Innovation And Networks Executive Agency News

Damen Shiprepair & Conversion has signed off on the conversion of a dredger to dual-fuel operation on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and marine gas oil (MGO), and which is powered by MAN 35/44DF engines.The conversion of the ‘Samuel de Champlain’ is the first of its kind in Europe and is part of an EU-supported initiative to promote LNG propulsion in short-sea vessels operating along the European Atlantic coast.The 117m, 8,500m³ trailing suction hopper dredger is owned by Rouen-based GIE Dragages-Ports and operated by Port of Nantes-Saint-Nazaire.

The first European dredger converted to dual-fuel LNG/MGO propulsion has departed Damen Shiprepair Dunkerque (DSDu) to return to work, 23 months after contract signing. The 117m, 8,500 cu. m. trailing suction hopper dredger Samuel de Champlain is owned by Rouen-based GIE Dragages-Ports and operated by the Port of Nantes-Saint-Nazaire. Damen delivered a turnkey package that included engineering, procurement, installation, commissioning and support. Key features included changing of the engines to dual-fuel (LNG/Diesel) models…

Private markets investor Partners Group has provided equity financing for the 500-MW Greenlink interconnector,  the subsea connection between Wales and Ireland in exchange for a stake in the scheme.To-date, Greenlink has been developed by Element Power, an independent renewable energy developer, which, together with funds managed by Hudson Sustainable Investments, is the other major shareholder in Greenlink.Greenlink will use a subsea high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable system to connect the power markets of Ireland and Great Britain, improving the security of electricity supply in both countries and reducing average electricity costs for consumers.

Work has kicked off at Damen Shiprepair Dunkerque to convert the trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) Samuel de Champlain from diesel-electric propulsion to dual-fuel capability combining marine gas oil (MGO) and liquefied natural gas (LNG). A ceremony was held at the yard to mark the first cutting of steel for the prefabrication of a new section of hull that will hold the new generators and other equipment.Present at the occasion were Jean-Pierre Guellec, CEO of GIE Dragages-Ports…

Damen Shiprepair & Conversion has been awarded a contract to undertake the conversion of a dredger to dual-fuel capability combining LNG and MGO – a first of its kind project in Europe. The contract was awarded by Rouen-based GIE Dragages-Ports with regard to its 117m, 8500m³ trailing suction hopper dredger Samuel de Champlain, and the works will take place next year at Damen Shiprepair Dunkerque. The conversion is part of an EU-supported initiative to promote LNG propulsion in short-sea vessels operating along the European Atlantic coast.

The scrubber from Langh Tech received the Baltic Sea Clean Maritime Award at the Baltic Sea Forum in Berlin. The third-place award was handed to Langh Group’s Chairman of the Board, Maritime Counsellor Hans Langh by Professor Kurt Bodewig, European Coordinator Baltic-Adriatic. The Forum was organized in connection with the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) Annual Forum. The Baltic Sea Clean Maritime Award is awarded to innovative and environmentally friendly solutions and ideas, which promote the well-being of the Baltic Sea.

The EU's TEN-T Program will provide more than €2 million to back the upgrade of two ferries navigating in the Baltic Sea to the mixed use of electricity and fuel. The new hybrid propulsion system will help to reduce the environmental impact of ships, as well as secure the operability and stability of the vessels. The new EU regulation requires all vessels travelling in European waters to cut down the emission of sulphur oxide (SO) from 2015 onwards to decrease environmental pollution.

The EU's TEN-T Program will invest over $767,000 in a study on introducing an intelligent traffic management system in the port of Hamburg in Germany. The study is to contribute to an optimized use of the port's infrastructure, reduced traffic-related pollution, faster transport and cargo handling and improved road safety. The study will look into ways to improve the utilisation rates and cost-effectiveness of existing infrastructure and facilities in the Port of Hamburg by introducing an intelligent traffic management system in both the existing and planned truck and car parks.

The EU's TEN-T Program will co-fund with over €2 million the development of the sea ports of Trelleborg (Sweden) and Świnoujście (Poland), to increase their competitiveness and sustainability, as well as improve the maritime link between both countries. The project covers works and studies with the objective to develop the infrastructure and upgrade ICT at the Port of Trelleborg, as well as prepare grounds for the construction of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering facility at Świnoujście. The project will extend the fairway and build two breakwaters and two pier heads at the Port of Trelleborg to ensure safe and efficient ship maneuvers, as well as increase the port's sea-based capacity and accessibility.

The EU's TEN-T Program will back with over $16.25million the improvement of the sea connection between Dover in The UK and Calais in France. The developments include better traffic management, berth enhancements and a new rail freight connection between Calais and southern France. The project will focus on innovative solutions to adapt and enhance the current transport infrastructure and improve the traffic management across the Strait of Dover. The action will have a positive impact by encouraging modal shift and reducing the carbon footprint of transport…

The EU’s TEN-T Program will invest almost €600,000 in a study for the promotion of LNG use in Greek maritime transport. The greener and cheaper LNG could contribute to reducing transport emissions and fuel supply costs in the Aegean Sea, INEA, the European Commission’s Innovation and Networks Executive Agency said in a statement. The study aims to promote LNG for the passenger and shipping transport between the Greek islands. It will bring together a number of key LNG value chain stakeholders with the objective to identify the technical and economic framework for LNG as marine fuel in the South Aegean. Specifically, the group will look into the main supply chain options, required retrofits and infrastructure in ports, ships and shipyards, as well as business plans for each operator.

