Generation Technologies News

New Dual Fuel, Electric+ (DFE+) concept, developed by ABB and MAN Energy Solutions, has been recognized by DNV as a more energy efficient alternative to current conventional designs for liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers.DNV has quantified the gains that owners of LNG carriers could expect to achieve using the new DFE+ solution and found that it could help LNG carriers boost energy efficiency by up to 7.5%, therefore enabling greater emissions reduction.The number takes into account the smaller machinery space requirements with ‘a conservative estimate’ of 5% greater cargo capacity…

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has released its Offshore Wind Energy Strategy, a first of its kind, comprehensive summary of the Department’s efforts to meet President Biden’s goal to deploy 30GW of offshore wind energy by 2030.The strategy aims to set the nation on a pathway to 110GW or more by 2050.Deploying 30GW of offshore wind would provide enough power for 10 million homes, support 77,000 jobs, and spur $12 billion per year in direct private investment, says the DOE.The…

Classification society DNV has awarded approval in principle (AIP) for the ZeroCoaster ammonia fueled cargo ship, confirming an independent assessment that the ship's design is feasible and there are no obstacles to the design being commercially realized.The ZeroCoaster Consortium, led by Vard Engineering Brevik AS in partnership with ABB, Trosvik Maritime, AFC Energy, SINTEF Ocean and HK Shipping and is sponsored by the Norwegian Government, aims to design next generation coastal cargo ships to accelerate the transition to zero-emission shipping solutions.AFC Energy…

“On the 27th of July, 1850, I sailed from Baltimore in the ship Nonantum, of Boston, (Bates, master,) bound to San Francisco. In the ship's hold was stowed 1,050 tons of coal. The second morning after the commencement of the storm, smoke had been discovered between decks. The alarming truth instantly flashed upon our minds. The gas that originated from the coal had generated fire. They next proceeded to close the hatches, and caulked every seam tightly, in the hope of arresting the progress of the fire it was impossible to extinguish.” -Incidents On Land and Water…

NOAA is updating its baseline numbers used for gauging hurricane season activity using more recent storm data.Once every decade, the agency revises its set of statistics used to determine when hurricane seasons are above-, near- or below-average relative to the climate record. Beginning with this year’s hurricane season outlooks, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC) will use 1991-2020 as the new 30-year period of record. “This update allows our meteorologists to make forecasts for the hurricane season with the most relevant climate statistics taken into consideration…

A joint research and development (R&D) project initiated by a group of Japanese maritime companies aims to utilize ammonia as a marine fuel and establish methods for the mass transportation and supply of ammonia.The joint R&D agreement signed by NYK Line, Japan Marine United Corporation and Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) on August 6 will target the commercialization of an ammonia-fueled ammonia gas carrier (AFAGC) that would use ammonia as the main fuel, in addition to an ammonia…

High Speed Transfers, a UK-based offshore Crew Transfer Vessels (CTV) provider,  is expanding its fleet with a new hybrid CTV.The company has awarded a contract to Diverse Marine & Chartwell Marine Ltd to deliver the new hybrid Chartwell 24, “HST Ella”. The Crew Transfer vessel will be built locally on the Isle of Wight by the team at Diverse Marine.Chartwell Marine, the company providing the design, said the vessel would provide dedicated support for the offshore wind sector…

Incat Crowther has won the contract for a pair of hybrid catamaran crew transfer vessels, designed together with Danish offshore crew transfer company MHO-Co. Once delivered, the vessels will service an Ørsted wind farm in the North Sea.The Incat Crowther 35s will use modern electric motors to save on weight, space, and emissions for the benefit of the environment as well as fuel economy in the offshore wind industry, Incat Crowther said.The vessels will use a combination of direct drive and electric propulsion for maximum flexibility and significant redundancy, the company said.

