Improved Technology News

Intellian Technologies announced its new t-Series and s-Series antennas to enhance the live television (TV) experience for those onboard maritime vessels.The new t-Series antennas, available from September onwards, will leverage improved technology to elevate the user and customer experience. Featuring an upgrade to Intellian’s trademarked WorldView Technology (WLNB), it is designed to enabel seamless television viewing onboard anywhere in the world as vessels travel between regional services.The four new models of the t-Series - t85N, t100N, t130N, t150N - range from 85cm up to 150cm.

The U.K.'s Maritime and Coastguard Agency is investing over £170 million ($221.5 million) in a new radio network for Her Majesty’s Coastguard. The new network will be built and maintained by telent Technology Services Ltd. and is a significant investment in telecommunications infrastructure in rural areas.The existing network will be replaced with a modern and resilient fiber-based hybrid network, that will provide increased reliability, bandwidth and security.The new network will ensure HM Coastguard can continue to communicate with ships in U.K.

Offshore wind could become a cornerstone of the world's power supply as steep cost reductions and improved technology unleash the potential of the green energy source, said the International Energy Agency (IEA) on Friday.Renewables replacing fossil fuel is crucial to meet a globally-agreed goal of limiting temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius this century and the expansion of offshore wind could avoid 5-7 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions from the power sector globally, said the IEA.Power generated from wind turbines at sea only accounts for 0.3% of global electricity generation today…

Danish product tanker operator Torm has joined Glencore subsidiary Inatech on an app to tackle the anticipated complex bunkering landscape in shipping post-2020.Inatech, which specialises in energy trading risk management systems, has built the ‘Smart Trader’ app to enable companies to map their entire fleet of ships and visualise best routes given sea and port conditions to achieve lowest prices for the desired quality of fuel.The toolkit leverages bunker alerts and pricing data from S&P Global Platts, the leading independent provider of information and benchmark prices for the energy and commodities markets."Torm, the tanker company that’s one of the world’s biggest carriers of refined oil products…

Despite of some of the lowest fuel prices experienced in the last eight years, demand for ferry construction is at a seemingly all time high. The focus on building new ferries kicked off in early 2013 and the sustained interest is the continued result of an unleashing of pent up demand. Fleets have been aging and infrastructure needs to be built up in order to accommodate the future demand for commuter ferry travel once fuel prices return to and surpass their once familiar norms.

The Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems Association (EGCSA) has raised concerns regarding the possible delay to the adoption of a global limit on fuel oil sulphur emissions, which is to be considered by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in October 2016. The international association, which represents more than 25 member companies dedicated to reducing sulphur oxides (SOx) and particulate emissions from marine exhaust gas, says there is a need for action to prevent SOx emissions from continuing to cause health problems and damage to the environment, and stress that the technology to achieve SOx emissions equal to or even below the regulation limits is already proven, cost effective, and widely available.

Volvo Penta today unveiled its new family of next-generation 5.3L V8 gasoline engines for the marine sterndrive market in a press preview at the company’s Test Center in Suffolk, Va. “Volvo Penta has a rich history of innovation in marine propulsion, and with these next-generation V8s, we are establishing a new industry benchmark for acceleration, speed, weight-to-power ratio, fuel economy, emissions reduction and proven reliability,” said Ron Huibers, president of Volvo Penta of the Americas. Volvo Penta’s new marine engines are based on General Motors’ highly acclaimed Gen V platform. “In addition to these innovations, we have incorporated our tried-and-true RPM-based speed control, which automatically maintains speed when the boat is in a tight turn,” added Huibers.

After a multiyear study focused on modernizing its global headquarters, Caterpillar Inc. today reaffirmed it will remain in Peoria, Illinois, and revealed a design that will eventually span 31 acres on the city’s riverfront. A three-tower building located in the heart of a six-block campus, which includes innovative work spaces and amenities designed to retain and attract the finest talent in the world. A commitment to invest and act as a catalyst in Peoria, helping revitalize the downtown and the region as a vibrant destination. While Caterpillar is truly a worldwide company with facilities that span the globe, Peoria remains its headquarters.

