Installed Systems News

Over the last year we have seen an upswing in floating production and storage systems ordering after many years of low activity. According to our colleagues at World Energy Reports, “The global oil and natural gas markets are contending with rebounding energy demand on top of supply disruptions from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As a result, activity and business sentiment in the floating production sector has seldom been stronger.”  This increased activity in the floating production…

As the maritime industry searches for technologies and energy sources that can deliver on upcoming decarbonization regulations from the IMO and EU and ultimately delivering zero-emissions shipping, the development and deployment of wind propulsion technologies have been making headlines that speak to a growing momentum. Today, sees the release of the report from a group of more than 40 experts and stakeholders that came together for a workshop to identify the strategy priorities for wind propulsion development in the near future…

Another year has passed since our last mapping of the maritime software landscape, and it is once again time to review the latest developments and trends in this space.Overall, 2019 was another turbulent year for most shipping markets, overshadowed by preparations for the IMO 2020 sulfur regulations, rising geopolitical tensions, the trade war between the USA and China, as well as natural disasters disrupting global supply chains. This article provides insight into the changes seen in the maritime software landscape under these turbulent conditions: On a high-level…

Rocktree Consulting completed the front-end engineering and design (FEED) for a new floating terminal for the Bauxite Hills Mine, operated by Australia’s Metro Mining Limited.Bauxite ore is the world’s primary source of aluminum. Australia, Guinea and Brazil are the largest suppliers of bauxite to the seaborne market, while China is the main buyer.The FEED work forms part of an updated Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) for the Stage 2 expansion of the Bauxite Hills Mine, located approximately 95km north of Weipa, Queensland, Australia.

A team of industry partners say they have successfully tested a new solution for dynamic positioning (DP) system performance and redundancy audits – an industry first.Developed by Norway's Kongsberg Maritime in collaboration with offshore service provider BOURBON and DP experts at Bureau Veritas (BV), the ‘DP Digital Survey’ application runs on an industrial data management system that ensures unprecedented data consistency for the verification of installed systems, Kongsberg Maritime explained.

Kongsberg Maritime, Bureau Veritas (BV) and Bourbon verify a new application that enables remote surveying of Dynamic Positioning systems on boardKongsberg, BV and Bourbon announced a first in the maritime industry: the successful testing of a new solution for DP (Dynamic Positioning) system performance and redundancy audits.The ‘DP Digital Survey’ application runs on an industrial data management system to help ensure data consistency for the verification of installed systems.

Denmark-based product tanker owner and operator TORM has ordered ballast water treatment systems from manufacturer Alfa Laval for 47 of its vessels, including 11 newbuilds.TORM has worked with Alfa Laval’s PureBallast 3 Ex since 2017 and retrofitted its first system in 2018. Having recently ordered PureBallast 3 Ex for newbuild projects in China, TORM will now retrofit the same across its product tanker fleet.“Based on careful evaluation of the solutions on the market and our experience with PureBallast 3 Ex on board…

The shipping industry is set on a serious decarbonization course and the search is on for credible, viable and cost-effective solutions to meet the IMO’s initial strategy challenge to peak GHG emissions from international shipping as soon as possible and to reduce the total annual GHG emissions by at least 50 percent by 2050 compared to 2008.Wind propulsion technologies can help cut fuel costs significantly, make vessels compliant with existing and impending emission regulations…

PureBallast 3, the third generation ballast water treatment technology from Swedish manufacturer Alfa Laval, is the first solution to be type approved according to the revised IMO G8 testing requirements. DNV GL, acting on behalf of the Norwegian Maritime Authority, issued an updated type approval certificate on February 2, making Alfa Laval the first supplier compliant with the revised G8 demands. The revised G8 guidelines, which are more in line with the stringent U.S. Coast Guard requirements…

More and more, vessels are becoming sophisticated hubs of connected systems and sensors that generate and exchange data both onboard and back to shore. As the shipping industry continues to digitalize, increased connectivity amplifies the need for cyber security and for ways of verifying the cyber safety of installed systems. For the past year, DNV GL and Kongsberg have combined their efforts to develop a new type approval program for the cyber security assessment of control system components: “Security Assessment of Control System Components, DNVGL-CP-0231”.

For thousands of years sailors have looked out to sea, anticipating the motion of their craft from the waves they see coming. The nature of this constant motion, phasing in and out with the groups of waves, influences the safety of operations, from moving about the deck or rigging to transferring people and materials between craft. Waves and the resulting motions are a key factor in deciding whether to perform an operation. Could you do better than your eyeball for predicting when that next big wave is going to knock you off your feet? When the U.S.

The second half of 2016 brought shockwaves to some ship owners who were still in a state of denial about the need to install ballast water treatment systems (BWTS) onboard their vessels. The ratification of the Ballast Water Management Convention and the announcement of the first U.S. Coast Guard Type Approved BWTS, saw many ship owners rushing to drydock their vessels at the beginning of the year, or deharmonize their IOPP certificates in an attempt to delay fitting a BWTS onboard their ships. Others have already installed a BWTS on board or have decided to install one. Much has been written on the various constraints that are to be faced for selecting and installing a system, but not much has been heard about the systems installed on board. Do they work?

