Blyth News

UK-based marine electrical engineering company MJR Power and Automation on Tuesday announced the successful harbor trials of its platform-mounted automated offshore power and charging system.The offshore power and charging system is designed to convert energy delivered directly from the offshore wind farm, and enable all heavy hybrid and electric crew transfer vessels and other offshore support vessels to connect and get powered by electricity generated directly by offshore wind…

Whether we realize it or not, robotics and robotics systems are starting to impact our daily lives. From warehouse picking systems through to high-end medical devices through to your mowbot lawnmower. Each tends to be specialized to its own task and a similar trend is now starting to play out in the offshore wind space, where it’s hoped that robots can make operations safer and more efficient.According to a report, The Economic Opportunity for Robotics in Offshore Wind and Key Energy Markets by the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult (ORE Catapult)…

Global Offshore, a provider of cable installation, repair and trenching services to the offshore renewables, utilities and oil and gas markets and part of the Global Marine Group, is adding offshore installation and construction vessel Normand Clipper to its fleet. The vessel, on long-term charter from Solstad Offshore, will be operational within the first quarter of this year.The charter gives Global Offshore options for up to eight years.The Normand Clipper is currently being fitted with a 4…

Port of Blyth, one of the UK’s leading offshore energy support hubs, and its partner, Energy Central, has supported the announcement from the UK Government of a 10-week consultation on its ‘freeports vision’.The Port of Blyth and businesses working on the estuary could benefit from the establishment of UK Freeports and recognizes the potential benefits of a free trade zone could bring to the region, particularly given the development of Energy Central in Blyth.Designed to create the perfect environment for inward investment from the offshore and renewable energy sector, Energy Central is a unique partnership between the Port, Northumberland County Council…

UK's East coast port , Port of Blyth, said that it is installing a bespoke wind turbine training facility at its Bates terminal as part of a GBP1mln investment in training provision aimed at the offshore energy sector. This is a first for the UK wind industry.With the rapid growth of renewable energy providing the North East with major inward investment opportunities, the skills gap that currently exists in the sector is a key barrier to growth.This investment has enabled the Port of Blyth, through its award winning training arm Port Training Services, to purchase, modify and install a Vestas V47 turbine, develop a dedicated training…

A consortium of five universities, including Heriot-Watt University, working with 35 industrial and innovation partners, has unveiled the latest results from its research collaboration.The largest academic center in the world for research into robotics technology for offshore energy infrastructure, the ORCA Hub’s aim is to advance robotics and Artificial Intelligence technologies for the inspection, repair, maintenance and certification of offshore energy platforms and assets.Creating solutions to some of the most challenging, hard to reach and hazardous real-world problems in the energy sector, ORCA Hub was launched in October 2017.

The world’s longest offshore wind turbine blade has arrived in Northumberland, UK to be tested at the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult site.The 107-metre blade will be used on the most powerful wind turbine in commercial development – the 12MW Haliade-X from GE Renewable Energy.The blade will undergo a full range of advanced testing procedures, demonstrating its ability to withstand peak wind conditions and simulating its readiness for years of operation at sea. Three other 107 metre blades will soon be shipped to a prototype site in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.Shipping and testing the first components of the Haliade-X 12 MW keeps GE Renewable Energy on track to commercialise the technology in 2021.

Associated British Ports (ABP)' Humber Estuary Services (HES) has has purchased a new survey vessel, Humber Surveyor, which joined the survey fleet that includes the Humber Sounder and the Humber Charter. According to a press release from ABP, Humber Surveyor is equipped with survey technology including a multi-beam sonar, two single beam sonars, side scan and forward scan sonar."The kit is capable of three dimensionally mapping the ever-shifting sediment within the Humber Estuary. The vessel is also able to digitally model marine structures such as quaysides, buildings, bridges and even shorelines utilising a laser scanner mounted to the roof…

