propulsion, through to flexibility in design, strategic approach, and fuel ready solutions. And of course, all of this is underpinned by the need for safety.
“Our revised framework allows for detailed assessments, providing support and expertise to mitigate the risks and uncertainties facing owners. The carbon neutral destination for the industry is clear, but the pathway is not. This report will help owners chart their way forwards.”
The new Maritime Forecast to 2050 – the fifth edition of its kind – features detailed case studies to help evaluate fuel and technology scenarios and compare competing solutions. The report finds that the maritime energy transition is already gaining momentum, with around 12% of newbuilds currently ordered with alternative fuel systems. This is double the 6% revealed by DNV’s 2019 Maritime Forecast report. However, less than 1% of ships currently in operation use alternative fuels, with the huge majority plying short-sea routes.
DNV forecasts that total CAPEX for onboard technology investments required to satisfy IMO decarbonization ambitions will range from USD 250-800 billion (dependent on fleet size) between 2020 and 2050.
Bureau Veritas issues new Guidelines for the Carriage of Containers in Bulk Carriers
Bureau Veritas has developed in-depth technical guidance to provide safe and practical pathways for operators carrying containerized cargo in bulk carriers
Bureau Veritas (BV), a world leader in testing, inspection, and certification (TIC), has developed a formalized approach to support the safe carriage of containers in bulk carriers.
BV’s Guidance for Studying and Preparing a Bulk Carrier for the Carriage of Containers provides operators with pathways based on analysis and a thorough understanding of safety, regulatory and operational requirements. The guidance was developed by technical experts based in the Bureau Veritas Piraeus office, in Greece, in collaboration with the Technical Directorate in Paris.
We have significant experience and knowledge of bulk carrier design, classification and operations across BV and particularly here in Greece, where we have numerous clients in the dry cargo market. Additionally, our class rules for container lashing and our own associated lashing software are highly sophisticated. The combination of bulker and boxship capability and understanding has enabled our teams to rapidly provide a framework to meet market requirements as demand emerges for bulkers to be able to carry boxes.
The guidance outlines two main pathways for stowing containers in holds, either as a ‘block’ of lashed cargo without retrofitting of special container securing fittings, or as more conventional stacks of containers, in which case such equipment may need to be fitted permanently or temporarily.
The IMO Code of Safe Practice for Cargo Stowage and Securing (CSS Code) for ships that are equipped with a Cargo Securing Manual, provides a key reference point in its Annex 1 “Safe stowage and securing of containers on deck of ships which are not specially designed and fitted for the purpose of carrying containers” as well as the calculation methods for forces acting on cargo units and the efficiency of securing arrangements. However, the fact that bulk carriers are “not specially designed and fitted for the purpose of carrying containers”, combined with the potential need to maximize the intake of containers, may raise concerns related to the integrity of the vessel’s structure and the cargo itself, as well as the safety of the crew and the stevedores. Paillette Palaiologou added: ‘In many ways, we are going back to the future, as general cargo and multi-purpose ships have always been able to carry containers. In the context of today’s market demands, the capacity to move containers in bulk carriers is a key advantage. With our guidance, we wish to ensure that modern analysis tools and techniques can be applied to support safety as well as modern operational efficiency.’
Paillette Palaiologou
RINA expands its digital offerings with the acquisition of Logimatic Solutions
(L-R) Lars Riisberg and Ugo Salerno
RINA has announced its acquisition of the entire share capital of Logimatic Solutions, a leading software company, headquartered in Denmark. The company, with a turnover of about 6 million euros, will be fully integrated within the RINA Group and its nearly 50 employees will continue in the current structure from its offices in Denmark, Singapore and Chile.
This acquisition is in line with RINA’s strategic plan and will boost the company’s first-class knowledge of digital solutions, providing support to customers for efficient and sustainable business operations.
The move will add SERTICA to the RINA portfolio of maritime offerings, while INEXTIA, FOTODOK and RENOMATIC will complement RINA’s businesses in the energy and industry sectors. SERTICA is the powerful fleet management solution, which integrates a wide range of functions, modules and features for all areas of maritime business, incorporates fleet maintenance, procurement management and HSQE modules to provide deeper insights into fleet operations, enabling effective monitoring, control and cost savings.
Ugo Salerno, CEO of RINA, said, “The Logimatic Solutions business is a perfect fit for us, as it complements our technical offer of digital applications and improves our market positioning in terms of geographic proximity to our customer base. The SERTICA Fleet Management Software has an excellent reputation and is already installed on over 1400 vessels worldwide. It extends our capabilities and is a powerful and beneficial addition to the tools we already provide to our customers in the maritime
industry.”
