MOL orders world’s first methanol powered carriers
Japan’s Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd (MOL) has made an order for methanol powered carriers as part of its overall environmental strategy, the company has announced.
According to reports, three carriers will be built by Minaminippon Shipbuilding Co Ltd.
The vessels are expected to be delivered in 2016 and will be chartered to Waterfront Shipping Company Limited under a long-term contract.
Van Oord’s offshore installation vessel Aeolus has successfully installed Gemini wind project’s first monopile. The offshore wind project, one of the largest in the world, will consist of 150 monopiles. The project is expected to be fully operational by 2017 generating clean and renewable energy for 1.5 million people in the Netherlands.
Gemini is being built in the North Sea. The project consists of two areas of 34 km2 and is located 85 km off the coast of Groningen. Each monopile is designed for its specific location in the wind project. Depending on water depth, they vary in length from 59 to 73 m. The monopiles have a diameter of 7 m, and a wall thickness of 7 to 11 cm. During the three-year construction period, a wide range of equipment including Van Oord’s specialized offshore wind vessels will be deployed. An estimated workforce of 500 will be involved on the project.
Here is the new logo as national Boat Shows rebrands to become British Marine Boat Shows
As British Marine unveils a strong new identity, National Boat Shows (NBS) has also re-branded to become British Marine Boat Shows. This aligns it with the new British Marine brand.
The British Marine Boat Shows’ portfolio contains two world-leading events: the Southampton Boat Show, which this year takes place 11-20 September, and the London Boat Show, taking place at ExCeL, 8-17 January 2016. The new look is the result of a year-long re-brand exercise which has been undertaken in-house.
DYT Yacht Transport schedules its largest yacht carrier for trip to South Pacific
New policies making it easier for foreign flagged vessels to explore the coastlines of Australia have inspired DYT Yacht Transport to schedule its largest semi-submersible yacht carrier, the 686-foot (209-metre) Yacht Express, to deliver yachts to the South Pacific. The trip coordinates with the end of the Mediterranean charter season, starting in Genoa (Italy) in November to accommodate private luxury yachts and charter vessels departing from the Mediterranean Sea. Operating with its unique float-on/float-off method, the ship will make additional port calls in the Caribbean, Florida, Costa Rica, and Tahiti before arriving in Sydney and Auckland by the end of January.
Shortage of ship officer crew receding according to the latest findings from Drewry
Shipping will require an additional 42,500 officers by the end of 2019 to cope with the expected growth in the main cargo carrying fleet, equivalent to 7% growth over the five year period. But the persistent shortage of officer crew is receding, according to the latest Manning report published by global shipping consultancy Drewry.
Current officer supply is in the order of 615,000 and there is a nominal shortfall of approximately 15,000 officers, which is expected to remain the case until 2019. In the main the shortfall is made up by officers working longer shift patterns.
Some 50% of crews working on offshore support vessels are willing to compromise safety rather than say ‘no’ to clients or senior management says a new report by Helm Operations
In a shocking study by Helm Operations, some 50% of crews working on offshore support vessels are willing to compromise safety rather than say ‘no’ to clients or senior management, while nearly 80% believe commercial pressures could influence the safety of their working practices. These findings and more come from a new report on workboat and OSV safety commissioned by operations and maintenance management software specialist Helm Operations.
The chilling findings, released to coincide with this week’s International Maritime Organization Maritime Safety Committee meeting, come from a new report on workboat and OSV safety commissioned by operations and maintenance management software specialist Helm Operations.
Dometic Marine is behind the air cooled system fitted to the Griffon Hoverwork BHT 150, the largest hovercraft to be built in the UK since the 1970s
Heating, ventilation and air conditioning specialists, Dometic Marine, have supplied a custom made air cooled system for the Griffon Hoverwork BHT 150 – the largest hovercraft to be manufactured in the UK since the 1970s.
The 30.8-metre craft, which was recently delivered to South Korea for use by the Korean Coast Guard, has been fitted with Dometic’s air-cooled DuraSea Condensing Units. According to the brand, the new unit is an optimal solution for hovercraft, which are vessels that can be difficult to cool with normal marine air-conditioning.
The new guidance note issued by Lloyd’s Register on large battery installations is freely available to download
LR’s experience with large battery installations is captured in a new guidance document aimed at facilitating a risk-based approach to battery use. The guidance describes the key hazards to consider when installing battery technology, and gives an overview of our non-prescriptive approach to approval. The guidance also covers battery chemistry and industry standards.
The guidance starts at the beginning of a battery system’s life cycle when the cells are being manufactured, and goes on to consider how an installation affects or is affected by a vessel’s power system, placement on board, ventilation, fire-fighting, electrical protection and maintenance. The guidance aims to help industry consider the hazards associated with large battery installations but is not specific to a particular cell chemistry.
Australian superyacht designer, Christopher Seymour, has revealed his latest creation entitled Double Century which at 200m long is 20m longer than the Azzam built by Lurssen and boasts a cool price tag of 699 million euros
Superyacht designer, Christopher Seymour, has revealed his latest creation entitled Double Century. At 200m, Double Century would become the laregst superyacht in the world if she is built – some 20 metres longer than Lurssen’s Azzam.
Working together with Florida based brokers 4Yacht to market and promote the concept and project, Seymour has set out to create a design that would be an evolution of the gigayacht. Achieving a sleek design that doesn’t result in an aesthetic more in line with a cruise ship is not an easy task. Nevertheless, Seymour has managed to create a sleek exterior despite having nine decks and stretching 27m above the waterline.
A cruise ship received environmentally friendly power from the LNG Hybrid Barge for the first time recently. Becker Marine Systems’ barge, christened the HUMMEL, provides 7.5 megawatts of low-emission power to AIDAsol during its layover at port.
After the AIDAsol berthed at the Port of Hamburg on the morning of 30th May 2015, the infeed of power on the cruise ship was for the first time ensured by way of low-emission liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel. “This means that we have carried out the first successful transfer of power to a cruise ship in Europe”, said Dirk Lehmann and Henning Kuhlmann, both Managing Directors of Becker Marine Systems.
The new DeltaChallenger ro-pax concept design has been unveiled by Deltamarin
Deltamarin launched their new showcase ro-pax vessel “DeltaChallenger” during the Nor-Shipping 2015 exhibition in Oslo. Deltamarin has called on its extensive experience of developing ship concepts and with the help of well-known partners, with expertise in their respective areas, a most energy efficient and environmentally friendly vessel has been developed. The design incorporates the latest technologies available, many of which are not yet used on any other ro-pax vessel.
To reduce fuel consumption the vessel has six rotor sails by Norsepower, giving ca. 10% of the total propulsion power (1.3 MW). Impressive fuel economy and manoeuvrability is gained through the combination of dual-fuel electric machinery, four power plants (2 x 6 MW and 2 x 3 MW) and the new compact Azipod D pod propulsion system from ABB. The steering unit of the pod can be fitted in one deck so that it does not hamper the loading of cars.
New permanent magnet azimuth thrusters have been announced by Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce has unveiled the latest addition to its range of marine thrusters, with the launch of new permanent magnet Azimuth Thrusters powered by permanent magnet (PM) technology. Launched at the Nor-Shipping maritime exhibition in Oslo, the new thruster is the Group’s latest development of PM technology, which already includes tunnel thrusters and a newly developed winch.
The launch follows a programme of sea trials in which a pair of permanent magnet azimuth thrusters demonstrated efficiency savings of 7-13% depending on ship speed, and in comparison to azimuth thrusters powered by a conventional diesel-electric system. The trials took place on board the RV Gunnerus, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology’s (NTNU) research ship, based in Trondheim.