Blyth Catamarans has handed over its largest vessel to date, an 18m survey vessel for the UK’s Swansea University, a project that has been in the making for nearly 14 months.‘Mary Anning’ features a large A frame, dive lift and survey station for Swansea University. And it boasts hard-wearing DuroWipers pantographs, synonymous with the new Shannon class lifeboat builds.Among some of the other advanced specs onboard Mary Anning are two trawl winches, a moon pool with multi-beam deployment…

As the global fleet of offshore renewables fleet increases, ways to reduce the cost and increase the efficiency and safety of operations and maintenance work, using robotics and autonomous systems, will also grow. Elaine Maslin reports.Robotics and autonomous systems are moving into many areas of modern day life. It’s becoming harder to avoid them, from our phones to automotive systems and now offshore energy renewable projects.Both are seen as tools to do otherwise dull, dirty or dangerous work…

U.S. conglomerate General Electric will test the world's largest wind turbine in a facility in northeast England, it said on Tuesday. GE Renewable Energy, the renewable arm of the U.S. firm, and the British government-funded Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult signed a five-year agreement to test GE's Haliade-X 12 megawatt (MW) turbine in Blyth, Northumberland. "This is an important agreement because it will enable us to prove Haliade-X in a faster way by putting it under controlled and extreme conditions," John Lavelle, president & CEO of GE's Offshore Wind business said in a statement. Britain is aiming to be a leader in offshore wind technology and its capacity could grow by five times current levels to 30 gigawatts by 2030…

GAC UK and Forth Logistics Marine Services (FLMS) have formed a partnership to provide mooring and related terminal services around the UK. Formed on the back of a long term contract in the River Forth with an oil major to be announced later in the year, the pairing combines FLMS’s years of marine experience with GAC’s expertise and reputation for integrity as the leading ship agent in the UK and in the River Forth. According to GAC UK MD Herman Jorgensen, the winning combination will provide “safe, strong operations with unrivalled 24/7 customer focus”. The fleet of six line handling vessels includes two new Alnmaritec Wave Handler vessels currently being built at the company’s Port of Blyth yard. Three more vessels are en route from Qatar a sixth is coming from Australia this autumn.

An export win by Blyth Workcats and UK Export Finance, made possible by the government’s export finance support. The project – to supply a purpose built catamaran for a German University research program – went ahead thanks to the support of UK Export Finance, the UK’s export credit agency. It stepped in to share some of the financing risk with Blyth’s bank, enabling the export to go ahead, where it otherwise would not. Blyth Workcats, which produces catamarans for the UK and in a growing number of overseas markets, won the contract in December 2015. The additional finance was required due to the German buyer’s requirement for an advance payment bond, which can be a common challenge for exporters.

Terex Port Solutions (TPS) delivered a Terex Liftace 5-31 reach stacker to the north-east England based terminal, Port of Blyth, UK. The machine became operational at the south harbour of the North Sea port in December 2015. The cost effective, service friendly and ergonomic reach stacker will operate the twice weekly container service and stack yard. The machine will also be used for client port training purposes. With a wheelbase of 6,200 mm, the Terex Liftace 5-31 reach stacker offers a maximum load capacity of 45 t in the first container row and 31 t in the second container row. It features travel speeds up to 25 km/h and a maximum lifting speed of 0.45 m/s. The engine of the Liftace 5-31 reach stacker conforms to the EU Stage IV (EPA Tier 4 final) emission standard.

Defense minister Philip Dunne has visited Liverpool City Region U.K. based ship engine specialist James Troop & Co Thursday to review progress of a £2 million deal to replace the generator sets on seven Royal Navy Mine Hunters. Dunne, the Minister of State for Defense Procurement at the Ministry, met with staff across James Troop, one of the shipping industry’s most established companies. Dunne heard how James Troop is finishing the first phase of the contract to supply Volvo Penta engines and generators for the Royal Navy’s Sandown-class Mine Hunters: HMS Bangor…

