Gas Systems News

AD Ports Group in collaboration with KazMorTransFlot (KMTF), the national shipping company of Kazakhstan, has announced the acquisition and commencement of operations of two tankers designed for the transportation of Kazakhstan's oil across the Caspian Sea.The two oil tankers were named Liwa and Taraz - after ancient cities in the UAE and Kazakhstan, respectively, and have been acquired under AD Ports Group’s joint venture with KMTF - Caspian Integrated Maritime Solutions (CIMS).The two vessels represent a combined investment of USD35 million…

Alfa Laval announced it has completed its acquisition of Marine Performance Systems B.V. (MPS), a Rotterdam-based maritime technology company that has developed a fluidic air lubrication system enabling reduced fuel burn and emissions..Having acquired a minority stake in MPS in 2021, Alfa Laval has now taken the final step to fully integrate the company under its own brand. The acquisition will accelerate the advancement and introduction of the patented fluidic air lubrication system…

Alfa Laval signed an agreement to acquire marine tank cleaning equipment supplier Scanjet.Scanjet has expanded from fixed and portable tank cleaning equipment into intelligent tank management, and its solutions and organization will become part of Alfa Laval per an agreement signed on 16 June 2022.“Scanjet is a tank cleaning innovator with exciting developments in the pipeline,” says Alfa Laval’s Peter Nielsen, President of Marine Separation & Heat Transfer, whose business unit will receive the acquisition.

A containerized liquefied natural gas (LNG) solution jointly developed by Marine Service GmbH and Newport Shipping has received approval in principle (AIP) from classification society Bureau Veritas (BV).The 40' ISO LNG Fuel Tank Container System is suitable for LNG-fueled newbuildings and retrofits of container vessels.The LNG fuel tank container is a class approved Type C LNG fuel tank in accordance with the IGF-code and is based on German TÜV certified IMDG Container. The capacity of the tank is 31 gross tonnes and about 33m3 of LNG.

A significant number of existing and newbuild vessels are operating systems and machinery containing asbestos despite regulations introduced 10 years prohibiting the use of the hazardous substance on board, according to maritime testing facility Maritec.Maritec, which carried out asbestos surveys for IMO compliance between 2011 and 2020, said more than 55% of in-service vessels and 50% of all newbuilds were found to contain asbestos materials.John Rendi, General Manager, Environmental Services…

Finnish technology group Wärtsilä said it has signed a strategic partnership agreement with SAACKE, the Germany-based supplier of marine firing plants for seagoing vessels, offshore plants and liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers.A central feature of the agreement is a cooperation regarding safety, in particular with Inert Gas Systems (IGS) and Gas Combustion Units (GCU), Wärtsilä  said, adding that the deal will enable both partners to offer larger and more comprehensive scopes of supply…

Centerline Logistics acquired Saltchuk Marine Services’ California ship refueling business, currently operated by subsidiary Foss Maritime Company. According to a press release from Centerline, this "major acquisition" brings together the combined capabilities of two of the nation’s leaders in petroleum transportation, strengthening Centerline’s position as a provider of around the clock bunkering (ship refueling) services.Through this expansion, Centerline will "substantially…

MAN Energy Solutions said that its marine LNG fuel-gas-system manufacturer MAN Cryo has been contracted to supply an LNG fuel-gas supply system for Norwegian shipowner, Egil Ulvan Rederi newbuild.According to MAN,  the LNG fuel-gas system will be supplied for a ‘multipurpose palletized cargo and refrigerated vessel, also known as a LoLo (Lift-on/Lift-off).The vessel is designed by Førde, Norway designer, Multi Maritime, that already counts a number of LNG-powered vessels in its portfolio. The MM85CC design will be built at Tersan Shipyard in Turkey.Tersan has, over the years, also built quite a number of LNG-powered vessels and this will be the sixth such vessel since 2016 that it will outfit with a marine fuel-gas system delivered by MAN Cryo.

Anders Lindmark, formerly Head of Alfa Laval PureBallast, has transitioned from ballast water treatment into another compliance application. As Business Unit President, Gas Systems, he now oversees the Alfa Laval PureSOx offering in exhaust gas cleaning.On May 1, Anders Lindmark stepped into his new role as Business Unit President, Gas Systems. The move follows years of service in ballast water treatment, comprising a number of key milestones for Alfa Laval PureBallast 3. Besides cementing itself as the leading ballast water treatment solution, the system became a forerunner with U.S.

Martijn Bergink has taken over as CEO of pumping systems manufacturer Framo.Former Framo CEO Sameer Kalra has officially handed Bergink responsibility for the business as Kalra becomes the new head of the Alfa Laval Marine Division and a member of the Alfa Laval Group management.As CEO of Framo and President of Business Unit Pumping Systems, Bergink will be based out of Bergen. He is educated chemical engineer and holds an McS degree in Chemistry. He began working for Alfa Laval in the Netherlands in 1998 and most recently held the position of President of Business Unit Boiler and Gas Systems.

An Alfa Laval Smit Combustion system (FU type) is now installed at the Alfa Laval Test & Training Center in Aalborg, Denmark. The system, which adds inert gas production to the center’s already comprehensive range of full-scale vessel applications, will ensure that Alfa Laval remains at the forefront of developing and optimizing inert gas systems.Inaugurated in 2014, the Alfa Laval Test & Training Center is essentially a full-sized machine room on land, with equipment from all of Alfa Laval’s marine product groups installed in process lines as they would be on a commercial vessel.

