Energy Platforms News

The 2023 Maritime Risk Symposium (MRS) will be held Nov. 14-16, 2023, as an in-person event, hosted by Maritime College, State University of New York (SUNY) at the Maritime Academic Center. The theme of the 14th annual event is “Managing Impacts of Supply Chain Disruptors, Renewable Energy, Emerging Technology on the Maritime Transportation System (MTS)” with a focus on offshore infrastructure risk and disruptors. Founded in 1874, Maritime College is the oldest maritime college in the United States, providing mariner training for 150 years.

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.

ROVOP, the global subsea robotics specialist, is the latest company to join the ORCA (Offshore Robotics for Certification of Assets) Hub offshore robotics, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems development program. The ORCA Hub is a consortium of five universities – Heriot-Watt University, University of Edinburgh, University of Liverpool, University of Oxford and Imperial College London – that are working together to develop highly specialized robotics and AI technologies for the inspection, repair, maintenance and certification of offshore energy platforms and assets.The partnership will see ROVOP support the research the ORCA Hub is carrying out in the subsea domain.

As part of the ongoing strategy to prepare its EnergySail and Aquarius MRE for commercial release, Eco Marine Power (EMP) unveiled further details of its automated control and monitoring systems. These will enable EMP’s technologies to integrate with existing ship-based systems. This will facilitate the seamless operation between EMP's renewable energy platforms with other equipment on ships including fuel flow meters.Three marine computer systems jointly developed with KEI System Ltd will be integrated to provide a robust…

Sparks light up the night-shift at giant shipyards on Korea’s southeast coast, as welders and fitters at some of the world’s biggest marine engineers forge next-generation container ships, oil rigs and even ice-breaking tankers in a bid to clamber out of a global industry abyss. Sunk by drastic cuts in orders from customers hit by the 2008 financial crisis, South Korea’s shipping landscape has been littered with bankruptcies and billion-dollar losses. But some, like Busan’s DSME, are adding innovation to craftsmanship to tap new demand for nimbler ships and offshore energy platforms.

Aberdeen based Kongsberg Maritime camera systems group has delivered a new large network IP CCTV system to Chantier Davie Canada for installation aboard the new Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) Auxiliary Naval Replenishment Ship, known currently as ‘Project Resolve’. Project Resolve was established to develop an interim fleet supply vessel for the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). The project purchased MS Asterix, a commercial containership, and is converting it into an Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment ship that will be chartered by the Royal Canadian Navy.

Offshore energy platforms a potential target; Israel accepting bids on 24 new exploration blocks. Israel is boosting spending on its navy to better protect offshore oil and gas deposits and secure a large maritime zone that abuts that of its neighbour and enemy, Lebanon. The navy asked in 2013 for an increase in its budget of $700 million to build up its systems and $100 million annually to maintain them, though the defence ministry declines to say how much it has since received. The increase was tied to the need to defend the oil and gas development, and the current spending comes as Israel begins accepting bids from companies that want to explore 24 offshore blocks in the eastern Mediterranean that adjoin the vast Leviathan deposit.

Danish wind farm developer DONG Energy, which analysts value as high as $13 billion, said on Thursday it plans to list its shares on the Copenhagen stock exchange this summer. Having built more than a quarter of the world's offshore wind farms, the company is a major player in Britain and Germany and has recently opened offices in the United States and Taiwan to cater for new growth markets. With a potential valuation as high as 85 billion Danish crowns (11.4 billion euros), Dong…

Automated rigid sail set to bring back wind-assisted propulsion for shipping. Onomichi, Japan – 8th April 2016 – In another important step towards bringing its rigid sail technology onto ships Eco Marine Power (EMP) has commenced work on the production of an EnergySail in Onomichi, Japan. This first ever factory produced EnergySail is being manufactured by EMP's strategic partner - Teramoto Iron Works. The EnergySail (patent pending) is an automated rigid sail device that enables ships to utilize the power of the wind to reduce fuel consumption and lower vessel emissions. It can also be fitted with flexible marine-grade solar panels or other devices and used to charge batteries or the electrical power can be fed into EMP's Aquarius MAS + Solar solution.

Originally developed to guide Allied convoys safely across the Atlantic, the use of synchronized low frequency radio signals as a navigational aid revolutionized modern maritime navigation in the 1940s. Faced with operating ships and aircraft over vast areas, researchers pioneered the use of radio signals to aid navigation in regions where poor weather conditions made traditional methods—such as dead reckoning and celestial navigation—exceptionally difficult. This system was eventually named LORAN.

Dominic Tasker has been hired as a new naval architect at Silverstream Technologies, a developer of air lubrication technology for the shipping industry. Silverstream said the move is in line with its strategy for infrastructure expansion following the company’s first commercial installation of the Silverstream System with Norwegian Cruise Lines, and the development of a significant pipeline of further orders. Tasker joins Silverstream Technologies from global maritime consultancy Brookes Bell…

The first BlueTEC Tidal Energy platform was formally named by the Mayor of Texel, the Netherlands this morning. The floating platform, which holds tidal turbines below the sea surface, will soon be positioned near the island of Texel – supplying clean electricity to the Dutch grid. This first BlueTEC will serve as a demonstration platform targeted at remote locations worldwide, such as islands in Indonesia, Philippines and the Pacific. It is also the start of further development of higher capacity tidal energy platforms, to be deployed in large farms. “We are very pleased that we have reached this exciting milestone for our first floating tidal demonstration platform,” says Bluewater’s Head of New Energy Allard van Hoeken at the naming ceremony. Mr.

