Nordland News

Kongsberg Digital concluded a new project funded by FHF (the Norwegian Seafood Research Fund) for the development of its K-Sim Fishery simulator to incorporate a new purse seine application. The new simulator capabilities were demonstrated to the stakeholders at an event hosted by Nordland Vocational School (Lofoten Maritime) in Leknes, Norway on April 30th.Launched in 2018, K-Sim Fishery is a fishery simulator that introduces a whole new level of detail, authenticity, and content for crew training in the techniques and processes of trawl fishing.

Norwegian Electric Systems (NES) has ordered Zinus’ autonomous charging solution for electrification of the ferry connections Bognes-Skarberget and Drag-Kjøpsvik in Nordland county – above the Arctic Circle.From December 1, 2022, both routes will be operated by the ferry company Fjord1. Bognes-Skarberget is an important part of the E6, the main thoroughfare through northern Norway, while the 15-kilometer-long crossing from Drag to Kjøpsvik will be the longest electrified ferry connection in Norway.

Havyard said its shipyard in Leirvik won a contract with Fjord1 for modification of the car ferry MF Lote, a ferry that will operate the route Skarberget–Bognes over the Tysfjord in Nordland county.The conversion contract is seen as strategically important by the shipyard, particularly as it nears completion of a large-scale newbuild program and shifts its focus towards the modification and repair market. In recent years, the yard has been working on building and delivering ferries, wellboats and SOV vessels.

Nordlaks in Stokmarknes, Norway, is currently building a 385m long and 60m wide offshore salmon farm. The installation is being built at the CIMC Raffles yard in China. Nordlaks has also ordered a new hybrid/LNG live fish carrier (wellboat) to be built at the Tersan shipyard in Turkey. Rolls-Royce has been commissioned to provide equipment for both newbuilds, which have been designed by NSK Ship Design.Rolls-Royce will supply six TT1100 tunnel thrusters to the massive fish farm, which has been designed to produce salmon further offshore than has been possible so far.

Over the last 30 years, Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) has been involved in numerous waterfront projects including the design of ferries, barges and tugs. Although its history is rich with traditional vessel designs, occasionally the firm is involved in more unique projects, one of them being the design of a purpose-built landing craft for San Juan Ferry & Barge.EBDG partnered with Latitude Marine Services (LMS) to update the design of a current landing craft operated by San Juan Ferry & Barge, designed by EBDG and built by LMS.

Rolls-Royce said it has been contracted to deliver Kamewa waterjet propulsion units and MTU engines for three 42m high-speed, lightweight carbon fiber ferries for operation between Hong Kong and Guangzhou, China. The vessels will be built at the Brødrene Aa shipyard in Norway. The same shipyard has also ordered Rolls-Royce propulsion for two similarly-sized ferries to serve routes in the north of Norway. As well as Kamewa steel-series waterjets from Rolls-Royce, all five vessels will be powered by MTU series 2000 diesel engines.

Vard Holdings Limited (“VARD”)secured contracts for the construction of two LNG powered car- and passenger ferries for Torghatten Nord in Norway. The total contract value amounts to approximately NOK 600 million. The new car- and passenger ferries are designed for environmentally friendly operations in the Norwegian fjords, with a total capacity that is able to accommodate up to 180 cars and 550 passengers and crew. The ferries of Multi Maritime MM 125FD design will measure 130 meters in length with a beam of 20.7 meters, and will have a speed of approximately 18 knots. CEO and Executive Director Mr. Roy Reite commented, “I would like to welcome Torghatten Nord as a new client to VARD…

A group of industry stakeholders have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for academic exchange and cooperation within the framework of the Kalmar Ice Academy, with a focus on collaboratively helping the offshore and shipping industries to increase operational safety and efficiency while reducing environmental impact, through furthering understanding of maritime operations in ice. The parties, which included Kongsberg Digital, Viking Supply Ships, the Swedish Maritime Administration and the Kalmar Maritime Academy at the Faculty of Technology…

Wind power in the northern regions of Finland is developing most rapidly than other parts of the c Scandinavia and the Kola Peninsula. According to data collected on a statistical portal Patchwork Barents, regions of Ostrobothnia and Lapland are the undisputed leaders in the production of electricity from wind power. In another northern Swedish province - Norrbotten - is planned to place the largest wind power project to build a wind farm Markbyugden. In the northern province of Norway Nordland, Troms and Finnmark in 2014 did not show any significant changes in the volume of production of electricity from wind energy. Finnmark is the largest manufacturer in the north of Norway, with production capacity of 200 GW / h.