According to The Swedish Club, half of the costs of hull and machinery claims handled by the Club have arisen due to navigational claims such as collisions, contacts or groundings - a figure that has remained steady over recent years despite improved technology and the widespread implementation of Safety Management Systems. The Swedish Club, in its latest Loss Prevention publication, Navigational Claims, has revealed a number of interesting findings relating to claims made for hull and machinery damage between 2004–2013.

TOTE, Inc. announced an agreement today between its operating companies TOTE Shipholdings Inc. and Sea Star Line LLC on the charter of the two new Marlin Class vessels being built by TOTE Shipholdings at NASSCO in San Diego, Calif. The new Marlin Class ships will be the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered containerships in the world and will almost double the cargo capacity available to Puerto Rico each week. These will be the first ships with fifty three foot container capacity under deck expanding the services that Sea Star Line is able to offer its customers. The ships will also allow Sea Star Line more cargo flexibility to meet the ever changing needs of Puerto Rico. The Marlin Class vessels lead the way in environmental responsibility.

Finnish marine engineering company Norsepower Oy Ltd. announced that it will bring to the commercial maritime market an auxiliary wind propulsion solution aimed at maximizing cargo ship fuel efficiency, with first sea tests on a Finnish cargo ship slated to begin later this year. Norsepower’s Rotor Sail Solution is an updated version of the Flettner rotor, a concept that dates back to Finnish engineer Sigurd Savonius in the early 1900s. The Flettner rotor gets its name from German engineer Anton Flettner…

A new study about crucial risk management issues relating to Arctic operations is released by DNV and the Fridtjof Nansen Institute (FNI). The study concludes that, in order to safely develop Arctic resources, there is a need for improved technology, oil spill preparedness and close cooperation between the authorities, industry and society. DNV’s CEO, Dr Henrik O. Madsen, presented the study entitled ‘Energy and the environment – Arctic resource development, risks and responsible management’ at the Offshore Northern Seas (ONS) Conference in Stavanger. Interest in the Arctic is growing rapidly, but there is no race for resources. The Arctic is more characterised by cooperation than by conflict.

The recent dispute between Odyssey Marine Exploration and the Kingdom of Spain over the treasure and artifacts Odyssey recovered from the Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes has recently been given considerable coverage in the popular press as well as in the maritime press. This has probably reinforced the belief of some people that marine salvage, by definition, is the recovery of sunken treasure. Actually, of course, that is only a small component of marine salvage. It has nonetheless…

The Arctic has large oil and gas resources and operations in this sensitive and harsh area will require efficient oil-spill preparedness solutions. “The acquisition of Norwegian Petro Services (NPS) in Norway and its recognised expertise will play an important role in our activities in this field,” says Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, DNV’s COO of the Norway, Russia and Finland division. Oil and gas operations in the Arctic introduce several new risk elements; the distances are greater, the climate is cold, it is dark for a lot of the year and there may be no infrastructure. “Both the industry and society focus heavily on reducing the environmental effects of operations in Arctic areas such as the Barents Sea.

The U.S. Coast Guard formally accepted and introduced its new Response Boat-Medium and Rescue 21 advanced communications system during a ceremony held Monday at Coast Guard Sector Key West, here. The Response Boat - Medium is a new small-boat platform that offers increased speed and maneuverability over the service's aging 41-foot response boats, which it will eventually replace.·Enhanced maritime capabilities and technological advances such as water-jet propulsion, armrest integrated steering and trim controls, self-righting capability and improved crew accommodations all represent significant upgrades over the legacy 41-foot response boat platform.·· The first two Response Boats - Medium were delivered to Coast Guard Stations Little Creek…

The Coast Guard published a final rule amending Coast Guard regulations under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90), in Title 33, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 138, governing requirements for vessel owners and operators to establish and maintain evidence of financial responsibility. The amendments ensure the amounts of financial responsibility that must be demonstrated under the Coast Guard's Certificate of Financial Responsibility program are consistent with increases to the OPA 90 limits of liability by the Delaware River Protection Act of 2006. The amendments also increase the COFR application and certification fees, and eliminate the requirement that an original printed COFR be carried aboard covered vessels.

