Canadian Coast Guard Awards Contract for Icebreaker Life Extension
Canada's Minister of Public Services and Procurement, Jean-Yves Duclos, on behalf of the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, Diane Lebouthillier, announced a contract award following a competitive process, valued at approximately $44 million (including taxes) to Ocean Industries Inc. for the vessel life extension of the CCGS Griffon.Scheduled to take place from June 2025 to October 2026, the vessel life extension work entails refurbishing and repairing the main propulsion motorsâŠ
Volvo Penta Unveils Its IPS Professional Platform
Volvo Penta has unveiled IPS Professional Platform, its new propulsion offering for superyachts and commercial marine vessels, slated for commercial availability from 2025.Volvo Penta said the new fully integrated helm-to-propeller solution builds on its proven Inboard Performance System (IPS) and Electronic Vessel Control (EVC) technology with enhancements for larger vessels.The flexible platform enables a vessel to have up to eight power sources, and includes matched software, services and support, all integrated via the companyâs proprietary EVC technology.
Marine Insurance Market is âStrength and Stability in Turbulent Seasâ
Opening this weekâs International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) annual conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, President Frédéric Denèfle explained the conference theme of âstrength and stability in turbulent seasâ saying it is essentially âbusiness as usualâ for marine underwriters.âAs marine underwriters, we are used to managing an array of casualties and losses onboard a variety of vessels and in ports and other shoreside facilities. Dealing with the fall-out from natural catastrophes such as earthquakes and weather events are also workaday issues.
Interview: Mike Complita, Elliott Bay Design Group
Mike Complita is going on 30 years in the maritime industry. Complita started work at Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) as an intern while attending the University of Washington in his hometown, Seattle. âAnd since that time, I've served in pretty much every role, from a technical and project management standpoint, all the way up to principal of our organization,â he said. Today, as Principal in Charge and VP of Strategic Expansion, Complita works alongside EBDGâs other principals to help guide the firmâs project managersâŠ
GEFO's Hybrid Chemical Tanker Enters Service
GEFO Shipping Group earlier this year put into service its newbuild diesel-electric hybrid inland tanker Canaletto.Shift Clean Energy, working in partnership with Gebhard Electro and Werkina Werkendam, fit the ship with 157.5 kWh of Shiftâs energy storage system, significantly reducing emissions and improving performance. Shiftâs ESS will primarily be used for peak shaving and optimizing the power managementâs capability to use the variable speed generators feeding the DC grid.
ABB's Whale's Tail-inspired Propulsion Concept Aims to Cut Marine Industry's Fuel Consumption, Emissions
ABB on Wednesday introduced what it said was a concept representing "revolutionary propulsion system breaking new ground for efficiency in the marine industry, inspired by the dynamic motions of a whaleâs tail." The innovative concept is called ABB Dynafin.The new propulsion concept features a main electric motor that powers a large wheel rotating at a moderate 30-80 rounds per minute. Vertical blades, each controlled by an individual motor and control system, extend from the wheel.
Take a Hyke: Swarm Tech for Ferries
Apps, big data, tech, software and cutting-edge innovation were hallmarks at last yearâs Sea Tech conference in Brest, France. During one session, for example, on electronic charting, the speakers made reference to âdata as fuel.â For vessel operations, data was called a resource just like diesel or LNG or lithium batteries. The reference was usually to big data, i.e., almost boundless information flowing like a gusher from a firehose, the new force driving applications to set routingâŠ
Take a Hyke: Swarm Tech for Ferries
Apps, big data, tech, software and cutting-edge innovation were hallmarks at last yearâs Sea Tech conference in Brest, France. During one session, for example, on electronic charting, the speakers made reference to âdata as fuel.â For vessel operations, data was called a resource just like diesel or LNG or lithium batteries. The reference was usually to big data, i.e., almost boundless information flowing like a gusher from a firehose, the new force driving applications to set routingâŠ
Firefighting at Sea â Towards a Safe Ship Concept
The most important of all international maritime safety conventions is the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). The first version was adopted at a conference in London in 1914. The catalyst for this conference was the sinking of the Titanic on her first voyage in April 1912, which cost the lives of more than 1,500 passengers. This was the beginning of the journey that put in place a regulatory framework to protect those who work and travel by sea.Whilst the sinking of the Titanic was not fire-relatedâŠ
Hurtigruten Norway Upgrades Its First Ship to Battery-hybrid Power
Hurtigruten Norway announced it has launched its first environmentally-upgraded battery-hybrid powered ship as part of a âŹ100 million seven vessel refit program aimed at significantly reducing both CO2 and NOx emissions.MS Richard With has gone through extensive upgrades, having been retrofitted with two large battery packs (1,120kWh each) and new, more efficient Norwegian-made engines and new propulsion systems at Myklebust Yard in northwestern Norway. The vessel also received new switchboards and power management systemsâŠ
Tech File: Battery-buffered Diesel-electric Hybrid Drive Proves Value on German FiFi Boats
Hamburg Fire Fighting Vessels Dresden and Prag sport diesel-electric hybrid propulsion and battery systems from EST-Floattech.After the first 100 days of operation, operator Flotte Hamburg is reports it is satisfied with the two new firefighting ships Dresden and Prague: "Due to the full approval for the use of the EST battery system 'Green Orca 1050' on inland waterway vessels, which was already available at the start of the project, the first hybrid ships of the Hamburg fleetâŠ
U.S. Navy: Constellation-class Brings Frigates Back to the U.S. Fleet
Introducing a new class of warship can be fraught with pain, and the first ship is always the hardest â almost always behind schedule and over budget. And trying something new and transformational is even harder.The U.S. Navy knows this from experience. Thatâs one reason why the Navy is opting for a lower risk design for its next class of guided missile frigates (FFGs).Just about every new class has experienced a rough start. Although the USS Arleigh Burke-class of guided missile destroyers (DDGs) today represent the largest and most successful class of warshipsâŠ
Driving Decarbonization in the Workboat Sector
Unique collaboration on green fuels, new propulsion technology and hull-form optimization in the workboat sector will lay the foundation for global emissions reduction efforts.The workboat sector, comprising one of the strongest categories of the UKâs Ship Register and including many Small to Medium size Enterprises (SMEs), is leading the charge in developing innovative technologies that will ultimately reduce emissions throughout the wider maritime industry. This is according to the Workboat Association (WA)âŠ
Ship Repair: Inside the $60m Refit of RV Roger Revelle
This month MR dives inside the $60 million refit of RV Roger Revelle, a project which leverages a treasure trove of âlessons learnedâ from recent refits in the academic research vessel fleet and highlights the value of slimming the vendor list.Research vessel (R/V) Roger Revelle is back at work after a midlife refit involving upgrades from top to bottom, bow to stern. The ship is owned by the Office of Naval Research and has been operated by Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego since 1996. It is one of the largest ships in the U.S.