Statoil has today, 7 January, awarded the service contracts for seven bases for the company in Norway. These contracts have been awarded to NorSea Group AS, Saga Fjordbase AS and Asco Norge AS. The contracts awarded include terminal and warehouse services as well as storage and pipeline handling. “These contracts, which will involve a long-term cooperation with the chosen suppliers, will result in great savings for Statoil’s logistical operations. Logistics represent some 10% of our field costs and making base operations more efficient is essential for extending the lifetime of the fields we operate,” says Astrid Sørensen, SVP for operations in Statoil.

The Polarled-pipeline will export gas from Statoil's Aasta Hansteen field in the Norwegian Sea to the Nyhamna gas plant. Statoil has awarded Marubeni Itochu/JFE the fabrication contract for linepipe to the Polarled project, while Wasco has been awarded the coating contract, and Allseas the pipe-laying contract. The coating contract includes the establishment of a new production base in Mo i Rana, Northern Norway. "The Norwegian Sea is an exciting area on the Norwegian continental shelf. Polarled underpins this.

A Prince Edward Island provincial court judge has ordered the vessel BBC Nordland to pay a $15k penalty for illegally discharging a pollutant in Canadian waters. On February 22, 2008, the BBC Nordland, a Gibraltar registered General Dry Cargo vessel, that was docked at the Port of Summerside, Prince Edward Island, spilled approximately 300 litres of hydraulic oil during offloading operations. As a result of the investigation carried out by Transport Canada, charges under the Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships and for Dangerous Chemicals of the Canada Shipping Act were laid against the vessel in Prince Edward Island provincial court.

An oil discovery just north of the Norne field in the Norwegian Sea will be considered for development with the Norne production and storage ship. A well on the North Sea Verona prospect is dry. Drilling of an exploration well on the Dompap prospect off the coast of Nordland county has been completed after proving oil. A sidetrack drilled to establish the oil/water contact in this discovery is also in the process of completion. The Dompap strike represents StatoilHydro’s first oil find in 2009, and the preliminary estimate for recoverable reserves is 25-50 million barrels.

Statoil released two-year options for maintenance and modification work on its Norwegian offshore installations in the Tampen area to Aker Kvaerner Offshore Partner AS, and on the Halten/Nordland area to Aker Reinertsen AS. The contract value is $32m and $127m respectively on the options until 2009. The original contract for maintenance and modification work on all Tampen and Halten/Nordland platforms was awarded in 2002 with expiry in February 2007. Options for continuation of the work in three periods, each of which are two years in length, were included in the contracts. It is the first of these options which is now released. Aker Reinertsen is owned equally by Aker Kværner Offshore Partner and Reinertsen.

Statoil has awarded Eidesvik Shipping AS the contract for the delivery of a supply ship fuelled by liquefied natural gas (LNG). Running for a period of five years from October 2006, with three one-year options, this contract is worth almost NOK 370 million, including options. This is a Vik Sandvik 493 LNG-Avant ship of the same design as Viking Avant, which is already chartered by Statoil. The new ship is planned to transport supplies from Kristiansund to the Halten/Nordland area. Statoil is the only company that uses LNG-fuelled ships in offshore operations worldwide. “Statoil has two LNG-fuelled ships under existing contracts. They have performed to our full satisfaction, not least in terms of the environment.

A new vessel is operating on the waters of the Puget Sound. Last April, San Juan Ferry & Barge selected Seattle-based Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) to complete the Contract Design for a new landing craft, the M/V HENRY ISLAND. In order to deliver the vessel in time for the busy summer season, EBDG designed and lofted the landing craft simultaneously, allowing shipyard Latitude Marine Services of La Conner Washington to begin cutting steel in December 2002. The 81' foot steel vessel measures 70' length on deck, 25' molded beam, and 7' hull depth. The landing craft is equipped with a ramp forward designed for beach loading and can handle loads up to 90 tons. The vessel is U.S. Coast Guard-inspected to 46 CFR Subchapter I for hull construction and Subchapter T for most systems.

Statoil has awarded Aker Maritime two large contracts for maintenance and modification work on its fields in the Tampen area of the North Sea and the Halten Bank/Nordland area of the Norwegian Sea. Including options, the contracts run for up to 11 years, and have a combined value of around $1 billion. The contracts consist of frame agreements for the maintenance and modification work to be carried out on the installations operated by Statoil in both the Tampen area and the Halten Bank/Nordland area. The Tampen area includes the Statfjord A, B and C platforms and the Gullfaks A, B and C platforms. The options cover work on the Snorre TLP, Snorre B and Visund platforms when Statoil takes over as operator of these fields.