ABS issues guide for the certification of container securing systems
ABS has issued a guide for the certification of container securing systems advising that when special containers are used for unique cargoes that have reduced or increased load capacities, limitations should be considered when stowing them onboard ship and when determining permissible tier and container stack weights.
There are six different ways in which ships move in the sea, primarily pitching, heaving and rolling.
Lateral rolling motion represents the greatest challenge for stacks of containers. If containers are to be transported safely on the deck of a container vessel, they must be firmly connected to the ship. This is done with the aid of what are known as twistlocks. These twistlocks are inserted into the corner castings of the containers. These corner castings have elongated holes in which the rotating lug of the twistlock engages, locking the containerstogether. In addition, the bottom two layers of the stacked containers are connected to the ship with lashing rods. Initially, it was common practice to stow stacks of containers on deck in such a way that the individual stacks were connected to each other Continue reading “The securing of containers on deck of a container ship”
Nuclear powered ships as a fuel are completely zero-emission solution – it does not emit any SOx, NOx, CO2 or particulates. The technology is also millions of times more power-dense than fossil fuels and alternative fuel options that are currently being considered like methanol, ammonia and hydrogen. In terms of meeting the IMO’s 2050 greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction ambition, it’s the only proven solution available today, capable of replacing fossil fuels in all marine applications.
The technology is far from new – the first nuclear power plant became operational in 1955 with the US Navy. Since then, there has been around 700 reactors operational at sea, and currently there are about 100. This equates to thousands of operating years’ experience. The technology is not just limited to navies – there have also been civil marine applications. Russia has been operating nuclear merchant ships for many years. At present this includes nuclear-powered icebreakers with some of these vessels becoming passenger ships in the summer, cruising to the arctic circle. Therefore, it could be argued that on the fringes of the cruise industry there are already nuclear-powered ships operating. Continue reading “Could nuclear powered ships help the industry meet the 2050 emissions target?”
ABS has launched the ‘Shuttle Tanker Advisory’ report, explaining what shuttle tankers are, where they operate, scoping out the challenges that they could face in different regions, their design features, and focusing on safety and human factors.
Shuttle tankers are primarily employed in offshore oil and gas fields. Typically, the offshore facility from which a shuttle tanker loads from is a Single Point Mooring (SPM) buoy or a Floating (Production) Storage and Offloading (F(P)SO) unit.
The American Club has released its latest loss prevention guidance ‘Bunkering – A Compendium’, together with website access to a comprehensive approach to loss prevention initiatives demanded by new regulations and generally by supplying guidance on operations and management.
Keel laid date or similar stage of construction interpretation published
The US Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance has published ‘Determinations for a Vessel’s Keel Laid Date or Similar Stage of Construction.’ The instruction was updated on September 20, 2019.
This work instruction aims to establish the interpretations of when a vessel’s keel is considered to be laid or the vessel is at a similar stage of construction.
It also provides guidelines for Officers in Charge, Marine Inspection (OCMIs) to determine what may be accepted for the purpose of establishing a vessel’s laid date.
Affinity says oil majors need to back owners on LNG-fuelled VLCCs
Shell, ExxonMobil and Total could do more to remove the need for speculative orders, says Affinity (Shipping).
Oil majors need to provide more support to owners looking to order LNG-powered tonnage, or the projects will fail to get off the ground, a top broker has warned.
Since the introduction of the first diesel-powered ships in the early 20th century, technology developments in shipping have been steady and incremental. This continuity will end as the industry approaches the year 2050. Decarbonization requirements and the opportunities offered by digitalization will bring about major change. The challenge for a ship built today is that this change will take place within its lifespan. Failure to account for foreseeable regulatory and technology developments may render a ship built today uncompetitive at best; in the worst case it may end up being prohibited from operating altogether. The technology choices made when building a new ship will therefore decide whether it will be future-proof.
Joint industry guidance issued regulation ahead of IMO Sulphur Cap implementation. Photo credit: IMO
Disruptive change facing the shipping industry is fast approaching in the form of the IMO Sulphur Cap regulation, which comes into force from 1 January 2020. Although the picture is still far from clear, those in the know expect a number of vessels and operators to be non-compliant come January. Where this leaves things and how authorities will react, only time will tell.
To aid those operating in the sector who ‘need to know’, a number of shipping, refining, fuel supply and standards organisations have collaborated in order to produce Joint Industry Guidance on the supply and use of 0.50% sulphur marine fuel, which was released on 20 August 2019.
Shippers are expected to be fined for misdeclared cargo
Carriers are cracking down on rogue shippers by threatening significant financial penalties for misdeclared cargo following a series of vessel fires. Evergreen was first out of the gates announcing fines ranging from $4,000 to $35,000, for misdeclarations with Hapag-Lloyd and OOCL following suit.
TT Club risk management director Peregrine Storrs-Fox said, “We welcome such initiatives, following a spate of fires and growing concerns about cargo packing.
ShipManager Hull software by DNV GL will be used by Saipem
Saipem, the energy and infrastructure solution provider, is implementing DNV GL’s hull planned maintenance system, ShipManager Hull, based on 3D digital twins of crane and pipelaying vessels.
DNV GL will supply its advanced software, ShipManager Hull, for implementation on five vessels of the Saipem fleet. It will start with Saipem 7000, one of the world’s largest crane vessels with a lifting capability of 14,000 tonnes at 42 meters. Indeed, crane vessels are exposed to high stresses during lifting, demanding particular attention to structural integrity. The frequent ballasting of the vessel increases the need for efficient monitoring of ballast tank corrosion. Saipem will be able to use a digital twin of the entire structure for optimal planning of periodic inspections and dry-dock repairs.
The world’s first all-electric e-ferry has completed its maiden voyage
The world’s largest all-electric ferry has completed its first commercial voyage between the ports of Søby and Fynshav in southern Denmark.
This revolutionary ship, e-ferry Ellen, capable of carrying approximately 30 vehicles and 200 passengers, is powered by a battery system with an unprecedented capacity of 4.3MWh provided by Leclanché SA one of the world’s leading energy storage companies. The motor system was supplied by Danfoss Editron.
Participating in this event celebrating the first scheduled ferry service between the two Danish islands were the respective mayors of the two municipalities, Ole Wej Petersen of Aerø and Erik Lauritzen of Søndeborg. E-ferry Ellen is expected to be fully operational within a few weeks. E-ferry is part of the Danish Natura project, which aims to provide environmentally friendly transport for local residents. This project was initiated in 2015 and was funded by the European Union through the Horizon 2020 and Innovation Program. Continue reading “Maiden commercial trip completed by world’s first all-electric ferry”