The EU's TEN-T Program will co-finance with over $1.24 million preparatory studies for the construction of a rail and road bridge over the Port of Malmö in Sweden. The new bridge will help to improve the cargo transfer at the port and improve the national rail capacity. The studies will prepare the construction of the bridge and the adaptation of the rail and road infrastructure at the port area. They will clarify the overall layout of the new transport network and provide detailed plans for the bridge, including an environmental and public welfare study.

EU's TEN-T Program will support with over $1,043,000 development studies for the port of Linz. The project aims to increase the port's capacity to receive larger inland water, rail and road transport flows. The Port of Linz, located in Austria's third largest city, is an important intersection of continuously increasing international freight flows between inland water, rail and road transport. This project features design studies for the expansion of the tri-modal terminal at the port to address its growing needs. It will deliver a master plan for port development, as well as detailed and executive designs to prepare the construction. The project was selected for EU funding with the assistance of external experts under the TEN-T Multi-Annual Call 2013, priority projects.

The EU's TEN-T Program will support with almost $6.29 million the pilot construction of the UK's first liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunker at Teesport near Middlesbrough and the LNG propulsion system of two new ships. The project will help reduce maritime pollution and support the roll-out of LNG technology in the UK. This project is a real breakthrough in the use of LNG for short sea shipping as it will develop a dedicated LNG supply and demand chain in the UK. It will also demonstrate the viability of LNG as an environmentally sound alternative to present marine fuels…

The EU's TEN-T Program will back the upgrade of the existing sea line between Nantes St-Nazaire, France and Vigo, Spain with over €3.5 million to ensure reliable and frequent shipping service of cargo transport. The alternative sea route is expected to help reduce road traffic and air pollution, leading to a fully operational infrastructure by late 2015. The new service started operations this year with three rotations per week. A fourth rotation will be added by July 2016 when occupancy ratios are satisfactory. The line's upgrade consists of increasing the infrastructure's capacity and improving the interface between the sea terminals and their hinterland connections.

The EU's TEN-T Program will invest over $940,000 for development studies for a new harbor at Nigg Bay in Aberdeen, Scotland. The harbor is to support the existing Port of Aberdeen with a view to a significant traffic growth forecast. The Port of Aberdeen handles around 8,000 vessel arrivals and 5 million metric tons of cargo a year. It is almost at its maximum capacity due to high levels of traffic, and the growth potential for the future is significant across several sectors. However, the port's location near the city center limits its expansion.

The EU's TEN-T Program  will co-fund with almost €2.5 million studies on the capacity development in the Port of Dublin to improve the freight traffic connection to the main rail and road axis linking Ireland to the UK and continental Europe. The project covers a set of preparatory studies for the construction works of the Alexandra basin redevelopment (ABR) global project with the aim to increase the port's capacity and adapt it to customer needs, mainly in the freight sector. After the completion of works the port will be able to accommodate larger ships and provide them with multipurpose berths for multiple transport modes. The studies include planning…

The increasing use of LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) as a fuel was given another boost with today’s commissioning of a new type of inland navigation vessel: Sirocco. Owned by Chemgas Barging, this conventional gas tanker is equipped with a main engine capable of running on marine gas oil as well as on the clean LNG. What makes this dual-fuel system unique is that it is positioned below decks in the cargo area, which improves vessel safety. This deployment is part of the ‘LNG Masterplan Rhine-Main-Danube’ project which is being realised with the support of the European Commission’s TEN-T Programme under the coordination of Pro Danube Management GmbH and the Port of Rotterdam Authority.

Studies on liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering infrastructure in Spain and France get EU grant. The European Union will support with just over €1 million from the TEN-T Programme a series of studies to analyse the potential introduction of liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure in Spain and France. The studies, selected for funding under the 2012 TEN-T Multi-Annual Call, aim at determining the feasibility of implementing LNG bunkering facilities in the Port of Roscoff (northwest France) and the Port of Santander (northern Spain).

The European Union will support with €6.7 million from the TEN-T Program a series of studies followed by real life trials to evaluate a new generation lightweight pilot scrubber solution for ro-ro (roll on, roll off) ships. The initiative also contributes to the realization of the “Motorways of the Sea” (TEN-T Priority Project 21) concept. The studies, selected for funding under the 2012 TEN-T Multi-Annual Program, will assess, install, demonstrate and evaluate a new generation of innovative lightweight scrubber technology on two existing ro-ro vessels operating in the Baltic and North Sea. Three EU Member States – Sweden, Finland and…

The European Union will co-finance with €3.9 million from the TEN-T Programme a project to extend one of the terminals and renew the intermodal infrastructure of the northern Italian Port of Genoa. The project, which was selected for funding under the 2012 TEN-T Annual Call, concerns works aimed at adapting the Port’s infrastructure to larger ships. The Port of Genoa, as a major national port and southern European gateway, needs to be prepared for the future traffic demand increase and to adapt its port layout to the new market requirements.

The European Union will co-finance with a little over €600,000 from the TEN-T Programme a series of studies to develop a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) hub in the Port of Ferrol, located near the city of La Coruña in the northwest of Spain. The studies, which were selected for funding under the 2012 TEN-T Annual Programme's priority on new technologies for transport infrastructure, focus on the design of the necessary facilities, infrastructure and procedures in order to supply LNG as fuel along the entire port logistics chain: from the port services to ships. LNG is rapidly emerging as a more environmentally friendly fuel for the shipping sector and its uptake is encouraged by the European Union.