Lars Riisberg, CEO at Logimatic Solutions, said, “When RINA presented their strategy of delivering world-class digital solutions, I saw a unique opportunity. I truly believe that our products and organization deserve this opportunity to grow further with a strong and global company. We treasure a close relationship with our customers, and this is something I can say for sure will not change. We will continue to support and grow our SERTICA family in cooperation with RINA with the same professional, yet informal approach. This is in our DNA.”
The expertise gained from Logimatic Solutions represents a step forward in the expansion of RINA’s digital offering capability. Alongside advanced digital tools, the acquisition provides RINA with highly rated personnel with combined market, technical and IT expertise. This places the business in a stronger position in the northern European area to complement its already leading position in the South of the continent.
Navigator Gas awarded DNV AiP for new ammonia fuelled gas carrier design
Navigator Gas has been awarded a new Approval in Principle (AiP) for an ammonia fuelled gas carrier design from classification society DNV. An industrywide consortium, including MAN Energy solutions, Babcock International, and the Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA), has collaborated with Navigator Gas to achieve the Approval in Principle (AiP) from DNV. The awarding of the AiP was announced as part of London International Shipping week 2021.
The new gas carrier design has been awarded the AiP based on the special features notation (GF NH3) under DNV’s new rules for the use of ammonia as fuel in gas carriers. DNV, alongside the NMA, reviewed the design and relevant documentation and found no potential showstoppers to its realisation.
“Navigator Gas been discussing Ammonia as a fuel with our consortium partners since 2018, when this topic was on the fringes of discussions surrounding decarbonisation and the use of alternative fuels,” said Paul Flaherty, Technical Advisor to Navigator Gas. “Those early discussions on feasibility led to the completion of a comprehensive HAZID in early 2019, which remains as valid today as it was then. This has also been used as the base safety case during our AiP discussions with DNV. Since our discussions began, we have witnessed an exponential increase in the number of projects around the globe looking at Hydrogen and Ammonia as carbon free source of energy. We have also been engaging with our customers and business partners to discuss their carbon free shipping requirements for transporting Blue/Green Ammonia to their customers.”
“Obtaining an AiP from DNV for an Ammonia fuelled vessels is the first step in preparing Navigator Gas to meet the future demands of our customers and to reduce our carbon footprint through lower greenhouse gas emissions. In the longer term, using Ammonia as fuel is one of Alternative Fuels options we are pursuing, along with CCS, Carbon Offsetting
Navigator Gas, the owner and operator of the world’s largest fleet of handysize liquefied gas carriers, has received a new AiP from DNV for an ammonia fuelled gas carrier. (Image care of Navigator Gas) and improved Vessel Optimisation to reduce our carbon footprint and lower greenhouse gas emissions. I would like to thank DNV, MAN Energy Solutions, Babcock International and the Norwegian Maritime Authority, for their unwavering support and input during the AiP process,” said Paul Flaherty.
“We are very pleased to be working with Navigator Gas and so many leading companies on this AiP,” said Torgeir Sterri, Senior Vice President, Regional Manager West Europe, DNV Maritime. “If our industry is going to continue to play a central role in the global economy, we need to be exploring all options that can get us further towards decarbonization. At the same time, we recognize that for our customers, how to tackle the decarbonization challenge is going to be most challenging and significant decision they are likely to make this decade. This is why we have created class notations and guideline that give them the flexibility to find the path that fits their operations and business.”
“This ammonia as a fuel concept design is supported by Babcock LGE’s operational experience of delivering Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) fuel supply systems and carrying ammonia as a cargo on gas carriers, meaning specific issues occurring when utilising ammonia as a fuel are well understood, resulting in an inherently safe design. Babcock LGE is enabling the transition towards a cleaner, sustainable future through innovative technologies, and we are delighted to be working with our partners in this significant project,” said Andrew Scott, Business Development Director, Babcock LGE.
“MAN Energy Solutions is pleased to work with industry partners in decarbonising the maritime economy where, for us, the path starts with fuel decarbonisation. Here, several zero-carbon fuels offer significant potential, with ammonia of especial interest. Since large quantities of ammonia are already transported around the world, it is a well-established commodity and using it to power ships would be a natural step. In this context, we have already announced that we expect to be make a dual-fuel, two-stroke ammonia engine commercially available for large-scale ocean-going ships by 2024, followed by a retrofit package to make existing maritime vessels capable of running on ammonia by 2025,” said Thomas S. Hansen, Head of Promotion and Customer Support, MAN Energy Solutions.
“We are proud to be a part of this project and it has given us vital input on how to handle the safety concerns when using ammonia as fuel. Ammonia could play an important role in the decarbonization of shipping and therefore the safety concerns have to be addressed. This project shows that it’s possible to manage some of the challenges within decarbonization through good cooperation,” said Lars Alvestad, acting Director of Shipping and Navigation, Norwegian Maritime Authority.