Asahi Tanker Co., Ltd., Exeno Yamamizu Corporation, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd., and Mitsubishi Corporation today announced their agreement to create a strategic partnership to provide new infrastructure services in the marine shipping industry that focus on electrically powered vessels. Their newly established company, e5 Lab. Inc. (e5 Lab) will work to develop and promote the greater use of these relatively clean modes of marine transport.There are a number of challenges facing Japan's shipping industry (see below)…

Research and development (R&D) expenses among the world's top ten wind turbine manufacturers are expected to exceed $2.6 billion by 2023.The  R&D expenses more than doubled in the last four years, reaching $1.8m in 2018, as demand grows for ever-bigger on- and offshore models, according to the latest research from Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables.The analyst said that over 90 new onshore and offshore turbines are expected to be launched within the next five years by the top 10 leading manufacturers."Turbine OEMs have accelerated R&D investments in next-generation turbine platforms, battling against new unit sales margin compression and the market’s need to further reduce wind energy’s Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE).

MSC Cruises has ordered a fifth Meraviglia class cruise ship at STX France. Due to be delivered in 2023, the vessel will be equipped with a new generation of dual-fuel engines designed to run on liquefied natural gas (LNG).The agreement for the new Meraviglia-Plus vessel represents an additional investment of €900 million (approximately $1.06 billion).With today’s order, MSC will be adding 13 new ships through 2026.The announcement was made at a ceremony held at the Saint-Nazaire shipyard…

The CMA CGM Group, a world leader in container shipping, has signed a strategic partnership with Infosys, a world leader in consulting, next-generation technology and services. The goal of this seven-year partnership is to simplify and transform CMA CGM's IT applications and improve customer service excellence. As part of this partnership and at the request of CMA CGM, Infosys will open a center for development and innovation in Marseilles, which will become a reference center of expertise, making Marseilles a high place of expertise. Infosys will also take over the CMA CGM IT development center in Dubai, allowing it to strengthen its presence in the Middle East. Infosys will provide CMA CGM with the skills needed to maintain its applications and develop its SAP projects.

Rolls-Royce is today announcing a new senior management structure as the first step in the wide-ranging restructuring announced on 12 November 2015. The move will simplify the organisation, drive operational excellence and reduce cost; ensuring Rolls-Royce is better placed to deliver long-term profitable growth. The current divisional structure of Aerospace and Land & Sea will end, removing a layer of senior management. From 1 January 2016, Rolls-Royce will operate as five market facing businesses, with the Presidents of Civil Aerospace, Defence Aerospace, Marine, Nuclear and Power Systems reporting directly to the Chief Executive. Our Civil Aerospace business will comprise of our merged Civil Large Engines (CLE) and our Civil Small and Medium Engines (CSME) businesses.

At the Khalifa Port Container Terminal, which is operated by Abu Dhabi Terminals, container volumes increased by 41 per cent in the first seven months in 2015 over the same period in 2014. With this phenomenal growth, Abu Dhabi Port Company, the master developer, operator and manager of ports and industrial zones in the Emirate, is handling more cargo than ever before. Bolstered by rapid growth in polymer exports and transhipment activity across the Gulf, over 772,000 TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units/containers) were handled in the first seven months of 2015, up from 549,000 TEU in the same period in 2014. Abu Dhabi Terminals also…

APR Energy, a company in fast-track power solutions, announced today the signing of a mobile gas turbine contract to provide fast-track power to an industrial customer in the South Pacific. The plant will comprise mobile gas turbines producing a guaranteed 60MW and will power the customer's mining operations. APR Energy's fuel-efficient mobile turbine plant was the customer's preferred solution, meeting strict EU emissions requirements and able to fit within the challenging space constraints at the mine site. APR Energy's plant will run on diesel and offers the flexibility to seamlessly switch to natural gas if needed. The project adds to APR Energy's track record in the extractive industry sector that includes successful power projects in Mozambique, Guatemala, and Botswana.

The world’s first drive train test facility for tidal turbines and marine renewable technologies at the UK’s National Renewable Energy Centre (NAREC) is powered by a state-of-the-art ABB drive system. The $20 million facility is part of the UK’s National Renewable Energy Centre (Narec) in the north of England. Narec is a government-backed center for researching, developing and testing renewable energy and low carbon power generation technologies such as wind, solar, tidal and wave.

Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) last week introduced the “Stop Oil Spills Act,” a bill to fund research into new oil spill prevention and response technologies. Following BP CEO Tony Hayward’s admission that his company did not have a “tool-kit” to respond to a sizeable spill from a deep-water well, Markey introduced the bill to create a research program to develop 21st century oil safety and spill response technologies. “As the big oil companies have continued to push the limits to drill ultra-deep…

Dr. Michael Bruno, Dean of the Schaefer School of Engineering and Science at Stevens Institute of Technology, has been selected as Chairman of the Marine Board, under the auspices of the Transportation Research Board ( TRB ) and the National Research Council (NRC). The Marine Board identifies and responds to critical issues in the area of water transportation, port engineering and management, marine policy, offshore development and operations, naval architecture, and maritime economics.

Norfolk, VA: W R Systems, Ltd. (WRSystems), a systems engineering firm in Norfolk, Virginia, has won a nearly $2 million contract from Bath Iron Works to provide speed log systems and services for U.S. Navy ships. Based in Bath, Maine and a General Dynamics subsidiary, Bath Iron Works is a major American shipyard that manufactures vessels for the military, commercial and private sectors. The company has ordered the speed log systems for the restart of the Arleigh Burke destroyer class, which features new construction hulls.

Northrop Grumman Corporation’s Gold Team was chosen by the U.S. Navy to complete the system design for the Navy's advanced, 21st century surface combatant, DD(X). The project replaces the $25 billion DD-21 program of land-attack destroyers that was scrapped last fall. Northrop Grumman's Ship Systems sector will lead the system design, engineering prototype development and testing of the DD(X) System under a $265 million contract awarded today by the Navy. The team includes Raytheon Company (NYSE:RTN) as mission systems integrator and more than 30 of the nation's top engineering and maritime industrial companies. The initial design contract has a total value of approximately $2.9 billion over four years. "We are very pleased and proud that our DD(X) Gold Team was selected by the Navy.

CGGVeritas (ISIN: 0000120164 - NYSE: CGV) announced today it will make a voluntary exchange tender offer for 100% of the shares of Wavefield Inseis ASA ("Wavefield") (OSE: WAVE). Wavefield is a Norwegian pure-play seismic company which operates a fleet of 8 vessels and develops geophysical equipment based on fiber optic technology. In the third quarter 2008, Wavefield revenue was $110m, and operating income was $37m. The transaction strengthens CGGVeritas' fleet capability with immediate access to five recently equipped high capacity 3D vessels. The additional complement of three mid 3D and 2D Wavefield vessels increases overall fleet management flexibility.

'Wave & Tidal Energy Analysis to 2030 for US, Canada, the UK, Portugal, Australia and Republic of Korea (South Korea)' report issued. Governments are embracing marine power as they attempt to combat climate change & an increasing dependence on fossil fuel and the UK has huge potential for marine power and is considered the most attractive destination to develop marine projects in Europe. Development in the ocean energy sector could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, create direct and indirect employment, and lead to the economic development of coastal areas. It shows that the marine energy industry is in the emerging stages of development, and the UK is home to the R&D resources needed to further develop these power generation technologies.

Ernst & Young conducted a study that presents an integrated analysis of the value creation potential of wind energy. The study was commissioned by Acciona and EDP Renováveis and compares two energy technologies, Combined Cycle Gas Turbines (CCGT) and wind, to analyze the impacts of microeconomic factors such as direct costs as well as macroeconomic factors including job creation, Gross Domestic Product contribution, energy security, grid integration costs, CO2 and the impact of wind power on electricity pool prices. Wind energy has a higher impact on tax revenues than other technologies. In addition, wind energy creates a positive effect on the wholesale market by lowering the electricity spot prices which in turn, compensates for the premium tariff received.