This is historic, we tell ourselves, as PBES founder Brent Perry walks us around his still labor-intensive “battery factory” in the heart of Norway, from where ship owner capital controls half of the world’s offshore tonnage. Perry, a shipbuilder himself, has chosen to house his first production center here in the haunt of another ship builder, Selfa Arctic, whose move north left for Perry a young cadre of college-educated workers. They’ll build PBES’s stackable configurations of batteries that do not catch fire.

Global surveillance business Synectics has been awarded contracts for ten marine and offshore vessels including LNG Carriers, LPG Carriers and Floating Storage Regasification Units (FSRUs). Scheduled for construction in South Korea and China, the international vessels will all be equipped with end-to-end surveillance solutions comprising Synectics’ COEX camera stations, Synergy command and control functionality, and tailored integrations. The largest of the oil and gas vessel contracts will see COEX C2000 and C3000 High Definition camera stations, and Synergy Compact Ultra hardware platforms, deployed on six LNG carriers. In addition to providing stand-alone camera control…

Steven Candito is the Founder, President and CEO of Foresea, which provides advisory services including strategic planning, regulatory compliance and crisis management to the maritime and environmental communities. Previously, Candito was President and CEO of NRC. He has extensive experience with OPA 90 compliance issues with particular focus on vessel owner and insurance matters. Before that, Candito was an attorney with Haight Gardner Poor & Havens, specializing in maritime and environmental law. Candito has also served as a marine engineer aboard Exxon USA’s domestic tanker fleet. He is a graduate of Hofstra University School of Law and the United States Merchant Marine Academy.

Choosing next generation communication systems for professional marine operations can be a daunting task. Not to worry: John Haynes provides a primer. Over the past decade we have come to expect fast, seamless global communications from a single device that fits in our pocket. The age of the smart phone and tablet enables multiple voices talking in a conference call and real time transfer of data, ranging from documents to photos and videos. In the modern bridge, most crew members have a GPS in their pocket which can identify where that person is on the planet.

Ballast water treatment (BWT) specialist Optimarin is continuing its strong start to the year, with the news that its Optimarin Ballast System (OBS) has been selected for nine Sinopacific Shipbuilding Group AHTS vessels. The contract win comes on the back of a recent ten unit order from Atlantis Tankers and the firm’s first foray into the fishing sector, with Fisherman’s Finest’s America’s Finest trawler. The nine AHTS vessels, designed by Sinopacific’s Shanghai Design Associates specialist OSV team, will be operated by ESNAAD, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).

Eliminating the slack line required for conventional tie-ups, PSI Marine's TideSlide Mooring System reduces inertial loading usually generated by a moored vessel. TideSlide's strength and safety are ideal for commercial docks where cargo or passengers are loaded. Maintaining the vessel's boarding proximity allows safer movement of freight and passengers. TideSlide's vertical movement absorbs any built-up energy, enabling a vessel to be safely and securely held even in the presence of wind, waves and tides.

The overall number of orders is similar to the average ordering pace over the past 10 years, during which an average of roughly 25 production and storage floaters were ordered annually. But the ordering pace by type unit is quite different. FPSO orders in 2014 were 25% below the 13.5 average ordering pace over the past ten years – and in 2014 no orders were placed for Spars, TLPs or Production Semis, which between 2004 and 2013 averaged 3.5 orders per year. Offsetting these declines were gains in orders for FLNGs and FSRUs.

Despite industry gloom about the offshore market, orders for production floaters continue to flow. Over the past few weeks a speculatively-ordered FLNG found use off Africa, negotiations began to convert a third LNG carrier to an FLNG, an FSRU was ordered and a modified LNG tanker has been leased for storage use. Looking forward, we are tracking 30 projects considered likely to generate contracts for floating production units over the next 18 months. Among the likely awards are 18 FPSOs, 2 production semis, 5 LNG liquefaction or regasification units and 5 FSOs.

Hyde Marine, Inc. is a US-based manufacturing company offering ballast water treatment systems with rated flows from 60 - 6000 m3/hour to the marine industry. Hyde Marine is a division of the Calgon Carbon Corporation, based out of Pittsburgh, PA operated under their UV Technologies Division. As part of the UV Technologies Division, the Hyde GUARDIAN is part of a full range of UV disinfection equipment designed to treat water in all applications. Hyde Marine is a leader in the BWMS market…

2014 Floater Orders – We thought it would be useful to provide a summary of floater orders placed last year. As listed below, 25 units were ordered during the year - 10 FPSOs, one Barge, four FLNGs, seven FSRUs and three FSOs. 2015 Outlook for Floater Orders – The drop in oil/gas prices and ongoing implosion in Petrobras have combined to create a perfect storm in the deepwater sector. More than 170 projects involving oil production floaters and 35 floating liquefaction projects are in the planning stage.

Transas Navi-Sailor 4000 ECDIS has passed all DNV-GL tests according to the new IHO & IEC standards. The new generation of the Transas ECDIS complies with the latest requirements and provides a number of features beyond this. The production of the new Transas system will start in January with deliveries from February 1, 2016. New IHO editions of S-52 and S-64 and new ECDIS testing specification IEC 61174 entered into force in August 2015. The new standards are intended to overcome shortcomings, ECDIS anomalies and safety critical issues identified by all stakeholders including IMO, IEC and IHO, and will affect new installations and previously installed ECDIS. Normally new standards would not affect installed systems, but in this particular case the “Grandfather Clause” is overruled.