President Bush’s fiscal year 2009 budget request for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) represents $50.5 billion in funding, which is an increase of 6.8 percent over the 2008 fiscal year level – excluding funds provided in emergency supplemental funding. The request targets five areas, detailed in the following release of information from the DHS. The Department of Homeland Security’s main priority is to prevent terrorist attacks against the nation and to protect our nation from dangerous people. DHS will continue to prevent the entry of terrorists while facilitating the legitimate flow of people by strengthening border security efforts and continuing to gain effective control of America’s borders.

Bently Nevada Corporation, already known to the marine market as a leading supplier of monitoring and diagnostic products and services for the rotating and reciprocating machinery, is taking the next step in their evolution as a machinery information and knowledge company. The company's protection systems are no strangers to gas and steam turbine main propulsion units, turbine and diesel generators, as well as other critical service equipment such as cargo pumps and fans. Now Bently is moving ahead; not directly in monitoring the condition of machinery, but getting to problem root cause and improving the reliability of machines. Donald Bently…

The Executive Control Board of the National Shipbuilding Research Program (NSRP) approved funding for 10 Ship Production Panel Projects with conditional approval given to an eleventh project for a total value of $599,425. This action occurred during the Board’s June 25 meeting in Bath, Maine. funded. The Board recognizes that the Ship Production Panels have been a valuable asset for the U.S. shipbuilding industry for more than two decades and works to support their requests. top three injury types that result in lost time away from work. nearly 25 percent of costs resulting from workers’ compensation claims. Practices Guide for preventing slips, trips and falls. Sponsored by the Facilities & Tooling Technologies Panel. $35,500. implementation and documentation.

The European welding equipment and consumables market for shipbuilding applications is facing mounting competition from suppliers based in East Asia. However, healthy orders from shipyards over the next three years will boost revenues for welding equipment and consumable manufacturers. At the same time, the intensifying trend towards automation in shipyards will help to support revenue growth. revenues of $43.2 million in 2006 and is estimated to reach $70.1 million in 2013, while the European welding consumables market for shipbuilding applications earned revenues of $61.5 million in 2006 and is projected to achieve $99.8 million in 2013. The market is currently in an upswing owing to dynamic developments in the European shipbuilding industry.

The profitable process of moving products through North America’s vast inland waterways systems is increasingly dependent on vessel owners and operators finding and incorporating new technological means and methods to increase efficiencies. That was a core message at a recent meeting sponsored by the Ship Operations Cooperative Program (SOCP) and held in early March at the Litton-Avondale Shipyard. According to American Waterways Operators’ Ken Wells and others who spoke at the conference, market expansion projections are flat both in terms of materials moved and the overall customer base of shippers. Thus, the onus is squarely on owners and operators to ensure that their fleets are adequately outfitted to save precious time, money and fuel.

The North American inland marine market is neither technologically archaic nor as environmentally hazardous as many individuals outside of the marine market may think. These two issues dominated a recent meeting sponsored by the Ship Operations Cooperative Program (SOCP) held in early March at the Litton-Avondale Shipyard. The profitable process of moving products through North America's vast inland waterways systems is increasingly dependent on vessel owners and operators finding and incorporating new technological means and methods to increase efficiencies. Speakers from industry leading companies such as Kirby Barge Co.; Ingram Barge Co.…

Paul English, sales and business development manager for Alstom's Marine and Offshore activities, looks back at the company's role in the development of Dynamic Positioning Systems. In recent years, dynamic positioning (DP) systems have become almost as accepted a feature of certain types of marine and offshore vessels as autopilot. DP — which automatically controls a ship's heading and station keeping (either a fixed or moving target) while minimizing thruster activity — has considerably expanded the options for shipowners/operators whose vessels remain at sea for long periods of time, often in deep water and in areas where laying anchors is either not an option due to seabed structures, or impractical because of timescales.