A Blyth Workcat patrol boat nearing completion for the Kent and Essex Inshore Fisheries Conservation Area (KEIFCA) has become the first vessel in the UK to be treated with Duplex fouling release. The silicone coating is manufactured by Fuji Smart Surfaces and was chosen by KEIFCA for its new 17-metre boat, the FPV Nerissa, because it is able to prevent the adhesion of fouling without the use of toxins that would be harmful to the fisheries. It also provides the benefit of a long lifespan that eliminates the need for the boat to be regularly hoisted-out for fresh coats of antifouling to be applied. This saving in operational costs will…

At the Seawork International Exhibition in Southampton, Blyth Workcats Ltd announced that Associated British Ports (ABP) has awarded it the contract for a new 14-metre survey vessel to be built at the company’s yard on Canvey Island, Essex, UK. The new boat will be based on one of Blyth Workcats’ established survey craft models but built to a bespoke design detailed to meet the specific requirements of ABP’s hydrographic surveyors. The vessel will be based in Hull and used for survey operations throughout the Rivers Humber, Ouse and Trent, covering the ports of Hull, Goole, Grimsby and Immingham. ABP’s four Humber ports together handle more than 65 million tonnes of cargo annually.

The design evolution of Blyth Workcats will be on display at Seawork on Stand B27 where the company will be showing examples from its versatile range. Well known for their robust seaworthiness and economical performance, workboats from this well-established Essex yard are able to perform tasks that range from fisheries patrol, wind farm support, surveying, dive support, passenger ferry, fishing charter and general harbour maintenance activities. With a range consisting of 10, 11, 12, 14, 18 and 20-metre catamarans all Blyth Workcats are constructed from GRP to offer important advantages over metal-hulled boats including lower running costs and a much lower purchase price.

The first two-deck boat ever built by Blyth Workcats has recently been delivered to a customer in Belgium. The 18-meter Aqualink is the first Blyth Workcat to feature a high bridge and it has now entered service with Ostend Marine Services for which it has been designed to undertake a wide range marine operations. These include work as a charter survey vessel while also being equipped with an Ocean 3 bow fender and wide foredeck that enable it to undertake crew transfer and cargo delivery to offshore wind farms.

Blyth Workcats of Canvey Island, U.K. has delivered a new 11-meter dive boat to the Mevagh Dive Center in County Donegal on the west coast of Ireland. The new boat has now begun work transporting groups of up to 12 divers to sites along the Atlantic coast of Ireland where numerous wrecks make it an interesting but challenging region for recreational divers. The Laura Dean is powered by two Iveco N67 420 hp engines and features a hull design developed for optimal performance while…

Kongsberg Maritime says it has introduced a series of new on-water training courses for offshore surveyors and survey engineers following the launch of its own chartered vessel, 'True North'. The vessel will enable Kongsberg Maritime Ltd to introduce a practical element to the courses already offered at its training centre in Westhill, Aberdeen, on the company's products for the offshore survey industry. True North, which works out of Stonehaven just a few miles from the training centre, will initially support courses on the HiPAP (High Precision Acoustic Positioning) system. The vessel, which has been customised to Kongsberg Maritime's specifications, will enable attendees to put into practice what they have learned in the classroom.

The operator of a coaster ship which grounded in an environmentally sensitive area off the Northumberland coast has been ordered to pay nearly £73,000 in fines and costs after its crew failed to keep a proper lookout. On the evening of March 15, 2013, the MV Danio left Perth, in Scotland, with a cargo of logs, destined for Ghent, in Belgium. The Master was on watch until around midnight when he handed over to the Chief Officer, who had contracted an eye infection after handling a previous ‘dusty’ cargo.

The Kent and Essex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (KEIFCA) placed a contract for a 17-meter GRP Blyth Workcat for use when monitoring fishing activities around the Kent and Essex coasts. The new boat is being built to meet the exact requirements of KEIFCA which has specified a durable craft capable of operating in extreme offshore conditions while undertaking a wide range of tasks relating to the monitoring of fish stocks and the supervision of fishing activities.