Cruise Shipping: Virgin Orders a Fourth Ship from Fincantieri
Fincantieri and Virgin Voyages signed a $791m contract for the construction of a fourth cruise ship, which will be delivered at the end of 2023.The new vessel will be a sister-ship of the three ships on order with Fincantieri. Construction is underway at the Sestri Ponente shipyard (Genoa) and the first three ships will enter Virgin Voyage’s fleet respectively in 2020, 2021 and 2022.The fourth vessel will be approximately 110,000 gross tons, 278 meters long and 38 meters wide. The ship will feature over 1,400 guest cabins designed to host more than 2,770 passengers, accompanied by 1,100 crew members on board to deliver the famed Virgin service.The Virgin Voyages fleet will stand out for original design and craftsmanship.
Russian Class & Arctic Operations
When it comes to Arctic operations, the Russians arguably have more hands-on experience and investment than any other nation. With that in mind, Maritime Reporter spoke recently with Georgiy Bedrik, Head of the RS Business Development Division, for his input on RS and matters of the Arctic, maritime and offshore. Please give a brief description of the market you serve. In maritime, RS renders a full scope of classification services for ships including plan approval, survey under construction and in operation, as well as statutory surveys in compliance with international codes and conventions.
BMT Partakes in Low-Carbon Research Project
BMT Group is involved in a three-year research project called “Low Carbon Shipping: A Systems Approach.” The project is aimed at limiting the environmental impact of carbon emissions from the world’s shipping systems to comply with new legislation and mitigate global warming. 90% of goods arrive in the UK by ship and current estimates show shipping’s share of global emissions could increase to 20-30% by 2050. The project has received nearly $2.8 million from the Research Councils UK (RCUK) Energy Program, part of the nearly $869 million the program is investing in research in low-carbon technologies. BMT has been charged to develop technologies for low carbon shipping and more energy-efficient ship operations.
Bollinger Relocates R&D Department and High Speed Vessel Group
Bollinger Shipyards, Inc., Lockport, La., will relocate its research and development engineering office from Slidell, La., and shift the Bollinger high-speed vessels group from Lockport, to the James Business Park in St. Rose, La., in October 2004. Mike Ellis, Bollinger executive vice-president and chief operating officer said, "This new location in St. Rose will not only help us better serve our current shipyards from a design and engineering standpoint, but it will also help us attract potential employees to fill our future growth plans. The Slidell research and development office, Bollinger Northshore Engineering, about 45 miles east of the new facility, opened about five years ago. It creates and develops innovative design solutions for commercial and government clients.
PTC Launches New CAD/CAM Shipbuilding Solution
PTC, a leader in the CAD/CAM marketplace with its software in use at more than 28,000 companies including companies such as Caterpillar, Lucent, Mitsubishi, Nike and Siemens, has launched a shipbuilding specific product. Working with partners like Hyundai Heavy Industries, BAE SYSTEMS, DCN, BIW, and Ingalls, PTC has more than 20 years of experience in bringing innovative design solutions to the shipbuilding industry with products like CADDS 5I, Medusa, and Dimension III. Drawing on its experience with proven solutions and existing customers, PTC recognized that its industry solutions provided by Pro/ENGINEER could and should be leveraged to develop the next generation shipbuilding solution — a product the company will debut at SMM in Hamburg, Germany.