SCF Group (Sovcomflot) and Sakhalin Energy Investment Company Ltd. (Sakhalin Energy) have signed a contract for the construction and long-term operation of three multifunctional icebreaking standby vessels to serve the Sakhalin-2 offshore energy platforms. The contract covers a 20 year term, during which the vessels will provide safe and reliable services for Sakhalin Energy’s platforms in the Sea of Okhotsk. The vessels will also assist with accommodation of the offshore facilities personnel. In an emergency, the vessels will help evacuate personnel from the offshore platforms and will provide oil spill response services when necessary.

Companies sign agreements for long-term operation of three vessels for the Sakhalin-2 project. SCF Group (Sovcomflot) and Sakhalin Energy Investment Company Ltd. have signed a contract for the construction and long-term operation of three multifunctional icebreaking standby vessels to serve the Sakhalin-2 offshore energy platforms. The contract covers a 20 year term, during which the vessels will provide safe and reliable services for Sakhalin Energy’s platforms in the Sea of Okhotsk. The vessels will also assist with accommodation of the offshore facilities personnel. In an emergency, the vessels will help evacuate personnel from the offshore platforms and will provide oil spill response services when necessary.

Vigor Industrial has ballooned from a modest shipyard in Portland, Oregon, to the largest shipbuilder in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Vigor increasingly thinks big and builds big. The company’s new floating dry dock will be the largest in the United States. And Vigor wants to get even bigger. CEO and owner Frank Foti expresses an ambition to grow to twice the current size in the “next few years.” Foti, who is also chairman of the Shipbuilder’s Council of America, says he is, “striving for critical mass.

FRC International launched the innovative ‘DYNAV’ dynamic navigation system for high speed craft at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden in October. The DYNAV launch event enabled attendees from Scandinavia and Europe to come together with the objective of improving seafarer safety, operational performance and interoperability on fast craft. Professional sectors organizations included Search & Rescue, Navy, Special Forces, Coast Guard, law enforcement, maritime pilots, maritime legislators, training organisation and boat builders.

FRC International is launching the innovative DYNAV (DYnamic NAVigation) system for high speed craft at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden, October 29-30. All individuals and organizations operating planing craft from SAR, navy, special forces, coast guard, law enforcement, renewables and the commercial sector are invited to attend the DYNAV launch event. This will be an excellent opportunity for international RIB & HSC professionals, boat builders, equipment manufacturers and industry to come together with the objective of improving sefarer safety on fast craft.

Global IP to introduce Ku-band maritime services to oil, gas and energy customers across the vast Indian Ocean region. Intelsat S.A., a  provider of satellite services, announced today that Spain-based Global IP, a provider of satellite communications for maritime, energy and corporate customers, has signed multi-year agreements allowing it to provide broadband service to its maritime customers in the Indian Ocean region. Global IP will use capacity on Intelsat 22 at 72° East, Intelsat 702 at 33° East, and the IntelsatOneSM terrestrial network to introduce advanced mobility services. Global IP will collocate its DVB-S2 high-throughput platform at Intelsat's teleport in Fuchsstadt, Germany, enabling access to the IntelsatOne infrastructure and Intelsat's satellite fleet.

MISChas proposed a $973m deal to merge its shipbuilding business with Ramunia Holdings, an oil services company. The merger would expand MISC’s plans to create a regional business building oil rigs to compete against neighbouring Singapore, which is the world’s largest producer of offshore energy platforms. The deal would be a reverse takeover that could allow MISC to list its Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering unit under the Ramunia name in hopes of copying the success of Keppel Corp and SembCorp Industries, Singapore’s biggest oil rig builders, which saw a sharp rise in their shares last year due to higher oil prices. However, the…

Security of the U.S. central Gulf of Mexico will be improved by the commissioning of the new 87-ft. coastal patrol boat, USCG Sturgeon, by the U.S. Coast Guard at Grand Isle, La. along with its builder, Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. Lockport, La. It will replace the 82-ft. patrol boat Point Sal that was commissioned in 1966. Sturgeon is the 36th of 50 nearly identical vessels being built by Bollinger for the Coast Guard in a contract worth more than $200 million. The Sturgeon has a 17.4 ft. beam and a 5.9 ft. draft. It is powered by two MTU diesel engines with a top speed of 25 knots and a range of 882 nautical miles. It has a crew of ten and accommodations for 11. The new shallow draft cutter equipped with state-of-the-art technology, is designed to operate up to 200 mi.

Just as the U.S. is increasingly fortifying its coastal security, Bollinger Shipyards in Lockport, La. has built, delivered and seen the commissioning of a new 87-ft. coastal patrol boat, USCG Sturgeon, for the U.S. Coast Guard at Grand Isle, La. The new boat will replace the 82-ft. patrol boat Point Sal, that was commissioned in 1966. Sturgeon is the 36th of 50 nearly identical vessels being built by Bollinger for the Coast Guard in a contract worth more than $200 million. Sturgeon has a 17.4 ft. beam and a 5.9 ft. draft. It is powered by two MTU diesel engines with a top speed of 25 knots and a range of 882 nautical miles. It has a crew of 10 and accommodations for 11. The new shallow draft cutter equipped with state-of-the-art technology, is designed to operate up to 200 mi.