Important Systems News

New research led by the National Oceanography Center (NOC) has discovered how fast-moving waterfalls under the sea control the shape and behavior of submarine channels. These underwater channels are the offshore equivalents of rivers, but can be much larger. Submarine channels can extend for tens to thousands of kilometers offshore, providing an important conduit for the transfer of sediment, nutrients and pollutants, such as microplastics, to the deep-sea. Avalanches of sediment…

The Canadian city of Montreal numbers among North America’s most important hubs for maritime cargo. Hapag-Lloyd’s ships help keep the waterways ice-free in winter. Vessels sailing through the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and along the Saint Lawrence River can get deep into the North American continent. The stretch leading to Montreal measures nearly 700 nautical miles and usually takes a container ship about 44 hours to complete. During the often harsh winters, ice, freezing sea spray and low temperatures severely test ships and their crews. Of course, icebreakers keep the waterways free year-round.

Alewijnse Marine Systems has been awarded the contract for the full electrical refit of the 114 metre diving support vessel Seawell, owned by Helix Energy Solutions Group. The Seawell is currently in the North Sea and is expected at the Damen Shiprepair Yard in Vlissingen at mid December 2014 for a planned long term life extension. Alewijnse will spend four months on site, with the work due to start next month. The 114m vessel first entered service in 1987 and is widely credited with pioneering subsea light well intervention in the North Sea. She also operates as a saturation diving vessel.

Systems integrator Alewijnse Marine Systems has been awarded the contract for the full electrical refit of the seismic vessel Polarcus Naila. The ultra-modern, 12 streamer 3D/4D seismic vessel will arrive in February 2014 at the Damen-owned yard Shipdock Amsterdam for a refit scheduled to last 35 days. The refit involves the replacement of the current thrusters. The ship repair and conversion yard Shipdock in Amsterdam has subcontracted the electrical repairs and modifications to Alewijnse Marine Systems…

Thales U.K. signed a 10-year contract with the Ministry of Defense (MOD), worth up to £600 million, for the in-service support of the Royal Navy’s major sensor systems. The new Sensors Support Optimization Project (SSOP) builds on the Thales’s Contractor Logistics Support contract, originally signed in 2003, which has provided support to the Royal Navy’s sonar and electronic warfare systems for the past 10 years. Under the terms of SSOP, the in-service support contract has been extended to include all of the Royal Navy’s submarine visual systems…

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) signed an arrangement with the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) during the International Maritime Defense Exhibition and Conference (IMDEX) in Singapore. Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Ray Griggs, who signed the agreement with his Singaporean counterpart Rear Admiral Ng Chee Peng, said the Submarine Rescue Support and Cooperation Arrangement was developed between the RAN and RSN to enhance submarine rescue system availability between both navies. “Having…

Alewijnse Marine Systems completed the electrical conversion of the jack-up rig Atlantic Amsterdam. The Atlantic Amsterdam has spent the last nine months at Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen being converted from a drilling rig to offshore hotel accommodation by Nordica Offshore Pte, Ltd. Alewijnse was responsible for the supply, installation, integration and commissioning of a number of critical electrical systems. The Atlantic Amsterdam, formerly called Shelf Explorer, is owned by Atlantic Amsterdam Pte. Ltd. of Singapore, a subsidiary of Ezion Holdings Ltd.

Alewijnse Marine Systems has successfully completed the electrical conversion of the jack-up rig 'Atlantic Amsterdam'. The Atlantic Amsterdam has spent the last nine months at Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen being converted from a drilling rig to offshore hotel accommodation by Nordica Offshore Pte, Ltd. Alewijnse was responsible for the supply, installation, integration and commissioning of a number of critical electrical systems. The Atlantic Amsterdam, formerly called Shelf Explorer, is owned by Atlantic Amsterdam Pte. Ltd. of Singapore, a subsidiary of Ezion Holdings Ltd.

Alewijnse Marine Systems will play a significant role in the conversion of the jack-up drill rigs Atlantic London and Atlantic Amsterdam to offshore hotel accommodation. Both refits will start in July 2012 and take several months to complete. This order is from Nordica Offshore. Atlantic London is due to arrive at the ASL Shipyard in Batam, Indonesia next month, while the Atlantic Amsterdam will arrive at Scheldepoort Repair & Conversion Yard in Vlissingen around the same time.

‘Guidance for developing and conducting annual DP trial programs for DP vessels’ (IMCA M 190) has been published by the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) to describe the development, conduct and management of annual dynamically positioned (DP) trial programs for all types of vessels equipped with DP systems meeting the requirements of International Maritime Organization (IMO) equipment classes 1, 2 or 3. Sister publication, IMCA M 191 ‘Guidelines for annual DP trials for DP mobile offshore drilling units’, sets out a program of continuous trials throughout the year. This guidance will also be applicable to mobile offshore drilling units (MODUs).