Babcock International is celebrating the completion of its ‘first of its kind’ and the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunker supply vessel, M.V. Kairos, as it is delivered to Babcock Schulte Energy (BSE).BSE is a 50:50 joint venture between Babcock and Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM)."This achievement follows the success in meeting a series of critical programme milestones after initial ship award in December 2016 and highlights the strength of the relationship between the two organisations," said a press release from the UK-based company.A major point in any shipbuilding project, the first cut of steel was completed in November 2017 at the Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in South Korea.

A Shanghai, China Celebration for MAN's newest solution for Tier III Compliance. The first order has already been won.ETB (Electrical Turbo Blower) raises exhaust-gas pressure to overcome the pressure difference between exhaust gas and scavenging air receiver by actively controlling the exhaust gas flow; strategic step to bring development in-house; design focuses on cost-optimisation and compactnessMAN Energy Solutions has launched its new EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) electrical…

A primer on the way forward for alternative fuels for marine propulsion. By now, many of us have been passed by a garbage truck, taken a ride on an airport bus or hailed a taxi cab that is clearly labeled by their respective marketing departments that these vehicles are powered by clean burning natural gas. Even now in our own maritime industry, some trendy operators are looking to make the case for liquefied natural gas (LNG) propulsion systems, others are opting for hybrid-electric solutions, and some are even aiming for full electric configurations.

Shuttle tankers are an alternative to subsea pipelines. Typically for large water depths. For harsh weather operation the use of shuttle tankers is a necessity. DNV GL has incorporated the latest findings related to their design, operation and safety in an updated shuttle tanker paper. Shuttle tankers transport crude oil from offshore oil fields to terminals where use of subsea pipelines are not feasible. Major deployment areas include the North Sea and the Brazilian offshore fields. The global fleet has been growing steadily for decades, comprising 88 ships by the end of 2016. Two owners, Teekay Corporation and Knutsen NYK, account for 62 per cent of the fleet, and 64 per cent of all shuttle tankers are DNV GL-classed.

The fatal explosion in the pump room on the Brazilian FPSO Cidade de São Mateus in February 2015, demonstrated the potential for major accidents on this type of unit. Although there has never been an explosion in the oil storage tanks of an FPSO, there is a potential for such an event and offshore operators should assess the risks of such events to design against them. It is therefore imperative that risk assessments of FPSOs address this type of event. For this, they need to estimate its annual likelihood of occurring.

Heat transfer, separation and fluid handling technology specialist, Alfa Laval, has expanded its Test & Training Center in Aalborg, Denmark with a new gas testing facility. At the same time it continues developing new technologies in the areas of ballast water treatment, sulfur oxide emission control, touchscreen boiler control, fuel efficiency automation for inert-gas systems and methanol booster systems. Alfa Laval, a global provider of specialized products and engineering solutions based on the key technologies of heat transfer…

The first ships to be classed with Lloyd’s Register’s cyber notations have been delivered to Global United in Korea. Built by Hanjin Heavy Industries, in collaboration with Alpha Ori Technology, the ships have been awarded the notation Cyber (AL-SAFE) certifying the autonomous systems onboard as safe. This is the first real example of the digital transformation in shipping – the ships will operate in an autonomous mode for selected functions using cutting edge digital technology. The new cyber-enabled features allow crew to operate ships more efficiently. This is also the first example of a ship certified to stream data into a big data platform.

The story of how that incident served as a catalyst for positive change is told in a new exhibition which was launched on Monday (16 January) at the headquarters of the IMO, the United Nations agency with responsibility for the safety and security of international shipping and the prevention of pollution from ships. A series of panels chart the collaborative work which has resulted today in a comprehensive regulatory framework, a demonstrably improved shipping industry, good systems of preparedness and response and adequate compensation for those affected by spills. Demand for oil remains strong and shipping remains the most effective means of meeting that demand.

The Oil Companies International Marine Forum’s (OCIMF) latest information paper, released on March 13, addresses the use of inert gas for the carriage of flammable oil cargoes. In the paper, titled Inert Gas Systems: the use of inert gas for the carriage of flammable oil cargoes, OCIMF fully supports the IMO introduction (from January 1, 2016) of the mandatory fitting to new build tankers 8,000 DWT and over, of an inert gas system when carrying flammable cargoes. “The safety benefits of inert gas in cargo tanks are well recognized throughout the tanker industry…

The Alfa Laval Automatic Fuel Efficiency Module (AFEM) is a new modification for reducing the fuel consumption of Alfa Laval Smit Combustion inert gas systems. It does so by ensuring the inert gas that keeps cargo safe during offloading is only generated in the exact amounts required. In a two-year pilot project, the AFEM allowed Italian shipping company Navigazione Montanari S.p.A. to achieve an average fuel savings of 30 percent. Based in Fano on the Adriatic Sea, Navigazione Montanari owns and manages a fleet of 21 tankers.

The DNV GL-led joint industry project, WIN WIN (WINd powered Water INjection), has completed its first phase and determined that wind power could be used to power offshore water injection. The project is currently moving into its second phase, which includes refining and testing the electrical systems, and investigating possibilities for broader applications. The project consists of four partners: DNV GL, ExxonMobil and ENI Norge – all part of the first phase – and the Norwegian Research Council – a new participant for this second phase.

MAN Cryo, MAN Diesel & Turbo’s marine-LNG fuel-gas-system manufacturer, has signed a contract with the Vard Shipyard Group in Norway to deliver a fuel-gas supply system (FGSS) to two ferries for shipowner and ferry operator Torghatten Nord. Each ferry will be equipped with a gas-electric, hybrid-propulsion system that features optional fast-charging from shore. Major efforts have been put into the design to deliver an energy-efficient propulsion and hull shape that offer a state-of-the-art environmental performance, comfort and reliability.