Methanol-operated Fuel Cell System Gets DNV GL AIP
A methanol-operated fuel cell system from Freudenberg Sealing Technologies has received approval in principle (AIP) from classification society DNV GL, setting the course for further testing aboard the cruise ship AidaNova as soon as 2021.Converting the approximately 100,000 commercial ships on the worldâs oceans to CO2-neutral propulsion systems is one of the maritime industry's greatest challenges. Since a large part of this fleet is operated on the high seas, the range of any new propulsion systems must be able to cover vast distances.
Stealthy Submarine Concept Unveiled
Naval Group has unveiled its new SMX 31 E submarine concept, integrating the latest digital technologies for reinforced operational efficiency and improved versatility. Stealthier thanks to her biomimetic covering, the ship also benefits from an unmatched electrical energy storage capacity and a new propulsion concept.The new sub is designed to deliver upon Naval Group's long-term vision. The French-based company said its naval architects considered operational needs expressedâŠ
ST Engineering Halter Marine and Offshore Upgrades 'Signet Warhorse II' Propulsion
Mississippi-based ST Engineering Halter Marine and Offshore has recently won a contract to retrofit new propulsion and maneuvering systems on an ocean towing tug, Signet Warhorse II, for Signet Maritime Corporation.The scope of work included removing existing shafts and fixed-pitched propellers to be replaced with Controllable Pitch Propellers consisting of shaft bearings and shafts. Auxiliary components including the oil distribution box and feedback unit were integrated into the machinery space.The existing bow tunnel thruster was replaced with a retractable azimuth thruster.
Vendors Sought to Inform Electric Ferry Design
Skagit County Public Works and vessel designer Glosten say they are seeking technical information and cost estimates from vendors to inform design decisions related to the electrical system, the propulsion system, the shore side electrical system, and the automated charging plug of the all-electric ferry design to replace the 41-year-old M/V Guemes currently in operation on the U.S. West Coast.âThis is relatively new propulsion technology â we need to make sure we get this right.
An Ever-vigilant Focus on Passenger Vessel Safety
When I came into office as the Passenger Vessel Associationâs President for 2019 last January, I announced two strategic goals for our industry: to enhance safety and foster the professional growth of our next generation of leaders. I am proud to announce we have undertaken major initiatives and made progress on each. These goals match my lifelong professional commitment to safety as well as aligning with PVAâs true north: a responsibility to be ever vigilant and proactive in addressing safety.I have been a longtime member of PVA and served in its leadership for years.
Ship Design: Evolving for Efficiency, Compliance
The evolution of marine design is increasingly influenced by three drivers: New three-dimensional design tools, the increasing complexity of power systems, and new access to high-latitude shipping routes. While new digital design tools are a natural progression of the current Information Age, new propulsion energy requirements and Polar shipping routes are reactions to the legacy of the ebbing Industrial Age. Three-Dimensional Design WorkflowsA young naval architect recently statedâŠ
UN Hails Shipping Progress on Environment
In a cautious yet upbeat message at the close of the Climate Action Summit in New York, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres praised the progress made by shipping in the race against the climate crisis, describing it as a "huge step up".He referred to efforts being made by key players in the maritime industry to chart a course for carbon neutrality by 2050 in order to implement International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s initial greenhouse gas reduction strategy. The strategy, adopted in 2018, is driving activities to reduce emissions throughout the sector.The initial IMO strategy envisages a reduction of CO2 emissions per unit of transport workâŠ
SMM 2020 Publishes Maritime Industry Report
âDriving the maritime transitionâ: In times of the global climate debate and the digital transformation, SMM 2020 will once again be the focal point for decision-makers in the maritime industry.Topics that are currently high on the industry's agenda are highlighted in the new issue of the SMM Maritime Industry Report: Shipping, shipbuilding and supplier companies are especially interested in alternative propulsion technologies and attractive niche markets.The year 2020 marks a major turning point in international shipping: On January 1âŠ
ABB to Modernize Ferry with Hybrid Conversion
ABB will convert the 1965-built ferry San Cristoforo for hybrid operation by fitting it with an electric power and propulsion system, helping reduce emissions and increase overall energy efficiencyThe conversion of San Cristoforo, a 386-tonne passenger and car ferry sailing in Lake Maggiore in Italy, will see an installation of a complete power and propulsion system that will enable the vesselâs operation in hybrid and zero-emission modes. The turnkey modernization utilizes ABBâs solutions including batteries and energy storage control system.The ferryâŠ